Rise of the Weakest Summoner

“Not sure yet as this is still a few places down on our list of priorities.” Asterios leaned back into the sofa. “One of our dwarf friends was willing to tell us whatever she could share about their homeland and culture.”

“It’s good to have someone local give you advice.” James nodded. “Does she belong to one of the related artificer or smith clans?”

“No. Truvi is a receptionist at our guild,” Miria replied with a cheerful smile. “But she comes from a blacksmith family and has worked under her dad in his forge. Helping adventurers has always been her dream.”

“I can relate.” Gwen chuckled quietly, fixing her glasses a little. “There’s just something so exciting about being the cornerstone of many people’s success. And you get to hear or even experience many unbelievable stories straight from them.”

“I guess it’s similar to working as a merchant or at some store.” Kindra tapped her lips thoughtfully. “Our clerks always have interesting tidbits from the customers and passersby to share.”

“Everyone has something to tell, as long as you are willing to stop for a moment and listen.” Ast’s grandfather smirked amusedly. “Now, we have collected quite some stories from various sources and hope that something will be able to aid your future endeavors. Feel free to bring up the topics that interest you.”

As Asterios considered his offer and wondered what to ask about, Silvia chimed in to help him out. “What about starting from the beginning? I’ve read up on the mountain dwarves during my time at the castle but Asterios and the others aren’t that informed, even with me sharing some things already.”

“Of course.” James clasped his hands and also sat back. “Let’s start with a little bit of history. At the very least, you will score some points with their people for knowing more than all the common travelers. It’s not a secret that mountain dwarves are slightly racist and don’t consider other folks much. I’m sure you will have your hands full earning their respect or even attention. Dear?”

Receiving a glance from her husband, Anna nodded fondly. “It’s hard to pinpoint which subrace of dwarves was the first one with so many of them present around the world, but in most of the chronicles, mountain dwarves are considered to be the progenitors. As you would expect, they believe in that rather firmly so it’s better not to question any parts of their historical supremacy if you don’t want to cause a serious offense.”

“The first dwarves are said to have emerged from the depths of the solid, rocky ground, close to those specific mountains,” the man continued. “Masters of masonry, technology, metallurgy, geology, and so on. The massive tunnels and chasms supposedly run for insane distances underneath their surface nation, where the real Dwarf Kingdom is believed to be located. They much prefer the stone world over the fresh air from above.”

“Though, not many receive the permission and honor to witness anything besides the exterior cities,” the woman added with a small sigh. “As for the reason behind the sudden migration, the records quote seeking refuge from a massive, merciless monster the dwarves had disturbed with their constant expansion under the ground. We might never be sure how accurate their portrayal of it is, but the legends say about a monumental entity wreathed in unstoppable flames that continued to hunt them for years to come.”

Asterios glanced to the sides and met the gazes of his beautiful mates. They shared the same thought, judging by the faint, unspoken understanding that passed through their connection. Wouldn’t it be possible for that entity to be some kind of an ancient True Dragon simply minding its own business inside their reclusive lair?

Well, that didn’t sound exactly like the True Dragons they knew, but no one could dismiss the possibility of the dwarves unintentionally invading the beast’s territory. That would certainly warrant a war to the very extinction of the species if such a prideful and vicious being was involved.

Were there True Dragons still hiding underground? It wasn’t unthinkable. If so, Asterios would have to investigate those known chasms and passages whenever he had some spare time, perhaps during their trip to the snowy mountains. He promised Althea’s kin safety and he needed to take his vow seriously.

“Were there any details regarding that monster? Maybe it was a Dragon? There were plenty in ancient times, no?” Tina pondered out loud, steering the conversation towards their musings.

“It wouldn’t be that uncommon of a story.” Gwen laughed. “From what I know, some of their old bedtime books talk about courageous dwarves sneaking into Dragon lairs and stealing treasure for their people.”

“Unfortunately, your guess is as good as ours.” James spread his arms in defeat. “All we know is what I portrayed. It could have been, but it also could have not. Until you confirm it with some kind of record keeper in their royal court, we can only make assumptions.”

“Maybe they will be willing to share now that Master is a king!” Miria beamed happily, her tail swaying with energy behind her back.

