Episode 53 – Dwarves, the Mountain Tribe (3)
sinking silence.
No one was hasty to open their mouths.
To be precise, I didn’t think about closing my mouth.
How much time had passed like that?
“Hey, hey… How is that?”
It was none other than Khmaru who uttered the first sound.
But I only gave out my voice.
Khmaru’s expression was still stained with astonishment.
Xian’s sword that ran between the trolls.
Even the troll’s regenerative powers somehow failed.
An unbelievable sight to see with your own eyes.
“Kmaru. Is that the human friend you brought?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
To Nakar’s question, Khmaru answered in a daze.
And the other dwarves who were listening to the conversation between the two.
The eyes of the dwarves turned to Xi’an again.
On the other hand.
Xian was checking his smartphone.
It was none other than the progress rate of the Mahon Sura sword and the Mahon manufacturing method.
‘It really doesn’t climb.’
Through the magic spirit recipe, Xian was able to fully control the demonic energy.
Thanks to this, it was possible to suppress the regenerative power of the troll that had undergone Over Drive.
Also, that power could be materialized and put into the sword.
Along with the power of an S-class sword, the aura of the magic spirit method produced explosive power.
Because of that, Xian could easily deal with the troll.
A troll deprived of regenerative power was no different from an orc.
And Xian, who has finally reached the level of a Beginner while dealing with the hemp blend method.
I had to give up because of my miserable talent.
Although he had entered the ranks of a decent knight, Xian was not particularly moved.
That would be too.
[Mahon Sura Sword (魔魂修羅劍) Beginner Progression Rate 0.08% (+0.08%)]
Because I still have a long way to go.
‘Still, isn’t 0.08% too much?’
I thought I had a perfect demonstration.
It’s not 0.1%, it’s 0.08%.
‘Is it fortunate that it has risen even by 0.08%?’
If you think about it, it might seem like that.
Xian shrugged.
Right then.
“You are such a great friend!!!”
Suddenly, a loud cry erupted all around.
A loud, deafening cry.
Looking around for something, a lot of dwarves were bursting with cheers towards Xian.
“Ha ha ha! human friend! thank you so much! If it wasn’t for you, I really would have been in big trouble!”
“It’s not that good looking, but this one, he was tougher than anyone else!”
“Do you like to drink? I dipped a specialty beer the other day! Come anytime! Let’s have a good drink!” hahahahaha!”
Sian covered his ears involuntarily.
Because it seemed like it would really go deaf!
I don’t know if you know Xian’s feelings.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
“You are such a great human friend!!!”
The Dwarves didn’t think to stop cheering.
At that moment, another dwarf appeared on one side.
A Nord Dwarf holding an unusual hammer.
He is none other than the chieftain of the Hammersmith tribe.
It was Semir, a descendant of Arnaiz Morcru.
“…?”
Semir wanted something like this now.
I hurriedly ran because a group of trolls had attacked.
Not to mention troll trolls now.
Aren’t they gathering together and bursting into cheers?
And the existence receiving that cheer.
“human···?”
He was the person he had kicked out earlier.
“What is this now…?”
Semir wondered what the situation was now.
#
Right after Semir came, the situation was over quickly.
It wasn’t exactly soon.
Repair the collapsed barrier.
Deal with the strewn troll corpse.
Also, there was a post-processing process to take care of the injured.
However, there was no need for a draft in the process.
So, from Xian’s point of view, the situation is no different.
Xian headed back to where Lucas and Grayson were.
Oh, of course.
“Can I keep the troll corpse?”
I didn’t forget to take ownership of the troll corpse.
What do you mean by just leaving it there?
It was a sound without a choice.
A house with a brown roof arrived like that.
I heard that it was the house of Khmaru.
Xian gently opened the door.
Click.
When I opened the door, I saw the scenery of a cozy house inside.
A livable brick house in the mobile lord.
It was a landscape that was not pushed at all compared to that.
Like the scenery of the village, and even the look of the house now.
Certainly, the saying that dwarves are born architects was not something that just came out of nowhere.
However, since it was adjusted to the dwarf’s height, Xian had to bend down a little.
After going a little further inside, I found Lucas and Grayson lying in bed.
“Lord.”
“Are you here?”
Lucas and Grayson, who had found Cyan, stood up.
“Oh it’s okay. Just lie down.”
Xian waved his hand and stopped the two of them.
It was because the injury still looked serious.
At Cyan’s gesture, Lucas and Grayson awkwardly lay back on their seats.
Xian sat between the two and asked.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“There is no big deal.”
“Thanks to the dwarves for treating me well…”
Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any major problems.
“What happened?”
Then Lucas and Grayson took turns answering.
