Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Leslaufer found a place to sit on the steps next to him and waited. According to the ancient dwarfs' craftsmanship, this quenching was only an intermediate step. There were still many steps to come, and magic, divine spells, and various rituals would be required. It would take several more days.

Perhaps because Otto's plan had failed, there had been no monster horde like before. Only small groups of creatures were attracted by Vondar's forging sounds and firelight, and even Angrita could easily deal with them without any effort from Reslaufer. If it weren't for the heated debate among his companions about whether these monsters were edible, and the fact that they had enough rations, Reslaufer would have even considered going out hunting himself.

Fortunately, just as his inclination was growing stronger, von Dahl finally completed his final step.

"Clang, clang, clang, buzz—"

As the dwarf raised the greatsword, Raslaufer stood up and noticed that the surrounding stone pillars began to vibrate and hum—there were four pillars in total, and without exception, they all emitted their own sounds and lit up their own lights the moment they were forged.

Green, blue, purple, and orange rays of light converged into thick pillars that shot into the sky, as if cheering for von Dahl, who stood before the forge.

“In Daisy’s words, it’s a golden legend!” The dwarf was very pleased with the response and Raslaufer’s reaction, and solemnly handed Dople’s new weapon over with both hands. “Here you go, old Raslaufer, I’m sure you’ll love it—it’s the last bit of material I’ve used, and adamantite isn’t even the most precious part of it.”

Reslaufer received the greatsword with considerable care. He took two steps back, and the sword instantly came to life in his hand, swirling around him like a miniature golden dragon, creating dazzling flashes of light and a heavy whistling sound. Unlike most magical equipment makers, Vondar hadn't used his limited magic power to reduce weapon weight, so even Reslaufer found this sword difficult to wield; it certainly couldn't be spun with just two fingers like a standard greatsword.

This was exactly the result Reslaufer had hoped for, and as he became more proficient with the weapon, he also realized that there were other powers contained within the sword.

"Boom!" Suddenly, Doble leaped up, his greatsword moving with him, enveloping a swirling vortex of golden and red flames, as if a real golden dragon were spewing its breath. As Raslaufer slashed out with his sword, it immediately spread out brilliant flames in a cone-shaped area of ​​nearly thirty meters in front of him!

No one expected this sword to possess such power! Raslaufer had tried his best to avoid facing the direction where his companions were standing, but the excessive coverage still affected Daisy. The poet's pupils reflected two roaring fire dragons, and she was almost paralyzed with fear. She even forgot to use her better stealth footwork and simply opened a portal to escape to the roof of a house outside the square.

The flames alone could have almost burned her to ashes, not to mention that Daisy, as the person directly facing this power, clearly felt that there seemed to be another danger within the flames—the deadly blade!

As long as one is within the area covered by the flames, the giant sword seems to be able to ignore space and distance, striking the target at the same time as the flames!

If Daisy hadn't witnessed firsthand how von Dahl forged this sword, she would have almost thought he had sacrificed a fully grown golden dragon—or at least a fully grown one!

Chapter 753 The Kingmaker, the Kingslayer

"This is really—"

Even Raslaufer himself was surprised by the power of the sword. As the user, no one except von Dahl knew better than him just how powerful that strike had been. Not to mention, this was just an experimental swing. If it were in actual combat, he could come up with no less than a dozen ways to incorporate it into his swordsmanship right now!

Dople was once capable of fighting against a large number of enemies or even a small army by himself. Now, with it, Raslaufer feels that he can even conquer a city!

"Good stuff, isn't it?" The dwarf watched with satisfaction as the constantly changing expressions of shock on Reslaufer's face changed. Although Reslaufer didn't utter a single word of thanks, the dwarf had heard enough. "Don't be so quick to exclaim. I've prepared more than just one such good thing."

Of course, there's also that brand-new broken swordsman.

Leslaufer turned his gaze over, but von Dahl didn't rush to retrieve the armor. Instead, he unfolded his prosthetic leg, where a sword hilt was inserted. The dwarf skillfully shook it and then pulled it out.

The eerie, dark green light seemed to transform into a shadow or a flare on the golden sun, carving out a space of its own. Even with Reslaufer's keen eyesight, it wasn't until von Dahl's hand had steadied that he could finally make out the shape of the short blade.

