50 miniatures that can be exchanged for weapons.
For a moment, Charlie, the brown-bearded guy who had lost his words, nodded with great difficulty and then led me somewhere.
“We’re not going into the village.”
“Everyone’s crazy about the tumbling weapons you made, but only a few dwarves actually care that they were made by a human. Given that situation, it’s still hard for a human to enter the village.”
“As long as you’re enjoying it, that’s enough.”
Suddenly, I remembered my childhood spent in the orphanage. Back then, I played with wooden blocks and various toys, but I never cared or tried to find out who made them.
It must be similar for the dwarves. They probably just assumed that someone in the village made them.
‘Maybe they think it’s the work of War’s Hammer.’
Actually, since I asked War’s Hammer to come to the village for that purpose, it would be a good thing if that’s the case.
But I was just curious where Charlie was going as he circled the outskirts of the village.
“……Here.”
“Huh? Isn’t this just dirt? And what’s below it?”
“There’s probably gravel or rocks. I know, so follow me.”
*Creak.*
With a somewhat eerie sound, Charlie lifted a handle buried in the dirt.
In a place where there should have been sand or rocks under artificially laid dirt.
There was a dark passageway there.
“This is………?”
“The traces of futile efforts.”
“……Was it made to escape?”
“As I said, it was ultimately futile. The dome was constructed in a spherical shape all the way down to the rocks. After that, it’s been used for other purposes.”
The passage was dark and damp.
But as we went further, those signs disappeared.
The heat from something was evaporating or heating up all the moisture and cold in the passage.
“A workshop……?”
“To be precise, a secret workshop. My parents used it.”
The reason the Dwarf Village is underwater is to prevent escape, but also to cool the heat.
Once inside the dome, there wasn’t much heat felt in the Dwarf Village, nor was there any noticeable heat in War’s Hammer’s workshop.
‘Is there a magic that expels the heat outside the dome into the sea?’
And that magic is applied only to specific spaces set up by the Empire.
In other words, workshops that generate heat must exist only in spaces where the Empire has installed the magic.
A trick to prevent dwarves from secretly building more workshops or moving their locations.
But Charlie’s parents found another way to create a secret workshop.
“The ground above is warm, but the rocks below the ground receive the cold from the seabed……….”
“They used that to cool the heat. Of course, due to the dome’s barrier, not much cold gets in. So even if it’s a workshop, only a very limited amount can be made.”
Therefore, artifacts requiring complex processes or large weapons can’t be made.
But smaller things are a different story.
For example, miniatures small enough to fit in one hand.
“Since we can’t enter the village, using this secret workshop is the best option. Human, 50……was it?”
“Will it be difficult?”
“Making them is no problem. We have nothing but time. But it will take at least a few days.”
“……That might be a problem.”
Since I don’t know when the royal family will contact me, I can’t stay in the Dwarf Village much longer.
Even if a few days in the Dwarf Village is just a day in reality, it’s still tight to hide Sally and prepare various excuses or lies.
Plus, it’s uncertain if I can even return to the Dwarf Village. Just in case…
Even so, I had to make sure to take the miniatures this time.
“Was 50 too much after all?”
It was inevitable that my main purpose was delayed due to Sally’s business and the Dwarf Village festival.
Still, the minimum I had in mind was 50. If it really doesn’t work out───
“I knew it. Humans are greedy.”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
“So… I prepared a way to satisfy that greedy human.”
Along with Charlie’s words, which made me wonder if he was mocking me or not.
Several footsteps could be heard from the passage I had walked through.
“Charlie, I’m here.”
“Oh, you came.”
“I’m here too.”
“Green Shoe, Rough Axe! And… the Beardless Beard.”
“So, it’s not Green Shoe but Ozben…”
A dwarf wearing noticeable green shoes, a dwarf who seemed to lack confidence and was slumped over, and a dwarf who had shaved his beard and was wearing a suit.
It seemed that Charlie had called them in advance. Although my face twisted when I saw the last dwarf who had shaved his beard.
“The name Beardless Beard is too old-fashioned. Please call me Rais Bakal, Charlie.”