“While the lord was away from Ruben, magical beasts suddenly attacked Ruben explosively.”
“No matter how much it is said that the realm is being pushed back because of the mighty demons nestled inside, it was too much. So, thinking there must be another reason, Sir Lucas and I went to investigate.”
“I know that.”
Xian nodded.
It was because it was what I heard from Hans as soon as I came back from the National Foundation Day event.
After a while, Lucas opened his mouth again.
“While investigating the depths of the forest like that… I was attacked by the Witchbeast.”
“Have you been attacked by a demon?”
Lucas nodded at Xian’s question.
And at Lucas’ answer, Xian couldn’t hide his wonder.
It is also true that Lucas was an expert knight.
A talented person that cannot be easily found even in the empire.
And Grayson was a veteran hunter who had lived in the dark forest for decades.
No matter how dark the forest was, those two were strong enough to take care of themselves.
Were those two bewitched?
Of course it could.
Because this dark forest is full of terrible monsters.
But that was the story of the battle with the Witchbeast.
These two did not go to subdue the demons, but simply to investigate.
that means that.
It meant that the two of them encountered a monster that they couldn’t get out of their body.
Did you understand the question of Xian?
Lucas spoke right away.
“A mighty witch who resides in the depths of the forest. I ran into him.”
“If it wasn’t for Sir Lucas, I’d probably be there…”
And Grayson’s words continued.
But Lucas shook his head.
“It’s not something I did. I couldn’t get away from him either.”
“What do you mean? Lucas, you didn’t do it. Then how are you two here…”
“It saved my life.”
Grayson’s surprised expression.
It seemed like Grayson had never heard of it either.
Then Lucas continued with a hardened face.
“He obviously saved us. and···.”
A gaze looking at Xi’an.
“That wasn’t witchcraft.”
“what?”
Xian asked involuntarily.
It’s not a magic trick.
Then what do you mean?
“human.”
Finally, Lucas opened his mouth slowly.
“It was obviously human.”
“What nonsense is that?”
Sian wondered what Lucas was talking about.
The mighty witch who resides deep inside the forest is actually a human.
Does that mean that it is possible?
“Lucas, are you not mistaken? Or maybe it wasn’t a powerful demon.”
“The mighty Witchbeast we’ve been chasing will be right. There were definitely signs.”
It was Grayson’s answer.
Grayson continued.
“And that demonic beast began to move in earnest. That’s why the witch beasts were driven out as if they were running away and flocked to Ruben.”
Eventually, Lucas lowered his gaze slightly and opened his mouth again.
“I am too confused. But she was . . . terrible.”
“she? Was the sorceress a woman?”
Lucas nodded and said.
“It was an out-of-the-box existence that I had never encountered before. I dared not dare to do anything. If she goes to Leuven…”
Lucas shook his body slightly, as if he had remembered what had happened.
The look of Lucas, where you can feel a deep fear somewhere.
“You must prepare, Lord.”
“What happened…”
Seeing Lucas like that, Xian felt confused as well.
That the mighty witch who resides in the depths of the forest is actually a human.
And even the fact that such a being moved in earnest.
It was the kind that was easily unbelievable.
However, seeing as Lucas and Grayson go so far, it must not be a simple matter.
Right then.
Bang!
“Human friend! Are you inside! I have something to tell you!”
Khmaru’s voice came from outside.
I wanted to knock on the door even though it was my own house.
“Once I get it.”
Xian slowly rose from his seat.
#
House of Semir, chief of the Hammermoru tribe.
“The cycle of the monsters attacking has become shorter.”
“I’ve been blocking it well, but…”
“Honestly, I’m at my limit now.”
There, the dwarves of the Hammer Anvil tribe were gathering and having a meeting.
The chief of the Hammermoru tribe, Semir.
Semir looked at the scene quietly and slowly opened his mouth.
“A barrier?”
“The repairs are almost complete. But I wonder if that has any meaning.”
The dwarf who answered shook his head.
Even if he repairs the barrier.
Because I knew that the next monster attack could not be stopped.
And the other Dwarves didn’t know that either.
“Chief. Why don’t you stop doing this and ask for help.”
“Looking at it earlier, it was a human friend brought by Khmaru. It’s really amazing.”
“I heard that they even developed a place that was bare land to the level of a proper territory.”
“Is that true? In this terrible dark forest?”
The dwarves all started whispering about Xian.
but.
“Dwarves have their own ways. Humans . . . are not to be trusted.”
Semir’s will was firm.
Normally, they were Dwarves who would have followed Semir’s opinion.
But now the situation was not like that.
“Chief. Whether it hits the back of the head. whether you get betrayed I don’t want to live right now.”
