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Chapter 429: The Revolutionary’s Blessed. [Release Version]
🕑 Added 2023-06-23 02:56:18 +0000 UTCEdit: As I had added the new song in chapter 423, I had it mentioned at the very ending.
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“Welcome. We went to our de-facto headquarters last time, so hope our ‘official’ one won’t disappoint too much.”
Jadhund, our contact with the Railroad Guild, proudly presented the daunting building standing before us, situated inside the royal district of Inkoran-Tazul. The two floor building was made from fairnite with gilded metal edges and window frames, making it fit with the other opulently designed buildings within this area.
Two statues guarded the entrance as dwarves came in and out of the door, each designed to look like an upscaled version of the Chihiro miniature figures I’ve seen up until now, with her holding up her tools and manatech. In addition, a stone replica of a train and its cabins blocked the path from the back and sides, leaving an opening for us to enter the building from the front. There were even small, barely conspicuous engravings covering the walls that looked a bit like train tracks.
All of these features gave this building a more personalized feeling than the usual plain, stone homes I was used to seeing inside the dwarven holds. A bit of an exaggeration, since most of them combined both Japanese aesthetics and neon lights made from manatech to elevate their appearance from looking boring, but guild still felt good to look at.
It was a worthy building for the “headquarters” of the railroad guild, even if it couldn’t compare to how imposing the one inside Inkoran-Tazul’s inner city looked.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” I told him.
Jadhund nodded, before handing Ellaine her manatech bird back, which we had used as a messenger to deliver our wish to begin the meeting. “All in a day of work, I say. Besides, the craftsmen are currently barely doing any of the usual work after what happened. We might be busy, but that just means all of us are too hurried to do the normal bureaucratic nonsense.”
“Always the best when we as a collective are angry, eh?” Grimnir stated. “With how stubborn those longbeards are, things like this would never have happened immediately if it weren’t for the Ankoran King’s declaration for war. The throng is being mustered.”
Rudigan, who accompanied us for Grimnir’s sake, shook his head. “Somebody has to pay for what happened. War is not a necessity, but if reparations aren’t paid and nobody will take responsibility, then it is better when we get everything ready.”
Hearing him say that last part only made me sigh internally. Yet, watching so many dwarves moving around in this part of the city, making a noise with their shouts, despite my last visit here being far more peaceful, made me aware the “gears” were moving fast.
“Who ya callin’ stubborn, eh, ya short-bearded bashthuda?”
My train of thought was stopped when somebody shouted at us, stomping his way over to us with a clear grimace. Smoking something from his pipe, the dwarf stroked his extra long petrified beard that went down to his knees, before blowing white smoke towards the ground.
“Master Metosei!” Ellaine called out, smiling.
“Ah! Lass! Bladdarg, I see the lad is also here, but where is that Haruka lass? Been missing you three since we last met. Glad to see you healthy, the world needs more enthusiastic artificers. Lad, keep the flame burning, eh?” Like a grandpa meeting his granddaughter, one of the three elders of the railroad guild was grinning widely as he saw Ellaine and Daichi. However, after greeting them, he turned back to Grimnir, a sour face having replaced his previous expression. “Hmph. Lad. Ya already heard? King’s thinking of rescinding your status as an exile.”
Grimnir turned to me, but I just shrugged. I hadn’t heard about it. Metosei and Jadhund explained the blacksmith’s guild had been discussing the single misunderstanding between them and Bleidla and how it had caused an issue that had festered for over 200 years.
“Haha, the fact you talked to that old smith god really made headlines, lass. You should have heard about it, right?” Jadhund asked.
Daichi shook his hand, answering for me, “She’s been staying at the inn and our subspace for the past four days. Mostly resting and eating. I think most of us who went out had heard about it, but it wasn’t like it was that important.”
I concurred. This was an internal issue that involved politics and religion, and since I had no stakes in the blacksmith’s guild, Daichi was right to say I wasn’t interested in any of it. It was important for Grimnir, but he had been unconscious for the last few days.
