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Chapter 131: King Douwin Forgeheart
As they walked towards the king, the expressions of various nobles ranged from pride and amazement to hatred and jealousy. However, none of this mattered to Duke Valiard. He and Aldrian’s group arrived at the front of the throne platform, where two thrones were placed. One was occupied by King Douwin, and beside him sat the queen of the Forgeheart Kingdom, Alsanda Forgeheart.
She was, of course, a dwarf like her husband, with red hair styled in a bun and a noble aura that commanded reverence from all. Aldrian sensed a peak Heaven-grade artifact around her neck, likely a defensive necklace. Yet, the most striking presence in the room remained the king beside her.
Aldrian could sense a low divine artifact on the king’s body. Beneath the kingly robe he wore was a defensive cloth artifact, and his crown appeared to have hidden mechanisms that even Aldrian couldn’t discern.
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Douwin Forgeheart
Age : 87,045 years
Race : Dwarf
Cultivation : High Emperor
Cultivation technique : Sky Garden of Battle Angel
Attack techniques : Battle Axe Strike, Earth Splitting Chop, Axe of Judgement, 12 Strike of Battle Axe, Fire Axe of Sky Garden.
Defense technique : Earth Wall,
Movement technique : None
Supporting technique : The Ruler of Sky Garden Form
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From the king’s information, there was nothing particularly remarkable about King Douwin, as Aldrian had encountered far more impressive things in his journey. However, he had heard from Duke Valiard that the king was one of the finest blacksmiths in the kingdom. Although his royal duties kept him from being an active blacksmith, he was said to be only a step behind Duke Valiard’s elder brother.
Some said that if the king had focused solely on being a blacksmith, his skills would have matched those of Mardred Valiard. The two of them were best friends, considering each other as brothers. It’s no surprise that when Douwin Forgeheart ascended the throne, he brought Mardred with him to the palace to serve as his right-hand man.
"To make my move in the Forgeheart Kingdom, I must gain the king’s trust and support," Aldrian thought as they bowed before the king and queen.
"We have arrived in response to your summons, Your Majesty," Duke Valiard said.
King Douwin looked at Duke Valiard before turning his gaze to Aldrian. His eyes were filled with amazement and curiosity, and he wore a proud expression as he regarded the two.
"I’m glad that my kingdom has produced another middle divine-grade weapon after such a long time. Duke Valiard has already made a name for himself in the history of this kingdom, but I’ve also heard about his mysterious helper. At first, I couldn’t believe that his assistant was a young man with High Earl stage cultivation, but seeing you now, I’m convinced that the next generation will indeed surpass the old one," King Douwin said while looking at Aldrian.
"Duke Valiard is truly blessed by the Heavens to have crafted a middle divine-grade sword and to have found such a talented helper at the right moment. I’ve also heard that you were chosen by the sword itself. Are you the one called Aldrian?" the king asked.
"I am, Your Majesty," Aldrian replied.
"May I see the sword? I would like to witness this masterpiece for myself," the king asked again.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I’m honored to present this masterpiece to your esteemed eyes," Aldrian said as he retrieved Eternal Spirit from his storage ring. The moment the sword appeared in his hand, a tremendous aura swept through the entire hall.
All the dwarves in the hall were astonished by the mighty aura emanating from the sword. Some of them possessed middle divine-grade artifacts as part of their family legacies, but even they could feel that this one was special, its aura far more intense. Several nobles gritted their teeth at the sight of the sword, particularly the other three dukes. Duke Valiard merely glanced at them and smirked before continuing to ignore their reactions.
King Douwin’s face trembled as he sensed the aura of Eternal Spirit.
"May I touch it? I mean, if the sword allows it?" the king asked. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"You may, Your Majesty. This sword is quite ’tame,’" Aldrian replied, stepping forward toward the platform. He handed Eternal Spirit to King Douwin, who had risen from his throne. The sword trembled slightly in the king’s hands before becoming still. King Douwin fell silent, as though feeling something deeply, before unsheathing the sword to behold its full glory.