“What the hell is Rais Bakal…!! I’d rather have Ozben or Keltin! What the hell is Bakal!?”
“According to records, during the era of war, our ancient dwarf ancestor, who defected to the Empire, was granted the family name ‘Bakal’ by the Empire. So, we are also rightful nobles of the Empire, and we should use that name, shouldn’t we?”
“My blood pressure…!!”
Ah, so he’s a dwarf who’s friendly with the Empire. Unlike other dwarves, he shaved his beard neatly and wore what seemed to be a custom-made suit, so he definitely looked like a noble.
After a few words, the Beardless Beard, Rais Bakal, who had given Charlie high blood pressure, approached me.
“You must be Kyle Byron, nice to meet you.”
“Do you know me?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you or heard your name, but I have heard of the Byron family name. Occasionally, Empire newspapers are delivered, and I heard that the Byron family was promoted to baron. Congratulations.”
“Ah… thank you.”
The promotion to baron was something my father achieved when he was young, so this dwarf must be at least as old as my father.
Unlike humans, races that live over 100 years have a different sense of time.
“I also heard that you are the creator of the Tumbling Weapon. That work was truly remarkable.”
“Thank you for the compliment. But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Charlie, no, Brown Beard… did he ask for your help?”
Really? Charlie, who had just cured his low blood pressure with a few words, asked this dwarf for help?
I could understand if it were dwarves like Green Shoe or Rough Axe, but it’s hard to believe that Charlie would be friendly with such an Empire-friendly dwarf.
As Rais Bakal was about to answer, Charlie, with the help of Green Shoe, stood up and spoke first.
“Yes, I asked for help.”
“Really?”
“You look like you can’t believe it. Of course, I felt like my insides were twisting, but there was no other way.”
“No other way?”
“I, the dwarves… must change.”
Charlie looked at Rais Bakal.
Empire-friendly, shaved beard, wearing a suit.
A dwarf who knows quite a bit about the Empire.
“Even to reclaim our freedom, for the sake of our descendants, I realized that we can’t do anything with the methods we’ve used so far.”
“After conversing with our great ancestor, even Charlie has changed.”
“Are you talking about the traitor of our race? Well, now that I’ve come to face reality, I can’t call him a traitor anymore.”
No way. War’s Hammer, how long has he endured such humiliation?”
──Until now, War’s Hammer alone has shouldered the lives and burdens of all the dwarves.
“But now it’s different. I, and even Nok… no, Osborne and Kelton, have decided to learn about and face the Empire.”
“Human, Kyle Byron, was it? I’ll make whatever you ask for, so I have a request. Tell me about the Empire you know.”
“I, I’m curious too…”
“Of course, I don’t expect military or classified information. Just tell me what kind of country the Empire is, what the continent is like, and that will be enough.”
And then Charlie.
“…This is beyond the scope of our agreement. But still.”
He bowed his head.
The most dwarf-like of them all, to a human he despised.
“I beg you, Kyle Byron.”
“Why are you bowing your head?”
“…Alright.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know. But the miniatures, you’re sure about that, right?”
“Even if it’s just me, with four dwarves, 100 won’t be a problem, let alone 50! Hmph!”
“Wow! Then I’ll ask for 100!”
“…………….”
“…Did I come here for nothing?”
*
“Good, no major issues. You can get dressed now.”
“………….”
While Shisha, with a satisfied smile, was writing something on a document, Sally awkwardly put on the clothes she had taken off.
The horns on her forehead, the wings on her back, and the scales all over her body had caused her to tear or cut the clothes in several places.
And now was the time to check and record the changes that had occurred in Sally’s body.
Shisha seemed quite satisfied in many ways, but Sally was not.
“T-tell me now. W-why does the Young Master follow you?”
“I already explained, didn’t I? It’s the price for saving you. This check-up is part of that.”
“D-do you have an interest in the Young Master?”
“Is it because you’re half-dragon? Why does your mind go that way?”
“O-otherwise, there’s no reason to use the Young Master as a substitute for practical benefits.”
“………Hmm, I thought you were just crazy with jealousy, but your brain seems to be working a bit?”