Metosei bellowed out a laugh before he began to grunt and smoke his pipe. With white smoke covering his beard, he expressed how elated he was that I spoke out about Bleidla’s mistake. Over 200 years, this animosity between the railroad and blacksmith’s guild had grown into a rivalry since both side thought Bleidla distrusted Chihiro, and since neither god announced a blessed to clear it up, it just got worse.
Metosei clicked his tongue. “Too much of a shame that we got the taboo lifted after that bashthuda Maagneil destroyed everything. Tsk, I could choke him and dip his inko ass into lava about now if his body hadn't been reduced to coal. Give that fenrir lass my thanks, eh?”
I nodded, gladdened to hear Saori was getting her due respect.
“Anyways, Master Metosei, come on. We should speak before you smoke yourself into an early death,” Grimnir stated, causing me to look at the old dwarf with confusion.
“Stress reliever, all right? Mhrrm, Grimnir …” he grumbled, before leading us to the second floor of the building, where we stopped in front of a room.
Opening a door, a conference room revealed itself with four other dwarves inside—two women and two men. They all stood up and bowed, saying, “We are honored to receive the Third Dragon Princess of Kargryx, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor.” I curtsied, introduced myself, and asked everybody to sit down.
“I expected only the Blacksmith’s Guild.” I turned to the man on the left most side. Leaning on his chair, a taz dwarf with an eyepatch covering his right eye squinted at Grimnir, before looking at me. “Master Ryanno, you told me you wanted a meeting between you and the Railroad Guild. I can see Archbishop Yvonne is here, so may I ask who our two other guests are?”
The woman on the far right was one of the three elders of the Railroad Guild, responsible for the religious affairs concerning the church of Chihiro. A member of the wisewoman council of Ankor-Nazta as well as the archbishop of the church of Chihiro, her name was Yvonne Yarragar. Despite being a woman of cloth, she looked more like a mechanic in her work attire.
Ryanno Ogash, on the other hand, was the guild master of the Blacksmith’s Guild and was a representative of the church of Bleidla. When I revealed Bleidla’s truth to the blacksmiths, he was one of the people who distrusted me the most until Yvonne and Metosei supported me, helping me make a segue into the reveal that I was an otherworlder and could talk to gods.
“Drunk dwarves,” he answered, which was all enough for me to understand what was happening; word of the meeting got out and a few others forced their way into the meeting.
I had to smack my face, accepting the fact dwarves just made terrible secret keepers. So, instead of wallowing too much, I once again asked who the other two people were, prompting Jadhund to explain.
“Master Borom Schrokk, the guild master of the runesmiths.” He pointed at the man sitting next to Ryanno. “He’s also—”
“Grimnir’s master, your highness,” the man himself answered, causing Grimnir to grunt loudly, looking uncomfortable. “Every craftsman worth the calluses on their hands has to have dreamed of sneaking into High Queen Dravlia’s workshop for a look at her blueprints. Broggart and my idiot apprentice ain’t the only ones. When I heard the taboo was lifted from a drunk dwarf’s rambling, I knew I ain’t letting this chance go, considering it’s Grimnir’s product.”
“Ha!” Grimnir scoffed. “Just say your curiosity got to you, Borom. The moment it seems I am about to be pardoned, you latch onto your chance? Bladdarg, you weren’t even there when I was exiled! By the Earth Mother, even Master Metosei said his farewells!”
“You ungrateful twerp!” The wrinkled dwarf jumped onto his feet, abandoning any sense of proper manners. “You think you deserve anything after what you did? I brought you into the guild when you were in the dumps creatively with your blacksmithing. Runesmithing has elevated you as a craftsman, and you cannot even see things from my view? I thought I was stubborn, but it seems my apprentice never understood me in the first place. You little, dirty —”
“Enough!” The woman sitting next to Yvonne raised her voice. An elderly woman, unlike the latter, but she commanded respect as her creaky voice silenced everybody, sounding like somebody who was used to shouting. “Must you waste our time, Master Borom? All of us have multiple commissions to oversee for the royal palace, but you are wasting time and trying our patience for an old grudge? Enough!”