“Doubtful.” Asterios snorted warmly, giving her ear a few scratches. “Not even King Welrond has secured any considerable deals with them. The same goes for the other rulers. A new one won’t have much political power.”

“Especially if we introduce Asterios as the Dragon Lord.” Silvia had a faint, teasing smile on her delicate lips. “I imagine they wouldn’t be too eager to cooperate with someone who calls himself after their mortal enemy that had forced them out of their territories.”

“And suddenly the creation of Dragon Valley isn’t as beneficial as everyone thought it was.” He shook his head with a snicker. “It’s already been a miracle all those other nations were so openly friendly about this.”

“It’s all because they knew they could trust the person behind it,” the red-haired princess said, brushing her palm over Ast’s arm. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to secure a good relationship with the dwarves too.”

“Just don’t bring up the Damascu Clan at the first meeting maybe.” Selene grinned impishly.

“Okay, okay, let’s get back on track.” Asterios rolled his eyes at the scheming minx already thinking up ways to stir trouble. “We ended at the migration.”

“Right.” His grandfather took a sip of wine. “Their appearance didn’t come unnoticed. Structures were seen all over the mountain range. Especially at night. The first contact was made and the realm learned of their new neighbors, who supposedly specialized in the areas mentioned before. A few weeks later, it was more than confirmed with the quick construction of towns and crossings in the steep hills of the harsh mountains.”

“At first, the dwarves were more open to travelers since they needed to establish themselves in the new place, requiring quite a bit of resources their underground facilities weren’t able to provide at a satisfying amount.” His grandmother reached for a tasty-looking apple and took a bite out of it to further illustrate her point. “Well, as long as the visitors proved themselves worthy simply by being able to make their way up the harsh mountains. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Not only the weather was chaotic there but the area was and still most likely is filled with countless hardened predators.”

“That I can confirm,” Gwen inserted her two cents into the story. “And considering the fact that the general climate of most other regions in our realm is rather warm all year over, countless adventurers and explorers tended and still tend to underestimate arctic monsters and beasts.”

Tina squinted thoughtfully. “That being said, it’s the Winter Year next, right? So it won’t be long before we finally see some snow again. I’ve heard that Glimmervale got its name because of that particular season since it was at the cusp of a blizzard of the century during which the first settlers began their work.”

“Winter Year?” Miria’s ears flicked curiously.

“Our seasons are a bit more unbalanced.” Asterios smiled and grazed her cheek, receiving loving purrs in response. “You should have noticed that it’s been nearly a year since the start of our little adventure together and there wasn’t much change in the climate anywhere we’ve ventured to.”

“It all depends on the nation and where it’s placed so they all experience it differently, but the big change in seasons happens in about a year of time,” Kindra explained further. “The warmest season usually stays with us the longest, then the mild seasons can last up to around half a year and sometimes be connected back-to-back, while the coldest period might actually even not happen in every cycle. That’s why the one where lower temperatures and snow are expected is called the Winter Year. And its length can vary, from a month or two to a full year, so the naming is even more accurate.”

“And the one I mentioned lasted almost a whole century,” the blue-haired Summoner girl finished. “However, it’s said to have been an unknown anomaly.”

~Oh, it was. Even the elves felt its influence and their lands were blessed with a Dryad’s tree and its energy, keeping them in the state of an almost eternal spring,~ Althea joined in by speaking in their minds. ~I went out to investigate briefly and found out that it didn’t come from a natural cause. I didn’t gather much more, unfortunately.~

~I felt the cold energy even in my slumber,~ the Dryad in question added. ~It had a powerful spiritual presence. For a moment, I thought it was one of my distant cousins, an Aurai, settling down somewhere nearby and extending her blessings to the land.~

Asterios rubbed his forehead. ~We might have been in contact with so many incredible entities and didn’t know even a hint about it. I assume it wasn’t one of your cousins as she would have kept the frosty climate up around her new territory?~

~Most likely not. But she could have moved on or perished during that period,~ Tia suggested. ~All of our kind are highly sought after by True Dragons and other powerful entities. Even if there might have been none of the former around at that time, who knows what other nefarious individuals could have swooped right in? Perhaps it would have happened to me if I wasn’t deeply concealed by the arcane seal.~

~That sounds like another thing we should investigate someday,~ Tina pointed out. ~It took place in a quite close vicinity. Just, there might be some issues with finding any traces or leads. Maybe during the cold season? Now that we have Tia and Althea, they might be able to sense something.~

~Throw it onto the pile and let’s move on.~ He sent his pondering lover a mental headpat. ~We should get back to the current conversation before the time we spend chatting through the bond becomes too noticeable.~

“This place never gets a chance to rest, does it?” Kindra giggled sweetly, meeting his gaze with a glint in her clever eyes.

