We continued exploring the city for three days, and although it was predominantly inhabited by dwarves, it was also possible to spot some humans. Considering the trade caravan Hançer had seen, this wasn't too surprising.
Malik: "I really fell in love with this city, my friend."
Aiden: "Maybe because you did nothing but cook all day?"
"I liked this city too, but these sounds are starting to get annoying; I think I was forging iron in my dream last night..."
Aiden: "I get you, buddy. Plus, since this city is built around a volcano, it's very hot."
We were wandering around the city and kept chatting.
"Maybe we should go check on Torin."
Aiden: "Hasn't it only been three days? I thought you got beaten up for this stone piece for 6 days."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, it's better to check what that old man is up to than just wandering aimlessly."
Malik: "Let's definitely stop by that sweet shop on the way!"
As we walked, we meandered through the city's narrow streets. The houses were built with volcanic stone, and their windows were decorated with colorful cloths, reflecting the city's vibrant energy. The sound of iron from the dwarves' workshops added a characteristic rhythm to the streets.
"This place reminds me a lot of the industrial areas in our world, doesn't it?"
Aiden: "Seems like even in a fantasy world, you have to go to work and make a living."
Malik: "At least they don't have to work overtime. My old boss used to make us work even during lunchtime!"
"What did you do before?"
Malik: "I did a lot of jobs, actually. Waiter, accountant, chef."
Aiden: "Chef?"
"Wait a minute, so you can cook?"
Malik: "Huh? Of course, I can. It's always been my dream to open my own restaurant."
Aiden: "I doubt that restaurant would last long."
Malik: "My mother said the same thing. I guess I'm not a good chef…"
"I don't think that's why she said it."
Malik: "So, do you think I can really open a restaurant?"
"Well, the Monster Kingdom is getting crowded, and I've been thinking about opening up to trade, so why not have our own restaurant?"
Malik: "Thanks, buddy! I won't let you down."
"Sure, sure, but I haven't promised anything yet. Let's sort out our other tasks first."
While we were chatting, we had already approached Old Torin's Forge, and the sound of his hammer striking metal could be heard from meters away. We entered the forge.
Torin was focused on continuing to forge the stone.
"Hey, Old Torin, we came to see what you're up to."
Torin: "Old? You disrespectful!"
"Have you made any progress? If not, it's okay; this is a very tough stone."
Torin: "Actually, I finished forging the stone this morning."
"What? You finished?"
In just 3 days? It took me 6 days using all my aura and abilities, and he did it with just a hammer? I'm sure he has unique skills, but it's still incredible that he could forge that stone in such a short time. I guess I understand why they call him a blacksmith even the gods would be jealous of.
Torin showed us the black stone he had forged, small and looking as if it could break like glass at any moment.
Aiden: "So, this precious stone is it? It looks like it could break easily."
Torin: "You think so? How durable do you think your armor is?"
Aiden: "I got this armor from the most expensive blacksmith in Drynsoll! It's made with the best materials, shiny and showy!"
Torin flung the small crafted stone piece he held between his thumb and index finger towards Aiden's chest, and the armor split in half as if it were butter.
Aiden: "My armor! YOU OLD FOOL, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I PAID FOR THIS ARMOR?"
Toris: "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN OLD FOOL, HUH!"
Aiden looked sad about his split armor.
Aiden: "My armor..."
Toris handed Aiden an armor from the display.
Toris: "Take this, it's more suitable for your body and more durable than your crappy armor."
Aiden, with tears in his eyes, looked at Toris.
Aiden: "T-Toris, you do have a heart!"
Toris: "GET OUT OF MY SHOP!"
"So, it seems I won the bet, though I thought you'd be a blacksmith in my country. Guess we've come to the end of our journey, thanks for everything, see you!"
As if saying goodbye, I turned towards the door.
Toris: "Wait!"
Haha, you old fool, got you again.
I turned back to Toris with a smirk.
Toris: "I can't believe I fell for that trick twice. I'll come to your kingdom and open a blacksmith shop, so you better provide me with more of this stone."
"Hahaha, dear Toris, I knew you'd come around."
Toris: "I'm thinking of bringing a few mining dwarves and some blacksmiths with me; if we're going to work with such a material, we need to do it right."
"Bring as many people as you need."
Toris: "Let me prepare for the journey, then we can set off."
"Journey? We're not going on any journey."
[Portal]
Toris: "W-What is this!?"
"This is my ability, with it, we can directly reach the Monster Kingdom."
Toris: "Wait a minute, Monster Kingdom?"
"Didn't I tell you? You're coming to a kingdom made up of monsters; goblins, trolls, lizardmen, half-humans, wolves, wyverns, and more."
