The dwarven girl quickly stowed away her pot of drink and coughed.

“Everyone, get back in line.”

A few of the guards that already came over started shooing the crowd, then they came back great smiles and flaring beards.

“Young sir, you said you have taken these beauties to our city for sale?”

Kairos coughed unnaturally. Why does it sound like he is a human trafficker?

The guard looked at the beautiful Relestia and the adorable Linda and quickly realised his mistake and laughed, “Don’t mind us young sir. In the dwarven community, the only beauties are forged or brewed.”

“And those mined out of the ground, of course!”

“Of course!”

*HAR HAR HAR*

Kairos nodded, “I am indeed going to sell them. Do you have any place to recommend for me to take them to?”

The guards looked at each other, then the dwarf with the largest beard stepped forward, “Young sir, honestly what you have there is a soul enticing thing. It is better than anything those gnomes can offer. Dwarven Kings will agree to anything you ask for a sip!”

“Haha hah! That means today I’mma queen? You chaps better call me queenie from now on kay?” the young dwarf girl swung her pot around flamboyantly and said.

The other guards stared at the pot with extreme concern. Fearful that her grip might slip and the drink disappear into the ground.

“Careful with it missy!”

“Don’t let her drop it!”

“Someone, help. My heart is going to give.”

The girl finally realised what she is doing and pulled the pot back into her blossom with fright as everyone else let out a breath of relief.

*Ping*

The sound of a pot shattering suddenly caused every guard to jump.

One of the older dwarf fainted immediately.

They looked at the pot in the dwarven girl’s arms scrutinising it. Checking that it is still intact. When there is no leakage found they looked around confusedly. Could it be that one of young master Kairos’ pots had cracked?

They turned to him as a girl as beautiful as a doll tried to climb out from the carriage with reddened cheeks.

“Hai, there’s so many friends. HIC. Halp, why is the carriage moving now?” Relestia wobbled.

Kairos put an arm around her to help her steady, but the princess pushed him away.

“I’m not drunk. HIC. D…don’t halp me, halp the carriage. Hold… hold it down. It’s shaking so badly. Maaayyybeee it is cold?”

Kairos looked at the pot he gave her now smashed on the ground. The tiny mops and brooms protesting as they cleaned up the mess.

The princess had been drinking from just now?

What happened to the restrain and piety that royalty should have? What happened to the elegance and manners drilled into her?

Kairos laughed.

The alcohol is frankly not that strong. It is made more of fragrance than taste because the time it sat is still short.

But, to finish a pot within minutes is definitely too much for a young girl like Relestia.

Kairos held her soft boneless arm gingerly and gave the princess a twirl. She giggle and spun, and went back into the carriage, dropping on to the fluffy bed.

In a moment the princess is snoring in a completely unladylike manner. Kairos fought to suppress his laughter.

“Young sir, here is a map of all the prominent places in our flaming city. It should help you get around,” one of the guards handed Kairos a leather scroll.

“My name is Sparrow! If you need help fixing a dice match or beat up drunkards, just give us a call!” the dwarf girl said with a smile.

“I will share your drink with the boys. You people should quickly move along before the old man tries to tax your goods.”

Sparrow, like her name, chirps happily and jumps around. Her infectious joyfulness made her the centre of the guards and her words represents the will of the guards around this gate.

It seems like the single pot that Kairos gave her saved them much more in tax.

None of the items that Leo and the burly man carried were checked and the group went in with a red-carpet treatment.

Of course, the guards ensured that Kairos promise them to all have a taste of his drink once it is completely fermented.

Kairos cannot deny these merry men and that wild young lady and nodded his head.

They went through a long tunnel into the heart of the mountain. After a good long walk, they finally reached the city. The first things they saw is a great bazaar.

Merchants line the streets, stores with all kinds of things could be seen in every directions, and bars and restaurants are all over. The lights and sounds washed over them like a great tide. At the same time a budding excitement bubbled in their hearts.

Leo and Linda went ahead to get them rooms for the night while Kairos and the burly merchants looked around for the closest general stores.

