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Chapter 303: Dwarf Cave Mantamia (5)

"Is that right?"

[You have aided the surface world.]

Hephaestus began speaking calmly.

[You fought against evil and aided the church of the gods. You helped the persecuted churches in the north find stable ground.]

The northern battles… worshippers of gods were there.

The gods witnessed the clash between the rat and Ketal through their eyes.

etal had opposed the rat.

He had protected the surface world from the creature that tainted all things.

[At that time, it was difficult for us to intervene directly in the world. We could only watch as the rat polluted the world. If not for you, the north would have fallen to that filth. Above all, you showed respect to my children. Thus, I must show respect to you as well.]

Hephaestus’s attitude toward Ketal was extremely courteous.

Ketal looked at Hephaestus with a face that showed surprise.

In this world, he had encountered three gods.

The first god he met was Kalosia, the god of lies and deceit.

The emotion he showed was goodwill.

The second god he met was Federica, the god of hunger, who showed intense hostility towards Ketal and even tried to kill him.

And now, the third god he met was Hephaestus, the god of Smithing.

Hephaestus’s emotions toward Ketal were a mix of caution, curiosity, respect, and interest.

Ketal smiled slightly.

“It’s a relief that you didn’t show immediate hostility this time. Nice to meet you. As you probably already know, my name is Ketal.”

[…Federica. You must be referring to her. She’s a rather aggressive one. She fought diligently in ancient wars to protect the surface world.]

It wasn’t untrue.

In the end, Federica had tried to remove Ketal because she believed he would harm the followers of her own faith.

[She’s an excellent god for her worshippers, though I suppose she wasn’t for you.]

“I understand. There’s no reason for any of you to be favorable toward me.”

Ketal accepted this calmly, and Hephaestus watched him with a curious expression.

[…Though I’d heard from Kalosia, this is still surprising. You’re an ‘inside’ being, yet we can hold a proper conversation. I didn’t expect that.]

Hephaestus’s gaze shifted to Ketal’s waist.

[And what you have at your waist is also unexpected.]

Flinch!

The Holy Sword, which had been silent, trembled.

In a dying voice, she spoke up.

[…It’s been a long time, Lord Hephaestus. N-nice to meet you?]

[‘Nice to meet’ me, huh. Well, indeed. Nice to see you again.]

Hephaestus spoke with a smile, but his eyes were not smiling.

[The effort I put into sending you down here has gone to waste; even the power within you has dissipated. I’m wondering if I should punish you.]

[Eek! I’m sorry!]

The Holy Sword screamed as if in a seizure, but Hephaestus remained still.

[However… currently, your master is not me. It’s the one from ‘inside.’]

“Are you acknowledging me? Even though I broke the Holy Sword.”

[The rule I set was that the one who draws the sword becomes its master. Though it was forced, you certainly drew the sword. Even if it broke in the process, it is yours. Besides, it seems that the sword itself acknowledges you as its master. More importantly…]

Hephaestus continued in a low voice.

[You’ve done more for the world than simply breaking the Holy Sword. There’s no reason for me to be angry over something so minor.]

“I see.”

[From my perspective, it’s not a bad thing either. The danger of my Holy Sword being lost has been averted. I won’t interfere. It is yours.]

“Hmm.”

‘Even if I’m granted ownership, it’s ambiguous.’

Ketal had planned to restore the Holy Sword after meeting the god of blacksmiths, so he could help it find a proper master.

But from what Hephaestus said, it seemed he had no intention of finding another owner for it.

[So, what brings you here?]

At that question, Ketal organized his thoughts and explained his purpose in coming here.

“The restoration of the Holy Sword. Is it possible?”

[It’s not impossible. After all, I am the one who made it. But there’s a lack of materials.]

“There’s still the broken blade.”

[It’s already lost its power. It must be replenished. You’ll need materials that can be part of the Holy Sword. Where do you think you might find such materials?]

Hephaestus asked with an odd tone, and Ketal realized.

“The mines of Mantamia?”

[It’s a blessing I bestowed upon the surface.]

An unparalleled mine, where rare minerals were compressed and refined repeatedly.

It was not a naturally occurring place.

It was a blessing from Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, to the dwarves who worshipped him.

[With the ores inside, it can be perfectly restored. However, the place is currently seized by filth.]

It became clear that Raphael needed to be dealt with.

Ketal moved on to his next question.

“Can the dwarves forge this?”

He took out a piece of Dragon Bone.

Hephaestus’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

[…Did you obtain this from a dungeon on the surface? It’s intense. Comparable even to a Dragon Heart. Grombir should be able to forge it.]

Hephaestus added one more comment.

[But it would require high-quality equipment, which is present within that mine.]

Mantamia.