Nobody spoke back, allowing the elderly dwarven woman to smile, showing the years of wrinkles on her face and the long petrified ponytail, which I saw went down to the ground. “Your grace, I am Haella Gunnisor, a wisewoman and the archbishop of the church of Khungard, the God of Artificers and Mana Engineers. And, yes, I am related to Metosei.”
“Older sister,” Metosei elaborated.
She nodded. “The reason is already clear to everybody, but the Runesmith’s Guild and the Artificer’s Guild are here for the inspection of the blasthammer and the chance to analyze the guns Grimnir and his apprentices had made. From Master Rudigan’s report, his observation stated this manatech requires all three of our national crafts to make, which is, suffice to say, intriguing.”
I looked at the dwarven Champion next to me, causing him to sigh. He explained it was just a casual report to the High King and Queen, but that he also talked about it to the church of Crustacia, as he was a Champion of their goddess. Wisewomen were essentially the clergy of the church, so I understood how the information got out.
“Correct,” Yvonne said. “In addition, after the truth was revealed, the church of Chihiro and Khungard had decided to support the pardon of Grimnir and Broggart. The taboo was made under false pretense; in fact, if it wasn’t for them, we would have lost even more of Goddess Chihiro’s legacy. They committed a ‘crime,’ yes, but they preserved history.”
Ryanno grumbled, while Borom sighed. This statement was clearly a jab at the former, while the latter probably was on the fence, if I was reading their emotions correctly. Honestly, compared to most nobles I met before, these important figures were refreshingly candid with their expressions and words.
“Hey.”
But, at the same time, it did feel like everybody was talking over the most important person in this discussion. Having heard enough, he stepped forward.
“Glad to hear Broggi’s name getting absolved, but if you ask me, I don’t need my honor restored. Zuekluk or not, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if I am never welcomed back into Ankor-Nazta or get my beard re-petrified, because I have my family and home somewhere else. Ha, I don’t need your support since I have two wonderful apprentices already!” Grimnir smacked Ellaine and Daichi on their backs, causing both to smile, including me. “So, don’t make this any more difficult on anybody. I don’t care for the pardon. In fact, why are we gathering inside a stuffy room? To talk? Bladdarg!”
Grimnir pulled his blasthammer out of his sheath and turned around, walking towards the stairs. Letting out a laugh as Grimnir’s candor was even more frank, I waved at Ellaine and Daichi to follow him, as it was clear Grimnir had a plan.
Confused by what was happening, Metosei and Jadhund questioned us, but after I told them to just follow us, the seven dwarves left the room and went down the stairs with us. Under the baffled eyes of the guild members, Grimnir led us into a workshop where he took over an unoccupied bench.
The craftsmen inside suddenly went silent, freezing up as they saw several important guild leaders appear, but were quickly ordered to continue working by Metosei. His loud voice jump scared everybody as it came out of nowhere, probably jumpstarting everybody’s hearts.
“Ellaine, the tools. Daichi, get that small furnace going,” Grimnir gave his apprentice their orders while putting his blasthammer on the bench. “If you want to look, then we will, but I’m not talking over some table when I can do it here. Master Metosei, Archbishop Yvonne.”
Once he got their attention, he continued. “Dunno if you will believe me, but I’ll show you my Profile later. For now, get the confirmation from Rudigan. I am the ‘Grand Arcanatechnician,’ a Saint of Goddess Chihiro.”
“WHAT?” Both bellowed out, about to confront him on what he just said, but Rudigan moved in front of them.
“Let the man work,” he said in a stoic tone. “The Earth Mother had told me to overlook his growth as a fellow blessed, so I am obligated to support him.”
“Sir Rudigan, are you actually telling the truth?” Yvonne demanded to know while wide-eyed in surprise, wanting another confirmation.
The always armored Champion of Crustacia didn’t repeat himself, staying silent with his hand held up. As such, I had to chime in instead.
“I checked his Profile, so yes. I also got the appraise of his unique skill and title, but as Grimnir said, it is better if you watch and see what is happening. Words are cheap, right?”
