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.

And sure enough—it was.

Luca shifted nervously, fingers twirling together before he finally blurted, "Auntie... could you maybe help me design weapons and defensive gear?"

Cece’s brows shot up, and Luca continued in a softer voice, almost melancholic. "I tried to do everything myself. I really did. And... I think I actually finished one on my own. But the others..." He lowered his gaze. "I wasn’t satisfied. I don’t know the weapons well enough to make them properly."

The word design alone was enough to set Cece’s ears twitching. Her interest sparked instantly, but the moment she heard that Luca had managed to finish something, she leaned in close with eyes blazing. "You made one already? Show me."

Luca blinked, startled, then nodded quickly. If she could help him improve it, he wanted to show her.

He brought her to the hangar, and with a wave of spiritual energy, the massive wings he had been working on floated into the air.

"Wooooaaah!" Cece shouted, her voice echoing against the walls.

The dwarf’s eyes gleamed as she rushed closer, staring at the wings like a child discovering treasure.

Luca, cheeks pink, quickly pulled up the holographic projection and began explaining. "So this... is the fifth version. The first ones were too heavy. The second snapped under pressure. But here, I tried using corrosive feather blades."

"Corrosive?" Cece repeated, tilting her head.

"Yes. The idea came from the materials we already had... things we could keep gathering. One of them was Tortie’s sludge—it has natural corrosive properties." Luca’s eyes lit up with excitement as he spoke.

Cece’s mouth twitched. "You... want your wings to molt acid?"

"I mean, when released! Like these particular feather-like parts would be released like blades that deal corrosive damage." Luca said quickly, his hands waving frantically. "I also used nanite ore and ghost vine resin to stabilize everything so the whole structure wouldn’t collapse and could be made into something stealthy. I didn’t want it to become an obvious weak point." His golden eyes gleamed, and he lowered his voice as though sharing a dangerous secret. "And about balance, I was really hoping Xavier wouldn’t notice the sudden difference in weight distribution."

That made Cece pause. She stared at him, then at the wings, then back at him.

"...This is for Xavier?"

Luca froze. "..."

A grin spread across Cece’s face. "Ohhh... so that’s why. My, my... you’re designing love wings."

"Auntie!" Luca squeaked, trying to bury his face in his hands.

But then he peeked through his fingers, straightened, and said with quiet resolve, "I know they could be better. But... I was hoping Xavier would be fine with this version."

Cece’s teasing softened. She smiled warmly, though her voice was steady. "Child, even if you gave him a kite, he’d be happy."

"Wow!" Luca gasped, eyes wide. "Auntie Cece, how did you know I once made a kite?!" He looked impressed, like she had just revealed a precognitive gift.

Cece froze. "...What?"

And then she saw them. The other iterations. The actual kite-shaped prototype was really among his discarded designs.

Her jaw dropped. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Yes, Luca could absolutely make them. But at this rate, he’d only finish sometime next year.

So Cece finally slammed a hand against her chest proudly and declared, "Of course I’ll help you! See? Even after knowing what you need, I still agree!"

Luca’s entire face lit up with joy. From that day forward, they set aside time to work together, her designs guiding his hands, while his instincts shaped her sketches into something alive.

And today... Cece was about to see the fruits of their labor.

Luca turned toward Jax, who had been fidgeting like a restless wolf pup. Without warning, Luca tossed him a space button.

Jax nearly tripped over his own feet trying to catch it. "Wait... this? Is it..."

Luca smiled, nervous but proud. "It’s your new biomecha. As for the gear, I made it together with Auntie Cece."

The redhead’s ears shot straight up.

Luca rubbed his neck, blushing. "Sorry it took longer. I—I realized it was better to ask for everyone’s favorite colors first so..."

"!!!"

Jax froze, trembling, staring at the space button in his hands as though it were the key to another universe.