Chapter 162
ko3qOfW“D-Did you just say that…?”0lMGzCw
h35M“Since it was a sudden encounter, it’s not strange for me to suddenly make you an offer.”wSiw
fj6“That’s true, but…”7ipeh
0vwODaThe dwarf looked to be in his mid-thirties. As expected of a dwarf, he was short, but his muscular build stood out, and his thick beard left a strong impression.oK9k543
DlgDb“…Anyway, it’s very sudden.”yttmL
4cWTAhgrot didn’t shake the hand Fernan extended; instead, he stood up with the help of the ground.qEIzq
Diq“But how did a human get all the way down here?”aqm
JPPLg“And you, why were you digging tunnels here?”NZ3
Sw9“Does a dwarf need a special reason to dig? I was doing it because there’s an iron mine in the area.”F9l1e
sN3zEO“Same here.”CBH3PL7
r4I“…A human came all the way here to develop a mine?”23TTrFk
Z9xzKAhgrot’s eyes widened.tafo0
81d“And the elves allowed that? I don’t think they’d just let it happen.”WOTTh6
jSIDbO7“We have the elves’ permission. As you know, this area is just rocky mountains with barely any vegetation.”gyznH3
IDTJhi“…That’ll be a problem.”KHW
Ga4XeCYAhgrot muttered without thinking.XSam
0k7tD5U“What kind of problem?”FRMFVx
Xyeur“N-No, nothing. Ahem.”DV8RbL
YPSqHe changed the subject.FAaoJw
n99gMKT“But can humans even mine at this depth? This area is almost entirely solid rock.”ntg
R89Hwg“It’s not impossible. Just not profitable.”tqcyUI
Ny06It was practically impossible due to how unprofitable it was.3yPznlf
IrCqJ“But if you’re looking for a mine around here, that means you live nearby.”0718VN
uV3It was no secret that dwarves lived in underground homes.Ls3BMp
y6Fx“Hmm, well…”3s1
wsnRC“Do you have family or companions?”yswy
f0xTTg“Yes, but… why do you ask?”CVAJ03
lfOHdjTo hire them all, of course.6CAo
yDMBut Ahgrot didn’t take the bait so easily.UXCRyL
uGPNaturally. Even Fernan would’ve been cautious if he suddenly met someone from another race a thousand meters underground who offered him a job out of nowhere.vVUO
FpxMwSo he needed bait.Htjta
8QASomething juicy enough to make the other party wag its tail. And luckily, Fernan had just the thing.2Kc2w9
yxPEt1“Do you know what this is?”udeYl
RUIrS6“What is that…? H-Hey, wait…! Is that…!?”b9KlM
aU4vA glowing purple stone floated above Fernan’s palm. It was orichalcum—one of the three legendary metals.YGd5
BKG3WYA piece he’d set aside for personal use from what was recovered after the destruction of the Bell of Destruction.739PVO
cRx6nXi“Where did you get that?”LETKp
z4E“Do you want it?”8fjp
RbbIw“Of course I do!”hQcSvn
mu4v4qI“If you agree to a favor, I might give it to you.”Nfm
lTo“A favor…?”GCK
y0SDUTS“Yes. I want to meet your family.”mo33AdV
lwSfOrw“Why…?”XZrd
7Jn“Just curious about how dwarves live. Nothing more.”Xgq48T
bdZ5fC“Still, that’s a bit…”rrG
tvKTwlFernan took out another stone.7CE9
pWVe“A-Adaman…?!”lxJlC
yx5gPGAhgrot began to drool.y2McY
5b2WWf“Do you want it?”KM3t2r
xHV“Of course I do!”qiep
JtZuQ“Then will you agree to the favor?”trE
lCD2g2z“B-But still…”BOhrQhr
96UBHyfHe still had a bit of common sense left.UgeTA
zPRVHowever.ROa
PMYBevb“M-Mithril too…!? Who the hell are you!?”abp
hAAeyrKWith the three legendary metals together, the dwarf surrendered.GGwCaZi
773obM“I’ll take you. It’s awkward showing a human the city, but someone like you—who has all three great metals—can’t be a bad person. No way.”n3m
flFAhgrot nodded.3A2co
SCTrdHD“The mayor will understand. Yeah… He definitely would’ve caved too.”cBQV8z
yOg“Wait a second.”J6J
3G0rmlFernan interrupted. Some words didn’t make sense.7zefz
BVw67Z“Mayor? There’s an underground city down here?”10kgz4
lyu“Yes, is that a problem?”RC4Z8QF
qcx“…No, not at all.”jiGahX
Z6DFernan clenched his fist where Ahgrot couldn’t see.5i2V
ozSHis nails dug into his palm, but he didn’t feel the pain.RevHlxQ
67q5‘A dwarven city? Do dwarves live together by the hundreds or thousands?’1cTR
