“I knew there would be a reaction, but not as bad as this…”

Roland held back a sigh as he watched the group of dwarven craftsmen swarm around him with questions. He knew teleportation gate technology was rare, but he had clearly underestimated just how rare it truly was. Ever since reaching tier three and gaining access to it, he had conducted extensive research and even developed improvements.

Teleportation gates were expensive and difficult to assemble, but for him, with a self-sustaining dungeon producing materials and noble backing, the cost was manageable. Over time, he had even developed an improved alloy at minimal expense. His runes were consistently of the highest quality, and runic corrosion had been reduced to a minimum.

His design also differed from standard gates. Most were constructed on a large scale, intended to transport large numbers of people and operate for decades without maintenance. Achieving that required expensive materials and highly refined construction.

The gate Roland had built here did not need to meet those standards. It would not last nearly as long, likely no more than a year before certain components required replacement. Because of that, he designed it with modular parts that could be easily swapped out by himself or another runesmith. All that was required was reconnecting traces at a few key points, something even a tier two practitioner could manage.

To Roland, the gate had long ceased to be anything extraordinary. It was simply a tool, no different from the enchanted hammers or runic golems scattered throughout the workshop. Yet the reactions around him made it clear that, to everyone else, he had just accomplished something close to impossible.

“By the fiery forges o’ the ancients, what is this clever contraption? Ye can make runes dance like tha’? Truly?”

One of the tier three runesmiths pressed his face close to a control rune as he spoke. These masters were accustomed to older designs built around fixed internal structures, and what they were seeing now was completely unfamiliar. It was not surprising they failed to recognize it, since they rarely experimented with their craft. They relied on established methods, never stepping beyond the boundaries they had set for themselves, until Roland appeared to break those boundaries open.

“But how… an’ why would this not make the whole thing crumble apart faster than a goblin’s dagger? Ye’ve got to tell me!”

Another runesmith turned to Roland, asking the question with an intensity that bordered on obsession.

“It depends on your perspective. This gate is much smaller than the ones used in mage towers, and it is not meant to function in the same way.”

“Ach… I see it clear now, Master Wayland. So tha’s why the runnin’ time’s cut shorter. It’s no’ meant to hold fer the same long cycle as a proper standard gate. How intriguin’…”

The other runesmith spoke, and Roland simply nodded. It was not something he was used to, but it seemed they were already beginning to understand the modifications he had introduced.

“Indeed, older gates are created to send large quantities of people through, even full army battalions. This one, on the other hand, is meant for smaller groups over shorter distances.”

“Aye, it wouldn’t be able to reach the whole kingdom, but this island, on the other hand…”

Roland inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the dwarf’s conclusion without adding more. It was enough. They were already beginning to understand, and that alone was more than he had expected.

“Aye… I see it now… Ye sacrificed range an’ longevity fer speed an’ adaptability… but I think ye are forgettin’ somethin’ lad.”

This time around, it was Hasim that spoke up.

“I’m forgetting something?”

“The costs o’ activatin’ the old gates! Even if this one has been minimised, ye are still goin’ to have to pay a high toll either way.”

Roland nodded without commenting. It was true that even if this gate was activated, the costs of travel would not decrease much, as he still needed to use the established gates to reach the kingdom.

“An’ tha’ is not even mentionin’ the deterioration o’ the runes if ye wanted to travel farther. Are ye plannin’ to set up more o’ these? Ha, good luck wi’ tha’!

Hasim kept complaining, and he had a point. It would be difficult to convince mages to give up their larger gates for smaller ones. Most, when the time came, did not worry about spending and instead established something meant to last for ages. He, on the other hand, had created a cheaper alternative better suited for personal use.

It was also true that if the gate was used for longer distances, this design would not last. Even the gate within his own workshop already needed a few parts replaced, as connecting to the Institute was beyond its usual operational range.

“You have a good eye, Master Hasim, but this design is quite enough for travel between dungeons. The mana interference a dungeon produces is much simpler to handle with a smaller gate, and it is perfectly connected to the gate within Albrook that I have created.”

“Does it now?”

Hasim frowned again as Roland pushed back against the flaws of his design. This dwarf was quite competitive when it came to crafting, but he was not blind to innovation either. If anything, that made him both a dangerous rival and a valuable ally.

“Ey, stop wi’ yer droolin’, ye dolts. Ye are makin’ me look bad. Now git yer sorry asses out o’ here if ye cannot behave!”

“But Master…”

“Don’t ye master me. Git out now!”

It seemed Hasim had decided to change the subject. Instead of continuing to complain about the new gate technology, he turned on the other runesmiths. Soon, he shoved them aside until only he and Roland remained in the room.