Toris: "I've reconsidered your offer; maybe you should find another blacksmith."
"It's too late for that!"
I pushed Toris towards the portal, and we all entered together.
Toris: "W-What is this?"
Dagger suddenly appeared beside me and knelt down, placing his fist on the ground.
Dagger: "Welcome, my king!"
Toris: "A goblin!"
"Dagger, this is our new blacksmith, Mr. Toris. He is quite talented. Arrange a place for him to stay and try to accommodate his needs. I will keep the portal open, so you can return to Roskild to finish your business."
Dagger: "As you command, My King. Please, Mr. Toris, let me show you to your quarters."
Toris: "WAIT A MINUTE!"
As Dagger dragged Mr. Toris away, Toris's voice echoed into the distance...
"So, it seems we can start with the blacksmithing and mining work, you kids can do as you please. I have a few more tasks to attend to."
Malik: "I think I'm a bit hungry."
Aiden: "I'm going to do some training, I feel bad for not swinging a sword for so long."
Malik: "Stop talking like you're some cool guy; you just want to try on your new armor."
Aiden: "AT LEAST I DON'T SPEND ALL DAY EATING YOU BIG IDIOT!"
Malik: "IDIOT? THE ONLY STUPID THING HERE IS YOUR ARMOR!"
Aiden: "HOW CAN ARMOR BE STUPID YOU IDIOT!"
Maybe I should spend some time away from you for a while...
I decided to take a tour around to find Lilith. The city looked as lively as ever. Goblins tilling the fields, lizardmen carrying heavy loads, children running around, and half-humans cutting trees... everything seemed fine for now. Looking at the fields, I saw Lilith standing amidst the yellow wheat, her white beauty shining through, making me feel as if I was looking at a piece of heaven.
I called out to Lilith.
"Hey Lilith!"
Lilith: "Daichi?"
Lilith ran towards me and jumped on me as usual, causing us to fall to the ground because I lost my balance.
"You seem to have gained a bit of weight, did you eat too much while I was away?"
Lilith: "Do you want me to make you unable to eat ever again?"
"No, thank you..."
We got up and started walking around the city.
"Everything seems to be going well."
Lilith: "Yes, the harvests are good, and everyone is in high spirits. Also, there have been almost no attacks on the city; the last attackers were just a few small slimes."
"Slimes? I thought there were no other monsters in this forest."
Lilith: "It seems that weak monsters have started gathering in the forest, seeing it as empty, but most of them are harmless."
"By the way, I finally found a blacksmith of the type I wanted. He is a dwarf and said he would bring a few more dwarves to the city, apparently to help him with his work."
Lilith: "That's good news, but are you sure they can handle the stone? You almost spent a week trying to break that stone."
"We have no choice but to wait and see, but I'm confident they can do it. That grumpy old man is really a good blacksmith."
Lilith: "Why are we doing all this? Instead of living as a simple village, why are we learning crafts, farming, and other things?"
"Technology and knowledge are a society's greatest strength, especially considering we live in a world with monsters and magic. We should do everything we can."
Lilith: "Aren't there things like this in the world you come from?"
"Hmm, there are some fat men who resemble monsters, and they fight a kind of war through magic boxes called televisions, screaming and lying to people. And if they get very angry, they fight each other with guns that shoot small metal pieces. They even have bombs that can destroy a whole country."
Lilith: "Sounds like a tough life."
"You get used to it over time."
Lilith: "Is there a special reason we're walking together like this?"
"Ah yes, I wanted to tell you something. After the blacksmithing workshop is set up, I want armor and weapons forged as quickly as possible. We will be going to support the elves in their war in a few months, in exchange for a great reward."
Lilith: "Did you encounter these elves during your journey?"
"Yes, I noticed we were being followed, and it turned out to be a team sent by the elven queen."
Lilith: "You seem to have experienced quite a lot."
"Moreover, my plans don't stop there. I intend to rebuild all the houses, roads, and walls from scratch. To be more precise, we need a complete restructuring if we truly want to become a kingdom. Wooden walls and fabric tents won't protect us or maintain our status. We also need to open up to trade and increase our kingdom's reputation and strength by selling the goods we produce and the blacksmithing items we make. Of course, I don't plan on selling products made from the black stone. I have many more plans, but these are the current goals."
Lilith: "You must have thought a lot about this subject; you're really serious about it. But one thing I don't understand, how will we do all this renovation? I've heard that the stone walls and houses in kingdoms took years to build, do we have that much time and resources?"
"You know, modern problems require modern solutions, and the person who will be our solution is..."
Lisa: "DAICHIIIIIIIIIII! GET THESE DAMN MONSTERS OFF ME!"
"Here she comes."