fugitives (3)
George thought that there would be no more surprises after the mithril mine, but this time it was truly beyond imagination.
“Is it true?”
He licked his tongue as he inspected the dwarves’ castle in front of him.
The same was true of Roder, who caught up from the rear and remained vigilant.
“To think there was a space like this in the land of barbarians… … .”
The dwarves disappeared hundreds of years ago.
Strangely, it seemed that they had made a new home in the northern remoteness where there were few people and the environment was barren.
among them. The old castle where they were located was not cluttered at all even though it was built of stone, and in harmony with the desolate land, it reminded me of a scene like a piece of art.
Above all, what attracts their attention is the crystallization of technology created by the craftsman’s dexterity.
“… … .”
“Oh oh! How gorgeous it can be!”
Starting with areas that require careful tanning, such as cloaks, to iron armor that looks like the scales are alive.
Its overwhelming quality only exudes admiration to the extent that it would be a waste to be treated as an ornament.
In particular, that sword hanging over there can be considered the pinnacle of their metallurgical skills!
I’ve felt it since the hammer that flew at me, but… … After all, it should be said that it was a dwarf, and it felt like it was on a completely different level from Esteban’s old technology.
George rolled his eyes and calculated the value.
“… … I can put a dump on it for about 5 million gold.”
Awesome.
It was about 50 times the promised annual salary, so George was upset for no reason.
Before long, George’s gaze turned to the direction where the first prince had quietly disappeared.
‘What on earth does that human know?’
Twenty minutes ago I entered the dwarves’ village.
-What is the reason you came here! Depending on the answer, I won’t send you well!
To the Dwarves, who seemed to be driving them, the 1st prince spoke something incomprehensible.
-O masters of the rock castle. Wasn’t it customary to give travelers to the Promised Land the opportunity to broaden their knowledge?
– Hut ?! how! Even among humans, there are still people who know our family’s true name and tolerance… … .
The dwarves exchanged surprised glances and looked at the face of the first prince.
Soon after, the leader of the dwarves walked out and snorted.
– Curham! Judging by the type of armor, it seems that they came from a different faction than those who don’t even know the importance of arms. Besides, that momentum is the scent of a ruler.
Kwajik-!
The captain of the Dwarves, who pulled out the hammer that didn’t budge when touched with curiosity, looked at Prince 1 with the hammer wrapped around his shoulder.
– A person who knows manners. Follow me, and as is customary, I will invite you to our castle.
It was a bold sound that could not be imagined as a word that came out of a small body.
The beard braided down to the chest can be said to symbolize one’s own authority.
dump-
George sat down on the subtly small guest sofa.
It was made for dwarves, so it felt a bit uncomfortable, but it was better than standing still.
If it’s not going to be mine anyway, any more sightings will only make me feel bad.
Of course, some people didn’t think so at all.
“Ho! What a lively statue! I wish it was in Esteban’s palace… … .”
“… … .”
I always think so, but I really envy people who live comfortably.
But thanks to that, it’s also true that I found something interesting.
‘He’s not afraid of us.’
George’s eyes cut sharply.
Eyes that stared at the party from the moment they entered the dwarves’ village.
And that gaze was not wary of uninvited guests who came to the nest, but a feeling close to relief and welcome.
George’s fingers tapped his forehead as he continued his thoughts.
‘Why?’
From noble mtl dot com.
An era of chaos.
The era when mankind was frantic for a brutal war completely overturned the continental structure.
An era in which all races suffered and were hostile.
An era in which intelligence has disappeared and all races have been tinged with insane darkness.
And at that time, Dwarves were often enslaved because of their excellent dexterity and aesthetic sense.
As for which race was not like that, it was also because the war was active, so the utilization of the dwarves was particularly high.
so they disappeared that’s why it disappeared
As a result, it was said that the reason they turned away from the world was the fault of humans.
However, even though he ran away from humans, there was definitely a trick in his current behavior, which he welcomed instead of rejecting it.
Even the traces found outside the gorge suggested that they live ‘hiding’ in illusion magic, so George felt that favor even more contradictory.
“… … Is that true name really that great?”
“hmm? What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
George, who answered Roder’s question accurately, rose from his seat.
“Where are you going? The first prince will return soon.”
