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Chapter 453

Above the crimson, warped space where it was impossible to grasp one’s surroundings, an uncountable number of Shoggoths could be seen surging forward like waves.

Clank… clank….

And then.

From within a massive, blue rift located where the Shoggoths were headed, a being clad in golden plates revealed himself, holding a spear imbued with light.

“Raguel.”

At the same time his armored voice rang out, the surrounding land began to ripple, and dozens of enormous pillars of flame split apart and surged upward.

The flames, moving as if alive, were not mere fire—they were the punishment of an archangel.

The Shoggoths, unable to resist the wave of infernal fire that seemed to engulf the world, were burned to ashes in an instant.

“All of them. Incinerated. However. We were unable to stop the contamination.”

“Good work.”

Michael, who answered quietly, took a step forward.

Then, as he reached out toward the strangely discolored, seemingly contaminated ground, he scooped up a handful of soil, lifted it, and slowly let it fall.

“This is the third time, Lord Michael.”

Following that, the Archangel of Knowledge, Uriel, who emerged from the rift, spoke in a subdued voice.

“If two more lands become contaminated, Yog’s invasion will begin from that point.”

At those words, Michael—who had been kneeling on one knee while brushing away the contaminated soil—turned his gaze to the one standing silently beside him.

“Gabriel. This is your fault.”

“I know, brother.”

“I told you not to mix personal emotions into the cause.”

Gabriel said nothing.

This place, though currently untouched by the feet of living beings, held an entirely different value to the archangels.

“I told you we had to retrieve Raphael and Remiel before the dimensional veins were further eroded. You were the one who opposed it. Because of that, we lost one vein in vain.”

There was no emotion in Michael’s voice.

No.

There had been.

A faint trace of resentment.

That was precisely why Gabriel said nothing.

“I told you we needed to secure the power of the Progenitor Archangel and interfere with the structure of the world. But due to your opposition, we lost another vein.”

“…….”

“The Archangel of Purity…”

“Michael. Elpiria is still a child. And besides, there is no concrete proof anywhere that the child is the Archangel of Purity.”

At those words, Michael abruptly rose with a metallic clank and strode forward, grabbing Gabriel by the collar and lifting him up.

Because of that, Gabriel’s feet left the ground, yet his expression did not change.

“This is your fault, Gabriel.”

“I’m sorry, brother.”

“Now only two remain. We’ve already suffered irreversible damage, so the only method left is the noble sacrifice carried out by the Archangel of Purity.”

“…….”

“Fulfill the cause. If you are an archangel—if you are a being born to carry out the will of God.”

Gabriel understood well what Michael meant.

“Michael, but—”

KWAANG!!!

Michael’s massive hand slammed Gabriel into the ground as if throwing him down.

At that sight, the other archangels flinched in shock, but as the contaminated land rippled and began spewing out Shoggoths again, they resumed their movements.

“Gabriel.”

Michael’s voice, boiling with fury, flowed out.

Gabriel could feel it.

Just how furious Michael was at this moment.

“Are you still trying to evade responsibility?”

“That is an obligation we must carry out—not that small child.”

“There are no exceptions for archangels. That child was born as an archangel and has been given a duty.”

Michael spoke while suppressing the rage that seemed ready to explode at any moment.

“Gabriel. Can you see the current situation? The dimensional cores of Lazarus, which were not taken for thousands—tens of thousands—of years… three have been taken in just a few years.”

Gabriel knew as well.

What would happen if all five cores existing within the dimension of the Lazarus continent were consumed.

And.

Gabriel bore the original sin that led to all three of those being taken.

Michael’s voice was as cold and unwavering as usual.

Yet, for some reason, Gabriel felt as though it was trembling.

“Brother… just how long… must I endure?”

The question Michael finally asked was shocking.

Because never before had Michael spoken in such a way.

Even calling him “brother.”

“Brother. Do you see only Raphael and Remiel? Can you not hear the screams of this dimension?”

Gabriel could not say anything.

Instead, with a hardened face, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I will carry out the command, Michael. I will bring the Archangel of Purity.”

Not “brother,” but his name.

The meaning contained within it was conveyed.

With a firm expression, Gabriel slowly rose to his feet.

Afterward, as Michael stepped back, Gabriel spread his wings and leapt across space.

“For the sake of the cause, petty compassion is nothing but a luxury. Gabriel. I—and we—are not omnipotent.”

It was the last time he uttered the word “brother.”

* * *

The dwarves’ obsession far exceeded my expectations.

Meeting the Dwarf King itself wasn’t anything special.

He was surprised once by the fact that I was young, and he found it interesting that I possessed more abundant skill than expected.

After that, he said he would spare no support, so I should combine forces with the craftsmen and restore the Sea Dragon Armor.

The problem came afterward.

While they had been reading the room during my meeting with the king, once it ended, these short, squat little bastards swarmed in like ants that had found food.

“No. What the hell is wrong with you people! I said leave! Do you even know how many renowned craftsmen are in this royal palace right now?!”

They clung to me as if they hadn’t heard a word, showing no intention of letting go.