It was a fighting sword. More precisely, it was a fighting sword that was almost identical to the one that Reslaufer had worn back then.

“This is the right way to use our good memory, Daisy,” von Dahl brandished his sword at Daisy, “not that book of hatred you keep talking about.”

As he spoke, von Dahl handed the sword to Reislaufer: "Handle it carefully. I haven't had time to get it a scabbard yet—it would be best to find a more professional craftsman. Hopefully, Oske knows someone who does."

Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. Although von Dahl himself has this skill, he is naturally far inferior to those of his fellow dwarves who have devoted the same amount of time and effort to this field as he has to forge.

The old dwarf clearly felt that his skills in that area were not worthy of the sword he had forged.

Reslaufer carefully took the upside-down hilt of the sword, took out a handkerchief and placed it between his palm and the blade, carefully admiring the work of art.

Yes, a work of art, that's all I can call it. Even the curve of the blood groove on this sword is so pleasing to the eye, with an indescribable beauty, not to mention the blade that reflects a ghostly light under the lava, the streamlined blade, and the hilt that looks like an open dragon's head.

“I took Bella’s advice and adopted the shape of that green dragon for this sword,” von Dahl said. “But it is precisely because of this that I am convinced that Esmir is somewhat ‘unworthy of high art’. As a sword, it can only be called a dueling sword rather than a two-handed greatsword.”

"But at least he's done a good job in this regard, hasn't he?"

Leslaufer examined it from all angles, becoming increasingly enamored with it: "You've poisoned it, making it look like a real green dragon?"

The dwarf waved his hand: "No, this is the luster of the material inside, which is also part of the ancient dwarf technology. Underground, the material of this composite can keep the holder as hidden as possible."

"I suspect that those grey dwarves may have inherited some of this craft, which is why, combined with their talent for stealth, our pale, evil cousins ​​were able to become fearsome assassin masters—not counting the dark elves."

Vondar glanced at Reislaufer, hesitating slightly, "I've run into the same problem as with the Kingmaker: I don't want to associate it too strongly with the Green Dragon, so I haven't been able to decide on a name. But after you named the greatsword Kingmaker, I did have an idea to make them a matching set, but..."

“The Kingslayer, this is it,” Raslaufer interrupted the dwarf’s “but.” “It’s perfect, don’t you think? If someone is willing to pay, I’ll pave the way for him to the throne with this greatsword, and if he wants to rebel afterward, I’ll cut off his head with this sword.”

"The saying goes, 'Guan's broadsword doesn't kill the old or the young, but Guan also has a small knife...'" The poet muttered something to himself in the corner. But since Raslaufer had already spoken so nonchalantly, von Dahl naturally had no further objections, and thus, the name of the dueling sword was officially decided.

This is consistent with Reslaufer's usual practice.

“Uncle Vondar, don’t you think something’s still missing?” Watching Leslaufer put away his two weapons and change into his brand-new heavy armor, Angelita suddenly leaned close to Vondar and whispered, “Just… something’s still missing…”

"Ah, you mean the cloak and cape?" The dwarf understood Angelita's meaning after seeing Leslaufer dressed. "Your Uncle Vondar is no match for that. Look at my fingers, which are thicker than radishes! I could start another furnace in the time it takes to thread a needle!"

"But don't worry, Haidong has no shortage of skilled craftsmen, we will find qualified tailors."

Vondar was right. After leaving Forge City, he indeed helped find a suitable tailor. Although she was not a dwarf, she was a gnome who had moved from the eastern tundra to the East Sea many years ago. Upon hearing that she was going to sew a cloak and cape for the famous (or rather, infamous) Raslaufer, the tailor turned down all other orders and immediately began her work with great enthusiasm.

Even so, obtaining these exquisitely crafted fabrics requires patience, and during this process, the dwarf clans of the entire East Sea became restless, with all the prominent figures gathering towards the Banqiu clan.

And their leader was none other than the Zakot clan, known for their stubbornness.

"Fondal, the prodigal son of the Halfhill Clan, has successfully reopened the road to the Forge City!" At the dwarfs' gathering, Taklin waved his black three-circle banner and loudly proclaimed, "The glory of the dwarves is about to return! This is Moradin's blessing! The clans of the East Sea Dwarves, scattered for so long, should reunite! Let us rebuild the dwarf kingdom around the Halfhill Clan! Let us reclaim our ancient glory!"