“I’m going to go to the bathroom.”
Then, without answering, he left the place.
However, when I left the reception room, a feeling of regret soared.
“By the way, where is the bathroom?”
It’s not a long way, but he’s not smart enough to figure out the location of a toilet in a place he’s seen for the first time.
However, to guess the location, even the architectural style is too different from that of humans.
In such a situation, George chose to wander aimlessly.
“It doesn’t feel right to go back and forth among those ornaments… … .”
It was the moment I was about to take that step.
– I think the captain is doing well.
Hearing the distant sound, he leaned against the wall out of habit.
Then I listened calmly.
It was the sound of the dwarves talking.
-Anyway, we… … would it be guys? If only… … right?
-Shh!… … What are you going to do when you hear it?
-But this time… … is for us… … .
Aww.
It was difficult to infer the situation because it was fragmentary information, but I was able to grasp the basic gist.
Because there was something I was guessing.
-hurry… … I should have… … .
George calmly left his seat.
* * *
“If you are a human who knows the true name of the clan, you should be familiar with our way of speaking.”
“hmm.”
“I will ask straight forward. What is your reason for coming here?”
After being guided by the Dwarf captain and entering the room, the main topic began without serving the common cup of tea.
I like it.
I also had no interest in talking back.
“Me and my country, Esteban needs dwarves.”
Mithril buried in the plains of Galderd.
And in order to handle the ore called mithril more efficiently, the master’s touch was needed.
The captain of the dwarves showed an uncomfortable expression.
“Chemm! Are you saying that knowing the history of us dwarves?”
In response to the rough scratching voice as if threatening, I expressed my affirmation without even a moment’s hesitation.
“I know better than anyone.”
“Then what? Are you saying that the reason you had to come here even to the extent of breaking the barriers of the clan was just to appease us and enslave us?”
“I’m not saying I’m going to make you a slave. Slavery has long since disappeared on this continent.”
Rather, it was closer to the side of paying and hiring.
However, the captain of the dwarves still expressed his disapproval with a face full of reluctance.
“If you came to us for that reason alone, you were seriously mistaken.”
“It won’t be a bad story. There is plenty of room for negotiation.”
But even so, the Dwarf Captain’s face didn’t want to loosen up.
“Speaking out of mouth… … ! Didn’t they think that they could do anything for the sake of their own interests? Humans have always been like that!”
“… … .”
“I settled here for the safety of my clan. It’s not that I don’t know what you mean, but we can’t follow.”
As he said that, he crossed his arms and let out a strong snort.
A stubborn look that won’t turn back no matter what happens.
but.
“really?”
Moment. At my counter-question, he was speechless.
I waited until enough time had passed before continuing.
“Do you really think that will help the Dwarves’ safety?”
The Dwarf Captain didn’t show any emotion as if he were listening to someone else’s story.
However, I could clearly see the muscles holding the hammer twitching.
“Are you saying that following humans will help the clan?”
“You know that well. He must have felt a sense of crisis from the barbarian pressure that was gradually tightening.”
“Uh, how… … .”
The leader of the Dwarves who began to be shaken by the word barbarians.
I didn’t care and continued talking.
“There is nothing more to eat in this land. Because of the war with the Empire, the need for minerals has also increased. How long will it take for them to discover this land?”
“Curm! I guess I have some guesses about my internal affairs. But that’s just nonsense.”
“If only I could calm you down by telling you the truth you’ve been ignoring.”
This was a land ruled by barbarians.
They hide their appearance through barriers and artificially hide traces, but eventually they will be exposed someday.
Even after enduring for hundreds of years, if the emergency situation like now overlapped, it was clear that the future could no longer be avoided.
‘And that’s not a good development for me either.’
The word caught by them had many meanings.
But to me who knows all the information, I can only see a certain future.
At the point of being caught by them, most of the Dwarves’ forces were ‘captured’ by the barbarians.
‘A lot of them died, and those who survived became livestock according to their rules.’
And this incident became a catalyst and had a great influence on the situation.
In the future, when they began to provide weapons and help build the walls in earnest, the power of the barbarians had grown so much that they were burdened.
In order to prevent this, several attempts were made to break the momentum by injecting troops.
