Ereta and Aslan subsequently exchanged no further words. It wasn’t because of any awkwardness. Aslan simply had nothing more to say, while Ereta was embarrassed by the sound of her own heavy breathing.
Thus, Ereta quietly adjusted her clothing, and Aslan tidied up the back of the workshop.
While putting away the blue iron needles that had been used and gathering the remaining bits of blue iron into a mold to harden, the only sound that filled his ears was the rustling of Ereta changing her clothes.
The silence expanded the auditory horizon, so Aslan tried not to pay attention to the sounds. As Aslan bustled about and Ereta slowly changed her clothes, someone appeared at the door of the workshop.
“Is the procedure done?”
The voice asking the question was deep for a woman. It carried an unmistakable charisma that easily drew people’s attention.
As Aslan turned his head, Frida stood there looking at him with her arms crossed, leaning slightly to one side, her muscles standing out prominently.
Noticing the animal at her feet as well, Aslan nodded. He could guess why Frida had come and roughly understood the reason.
“The workshop was good. I engraved it without any problems.”
“That’s good. What did you engrave?”
In response to the question, Aslan finished tidying up and picked up the mantle he had set aside. The feathers shaped like blades rubbed against each other, making a ‘kak’ sound.
“I engraved the valor of Bijou along the spine.”
“…Oh? You know how to engrave the valor of Bijou?”
Frida was surprised, and Aslan chuckled awkwardly. It was understandable. The valor of Bijou was one of the more difficult magical tattoos, and its level was as high as its difficulty.
Frida was amazed that Aslan knew such a tattoo and could engrave it despite never having learned about magical tattoos before.
However, she didn’t find it strange. Given how Aslan has always been, knowing things he shouldn’t and acquiring skills without being taught, this wasn’t surprising.
She guessed that mastering magical tattoos was part of his expertise in magical tools.
“And I practiced.”
Aslan gave a simple answer, and Frida stood indifferently in the corridor of the workshop.
Seeing that Frida clearly had business, Aslan glanced at her and closed his mantle.
“It seems you’ve finished your discussion with the elder, right? Is that correct?”
Frida nodded in response without speaking, showing no surprise that Aslan had anticipated this.
From the moment Aslan mentioned the Throne of the Gods, Kehil, they had no other choice.
A calm acceptance flowed across Frida’s face, understanding that this flow of events was predictable given their knowledge of Kehil.
“We accept the alliance. From now on, the Varmanz Mountain Kingdom is an ally of the Veteran of Battle, Aslan.”
And thus, without hesitation, Frida spoke. The mountain kingdom already had no way to retreat.
Aslan nodded in satisfaction, and the rustling sound ceased as Ereta walked out. Her hair stuck to her skin from the cold sweat running down her face, creating a strangely sensual atmosphere.
Frida glanced at Ereta, then looked Aslan up and down before continuing.
“In return, there’s one condition.”
“…A condition?”
Aslan caught the meaning in her gaze and stood confidently. With Aslan’s indifferent attitude, Frida dismissed any misunderstanding and slowly blinked her eyes.
“Recently, the chief of the Honor Tribe passed away suddenly. Are you aware of this?”
“…No, I haven’t heard. How recent is it?”
“It hasn’t been a month yet. It’s been a few weeks or so.”
Saying this, Frida leaned against the corridor and turned her head, revealing the long stretch of the corridor ahead. There was no one else in sight.
“The Honor Tribe is selecting their next chief, but it seems they’re encountering some difficulties. You need to go and resolve this.”
Aslan understood what Frida was saying.
The Honor Tribe was the second largest tribe after the Crown Tribe. In reality, their territory was smaller than the Crown Tribe’s, but their density was much higher.
With excellent mines and well-developed cities, the Honor Tribe also boasted the most warriors among all the tribes.
They were also the only tribe that possessed warriors clad in heavy armor, thanks to their advanced mining and metallurgy skills.
To Aslan, who desired the military strength of Varmanz and sought an alliance, the Honor Tribe’s power was an essential factor.
Thus, the current condition made sense.
The issue was the sudden death of the chief.
“By the way… was it assassination? Or a priest?”
“Neither.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Frida looked blankly down the corridor with an expression of disbelief. At the end of her gaze lay a memory: the pitiful death of the tribal chief, who must have been middle-aged.
Rather, it might be better described as a disgraceful death.
“He choked on a rice cake and died. I don’t know much about it. The important thing is not the dead guy, so let’s move on…”
Making a ‘tscha’ sound as she stood up, Frida looked at Aslan with her glossy blue eyes.
“The important thing is whether the next chief will be pro-Crown or not.”
“…Right.”
“I want the next tribal chief to be pro-Crown.”
Direct wording. Aslan also understood. Although the Varmanz Mountain Kingdom claimed to be a monarchy, its foundation was a tribal society. Depending on the identity of the tribe or the disposition of the chief, there could be opposition to the Crown Tribe.
“Of course, even if you fail, the alliance will continue. But… if you want to achieve your goal, it would be better if the Honor Tribe were on our side, wouldn’t it?”
And if the Honor Tribe opposed the Crown Tribe and rejected the alliance, Aslan would feel regret. In a situation where even a little bit of strength is precious, losing part of it would not just be regrettable—it would be painful.
Considering the possibility of betrayal, it would be unwise. It was definitely necessary to bring them over.
