Chapter 264: Iron King? Bogur, the Unexpected Person

At the border of the Dwarven Kingdom, within the Ironforge fortress, lay the temporary encampment of the elves.

Zieg and Gawen sat inside a dwelling formed by the natural growth of plants, debating the condition of the World Tree.

"It has been nearly a month now, and the World Tree has shown no further signs of distress, has it?"

Zieg adjusted his monocle, peering at Gawen, who sat lost in thought across from him.

"Indeed, there are no issues. Since those 'pseudo-roots' were purged, the tree’s state has improved significantly. It has ceased dispatching wood spirits to hunt animals or foreign races to siphon their life force."

Gawen toyed with a leaf in his hand, its texture akin to polished jade, using the feedback it provided to analyze the tree’s vitality.

This leaf, grown in the "Eden Plains" and connected to the core of the World Tree, served as a conduit; even at a great distance, it could relay the tree's status with remarkable clarity.

The jade-like leaf was pristine and translucent, devoid of any impurity. Its warm, faint luminescence suggested a state of health and vigor, indicating that the World Tree was thriving, its life force abundant and its branches whole.

"Therefore, you should consider the possibility that this has nothing to do with the dwarves. As it stands, aside from their own agenda, they appear to have had no impact on the tree whatsoever."

Zieg looked Gawen directly in the eyes, speaking with earnest conviction.

"I must concede that your theory holds some weight, yet I remain convinced that the dwarves are inextricably linked to this. No elf within our kin would dare tamper with the root system; those ore fragments could only have originated from the dwarves. That is a stain of guilt they can never wash away."

Gawen shook his head, his tone conflicted yet resolute. As an elder of the elven race, he remained certain that the anomalies of the World Tree were the dwarves' doing.

"You are being far too stubborn, Gawen. Those ore fragments could have been brought there by other entities. They may have been mined by dwarves, but that does not mean they were placed there by them."

Zieg frowned, struggling to understand why his old friend remained so fixated on the dwarves.

When they first arrived in Liahim, Gawen had claimed it was the dwarves' fault, and Zieg had assumed he had reached that conclusion through careful observation.

But now, he felt Gawen was merely chasing shadows. The facts were clear: they had been here for a month, the dwarves' project had continued unabated, yet the World Tree remained perfectly stable.

"Zieg, I have always been this way, have I not?"

Gawen withdrew the jade leaf and pressed his fingers to his brow, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"..."

Zieg fell silent. His friend was indeed a man who adhered strictly to rules and, at times, was hopelessly dogmatic. It was a trait that could lead to complications, yet the elven council required such an "orderly and paranoid" presence.

"Elder Gawen, Master Zieg, the dwarf Torbi is here to see you. He says he has something to discuss."

The voice of an elven ranger interrupted their conversation. Without further word, the two men rose and stepped outside.

"Why are you lot always so slow to pass a message? I am here regarding the covenant of this past month. Settling this early benefits us both. Do you have any idea how long it took just to prove my identity to enter your camp? Is it truly necessary? With so many elves, are you truly afraid a single dwarf could turn the world upside down?"

As they stepped out, they found Torbi the Dwarf complaining to the ranger, his tone dripping with irritation. The elf, however, ignored him entirely.

"Torbi Bronzebeard, what brings you here?"

Gawen asked coldly, his prejudice against the dwarves leaving him with little patience.

"Gawen, you’ve finally arrived. The month is nearly up, and I think this proves that the 'anomalies' you spoke of have nothing to do with us. That covenant has no further reason to exist."

Torbi curled his lip, his tone equally sharp. He had been deeply offended by Gawen’s accusations regarding the Deep Excavation project, but had been forced to yield due to Gawen’s uncompromising stance.

Now that the month was nearly over, the dwarf, having proven his innocence, had no desire to remain subservient.

"You wish to break this contract?"

Gawen’s voice turned chillingly severe. The sudden shift caught Torbi off guard as Gawen produced the contract of the God of Order, signed in their presence.

The document radiated the divine power of the God of Order. Two massive swords, forged of pure light, materialized above the heads of Gawen and Torbi, hovering ominously.

The pressure they exerted was terrifying, crushing both elf and dwarf alike. The blade above the dwarf’s head flickered, appearing as though it might descend at any moment to strike him down.

"Damn it, that is not what I meant! Put that away—I will honor the agreement!"

Cold sweat beaded on Torbi’s forehead. The "Sword of Judgment" hanging over him threatened the life of a warrior of his caliber.

His remark that the covenant was "no longer necessary" had been interpreted by the contract as a potential intent to break his oath.

Had Gawen forced the issue, the blade would have fallen; while it might not have been fatal, it would have left him half-dead.

"Stop, stop, stop! I am not here to break the contract, but to fulfill our duty! We accelerated our progress, and the Deep Excavation is finished ahead of schedule. You may enter the tunnels now to verify that we have done no harm to the World Tree."

The dwarf spoke with a speed he had likely never achieved in his life, blurting out his purpose in a matter of seconds.

"..."

Gawen narrowed his eyes at Torbi. He said nothing, but withdrew the contract, and the Swords of Judgment vanished.

"Phew... damn it, you stubborn fool, was that necessary? I suppose the security checks were your idea, too, weren't they?"

