The shouts nearly lifted the roof off. After being repeated more than a dozen times, Rendaen finally raised his hand in satisfaction, signaling everyone to be quiet. However, to show their loyalty to the new king, the cheers continued for nearly a minute before gradually subsiding.
The lord was promoted to king, and naturally, those below him were also promoted. The king's messenger kept calling out names, and Rendaen's confidants came one after another to the throne to receive their titles.
The dozen or so men with the highest military merits were all appointed as lords with actual territories, and these guys would become the most powerful Dwarves in Blackrock Depths.
Next came the appointment of the king's ministers and the awarding of various medals. Just when everyone thought the ceremony was over, the herald called out two names: "Duke Hydraxis and Knight Unas, please come before the throne!"
It turns out that inviting these two outsiders to the ceremony also came with perks; Rendaen personally stepped down from the throne to greet them.
"Although you two are not Dark Iron Dwarves, your achievements this time are no less than anyone else's. We are very grateful for your assistance."
He opened the wooden box in his hand, revealing a deep blue gem with a restrained luster. Water droplets immediately condensed on its surface, and the Water Elemental Duke roared in astonishment, "This is the Heart of the Ocean!"
This rare gem, imbued with an extremely concentrated Water Elemental energy, is seldom found even in the depths of the ocean. Rendaen handed the gem to the Water Elemental Duke, saying, "I didn't have time to create a special medal for you in my haste; please consider this a medal, Your Highness."
At this moment, the messenger announced loudly, "By the King's decree, the Duke of Hydraxia is hereby appointed Azure Lord, with a rank equivalent to that of the Earth Lord."
The Dwarf lords are divided into four ranks from top to bottom: Earth, Hills, Caves, and Rocks. Water Elementals are a foreign race, so they have a different name, but their rank is still equivalent to the highest level.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Duke of Water Elemental expressed his sincere gratitude. He not only received the highest title, but the land through which the Canal and the underground lava river were also granted to him as his domain. This was the highest respect that Rendaen had shown him.
The new king beckoned, and two strong guards carried over a plate. They lifted the black cloth, revealing a deep blue metal plate with a silver sheen.
Rendaen turned to Unas, "This is a piece of Adamantite, the hardest known metal in the world. It's perfect for Knight Unas; it symbolizes the noble and steadfast qualities of Paladin."
The messenger's voice came at the same time. "By the King's decree, Knight Unas is hereby appointed Lord of Holy Light, with a rank equivalent to that of Hill Lord."
Unas didn't care that he was one rank lower than the Water Elemental Duke, since he couldn't really get into the Dark Iron Dwarves' circle anyway, so the difference in rank didn't really matter.
His focus was on the refined Adamantite before him; it seemed Rendaen had found quite a few treasures in Thaurissan's treasury, his generosity was astonishing.
Adamantite is the most suitable metal for forging weapons because it is not only extremely hard, but also naturally possesses the ability to ignore a certain degree of hardness, resulting in a very high armor-piercing effect. Weapons plated with Adamantite are the favorite of dragon slayers.
"This piece is big enough to make any weapon," Unas thought, and picked up the Adamantite to examine it. However, he found it to be unusually heavy. No wonder it took two people to lift it. This piece of metal, about half the size of a fist, weighed almost a hundred pounds.
In addition to the title and Adamantite, he also acquired a new territory, seemingly a place in the Searing Gorge called Firewatch Ridge. He was unfamiliar with the terrain there and didn't know the specifics.
Regardless, Rendaen was indeed grateful, and these rewards greatly surprised Unas, who sincerely expressed his thanks to the new king.
The Dwarves were abuzz with gossip, some envious, some disdainful, but Unas's contributions were undeniable, and these rewards were justified.
After Rendaen offered a few more words of blessing, the ceremony concluded amidst cheers and applause.
Unas walked out of the palace gate in a cheerful mood, but was soon stopped by two muscular, good-natured Dwarf men.
"Excuse me, are you Lord of the Holy Light? I am Stone Greystone, a master blacksmith from the Thorium Brotherhood, and this is my assistant, Masai."
News of what happened at the coronation ceremony couldn't have spread so quickly; these two must have inside information.
What could the Thorium Brotherhood want with me? Is the Judgement Armor finished?
Stone Greystone continued, "I heard that His Majesty the King bestowed upon you, Lord, a piece of Adamantite. Is that true?"
So that's why they came—for the precious metal. Unas nodded.
The Dwarf blacksmith's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Lord, would you sell it to me? I'm willing to pay any price!"
Even if Unas had no money left, he wouldn't sell such a priceless treasure. "I won't sell."
The two cold words did not extinguish Stone's enthusiasm, "So, what kind of weapon does Your Lordship wish to forge from the Adamantite?"
I haven't decided yet.
Can I see it with my own eyes?
The Dwarf's eyes looked like those of a beggar who hadn't eaten for three days. Unas didn't want to offend anyone, especially the Thorium Brotherhood, so he took out the metal wrapped in black cloth, spread it out for the other party to see, and showed him that he could easily lift over a hundred pounds with one hand.
"Unbelievable! There really is such a big piece!" The two Dwarves exclaimed in amazement, admiring the Adamantite.
The assistant couldn't resist touching it, but Unas immediately withdrew his hand, saying, "Viewing only."
The assistant immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry, my lord, I couldn't help myself..."
"It's okay, I'm busy, can I go now?" Unas made as if to leave.
Stone quickly reached out to stop him, "Please, my lord, hear me out a few more words. You won't regret it."
Unas gestured for him to continue.
"If you wish to use this piece of Adamantite to forge weapons, the Thorium Brotherhood the most suitable choice. As far as I know, only three or four blacksmith guilds on the entire continent are capable of producing the high-temperature flux needed to melt Adamantite, and we are the best of them all. Such a large piece of Adamantite must have a higher melting point than ordinary Adamantite, and perhaps only we are capable of using it for forging."
"Since you haven't decided what weapon to make with it, I'll venture to recommend a spear. Its size makes it perfectly suited for long weapons. Spears are inherently good at piercing armor, and with an Adamantite spearhead, it will be an invincible weapon!"
The salesman was excellent, and Unas was quite tempted; he was indeed lacking a powerful long weapon. However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. "So, what price would I have to pay?"
"For a mere tenth of the Adamantite, I will devote all my resources and effort to crafting this piece destined to be etched into epic proportions."
"Only one-tenth? You might as well rob someone. Sorry, I'm going to find someone else."
Unas, having mastered the art of bargaining, made another move to leave, but Stone quickly jumped in front of him. "One-fifteenth!"
One in twenty!
"One-thirtieth! Any less and I'll lose money!"
Unas laughed, "One in fifty, otherwise forget it."