Of course, all of those attempts led to the sacrifice of troops by the barbarians who had finished all preparations.
Of course, there were some Dwarves who ran away from the savage beasts.
Unfortunately, the problem was that the direction wasn’t good.
‘southeastward… … It was a land bordering the Federation Empire.’
If the savages tended them like cattle, the Commonwealth Empire aimed for another position.
He had his legs amputated while alive, pinned to a chair, and forced to make things for the rest of his life.
Don’t even run away… … In a place where there was no freedom even to take a single step, their role was nothing more than a tool in a factory.
That’s why I hurriedly headed for the north, even resorting to trickery.
‘If we don’t stop it now, Esteban will be in trouble.’
However, the guy who stayed silent for a while shook his head as if he didn’t want to admit that he would die soon.
“Indeed, as he said… … Now they’re under pressure! But that’s not why our clan should cooperate with humans!”
Then he started digging through his pockets.
“Besides, those who don’t even know the importance of arms! As long as there is this, it doesn’t matter how many people come!”
“Hoo.”
What the Dwarf captain took out was a round artifact.
I nodded the tip of my chin as if to continue speaking. The boy began to explain with a triumphant expression.
“This artifact, a thousand years ago. It was made by an elf, a fairy tribe. Unlike the clumsy barrier installed at the entrance of the village, it is an item with magical essence melted into it.”
“Right.”
“Kuh! I will also tell you about the efficacy! When the artifact is activated, it goes in all directions… … .”
“stop.”
“… … Huh!”
The guy shuddered at my low voice, not knowing why, and shut his mouth.
I untied my arms and tapped the table lightly with my index finger.
“so?”
“That, so… … .”
“Are you going round and round like that when you say to present fair contract conditions that match the ransom?”
“Huh… … ! big… … .”
That must have been his purpose from the start, so it didn’t look particularly bad.
It’s just ridiculous to spin around and talk.
That’s why I started reciting the contents of the contract that I had been thinking about before coming here.
I hid some information, but the truth without a single lie.
“As the boundary of the kingdom, there is a natural mountain range that no one can climb. And underground there is a mine that no one has developed.”
“hmm? what is that all of a sudden… … .”
“I will transfer 5% of the ‘minerals’ that will be produced there.”
“Huup!”
The Dwarf Captain’s heart began to beat as if it would explode.
As evidence of that, he rushed at me with eyes that were bigger than when he first talked about the contract.
“Is that true?! We know about the heavenly mountains! If there really is a mine in such a place, it won’t be small… … !”
“Unfortunately, the estimated mineral reserves have not yet been revealed.”
“That, like that… … !”
“Of course, things would be different if a dwarf who was an expert in this field came.”
That moment.
The expression of the leader of the Dwarves, who had collapsed as if the world was about to collapse, flashed awkwardly.
it reminded me of something
“Kuhm! Only 5%… … Too small to mortgage the future of the clan.”
“Hoo.”
“Are you a human who can protect the freedom of our clan, and the amount of reserves in the mine or the type of ore… … Oh no… … Is the land suitable enough for the clan to live quietly? Do we not know anything?”
… … Oh yeah?
I opened my mouth, biting the corner of my mouth that was gradually rising.
“And how many stakes do you want?”
“Give me an extra 5%. Considering the pride of us dwarves, it’s only natural!”
“Right.”
“… … Come to think of it, isn’t that too little? You want a fifth of the whole ore. If it’s not that much, I can’t cooperate with humans even if I die here!”
I really like the desperate determination for the clan.
Even if you can’t afford it, you’re being forced by wrong desire.
What is certain is that they have reconfirmed that it has been a long time since they lived alone in a closed world.
“good.”
Without hesitation, I nodded.
Then, the face of the Dwarf captain, who had been watching, brightened.
“then… … .”
“I will kill you however you want.”
“Oh, the stake in the mine is in your hands! If only that… … hmm?”
Abandoning the Dwarf captain who felt something strange and stopped abruptly, I slowly got up from my seat and loosened my stiff body.
Let’s see… … .
“It can’t be helped.”
If it was going to get in the way of Esteban according to the established order.
If you dare to despise me and try to manipulate me.
… … Wouldn’t it be simpler to just kill them all?