Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 169 - Young Warrior of the Iron Legion

POV: Rufus Pinnacle Sea

My name is Rufus. More specifically, I am Rufus Mar of the Pinnacle. A dwarf with orange-red hair.

I discovered this second name of mine only a year ago, when I met my blood-grandfather, who had come to join the Iron Legion like many other dwarves from the Dwarf Territory.

In fact, technically it was he who found me...

My grandfather was Hightown Mar of the Pinnacle, and while I was speaking with Brightstone at the forge about Kilian's new weapon, he approached and said I looked very much like my father.

After asking me several questions, he discovered that I really was his grandson. It shocked me, since I was certain I had no family left in the world.

My parents died about eight years ago in a slave trader attack.

I, as a survivor, was naturally sold into slavery at that time.

I barely had memories of them by then—after all, I was already twelve years old and my life had changed drastically since that time.

If I hadn't been saved by Yan, one of the slave traders, I probably would have met a fate worse than death at the hands of an Asura noble.

But life is unpredictable: I was saved, and then taken in by the Iron Legion.

Still, I was very happy to have a grandfather. It seems that, like my parents, my grandfather also liked living in high places.

That was somewhat uncommon among dwarves—liking high places...but I had always enjoyed them too.

So sharing a trait with a blood relative was pleasant.

Although I knew I was probably just trying to find a family I belonged to...in any case, grandpa was very kind to me.

He didn't usually take part in battles because he was a great blacksmith, so he stayed in the rear, constantly crafting and repairing weapons.

That was by no means an unworthy job—in fact, on a large scale, one of the reasons the Iron Legion was going head-to-head against an entire country was that the quality of our weapons surpassed theirs.

And even I knew how to forge, but since I had been much more focused on fighting in recent years, I hadn't paid much attention to the skill.

I was proficient in North God Style up to the Advanced level, but I wasn't particularly good at it.

My true strength lay in magic; I was studying various types of magic, but what made me recognized was Earth Magic.

But my grandfather said that the Mar of the Pinnacle family was a family born to be smiths. I decided to give it a chance because he was my grandfather, and I began to focus more on forging over the past year.

And I ended up discovering something even more shocking... I was very good at it.

"Woof!"

Snapping me out of my daydreams, Geri—my imposing ebony wolf, 4.5 meters tall—licked my face.

"Geri... your breath smells like fish... I've told you to stop eating fish, that breath is unbearable!"

The wolf turned his head and feigned ignorance. I clenched my teeth and sighed in disappointment.

"Go fetch Garrison... tell him I'll meet him here in half an hour. We have a mission."

The wolf barked in confirmation, then leapt nimbly across the stone buildings of the Iron Legion.

Meanwhile, I entered the Iron Legion's forging division.

Almost the entire Iron Legion base was built with Earth Magic, mostly created by our leader, Rygar Adoldia. I built some things afterward, but nothing as large as the leader.

This stronghold was known throughout the world and bore the name Stone Fortress. It was said to be a fortress, but it was more like a city.

The enormous walls and grand structures, barracks, buildings, and streets were constructed as if made by a god.

Many dwarves marveled at the architecture, the beauty, and the complexity of the structures. The leader's magic and ingenuity were astonishing even to dwarves.

When I entered the building, the familiar heat hit my face strongly, coming from dozens of forges in operation.

The space was vast, with a high ceiling supported by thick stone columns—all designed to withstand the intense heat and the weight of the equipment.

The floor was dark stone, stained with soot and coal from constant use, and there were channels through which channeled lava ran, used as a heat source for the furnaces.

The air was thick with smoke, steam, and the constant sound of hammers striking metal.

The forges were organized into stations, each with its anvil, tools hanging on racks, and a rudimentary ventilation system—ducts and chimneys that carried smoke out of the mountain.

Several blacksmiths could be seen working continuously with intense focus, accompanied by apprentices carrying coal, ingots, or semi-finished pieces.

The entire place smelled of hot iron, sweat, and burning coal. Most of the blacksmiths were dwarves, but there were some of other races as well.

As I walked through the forge, everyone greeted me with respect and excitement.

I was quite famous in the Iron Legion, despite being only twelve years old.

I had been with them since I was four, when the leader offered me to return home, or to join the Legion.

Soon after meeting me, he named me "Rufus."

Honestly, a good part of my fame came from that name. Being named personally by Rygar Adoldia, after he recognized my talent, meant a great deal in the Great Forest and the Iron Legion.

But I didn't know if I liked it anymore.

My leader, Rygar, taught me magic during the time I was free, especially when I had just joined the Legion.

He taught me up to Advanced Earth Magic, my primary affinity, and Intermediate in the others. But... after that, he became too busy to continue.

He went to the dwarf territory and returned with a red-haired girl and the Sword King, Ghislaine Dedoldia. Since then, he had been very busy with the Legion and couldn't teach me effectively.

So I pushed myself. I really worked hard to get his attention. Now, thinking about it, it was kind of stupid... He's not my father, nor does he have that responsibility.

Still... I was hurt when he left without taking me along. Maybe I had created unrealistic illusions in my mind. But they were just delusions.

Even so, the leader recognized my efforts. He even gave me command of the "Children's Division" back then. And I think I did a good job making them all stronger.

I consoled myself with the thought that he didn't take me because I was too young to go—and it didn't make sense for me to go, actually.

So I dedicated myself wholeheartedly.

He gave me an Ebony Wolf, which he named Geri.

My best friend and most reliable ally in the entire world... It was hard to explain to people how much easier it was to trust Geri than humans, but my wolf was simply different.

After walking through the forge, I finally arrived at a particular one.

"Grandpa?"