It was rather obvious she’d been aware that they were conversing privately and swooped right in to help them out appear even more natural. As always, she made herself easy to appreciate and Asterios was glad he was part of her family.

“Enough about Glimmervale! What about the dwarves?” Miria helped out too, bringing forth her fabled enthusiasm.

“We were getting to it, dear.” Anna smiled at her warmly. “Many good things could be said about their skills and talents, but unfortunately, not about their social and interpersonal qualities. Those dwarves were extremely competitive, which showed in every single area of their lives, and greatly lacked unity. So much so that they couldn’t decide on a representative or a leader for quite a bit. Everyone wanted to be on top and everyone thought they were the only ones worthy.”

“Those aspects are still a thing in their community.” James sighed wistfully. “Rather than help their neighbor, they would avoid involving themselves in case it affects them negatively, or they would simply take pleasure in seeing others fall behind the race to be the best. As you can imagine, such an environment is overflowing with schemes, plots, intrigues, and conspiracies. No one will openly accuse anyone, but they all know everyone is doing whatever possible to get ahead.”

“Wouldn’t that be kind of… illegal?” Selene mused.

“They make sure anything they do remains as clean to the public eye as possible,” Silvia answered this time. “It’s especially prevalent in the negotiations held with their people. They are great at finding loopholes in rules and regulations, skirting the edge of said laws, and securing the best benefits for themselves. And yes, not all of what they do is completely legitimate or ethical, but as long as they aren’t exposed with undeniable proof, they consider anything a valid choice.”

“And that is just as accurate for their domestic politics too,” Ast’s grandfather agreed. “However, they didn’t take long to realize that killing each other off behind the stage through sophisticated designs was hurting them more than benefiting them. So, the biggest and usually targeted the most clans banded together to establish something called the Clash of Forges.”

“Oh! Oh! We heard about that one!” Miria bounced on her cushion, trembling with joy. “It’s related to the Dwarf Sovereign, right?”

Kindra’s mother chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm. “Correct. Instead of fighting for the position of the leader literally, they now fight through a series of trials related to their craft. It’s just as full of conspiracy and underhanded means, but the number of lives lost has been reduced to a minimum. Albeit, some of the dwarves consider their masterpieces their own life so having it sabotaged or even destroyed can kill their soul just as cruelly.”

“The inventors and researchers do tend to be like that.” Asterios nodded firmly. “Their work can be considered their baby more than the real thing.”

~I would never direct my love and care to any baby other than the one you are so vehemently trying to put in me each time we chance on each other naked,~ Grea commented in his mind with a sultry tone, making him let out an unintended snort.

When their guests glanced at him curiously, he just waved them off. “Nothing. Please, continue.”

“Alright. The Clash of Forges, simply speaking, is a set of public trials, tests, and challenges meant to establish a hierarchy amongst the competing clans,” James picked up where he’d left. “It’s pretty much the only way to gain respect, fame, and political power in their community, save for coming up with something truly groundbreaking in one of the fields the dwarves pride themselves in. So, it’s possible to attain things ranging from the lowest nobility status to the very position of the Dwarf Sovereign through it. Just, the last one requires a bit more than simply showing up for the first time and sweeping the crowd with something new and revolutionizing.”

“It’s a climb through ranks,” Anna said, nodding. “When you reach the necessary level, you receive the honor to participate in the most important part of the Clash of Forges, the main competition that determines the next ruling family, one clan to represent their kin for the next three years, during which everyone else will be working their butts off to overcome that achievement.”

