The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 609

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Chapter 609: The Dwarf Who Said Yes

But finishing the equipment had actually only been possible because Auntie Cece had helped out a lot.

Especially when it came to designing.

See, after several iterations, when Luca tried making wings, he realized he was much better at implementing designs than drawing them up.

For one, Luca’s main issue was his lack of experience with the gears themselves. While he had practiced a bit of everything, it always took longer because it felt like he had to learn how to use each equipment from scratch.

Good for training, sure. And after all that, he did think he’d broadened his arsenal of possible weapons—a positive development.

And yes, the mecha pilot data he collected from everyone was useful, but when it came to adding new features, his mind could only stretch that far if he was already familiar with the pros and cons of each piece of equipment.

Not exactly ideal for someone working on a painfully tight schedule.

If he wasted too much time in trial and error, he might not be able to finish everything in time for training.

So Luca did the only sensible thing. He asked for help.

And the moment he asked, Auntie Cece practically dropped everything in her excitement.

Because really, what dwarf wouldn’t?

This was right up her alley.

It was some time after he managed to finish the wings he had been trying to make.

Luca waited shyly outside the forge where Cece had been working. His fingers twisted together, eyes darting as he waited for the right moment.

"LUCA!" Cece’s booming voice nearly sent him flying out of his shoes when she finally noticed him.

"Ah!" Luca yelped, cheeks going pale as he panicked and threw up a spiritual barrier around them.

The dwarf blinked, startled, before her eyes narrowed with battle-ready instinct. "What’s wrong? Who is it? Where?!" She dropped her hammer, already scanning the area for assassins, saboteurs, kidnappers, or—Solaris forbid—injuries, even when technically no one could have possibly infiltrated the dungeon space.

She stormed toward him, circling him like a hawk. "Did someone hurt you? Show me! Where’s the wound?"

"N-no, Auntie, I’m fine!" Luca squeaked, frantically waving his hands. "I’m not hurt at all. I just... needed help. That’s why I came."

Cece stopped mid-prowl, eyes blinking in disbelief. "Help?"

"Yes. I’ve been having some difficulty with something, and I thought—maybe—you could..." Luca trailed off, cheeks heating, voice dropping so soft it was almost swallowed by the barrier.

Cece’s eyes immediately softened, curiosity brimming. "Okay, let’s go."

"Eh?" Luca blinked.

"Yes," Cece repeated firmly, nodding so hard her braids bounced. "Whatever it is, the answer is yes."

"B-but, Auntie, shouldn’t you at least hear what it is first? It might be too much, especially with your workload..."

"Ha!" Cece threw back her head and laughed proudly, planting her fists on her hips in a power stance. "Workload? Child, please. There is no way I’d turn down anything from you. And besides, my work? Easy. It comes naturally to me."

She puffed her chest with pride. And truthfully, she wasn’t exaggerating.

Cece had actually been in charge of managing the mineral deposits of the dungeon space. She worked with D-29 to determine what they had, how to mine safely, and how to do it responsibly. On top of that, she was tasked with developing the machines they needed for automation—especially for food production.

Because honestly, how were they supposed to hire outside experts for machines too specific to their use? Were they supposed to sit down and explain cooking without giving away their biggest secret?

No, of course not. So for specialized designs, Cece had taken full responsibility.

She was, to put it simply, one very busy dwarf.

And yet she meant what she said.

She was willing to do anything for Luca. Absolutely anything. If he asked her for a life donation right then and there, she would not hesitate. Her life had been given back to her by this wonderful boy, so what was hers was his.

Of course, everyone knew Luca was not the kind of person to ask anyone to sacrifice themselves. Which meant whatever he was about to ask, it had to be something she would actually like.