novelnext Chapter 190 : Dwarf (2)
Chapter 190 : Dwarf (2)
Chapter 190: Dwarf (2)
An Uncharted Area near Zeras.
Among them, in front of a rugged mountain range rarely traveled by people, five Adventurers came to a halt.
“Your guiding skills were quite decent.”
“It’s your turn now, Niaroti.”
“You don’t need to tell me. From here on, I’ll lead.”
Until they reached this point, Aelin had led from the front.
The mountain range that served as a fence protecting the Dwarf Kingdom.
To pass through here, Niaroti’s role was crucial.
“Everyone, prepare your torches.”
Niaroti slammed a nearby mass of rock with a bang.
The ground trembled, and then with a pop, a hole appeared.
Upon closer inspection, it was a staircase leading downward.
“This is my trump card information. Down here, the path connects all the way to the Dwarf Kingdom.”
“No way this is the end……?”
“It is. Do you have a complaint?”
Aelin felt deflated by how absurdly simple the solution was.
It wasn’t exploration based on terrain analysis, but rather a kind of secret passage that only someone who knew about it could use.
If it hadn’t been Niaroti, they would have scoured the place and never found it, but it still felt like cheating.
That didn’t mean the contract terms were wrong, however.
“It’s dark, so be careful as you come down.”
The staircase continued far below.
It didn’t merely divide floors like in an ordinary building, but felt as though they were digging down like an anthill.
After descending much deeper than when entering Nabrash, they finally reached a flat main road.
Not a cramped passage, but a wide avenue like a well-paved city street.
Moreover, large-scale buildings stood in rows.
“This used to be Dwarf territory as well.”
Even from the outside, the craftsmanship was noticeably different from human architecture.
“Are you a Dwarf or something? There doesn’t seem to be anything you don’t know.”
“This is the power of experience. I’ve lived longer than you think.”
With his face hidden, it was impossible to guess his age.
Robin wanted to say it would be better if he showed his face clearly, but with Aelin here, it was hard to speak lightly.
“This kind of road will continue for some time. If we keep walking, we’ll reach that Monster’s area. How about camping for the night and subjugating it tomorrow?”
“Sounds good.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
As they followed the traces of the Dwarves of the past, no bandits appeared and they encountered no Monsters.
The journey, quiet to the point of boredom, broke just before reaching their destination.
When Aelin raised her hand, everyone except Niaroti prepared for battle.
Clunk. Clunk.
“There’s someone here besides us.”
Aelin aimed her bow toward the source of the noise.
Something sprang out from a dark corner.
“That’s not a Monster. Stand down.”
“Then what is it?”
Niaroti stepped in front of the party and answered.
“A Dwarf.”
It sounded absurd at first, but the presence approaching them was indeed humanoid.
However, it did not reach the average height of an adult, and its forearms were packed with muscle.
The thick beard grown down to the collarbone and tied together matched exactly the appearance of a Dwarf they had only heard about in words.
“What’s this? Humans from the Empire?”
“That’s right. What brings a Dwarf to this area?”
“Do I need a reason to come to my own home?”
The stubborn-looking Dwarf did not appear surprised at the sight of Robin’s party.
Nor did he seem afraid.
“Stop. It would be better for both sides to keep our distance.”
“I thought perhaps the Imperial Family sent you, but it seems not.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Robin showed confusion, but the Dwarf merely snorted.
Ignoring the warning, he strode closer.
“Don’t order me around, human. If you want to keep your distance, shouldn’t you be the ones to step back?”
“I’ll apologize on their behalf. My apologies, they’re new here.”
At Niaroti’s eye contact and slight nod, Robin reluctantly lowered his sword.
However, the Dwarf carefully examined Robin’s sword and muttered,
“A sword made of steel. It’s rough, but the balance is well set.”
As expected. Without even lifting it, the Dwarf recognized that Robin’s sword was well-made.
“It couldn’t have been easy to obtain a sword made by our kind. Where did you get it?”
“I obtained it in the Imperial Capital.”
“You must have received it as an Arena prize. Let me see it.”
To ask for someone’s weapon when meeting for the first time, and in an Uncharted Area at that.
If the other party hadn’t been a Dwarf, Robin would have swung his sword immediately.
He glanced at Niaroti, who nodded as if to say it was fine.
No matter that he was a Dwarf, he couldn’t make the mistake of handing over his weapon completely.
He simply held it out in front of him while gripping the hilt tightly.
The Dwarf did not nitpick even that.
“It was made by an apprentice. I’ve had a good look.”
“Are you saying it wasn’t made by a master?”
“That’s right. If it had been a master, it wouldn’t have stopped at this level.”
Robin was struck by fresh shock.
It was a sword whose weight and cutting power surpassed any he had held in his life.
Naturally, he had assumed it was made by a Dwarf master, yet it had been made by an apprentice…….
Niaroti subtly stepped between the two.
“You seem well-informed. May I ask where you’re headed in such a hurry?”
“I’m looking to see if there are any worthwhile minerals.”
“You’re leaving the mines aside and searching in a place like this?”
“There are circumstances.”
The Dwarf twitched his eyebrows as if asking whether that was enough.
Since he showed no particular hostility, they were about to part ways when Niaroti touched a nerve.
“Isn’t there a lizard causing trouble?”
“How did you know?”
“I heard it through the grapevine. I brought these Adventurers here to deal with it and take its components.”
The Dwarf’s gaze toward the party changed.
From a look that had shown no interest beyond the sword to one that evaluated them.
With eyes that seemed to say, Are you capable? he examined them thoroughly.
“This time, they’re quite skilled, so I’m looking forward to it.”
“Again?”