At some point, I felt a bizarre sensation on the back of my hand, and when I flinched and turned around, a female dwarf—short like a dwarf but with a soft, non-muscular build—was licking the back of my hand.

“Mmm! So this is the taste of the hands of a mysterious, genius craftsman!”

“Y-you crazy bitch! I licked it first, where do you think you’re putting your mouth?!”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you old geezer? Get lost!”

Having come here and seen it firsthand, unlike male dwarves—who had long beards and muscular bodies—female dwarves often had quite a cute appearance.

They didn’t show much muscle, nor did they have beards, so it gave the strong impression of looking at a young girl.

“Elder Dobog.”

“Ahem. Come along. I’ll guide you.”

A total of fifteen craftsmen would be involved in the restoration of the Sea Dragon Armor.

All of them were renowned experts who had passed the strict standards set within the Dragon Forge.

To begin with, wasn’t the restoration of the Sea Dragon Armor something even the kingdom of craftsmen had failed to solve?

If they had intended to call in just any mediocre expert, they wouldn’t have called anyone at all.

“Still, this is interesting. I heard dwarves are very prideful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Honestly, I found it strange on my way here. Just what kind of situation would make renowned craftsmen from the Dragon Forge borrow outside help?”

They had already tried to solve it on their own and failed.

Even so, borrowing external help was more surprising than expected.

“It’s because of the significance the Sea Dragon Armor holds. Dwarves are prideful, but not reckless.”

Realizing it was beyond their own capabilities, they willingly agreed to borrow the hands of renowned craftsmen from across the continent.

If it meant restoring the Sea Dragon Armor, what was a bit of pride?

“First of all, I’d like to take a look at the Sea Dragon Armor.”

“I see. Yes, one must see it first to understand. You there. Is it still kept in that place?”

“Hm? Yes. It’s still stored there.”

At the female dwarf’s answer, Dobog took the lead and strode forward, guiding me.

The place I arrived at was a massive hall within the royal castle.

And at the center of the great hall stood a gigantic glass case, secured with numerous layers of magic.

It looked fragile at a glance, but its security was thorough.

“That’s it.”

An armor that looked extraordinary at a glance, with white and blue light mixed together.

I quietly closed my eyes once, then slowly opened them.

[The Eye of the Divine Craftsman is activated.]

The craftsman’s inner eye, invisible to ordinary people, swept over the Sea Dragon Armor.

And then.

The smile disappeared from my face as I looked at it.

“…….”

“How is it! That is the Sea Dragon—”

I strode forward and reached out toward the glass case.

“W-wait! You! If you touch that—!”

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Startled by my sudden action, Dobog widened his eyes and tried to stop me, but before that could happen, a red magic circle formed around me.

Intruder prevention.

Theft prevention.

Either way, it was an alarm spell.

The other dwarves, shocked, rushed toward me in a panic.

“T-this is bad! Pull him out before he gets seriously hurt!”

“Damn it, we’re too late!”

Ignoring their frantic shouts, I waved my free hand through the air.

Crash!!!

At that moment, the alarm magic circle shattered into pieces in an instant.

“Huh? Why did that break?”

“Even a 6th-circle archmage can’t easily dispel that alarm spell…”

“What in the world…?”

Unlike the flustered dwarves, I stared indifferently at the armor beyond the glass case.

After a long moment.

I opened my mouth.

“This is fake.”

At my words, the dwarves stared at me in silence.

“W-what?!”

“It’s fake. Did you deliberately put a counterfeit on display?”

At my question, the atmosphere among the dwarves turned ominous.

“What is this…”

“A counterfeit? Has anyone heard anything about this?”

“Not at all. That is definitely the Sea Dragon Armor…”

While the dwarves were confused, I could see it clearly.

The grade of this seemingly intact armor.

[Grade – Discard]

The lowest grade.

In fact, a grade that even a moderately skilled beginner blacksmith would rarely produce.

At my words, Dobog rushed forward, threw open the glass case, and the dwarves swarmed in.

“Hm? No matter how I look at it, it seems genuine?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Look at this finish. These traces. Even the signs of aging.”

Most of the dwarves thought it was real.

But.

Dobog, who had brought me here, was different.

“My heavens… it’s not there… it’s gone! The initials that are only on the genuine article are completely missing! This is definitely a fake!”

With a horrified expression, he looked at me.

“How did you know this was fake?”

Even the most seasoned dwarves only noticed the problem after realizing the initials engraved on the genuine article were missing.

So it was incomprehensible that I recognized it as fake just by looking.

“It’s full of flaws for something that’s supposed to be genuine. There’s no way this could be the Sea Dragon Armor.”

To be precise, it was thanks to the Eye of the Divine Craftsman allowing me to see the flow and breath of the metal—and information beyond that—but still.

“What! Old man! It’s really fake?!”

“That can’t be. It was definitely genuine when it was used in the third restoration attempt… huh? The initials really are gone?”

Unless the Dragon Forge had completely lost their minds and bluffed for all that time, it made no sense.

