"Depends who's asking."
Dante said it in an arrogant tone, yet he did not let his guard down. His posture remained relaxed, but his eyes stayed sharp, measuring every movement around him.
The woman stared at him in silence for several seconds, her gaze heavy and assessing, as if weighing his worth simply by looking.
"Hmph… name," she asked flatly.
"Maladeva," Dante replied without hesitation, using the false name he had taken during the trials of the Ruthwilfer House.
"Maladeva…" she repeated, rolling the name on her tongue. "Weird name."
She began walking toward Dante, her boots echoing against the stone floor. As she raised her hand slightly, the dwarves around them immediately lowered their weapons in unison, though their eyes never left him.
"I'm Ashley Orochi," the woman finally said. "Current Queen of the Dwarven Kingdom."
She did not offer her hand, nor did Dante intend to offer his. The distance between them was thick with tension, neither willing to show courtesy nor weakness.
"We dwarves searched the vast lands for this material," Ashley continued, her voice steady yet filled with pride. "The rarest above all. Kalikriktar metal is no joke. It cannot be forged, cut, broken, melted, or altered in any way."
The dwarves turned their attention to the massive slab of Kalikriktar, its surface reflecting faint light like a silent, ancient mirror. Ashley stepped closer, lifting her hand slowly, her curiosity outweighing caution.
The moment her fingernail brushed against the slab, her finger twisted violently in a gruesome angle. Bone snapped with a sickening sound.
"GAAHH!!"
Her scream echoed through the chamber. The dwarves immediately raised their weapons, fury flashing across their faces, but Ashley clenched her teeth and raised her uninjured hand.
"Stop."
They froze at her command. She knew better than anyone that the Alderman House held countless hidden mysteries and secrets, many of which were better left untouched.
Several dwarves rushed to her side, working swiftly. They applied forest herbs to her finger, binding it carefully and tightly, their movements practiced and precise.
Ashley exhaled sharply, pain still etched across her face, before lifting her gaze back to Dante.
"Surely, you, Maladeva, did not come to us without a reason, yes?"
Dante smirked, unfazed by the tension or the injury he had just witnessed.
"I seek the Flame of the Almighty."
Ashley's eyes widened instantly, as did those of her men. A heavy silence fell over the hall.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, her voice colder now.
"Don't lie, Queen Ashley," Dante said calmly, his tone firm and unwavering.
Before continuing, memories surfaced in Dante's mind. Within his consciousness, Kilamahi had once taught him fragments of forgotten history, knowledge buried beneath eras of silence. Through her, he had learned of ancient truths and forbidden names.
Including the corrupted being known as the Almighty. An entity born from the first darkness, one that dared to claim itself holy.
Dante's gaze hardened as that knowledge settled within him, and the weight of what he sought pressed heavily against the air between them.
But with a single flick of Ashley's finger, the dwarves reacted instantly. Cannons rotated in perfect unison, metal grinding against metal, as every barrel locked onto Dante and Kaen. Without hesitation, they fired.
The Dwarven Queen teleported far back in a flash of light just as the cannons erupted, thunderous blasts shaking the hall.
Streams of destructive force surged forward, swallowing the space where Dante and Kaen stood.
Unbeknownst to them, Dante had come fully prepared.
In a split second, nanotech armor surged from his body, flowing like liquid steel and sealing around him into a complete suit. At the same time, he thrust his hand forward and cast a massive shield.
The barrier expanded outward, translucent yet unyielding, absorbing the cannon fire as explosions rippled harmlessly across its surface.
Shockwaves roared through the chamber, dust and debris filling the air. When the smoke began to settle, the shield still stood firm, untouched.
The dwarves froze.
Their expressions shifted from fury to disbelief, mouths slightly agape as their most powerful weapons failed to leave even a scratch.
Even Queen Ashley, now standing at a safe distance, stared in stunned silence, her eyes wide and her breath caught in her throat.
Slowly, deliberately, Dante opened the faceplate of his armor. His eyes were calm, almost bored.
He raised a brow and looked across the hall at the dwarves and their queen, arrogance dripping from his expression.
"That's it…?"
The Queen looked at him, her eyes sharp and unreadable. Just as the next wave of attacks was about to be unleashed, she raised her hand.
"Halt."
Her voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Let him through."
The cannons powered down, runes dimming as the dwarves hesitated.
"But, Your Highness…!!" her personal bodyguard protested, stepping forward instinctively.
"I said," Ashley repeated, her voice lowering, each word heavy with authority, "let. him. through."
There was no room for argument.
Without further complaint, the dwarves stepped aside, parting in disciplined silence and creating a path forward.
Their eyes followed Dante and Kaen closely as they began walking deeper into the Dwarven Kingdom, hands never straying far from their weapons.
"Nya… this is my first time in a place like this, Master," Kaen said, her voice filled with excitement. Despite her enthusiasm, her posture remained alert, instincts sharp as she scanned her surroundings.
As they moved, Dante's nanotech armor quietly dissolved, retracting into his body and reverting back into ordinary clothing, hiding its presence in plain sight.
The dwarves watched with mixed expressions of amusement and disdain, clearly displeased at allowing a human to walk freely within their sacred halls.
In a flash of light, Queen Ashley Orochi teleported directly in front of Dante, stopping just a few steps away. Her tone shifted, calmer now.
"You have my condolences for the attack," she said. "It was an act of secrecy meant to protect the Dwarven Kingdom."
"I don't care much for your secrecy or your traditions, Ashley," Dante replied bluntly. "All I want is answers. A place to forge my own blade. And lastly…"
He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a metal sigil, holding it up between them.
"Does this look familiar?"
Ashley took the sigil from his hand, her expression changing the moment her fingers touched it. She examined it closely, eyes narrowing as recognition struck.
"This is Michael's sigil," she said sharply. "How did you get this?"
Dante explained calmly. Michael had been the blacksmith working in the Ruthwilfer shop, serving as their forger.
He had designed weapons for them and even provided copied schematics for advanced firearms.
"It's been years since we last saw Michael," Ashley said quietly. "He has been sending us plans in secret all this time, warnings and designs alike."
She looked up at Dante again.
"Since Michael entrusted this to you, you are welcome within our kingdom, Maladeva."
The Iron Gates began to open.
With a deep metallic groan, massive doors slowly parted, revealing what lay beyond. Dante and Kaen stepped forward as the sight before them unfolded.
The Dwarven Kingdom revealed itself in full glory. Endless machinery filled the city, colossal forges burning bright, gears and steam-powered constructs towering sky-high.
Bridges of iron stretched between structures, while deep beneath the ground, mines buzzed with activity, dwarves working tirelessly in glowing tunnels.
Kaen's eyes sparkled as she took it all in, while even Dante paused briefly, impressed despite himself.
Ashley led them forward, pride evident in her stride.
"Welcome, esteemed guests," she said firmly, her voice echoing through the halls. "To the Dwarven Kingdom of Járnheimr."
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Chapter 48 End