“I asked some other Adventurers several times, but there’s been no news.”
The Dwarf rolled his eyes as if trying to make sense of Niaroti’s words, then soon nodded.
“So you were the idiot who put in the bait.”
“Regrettably, that’s how it turned out.”
“I’ll believe you for now. So what is it you want to say to me?”
“Would you guide us to a decent place to stay? We’d like to rest comfortably for tomorrow’s subjugation.”
“Tch. Follow me.”
The Dwarf turned around and headed back the way he had come.
With just a few words from Niaroti, the Dwarf had turned friendly.
Robin did not know the full circumstances, but it seemed their interests aligned with the Dwarf’s.
“My name is Robin. What should we call you?”
“My name is Dunkal. I’m in charge of the miners in the mine.”
The companions introduced themselves and followed Dunkal.
They did not lower their guard, wondering if it might be a trap, but the place Dunkal led them to was an abandoned building in decent condition.
“You can use this place. I don’t mind if you stay long.”
“Thank you. You’re a kind Dwarf.”
“If you can just drive out that Monster, I could grant you even more.”
“…Is it such a ferocious Monster?”
“Ha! A ferocious Monster? Just what did you hear before coming here?”
Dunkal snorted as if dumbfounded.
When Robin glanced at Niaroti, he merely shrugged.
“With these fellows’ skills, subjugation should be more than possible.”
“They’d be lucky if they don’t just end up as its food.”
With Dunkal speaking so gravely, Robin’s curiosity began to rise.
It seemed the Monster they had to defeat was quite strong.
Serena, her interest piqued as well, asked a question.
“If it’s that much of a headache, what are the Dwarves doing about it?”
“Other races have no need to know.”
“Isn’t that just incompetence? You’re saying you can’t resolve it at the racial level and are just leaving it alone.”
“Watch your tongue, human.”
“Don’t you know a Dwarf named Taironi? I heard he’s strong enough to go as far as the Demon Realm.”
Grit.
Dunkal ground his teeth as if trembling with fury.
“Taironi is the very one who caused this problem. He was lost in absurd fantasies.”
“Don’t tell me he didn’t clean up the mess he made himself?”
“That’s right. He was warned many times since long ago, but he wouldn’t listen. In the end, he summoned that Monster bastard and blew away an entire sector. The craftsmen gathered, sealed his workshop, and stripped him of his authority.”
Dunkal’s voice was filled with anger and resentment.
Wasn’t Taironi a Dwarf who had achieved numerous accomplishments?
This evaluation did not match the image Robin had imagined at all.
Niaroti, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.
“I heard that with the equipment he used, any Monster could be easily defeated.”
“What’s the point of defeating it? The process could destroy the kingdom.”
“Wouldn’t it suffice to handle it carefully so that doesn’t happen?”
“What a joke. He was someone who caused accidents because he couldn’t even control himself. Such power is worse than having none at all.”
Dunkal’s view of Taironi was resolute.
From Robin’s perspective, having only encountered him through old records, this was a new angle.
After all, even if someone left behind achievements worthy of history, their evaluation could differ greatly while they were still alive.
“That’s enough talk. I’ll be going now.”
As if he had finished what he came to do, Dunkal abruptly left.
Considering that guiding them this far was already a favor, Robin bowed politely in thanks.
“He doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
“You felt that too, Sigbard?”
“Yes. But it seemed like he had some concern he couldn’t speak of.”
Robin agreed.
The way he had said that other races had no need to know.
Perhaps it was because of whatever lay behind those words that he was wandering even through this abandoned sector.
“As always.”
“Niaroti, what do you mean as always?”
“It’s nothing. You must be tired, so get some good rest.”
Looking at it closely, Niaroti was no ordinary person either.
He knew the road leading to the Dwarf Kingdom, and he had heard about Taironi’s equipment.
He possessed high-level information that ordinary people would find difficult to access, and he knew it suspiciously well.
As they spread out their sleeping bags and prepared to rest, Aelin gestured beside him with her chin.
It was a sign to talk alone for a moment.
“Dunkal said Taironi was exiled. Should we really keep going like this?”
“It would be reasonable to turn back here, but….”
He glanced at Niaroti, who was lying stretched out in the corner, and continued.
“A contract is a contract. Since we’ve come this far, let’s at least defeat the Monster.”
“And after that?”
“We’ll go to the Dwarf Kingdom first. If we can’t find him even after looking there, we’ll return.”
“Alright. I’ll let Sigbard and Serena know as well.”
It seemed Dunkal’s story had weighed on her mind.
Perhaps because the next plan was now clear, Aelin’s steps felt lighter.
“Serena, using Spirits when drawing lots is cheating.”
“What? How did you know?”
“Recently, you’ve always been first on night watch.”
“That can’t be evidence.”
“It’s more than suspicious enough. And what you just said is practically a confession.”
“Maybe it’s because you hang around me. You’re getting smarter.”
“I was originally a logical Barbarian. Don’t treat me like a fool, Serena.”
After Serena and Sigbard bickered over the order of night watch,
the five of them went to sleep earlier than usual ahead of the subjugation.
They passed a peaceful night without any attack, and once they had made thorough preparations, they arrived at their destination.
At last, they came face to face with the subjugation target.
“Th-this is….”
“I’ll leave it to you. I won’t be of help, so I’ll just watch from afar.”
Everyone except Niaroti was flustered by the unexpected target.
And that was only natural.
“Grrrrrrrrr….”
A massive body like a lizard, hard scales, a horned head, and sharp fangs.
“That’s a Dragon.”
“Kwaaaaaaah!”
Niaroti pushed Robin’s party forward against the Dragon and slipped back behind them.