The Keen Eyes of a Dwarf and the Dream of Molten Iron
Just as Akio and his companions were about to begin designing the new hearth and bread oven in earnest, a new ripple disturbed the rhythm of village life. While patrolling near the forest's edge, Kina encountered a group of refugees and guided them to the shelter. There were a little over a dozen in total—not just humans, but also small, hobbit-like folk, and one especially striking figure: a dwarf elder, short but broad-shouldered, with a body that radiated power even in rest. All of them bore the exhaustion of a long journey, their faces marked by fear, hunger, and deep fatigue.
Akio’s group, now experienced in such matters, welcomed them warmly. Ayane served hearty soup and freshly baked bread. Sylvia tended to the unwell with herbal decoctions and her skilled care.
Once the refugees began to recover, Akio approached the dwarf elder. His name was Dolgan, and he had once been a blacksmith in a dwarven settlement at the foot of the mountains. He had long since handed his forge to a disciple and retired to a peaceful life. But fearing the growing chaos from the Garnia Empire’s advance, he set out in search of safety.
While the others rested, Dolgan cast a sharp, practiced gaze over the half-finished hearth, the stacked firebricks, and the mound of charcoal. He picked up a brick, tapped it with a finger to test the sound, scrutinized the cut of the charcoal, and peppered Akio with rapid-fire questions: “What kind of clay is this?” “How was this charcoal made?”
Sensing that Dolgan was no ordinary traveler, Akio candidly explained everything—from the discovery of fireclay to making firebricks and producing charcoal in the kiln. Finally, he brought out a carefully stored lump of red-black stone: iron ore, or at least something that appeared to be.
“I’ve always dreamed of extracting iron from this stone… of crafting stronger tools and farming implements,” Akio said. “But I’m no expert, and it’s been beyond me so far…”
Dolgan took the ore and examined it with intense focus. Then, his eyes flew open in shock. The deep wrinkles of his face tightened with excitement, and his long beard trembled.
“… To think—deep in this forest, a human has made such high-quality firebricks and charcoal… and this stone… there’s no mistake, this is top-grade iron ore!”
The old dwarf burst out in a voice that shook the air and slapped Akio heartily on the shoulder.
“Boy—Akio, was it? You’ve got something truly interesting here! I may be retired, but seeing this ore, these bricks, and that charcoal… I can’t just sit idly by! The fire in my smith’s blood is roaring again!”
He took a deep breath, then declared in a ringing voice:
“Listen up, Akio! With me, Dolgan, at your side, I’ll draw iron from this stone and forge marvels that’ll leave you speechless! I can smelt this iron!”
Those words hit Akio like a bolt of lightning. The dream he had quietly nurtured for so long—making iron—was now within reach, thanks to a true master, a dwarven blacksmith of legendary repute. He couldn’t suppress the rising tide of excitement and emotion.
“Are you serious, Dolgan-san!?”
“A dwarf never says something he doesn’t mean! But—” Dolgan continued with a craftsman’s precision, “—you’ll need a proper furnace. Your current hearth isn’t bad, but for smelting iron, it won’t do. You’ll need better airflow, more heat—and a strong bellows. A real one.”
His words brimmed with knowledge and revived pride. Sylvia, listening intently nearby, nodded silently, sensing the skill and transformation this man might bring. Though elves and dwarves differed in temperament, they shared a deep reverence for the art of creation.
Alto and Kenta listened with sparkling eyes, enthralled by the appearance of a real dwarven smith and the prospect of forging iron. Kina grinned broadly. “Damn, gramps! You’re awesome! When you make some iron, craft me a tough knife, yeah?”
The encounter with Dolgan, the retired dwarven blacksmith, was a turning point for Akio’s growing village—a spark that would ignite a new era of development powered by iron. His unmatched knowledge and experience, Akio’s inventive thinking, Sylvia’s forest wisdom, and the tireless support of family and friends… all of it now came together.
And so, the real challenge began—constructing the forge that Dolgan envisioned. From within its blazing heat, what kind of future would they forge?
First, the plan was to build a true iron smelting furnace—the kind that would bring dreams, once buried in stone, into molten, glowing reality.
What do you think about this chapter?
