Minotaur blacksmith Black Bull sensed that something was wrong as well. He had studied under Forgefire, the master dwarf blacksmith of Sun Sail Port. Over the years, he had followed his teacher and dealt with all sorts of people, so he could be considered well-traveled.
But he had never experienced such a feeling before. Merely catching a whiff of that aura made his heart tremble with fear. If not for the remaining shred of reason in his mind, he would have nearly turned and fled.
"Damn merchant! What exactly did he hide from us?!"
Back then, the Boarman merchant had come to them, saying that a Kobold tribe wished to hire several blacksmiths to teach them smithing and forge a batch of ironware.
Black Bull had wanted to refuse, but the Boarman merchant had produced an offer he could not turn down—food. Enough food to make up for the Black Hoof Minotaur tribe's winter shortage, with some left over.
Under the hopeful gazes of the chieftain, the elders, and the children, Black Bull had softened.
Kobolds were weak. If he brought a few capable apprentices with him, they could leave whenever they were dissatisfied.
With that in mind, he had accepted the Boarman merchant's employment. Now, though, he regretted it so deeply his guts had turned green, and he silently prayed.
"Mother Earth, please protect us."
After rounding a bend, Black Bull saw a gigantic beast entirely wrapped in flames. The boiling fire illuminated the whole cavern, and even the rocks on the ground showed faint signs of melting.
"Th-this... what is that? A Balor?!"
"Mm, the guests are here~" The Fire Elementals scattered throughout his body flowed back into his heart. Jose returned to normal and looked toward Ergou, the Boarman merchant, and the group of Minotaurs entering the cavern.
In truth, everything the group had seen along the way had been arranged by Jose in advance.
The ordinary Boarmen had remained in Living Area Number One, where they were received by designated attendants and forbidden from entering other areas. Once everything was over, they would leave with Hulk, so precautions had to be taken against the ordinary Boarmen leaking secrets after they left.
Everything after that had been a display of strength, meant to intimidate the Boarman merchant into behaving himself and make the Minotaur blacksmiths recognize reality.
Incidentally, from the moment the Minotaurs stepped into the Bloodtooth Mines, Jose had never intended to let them leave—at least, not leave unchanged.
He rose from the ground and looked down at the newcomers from above.
The Boarman merchant hurried forward, stopped five meters before the Red Dragon, and bowed. "My most sincere greetings to you, my master."
"My servant, I hope the blacksmiths you have brought can satisfy me." Jose's voice was low and hoarse, like rough chunks of iron grinding against one another.
A chill seeped into his bones. The Boarman merchant could not stop his body from shuddering, but he took a deep breath and regained his composure.
"Of course. Please allow me to introduce them."
The Boarman merchant pointed at the black-furred Minotaur at the front. "This is Master Black Bull. Master Black Bull studied under Forgefire, the renowned dwarf master blacksmith of Sun Sail Port. While Master Black Bull is not yet a master himself, he is not far from it. The others are all Master Black Bull's apprentices, and each can forge military-grade weapons."
Jose looked at the Minotaurs, his lava-like eyes carrying a scrutinizing glint.
Minotaurs had bovine heads and tails, goat-like reverse-jointed hooves, and bodies covered in fur. Their other features resembled those of humans, except they were far more robust. Their bulging arms were thicker than an adult's waist, and some wore decorative iron rings on their noses and horns. Their entire bodies exuded a primitive, wild beauty.
These hulking men, enough to crush any bodybuilding champion from Jose's previous life, trembled like chicks in a cold wind before the Red Dragon.
Only one was an exception. Black Bull, the blacksmith at the front, took a deep breath and stepped forward, intending to flatter the Red Dragon and start the coming conversation on a pleasant note.
"Honored true dragon, meeting you, I feel very... very... very..."
"Very surprised, very unexpected, and very afraid." Jose finished what the Minotaur had wanted to say, while also realizing that he was dealing with a traditional, honest Minotaur who was bad at lying.
"That's right. I ordered Hulk to trick you into coming here."
The Red Dragon's frankness made Black Bull uncomfortable. Not knowing how to respond, he could only lower his head and listen to what the Red Dragon would say next.
"But you needn't worry, nor need you be afraid. I brought you here only to forge weapons and armor to equip my army."
"Furthermore, I am different from ordinary Red Dragons. I am a reasonable dragon. Not a single coin of the price Hulk promised you will be withheld."
The Minotaurs were deeply skeptical. Everyone knew that dragons loved wealth as much as life itself. The only way to take gold coins from a dragon was to defeat it.
"Perhaps you have doubts about my words, but honestly, your doubts are useless." Jose brought his massive, car-sized head close to the Minotaurs, looking as if he had them completely in his grasp. "Do you understand?!"
White vapor puffed from Black Bull's damp bovine nostrils as he clenched his fists.
"Dragon! You are strong! But do not dream of enslaving a free Minotaur! Minotaurs fear nothing!"
Feeling the aura erupting from Black Bull, Jose realized that this Minotaur was actually an intermediate stage warrior—and a fairly strong one among intermediate stage warriors.
He drew back his lowered head. "I do not doubt the courage of Minotaur warriors facing death. But look behind you. Fine if you alone are not afraid of dying, but are you sure you want to bring them down with you, and drag your tribe into this as well?!"
"Uwaa!"
Reduced to bargaining chips the Red Dragon was using to threaten their leader, the six Minotaurs' eyes reddened as they let out low growls. Yet Black Bull, standing before them, loosened his fists and sighed.
The Black Hoof Minotaurs were few to begin with, and the apprentices he had brought were all tribal elites. If they were lost in a Kobold mine, Black Bull would feel too ashamed to face his ancestors.
"You have seen it all along the way." Jose paced around the Minotaurs, his enormous body making the ground thud with every step. "My power grows by the day, and my army stands ready. In a few years, all of the Triangle Plains will be shrouded beneath the shadow of my wings!"
As he spoke, Jose spread his wings, displaying his enormous body and powerful muscles. His long neck curved into a circle, bringing his eyes level with Black Bull's. His gaze was aggressive, while sharp fangs appeared and vanished between his words.
"When that time comes, where will your tribe and your people go?!"
Black Bull felt bitterness in his heart.
He had to admit that, barring any accident, what the Red Dragon said would surely come true. There was no force on the Triangle Plains capable of stopping the combination of a dragon, more than a dozen Petrification Lizards, and over a thousand Kobold warriors.
"But if you join my ranks now instead, contributing to my rise, then when the fruits of victory are harvested, you will be meritorious subjects. I promise you that you will receive my rewards, and your tribe will receive favorable treatment because of your accomplishments."
At this point, the Minotaurs had lost all desire to fight, but they remained angry at having been deceived.
"I am very tolerant toward valuable talent. You need not give me an answer immediately. Go down and think it over."
Jose waved his hand, signaling Ergou to lead the Minotaurs away.
After the Minotaurs left, only Jose and the Boarman merchant remained in the spacious cavern.
The Boarman merchant hung his head, like a criminal awaiting judgment.
PS:
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