Shadow Author

Finished with my examination of the dwarf I thanked Noznuil.

"You are even more handsome than I thought, thank you!"

Enjoying the praise the dwarf somehow lifted his head higher than I thought possible.

"That is true, my beauty is unparalleled. You should be grateful I allowed you to gaze upon me."

I nodded.

"Of course, I won't forget this gift you've bestowed me."

A smirk appeared on Noznuil's face.

"Good."

Since I had nothing else to say or do with Noznuil that atmosphere once again turned awkward.

The two of us stood off to the side picking up on bits and pieces of Miss Smith's and Koggorlig's conversation.

I didn't have context so everything they said went over my head and even if I tried I didn't think I'd be able to gain anything from what they were talking about.

Noznuil seemed to catch on that the two of us were third wheeling.

A sparkle glittered in his eyes and he whipped his head around to look up at me.

"Hey human, want to take a look around our workshop?"

Surprised by this sudden suggestion I realized that I had just been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Really?! You'd allow someone like me to take a look at your glorious creations?"

Giving the dwarf the reaction he wanted a huge smile blossomed on his face.

"Well, you have a good eye since you realized how handsome I am unlike some of the others."

A scowl appeared for a second but it was quickly wiped away before he continued.

"I figured that you would appreciate how much work and effort we put into our experiments, so follow me I'll show you around."

Acting as if I would follow behind him without needing any more explanation the Dwarf started walking away.

Taking one last glance at Miss Smith I lingered back for a second before making up my mind and chasing after the monster.

The chance to see a dwarfs workshop was truly something miraculous as I knew just how secretive they were and protective of their creations.

It only took me three steps to reach the dwarf and walk side by side with him.

Although Noznuil told me that he thought I would respect their work I believed his true goal was just to impress me and get a favorable reaction in order to inflate his ego.

However, I didn't care if I had to act a little to see something special, and if Noznuil had the kind of stuff that I expected him to have I didn't think I would have to act at all.

Leaving the two behind we left the small cubic room that served as a meeting space Noznuil pushed back a curtain that hid all the dwarf's secrets behind it.

Right after him I ducked down a bit to fit and pushed the curtain the rest of the way open.

Greeted by darkness Noznuil clapped his hands once and a bright light immediately illuminated the room.

Overwhelming my senses I couldn't help but drop my mouth open in shock.

Rows of sturdy workbenches line the walls, where platforms and tables were designated for unfinished projects.

Cluttered all over the floor were an assortment of tools and materials.

There were tools ranging from saws, drills, hammers, and chisels to magical equipment that I didn't even know existed let alone what it was called.

On the shelves and cabinets, there was an array of materials and supplies. Ores such as iron, copper, silver, gold, and diamond were freshly mined and laid out.

Lumber cut, split, whole, and refined filled a large space on the ground.

Hardware like paints, keys, locks, nuts, screws, washers, hinges, latches, handles, wires, chains, and belts were littered all over next to half-done contraptions.

Parts that made up large scaled projects were packed away to the side or set to be worked on in the future.

The workshop as a whole was something large-scale that I believed could exist on earth — although it would be unusual to have so much random stuff in one place. It also didn't help that there were quite a few mana-run machines and materials that only existed in the fantasy world.

Gathering myself I ignored Noznuil as I stepped forth and began exploring the place.

In one corner I saw large wooden war weapons. There were catapults, battering rams, ballistae, and more.

Wheels were laying on the ground and there was what looked like a large wooden spoon and a crossbow that would fit the catapult and ballista respectively.

Nearby, a series of racks held many weapons, from long-ranged bows to short-ranged daggers. They all had intricate designs and etchings with at least one rune per whole; others had more.

Further on, I spotted a vast set of armor, ranging from light leather vests to heavy plate mail.

Some had headwear while others didn't.

Some were meant to prevent light cuts and give the defender high agility while others were incredibly heavy and didn't leave a single space open to attack.

Like the weapons, they were all polished and covered in protective runes.

As I continued to explore the workshop, I took note of many strange machines and contraptions.

I had no idea what their purpose was but the overarching theme of the workplace seemed to be designated toward war so I figured that they too had something to do with it.

'It seems like the higher-ups are already aware of the incoming hell, or they are just producing military-grade weapons for the sake of having them in case war breaks out.'

Having finished the tour I came to a stop and turned to look at Noznuil making sure to give him the greatest smile I could muster.

"Truly having seen everything now I can say it's beyond anything I could have ever imagined!"

Noznuil reflected my smile and patted his chest proudly.

"Of course, it's impossible for someone to imagine what I create! Everything I do is made perfectly without any flaws!"

Giving a last bit of praise as thanks for letting the dwarf show me around I said:

"You and Koggorlig have blown my mind."

Thinking that the dwarf would like my answer, I was surprised when he looked angry.

"What do you mean by mine and Koggorlig's work? Everything you see before you are mine and mine alone!"

Once again left dumbfounded I did a quick scan of the shop and asked for clarification.

"You mean to say all of this is your doing?"

Overbearing the dwarf haughty confirmed my suspicions.

"Exactly, this is all my work, mine, Koggorlig didn't help me even once… except for that one time… but it's still mine!"

Amazed I then asked:

"So then where does Koggorlig work?"