Chapter 32: Kingdom of Steel
The road to Dwargon was long and carved with the patient might of dwarves. Every step of the path had been etched into the mountainside by generations of stonecutters, their legacy worn smooth by the passing of countless traders, warriors, and beasts. Drake walked at the front, Maugrim and the others having remained behind at camp with the rest of the goblins, Pokémon, and wolves. Only Rimuru, Gobta, and Drake made the final approach.
Rimuru bounced forward energetically, Gobta clinging to his wolf behind them and muttering about how scary dwarves probably were.
"Come on, Gobta," Rimuru said. "If we want craftsmen, we've got to talk to the best. And the best are here."
Drake adjusted the cloak that hid his wings and beast-like features. "Just keep your head down. The last thing we want is attention."
They arrived at the enormous stone plaza before the gate. Dozens of travelers stood in orderly lines, waiting for inspection. The city of Dwargon loomed behind the gate — blackstone walls etched with ancient runes, guarded by dwarves in gleaming armor.
Then Gobta sneezed. His wolf panicked, bolted into the air, and flung Gobta into a fruit cart. Drake tried to grab him, but in the scramble, his cloak was ripped away — revealing his scaled arms and dragon eyes.
Rimuru's attempt to stop everything resulted in a magical ripple, enough to make several lesser beings faint from sheer pressure.
The plaza exploded into chaos.
"IT'S A MONSTER ATTACK!" someone screamed.
Guards blew horns. Crossbows were raised. Fruits flew. People ran.
Before Drake could explain, a dozen armored dwarves had surrounded them, shouting for their surrender.
"Ugh," Drake muttered. "I told you."
"Sorry!" Rimuru called. "This is just a misunderstanding!"
"Restrain the beastmen and the bouncing jelly!" shouted a commander.
They were bound, tagged with suppression magic, and marched through the outer city under heavy guard — past shocked merchants and muttering citizens — all the way to a detention hall carved from cold stone.
Hours passed. The room was dim, lit only by a flickering crystal in the wall.
Rimuru hovered beside Drake in silence.
"Well," Drake muttered, tapping a clawed finger against the wall, "this is definitely not the diplomatic entrance I imagined."
"We made a splash," Rimuru said brightly.
Drake shot him a flat look. "We made a crater."
Rimuru shrugged. "Could be worse. We could've ended up dissected."
Drake chuckled under his breath. "Fair. Though I still can't believe you called me a lizard."
"Hey, I corrected myself!"
They sat in silence a bit longer.
Just then, footsteps echoed. A dwarf with a thick beard, one mechanical arm, and a sour expression entered. His badge read: Kaijin — City Defense Division.
"You two really caused a mess," he grunted. "We had nobles fainting in line, a collapsed fruit stand, and about fifty complaints about dragonfire that didn't even happen."
Rimuru sighed. "Yeah, that's on us. But look — we're not here to cause trouble. We're from the Forest of Jura."
Kaijin raised an eyebrow. "You from the Jura forest? That cursed place?"
Drake leaned forward. "We're building something new there. A village. A future. We need builders. You dwarves are the best."
Kaijin scoffed. "You don't get craftsmen by making a scene."
Suddenly, the door burst open. A younger dwarf guard ran in, breathless. "Captain Kaijin! Your brothers — they've been injured in the lower mines! Something attacked!"
Kaijin stiffened. "What?! What kind of 'something'?"
"We don't know. But they're hurt bad. We need healers."
Without missing a beat, Rimuru turned to a nearby barrel in the corner of the room. "That empty?"
"Uh... yeah?" Kaijin blinked.
Rimuru leapt in. A glowing pulse surged inside the barrel, and moments later, it brimmed with glimmering silver-green potion.
"Take this," Rimuru said. "Fast."
Kaijin looked from the slime to the potion, then grabbed the barrel and stormed out.
Drake leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "You and barrels. It's becoming a theme."
Rimuru chuckled. "Hey, whatever works."
Time passed. Rimuru and Drake sat in easy silence.
Finally, Kaijin returned, still dusted with gravel and sweat, but eyes wide with astonishment.
"They're fine. Bruised, but already healing. Your potion... it's no joke."
Rimuru nodded. "Told you."
Kaijin sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright. You're free to go. Just... next time, try not to destroy a fruit cart."
He paused. "And what exactly are you doing in Dwargon? Really."
Drake stood, stretching his shoulders. "We're looking for craftsmen. Builders willing to join us and help shape something new."
Kaijin looked at them both. "You might be idiots... but you're interesting ones. I'll see what I can do."
Meanwhile, back at the temporary camp on the lower mountain trail, the rest of the expedition waited in anxious silence. Gardevoir sat in meditation, her eyes closed but her mind alert. Maugrim prowled the perimeter restlessly.
Staraptor circled overhead, keeping eyes on the gates. Infernape sat cross-legged, fire dimmed, fists occasionally flaring with tension.
Lucia, one of the older goblin scouts, paced. "They've been gone too long."
Maugrim growled low. "If anything happens to our alpha—"
"They're alive," Gardevoir said, eyes still shut. "I can feel them. Amused. Annoyed. But safe."
That calmed the camp somewhat, but all remained alert.
That night, Drake and Rimuru were released under Kaijin's supervision, walking into the glowing heart of Dwargon — a city alive with fire and stone, and a thousand possibilities waiting to be shaped.
Torchlight danced on the blackstone walls. Machinery hummed and pounded deep in the mountain. And ahead of them, the world opened wider than ever before.