The Day the Hammers Fell Silent – Part 01

Although adult Dwarf men loved yodeling, they too had once been soothed by lullabies at their mother’s breast. Beneath their thick, curly hair, Dwarf infants were no different from any other race, bawling loudly, their tiny faces flushed bright red.

Hush-a-bye, sleep now, oh sleep so tight.
‘Til my little one drifts to night, I’ll hammer the iron with all my might.”

To keep you warm, the fire I’ll tend,
‘Til you drift to sleep, my work won’t end.

Hush-a-bye, baby, oh softly lie,
A song for my darling, no need to cry.

The clang of the iron, the craftsman’s song,
To soothe my dear baby all night long.

It was a lullaby sung by Dwarf mothers. But despite the gentle melody, the baby in her arms refused to settle, squirming restlessly. The mother found it odd. She had just fed him and changed his diaper. Over the past few days, after a good sleep, he would usually wake up with bright eyes, curiously observing his surroundings.

“Oh my, you’re quite the grump today, aren’t you? And on such a lovely day, too.”

Cradling her child, the mother stepped outside.

Carved into the mountainside, the nation of Ironforge featured a unique cityscape, blending cliffside dwellings with stone buildings in open squares. The day was already in full swing. Dwarves bustled about, some lumbering along narrow streets toward the forges, while others hauled food and supplies or prepared to open for business.

Rail tracks ran parallel to the narrow streets, laid out in various places for trolleys. These trolleys operated on a fixed schedule, so they were not used by the general public.

A crisp morning breeze brushed against the baby’s cheeks.

“Hm? An earthquake?”

The ground trembled beneath the Dwarf mother’s feet, and she steadied herself against the nearest wall. It was a relatively strong tremor, but brief enough to not cause any real damage. Outside, the Dwarves merely paused for a moment before resuming their routines.

The baby burst out crying.

“Oh, what’s gotten into you today?”

Perplexed, the mother turned and retreated indoors.

---

When Hikaru opened his eyes, a cool air and earthy scent greeted him. Overhead, a roof made from animal hide came into focus. Alone in this one-person tent, he pushed himself up from the cot.

“Ugh, my body feels stiff.”

Muttering the same complaint, he stepped outside and took in the familiar view: flocks of sheep grazing on the distant hills. He had slept longer than usual, missing breakfast, and the Dwarves had already begun their daily routines.

Hikaru wandered leisurely through the camp, observing the Dwarves’ way of life. He paused to wash his face, receiving the usual comments from Dwarf women about how admirable it was for human men to rise early, then made his way to Gittan.

“Ah, Hikaru.” Lavia spotted him from the dining hall just past the back entrance and walked over. “You have bedhead.”

“Oh, thanks. Good morning, Lavia.”

“Morning.”

Lavia reached up and smoothed out his messy hair. Then they sat together at the dining table, sharing a simple meal of warm wheat porridge and minced meat pie. It was still warm, so Lavia must have only just started eating.

“Did you also stay up late?” Hikaru asked.

“Yeah.” Her sheepish tone made him chuckle. “I-I couldn’t help it! Who would’ve thought the Dwarves had such fascinating romance novels? I didn’t think Ironforge was such a romantic country.”

Were they, though? Every night, the men drank, singing, while the women muttered, “Honestly, they’re just like kids,” as they looked after them.

A romantic country? Maybe not every Dwarf is like that.

Just then, the door opened.

“Novels are just novels. Real male Dwarves only drink and sing every night.” Gilma, the company owner’s daughter, walked in. “Good morning, Hikaru.”

“Good morning. By the way, where’s Paula?”

“She’s such a hard worker. She’s been at the camp’s clinic since early this morning.”

Whenever Paula spotted a church, she’d wander in, saying, “Just a quick prayer.” Here in the camp, with no church in sight, she’d taken to helping the injured and sick at the makeshift hospital instead.

“I always thought human churches were shady,” Gilma said, “but Paula’s different.”

Hikaru chuckled awkwardly.

Perhaps Dwarves, who worshipped the tangible Brigid and received a blessing in the form of the Progenitor’s Forge, struggled to trust an unseen deity. Still, the existence of gods in this world was undeniable, proven by soul cards and guild cards and the Blessings they conferred.

“A-Are you saying there’s no such thing as romantic love in Ironforge?” Lavia asked Gilma.

“Hm? Well… Dwarf men only think about smithing, talking about how it rouses them,” Gilma said as she poured tea into cups. “So stories like star-crossed lovers or tormented by status differences aren’t exactly common here.”

So this world has its Romeo and Juliet story too? Hikaru thought as he sipped his tea, sweetened with goat’s milk and plenty of honey. It was delicious.

“I see,” Lavia said dispiritedly.

“Uh, well, it’s not like there’s none at all, you know?” Gilma quickly added. “There are cases where Dwarves from feuding clans or with different statuses fall in love. Oh, and sometimes, someone gets banished but keeps sending letters to the person they love.”

“…”

“U-Um, does that not appeal to you?”

“No, it just sounds a bit like your situation with Dodorono.”

“What?!”

“Dodorono couldn’t stay in Ironforge and left, right? And you’re from different clans too.”

“Wh-Wh-Why are ya bringing up that idiot’s name?!” Gilma blurted out before clapping a hand over her mouth. “I-I need to get the store ready, so if you’ll excuse me!” She bolted out of the hall.

Hikaru and Lavia exchanged glances.

“Her face was as red as a tomato,” Hikaru remarked.

“This feels like a story worth digging into.”

The two nodded in silent agreement.

“By the way, Hikaru, how did it go yesterday?”

“Hmm.”

As they ate, Hikaru recounted the previous night’s events. About the Trial of Illusions.