"But who selflessly helped us, to be precise, von Darl Halfhill, to realize this vision?!" Tarclinch paused, looking around at the dwarves surrounding him. "It was Reslaufer of Eastern Inathas! And now, His Majesty the Kingmaker! We have witnessed his reputation, and we are all too familiar with his power! In the three regions of Inathas, there are kingdoms cultivated by him and his power in every place. I propose that we follow the example of the humans of Inathas and seek the support of this Kingmaker for our newly formed kingdom! We will thus gain natural allies and a natural diplomatic environment! And all we need is to mint some coins."

"This is my position, and it is also the position of the Zakot clan! Who agrees, who disagrees?!"

Chapter 754 Announcing the Death

No one expected that the prestige of an outsider or even a foreign race could reunite the dwarves who had been scattered for centuries, but at least if even the most stubborn Zakort clan chose to follow, the expectations of other clans, even if they remained on the sidelines, would change considerably.

As the days passed in the East Sea, and Reislaufer embarked on his journey back to Zebrech, looking "refreshed," the Half-Church and Zakot clans had already found six or seven allies.

In the minds of these dwarves, if they cannot find enough allies to form a kingdom, they can at least form a duchy or even a city-state first. As long as the framework is set up, other dwarven clans will eventually join in as they crave the lost technology of the Forge City and their living space is squeezed out.

After all, this is the kingdom of the dwarves, not a puppet of a human warrior like Raslaufer. What the dwarves can gain is far greater than the price they have to pay.

“The moon is always brighter in the East,” Daisy said, fiddling with another new coin in her hand as she showed it to Leslaufer. “Look at this. The craftsmanship is comparable to Imperial gold coins. It’s much better than any of the ‘Leslaufer’ we’ve received before!”

“This one of yours is a prototype personally crafted by His Excellency von Dahl,” Mary glanced at her. “You wouldn’t want him to make this kind of thing exclusively, would you?”

Daisy, however, took it for granted: "It's mass production anyway. This is just a sample. How much worse can the later ones be?"

“It certainly won’t be any coarser than the currency of Eastern Inassia,” Leslaufer answered this question that wasn’t really a question, “but whether it can reach the level of Western Inassia… I can’t say.”

But that was enough, at least for him. For most currency users, as long as the markings were clear enough and the weight was intact, it was a valid gold or silver coin. As for how detailed the portraits were, not many people really cared.

After all, even the finest coins have to be spent. As time goes by, they've been rubbed countless times between countless fingers and wallets. How much of that beauty will remain?

Just like that empire that is now far removed from them.

The sights and sounds along the way need no further elaboration. Although East Inas is slightly further south than East Sea, the climate on both sides is equally cold at this time of year. Everywhere you look, there is ice and snow. Even a spit on the ground will turn into a hard nail in less than a minute.

However, even in such temperatures, when the group arrived in Zebrech, there was no snow or icicles on the eaves of the courtyard wall, and the courtyard itself was spotless, not at all like it was deserted.

This is nothing like the "home" that Leslaufer remembered, and it doesn't even seem like the home that Angelita and the others came to.

“If they’re ambushing us, then they’re taking a bit too good care of themselves,” even Daisy could see the problem, muttering, “But isn’t this a bit too lacking in boundaries? Even if they’re acquaintances, is it your house that you’re living here so openly?!”

For someone like Raslaw, who came from a military background, this level of offense was far from offensive, but Daisy and Anne all showed some displeasure.

If you're here to visit, you should leave and come back another day if the host isn't home. How can you behave like this?

"Oh, it seems I was being impolite," a brisk woman appeared at the doorway as the courtyard gate opened, as if she had been waiting for a long time. "But Miss Mao, this isn't just your home, is it?"

Upon seeing who the visitor was, the bard immediately broke into a smile: "Hehehe... Um, I thought it was someone else. Your Majesty, may you be well?"

Who else could that person be but Skadi, who has taken over the kingdom in place of the Wenzel family? Not to mention that in her experience, this courtyard and house were her home, now that Zebrech and even the entire kingdom belong to her, what does it matter where she goes?

"So you've finally finished dealing with domestic affairs?" Leslaufer smiled and went up to hug Skadi. "How long have you been waiting? You could have just sent someone a message if you needed anything. Why make such a long trip?"

