"Your guess is correct." Farrell confirmed Xiao Chen's statement, "In our Dwarven Kingdom, the power of many forging tools comes from the energy of the lava river. Therefore, many nobles choose to build houses near the lava river in order to obtain more energy. Whoever obtains more energy can use it to forge better things. The Ansaldo family's forging workshop is very close to the river, while our family's forging workshop is located halfway up the mountain. To forge the same thing, we may have to spend 20% to 30% more effort than their family's forgers."
"But your craftsmanship is the best." Ansaldo.
Farrell said: "It's just in my small city. There are too many masters in the capital."
"Isn't your family here?" Xiao Chen asked.
Farrell said, "The area you see now is the earliest and most central area of the capital. Only old families are qualified to exist there. My family is located in a small town very close to the capital. Many dwarves who later became nobles could not find a place for their families in the capital, so they settled their homes in the villages upstream of the Lava River. Although it is called another village, it is actually connected to the capital and is located in this canyon. According to your statement, it should be a small satellite city."
Xiao Chen understood what he meant. This was the inevitable result of a city's slow development and expansion. He pointed to the heat-insulating array on the wall and said, "Have you ever thought about what would happen if all these arrays failed?"
"Why do you say that?" Ansaldo asked, suddenly realizing what was happening. "Is it because of the god of nature?"
"It seems you have thought of this too." Xiao Chen touched the magic circle with his fingertips, feeling the surging energy inside. "Imagine, if the God of Nature takes back your ability to use magic to create magic circles, these magic circles will naturally become completely ineffective. What will become of your kings then?"
"Is this... really that terrible?" Ansaldo couldn't imagine it.
"It's worse than you think." Umeda, who was following behind, interrupted, "I also saw some magic circles deeper down to stabilize the lava. If those magic circles fail, will this place become an erupting volcano?"
"God of Forge. That scene was really... really horrible." Ansaldo murmured.
Xiao Chen said: "So you should help us contact the high priest of the Forge Temple as soon as possible. Helping us is actually saving yourselves."
Ansaldo nodded repeatedly.
After walking for about twenty minutes, they finally arrived at a huge house below. This house was too big to be built entirely on the excavated cliff platform.
So one third of it hangs outside the cliff, and another third is embedded in the mountain wall.
At the entrance of the house are two huge dwarf statues, one holding a battle axe and the other wielding a forging hammer.
Ansaldo said: "These are the two ancestors of our Fire Crystal Family, the Saint Warrior Kamao and the Saint Forger Proctor. However, in recent years, for some unknown reason, there has not been a Saint in the entire Dwarf Kingdom for a long time."
Ansaldo had already sent someone to inform in advance, and several dwarves were standing at the door of the Fire Crystal Family to welcome Xiao Chen and his party.
Among them was an old dwarf with white hair and beard, who stood among all the people and looked at them with dignity.
"This is our patriarch, the great blacksmith Carnelian," Ansaldo introduced.
"Sir Xiao Chen, welcome to the royal capital. When Ansaldo told me about this, I was very surprised. I never thought that the Fire Crystal Family would actually cooperate with humans in this way. But since the Fire Crystal Family has agreed to cooperate, we will definitely do our best. There are too many eyes outside, so let's go in and talk about the specifics." Carnelian looked serious. He made a gesture to Xiao Chen to come in and led everyone into the house.
When Xiao Chen walked into the house, he felt a cool breeze blowing towards him. It seemed that the magic circle inside the house was much more powerful than the magic circle outside.
The old dwarf walked beside Xiao Chen with his hands behind his back: "Ansaldo has told me the general situation. I have already contacted the temple. I don't want to send you there rashly. I must first understand the attitude of the high priest. If the attitude of the high priest is problematic and he is not prepared to cooperate with you, what will you do?"
Xiao Chen guessed that the dwarf chief was worried that if something went wrong with the high priest, it would affect the Fire Crystal Family. However, Xiao Chen was determined to obtain the Forging Tower. Whether the high priest agreed to cooperate or not, it would not hinder his determination to finally obtain the Forging Tower. Xiao Chen did not want to deceive the chief. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I will consider other means to find the Forging Tower. Whether it is to work harder on the high priest or turn to the king for a solution, I will try my best."
"What if it still doesn't work?" The old patriarch looked at Xiao Chen with burning eyes.
"Maybe in the end, when there is no other option, I will consider using strong measures."
Carnelian walked for a while with his hands behind his back without saying anything. Just when Xiao Chen was a little worried, he said, "Very good, since you are so determined, our family will cooperate with you."
"Aren't you worried?"
"I have never dealt with the Tower of China, so I don't know you well. But in my opinion, you humans are similar to us dwarves in many ways." Carnellian spoke slowly, but his tone was very firm. "I am not worried that you will take tough measures. As long as our family and the Tower of China fully cooperate, there are not many things that the Dwarf King cannot do. But I am worried that you will retreat halfway, and then our family will never be able to recover."
Xiao Chen was surprised that the attitude of the clan leader was completely different from Ansaldo's. If Ansaldo was like a timid lamb in front of him later, hesitating about many issues and passively accepting his requests, then Carnellian, as the clan leader, was like a man-eating tiger. He was striving for the greatest interests of the Fire Crystal Family, but this attitude was hidden under his old appearance, so he didn't seem so aggressive.
"Even if we take military action in the royal capital, will you support us?" Xiao Chen asked.
Carnelian smiled slightly. "Lavapolis is a very ancient city. So many things have happened in this city. Everything you have thought of or not thought of has happened here." (To be continued)