An old dwarf wearing an apron and holding a hammer turned around quickly and smiled.

"Rufus! You've finally arrived. The stock is almost gone!"

"I'm going to create plenty of ore now for the next few days, but I won't be able to help build today. I have a mission."

My grandfather, Hightown, furrowed his brow.

"I understand... I still recommend you consider becoming a full-time blacksmith... battles are very dangerous."

I smiled.

"That won't be possible, I'm actually quite strong, grandpa. It would be a waste not to have me on the battlefield. Especially due to the versatility of Terr-"

"Okay, okay! You've repeated that several times already. Go then!"

I smiled wryly as I began to create the same ore I had been making for months. He could show that rigid exterior, but I knew inside he was only worried.

My grandfather and I were developing a prototype: an armor that could potentially become the trademark of Iron Legion members.

It was made from an ore created with Earth Magic, extremely resilient, light to move in, and quick to be generated with magic. Everything needed for mass production.

My grandfather was an excellent blacksmith, and with my forging talent, my unenchanted magic, and unique insight into runes and magic circles, I could help in various ways.

The prototype was almost ready, but I didn't always have available time.

The name we have provisionally given to it is Legionary.

After creating a good amount of the ore for my grandfather to continue working on the new armor, I said goodbye and went to the place where I had told Geri and Garrison to wait for me.

After a few minutes, I arrived again at the exit of the great forge building. There were Geri, my ebony wolf companion, and my other best friend, Garrison, the half-stag.

Garrison was tall and strong, imposing even among veteran adults, but he was only thirteen or fourteen years old.

Or at least he was supposed to be, it was hard to tell for sure, since no one knew his exact age when he was freed from slavery—not even him.

You could tell he wasn't exactly the intelligent type. He was spaced out, always seemed lost in his own thoughts, with a goofy, apathetic expression on his face.

But still, as everyone said, he was a once-in-a-generation talent. Strong swordsmen you saw often—there were many fencing styles and masters willing to teach.

But Garrison chose a different path. Since he began training, he refused swords and used only a long piece of wood.

And with that improvised staff, he outmatched all the other apprentices, winning fights that no one else could.

When a spear was first placed in his hands, it was one of the rare moments I saw a genuine look of interest on his face.

He not only liked the weapon—he seemed to understand it. The spear, often feared for its association with the Superd demons of the Laplace War, became an extension of his body.

He was developing something new, a unique and personal technique based on instinct, strength, and an intuitive understanding of the flow of battle.

Interestingly, that demon woman who followed Verdia Solarion—the leader's master—also used a similar weapon, although her style was clearly different.

In any case, Garrison became my reliable right-hand. When real battles began, he didn't leave me behind—he kept following me.

As I approached, Garrison called me in his usual low, emotionless voice:

"Rufus, Commander Taes said he wanted to speak with us before we go on the mission."

Ah, right. I had forgotten that detail.

Since Kilian Dedoldia—the Gale Reaper—arrived at the front lines with his Great Forest reinforcements, there had been a slight crack in the chain of command.

Some obeyed Kilian, others followed Taes.

Kilian had unified much of the Great Forest tribes with his own hands, earning the loyalty of many.

Taes, on the other hand, had been the commander of the Iron Legion since Rygar's departure.

Neither of them saw any problem with that—they were allies, and deep down they knew the true leader was Rygar.

But Verdia Solarion insisted that, in wartime, the chain of command needed to be clear.

Someone had to lead while Rygar was away. And so they contested—and Taes Dedoldia won. Since then, he had been the Legion's temporary commander.

I replied:

"Okay, let's go." and began to walk.

"Did he say why he wanted to see us?" I asked.

Garrison shook his head, expressionless, his eyes following a little bird drinking water in the distance. He seemed more interested in the bird than in the conversation. Well, that was just him.

We mounted Geri and he ran swiftly to the war hall, which was housed in a particularly fortified building. Milis had already tried to infiltrate people there more than once.

It wasn't hard to find Taes—among the Legion members who had ebony wolves as companions, there were only me, him, and the leader.

Moreover, even at twelve years old, I had already defeated Saints in one-on-one combat. My Earth Magic was the best in the Iron Legion—except for the leader, of course.

Verdia herself, the leader's master, said I probably possessed Emperor-level mana.

For me, manipulating earth was like moving arms and legs. And controlling the terrain often meant practically controlling the battle.

With that, the odds of me being an infiltrator were nil.

Taes was, as usual, busy. He had maps on the table, piled reports, open and sealed letters.

His expression was tense, and his eyes showed signs of sleepless nights.

Unlike me, who could train or forge when not fighting, Taes was always managing, planning, deciding, and even going to the battlefield personally.

I don't remember the last time I saw him rest.

And yet... yet, his wife announced she was pregnant a few months ago!

How did he find time for that?!

It was an enigma.

When he noticed me entering, he looked up with a broad smile on his face:

"Rufus, hahahahahaha!"

I fell silent, confused. Should I have known the reason for his laughter?

He furrowed his brow, surprised:

"You didn't hear anything on the way...?"

I became even more confused.

"No...? I came mounted on Geri," I answered.

Taes smiled, crossing his arms, his eyes shining with satisfaction.

"The sixth world power fell a few days ago..."

My breath stopped in that instant.

My mind began to race, processing the meaning of that news.

"And the new world power... is the Beast God."

-----

Hello! If you want to support my writing, check out my subscription P@treon

By subscribing, you will get access to up to 20 advanced Chapters of the Webnovel and polls to decide various things about the story.

Your support will encourage me to continue writing more Chapters! Check it out here: pa treon.com/DaoistJunkYard

---

Special Thanks

Thank you to Nikkolas and Awcher for becoming members on P@treon!