Lilith sat comfortably on a soft, fabric sofa in Bargin's home, savoring a peace she hadn't known in a long time.
A bowl of thick, aromatic soup steamed before her.
She slowly cut a large piece from a fresh loaf of bread and dipped it into the broth, watching the porous crumb soak up the liquid.
I really wish we had furniture like this back home, she thought, sliding her hand over the smooth upholstery.
Bargin, sitting opposite her, cleared his throat with slight embarrassment.
"Forgive me, My Lady... I cannot provide the proper feast you deserve, but this humble dish is all I have on hand," he started, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lilith interrupted him with a warm smile, not stopping her meal.
"You don't have to apologize. To be honest, eating something like this in such a pleasant environment is a novelty for me. It's delicious."
Hearing this, Bargin beamed. He placed a hand over his broad chest and looked at her gravely.
"I know it isn't much, but remember, if you ever need help, just come to me. You have my gratitude."
Lilith suddenly turned serious.
She set the bowl down on the low table and looked the dwarf straight in the eye.
"In that case... there is a matter I'd like to discuss."
Bargin immediately put down his spoon, his face becoming alert and focused.
"I'm listening carefully."
"I need a blacksmith," Lilith began. "But not for weapons. I need a master who can create a vast quantity of everyday items for me. Pots, agricultural tools, house finishing elements, maybe even mechanisms for clothing..."
Bargin erupted into a short, joyful laugh that shook his beard.
"Haha! Our nation is truly talented in that regard! You needn't worry, dear Lady. Tomorrow morning, I will personally introduce you to the most talented smith in this part of town. He will surely help you."
Lilith smiled sweetly, feeling a weight lift off her heart.
"Thank you very much, Bargin. I would be truly grateful for such a recommendation."
The dwarf waved a hand, returning to his portion.
"No need to thank me, you can count on me! It is I who thank you."
"You helped me a lot today," Lilith continued, returning to her bread. "Not only did you let me stay the night, but..."
Bargin interrupted her, his voice becoming deep and solemn.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, My Lady. You helped me save my people. A trifle like a bed and a meal is truly nothing compared to the lives of my comrades, whom you pulled from death's embrace."
Lilith looked at him with genuine admiration.
"You really are a good captain. Your people are lucky."
Hearing this, Bargin puffed out his chest until the buttons of his vest creaked, and he flexed his bicep muscles.
"Of course they are!" he cried with a roguish glint in his eye.
Lilith let out a pearly laugh, the sound filling the cozy interior of the house.
They spent the rest of the evening in peace, exchanging small pleasantries and jokes until finally, satiated and relaxed, they retired for a well-deserved rest to gather strength for the day ahead.
***
As the first rays of sun began to pierce through the fissures in the ceiling of the gigantic cave, the city of Silver Starforger was already bustling with life.
The streets, carved from raw rock, were filled with the chatter of conversations and the clatter of hundreds of feet belonging to various races. Multi-story buildings of stone and brick climbed alongside the paths, with plumes of steam rising from copper pipes and valves above them.
Over the heads of passersby, elaborately crafted lamps hung from cast-iron brackets, still glowing with a warm yellow light despite the coming of day, dispersing the gloom deep within the mountain.
Lilith walked on, fascinated, absorbing every detail of this underground metropolis.
They passed various shop windows where she peered at rows of shimmering plate armor, hundreds of intricately forged swords, axes, and exotic weapons whose purpose she could only guess.
The city gave the impression of being far more civilized and technically advanced than her modest Demon King holdings.
"This way, My Lady, this way!" Bargin called out, clearing a path for them through the thickening crowd.
They left the commercial district behind, entering the production area where the roar of hammers hitting anvils and the hiss of released steam became almost deafening.
Bargin stopped in front of a massive building with a logo of a gigantic crossed axe above the entrance.
"This is it. I stake my own beard on his skills!" the dwarf announced proudly.
He pushed the heavy oak doors, which gave way with a long creak, and marched inside with a wide smile.
"Haha! My dear friend!" Bargin roared, his voice echoing off the tool-filled walls of the workshop.
Inside the workshop, it was sweltering, and the air was saturated with the smell of heated metal and dust. In the middle of the room, at a massive anvil, sat a powerfully built dwarf.
He was completely drenched in sweat, bare-chested, wearing only work trousers and solid boots.
With absolute focus, he struck a piece of iron with a heavy hammer, which threw out showers of sparks under the blows.
