Rise of the Living Forge-Chapter 402: Why?

Arwin’s back went stiff.

It was all he could to keep his eyes from bulging out of his head at Necrohammer’s words. Someone discovering his identity as the hero was one thing. There were ways it could happen, and in the end, it was inevitable. Art had managed it on his own.

But knowing that Arwin wasn’t from this world at all was an entirely different beast. It had been so long since he’d been summoned that there were times that Arwin found it hard to remember that he was from Earth at all. The only people that should have known about that were Lillia, the Mesh itself… and the Adventurer’s Guild.

And, unlike his identity as the former Hero of Lian, this wasn’t information that actually mattered to the vast majority of people. The Adventurer’s Guild obviously wouldn’t care. They’d been the ones that had summoned him. He doubted that the Secret Eye would give much of a shit either.

There just wasn’t any real advantage to knowing his early past. There was a chance that Necrohammer was implying he knew everything about Arwin’s identity, but it would have been equally as easy for the other Dwarven Smith to just up and say that.

The dwarf didn’t strike Arwin as the kind of person who chose his words haphazardly. There was intention to what he said. It wasn’t that he was trying to hedge at information without alerting the Secret Eye either — revealing that he believed Arwin to be alien to their world was pretty damn attention catching, even if it didn’t particularly matter.

“What?” Arwin managed, finally breaking free of his surprise as he realized that the seconds were dragging on without so much as a response from him.

“Are my words a surprise to you?” Necrohammer asked, tilting his head to the side. It didn’t sound like his words were a challenge so much as a genuine question. He wasn’t sure how Arwin was taking the information. And, if anything, that only made the situation stranger.

What is his angle?

“I think they’d be a surprise to anyone,” Arwin replied. He chose his own words carefully to make sure he didn’t accidentally reveal any more than what he wanted to. Assuming Necrohammer knew anything was a mistake. That was how someone revealed more than they were planning to. He had to hold his cards close to chest.

I wish Rodrick was here. Lillia too. Actually, just about anyone. I miss the rest of my guild. Even though the Tournament hasn’t gone on that long, it feels like it’s been forever. I need to wrap my business here so we can all get back to Milten. And that means figuring out who the hell it is that Necrohammer really is and what he wants.

“Would they?” Necrohammer asked. “I’d say most would just be confused, not surprised. But I am not here to debate my words with you. We both know what you are. It isn’t worth wasting time over, and you’re focusing on the wrong thing.”

“I think we can agree on that,” Arwin said. “Let’s cut to the chase then. Why are you helping the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“Why did you?”

Arwin kept his features still. Necrohammer knew about his past as well. It was hard to tell just how extensive the other smith’s information was, but it was clear he knew a whole lot more than what he was saying out loud.

“Are you implying our situations were similar?”

Necrohammer let out a small laugh. “Not so similar as I would have liked. That would have made things considerably easier for me. In truth, I aided the Guild because I was won over through promises and honeyed words. The fault of my failure lies entirely on my shoulders.”

“Then why don’t we cut right to the point?” Arwin asked. “You know a whole lot about me, Necrohammer. You’ve got connections with Setting Sun. You created a dagger that can steal people’s magic, then sent your own team to destroy that very same dagger, all the while your own team has been searching for you. What do you want?”

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“Much of that no longer matters,” Necrohammer said with a shake of his head. “We are too easily distracted by circumstances. Don’t you miss it, Arwin? The power?”

“I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

Necrohammer’s eyes bore into Arwin’s like two molten coals. “I think you do. Strength like that is not so easily forgotten. Power is relative. Even if you now realize that the strength you held was not what you believed it to be, you know that it is far more than what you have now. You know that there is a might beyond what even you thought to be the limit. A might that you no longer possess. The power to accomplish anything you wanted. Do you miss it?”

Arwin stared at the dwarf for several long seconds. There really wasn’t any point for him to outright deny Necrohammer’s words. It wasn’t going to be fooling either of them. The best thing he could do here was gather information to figure out what it was that the smith actually wanted.

The one thing I do know is he definitely isn’t on the Guild’s side anymore. They were planning something with that dagger and giving us a way to destroy it ruined their plans. So he’s got some other goal. I need to figure out what it is. Not being part of the guild doesn’t mean Necrohammer is on my side. He could be another enemy with a common foe.

It was another moment before Arwin replied.

“Yes,” Arwin said honestly. “Of course I do. Anyone who said otherwise would be lying.”

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Necrohammer nodded. “There we go. An honest answer. Good. I can fix that, Ifrit. That power is not forever lost to you. I believe you have seen more than enough this tournament to realize that there is more to the world than you believed. That power can be reclaimed.”

“Through the methods you demonstrated?” Disgust creased Arwin’s features even despite his best attempts to keep his expression flat. “You’re here to try and sell me that?”

“There is more than one way to claim power. None are pleasant, but not all are quite so distasteful.” Necrohammer shrugged. “Such is my path as a Dwarven Smith. I delved where others feared to go. My research built so much of the council that they do not even question my words. They were law. You do not know to whom you speak.”

Law? Just who the hell is Necrohammer? From the information I have about him — or Norman, rather — from Elias, he should just be some random necromancer dude. Something tells me that isn’t all I’m dealing with.

“No,” Arwin agreed. The urge to reject Necrohammer on the spot gripped him, but he still needed information. “If you want to tell me more—”

“I will not. Accept my offer or refuse it,” the dwarf said simply. “I have no interest in discussing things further with someone who does not know his own desires.”

Arwin’s eyes narrowed.

Well, can’t say I didn’t try.

“No. I’m not interested. There are things I miss about power, but I regret absolutely nothing about the way I have gotten to where I stand now. The power I have claimed with my own two hands has far more value to me than any stolen magic could ever possess. And it is clear that you know absolutely nothing of me if you thought that I would have even the faintest interest in becoming what you suggest.”

Necrohammer studied Arwin silently for a moment. Then he reached up to the helm covering his head. He pulled it off, giving Arwin his first look at the dwarf’s actual face — or at least, what remained of it.

Thick, ropey scars of glossy skin adorned almost all of his warped features. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of lava across his features. The wound was clearly old, and it had managed to spare his eyes, which still burned with haunting energy like two coals in his skull.

But, perhaps stranger still than the rest of his appearance, was the fact that the dwarf was completely clean-shaven. He didn’t have so much as a beard hair upon his chin. The dwarf reached into his pocket to pull free a small, purple crystal.

He crushed it between his fingers. A wave of delicate purple mist exploded out from him before Arwin could react, washing over the entire room in an instant.

“Good,” Necrohammer said. “I have no interest in speaking to a fool that covets stolen power. You have little time.”

“I — what?” Arwin squinted at him. “A test? Seriously?”

“One can never be too careful. And don’t worry about the gem. It will make sure nobody is listening in on us.”

“I see,” Arwin said slowly. “And what exactly is it that you really want? I assume you were testing my responses for more reasons than mere curiosity.”

“Logically. I had to be certain of your character before I said anything more.”

Arwin’s eyes narrowed. “Shouldn’t you have just made sure nobody was overhearing us from the start?”

“I did,” Necrohammer said. He reached into his armor and pulled free a purple gem, holding it out to Arwin. “I used a second one. For your peace of mind, not mine. Take this.”

“Why?” Arwin asked, accepting the offered stone from the other smith with a frown.

“So that you may inspect it when you have time,” Necrohammer replied. “It will answer some of your questions. The ones I do not have time for right now. In truth, our situations are more similar than I implied earlier.”

“How, exactly?”

Necrohammer’s scarred lips curled up into a smile.

“You are not the only one that was summoned to this planet.”