They bought the things needed for the next few days, water, ration, and new clothes. They also unloaded some of the goods at the merchant union’s warehouse. The burly merchant made enough money to start up a small home business. While their work is done immediately, Leo’s goods, on the other hand, are unsuited for selling at stock price. As a traveling merchant, after dropping off the heavier products, he opens a peddling store and try to sell off the rest as high as he could. At the same time he will study the market on what would be worthwhile to invest in and bring with him to another town.

More importantly, he needed to search for doctors that can save Linda.

This time, Leo is spared of doing all of these so he volunteered to find accommodation for them.

An hour later, the group met up at the place they parted and headed for dinner. After that it’s time to meet the master smiths.

Kairos had been rearing to see their legendary techniques and could not wait.

Seeing the spark in his eyes, many of them followed him.

Of course, Leo, Linda and Relestia already retired to the inn with Aisa secretly watching over them. If the devil dares to reawaken, it is in for a sparkling surprise.

A bunch of rugged travel-weary men and women followed Kairos to the blacksmiths lane.

Kairos looked left and right like a boy that walked into a candy store. The people with him also curiously inspected the different tools and weapons displayed at the shop front, a few of them even went forward to make purchases. After all, they are in a dwarven city, the quality of anything they buy here is guaranteed.

Kairos quickly asked around who is the best smith in the city.

Immediately a bunch of thickly muscled dwarves came out of their shop roaring. Each claimed to be the best and no one is willing to submit to another.

“MAH HAMMER ARM IS UNDEFEATED IN THIS PLACE!”

“Your POOF BEARD you mean? My metallurgy IS THE BEST!”

“NO, it’s MY welding technique!”

“HAHA! As IF! You chaps can never beat me with your weak folding technique!”

Kairos listened to their rabble with great enjoyment. This is exactly as the legends depicted. He felt as though he had stepped into the pages of those stories he read.

“Is there a place you learn your skills from?”

The masters that were red-faced shouting at each other stopped and nodded at Kairos in unison.

The scene almost caused Kairos to jump, thinking did he accidentally stepped into a cult instead of the blacksmiths lane.

“Are you looking to learn our arts?” someone asked carefully.

When Kairos nodded, everyone’s expressions turned grim, some even paled.

“Young sir, that’s a dark and frightening place,” an older dwarf smith began.

The others bobbed their heads up and down in fear as if it was something they never want to relive.

“M-maybe it was dark for you working in the coals, but it was a fiery hell for me at the furnace!”

“There was no food, no rest… and no kindness!”

“Pound pound pound pound pound…,” someone suddenly chanted.

And immediately every blacksmith master in the area repeated it with a roar, “pound pound pound pound!”

The people following Kairos and even many of the shopping in this lane turned pale hearing their chant. They could hear the terrible woefulness and didn’t dare imagine what caused it.

But, there is someone who is an exception.

Kairos laughed with pure delight, “There is such a place that could frighten the fearless dwarves and create so many masters? Hurry and show me it!”

When the dwarves bragged that they are good in something, it wasn’t full of hot air. These blacksmiths are staking their reputation when they boasted their strengths in front of their customers. Moreover, the dwarves will never submit to their competition, yet none of them refuted another on what they claimed.

The one who said he have better folding technique than the rest? It’s true.

The one who claims to have the best metallurgy? Also true.

For a place that can create so many accomplished smiths, Kairos is overjoyed and rearing to go.

Everyone looked at him strangely.

Does the word “Hardship” have a different meaning with him?

“Young sir, that place is the abyss! It will suck you in if you go too close.”

“And, you can never escape until you become a master.”

“Years of never smelling the sweet dank soil.”

“Only fire and soot.”

“Only fire and soot.”

“Only fire and soot.”

The master blacksmiths said repeatedly.

Kairos beamed, “Sounds like a place of excellence. Let’s go!”

“Young sir, you are brave indeed! But hear, the best of us took a decade and half to graduate. And I took three decades.”

“Three and half decades for me.”

“Two decades. But I already had three decades of experience before I started.”

“Young sir, you’re of the human race. Even if you are fairly talented, you will need half a century to graduate.”

“Hah, old chap, what an understatement. Only geniuses of the other races can complete that course in fifty years. Most people will need a century. That last elf that came here spent a hundred and twenty years beating iron.”