“And so it should have been if not for a certain clan hogging the spot for about two decades.” Silvia rubbed her chin. “They remain unbeatable and abuse the system that allows the same family to stay in power as long as no one else beats their masterpieces during the competition.”

“Rubytongs.” Gwen snapped her fingers. “The current rulers of Wintercrown.”

“The very same.” The older man chuckled. “They dominate the contest every single time, somehow always being able to come out on top no matter how hard the other clans try to oppose them, either through achievements or shady practices. No one can deny their brilliance since they keep presenting new creations that continue to be way ahead of the competition.”

“What is so great about their products?” Selene asked. “If you even know. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that every detail is faultlessly guarded and remains confidential.”

“And you are right about that,” his wife replied. “But, they still have to show their entries and present them before the judges and the crowd. Therefore, there are two main aspects we have been able to pinpoint through the statements, rumors, opinions, and reviews of those shows. Possibly three, but the last one isn’t as outstanding and could be just all the other dwarves trying to nitpick while feeling offended by their incompetence.”

James raised his hand with a single finger pointing up. “First, the materials. Somehow, Rubytongs came into the possession of incredibly durable and mana-compatible resources that allowed them to forge the best artifacts and equipment their kin had ever seen. No one has any idea what those metals and other minerals are because no one can identify them. They seem to form unrecognizable alloys, blends, and amalgamations. Furthermore, they are almost impossibly tough to reverse engineer. No forges—doesn’t matter how magical or mythical—can affect the finished products or their fragments.”

Anna mirrored his gesture with two fingers. “Second, the complex spiritual runic script they use in their creations. To start with, it’s not even a language that any of the other families have ever stumbled on. Many believe Rubytongs invented a completely new one, but traces of the usual techniques still linger in its core. Yet, the symbols can’t be deciphered, no matter how many experts they bring to their domain and how long they search all over the realm for a matching tongue. It might as well be a lost knowledge the clan found by luck.”

“This is already enough for them to remain in the lead. For how long exactly? No one can tell, but being unable to examine and analyze your competitor’s masterpieces is a massive hurdle not many artisans might be able to overcome, gifted or not.” Ast’s grandpa brought his hand closer to his wife’s. “Then there’s the supposed third. Techniques and know-how. They don’t keep releasing the same old equipment but always come up with something never seen before, things that no other workshops can produce. Their ideas seem kind of foreign, and retain a kind of theme, like they still come from one source. But, this whole notion can be easily dismissed as their superiority in creative thinking and talent in project design.”

“Unfortunately, this is all we were able to gather about the items.” Ast’s grandma leaned back with her husband, smiling a bit guiltily. “You can’t see those fabled creations anywhere on display as their creators keep them under thick wraps. The only opportunity to do that would be during the Clash of Forges. Fortunately, the next event isn’t that far away, so it might be possible for you to witness it all with your own eyes if you manage to weasel your way into the audience in time.”

Asterios and the girls once more exchanged glances as silence fell onto the guest chamber. And, once more they were pretty much on the same page after the brief rundown on mountain dwarves they had received from his grandparents. There were a few crucial details the old pair was unaware of that only confirmed some of their suspicions and guesses.

With the new bit of information, things were becoming rather obvious.

“You don’t need to apologize or anything.” Asterios broke the silence first. “This was all quite helpful and I’m sure it will be of great use whenever we decide to head there, most likely around the time of the next Clash as you have said.”

“Plus, I’m sure there are still other things we could learn from you during your stay,” Tina added with a gentle, appreciative smile.

“I know some things too!” Gwen offered, looking at them hopefully. “Maybe not as much, but I still have a few friends who heard a thing or two, and I personally know a mountain dwarf from those regions. A rare case of one of their own going out into the bigger world.”

“Certainly, every bit of outside help will be very helpful and advantageous.” He chuckled cordially. “Rubytongs present a great example of that.”

The trio sitting across him seemed to frown a bit as they stared at his thankful smile.

“What do you mean?” James regarded him with a trace of confusion.

“Well, with how cutthroat their people are, it was just a matter of time before someone decided to go all out with their cheating, ignoring even the most sacred of doctrines.” Asterios smirked knowingly.

“And how would they do that?” The man furrowed his brows even further.

“Simply by colluding with their mortal enemy, of course.”