SWNOVELXO Chapter 73
Philip’s intrigued expression did not go unnoticed by Mau, who frantically tried to dissuade him.
“
“Why? Do you have a reason?”
“
Philip’s excitement immediately deflated.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated with Eldir.
Other gods were offering him benefits, yet Eldir was only threatening them—
“Why doesn’t he just give me something useful so I don’t even get tempted?”
For example, he could grant Philip another divine ability or a new skill.
It made no sense for a Chosen Apostle of the Twelve Great Deities to be stuck with just one ability—”Golden Hammer.”
“
“Why not?”
“
In the past, Valian, the God of War, had lavished divine abilities upon his Apostle—
turning him into a legendary Grandmaster.
That Apostle then abused his newfound power, waging war in Valian’s name, oppressing the followers of other gods, and seeking world domination.
As a result, the Heavenly Council had unanimously agreed
to place strict limits on the powers granted to Apostles.
“Tsk, that sounds just like a certain East Asian peninsula country.
The moment something bad happens, they rush to impose restrictions instead of finding a proper solution.”
“
Hearing this, Philip’s eyes sparkled.
“Where can I find them?”
“”
Mau’s firm response made a vein bulge on Philip’s forehead.
“Tch, some angel you are. You always claim you don’t know anything.
No wonder you’re called a ‘Dumb Cat’ instead of an angel.”
“
While bickering with Mau, Philip was interrupted by Dr. Phel,
who had finally calmed down from his earlier excitement.
“By the way, my lord, why did you visit the research lab in the first place?
Did Lord Eldir perhaps hint that our experiment would succeed?”
“No, nothing like that. I actually wanted to ask you something.”
Philip then asked—
“Are you familiar with a material called rubber?”
“Rubber? What in the world is that?”
“You’ve never heard of it?”
Philip sighed.
It seemed rubber was still unknown in this world.
He had started thinking about rubber during his conversation with Mau about bicycles.
Rubber was one of the key materials that made bicycles widely accessible.
The invention of the inflated rubber tire greatly improved ride comfort,
leading to the bicycle boom of the modern era.
“But rubber is useful for far more than just bicycles.”
It could be used for vehicle tires.
It would be essential for making life vests and swim rings for upcoming naval projects.
It could be used for waterproof coatings for raincoats and tarps.
It was perfect for seals and gaskets to prevent water or gas leaks.
Even balloons and children’s toys could be made from it.
Seeing Phel’s curious expression, Philip explained in detail.
“Rubber is made from the sap of a tree called the rubber tree. When you cut its bark, a milky fluid flows out, which can be processed into a stretchy, waterproof material.”
“Hmm… Elasticity and water resistance, you say…?”
“That’s not all. Rubber is also an excellent insulator. For example, it could block the lightning magic used in your electric lamps.”
Hearing this, Phel scratched his head in confusion.
“I pride myself on my knowledge of natural sciences, but I’ve never heard of a rubber tree.”
He turned to his disciples and asked—
“Do any of you know anything about it?”
Cain and Cassellan shook their heads.
“I have no idea.”
“I’ve heard of tree sap being boiled into syrup, but nothing about this rubber material.”
However, Lily was different.
Deep in thought, she suddenly spoke up.
“If you’re looking for something stretchy and bouncy… isn’t that just slime?”
“Slime?”
“Yes. Back in the northern Ordia Peninsula, kids used to kick slime corpses around like balls.”
Slimes were one of the most common monsters in the northern Ordia Peninsula.
They ate anything, reproduced rapidly, and usually lived in forests— though they occasionally appeared near human settlements as well.
Some types secreted highly acidic toxins, but most were weak and treated like nuisances—or even toys.
“The most common kind is the Green Slime, which even shows up near villages. People don’t just play with them—they dry the corpses to use as shoe soles or melt them down to repair leaky roofs.”
“Have they ever been used to absorb shocks—like for wheels?”
“Hmm… not that I’ve seen.”
“So, they’re not that durable.”
According to Lily, slime corpses decompose quickly and melt easily, making them unsuitable for long-term use.
Plus, they smell bad.
“Hmm… but their properties seem similar to rubber… I wonder if adding sulfur would help?”
Lily, having overheard Philip mumbling to himself,
tilted her head in curiosity.
“Sulfur?”
“Even if it fails, it’s worth trying.”
At Philip’s suggestion, Lily sighed dramatically.
“Ugh, my lord, I still have unfinished experiments from the electric lamp project—”
“If you can successfully process slime into rubber, I’ll pay you 1,000 Dalants.”
“I’LL DO IT! I’LL MAKE IT WORK!”
Lily immediately switched gears.
Watching the exchange, Phel stared at Philip with awed curiosity.
“Rubber…? Where does he get all this knowledge from?”
Over the past winter,
every conversation with Baron Brandel had left Phel astonished.
Philip’s knowledge was far broader than expected.
“At first, I assumed it was because he was the Apostle of the Blacksmithing God… but that wasn’t it. His knowledge spans many different fields.”
Philip understood alchemy, engineering, and thermodynamics—
and he even spoke of concepts like atoms and molecules that Phel had never heard of before.
“But the most shocking was the steam engine model in his lab.”
Philip claimed it could move a massive carriage without magic, using only fire and steam.
It sounded impossible— but considering everything Philip had already achieved, Phel couldn’t dismiss it as a lie.
