Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 671 - 622: The Power of the Red Dragon

It was unrealistic to expect to persuade the King of the Dwarves with a spur-of-the-moment impassioned speech, and until they parted weys, their respective ideas remained unshaken. To end with a joke, leaving as friends, might have been a fairly good outcome after all.

Standing in place, watching Visergg walk away, the Dwarf King turned back with a stiff smile before returning to his palace. Nia’s tentacles crawled onto Lyle’s shoulders, against the backdrop of the shop facing the furnace slag, watching the fading silhouette of the Dwarf King blend with Mackenbert’s glow.

"What has Lyle found?"

At Lyle’s request, Freheimer led them to the Dragon Fire Furnace, where the Red Dragon rested and forged, located at the edge of Mackenbert’s forging area, next to a natural magma waterfall.

"The Red Dragon Imelt received the gift of life and flame from the father of dragons. The way to fuse the two is through forging, infusing new life into materials with the pounding of fierce flames. The weapon for the craftsmen’s assessment definitely wasn’t newly made; it was a practice prop for Dwarf soldiers, which couldn’t have remained pristine. Imelt’s forged weapons inherited her power; she failed the assessment because she ’enhanced’ her own ’test.’ She made the broken objects sturdy and the flawed beautiful."

"But this ability is not enough. A normal blacksmith can also repair and strengthen weapons and armour, so by this logic, Imelt isn’t even a complete Forging Master."

The truth of the matter seemed to have been unveiled, but the reality they faced was less than ideal. Although the Red Dragon Imelt could make a good repairer, even the best repairer wouldn’t be a Forging Master. She still couldn’t pass the test.

Those expectant eyes were permanently etched in his mind, the selfless trust of the little one he’d brought up, looking up to a reliable elder brother. Lyle smiled; he needed to change his approach, to think in a way that transcend the current era of this world.

The Andrey mode.

What would happen if one were struck with the Flame Hammer of life and flame? Could the incorruptible life force of a weapon be useful against living beings?

"Visergg Firehammer might think it’s a mad idea, but at least he’s sown the seed of absurdity in his heart, and soon, I will turn that spark into a raging wildfire." Lyle reached out his hand to touch Nia’s tentacles, and from the tips of his fingers surged a strange telepathic impulse, "Imelt is a child of the dragon, descendants of the demonic Yemottal, whose life is entwined with mine, which is why I can sense Imelt’s potential."

"What we need to do now is to wait for the a weapon crafted with the Red Dragon’s utmost effort."

"Then think about how to subtly coerce the King of the Dwarves into using that Red Dragon weapon to harm someone. I’m not entirely sure myself, the effectiveness of the power will definitely be linked to the user, and if the person using the power of the Red Dragon is apprehensive, the effect will certainly be minimal."

[Then you’ll commit the crime of inciting the king to harm others—an act of deceiving your liege.]

"Don’t be so grim, even if it fails, it’s just the death of a dwarf, the Red Dragon expelled, and we’ll forever lose a tribe of Dragon Followers."

[Is that how you serve as Dragon King Priest?]

"Hesitation is the habit of the old, I am the new blood, charged with innovation. I come from Andrey, Mr. Omen. As everyone knows, we Andreyans have an excellent team of lawyers..."

On the steel streets of Mackenbert, a human talked to himself, tentacles crawling over his body, while the glow of the great furnace cast vast, ominous shadows across the rock walls.

Lost in thought, Lyle’s pace fell a step behind Freheimer’s. When he arrived at the Dragon Fire Furnace, he saw an all-enveloping blaze, within which Lyle could barely make out a hammering figure.

"Imelt!"

The Red Dragon Priest took Lyle’s hand.

"That child is serious now. She listened to you and is wholeheartedly forging a new weapon. This layer of flames is a barrier set up by the Baron of the Garden with his own body; the temperature and power of the furnace are under the control of the Elemental Lord, which is a unique advantage in the realm of forging. The best Forging Masters can make good weapons on their own, but the finest weapons definitely come from the body of a Flame Elemental."

This was akin to a state of seclusion.

"How long will it take?"

"Not long. In three days, the new council members for the craftsmen will be confirmed, that’s the ultimate deadline."

...

In the days that followed, Visergg felt a nerve-wracking tension; he kept receiving reports that Lyle was frequently in contact with the members of the Dragon Fire Furnace. His mood grew complicated. After that banquet, the sobered King of the Dwarves was convinced that the human Dragon Priest was not a fool but seemed more like a dangerous madman. Though he appeared gentle and somewhat timid, there were moments when he radiated an undeniable, intense presence.

He didn’t seem like a man of empty words, he was picking his targets! That crazy thought was growing wildly, and the king’s wisdom was suppressing it continually. He had to act.

The King of the Dwarves hurried through his duties and rode his great ram "Bagaro," wielding the Dwarf King’s weapon, the Flame Hammer, towards that place.

Visergg arrived fiercely, and when he reached the destination, he only saw the legless dwarf chef sitting alone by the railing of Mackenbert, feeling the hot wind rushing up from the great furnace.

"Are you alright, Captain Paul?" the Dwarf King dismounted, approaching Paul with hammer in hand, looking around cautiously.

"Why are you so nervous, child? This is Mackenbert, home is safe."

Visergg didn’t know how to explain to the former Fire Hammer Captain and could only chuckle, pushing Paul back towards the Dragon Fire Furnace. "It’s not mealtime yet, lad of the Fire Hammer, you needn’t be so anxious."

"Has Lyle been here just now?"

"Of course, humans have short lives; Lyle is still a child. He can’t find many people to talk to in Andrey’s domain, so he often comes to chat with us."

The Dwarf King bit his lip, "Humans also have the strongest talent for growth. They can reach heights in their brief lives that we take hundreds of years to achieve."

"The finest things are always fleeting, you must learn to understand."

"What did you talk about with Lyle?"

"A lot, he is a good listener. We reminisced about the past, just as I used to tell you, about those days looking up at the sky, facing the waves. Beautiful, unforgettable times..." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"So why did he suddenly leave you here?"

"That little Red Dragon seemed to have undergone some change, and he left in a hurry."

Is the weapon ready?

Paul laughed and said, "Right, Lyle seems like a silly boy who likes to daydream. He asked me, ’If you regained a healthy body, what would you want to do?’"

The Dwarf King stopped in his tracks, his hand gripping the handle, and the metallic moan made Paul’s whole body start to vibrate.

"And... your answer?"

Paul looked at Visergg’s expression as though he realized something.

"I haven’t yet answered Lyle; he ran off."

"But regardless of whether it’s you or him, my thoughts are the same."

"I am a warrior, I will fight until death."

Visergg pushed Paul back to the Dragon Fire Furnace and left his own words behind the curtain.

"Thank you for all you have done for Mackenbert, the strongest legion of the Molten Dwarves."

"The Fire Hammer burns eternally, Your Majesty."