“If you do this, everyone will die.”
“Think again.”
The dwarves persuaded Semir.
And to that persuasion, Semir hesitated to answer.
because i knew
If this continues, the tribe will perish.
But even so, I couldn’t trust humans hastily.
Humans are an unfaithful species.
Believing in humans hastily could have been like inviting an ogre to avoid a troll.
Right then.
“You haven’t forgotten yet?”
A dwarf muttered softly to Semir.
the place you looked at.
There stood a dwarf named Nakar.
Semir didn’t answer.
Nakar sighed and said.
“Already 100 years have passed. It is the time when all the people who dominated an era died. Humans change too, Chief. It’s not that I don’t understand the chieftain’s feelings, but I won’t have to let him go now.”
“Not because of that.”
“Is that true? You still haven’t forgotten her? Isn’t that why you don’t trust humans?”
“·······”
Semir didn’t answer.
Nakar looked at Semir blankly.
sinking silence.
Nakar sighed, spitting out the words.
“Remember the chieftain? 110 years ago. When we were abandoned by our own tribes, waiting to die here in the Dark Forest.”
“·······”
“At that time, the chief took us in. He risked his life to protect us from countless monsters, and he took care of us while saving sleep at night. If I had just thrown it away, I would have been able to live comfortably on my own. What are we saying?”
Nakar shook his head once.
“I don’t know the chieftain, but we made a promise then. No matter what happens, I will be with the chief until the end. That’s why I stayed in this dark forest and have been with you until now.”
Eventually, all the dwarves nodded.
Nakar opened his mouth again.
“If the chieftain does not trust humans. We won’t trust humans either. Even if I die here, I will be with the Chief until the end. Because we swore that way back then.”
but.
“Just think of the children.”
Dwarf children.
Unlike the dwarves here, who were abandoned by their tribe and taken by Semir.
They have lived in this dark forest since they were born.
A place where survival is the only value.
Children know that the dark forest is the whole world.
That’s why I thought only survival was the only thing in life.
The children did not know the happiness that a being who leads a life deserves to enjoy.
and it always
It was one of the responsibilities that weighed heavily on Semir’s chest as a chieftain.
“·······”
That’s why Semir couldn’t bear to answer.
a very distant time.
The forest tribe lived in the forest.
The mountain tribes lived in the mountains.
But again for many years.
Dwarves have lost their dwarf ways,
Eventually, the dwarf became a human.
Semir hated dwarves who changed like that.
So I came into the dark forest here.
To this place, the home of the great ancestor, Morkru.
Then, those who were abandoned, the current tribe members, were reaped.
again for many years.
After living with the dwarves who followed him like this.
Now it seemed vaguely familiar.
Maybe the dwarves didn’t lose their color.
Maybe the dwarves didn’t become human.
Maybe a dwarf.
“Like the chief did to us. Shouldn’t we also leave a future for our children?”
Maybe it was following the fate that a race should have.
passing years.
It’s just that the dwarves have changed according to the changing situation of the continent.
They may have been looking for a way to survive.
The way only the dwarves do.
Maybe that’s why I couldn’t live like a dwarf.
What had been stagnant for so long.
“It’s time to let go of your stubbornness, Chief.”
It might have been Semir himself.
100 years ago.
Semir’s time stopped on that day.
Semir opened his mouth slowly.
“Kmaru. He said he went to a human territory.”
“okay. It was a very nice place to live. It is unbelievable that it is a territory in the dark forest.”
Semir still doesn’t trust humans.
I won’t believe it in the future.
Dwarves still have their own ways.
but.
The last remaining Dwarf.
No, the Dwarves who stopped changing without changing.
“I want to see it with my own two eyes. Whether our tribe is a human to whom we can give loyalty.”
One person is enough.
#
A dark forest near Leuven.
Cyan Lucas and Grayson.
And he was heading to Ruben with several dwarves.
Semir says he wants to see Ruben in person.
Let Khmaru hint.
It seemed that the Hammer Anvil tribe wanted to be incorporated into Ruben.
Before that, it seems that he wants to check what kind of territory Ruben is.
Then, very carefully, I asked Xian for a doctor.
Even if they want to be incorporated into Ruben.
Because if Xian, the lord of Ruben, refused, he would be silent.
However, Xian readily agreed.
To be honest, it was an offer I hadn’t hoped for.
The Territory Quest presented an item called ‘alliance’ as a reward, but it was much better to receive it as a territory rather than an alliance.
It was a moment when there was not enough manpower.
If the villagers were Dwarves, they were really welcome.
To be honest, as a human being, what can I say?
