Another three months passed in Hephaestus as it was connected from one end to another.
Hephaestus' atmosphere was fiery, as expected from the domain of the Dwarven Race.
As people inherently skilled at craftsmanship in all facets, heat was something they were both used to and attracted to.
It was interesting to see a domain with a major population of dwarves. Unlike the rest of the Sectors, this one was like a massive workshop.
Every world was filled with artisans who were busy perfecting their craft, and every world seemed to be moving as if the world would end tomorrow.
The greetings Damien received here weren't nearly as grand as the rest. Precisely because of this atmosphere, not many showed him the same reverence as regular citizens.
After all, dwarves respected skill over all else.
Damien was a fighter. This was his talent and this was his passion. When it came to secondary occupations, he didn't have much experience at all.
Even his knowledge of formation arts was shallow, only enough for him to design mechanisms that mainly relied on his Law Comprehension.
Therefore, the dwarves viewed him as a passing visitor, someone equivalent to an envoy from Heaven's Army.
Nevertheless, they were not rude. They understood Damien's purpose and respected his determination and loyalty, if nothing else.
And Damien didn't mind at all.
He didn't expect unconditional respect, nor did he desire it. If dwarves, who already held this kind of reputation, treated him unusually positively, he would only be suspicious.
Plus, their disinterest made his life easier.
Damien and the girls traveled all around, visiting different worlds and seeing different sights without being bothered at all.
If the Divine Realm showed them the beauty of nature, Hephaestus showed them the beauty of effort.
Each craftsman had their own unique style cultivated by years and years of effort, yet, each sword they made was exquisitely indistinguishable from the rest.
The lack of uniqueness did not represent a lack of skill, but the total opposite.
Heaven's Army needed weapons for large swathes of soldiers, not unique weapons for elites.
If a sword was slightly worse than the rest, it could mean the death of one soldier.
When this scale was blown out of proportion as it was in this war, the death toll would add up exponentially.
The fact that each and every sword produced for those soldiers was exactly the same was a testament to skill above all else.
Though, it wasn't as if there weren't unique blacksmiths or craftsmen.
Merely, these people had different duties. They were not hired to create mass-produced weaponry.
Another 50,000 worlds found themselves equipped with teleportation arrays, and 35,000 of them entered Damien's grasp.
'Luciel already distributed the keys, but these arrays haven't been used yet. I guess he wanted to make a spectacle.'
The universe needed a morale boost and this was the perfect opportunity.
Once Damien laid down the last array of Hephaestus, a grand event would take place.
'Haa, it's a little too flashy for my tastes, but it is what it is.'
The last stop was also the most important one. It would've been the first if not for this plan of Luciel's.
It was time to visit Heaven's Army's main headquarters.
The world was called Vulcan in line with the name of the Sector, and it was the largest world present here.
Spanning over a billion square kilometers, this world held almost a trillion existences, all of them warriors either preparing for or entering the war.
Vulcan was divided into several sectors, most of which were used to train and house different troops, but the main area of the world was the true headquarters of Heaven's Army.
Was it a facility or a fortress? Damien truly couldn't tell.
The design was a mixture of medieval and modern architecture, while its layout was so confusing Damien couldn't make heads or tails of what it was supposed to be.
'But for some reason, it looks like it would be wrong if it was built differently. There really is something special about Dwarven expertise.'
A starship landed within a section of the headquarters that was built similarly to a landing strip.
Damien and the girls disembarked the ship and were immediately greeted by a welcoming party.
Two rows of soldiers stood in lines facing each other and created an aisle for them to walk.
At their head were three people, two men and a woman.
"You must be the legendary Great Commanders. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Damien said as he shook their hands.
"As with us to you," one of the men responded in kind.
'Gerard Wright, Anastasia Night, and Peros Alkara, otherwise known as the Heavenly Sword, Dark Queen, and God's Eye. These three stand near the top of the universe, unchallenged.' Damien thought as he conversed with them.
The position of Heaven's Army Great Commander didn't come lightly. Each of the three had achievements that could land them positions as leaders of the universe's greatest Holy Lands.
Yet, they chose to stay in Heaven's Army fighting for the safety of everyone else.
The stories about them were enough to garner immense respect, but meeting them was something else.
'I can't feel any animosity from them at all. Not just towards me, but in general.'
Was it possible for a being to be free of hatred?
'…or maybe they've focused every ounce of their hatred on the enemy.'
At this point, with everything that had happened, Damien was naturally suspicious of anyone and everyone.
However, as he conversed with the three, as he observed their personalities and exchanged knowledge with them, his opinion of them rose greatly.
Because they were, without qualms, completely transparent.
They told Damien about Heaven's Army's current situation and the war's progression, discussed with him their ideas for the rapid improvement of troops, and even argued strategy while including him in the conversation.
What struck him was their inclusive nature. Usually, such a thing would only be for show, but these three genuinely received Damien's opinions seriously and didn't discredit him due to age or strength.
Their conversation, unfortunately, only had a few tens of minutes to continue, but it was extremely eye-opening for all parties.
The group made their way through the facility during this time and eventually made their way to an open area that looked out into the world.
In the distance, the vague silhouette of Eien could be seen.
"Then, shall we continue this discussion at a later time? I believe many people will be arriving here soon," Anastasia said with a smile.
Damien nodded in agreement.
"Mm, I also want to hear more wisdom from you three seniors. Let's finish the current task as efficiently as possible and get back to it."
"Haha, there is no need to be formal with us. We understand and respect you just as much as you do us. In my opinion, you are underestimating your worth severely," Gerald chipped in.
Peros also voiced his support.
The group got much closer than anyone could have expected in that short period of time, a product of pre-existing respect and basic human decency.
Nevertheless, as Anastasia said, a crowd would be gathering soon.
As per Luciel's planning, it was time to put on a show.
'And if a show is necessary regardless, it's better to make it as memorable as possible.'
Damien liked being lowkey, but he was not opposed to making a scene.
There was just one problem with entertaining this hobby in his daily life.
Whenever Damien wanted to make a scene…
…it would be something that absolutely floored anyone who saw it!