Philip always acted as if he knew his ideas were possible.
“But we need slime for this experiment… Should we send someone all the way to the Ordia Peninsula?”
Hearing Lily’s concern, Philip waved a hand dismissively.
“No need to worry. There are plenty of slimes in the Prill Mountains. I’ll have the territorial army hunt a few and bring them in.”
At times like this, having a monster-infested mountain range was actually useful.
“Alright, the military will handle the slime hunting…
Master, what are you waiting for? We need to prepare for the slime-processing experiment!”
“Huh? Oh! Right!”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Phel quickly gave instructions.
“Cain! Cassellan! Get the lab ready for a new experiment!”
“Yes, Master!”
Watching them rush to prepare, Philip felt pleased with his decision to recruit them.
Sure, Myron Phel and his disciples were stubborn and a little eccentric— but with the right guidance, they had the potential to create amazing inventions.
“Hehehe… My little work slaves. You’re stuck with me for life.”
As Philip grinned mischievously,
Mau appeared and chimed in disapprovingly.
“
“Who said I was using them for free? I’m giving them modern knowledge and all the resources they need. I call that a fair trade.”
“
Philip ignored Mau’s grumbling and handed Phel and his disciples
a special reward—freshly brewed coffee and fried chicken.
Then, he left the magic lab, humming to himself.
*****
Meanwhile, in the Dragonia Mountains of Northern Laterran…
The Dragonia Mountains, a rugged mountain range in the northern Laterran continent, were said to have once been home to many dragons.
Deep beneath these mountains lay the underground cities of the dwarves— the very heart of the Dwarven Kingdom.
While spring had arrived in the southern lands, the north remained locked in the grip of bitter cold.
On one such frigid day, the capital of the Dwarven Kingdom, Landers, hosted an emergency meeting of the chieftains of the Seven Dwarven Clans. A grave piece of intelligence had arrived from outside their borders.
“So, you’re saying… that a human lord is using Dragon Breath?”
“Yes. And it’s not just one or two mercenaries who witnessed it.”
“Couldn’t they have mistaken it for a magic artifact?”
“They were very clear. It wasn’t just fire—it came with an explosive roar,
like a bolt of lightning. Some even reported seeing a metal staff that breathed fire.”
“Damn it! That’s real Dragon Breath!”
The meeting hall erupted in a storm of shock and outrage.
Among them, the oldest of the chieftains, Wilhelm of the Iron Hammer Clan,
stroked his long white beard and calmly spoke.
“King Gunter, do we have any idea how the human lord created such a weapon?”
The dwarf seated at the head of the table, wearing a golden horned helmet, responded curtly.
“What’s there to investigate? Someone among us must have leaked the technology.”
King Gunter of the Golden Axe Clan, the current ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom, spoke with undisguised disdain.
“I heard this human’s territory is near Campania. Could it be that someone from that region leaked the knowledge?”
At his words, every chieftain’s gaze turned to the Bronze Anvil Clan’s leader.
“What?!”
Vixen, the burly chieftain of the Bronze Anvil Clan, slammed his massive fist on the table in anger.
“That’s absurd! The dwarves in Campania don’t even know how to make Dragon Breath!”
“But they might have passed the knowledge along… Your clan is very friendly with humans. Perhaps someone sold the secret for a bit of extra coin?”
BOOM!
Vixen’s fist crashed onto the table, knocking over mugs of ale and plates of food.
“Are you calling the Bronze Anvil Clan traitors?!”
“Tsk, tsk. You’re raising your voice—feeling guilty, are you?”
“What did you say?! Damn you, Gunter! Step outside! I don’t care if you’re king, I’ll settle this with my fists!”
Vixen and Gunter had always been bitter rivals.
Their clans’ philosophies also clashed.
The Bronze Anvil Clan was open-minded and favored trade with humans.
The Golden Axe Clan was traditionalist, believing in dwarven self-reliance.
“You gold-obsessed fool! Do you have no shame, bowing to humans?”
“Who’s bowing?!
At least we understand how the world is changing,
unlike mole-rats like you who bury your heads underground!”
Both rolled up their sleeves, ready to brawl.
“Enough! Both of you, calm down! You’re making fools of yourselves in front of the other chieftains!”
At Wilhelm’s stern voice, Gunter and Vixen begrudgingly sat back down,
grumbling all the while.
“Hmph, you got lucky this time, Gunter.”
“Pah! You’re the one backing down.”
“What did you say?! Why, I ought to—”
“I said ENOUGH!”
Wilhelm, a former king of the dwarves, let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… Oh, Lord Eldir, what am I to do with these fools?”
The Seven Clans of the Dwarves were all renowned for their master craftsmanship, with each clan excelling in a specific skill.
For example:
The Iron Hammer Clan specialized in metal refining.
The Golden Axe Clan excelled in weapon-making.
The Bronze Anvil Clan were experts in mining and excavation.
Together, their collective knowledge and technology had made the Dwarven Kingdom rich and powerful.
However, due to years of internal peace, the kingdom had become plagued with infighting.
And no two clans fought more frequently than the Golden Axe and Bronze Anvil Clans.
Wilhelm could no longer ignore this problem—nor could he overlook the issue of Dragon Breath.
“First, we need to assess the situation. I propose we send an investigation team.”