Master Marco

The Empire's northeastern border.

The north wind swept snow-dust across the frozen earth. Although the temperature had risen, the fleeing Demon Race would not return so quickly, and the place now seemed exceedingly desolate.

Recently, however, a few more figures had been moving through this area—only they were not members of the Demon Race.

Thump, thump—

A stone was moved aside, and the Dwarf Pollock poked his head out. He looked around, and only after confirming there were no members of the Demon Race nearby did he laboriously climb up.

The passage beneath him connected the Northern Territory to The Mountains. Its interior had been repaired and adjusted by Dwarves coming and going, making it just right for Dwarven travel. There were several such passages nearby.

Even if the Demon Race discovered them, they could only send in weaker fighters like Goblins. If other, larger members of the Demon Race entered and got stuck in the passage, they would lose most of their combat strength as well.

But because the Demon Race had been less active in this area, the passages had never been discovered so far.

After Pollock climbed out, he did not leave at once. Instead, he turned back and hauled the people behind him out with great effort.

Among them were his family, friends who had believed his assurances and come to take a look, and one traveling companion he had not expected before this—Master Marco!

Master Marco was a master blacksmith renowned even in Forgefire Capital.

Only at this moment, the master's face, bronzed red from years of being smoked and scorched by furnace fire, looked somewhat blue in the cold wind of the Northern Territory.

One of the master's attendants hurriedly hung a thermostatic Pendant around his neck. Only then did the master's complexion improve