How Waffa had turned out to be a die-hard fan of the Four Eastern Stars—more specifically, of Selyse.

How Waffa had suffered a serious accident, sustaining major injuries, which Sophie had treated.

There’s no need to mention the part where we fought.

When Hikaru was in jail, Lavia nearly exploded with rage, her vast magical power almost spilling out. He’d panicked at the time and had no desire to relive that chaos.

Lavia listened intently. She was especially curious about the details of the Trial of Illusions, peppering Hikaru with questions. However, when it came to the magical energy in the fog and whatnot, Hikaru could only shrug helplessly. He was utterly hopeless at magic despite his ability to detect mana.

“Well, the Four Eastern Stars probably made it to the summit,” Hikaru said. “You can ask them about it later.”

“I’ll do just that.”

Hikaru’s thoughts drifted back to something from the night before. Waffa’s movements.

He had sensed a power that wasn’t related to magical energy. And in this world, if it wasn’t magical, then there was only one other explanation.

Soul?

Could Waffa use some kind of combat technique powered by Soul energy?

It’s possible.

While sorcery had advanced significantly in this world, the concept of harnessing Soul energy remained largely unexplored. Hikaru himself hadn’t even known of its existence until witnessing it firsthand in the Man Gnome village.

If mana could be used to power magic spells, then it wasn’t unreasonable to think that Soul energy could be weaponized in combat.

But there’s no Skill like that on the Soul Board.

Hikaru had checked Waffa’s Soul Board.

【Soul Board】Waffa Goldenboar
Age: 22 | Rank: 31 | 7

【Vitality】
【Natural Recovery】5
【Stamina】8
【Immunity】
【Toxin Immunity】2
【Perception】
【Sight】2
【Hearing】1

【Strength】
【Muscle Strength】5
【Weapon Mastery】
【Greatsword】1
【Armor】3

【Agility】
【Power Burst】2

【Dexterity】
【Tool Mastery】
【Axe】3

【Willpower】
【Mental Strength】4
【Charisma】1

She had the typical stats for a close-combat specialist, albeit a watered-down version of Gerhardt, the Beastman King of Einbiest, or Zappa Granfate, the late Rank A adventurer.

I hate the idea of learning anything from Waffa. There might be other Dwarves using tools powered by Soul. Maybe I’ll ask Dodonno or Dodorono about it.

“Hey, Hikaru. Do you think Selyse and the others will be back from the mountain today?”

“They might not make it by sunset, but they’ll be down before the day’s over. First, the saber-toothed tiger, then the purple monkeys. There are more and more vicious monsters around.”

He paused and stood up.

“What’s wrong, Hikaru?”

“It shook.”

“What shook?”

He felt the ground beneath them shake.

If it was just an ordinary earthquake, he wouldn’t think much of it. Having grown up in Japan, a country riddled with quakes, Hikaru wasn’t the type to panic over a bit of tremor.

But this wasn’t normal. His Instinct told him there was something more to it.

“Hikaru? Hikaru!”

Ignoring Lavia, Hikaru dashed out of the dining hall and through the back exit of Gittan Trading.

The campsite was calm. Some Dwarves were doing laundry by the well, while others tinkered at the forge. Peddlers were leaving after doing their business.

Was everything really fine?

No. Something’s definitely wrong.

As Hikaru scanned the area, Lavia followed him outside.

“What’s going on?”

Her jaw dropped as her gaze locked onto the mountain where Ironforge stood, the one crowned with a massive anvil.

Thin, white smoke rising from the Progenitor’s Forge was a common sight. But now, something was different. A beam of light pierced the sky from that very spot.

“What the…?!”

And the light was growing wider.

The ground trembled again, harder this time. Even the Dwarves started to notice. They glanced around.

The tremors intensified, growing stronger and more violent with each passing second.

“Lavia!”

“Ah!”

Hikaru rushed just in time to catch Lavia before she fell. He quickly pulled her out of the way as shingles from Gittan’s stone building crashed down around them. They struck the ground like guillotine blades, shattering on impact. Screams were ringing out all around.

“Over there!” one shouted.

The light rising from the Progenitor’s Forge blazed even brighter, blinding even in broad daylight. The tremors worsened. Hikaru crouched in a clear space, shielding Lavia’s head. She clung to his clothes.

The light reached peak brightness. Across the campsite, people were covering their eyes. Some knelt as if in prayer, others huddled with their children, trembling in fear. Some attempted to flee, only to stumble and fall.

The earth split with an audible crack. For a brief moment, Hikaru wondered if this was the end of the world.

But the world didn’t end.

The shaking stopped as suddenly as it had started, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. The brilliant light faded with it. Cautiously, Hikaru opened his eyes.

He blinked. His vision was flickering from the light but quickly cleared. Lavia, looking up at him with concern, appeared unharmed.

A crack had formed in the ground about three meters away, proof of the tremor’s power. The Gittan Trading building had suffered some damage—cracked walls, fallen roof panels—but its sturdy Dwarven construction had held up remarkably well.

Hikaru turned his gaze to the mountain, to the heart of Ironforge where the light shot from, and froze. The massive anvil atop the summit, the nation’s symbol, had been split clean in two.

Many Dwarves noticed as well. Some stood in stunned silence, others let out audible gasps, and some wept in anguish. The world had not ended, but some might have believed their country had.

A small scream pierced the quiet, quickly spreading until panic engulfed the camp. It was only natural. After all, their nation’s symbol had been destroyed.

The shattered anvil now teetered precariously on the mountain’s peak, threatening to slide down. At least ten times the size of Gittan Trading’s building, if it fell, disaster was inevitable.

Is the city still functioning?

Hikaru’s first concern was the city. If the Dwarves at the campsite were in such uproar, the city could be worse.

Are Dodorono and Dodonno okay?