"Amazing! It’s a longsword, yet it’s so light that I feel I could fight with ease using just one hand. What kind of material did Duke Valiard use?" the king thought as he swung the sword a few times, marveling at its balance. After a few swings, he sheathed the sword again and handed it back to Aldrian.
"This is truly a marvelous sword. It’s my first time feeling like this when touching an artifact. What is this sword called?" King Douwin asked.
"It is called Eternal Spirit, Your Majesty. Duke Valiard is the one who named it," Aldrian replied.
"Eternal Spirit. What a fitting name, symbolizing a never-ending spirit to reach one’s goals. I could even feel my own spirit rekindled when I held this sword. A good name indeed," the king said, nodding approvingly. He then turned to Duke Valiard.
"Duke Valiard, you are truly incredible for creating this sword. After experiencing it firsthand, I must commend you sincerely. You have surpassed all of my expectations, and I am proud of you."
Duke Valiard’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and he bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty!" he responded.
King Douwin then pulled out a dagger—a middle Sky-grade artifact. Normally, such an item would be unworthy of his attention, as he could acquire artifacts of this level with just a wave of his hand. But at this moment, his eyes regarded the dagger as if it were one of the most valuable treasures in the world. The nobles were confused, unable to understand why the king would produce such an ordinary-looking dagger. They waited in silence for him to speak.
"All of you, I want you to look closely at this dagger! What do you see?" the king suddenly asked, turning to the nobles.
The nobles exchanged puzzled glances before one finally spoke up.
"That is just a middle Sky-grade dagger, Your Majesty," he answered.
"Good. But what if I told you that this dagger was an ordinary dagger crafted from dark steel? A common dagger that any cultivator on the continent could buy?" King Douwin said.
The nobles gasped in shock. A dagger that was once worth only a few dozen low-energy stones, a typical middle Earth-grade artifact, had somehow been elevated to a middle Sky-grade artifact. How could such a thing be possible?
"Yes, my reaction was the same as yours when I spent the entire night researching it. What I can say is that this kind of masterpiece is truly one of a kind. The precision is incredible—even I doubt I could create something like this." He stroked the dagger, his fingers tracing the small, intricate patterns etched into it.
"Aldrian, you are the one who crafted this dagger, aren’t you?" King Douwin asked, turning his gaze to him.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Aldrian confirmed.
The nobles were stunned by Aldrian’s admission.
"Who is your master? How many years have you spent as a blacksmith to create something as revolutionary as this?" the king asked.
"My master? Well, I suppose you could say Duke Valiard, as he’s the one who taught me the craft of blacksmithing. As for my experience... it’s been about six months."
The throne hall fell into a stunned silence after hearing Aldrian’s response.
"How dare you lie to His Majesty! You mock him with such nonsense!" a voice suddenly shouted from among the foremost nobles—Duke Badin. The rest of the nobles also wore expressions of displeasure, and even the king frowned. Despite the rising tension, Aldrian remained calm.
"It’s the truth. I came to the Forgeheart Kingdom six months ago. At that time, my goal was to repair my sword, but it was beyond saving. Being a cultivator who thirsts for new knowledge, I asked Duke Valiard to teach me blacksmithing. One thing led to another, and I ended up assisting Duke Valiard in creating the divine-grade artifact. You can verify this yourself with Duke Valiard and any witnesses Your Majesty may gather from my stay at his mansion."
The king looked into Aldrian’s eyes, scrutinizing him for a moment before shifting his focus to Duke Valiard.
"Is what he says true? Has he only just begun learning blacksmithing, and yet he’s already created something this profound? And helped you forge the divine-grade sword?"
"It is true, Your Majesty. In fact, his natural talent for blacksmithing is unparalleled and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I can personally vouch for the truth of his words—there is not a single falsehood in them."
The king’s gaze grew intense as he studied Aldrian, as if trying to weigh the truth of his claim.