“Ye still have not explained how ye are goin’ to git through the dungeon interference.”

After the group of dwarves was forced outside, Hasim resumed his questions. At this point, however, Roland no longer felt the need to answer in full. He had already shown the man his hand, and there was no reason to reveal more of his secrets.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle that during the journey. When I return, just expand the room to house the artificial spirit so it can take care of those calculations. After that, you can come to Albrook and we can exchange knowledge further.”

“Ye want to exchange more?”

“Indeed. Don’t you?”

Roland had not included the teleportation gate designs in the contract. Unless Hasim took apart the one here, he would likely be unable to replicate it, though it did not seem as if he intended to. In truth, this was more of a lure to bring the old dwarf to his city. Once there, Roland could present further innovations and in return gain access to as much dwarven knowledge and as many designs as possible. The golems were useful, but they were not the finest work Hasim likely had to offer. To reach that level, Roland needed a stronger trade arrangement and a closer working relationship.

“There is far more I can offer you than replacement limbs. And if you ever need to send something outside without those adventurers noticing, this small gate will work perfectly.” 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“Perfect for it, eh?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Hasim clearly understood what Roland was implying. The dwarf’s eyes drifted briefly toward the gate before returning to Roland, narrowing as the pieces fell into place.

“A hidden route, it be. No guild oversight, no pryin' eyes pokin' aboot. Jus' straight through the dungeon an' out the other side.”

Roland said nothing, but the silence confirmed it.

“Hah. Ye really are a dangerous one, lad.”

There was no accusation in Hasim’s voice, only a rough sort of admiration. Like everyone else in the dungeon, the dwarf had to work within the guild’s restrictions. Everything was taxed in one way or another, but with the gate he could move materials in secret, send weapons to auction houses, and secure a better share of the profits.

Not everything could be obtained within this dungeon, and waiting for merchants to arrive every few months or sometimes not at all only made things worse. At times, deliveries never matched what had been ordered, pushing deadlines back even further and forcing the dwarven craftsmen to work with metals that did not combine well.

“I think it is a worthwhile offer, and I am sure you have connections within the union.”

“Ah, I see what ye’re doin’, lad. Quite the schemer ye are.”

“We can discuss the details once you are in Albrook. First, we still need to finish this chamber, and I need to retrieve my apprentice.”

“Aye. We’ll talk about it later.”

This time Hasim grinned as he shook Roland’s hand. It was clear he believed the benefits outweighed the risks.

“Just remember to keep this between us.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, lad. An’ don’t ye worry about my apprentices neither!”

Roland nodded. With that, he had completed the agreement with the dwarf. In the future, he hoped to use Hasim’s connections to obtain rare resources known only to the inner circles of the dwarves, as well as to bring their expertise to Albrook and its second city. Hasim’s grip lingered a moment longer than necessary before he finally let go. His rough hand dropped to his side, but the grin never left his face.

“Ye better not disappoint me, lad.”

“I don’t intend to.”

“Aye, an’ keep that lass an’ her parents safe.”

“I will.”

Roland turned away from the gate, his gaze drifting toward the reinforced door of the chamber.

“Then git goin’. Ye’ve caused enough trouble in one day. Now I’ll probably have to listen to those idiots yap about this gate for days!”

The old dwarf shook his head and Roland almost chuckled. It was true that the lesser Master Runesmiths were quite interested in this technology. Perhaps some would even hope to go to Albrook to see the city. Maybe they would even choose to work there, and to Roland that was a good opportunity.

While he was a proficient craftsman, the scale of the city was too much for him alone to handle. Then there was also an idea brewing in his mind to utilise these gates even further to gain more profits, as he had confirmed their use by spending a lot of time in this third ring already.

‘I’ll probably have to wait with that one for a while. Establishing checkpoints within the super dungeon so adventurers from other places can travel safely will take a lot of investment and will probably not be something I can do without the guild’s help.’

The project was quite ambitious, perhaps too ambitious for the current stage of his plans. Even with his resources and backing, establishing a network of gates within a dungeon of this scale would require more than just craftsmanship. It would demand influence, agreements, and careful planning. For now, he needed to focus on other things like the competition in the future. Now that he had his golem schematics, he could proceed with them, but first he needed to take care of Millie.

“I wonder if they are done packing.”

Roland stepped out into the corridor and the heavy door behind him was closed by two of Hasim’s golems. The dwarf remained inside, probably to analyse his gate without him around. It also became clear that he had started trusting him slightly, as he was fine with him waltzing through the workshop.