“This is your guild, so act less emotional.” Ryanno nodded, supporting me. “We are all craftsmen. All of us have enough calluses on our hands to understand what we need to do—stay quiet and watch.”
The dwarven artisans nodded, turning their gazes back over to Grimnir, Ellaine, and Daichi.
Ellaine took over on the workbench, beginning to disassemble the blasthammer while Grimnir and Daichi began forging something.
“The blasthammer consists of three important parts, each possessing their own wiring and mechanical pieces to make the overall manatech work,” Ellaine explained while working. “Most of the forming pieces are on the hammerhead, requiring significant fortification, as the weapon is used as a blunt weapon in addition to the mana gun being situated around this area. A lot of internal damage can be created from prolonged use, so this isn’t something you can mass produce, you need to give each one significant amounts of attention.”
Ellaine then transformed the blasthammer into its gun form, showing it off to the curious dwarves, although she was struggling a bit with how top-heavy it was. “A portable mana cannon?” was what everybody concluded from this showcase, before Ellaine transformed it back and placed it back on the table.
“Balance is important, as even more weight is put on the top compared to a normal warhammer. Master Grimnir uses strength-boosting runes on his gauntlets to help his swings, while speed-boosting ones on his sabatons to compensate for his agility.” Like a soldier taking apart a weapon, Ellaine quickly did the same for the blasthammer. As if she had been doing it for weeks, it didn’t take long for all the pieces to lay on the table.
“… Where is the mana battery?” As expected of the representative of the artificer guild, Haella noticed the problem immediately.
“Master Grimnir rigged it to explode like an industrial one. We used it to blow up the iron golem and Master … Broggart’s body.”
Silence befell around us even while the rest of the room was still as active as always. Metosei nodded, walking closer to Ellaine to pat her on the back. “You did him a favor, Ellaine. That little … I am sure his real soul would’ve been happy to see what you did and what you are doing right now. Even if you couldn’t speak to the real one, I know my apprentice well enough that he would appreciate your work.”
“Master Grimnir described him as rather eccentric and not too prone to praise others, well, before he changed after being exiled.”
“Ha! You’re right, maybe I wasn’t being earnest, but it’s as you said, he must have changed. As his master, let me tell you what a good job you are doing. I can already see it.” Metosei then inspected the wiring of the pieces, also identifying the runes on the weapon, before he suddenly froze him. He stroked his face before he turned away. “Forgive me, Yvonne, could y-you—”
“Take a break, my friend.”
With that, Metosei thanked her with a wavering voice and exited the room. Was he crying? Considering his history with the Luedbrumdar cousins, I might be correct, but decided against bringing anything up. Hearing your precious apprentice being revived and defiled by his own father probably opened up a wound.
“This blasthammer is his legacy.” Grimnir walked over to the bench, his hand stretched out as he produced a new arcane crystal while taking out the one he made before out of his pocket. “And I will continue developing on it. This blasthammer will one day become strong enough to be like a portable warhammer mana cannon. It will sunder through armor, regardless of their strength. And I will be using the power Goddess Chihiro had given to me to achieve that. Lass.”
He threw one of the crystals over to Ellaine and had her rebuild the warhammer.
“A new revolution. An era where mana batteries won’t explode because they are being overused while also being able to store enough mana that we won’t have humans repeating their mistake in the past. The Goddess of Change, Ingenuity, and Ambition brought out a technological revolution during her life, and I, her Saint, will be the one to bring in the energy revolution!” He threw the second crystal over to Daichi. “Lad, let’s do this.”
“Ready, Master!”
With the small forge blazing, the two smiths began creating the frame for the crystal, preparing to turn it into its final form—a proper mana battery. Meanwhile, Ellaine had finished her assembly and demonstrated the performance of the [Arcane Crystal] as a temporary mana battery by making the blasthammer spew out fire, astounding everybody as they saw how Grimnir created it from his own mana.
In fact, seeing him perform such a feat already convinced all of them something had happened to him. Dwarves shouldn’t be able to expel their mana out of their body like that, as it was a limitation inherent to their race. Since Grimnir had his unique skill [Core of the Mechanoid], though, it was entirely possible.