Torbi exhaled, complaining with lingering fear. He no longer attempted to voice his indignation at the slander against his people.

"..."

Gawen remained silent, staring at Torbi. Even a dwarf as composed and patient as Torbi found the intense, wordless gaze deeply unsettling.

"Follow me. I will take you underground. The only reason we barred you before was that this project was of monumental importance to our kingdom."

"Until it was complete, no outsider could be allowed near. But now that it is finished, there is no longer any reason for concern."

Torbi sighed, turned, and walked toward the edge of the elven camp, gesturing for Gawen to follow. Zieg and Gawen gave brief instructions to the other elves before trailing the dwarf toward the massive pit outside Ironforge.

They had no fear that Torbi was luring them into a trap; the covenant of the God of Order was explicit. Should the dwarves attempt such a thing, it would not be Torbi alone who paid the price.

They boarded the Iron Serpent, the dwarven train that connected the surface to the depths. It roared as it carried them toward the site of the Deep Excavation, the very place where the roots of the World Tree terminated.

"Why would we ever want to destroy your World Tree? Even if you long-ears can be a nuisance, we are allies. Such an act would be utterly pointless," Torbi explained, having learned to keep talking without waiting for Gawen’s response.

"Since you insist on seeing what we’ve done with your roots, I’ll show you."

"The roots served as a massive healer. The life force they naturally exuded was the key to keeping the 'brain' of this masterpiece alive in such a harsh environment until the work was complete."

"We dug deep to utilize the low magic and low void concentration of the underground to achieve controlled alchemy. We certainly didn't enjoy digging that deep."

"This masterpiece, which integrates all our recent alchemical breakthroughs and the unreliable technology of our goblin partners, is called..."

Torbi’s tone was thick with pride. As he detailed the intricacies of the Deep Excavation, his demeanor shifted from the frustration of a forced inspection to the vanity of a creator showing off his work.

The Iron Serpent plunged deep into the earth, finally reaching its destination. Outside the windows lay the loading dock where Torbi had once brought his grandson, Olaf.

The space, once described by Olaf as a crude, dark, and empty cavern, had been utterly transformed. It was no longer a mere stop; it was the heart of the operation.

Magic crystal lamps lined the reinforced walls, casting a warm, yellow glow across the immense subterranean chamber.

Metal scaffolding had been assembled, embedded into the ceiling and walls. Dwarves and goblins swarmed the structure, working in unison around a central object.

The mechanical arm that had so fascinated Olaf was in motion, lifting heavy materials that no man could move, placing them into storage.

Yet, compared to the center of the chamber—the creation born of the Deep Excavation and the roots of the World Tree—the mechanical arm seemed small indeed.

A giant of steel stood upon the earth.

Its metallic shell lent it the appearance of a colossal suit of armor, yet the myriad inscriptions etched across its forty-meter frame, alongside the intricate mechanical joints shielded by dense arrays of magic runes, made it clear this was no inanimate husk.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Only then did Sieg realize the source of the thunderous roar that had persisted since he first boarded the train.

Deep within the iron giant's chest lay a massive energy furnace; crimson light bled through the seams of the plating, forming a radiant ring that pulsed with terrifying power.

The furnace emitted a deafening, rhythmic thrum—the sound of magic and alchemical matter undergoing a reaction far more sophisticated than mere combustion, a high-level energy conversion fueling the titan's impossible weight.

Atop the giant sat a helmet, a scaled-up version of a standard dwarven war helm, though no head resided within; only two pinpricks of red light peered from the darkness behind the visor, casting a gaze devoid of emotion, cold and contemptuous of all things.

Gawain’s eyes fixed upon the giant’s neck, where the roots of the World Tree burst from the earth, guided by dwarven scaffolding to coil around the metal frame and slip through deliberate gaps into the helmet.

Toby’s voice trailed off, and he spoke the name of the metal titan—which stood in the subterranean expanse, exuding overwhelming power even in stillness—in a tone stripped of pride or boastfulness, replaced by a profound, sacred reverence.

"...The Iron Protector, Borgul."

............

"In that case, we can assume this mountain range is safe for now; the druids have resolved the corruption themselves. Now, we must discover what became of the dark elves and other sentient races of the Sorensen Mountains, beyond those who perished."

In the Sorensen Mountains, Wang Yu gazed at the moss that had completely blanketed the ash-strewn earth left by the fires, pondering his next move.

"If this man-made ecosystem is truly the druids' masterpiece, their departure is only natural. This fragile, seemingly prosperous habitat requires a period of rest; sentient life is a burden too heavy for it to bear."

Avia whispered the reason they had seen no sign of intelligent life despite their long stay in the Sorensen range.

"Ah, then let us return and inform the elves of the situation. With their capabilities, they should not..."

"Mr. Wang Yu, Miss Avia, the moss is conveying a message through natural magic, and it seems to concern you both. My Natural Arcana has picked it up; I shall translate it for you."

Wang Yu was interrupted by Sif, who stood in deep concentration, channeling her Natural Arcana with a focused expression as she listened to the whispers.

"Archbishop, I never expected to see you in my homeland again. So, you have come here after all. Truly..."

Hearing Sif relay the words, Wang Yu’s eyes widened; there was only one being who would address him by that title and claim the Sorensen Mountains as their home.

The dark elf druid, member of the Nightfall Church, Holo.