“That was the original plan,” Skuld looked up at Leslaufer with her eyes seemingly overflowing with emotion, “but guess what? There were more than just me here, and they were all here for the same thing, so we discussed it and decided that instead of doing that, we would just stay with you for a while and wait for you to come back, so as not to delay important matters.”

"Something big?" For some reason, Angelita, who was initially a little jealous, felt a tremor in her heart. "What's so big?"

“It’s a huge deal,” Skadi nodded to the girl. “This isn’t the place to talk. Come inside, don’t stand in the wind at the door—even Blackclaw is sleeping inside.”

Miss Druid paused for a moment: "It will molt on its own, you don't need to worry about it..."

Perhaps now is not the time to discuss Black Claw's habits.

When Skadi ushered everyone into the house, they were somewhat surprised to find that the old mage, Pol, was also present. However, compared to the busy queen, his appearance was not so surprising, but it added another layer of apprehension to Angelita's heart.

Beside the fireplace, Dieter, now the true head of the Strongman family, stood with his hands behind his back, admiring the lost masterpiece "Richard the Great on the March" on the wall. The servants in the room, apart from those who were obviously courtiers, must have been brought by him. This young merchant's son had reached the pinnacle of his life.

"There really are so many people?" Leslaufer couldn't help but chuckle. "What's going on? If you told me you came to celebrate my birthday, I would almost believe you."

“It’s not a birthday celebration, nor is it for you, my esteemed Kingmaker.” Just then, a bedroom door next to the living room slowly opened, and a woman with a pale face and gray hair walked out, supported by a man. She first bowed to Raslaufer and Angelita respectively, and then answered softly in a detached tone.

“In fact, quite the opposite. I’ve come to deliver an obituary,” she said, her eyes filled with the joy of reunion and an indescribable sorrow as she looked at Angelita. “Angelita, Your Highness, you are dead.”

"Someone has impersonated you, even your identity, and raised an army in the empire, openly opposing your father and brothers. And you... are already dead."

Angelita's eyes widened instantly, her pupils constricting sharply. She had never heard such absurd words before, yet she couldn't help but believe them, because this woman was—

"Ms. Grandin?!" the girl screamed in disbelief.

Chapter 755 The Story of Grandin

If it weren't for Angelita, Leslaufer would never have recognized this woman he had only met once.

She looked so weak, as if she had been ill for a long time. Bella and Daisy immediately prepared to treat her, but the effect was not obvious—they needed to prepare a healing spell or something similar to try again tomorrow.

She must have gone through a long period of torment.

“If she is Grandine, then… who are you?” Leslaufer’s gaze fell on the man supporting Lady Grandine. He had no recollection of the lady-in-waiting, but this man looked somewhat familiar.

“I am the lucky one under your mercy, sir,” the man paused, not expecting that Raslaufer would still care about him. He smiled bitterly and said, “I wonder if you still remember the black arrow that was spared by you in Xinmu City.”

The other party could have fed him to the monster, but a single tile gave him hope for survival.

“It’s you,” Leslaufer nodded. Both the fact that the other person had survived and that he had appeared here with Grandin were somewhat unexpected, but it didn’t seem to matter much. “Then you two tell me, what exactly happened?”

Grandin and Black Arrow exchanged a glance, sighed, and looked at Angelita: "Let's start with my side first."

"After Your Highness left, I was first held accountable and lost my job, and went through a period of hardship. However, since it was nominally done by Lord Pol, I was not overly criticized. When the young prince asked about my whereabouts, I soon returned to the palace. Although I had to start from scratch, it was not difficult."

"Just a few days ago, a mercenary leader who had previously been employed by the Duke of Lance, the September Mercenary Group, suddenly reappeared. He had been leading his men in the mountains, relying on the terrain to maneuver against His Majesty's army. His army had disappeared for a period of time, and everyone thought he had brought about his own demise. But unexpectedly, he reappeared near the Goringoto Mountains and claimed to be a general, and... he was under Your Highness's command."

“That scoundrel ambushed me before and almost killed me,” Angelita frowned. “What makes him claim that? And why do you believe him?”

“A double, who looks about six or seven points like you,” Grandin said with a wry smile. “Vilviti spread the image throughout half the empire. With the makeup and the distortion caused by the magic projection itself, even your relatives were fooled into thinking it was the real you. They just couldn’t accept why you would suddenly return with your troops a few years after leaving Magpares, and why your purpose was to…overthrow your father?”