“Master Wayland, are ye leaving?”

“Ah, it is Master Wayland!”

“Is Master been occupying the gate all to himself?”

Once outside he was greeted by the handful of tier three runesmiths working here. Their eyes lingered on him with a mixture of awe and impatience, as if he might vanish at any moment and take all his secrets with him. It was clear that they wanted to see more of his work or have him explain how he created it, but there was no time for that.

“Excuse me, I must return to get my knights and apprentice.”

“Ye leaving already?”

“Of course he is. Why would he craft the gate if he was going to stay, ye dolt!”

“Who are ye callin’ a dolt, eh?!”

“Ye!”

“Why I oughta!”

The group of dwarves seemed to be quite similar to their master. They were loud and proud. They started shouting at each other, which gave him the opportunity to slip out. Before they realised it, he was gone and already out in the main workshop. Soon he made his way to the exit where his knight escort was waiting for him.

“Anything to report?”

“No, High Knight Commander, but the locals have been observing us.”

“That’s fine. They are not dumb enough to approach Valerian knights. Leave them be.”

“How about the innkeeper?”

“The innkeepers are ready to depart when you give the word.”

“No troubles with the guild?”

“Everything is in order.”

“Hm…”

Roland did not trust the guild master in this stronghold and had expected him to potentially hold Ermes back from leaving. Fortunately, nothing of the sort had occurred. Either the man understood that pushing further would only worsen the situation with so many eyes on him, or he was simply pretending not to care. He had only punished one of the grunts responsible for Ermes’ kidnapping. There were others involved, but for now, there was nothing he could do about them.

This place was still not something he could deal with lightly. The guild master, though corrupt, was not doing anything openly enough to bring himself trouble. His strength and level were also not something Roland could properly contend with. The number of adventurers alone was overwhelming, to the point where he would likely need a large group of tier three class holders above level two hundred just to stand a chance.

“Let’s not linger then. The gate is ready. We will rendezvous with my new apprentice and return to Albrook.”

“As you wish, High Knight Commander.”

Roland gave a short nod. He also wanted to leave quickly. Not because he disliked the place, but because he felt constrained being surrounded by knights while playing the role of both knight commander and master runesmith. Everyone kept glancing his way, and he was certain that news of his arrival would eventually reach the information guilds.

With haste, he returned to the Red Dragon Inn. Millie and her parents were already waiting there, along with a considerable amount of luggage. Several crates lined the common room, tightly packed and reinforced with iron bands. Millie sat on one of them, her legs swinging slightly as she tried to look composed, while her parents hovered nearby as though afraid something might still go wrong at the last moment.

“I think this might be a bit too much, Millie. Do you really need all of this?”

“What are you talking about, Papa? All of this belongs to us, and we need it. How will you outfit the new inn otherwise?”

“But do we really need the horn chandelier, or the dragon themed cutlery, or this massive dragon horn? I am not sure they will fit with the…”

“Of course we need them. It is part of our brand now. You cannot run an inn called The Resting Dragon without a dragon horn above the counter. It is basic business sense.”

“Resting Dragon? Did you already decide the name before we even leave?”

“Of course. We have to think fast before someone else steals our idea!”

Millie waved her finger at her father, who was trying to get her to put a few things away. Roland looked around and saw that everything had already been packed. Even the pictures on the walls had been taken down, the nails pulled out, and everything placed inside wooden crates.

“Ah… it’s Master.”

Roland walked forward. The two knights he had left to guard them seemed to have been roped into helping with the packing, which was likely why they had finished so quickly. The conversation between the parents and their daughter stopped the moment he arrived, and it was clear he was regarded with respect. Both parents lowered their heads politely, but Millie was different. She wore a bright smile and waved as soon as she saw him.

“Is this all of your luggage?”

He stepped in front of the large pile of crates and memorabilia Millie had packed. Her parents looked apologetic, but their daughter did not seem to think she had done anything wrong.

“Well, we could still take the beds and the cupboard with us…”

As his new apprentice continued talking, her father quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth.

“Millie, that is enough. You are being rude.”

“It is fine. This is not a problem.”

Roland shook his head and raised his hand. The runes on his temporary armor began to glow, and spatial magic took hold. Before the eyes of the family, the luggage was drawn into a magic circle that formed beneath them.

“Oh, they are all gone.”

Millie’s eyes widened and she turned to Roland with a question.

“Master, does that mean we can take the beds with us too?”

“I suppose so…”

His new apprentice seemed to have very unusual priorities. Even after witnessing powerful spatial magic, she was more concerned about transporting her furniture than how it all worked.