Chapter 96

“Ugh!”

“Those guys who only care about money! Do they really think gold can solve everything!”

“All that noise is just that kind of chatter.”

It seemed like the only sounds in the area were complaints and grumbling.

It was said that the holy grounds of the Dwarves were mostly movable. The reason they were located at the edge of the mine was simple: that was where the most injuries occurred.

Since they were originally Dwarves who built their kingdom underground, the act of mining must have felt quite sacred in itself.

However, such actions can change over time.

At first, the digging would be seen as a holy act, but eventually, leaders would emerge to command the diggers, and power would concentrate in the hands of the commanders.

As the scale expanded, new commanders would spring up over the existing ones, and at some point, those original pioneers who were once treated with the utmost respect would be pushed to the fringes of power, with the most important positions taken by the heads of the commanders.

In dwarven society, the beings at the very bottom were the miners who were furthest from the central power.

As long as they could mine the ore properly, they would be treated decently, but if they failed at that— they’d be left to fend for themselves.

“…….”

I lightly clenched my fist.

The faint light accumulated in my ring began to seep out and illuminate the surroundings.

The expressions of those who saw it shifted slightly. The ones who looked like they were about to harm us retreated a bit, while the Dwarven infantry also faltered and fell back somewhat.

I extended my hand slightly forward, targeting the man at the front.

Did I look like I was about to use magic? That guy looked ready to bolt at any moment.

His hair and beard were patchy and thin, and unlike other Dwarves, his body was scrawny. It was evident he was suffering from poor nutrition, and there were wounds all over him.

As I slowly projected light towards him—

“……What!?”

He looked down at his hands in shock.

Had he been digging through stones without proper equipment? The wounds on his hands, several fingers missing, began to fade away slowly.

The darkened areas around the wounds gradually returned to their original hue.

…Indeed.

Dwarves can store magic power in their bodies. And typically, royal Dwarves have a much larger capacity for it. Among them, a remarkable princess might even be able to create a magic orb with just her own power.

Yet, if that’s true, then the opposite must also exist. Just as there are those who can eat copious amounts of food without batting an eye, there are also gourmands who can feel full from just a meager meal.

I turned to look at the priests.

They were openly showing their displeasure.

For Dwarves, magic power is something to be revered.

And how must it look to those who can’t handle that magic power in front of such revered Dwarves? One can guess. In our world, it would be treated like a disgrace.

“I want to heal the injured.”

Since they revered magic power, many Dwarves would absolutely loathe to accept divine power. That’s only natural; it would feel as if their life essence was being drained away.

However, for those who couldn’t even accept magic power in the first place, they had nothing to lose.

“Let’s treat those who have suffered severe injuries from the magic power first.”

I said with a broad smile.

“Could you line up a bit more?”

*

“Anna.”

“Yes?”

Just as I was about to cross over with the healed Dwarves, Ria called out to me.

I turned my head, startled by her face being so close to mine.

“What is it?”

“Do you really think you can persuade them with this?”

“Persuade? Who are you talking about?”

“No, them. Aren’t you here to convince them?”

In the direction Ria glanced at, the priests were clustered together, looking at us with strange expressions.

They probably think it’s like an act of blessing. To them, it must be hard to comprehend: we’ve been casting magic around as if it’s some everyday occurrence.

But, that’s not entirely an accurate comparison.

A Dwarven woman had sat down in front of me.

As the guys had remarked earlier, she had an unkempt beard. Her beard was only crudely trimmed, and from the way her body looked below her neck, one could only assume she was female.

Without a word, she held out a child towards me.

“Can I take a look…?”

When I opened my hands and spoke, the woman silently placed the child into my arms. The child felt weak in her embrace. She hadn’t been able to wash properly, and the odor from her body was quite strong, but it was bearable. I had been enduring that smell for a while now.

I cradled the child.

“……”

Ria fell silent.

The child in my arms was hard to distinguish from a human child. Honestly, there was hardly any difference.

However, it was a bit different from the typical image we have when we think of ‘a child.’

As I peeled away the tattered cloth that wrapped around the child, Ria gasped.

The child’s body was tainted with magic power. It wasn’t just that there were wounds and discoloration around them, but the skin beneath the thin, pale surface seemed marred as if infected.

I closed my eyes while holding the child in my arms.

There was no need to pray. The holy power poured down upon me as if it were a bit flustered.

When I opened my eyes again, the child’s skin color had returned to its original state.

With closed eyes, the gaunt child slowly opened its eyes.

Still looking emaciated, perhaps due to a lack of food, it appeared weak, but it was still alive.

“……Do we know what kind of water this child drank?”

The woman looked up at me when I asked my question.

She seemed about to say something, her mouth opening, but the sound that came out never formed into actual words.

The inside of her mouth appeared hollow.

“……”

I silently placed the child back into the woman’s arms.

“Let’s go. Together.”

As I stood up, Ria also rose from her seat without a word, following me.

The Knight Order, which had been steadily arriving since we got here, was also getting closer.

“I hope one of the priests can guide us.”

I asked while looking at the priests.

“……I was told that the inner part of that slum is where the original holy ground was.”

I recalled what the Dwarves had discussed as we made our way here.

The priests still wore very displeased expressions, but upon seeing the arriving Knight Order, they ultimately nodded their heads.

It could be because of the princess’s orders, or just that I was an important guest—

Well, it’s good I brought those rather imposing inquisitors along.

…Even if they were kind of shoved on me by the church, still.

*

Continuing from what I was saying earlier, Dwarves don’t live off magic power alone.

Just like us, they need to eat something. Magic power is merely a supplementary means for living; it does not guarantee their very life.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t be treated this way as a guest.

They wouldn’t be able to heal Dwarves with divine power either.

“……”

I looked at the puddle in front of me.

Even just being here, I could feel a powerful magic that tingled against my skin. While it may not be as large as the Gnomes’ lake, the intensity of the magic felt hinted at its concentration.

So, this is what they call ‘water mixed with magic power.’

The only reason I could drink this without dying was simply because I was a Dwarf. Even if my capacity to absorb magic power were to drop, I could still endure it far better than a human.

“……Now I understand why the slums exist.”

Ria said.

Right.

This is not just a place filled with injured individuals.

They must have gathered here for various reasons. This is originally not a space where people could live. I think I can understand now why this place was labeled ‘dangerous’ as well.

The reason the princess mentioned this place first.

Such places probably exist throughout the Dwarf Kingdom.

In the distance, I spotted a forsaken holy ground. A lump depicting some incorporeal deity revered by the Dwarves had become engulfed in magic power.

“Wait!”

The priest shouted, as if he realized what I was about to do.

“Stop!”

The plump priest who had rushed forward stood in my way, shouting.

“This magic power—”

“Is surely sacred to the Dwarves. I get it. But, this way, people are just going to keep dying. While the magic stone can be utilized, the magic power mixed in drinking water is something you can’t do anything about, right?”

I raised my hand.

“And, as an expert, let me tell you this: if left as it is, it’ll eventually be a great disaster for the Dwarf Kingdom.”

“But……!”

“I’m not sure what religious beliefs might exist, but if you stay here like this, all the magic power you’ve accumulated will surely be lost.”

Only after I said that did the priest’s face turn pale, and he fled.

Well, even so, there’s a time and place for everything, isn’t there?

…

Then again, it’s no wonder such things happen if they don’t know what that ‘time and place’ is.

I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes.

I had a feeling things were about to get a little complicated.