Chapter 317: The City of Black Iron (V)
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"We... We named it the Black Iron Series. A multi-functional alchemical armor."
The researcher who had been pushed forward trembled as he spoke. Though he stood on a high platform, safe from the blood and gore splattering in all directions, the sight before him shook him to his core. This elderly man, well over a hundred years old, had lived through both World War I and World War II in the Muggle world, but witnessing war from a distance and experiencing it firsthand were two entirely different things.
Moreover, due to the peculiar nature of electrical technology in this world, warfare among mortals was not as gruesome. Being struck by a high-energy laser typically resulted in a clean-through wound, with the heat cauterizing the injury and minimizing visible blood. The most overwhelming scent on the battlefield was not gunpowder but the acrid stench of burning matter—particularly that of scorched flesh. It was a 'roasted meat' smell, but without the cumin and chili powder, it was a soulless kind of barbecue.
But none of that was the most important thing. The real issue was this—after executing such a ruthless display of power, the seemingly harmless man before them was still smiling.
That smile alone made the elderly wizard feel his brittle bones grow even weaker.
Not every aged wizard was like Dumbledore or Grindelwald—capable in combat while also pioneering advanced magical research. As an exceptionally skilled alchemical researcher, his dueling abilities weren't much stronger than an Auror's unless he had meticulously prepared for battle.
"Maybe if he gets close enough, I could take him out with a well-aimed wrench strike to the head?"
That reckless thought flashed through the alchemist's mind. He had undergone some minor alchemical mechanical modifications; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lift the heavy Black Iron armor components with one hand to examine the inscriptions etched onto them.
Magic might be unreliable in this situation, but pure, unembellished physics? That was a different story.
"There are even beast-shaped ones? This thing really is multi-functional."
Harry's gaze swept around curiously before he reached out and casually picked up a Black Iron armor shaped like a lion.
"That thing weighs fifteen tons."
The old alchemist twitched slightly, his brows furrowing. "Yes, that is indeed a beast-type armor. However, our research suggests it was originally designed as an alchemical battle suit to complement an Animagus's first-stage transformation. Back when these were created, the concept of second-stage Animagus transformations hadn't even emerged yet."
"That's an interesting idea. How many different animal forms are there?"
Harry was already considering taking a suitable one back for Cedric. He just wasn't sure what kind of magical creature Cedric would ultimately choose for his transformation. Knowing Cedric, even if it wasn't a dog, it would probably still be some sort of canine… Maybe a fox?
Foxes were small, cute, and easy to cuddle—something Cedric's girlfriend, Cho, would definitely appreciate. He had a habit of letting her hug him whenever possible.
"There are 172 beast-type Black Iron armors, featuring 65 different animal forms. Two-thirds of them are modeled after ordinary animals, while the remaining third take on the shapes of magical creatures."
The old alchemist recited these numbers without hesitation. He had been overseeing this research facility for years—there wasn't a detail he didn't know inside and out.
"However, the majority of our collection consists of humanoid and semi-humanoid Black Iron armors. In total, we have 760 of them. Aside from wearable armor, we also possess non-wearable constructs—Black Iron alchemical golems. The largest among them is the 'Black Emperor,' towering at 456 meters. It is the primary focus of our research."
"It contains the most intricate and advanced alchemical array we have ever seen. If we can fully decipher this array—"
A feverish glint suddenly flickered in the old alchemist's eyes. He took several deep breaths before continuing, "This will be a groundbreaking study! I have never encountered such an efficient, high-level energy conversion system. If we can analyze the remaining energy stored within it, alchemy will advance by at least a century—perhaps even two!"
Compared to the elder's excitement, Harry remained rather indifferent. It wasn't that he didn't understand the significance of this discovery; rather, he knew something the alchemist didn't.
The so-called 'advanced energy' the old man was raving about was actually just the lingering magic of an ancient Awakener who had once operated this massive alchemical armor. Naturally, its energy was far superior to that of ordinary wizards—or even any magical power naturally found in the world.
But Awakeners… even Dumbledore had only heard of them. And considering he had lived through the era when Senior Seti was at Hogwarts, calling him the person closest to understanding Awakeners wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Yet despite this, Dumbledore knew pitifully little about them. Under the influence of the world's will, not a single book existed that even vaguely described the powers or deeds of Awakeners. Even when an individual Awakener was mentioned, what was recorded were trivial personal interests rather than their actual abilities.
Take, for example, the barely surviving fragments of The Ten Verses of the Sword Immortal of the Azure Lotus, the founders of Hogwarts whose biographies remained frustratingly vague, or Grindelwald—who, upon learning that future generations labeled him as a pureblood supremacist, was so furious that his nose nearly twisted out of shape. He had equally looked down upon anyone lacking sufficient talent, regardless of their bloodline. What pureblood nonsense? Not a single Awakener wizard came from so-called pure wizarding bloodlines. If anything, what they had was purely human blood—every single one of them was born to Muggle parents who had no magical talent at all.
In truth, the so-called pureblood wizards were the real hybrids. Without exception, their ancestors had intermingled with magical creatures at some point. At least in European wizarding history, this was a truth buried for countless years. The majority of the so-called "pureblood" wizarding families were actually descended from human-magical creature hybrids, and what they referred to as "purity" merely meant that, at worst, each new generation would at least be born as a Squib—possessing magical heritage but no ability to wield it. But in reality, even two Muggle-born wizards could have offspring who inherited the same magical potential.
Marrying non-magical individuals did reduce the probability of producing wizard offspring, but a union between two wizards? That guaranteed magical children—at worst, a Squib with insufficient innate magic.
"You don't understand how valuable this research is!"
Seeing Harry's indifferent expression, as if all this was nothing to him, the elderly wizard furrowed his brows in frustration. For him, this research was the most important pursuit of his life.
"I don't need to understand."
Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "After all, all of this is just an inheritance left for me." He glanced at the old alchemist, a smirk playing on his lips. "Compared to you all, I'm the true rightful heir. You? You're just a bunch of thieves who snuck in to dig up someone else's treasure."
"The true owner of this place has been dead for over a thousand years!" the old wizard retorted stiffly. "Even if you're powerful, that doesn't justify your greed in claiming it as your own. That excuse—"
He scoffed, turning his head aside, though he barely managed to suppress the urge to spit in contempt. He wasn't foolish—he knew that if he provoked Harry too much, the young man might just shoot him without a second thought.
"There's a Black Iron City above this place."
Harry shook his head with a laugh. "You all haven't noticed, have you? The predecessor who left this behind left me a message. If you're interested, I could take you up there to see it for yourself someday."
Before the old wizard could argue further, Harry waved a hand dismissively and pointed ahead.
"The tour has only just begun, hasn't it?"
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The work was nearly done. The freezing days he had endured hadn't been in vain. Once everything was settled, he could finally return home and enjoy the new year without people whispering behind his back.
(End of Chapter)