The real Angelita wouldn't do that, even though she might know better than anyone just how insane the "Mad King" had become. Grandine knew this very well, and therefore, she was the one least likely to believe that the princess would raise an army in rebellion.

But Angelita was the one she "lost".

“So, I was naturally summoned and appointed as a special envoy to investigate the imposter’s camp,” Grandin shook his head. “When I arrived, they were attacking Xinmu City. Amid the roar of catapults, I entered the imposter’s tent and immediately discovered that the barbarian was far less like you than she appeared in the images.”

“Barbarians?” Bella paused for a moment, then realized that this was a common term used by the Imperials to refer to the Inathas. “Madam, how did you determine that?”

“How could a barbarian who isn’t even an empire citizen possibly learn court etiquette?” Grandin said, unconcerned about offending anyone present. “I haven’t even started testing her yet, and I’ve already seen more than twenty mistakes in her, not to mention that affected, cheap Imperial language—it’s obvious, Verveti is a mercenary leader born on the empire’s borders, what good could he possibly teach?”

"After discovering these things, I dared not delay for a moment. I was only thinking about how to deal with it and then rush back to the palace to report the situation," the lady-in-waiting said with a sigh of dejection. "But I suppose my eagerness was seen through by the mercenary leader. He first calmed me down, and then when I insisted on going back, his soldiers arrested me at the final 'farewell banquet'."

That must have been a truly dark experience. Grandin shuddered. "They tortured me, forced me, and tried to make me teach that imposter so the whole act would be more convincing. They even lied to me, saying that Your Highness was already dead. But even so, I would never submit to such an absurd demand!"

She served the Maghre royal family, a glorious servant of the great family of that glorious empire. How could she obey such orders? Grandine didn't even consider compromising. To her, just looking at that imposter made her feel like her soul was being tortured.

"It's like looking at a gorilla dressed in human clothes," she described the feeling.

"Finally, when Verveti realized that he could not persuade me at all, and since Xinmu City could not be captured for a long time, they decided to 'deal with' me while they were setting off," Grandin said. "When I heard this news, I was really relieved. It was a relief."

“But I never imagined that I would still have an obligation to serve Your Highness that I had not yet fulfilled. Fate brought me out of the river not long after I was tied with stones and pushed in. There were two upright gentlemen there, one of whom was—”

“I,” Black Arrow said, a little embarrassed, and continued, “After escaping with my life, I was expelled from the organization, which was unavoidable. Fortunately, I had some skills, so I became a hunter in the wilderness near Xinmu City, barely making a living. This continued until Verviti began attacking Xinmu City—I lived outside the city, but had to go into the city regularly to sell the furs and meat I hunted in exchange for essential supplies. The war was driving me to the brink of despair.”

"At that critical moment, I met a kind and selfless man who came to stay at my cabin. After hearing my story, he said he would help me because he was planning to meet the princess. Please don't be offended, Your Highness, I didn't know at the time that it wasn't the real you."

Black Arrow bowed apologetically to Angelita: "That night, he and I were walking towards Shinwood City with the things we wanted to sell. Because there was a river between the two sides, and the bridge was blocked by soldiers, it was impossible for one person to carry the furs across. It was at that moment that we saw someone on the other side tie Lady Grandin to stones and push her into the water."

Although Grandin was not a noblewoman, she was a close attendant of the royal family. Killing her with a sword was against tradition, and this tradition did indeed save her life.

Chapter 756 Return Ticket

“We pulled her out, and by then she was, uh, somewhat dead.” Black Arrow scratched his head, it took him a while to come up with the word. “But that good man had the power, and he brought the lady back to life, and then we heard about what had happened to her.”

Grandin nodded and told Angelita that it was true: "After hearing all this, the gentleman gave up the idea of ​​meeting the imposter and pointed us in the right direction—to East Inassus. He said he was sure you were here, and with Lord Kingmaker Raslaufer."

After holding back for a while, Raslaw finally couldn't help but speak up: "Excuse me, is this selfless good person you're talking about actually a guy with a ponytail?"

Grandin and Black Arrow were immediately shocked: "How could you—but that gentleman repeatedly reminded us to avoid mentioning his name..."

Neither of them said anything!