Although, after three consecutive usages, his mana should be penalized to 25%. He can only make one more before entering [Mana Fever] territory.
“The first blessed of our church …” Yvonne was left speechless. “Grimnir, do you—”
“I only wish to forge!” Grimnir answered while continuously landing multiple hammer strikes per second on the flaming hot metal bar. “Archbishop, I am not like your typical Saint. I don’t pray much, I am no pious follower, and when I visited Bleidla, I insulted him in his face!”
He then turned around, leaving the rest to Daichi. “I’ll do the minimum expected of a blessed, but I can’t go around preaching her ideals or faith. I am not fit for that, I am a blacksmith and runesmith through and through. The best place for me is the forge where I can do what Goddess Chihiro once did best—to create.”
“… Ehehe.” She smiled, pulling off her amulet of Chihiro and handed it over to Grimnir. “Spoken like all true members of the Railroad Guild. Do not worry, Grimnir, I understand. If this is what you think is best as our first blessed, then I shall respect your judgement. If technological advancement and change can happen through your hands, then it will only further Goddess Chihiro’s ideals and philosophy, hopefully, to one day change dwarven culture as a whole.”
“Unlikely,” Ryanno disagreed. “Our guild culture is deeply rooted into everything. Longbeards, bureaucracy, honor, the clans; to change one part of it is to change everything. Even High Queen Dravlia was never able to do so, as even she had to tiptoe to assure nobody got too angry.”
“And what did that earn her? People speaking ill after her apotheosis,” Haella countered. “I am old enough to have seen her in her prime during the War for the Faefolk. I might have just been a brat back then, but even I understood what these years had brought upon her legacy. The taboo created by the previous head of the blacksmith’s guild had sullied her workshop. The Revolution Queen who allowed the Earth Mother’s religion to flourish, to the point we call it a golden age of faith, had been looked down upon too much, if you ask this old woman.”
“… Many of us were at fault. Even I learned from my parents to dislike the changes she suggested,” Borom revealed. “Whether Grimnir or anybody can bring out a change doesn’t matter. Apprentice, your goal is to let your hands do the work. Every step you make to improve on something will one day lead you to the respect you deserve.”
“I don’t take advice from you any longer, Borom,” Grimnir shot him down, causing the older dwarf’s face to turn red. With Rudigan stopping him from hitting the latter, Grimnir smiled and nodded. “But it ain’t bad advice, though. My goal in Aurora is still to make the best equipment for all of them!”
Grimnir! I could feel his renewed conviction behind those words of his.
Once the frame was readied, Ellaine took over and connected everything necessary to the arcane crystal. According to the System clock, it took Grimnir two hours to finish creating all the finer pieces, while Ellaine needed six hours to finish the rest, including installing the new, improved battery into the blasthammer.
“… Everything is correct, lass,” Grimnir praised his apprentice after he finished inspecting the entire weapon, from its assembly to the artificer work, causing the latter to shake her fist in elation. “Just as Broggi told you. Let’s hope those tips of his were from when he thought of us as ‘allies.’”
“Don’t worry, Master, I already double checked it a few days prior. It will work, I assure you.”
See, Ellaine? You don’t need Klea to become a valuable member of the party. You are already one. You proved yourself. I kept the cheesy parts in my head, patting her on the shoulder to give her a less flattering delivery. Naturally, I didn’t leave Daichi out of it, either.
“Haha! Of course, Hesti-san, you are looking at the next best blacksmith in this world! ‘Daichi Mikami’ will soon be a name people associate with quality!”
My dude, please, stop.
Once it was ready, we exited the workshop and went into the basement, where a testing range was installed for the artisans to try out their creations. I spewed out a lava breath and had it form into the shape of a human. Once I got out of the way, Grimnir readied his cannon, but this time he intended to use the mana cannon function.
