The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

46 – The Dwarves’ Forest (2)

The golem’s movements were incredibly ponderous, yet its massive build ensured it was anything but slow.

“That crazy Asrian…”

Ashuheet wasn’t well-versed in golems, despite being a mechanical engineering major.

Just as not knowing how to make a hammer doesn’t mean one can’t recognize a hammer capable of shattering one’s skull before their eyes, the golem in front of Ashuheet operated in a threatening manner, capable of smashing through Ashuheet’s skull as easily as a melon.

“If you can’t catch it, obviously I can’t either!”

Logan, before acquiring Estaline’s sword, was frankly at a level of prowess that was merely passable, if not questionable to call a knight-level of prowess compared to regular soldiers.

Of course, at that time, Logan was already a formidable warrior beyond comparison with Ashuheet, but after obtaining Estaline’s sword, Logan became strong enough to defeat Arua, the promising heir of the Shohel family.

How could he, an engineer with such strength, defeat someone even stronger?

[This is the first problem.]

[Which of the following has the highest heat resistance?]

[1. Astrion]

[2. Mysral]

[3. Renom]

As the regret of not having a girlfriend and not tasting many delicious things haunted Ashuheet’s ears, the golem’s voice came through.

“Huh?”

Ashuheet had exceptional talent in mechanical engineering, but that didn’t mean engineering was the only thing he excelled in. With a fair knowledge of metallurgy, a subject essential in engineering, the answer to the problem came easily.

“It’s Renom.”

Renom was a composite of Red Dragon scales melted and merged with Mysral.

[Correct.]

[Which has the highest mana conductivity?]

Most questions were of that nature.

Questions about metal or mining technology were incessant, but fortunately, most were within Ashit’s knowledge range.

“Where did you get all this information?”

Seeing Logan confidently throw himself in front of the golem, it was certain he knew what the golem’s test was about.

“Is this the information provided by the Guild?”

[You’ve answered all the questions.]

“Is this how it’s done?”

“Yeah. Seems like you have a deep understanding of metallurgy.”

Among the golem’s questions were some Logan couldn’t even guess.

Regarding ancient metals or phenomena, the only answer was to guess, but Ashit had solved all those problems.

“I thought you were an exceptional talent… So, can we enter the Dwarves’ forest now?”

“Not quite. In the perspective of humans, this golem holds a position equivalent to a guardian. Where in common sense would a place crazy enough to let you in just by solving problems be?”

As soon as Logan finished speaking, there was a presence ahead.

“A human who passed the test has appeared after a long time.”

It had been a really long time since dwarves revealed themselves to humans.

However, their appearance matched the records, and the dwarf before them looked exactly as described in those records.

Slightly rough skin,

A sturdy physique,

And a stout stature.

“Follow me.”

At the dwarf’s command, Ashit and Logan rose simultaneously, trailing after him.

“The one at the back should stay put. The forest of dwarves isn’t a forgiving place for those who haven’t passed the test.”

“I am Logan Asrian.”

“So what…”

The dwarf didn’t finish his sentence.

[Perhaps my future disciple might come looking for me? Your name is Logan Asrian, so if by chance someone does come, treat them well.]

It was because of the faint warning from the woman who had suddenly appeared years ago and turned the forest into a mess.

“Heh heh, come on in for now.”

And so, Ashit and Logan followed the dwarf inward.

“If you were going to enter under the master’s name, why did I need to come?”

“Well, isn’t it to boast about your connections by ringing the doorbell to summon the landlord?”

“… Didn’t we agree not to use the master’s name?”

“This is a fair deal. In exchange for using the master’s name, we agreed to pay an appropriate price.”

The forest of dwarves was just as its name suggested.

It wasn’t that the dwarves all lived in one village, but rather they were scattered throughout the forest. While there was a square in the middle of the forest, most of them claimed to spend their time in their own cabins, hammering away.

“If you’ve come for the mugwort, express your regrets in advance. We dwarves have no intention of sharing mugwort with humans.”

“Is it because they don’t want to waste their masterpiece?”

“Rather than that, it’s because every time our magic is unleashed into the world, chaos erupts in the human world.”

The dwarf, who accompanied Logan and Ashit, held the position of a forest keeper, which rotated once a year. He mentioned that it was his turn to take on the duty this year.

-Ding ding ding!

He rang the bell three times, signaling at the forest square.

“The ones who are keen on outside guests will flock over here upon hearing this bell… though there might be hardly any.”

As he spoke, no one headed towards the square.

Many dwarves were busy with their tasks, and they had little interest in outside guests.

“It’s okay. We’ll just go and find them ourselves.”

“I mentioned earlier, but if you’re looking for weapons, it’s best to give up.”

“Don’t worry. We’re not here to find weapons.”

Logan nodded respectfully to the dwarf who guided them and then proceeded to explore the dwarf’s forest.

“…So, if you’re not looking for weapons, what are you here for? Even though dwarves are skilled at crafting, I’ve never heard of them using machines, you know.”

“Well, dwarves are great at making weapons, but they also excel at crafting metals.”

Initially, Logan had not thought about weapons. It was not easy to obtain what he sought, and there was a significant risk involved in selling it.

“Learning about metal technology?”

“More like learning about the composition.”

Metal technology was crucial in engineering. There were times when highly heat-resistant metals were required, as well as times when high-purity, strong metals were needed, or when high-ductility metals were necessary.

Studying the mixture of each metal individually was one approach, but researching alone when there was a neighbor with advanced technology next door seemed like a futile endeavor.

“What’s this? Guests who’ve just arrived this time?”

The sound of the bell resonated quite far, so the dwarves could gather information that a guest had arrived.

“What? You’re just here to watch me work?”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Yes.”

“Curious folks, aren’t you?”

Logan meticulously documented every action the dwarves took whenever they produced an alloy.

Although it was impossible to know the characteristics of the resulting product, experimenting by making each one individually when back at the workshop was the way to go.

“Why are you writing so much?”

“The process of making alloys.”

“It’s not something you can learn by writing. You need proper training! Just one moment of carelessness after decades of touching iron, and the quality can plummet. Writing won’t tell you that.”

‘Well, since a machine will be making it anyway…’

“We don’t have that much time granted. There’s no time to practice every detail.”

“Then use everything you’re going to write and leave.”

The dwarves, with their peculiar way of speaking, were quite friendly, so Logan could document in detail their alloy and forging techniques.

“Have a beer before you go.”

“I can’t drink.”

“What about the guy next to you?”

“I’m good at drinking… Cuweeack! But I’m a bit busy.”

As a rare visitor and not causing a ruckus like the unwelcome guest from last time or demanding weapons, Logan was intrigued by the dwarves’ pure curiosity about alloys. Despite their insistence and invitation to drink beer, he promptly declined.

The reason was simple.

It was because he thought it was a waste of time.

“Since this is likely to be the last visit, what’s the use of making connections if there’s no way to use them later?”

As Logan, with a notebook filled with notes, made his way out of the dwarf’s forest, Ashuit couldn’t help but stick out his tongue.

“No matter how much of a waste of time it may be… even if there’s no use in making connections.”

To leave without even having a drink with the legendary dwarves as the other party…

“Have you ever heard of a guy named T-Bastard?”

“I’ve heard the word ‘bastard’ a lot, but ‘T-Bastard’ is a first. It doesn’t sound good at all, does it?”

“It’s a term used for guys like you.”

Despite Ashuit’s blunt accusation, Logan just responded with a smile.