Chapter 15: Showoffery

The words from the Goat-Head immediately piqued Komer’s great interest. A rather diverse range of varieties? Oh, what did that mean? Did it imply that Izmel’s iron ore production could yield various types of magic metals? Was this guy deliberately showing off and being mysterious, or did he really have knowledge? Komer didn’t deny the other man’s expertise in fire magic, but having unique insights into ore compositions, especially those rich in magic metals, wasn’t something only fire mages could achieve—it seemed more like the domain of dwarf prospectors.
“Lord Komer, don’t look at me that way. It hurts my pride. I know what you’re thinking. There’s nothing to hide. I have dwarf blood. I don’t see anything shameful about it,” said the Goat-Head, somewhat unhappily.
This news was truly surprising. Dwarves were a quite closed-off group—not because of their lack of interaction with the outside world, but due to their seriousness regarding marriage. They strictly adhered to monogamy and were extremely loyal to their spouses. Terms like infidelity or adultery didn’t exist in their emotional world. As a result, they rarely married outsiders, and outsiders also preferred not to marry dwarves due to differences in physique and race.
However, Komer wasn’t interested in that. What interested him was whether this Ferbach actually possessed the abilities he claimed. After all, he was an outsider when it came to ore smelting.
“Well, I’ve never been interested in racial lineage. In my domain, as long as you abide by the laws, that’s enough—even if you’re a skeleton or a zombie,” boasted Komer. “What interests me are things that are useful to me. Can you tell me what magic metals are contained in this ore?”
“Of course,” nodded the Goat-Head. He reached into the metal container and picked up some blackish powder. “This ore is primarily made of iron, so the most abundant accompanying metal is wootz iron. Look at the oily black color of this powder—it’s the result of wootz iron being purified through the burning of dark fire.”
Wootz iron? Komer was somewhat disappointed. Although wootz iron could barely be considered a magic metal, it was among the lowest-grade and most common types. Though it was already much more expensive than ordinary metals, its value paled in comparison to other magic metals. Wootz iron was rich in water-based magic power. Mixing it with ordinary metals could effectively increase their flexibility and malleability, and it also had some effect in resisting fire-based forces.

Seeming to notice the disappointment in Komer’s eyes, the Goat Head put down the black powder in his hand and searched again in the metal container. There were slightly blueish particles on the tips of his fingers, prompting Komer to perk up his ears.
“This is Indigo Gold—blue with a hint of green. It’s very rare on the Land of Azure. I’d say many people on that continent have probably never even heard of it,” the Goat Head said proudly.
“I haven’t heard of it either,” Komer nodded, waving his hand to stop the Goat Head from continuing. “Mr. Feuerbach, please wait a moment. I’d like to invite two more friends to join you in this demonstration.”
The arrival of Rebrí, Mihajović, and Newman brought a bit more liveliness to the atmosphere in the cabin. Even Rebrí and Mihajović had never heard of Indigo Gold, but Newman showed excitement. “Lord Komer, I’ve heard of this magical metal. It has a strong wood-like quality. Due to its excellent malleability and even some self-repairing capabilities, it’s always been called active metal. If Indigo Gold can be used in certain specially designed mechanical components that wear out easily, it can enable automatic repair of those worn parts—such as the vulnerable parts of advanced magic crossbows and many magic scrolls.”
At last, someone knew about this substance. Komer felt much more confident—at least this guy wasn’t just bluffing in front of them; he had actually brought something truly valuable.
“It seems this gentleman has good taste. Indigo Gold is indeed precious and highly useful, but compared to this, it’s rather insignificant.” The Goat Head carefully fiddled with the metal container for a while before squeezing out a little powder from between his fingernails and placing it on his palm. “Do you know what this is? I doubt you do.”
Komer grew annoyed—it seemed this guy was still trying to show off in front of him.

“This is called Thunderstone. In fact, it’s no longer entirely a metal; to be precise, it’s something between a metal and a non-metal. It possesses a certain malleability like metal, but it can’t be shaped at will like metal after being refined. Its most important feature is that it contains quite powerful lightning energy. If we can find a way to break through the barriers enclosing this energy in Thunderstone and release it freely, then the staff made from it could rival the Thunder God’s Staff held by the great archmage Hammurabi, who was known as the King of Thunder. It is said that that staff was entirely made of pure natural Thunderstone. But now, after hundreds of years, no one has seen it.”

When talking about his field of expertise, Goathead became eloquent and unrestrained.

“As far as I know, Thunderstone is most effective when used on arrows. If a magic archer applies a little magical power to arrows equipped with Thunderstone, he can control them to explode in designated areas, releasing small bursts of lightning energy. I’ve heard that some magic craftsmen have already succeeded in creating such arrows, but I haven’t seen them yet.”

Goathead’s words acted like a key, lighting up everyone’s eyes as if opening a door to the world of magic metals. Magic metals were unfamiliar to mages, but they were the most precious thing for magic craftsmen. Feuerbach’s introduction undoubtedly made everyone, including Komer, realize that if magic metals could be mined and refined in large quantities, the Caucasus might become the second magic capital. A large number of magic craftsmen and merchants of magical equipment would flock there. With superior transportation, abundant magical material resources, sufficient ore and coal resources, and the dwarves already attracted by the clay resources by Lake Nirel, all these factors could turn the Caucasus into a new hub of magical prosperity.

“Very good, Mr. Feuerbach. Although your first impression on me wasn’t great, your presentation has convinced me. You’ve passed. Now it’s time to discuss the specifics of our cooperation,” Komer nodded in satisfaction.