Because dwarves were much more trustworthy than humans.
And there were a lot of effects to be gained by bringing the dwarves into the territory.
Ruben continues to develop.
However, due to the indiscriminate situation, there was no plan to be honest.
Because it was nothing more than a savagery if necessary.
And if you do more research in the future, more facilities will pop up.
Then, gradually divide the territory of the territory.
We also had to think about the roads connecting the districts.
However, connecting the traffic network is a task that requires considerable specialized knowledge.
So Xian was honestly thinking about how to do this.
However, with the help of the dwarves, it was a problem that could be easily solved.
And, above all, there was a Dwarven weapon.
It was clear that the level of the soldiers would jump one level, no, two or three levels.
Especially Semir, a descendant of Morkru.
The equipment he makes would not be lacking even if he called it a treasure.
It was an offer that Cian had no reason to refuse.
“We are almost there.”
In this way, Xian was able to arrive at Ruben’s estate in no time.
“Huh… How can this level of territory be?”
“Hello, is this really made by humans?”
The Dwarves couldn’t help but admire the landscape of Ruben.
Not to mention solid barriers and moats.
Even the children playing comfortably in it and the young people living their daily lives
“I don’t feel a little cluttered, but…”
Still, I could feel the warmth.
A warmth that can never be felt in this dark forest.
The Dwarves couldn’t take their eyes off the landscape of Ruben.
For an instant, the eyes of the dwarves all turned to Semir.
And Semir, who received that gaze.
“Are these… the people who really live in the dark forest?”
Semir was also in awe.
Xian slowly guided the dwarves into Ruben.
Xian and the dwarves came further inside.
Right then.
“huh?”
Sian tilted his head involuntarily.
It was also because people were gathered on one side, buzzing and buzzing.
To be precise, it seemed to be surrounded by something.
Xian wanted something and moved quickly.
Then, at the sight of Hans, Xian opened his mouth.
“Why is everyone here?”
“Ah, Bocchan. You are back.”
Hans looked slightly surprised at Xian’s question.
Eventually, he noticed Lucas and Grayson behind Xian and raised his eyes.
“Both of them were unharmed. I’m so glad thank god.”
Hans was greatly relieved.
Lucas and Grayson slightly bowed their heads.
Eventually, Hans found the dwarf next to him and asked Xian again.
“They were really… dwarves.”
“I brought you because I wanted to see Ruben. Rather, why are you here?”
Only then did Hans answer Xian’s question.
“Soldiers say they found a person in the forest.”
“People?”
“excuse me.”
Hans raised his finger and pointed in one direction.
“They said they found it while patrolling around Ruben. It was suspicious, but it was said to be brought to the manor because it was in such a critical condition.”
Xian’s gaze followed the direction Hans’ finger pointed.
There, soldiers surrounded a woman.
and the appearance of a woman.
It certainly didn’t look good being covered in blood.
“I think we should ask what the story was after finishing treatment. Ellie is also coming over there.”
Hans said as he saw Ellie running away.
It was Ellie who hurriedly ran after seeing the woman’s condition.
and.
Tadak!
Xian ran towards Ellie.
Then, he grabbed Ellie, who was running away.
“Kyaaak!”
Ellie screamed at the sudden touch of Xian.
“Hey, lord…?”
Ellie looked at Xian in bewilderment.
However, Xian shouted at the people without even looking at Ellie.
“Everyone stay away from her!!”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Xian at the sudden cry of Xian.
“young master···?”
“Why are you doing that all of a sudden…?”
People, including Hans, looked greatly perplexed.
However, Xian did not give any other explanation.
He just took out an S-class sword and pointed it at the bloodied woman.
“who is this.”
The woman had no answer.
I’m sure it’s accurate that I couldn’t answer.
Because the woman lost her mind covered in blood.
“My lord, why are you suddenly like this?”
“Now that woman is…”
People seemed very embarrassed by Xian’s actions.
However, Xian did not lower the sword he aimed at.
The others didn’t seem to notice at all.
Not to mention Hans and Lucas.
Even Leah somewhere in Ruben.
But Xian knew.
“I am not a person.”
A woman who has lost her mind covered in blood.
A terrible demon filled inside of that woman.
I couldn’t call that Magi.
Madness that completely lost the essence of magic.
No, can that be called madness?
The crystal from which madness finally germinated.
It was evil itself.
Instinct warns strongly.
The demonic spirit inherent in Xian’s body cries out.
If you get close, you die!
Xian raised his sword and glared at the woman.
That moment.
sigh.
The corner of the woman’s mouth is bizarrely parted.
Two shining eyes.
at the same time.
【How did you know?】
terrible malice
It blooms.