Kairos’ expression darkened. He don’t have that much time, and he still needs to return to Gaia.

“Please show me the place,” he firmly made his decision.

A kind blacksmith sent his apprentice to guide Kairos, and soon the group went down the lane towards the school zone.

At the centre was the greatest academy that Kairos had ever laid his eyes upon. Although Saint Empire does place priority in cultivating the next generation, it is mostly small and medium sized academies.

The Saint Cadets Academy he graduated from was considered the largest in the empire because it is situated in the capital city. Yet it only takes in three hundred to five hundred students a year.

This place before his eyes can take students a hundred times more.

“Not there, it’s over here,” the assistant said and waved Kairos over.

The group turned and look, and saw that their lead is pointing at a tiny little building on the side.

On second look, it is a destitute little hut in the middle of nowhere. It is old and made of cheap materials but well-maintained. Of course, the size is only small compared to the huge academy beside it. The house can easily fit twenty dwarves without a problem.

As they went closer, they could see that there are a small group lingering outside; all of them hoping to be selected as students. Besides dwarves there are people of every race.

On the way here, Kairos had already found out from the blacksmith apprentice that this is the most reputable master blacksmith in all of the lands.

In fact, the entire school zone and the great academy was built around his house.

Initially, the dwarven king wanted to upgrade his abode into a large mansion and reward him with servants, but the old master smith stubbornly refused every offer. That was why every building around here is sparkling new while this hut is the only exception.

However, while he wouldn’t take anything, he is generous in giving his knowledge. Whenever there are talented youngsters, the master will gladly guide them in the craft.

There is one catch: Only dwarves can learn freely.

Gnomes, humans, and elves that come seeking his tutorship will have to buy his services.

It could be a rare ore or an ancient forging technique. As long as the master accepts the gift, the apprenticeship can start.

On the other hand, the blacksmith is reputed to be highly eccentric. Sometimes he will accept a single copper while turning down a cart of gold.

Rumour says that the more he likes you the less it will cost.

As Kairos stepped forward through the crowd, everyone looked at him with scrutiny. The dwarves that are stuck outside here lacked the talent to be accepted, while those of the other races had been denied because their gifts were rejected.

Now that a new applicant arrived, everyone is curious to see what item he had prepared.

A hard-faced dwarf with the greatest beard Kairos had seen so far, opened the door and looked around with apparent impatience.

“What?” the dwarven smith asked.

Kairos looked at him carefully. Edgar Silverforge, the legendary master smith.

The man gave him a feeling of his own three masters, Siegfried, Laksa, and Helena. All of them carried a pride born of pure dedication to a single craft and walked that path till the end.

“I’m not looking to buy anything. Bye,” Edgar said and started to close his door.

The dwarf obviously did not want to give Kairos a chance. He had taken a single look at the boy. A pretty young man with long fingers and slender arms. This human is alike those flowery flamboyant elves, looks good on the outside but breaks like a twig.

Out of all his disciples, he have only accepted ten from the other races over the years. Only one of them is an elf, and that girl had the arms of a gorilla.

This boy here? His twig hands will break from holding a hammer for too long.

As the door is about to close, Kairos said, “It’s my first day in this city and I wished to celebrate it with those I crossed path, sharing my finest ale. Alas, it is my misfortune that the master Edgar is to be my passer-by on the great roads of destiny.”

As Kairos spoke he already took out a barrel of ale and uncorked it. The moment the waft escaped a little, he quickly stoppered it again as though letting the fragrance disperse is profligate.

In fact, everyone who had a whiff thought it is wasteful.

The door that was to be closed had stopped the moment Edgar smelled the liquor.

The master smith immediately came outside and looked at the barrel in hand, but Kairos ignored him and started offering drinks to everyone in this place.

The little group that followed Kairos here were the first the pounce. Very soon, everyone had a little cup of precious brew in their hand. The smell of flowers, fruits and old cedar wood could entice one’s soul.

On the side, Edgar is almost jumping for attention, “Boy, let me have a taste! We’re not passer-bys, You and I are FATED to meet! Just give me a little sip. Okay, okay, I am fine with just holding a cup. I won’t even drink it!”