Leaving behind the confused dwarves, I suppressed my disbelief and headed to the guest room.

* * *

The divine relic of the Dragon Forge.

I expected the disappearance of the Sea Dragon Armor to cause quite a commotion.

But.

It was strangely quiet.

Dobog, perhaps having realized something upon seeing the fake armor, said he would go somewhere for a while and left separately.

While I was resting in the guest room.

A dwarf official came to find me.

Seeing me, he smiled kindly and handed me something like an iron badge.

“Master Leon Cascadia.”

“What is it?”

“I came to inform you that you have passed the final test.”

At those words, I immediately thought of the Sea Dragon Armor.

“That… was that fake placed there on purpose?”

“Yes. The processing of the materials we provided was merely the minimum requirement. The Sea Dragon Armor is on an entirely different level of difficulty.”

He chuckled and dropped into a chair as he spoke.

“Among all the craftsmen who visited the royal palace, Master Leon is the only one.”

“The only one what?”

“The only one who realized it was fake.”

“Why would you do something like that?”

At my question, he let out a sigh.

“Because there is only one. And because this is our last chance at restoration.”

He set down the large box he had brought.

Then, he opened it.

Inside was a silver armor.

Instinctively, I realized that it was the divine relic of the Dragon Forge—what had once been the Sea Dragon Armor.

“…….”

“This… is the genuine article.”

“It’s completely tattered.”

Calling it “tattered” was actually putting it kindly.

The armor was so utterly destroyed that it could no longer even be called armor.

“There was a promise. It’s a secret known only to a very few even within the Dragon Forge…”

He began to speak.

“The craftsman who made this did not create the Sea Dragon Armor alone.”

“Then?”

“As the name suggests… the Sea Dragon Armor. It is said that long ago, it was created by borrowing the power of a Blue Dragon.”

He looked straight at me.

“Outstanding craftsmen. Yes, we know how skilled they are. But we do not have the luxury of time. We must succeed in a single attempt. That is why we were searching among the continent’s greatest blacksmiths for someone with a mysterious eye.”

The Eye of the Divine Craftsman?

Are you telling me someone else has that besides me?

To be honest, the Eye of the Divine Craftsman wasn’t exactly my unique ability.

There would be blacksmiths who manifested it after reaching the level of handling divine aura, or those born with it from the start.

However, obtaining it through effort alone was generally close to impossible.

Considering the time I had poured into it, even with my lack of talent, that made sense.

Probably the latter was the answer.

It was surprising, but not impossible, so it piqued my interest.

In other words, the great craftsman who made the Sea Dragon Armor must have been a true master who possessed the Eye of the Divine Craftsman, one way or another.

“The Blue Dragon said this. That to repair the Sea Dragon Armor, it must be someone who possesses the same eyes as the one who created it.”

Listening to this, it sounded as though the Blue Dragon still existed.

So I asked.

“It sounds like you’re saying that Blue Dragon is still alive.”

“That is correct. The Dragon Lord. The Blue Dragon, Lord Merkavalt…”

Click!

The door suddenly opened, and someone entered.

“That will do. I shall handle the rest of the explanation.”

It was a clear, beautiful voice, like jade beads rolling.

I lifted my head to check the uninvited guest, and my eyes widened slightly.

Ears shorter than an elf’s, yet slightly longer than a human’s.

And the pointed tips of those ears caught my gaze.

A short skirt reaching mid-thigh.

Flowing garments, and sky-blue hair cascading abundantly.

An astonishingly beautiful girl.

Her pupils were vertical, like a reptile’s.

What was intriguing was that the colors of her two eyes were different.

One was gold.

The other was blue.

It felt like looking at a heterochromatic cat.

“Oh… it’s my first time seeing a living, intact dragon.”

It was true—seeing a living dragon felt quite fascinating.

The dragons I knew were the already-dead Progenitor Dragon, Kos of the Stars, and the demonic dragon Baril that I had killed and turned into an undead.

“How impudent. Still. It is a pleasure. I am the Blue Dragon and its Lord—Merkavalt Ludimille Cabranarin.”

Dragon Lord?

Are there still dragons left?

Watching her wink lightly and smile prettily, I thought:

Is her personality extremely extroverted?

I feel like my energy is getting drained a bit.

As I was lost in thought, something pulled me back.

What did she just say?

“Did you say… Lady Merkavalt?”

“Hm? Indeed! I am the Dragon Lord, Merkavalt!”

“You said you sent all the other craftsmen back. Does that mean I’ll be restoring it alone?”

“I shall assist you. Ah. Or is it impossible?”

Her eyes curved into a sly arc.

As if asking, “What, scared?”

At that, I moved to confirm one thing.

“In that case, what about the reward?”

“What do you mean? As promised, you will take it all. It doesn’t matter if there are dozens of other craftsmen—if they don’t have eyes like yours…”

“Then that makes things simple. I’ll fix it quickly.”

If I could monopolize all the adamantium without having to compete, there was nothing to hesitate over.

“Let’s go right away.”

“Uh… ah? Y-yes, let’s go.”

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