Shisha laughed mockingly and looked at Sally.
One eye was that of a normal human.
But the other had a long, slit pupil like that of a reptile.
“Right. If I really wanted to extract a price, there are much better ways. Right now, only Chunsik is suffering, with no other burdens.”
“…It’s because of me.”
“I’d like to say it’s an excess of self-consciousness, but you’re right. Just looking at you, it’s much easier to control Chunsik than to control you yourself.”
That was exactly why Shisha had passed on the ‘price’ to Kyle by making him Chunsik.
Last time, she said she didn’t need money or connections, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t take what she could get. The Byron family is known to be one of the wealthiest, and Kyle Byron himself must have earned a considerable amount from board game profits.
Moreover, maintaining friendly relations with other Archmages and being able to enter the Dwarf Village suggests that he is closely connected with one of the direct imperial family members who holds an access pass.
Excluding all those things and instead using Kyle Byron like a slave.
It was all to effectively approach Sally, who had become a half-dragon.
“S-stop calling the Young Master Chunsik.”
“What can I do? As long as he’s in front of me, he’s not Kyle but Chunsik Byron. I heard that Emperor Justinia used to call a slave he privately owned that way.”
“T-the Young Master is not a slave.”
“Right. He’s not a slave.”
“It’s more like a connection to pull you in unconditionally rather than being a slave. Well, anyway.”
*Munch munch.*
Shisha, who had just finished savoring her meal, looked genuinely pleased.
“You’re pretty good at massages, huh? Your reactions are cuter than I expected. I’ve been stuck with old geezers and Archmages all the time, so having someone younger by my side feels nice for a change.”
“………Ugh.”
“Watch your teeth? Dragon fangs are no joke—you could lose a tooth if you’re not careful. By the way, can you do what I asked?”
“…………….”
*Crunch!!*
The horns, wings, and scales on Sally gradually disappeared. The horns retracted into her head, the wings folded tightly against her back, and the scales reverted to normal skin.
At first, it was clumsy, but after a few tries, she mastered the disguise technique.
In an instant, Sally returned to her original human form instead of her half-dragon appearance.
“Being a half-dragon must’ve helped, huh? Polymorphing is no big deal for you now. Just polish it a bit more. The Imperial family will be here soon to see Chunsik, and even with that brat’s Cleaning Magic, a big mistake could get us caught.”
“Ah, I know.”
“It reminds me of when I first met you at the Arkhé Magic Tower. Back then, you were slowly being consumed by the madness of the Gold Technique………I never thought you’d recover like this.”
“W-well, I’ll be going now. I need to prepare dinner for the Young Master…”
“Why are you stuttering?”
“…………….”
“That was a side effect of the Gold Technique, and now that you’re a half-dragon, you should be fine, right? You can speak clearly now.”
“……No particular reason. This is how the Young Master is used to seeing me.”
“You’re planning to stutter for the rest of your life?”
“If necessary, sure. It used to come naturally, but now I have to do it on purpose, so I’m just practicing. W-well, then.”
*Creak.*
“I-I’ll be going now. D-damn it.”
“Yep. Bye, you little brat.”
Shisha, not backing down, waved her hand as she saw Sally off, and Sally quickly left the room.
Normally, Shisha would’ve thrown an ice spell or two, but…
‘She’s Chunsik’s maid, so I’ll let it slide.’
Speaking of Chunsik, he should be back soon.
When he returns, I’ll finish that full-body massage I started───
“…………Huh?”
Suddenly.
Shisha, who was preparing the massage spot while thinking of Chunsik, jerked her head up.
As if she sensed something she shouldn’t have.
“No way………really?”
She felt a presence.
Compared to her, an Archmage, it was much weaker. Even weaker than Sally, now a half-dragon, or the dwarfs… similar to Chunsik, who, despite becoming a familiar, was still powerless.
But that was only in terms of ‘strength.’
The presence she felt now carried an entirely different aura and pressure.
That presence was slowly approaching this dome.
“I knew the Imperial family would come, but……….”
This is.
“……The Emperor?”
It was beyond Shisha’s imagination.