“What do you need me to do? Should I support a candidate for the chief position?”
At these words, Frida stared silently at Aslan and shook her head. The words that came out of her mouth were unexpected to Aslan.
“Dwarf hunting.”
*
“Dwarf hunting?”
When Tiamat asked in confusion, Aslan nodded.
“Yes, dwarf hunting.”
“…Do dwarves really need to be hunted for something? They’re annoying, sure, but….”
Tiamat scratched his head, completely bewildered. Asking specifically for dwarf hunting, especially directly requesting it from a Veteran of Battle, was considered unusual.
Even Aslan, who read the signs, remained silent without comment.
Between them, the loud metallic clanking noise continued.
“…What exactly are dwarves?”
Angie asked as though she had no idea what dwarves were. She was dressed comfortably in a cotton shirt and leather boots, finally freed from her double-handed axe. She wore no other weapons.
Unlike her comrades, who were mostly armed, Angie stood relaxed with her arms crossed behind her head.
When the girl asked, Aslan replied.
“Dwarves… they are short creatures that appear in caves or deep within mountains. About the size of children, they attack in groups. They’re quick on their feet and quite skilled with their hands.”
Listening to this brief explanation, Angie glanced around. Nearby stood Phey, carrying a small backpack and twisting her sidelock. Upon noticing the gaze, Phey blinked her indigo eyes.
“Phey is a fairy, not a dwarf!”
Answering expressionlessly, when Angie blinked in response, Phey puffed out her cheeks as if annoyed.
“Dwarves aren’t cute, but Phey is!”
“Who said that?”
Although Phey had essentially said the same thing, she chose not to point it out, knowing it would be meaningless. Instead, she sent Angie a reproachful glance, and Angie scratched her cheek sheepishly before turning to Aslan. Her “Uh…” sounded closer to a request for further explanation.
Looking at the enormous piece of metal that hadn’t yet ascended, Aslan spoke.
“Phey is right. Dwarves may resemble humans, but they are not. They are monsters.”
Realizing Angie still didn’t understand, Aslan added,
“They are covered in fur-like hides, similar to animals. Long tufts of fur hang down from their chins like beards.”
“Oh, you mean like that.”
Angie giggled as she responded, prompting Phey to poke her ribs with her tiny fist. Angie laughed and apologized.
While the two girls bickered, Ereta tilted her head as she listened.
“Isn’t something… off?”
At this remark, Angie looked puzzled, while others either nodded knowingly or remained silent.
Even Phey, who looked younger than Angie, seemed to understand, leaving Angie confused.
“What, what is it? Am I the only one who doesn’t know? Tell me too.”
“As far as this old man knows, dwarves aren’t particularly strong. They can be annoying when they gather in groups, but frankly, I could take them all out alone even without my bow. A monster brat like you could probably beat them lying down.”
This general statement about non-threatening levels. Angie widened her eyes upon hearing that she could defeat them lying down, and when Tiamat spoke, Aslan turned his head.
“No matter how great a master I am, I’m still an outsider. An outsider wouldn’t be entrusted with this task so readily. Something definitely feels off.”
As Aslan said, when they arrived at the city of the Honor Tribe, the warriors’ reaction was hospitality, not caution.
They welcomed Aslan’s group, who had come to deal with the dwarves.
That was strange.
“The Honor Tribe is known for its heavy armor. They could easily ignore the crude weapons and group tactics of the dwarves. So why borrow the strength of outsiders instead of wiping them out themselves?”
“I don’t know, but from this old man’s perspective, it doesn’t seem like a legitimate reason. It makes my scales itch…”
As Tiamat responded and looked up, the massive iron gate rose. Chains wound as the gate ascended, revealing countless eye-like patterns etched onto it.
Beyond the steel gates that functioned as partitions or screens lay the city.
Kuramunz, the city of the Honor Tribe located deep underground. One of the most advanced metallurgical cities in the nearby area.
As soon as the gate opened, Aslan led his group into the city.
It was a fine city, proving its identity and strength through the metalworking industry evident everywhere, with mine carts connected to mines scattered throughout, busy miners, and blacksmiths moving about swiftly.
Entering the vast subterranean city with ceilings stretching incredibly high, Angie marveled and looked around.
“Wow, how come all the cities are so big?”
One doesn’t say that because it’s a city. As Aslan noticed a warrior approaching to greet his group,
The warrior, fully clad in heavy armor, extended his hand for a handshake when—
—!
A shockwave-like sensation spread beneath their feet, accompanied by a deafening sound.
Simultaneously, a certain presence was felt. It was mana.
Startled, Aslan quickly turned his head and saw flames spouting from a tunnel alongside the mine cart tracks.
Kwaang!
The roar of explosions and flames erupted, shaking the ground as if the earth itself trembled. Frowning, Aslan noticed the warrior who had been about to shake hands look startled and turn his head.
“Damn it…”
The first word out of the warrior’s mouth was a curse. Following the warrior’s gaze, Aslan saw people fleeing from the tunnel.
“Magic! The dwarves are using magic!”
Mixed with screams and cries of escape, voices shouting “There they are again!” echoed amid the chaos.
Only then did Aslan understand why the dwarves were being targeted for extermination by outsiders.
Monsters that use magic.
Because of the wild wizards.
