11. Dwarves
1594 Words
The Elibra Forest is in the east of the Enchanted Continent, and it is occupied by the Dwarven tribe.
Dwarves are born with the ability to capture the elements of earth and metal, and they are strong. After birth, they can naturally use earth and metal magic.
Over time, with their innate advantages, the Dwarves have relied on generations of research and the passing down of skills to perfect the reputation of [Dwarves = Architecture * Master Blacksmiths] on the Enchanted Continent.
Even in the human-created Empire of Astor, the buildings throughout the empire are also works left behind by some dwarf master builders.
The rare magical equipment that circulates in the market and is difficult to find at high prices is also mostly from the hands of dwarves.
————
Two years ago, Inali, as she had planned, used Babu's question format, ‘Can I touch this magic stone?’
With Derek's permission, Inali successfully touched the small magic bondstone.
It had been five years since she first touched the enchanted stone, and Inali was fully prepared, having done her research.
The correct procedure for enchanting the stone involved more than just touching it. A spell had to be recited by a magician who had learned the corresponding magic in order to activate the stone's properties.
Although Derek obviously knew the right spell, Inali didn't dare ask for anything more.
...
She placed the small, transparent stone in the palm of her hand.
Inali followed the order of spiritual cultivation that she had sensed in her past life in her mind and once again tried to sense the barren spiritual root seed that was parasitically living in her sea of consciousness.
In her previous attempts, since she was in a world where spiritual energy did not exist, Inali could only sense the existence of the spiritual seed, but since she could not provide nourishment to her spiritual root seed, she did not get a response.
This time was different.
Inali's still weak spiritual awareness swept over the transparent stone in her palm, and she suddenly felt the flow of a special aura in the air around her.
Even through the fanciful imagination, those special air currents passed through the stone in her palm, transforming into a trace of the familiar spiritual energy, flowing into her body.
Just a trace of that weak spiritual energy caused the withered spiritual root seed in her spiritual awareness to c***k open, revealing a little green.
However, Inari did not have time to perceive it in detail.
A cool feeling came from her palm, and she had to return from the immersive sea of consciousness to reality.
Dai Li had already taken the small magical edge stone from her hands and put it back on the table.
Inari heard Dai Li say coldly,
‘Next question.’
...
Auntie Marlene's younger brother was the child who had once become a mummy in a major accident at a church event decades ago.
Although he survived the near-death experience, he disappeared one night not long after.
Aunt Marlene took the opportunity of this interrogation to obtain information from Derek, who was also a court magician, about the magicians who had visited the church.
As for Jerry, who asked the last question, his question was really straightforward and bold: ‘Can I be your apprentice...’
...
The event held by the church due to the visit of special guests came to a successful conclusion that day.
It seems that everyone involved got what they wanted, after all, they didn't really expect much.
Only Inari felt a sense of surprise.
Jerry, her partner of the past five years, was actually the last apprentice Derek had ever taken in a remote church.
Was it because of such a simple and straightforward question?
Inari always felt that something was wrong, that there must be some detail that she had overlooked.
...
Even though Inari had many questions she wanted answered, she didn't have many opportunities to do so.
On that day, Jerry was stopped by Derek in the guest room of the church; the next day, he was to set sail with Derek to Derek's mansion in the imperial capital, the centre of the Ester Empire.
Jerry was suddenly overwhelmed with the sudden changes in his life. Before he was taken away by Derek, he carelessly said goodbye to Inali and his grandmother.
He even proudly told Inali that he would become a wizard first.
...
Inali was sent home by Auntie Marlene. Along the way, Auntie Marlene was unusually quiet, and Inali's attempts to lighten the mood received only a few words in response.
It wasn't until they reached Inali's doorstep that Auntie Marlene seemed to come back to herself, but all she said was a solemn goodbye.
[Tonight, Marlene will pack her things and move to the imperial capital the next day... Before Inali's new guardian arrives, I hope she will take care of herself...
]? Today was a day full of surprises.
That night, Inali listened quietly to the sound of things being packed next door and could hardly fall asleep.
At the break of dawn, Inali heard the sound of a regular knock on the door. After waiting for a while, Inali went to open the door.
There was no one at the door, just a basket full of bread left by Aunt Marlene and a letter.
—
The letter was Fushil's notes, which had obviously been opened and read many times.
It was a letter from Fushil to Aunt Marlene, in which she had laid out in great detail what she wanted Marlene to do after Fushil's death.
It was like a prophetic letter, directly indicating that Marlene needed to leave the town of Kerslang today.
...
—
With only a week left until the guardian arranged by Fuchsire arrives, Inari encounters something strange.
It seems she is being followed!
Having lost her neighbours' little one and a stable source of food, Inari can only go out alone and rely on the market to meet her living expenses in the last few days in the town of Kerselong.
After only two days, Inari finds that she is being followed. It is true that she is also a well-known orphan in the town who has inherited the property of a magician.
After realising that her stalker was probably an adventurer in the small town, Inari has been on edge for the past few days and has been unable to sleep at night.
Tonight, Inari heard the sound of her double-locked door being opened.
Inari quickly climbed up to the third floor of her home, where she stored the stairs leading to the attic next to her, and closed the small entrance door tightly.
Inali curled up inside an empty large basket that had once held books, and wrapped herself in the invisibility cloak she had just taken out and stocked with special light magic.
Listening to the faint sounds downstairs, Inali forced herself to calm down, wiped the dusty stone in her hand clean, put it in her pocket, and then found time to put her bitten finger in her mouth to stop the blood flowing.
——
Considering that Inali herself could not summon magical elements, the seal left by Fuchsiel on the [Condra family crest], a special type of magical stone made from a precious material, not only restricted the unsealing rule of ‘Inali's blood’; it also added the condition that it could only be viewed by Inali's own spiritual will.
With these two rules, even if someone else took this crest, it could not be used and would just be an unremarkable flat round stone.
—
Inari clutched the enchanted cloak she was wearing and silently closed her eyes and held her breath.
...
Without a single sign, the dark attic lit up with an orange, warm light.
Inari's tightly grasped enchanted cloak was jerked, and under a strong force, the cloak was lifted.
Inari opened her eyes in alarm, and in front of her was a man (?) wearing a black robe and holding a fist-sized, square, glowing object in his hand.
The man, who was only a head taller than the seated girl, reached up and removed the hat that covered his face.
Underneath, there was a face full of power.
The stranger with the earthy skin and long beard looked the nervous Inari up and down, and his face showed disgust.
After a long time, he spoke, ‘I am Mora, the greatest ironworker of the dwarves, and your godfather.’
...
————
After Inali arrived at the dwarf tribe, her new best friend, Kaya, was the eldest daughter of the dwarf Mora.
When Mora arrived at the dwarf tribe two years ago, he immediately announced that Inali would become an extra-legal new dwarf.
Inali was led by Mora to register with the tribe's chief. She was soon treated like a real sister by the outgoing Kaya.
...
After being registered as a dwarf in Mora's household register, she received a tiny transparent stone from Mora as a gift.
According to Mora, this transparent stone is the companion stone that appears with the birth of a dwarf. The small stone given to Inari was deducted from the wayward son who ran away from home, and was given to her as proof of her entry into the dwarf clan.
However, Inari later confirmed that this companion stone of the dwarf tribe has the same effect as the magic bondstone in human mouths.
- Writer
