Volume 6 Chapter 23: Hiding The Truth
Volume 6 Chapter 23: Hiding The Truth
(Walson)
In the vast workshop, the elders, dressed in similar attire, stood in two rows, their cold eyes trapping us in the middle.
As for the Dwarf King, he stared down at me and Tanaya behind me with an imposing gaze that exuded an aura of majesty, making it hard to look directly at him. There was even an instinctive urge to kneel.
So, this is the King.
Despite the turmoil raging within me, I was surprisingly calm, not kneeling—perhaps due to my experience with many grand occasions.
The situation has become tricky. Should I cause a scene now? Or could there be a way to break through this dire circumstance?
Chuck, oh Chuck, what kind of trouble have you gotten me into?
"We are not some foreign race, and as for our names, old man, why don't you take a guess?" I said with a cold laugh.
Luckily, I'm about the same height as a dwarf, so I can drag this out and act according to the circumstances.
A staredown ensued.
My tone caused the nearby elders to gasp in shock.
"Do you know who I am?" The Dwarf King raised an eyebrow, his already icy tone becoming even colder and more ruthless.
"Dwarf King Gur, you're too recognizable, there's no way I wouldn't know." I continued, my mind racing.
Thankfully, I have the [Status Detection] cheat that allows me to know people's names in advance!
"Oh?" Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across the Dwarf King's stern face. "Sinner, how did you recognize me? Is it an ability above [High Appraisal]?"
"Father, how could he not recognize you? They are the offspring of your twin brother, my uncle! They are of our royal blood! No matter what secret methods you use to shield your identity, he can definitely discern who you are!"
What the hell!? Offspring of a twin brother!?
What the hell Chuck!? You didn’t say shit about any of this! Even if you want me to cooperate, at least tell me about my supposed background first!
"Perhaps, or this foreigner could be someone you made an alliance with! John’s offspring? How could you tell such a lie? Chuck, you have disappointed me greatly!" The Dwarf King turned back and glared angrily at Chuck.
"Walson, prove it to father, prove that you are indeed of our royal blood! Prove your unique [Metalforge Manipulation] ability!" Chuck shouted loudly, breaking free of his restraints, only to be subdued by the surrounding guards.
"That's precisely my intention, but I don't know if this arrogant king will let me prove it." I said with a cold smile, "Though now I somewhat understand why my father never spoke about his elder brother."
As I spoke, I cursed furiously in my mind.
If it weren’t for my previous job requiring me to bluff like this frequently, I would have been exposed by now!
I quickly organized the information from the recent conversation in my mind.
Chuck said Tanaya and I are the offspring of the Dwarf King’s twin brother, knowing full well we both came from outside, yet he still made up this lie, implying there's some exploitable opportunity in this lie.
That so-called twin brother—I suspect he is one of the few [Noble Dwarf] who ended up outside and has been missing for a long time. Otherwise, Chuck wouldn’t have said such a thing for me to cover up. So, should I bluff in this direction?
This is a huge gamble! Even if I win, there will be many troubles afterward!
"Saying I’m arrogant? How amusing. In that case, I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself, sinner." The Dwarf King sneered.
Good, he fell for my provocation!
I turned around and walked to the dwarven forge under everyone's watchful eyes—where the [Storage Box] and [Workbench] were placed.
I opened the [Storage Box], took out two yellow-brown metal ingots, and displayed them in front of the dwarves.
"No need for me to explain, being [Noble Dwarf], you should all understand what metal I have in my hands." I said.
The elders' initial disdainful looks shifted noticeably when they saw the metal ingots I took out.
The Dwarf King, whose expression had been a mix of anger and mockery, now looked incredibly sharp and solemn. Chuck's eyes widened as he watched, seemingly wanting to imprint the forthcoming events into his memory.
Now, it's showtime.
I threw the two Orihalcum steel ingots onto the workbench and pulled a wooden stick from the storage box.
Orihalcum steel, known in this world as the hardest material, is considered unworkable. Even in the millennia-long history of the Noble Dwarf, no one has ever been able to manipulate Orihalcum steel with Metalforge Manipulation.
This was just a legend.
However, today, I will turn what should only exist in legends into reality.
Following the Minecraft recipe, two metal ingots plus a stick can create a metal sword. But today, I'm using Orihalcum steel.
I held the wooden stick with my left hand over the workbench and slid my right hand down its length, starting the synthesis process with this gesture.
The two metal ingots, influenced by a mysterious force, softened into liquid, coated the stick, and began to shape and solidify.
"I don't even need to use a forge to do better than you," I boasted arrogantly. "My Metalforge Manipulation is all I need."
The dwarven forge is an auxiliary tool that works with Metalforge Manipulation, making it easier to handle extremely hard metals, reducing the difficulty of smithing. However, with my Minecraft abilities, I neither know how to use it nor need to.
Finishing my speech, I turned around and casually tossed the gleaming Orihalcum steel sword. The tip struck the ground and embedded itself a few inches deep, showcasing its sharpness.
The dwarves, including Chuck and the soldiers, were all dumbfounded. One of the elders even trembled as he walked forward and pulled the embedded sword from the ground.
The Dwarf King, maintaining his stern and indifferent face, accepted the sword handed to him by the elder.
He stared at the sword in silence for a long time before finally looking up at me again.
"Boy, what is your name?"
"Walson," I huffed, "Walson Barlow. We finally meet, Uncle."