He had to reclaim it to process the Dragon Bone.

Next, Ketal showed him the corpse of white monkey and the rat’s front paw.

Seeing the rat’s paw, Hephaestus’s eyebrow twitched.

[…It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this. It was a nightmarish existence. A creature that stained the world with its filth and tainted us.]

Hephaestus remembered a distant past where he had fought directly against the rat.

He was well aware of its strength and foreign nature.

And because of that, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

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[…The rat’s paw has been severed. Even we couldn’t manage that. You… you…]

Hephaestus could no longer hold back and asked.

[You fought the rat, didn’t you?]

An ‘inside’ being opposing another ‘inside’ being was not particularly unusual.

They had never been on friendly terms to begin with.

But Ketal went beyond merely opposing the rat; he actively tried to protect the surface.

That was indeed strange.

[Why are you taking our side?]

“My answer has always been the same. Because it’s what I want.”

[But why do you want that?]

The reason was simple, too.

“This world… is my world.”

At that answer, Hephaestus paused.

He understood.

The twisted obsession within Ketal.

[…I see. You’re broken. But for us, it’s a good direction.]

Hephaestus reached a conclusion.

[I have no intention of opposing you. A deal would benefit us both. You desire the restoration of the Holy Sword, the forging of the Dragon Bone, and the utilization of some of the oldest relics. I will grant it all to you. But there is one condition.]

To defeat the demons and reclaim Mantamia.

[Will you accept?]

“I accept, gladly,”

Ketal replied, nodding with a grin.

[The deal is made. I swear by my name and worth: if you help reclaim Mantamia, I will grant everything you desire.]

A god had sworn upon his name—a promise that would tarnish his honor and power if broken.

[Then I leave it to you. I’ll be watching from above, though I’m afraid I can offer little help. Even this descent is no small task.]

To manifest the Holy Sword, the gods had taken on significant strain, especially the smithing god Hephaestus.

Even now, as proof of his sincerity, his form was beginning to distort.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it diligently.”

[I’d be grateful if you did.]

With that, their conversation seemed to conclude.

But Hephaestus didn’t leave; he endured, and spoke once more.

[As a reward, I’ll tell you something that goes beyond our deal. That axe you wield.]

The black axe Ketal had carried with him since the white snowy plains.

[Do you know what it is?]

“No, I don’t.”

Ketal shook his head.

He still didn’t know what the axe truly was.

“Judging from your tone, it seems you do.”

[I do. That axe doesn’t belong to this world. It’s a relic.]

“A relic?”

[More precisely, it’s a piece of one. A fragment of something that once hunted us with fanatical zeal—an entity as old as any, possibly older.]

“Hmm?”

Ketal’s eyes widened.

“The other gods never mentioned it.”

[They had no reason to. Most gods have forgotten it by now.]

It was strong—an existence that had killed the most gods, annihilated the most demons, and wrought the most destruction upon the world.

[We called it the Monstrosity.]

“The Monstrosity?”

Ketal tilted his head, sensing familiarity.

He’d heard that name somewhere.

[A being of immense power, yet one that harbored deep animosity toward the world. Gods and demons united to kill it, and after a heavy toll, we barely managed to vanquish it. But we didn’t finish it off; we lost part of it. We worried it might resurface one day, yet here you are, wielding its remnant. That’s a relief.]

“So, it was that creature.”

Ketal looked at his axe with a peculiar expression.

It was a useful tool he’d picked up in the snow, yet to think it was part of such a being left him with a strange feeling.

[It’s not so surprising you carry a piece of it. You’re an ‘Inside’ being, after all. And a powerful one at that. Though I sense no particular energy within that axe.]

[Hmm? Really?]

The Holy Sword interjected, surprised.

[I do sense something dormant within that axe.]

[You’re mistaken. What’s left is an empty shell. You must’ve mistaken it for something grand.]

[…]

The sword was horrified, realizing that what she had seen as enormous was merely a husk—a testament to the power that had once resided within it.

Hephaestus, intrigued, asked,

[When did you find it?]

“A long time ago, when I was still weak. It helped me greatly then.”

Ketal had found the black axe shortly after arriving in this world, discarded casually in the snow.

Hephaestus’s face contorted at that.

[You found that axe when you were weak? And nothing happened to you?]

“No, nothing at all,”

Ketal replied, puzzled.

[That’s impossible. Even a fragment of it would wield enough power to kill anything. Only someone at a heroic level of strength could withstand it. If you were truly weak, you should’ve been devoured.]

But nothing had happened to Ketal.

In his weakest days, he’d found the axe and wielded it as if it were any other weapon.

A peculiar emotion stirred in Hephaestus’s gaze as he looked at Ketal.

[Are you… really a barbarian? Where do you come from?]

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