As a blue light appeared at the nuzzle of the gun, the weapon suddenly began to rattle, to the point even Ellaine was worried, yet Grimnir didn’t stop. In fact, through my [Mana Eyes], I could see him pouring even more mana into it. After a moment’s delay, the blasthammer shot out its energy, but due to some complications, the mana ball splintered apart, mimicking its original shotgun function.
Regardless, the recoil blew Grimnir onto his butt as the mana blast not only destroyed my lava humanoid test dummy, but also singed the walls, causing the mana barrier protecting this place to blink. As we saw the result of his weapon, Grimnir bellowed out a laugh as he readied another attack.
“Wait!” Ellaine tried to stop him, but before she could grab him, Grimnir shot a smaller, albeit, more concentrated shot.
The recoil was far weaker, but the blast still pulverized the remnants of my mana humanoid, sending molten earthen flying around the room. Seeing his handiwork, Grimnir smirked and opened up the cabinet for the mana battery. He pulled it out, revealing it was unharmed, albeit hot.
“Remember when I had to replace a battery every time like ammunition, lass?” He reminded me of when we first met. “The biggest weakness of my original blasthammer was that I would blow up a battery every time I used the gun function, since Broggi and I used the wrong wiring system. Ellaine and I solved the second prototype by using a cooling system with runes, but now? This arcane crystal shouldered the burden far better. Combine that with my ability to dissipate most of the arcane corruption generated by the shot into my body, and also Ellaine’s artificer skills finally reaching that of a journeywoman ready to become a master. The wiring is magnificent, Ellaine. You can be proud, lass.”
“YES, MASTER!” Ellaine shouted, tears running down her face. I wrapped my arm around her, shaking her arm.
“‘Master Artificer’ Ellaine. Guess you know what to tell your parents and brother the next time you meet them, right? Ready to brag?”
She nodded her head vigorously.
Grimnir then turned to Daichi. “Lad, you’re getting there. We got so much stuff left to build, after all, and we got too many members in Aurora to equip now, so you better be ready to continue getting better.”
“ALWAYS, MASTER!” Daichi smiled and smacked his fist on his chest, looking confident he could do anything.
“But this ain’t the end just yet!” Grimnir declared as he turned to the guild leaders. “[Core of the Mechanoid] is my unique skill, but to fully bring out its potential, I require enchanters, alchemists, runesmiths, blacksmiths, and artificers to work together with me to do so! In addition, I wish for this [Arcane Crystal] to be studied so we can understand its composition or if there is any replacement in the wild. If all of you wish to continue working with me, then you better be ready to pay and support the cause, as this will be the deciding factor for the upcoming war.”
“We’re in!” Acting like any other craftsmen, Yvonne, Haella, Ryanno, Borom, and Jadhund shouted in unison, consumed by their desire to work on something new.
“Lass!” Grimnir addressed me. “And from you, I need a song. A song that can elevate this soul of mine into a transcendence state for me to make you the best equipment you will ever witness! You've got the chance of your lifetime to make a bunch of grouchy dwarves your followers by making a song made just for them!”
I smirked. “That’s my job!”
Three days passed after I agreed to his proposal. It took me a while to figure out the song, until I realized I already had a good song with the correct music to fit everything. I always considered turning one of my many songs from my time as Hikari into a custom song before, but never had the chance to do so as nothing fit.
Once I finalized the music, lyrics and the effect for the song, I coincidentally received a message from the royal palace. The Ankoran King informed me the actual Summit of Ankor-Nazta would begin the next day, as all the members had fully recuperated and were ready to talk.
In other words, it was time for Neill and I to act like princesses … If only Mom was awake to make this easier, haaaaa.
Comments
thank you
Diego Rossi
Thanks for teh chapter. Besides, craftsmen are currently working with barely any work due to what has happened. -> Besides, craftsmen are currently barely doing any work due to what has happened. The Revolution Queen who brought upon the Earth Mother’s golden age had been looked down too much - I think it need a bit of rework, it sound as if she "brought upon the Earth" the "Mother’s golden age". Maybe: "The Revolution Queen who brought upon Peloncia the Earth Mother’s golden age had been looked down too much" will sound better.
brunoid
Thanks for the chapter!