The blacksmith, not looking up from his work, muttered in a low, raspy voice:
"Bargin, wait a moment."
The captain of the guard, seeing his friend in the heat of his work, slapped his forehead, scolding himself inwardly for the interruption. He nodded silently and stepped aside, making room for the smith.
Lilith followed suit, standing in the shadow of shelves sagging under the weight of finished products.
"That's Brokkur," Bargin whispered, pointing proudly at the working dwarf.
"My good friend. Our parents were neighbors when we were young, so we've been practically inseparable since childhood. We're a bit like family."
Bargin looked at the smith with undisguised respect. On Brokkur's nose rested specialized goggles with lenses of varying sizes, allowing him to spot the smallest imperfections in the metal's structure.
"To me, he is like an older brother."
Lilith gave a quiet "hooo" and began to observe the creation process with genuine curiosity.
Brokkur acted with surgical precision. He pulled a white-hot rod from the furnace, where the coal glowed with a blinding light, and placed it on the anvil.
Every hammer strike was perfectly measured; the metal succumbed to his will, slowly taking the shape of a long, slender blade.
The smith rotated the sword every few moments, leveling the edges and tempering it in a rhythmic cycle of fire and strikes.
Suddenly, the silence of the workshop, broken only by the metallic ringing of the hammer, was disturbed by the sound of footsteps and familiar voices.
Lilith turned her head and saw with astonishment the four dwarves she had helped earlier in the dungeons walking in. Their presence here, in the heart of Brokkur's workshop, was the last thing she expected.
Her eyes widened as the miners greeted Bargin with joyful shouts and began looking in her direction.
The dwarves immediately began to greet Lilith with enthusiasm, shouting over each other, which caused no small amount of consternation in the workshop. Hearing this sudden ruckus, Brokkur stopped his work, put down the hammer, and slowly straightened his back.
As soon as his gaze rested on Lilith's tall, majestic silhouette, his eyes behind the specialized goggles widened violently.
"A demon?" he blurted out stupidly, then shifted his bewildered gaze to his comrades.
"Is she an acquaintance of yours?"
The eldest of the group, Gloin, who had earlier scolded the others for their lack of manners, stepped forward.
"Brokkur, this is the woman we told you about last night," he explained gravely.
The youngest of them, the irreformable womanizer named Fili, stared at Lilith with a lovestruck gaze, while the second youngest, Kili - the one who had previously respectfully uttered "Uga" - nodded fervently.
The third youngest, Dori, who had miraculously regained the use of his fingers thanks to the potion, held out his hand toward the blacksmith.
"This lady gave us the potions that Bargin used to heal us when we were wounded," Dori added, still moving his saved fingers in disbelief.
Hearing this, Brokkur took off his goggles and slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead. His face, previously focused on work, now took on an expression of deep gravity.
He bowed low, placing a hand on his chest in the traditional dwarven sign of respect.
"Thank you very much for helping my brothers. You have my eternal gratitude, My Lady," he said with a low, guttural rumble.
Lilith smiled gently, waving her hand.
"It was no trouble. I greatly admire Bargin and his mindset, so since I could help, why wouldn't I?"
The smith straightened up and looked first at the captain of the guard, and then back at the demoness.
"So then, what can I do for you, dear Lady?" he asked straight out.
Lilith also grew serious.
She smiled slightly and began to list in detail the things she needed: from modern agricultural tools to high-durability pots, to precision mechanisms for daily use.
Brokkur listened in silence, then sat heavily on his stool and closed his eyes.
"So that's it, eh? I understand your request," he murmured after a moment.
Bargin, seeing his friend analyzing the proposal, blurted out excitedly:
"So... you'll help her, won't you?"
Brokkur sighed and opened his eyes, and a look of sincere regret was visible in his gaze.
"However... I am sorry. I cannot do this for you."
Lilith felt a sting of disappointment but only let out a heavy sigh.
She wasn't angry; she knew she couldn't force anyone to work, especially a master of this class.
She looked around the workshop, seeing hundreds of newly forged swords and axes.
He probably already has a massive order from someone important and can't just drop everything because a beautiful Demon Queen came to him asking for a few pots, she thought understandingly.
"But friend, why?!" Bargin cried, shocked.
Brokkur scratched his massive head and pointed at the stacks of unfinished blade blanks lying in the corners.
"Do you see the backlog I have here? It's all because of that damn, impossible order from those idiots at the top... Until I finish this, I cannot touch anything else."