omlIt wasn’t just a pile of ingots lying around.BWK
92winjThis was the world’s greatest mine.KUrxi
8lw***HsOaWBA
IcvDwarves were rare.lNyCz
X6bIt was because they’d suffered the most casualties in the war against demons a thousand years ago.Q3FUX
J2mxtYUnlike the elves, who had founded a kingdom beneath Fridian, dwarves had no consolidated community.QM7I
SI5sQZThere had never been any record of a city founded by dwarves.labUZmA
WXaoCU9Some had settled on the continent, but they were very few.EKXp
66dENEven for the Pellenbergs, who were obsessed with recruiting dwarves, the number affiliated with their company didn’t even reach fifty.Dbl
SdOoGBecause of that—L4BwQnq
ac2“…Holy hell.”V1J
XbQOYnThe shock Fernan felt upon witnessing that vast underground city exceeded all imagination.uzZsp8y
zS10His mind went blank, and it was hard to stay composed.mRd
BUkR8Dwarves here. Dwarves there.lEpM
qkdcThe structures carved into the subterranean rock were worthy of being called works of art, and embedded high above were unmistakably magical lamps.0o23
83b44Gulp. He swallowed hard.ge5
xVlmQVd“First of all, we need to report to the mayor, especially since we brought a foreigner…”K3mt
xwB5yG“Of course.”ilA5w
xlyJIn truth, that was preferable. Negotiations were best handled by those in charge.aWCTkzb
C4eDN“Hmm. Covering your face won’t help. You’re clearly not a dwarf, so let’s go. The rumor will spread quickly anyway.”cTe
vjCMuWk“Aren’t there guards?”qqbM
67Ey“Of course there are. But they’re stationed inside the city to maintain order—not at the entrance. After all, in a place like this, no outsider could possibly enter…”3Tp
EOAz462That was true. Who would ever guess that dwarves had dug such vast tunnels and built a city beneath elven territory?e4vFl
AoS“A human?”Fk8kiW
uIZbl“How could a human get all the way down here?”Or0
0I8nc5“It’s a human! A human has entered the city!”j3A5LgB
1HhiiodThe dwarves who spotted him began shouting everywhere.oCHoNWa
Vrf“Calm down! I brought this human myself, and we’re going to see the mayor now!”NPfX8
0wO“You brought a human to the city? Have you lost your mind?!”hMkvU5
9rbJcEI“The guards! Where are the guards?!”0wR
En3by“There’s no helping it. Let’s run.”eaF
lzM3As the commotion grew, Ahgrot took off running.L5q5r8i
OX8“Is it always like this?”l7a
oI71a“It’s not that they hate humans. It’s just that, in hundreds of years, no other race has ever been allowed inside the city…”RwM
OqsCVvnThe fact that he had dared to bring Fernan there said a lot about what the Three Great Metals meant to the dwarves.ARY
0e2Xw“Since when have you lived in a city like this? A dwarven underground city—I’m genuinely surprised.”bWRfi
rOtUnlp“Since before I was born, so I couldn’t say exactly. It’s not that important.”AoGv
MwPBY7mSoon after, they stopped in front of a building at the center of the city.DH7F
TDapbIt had the shape of a mountain carved from a single block—majestic and beautiful at the same time.AZdDB
JaV5tEspecially impressive was the golden ornament crowning the dome, reminiscent of a mosque.O65u8
whpUpl“Halt. What’s going on at city hall—a human?”uySkCM7
M7JC“How can there be a human here?”Zj2Wad
hSE29The guards raised their weapons. At the sound of a sharp whistle, dozens more soldiers rushed out, completely surrounding them.NyxP
0HvKs“I’m Ahgrot. I’ve come to see the mayor.”jYJmLC
fsid05k“Ahgrot, are you the one who brought a human into the city?”cCP7sEj
SzSv6“No. This human arrived here on his own.”9ctSbRx
tlV35uc“And you expect me to believe that?”3Zr6tY2
UmajHy“I have something I can only say in the presence of the mayor. Please tell him Ahgrot is here.”NCML
nwUptNXFollowing his gaze, Fernan pulled out the orichalcum he had promised to show.BuXvbM
AEJp“Orichalcum?”trxrK
3idY“Where did you get this?”AfPSItB
UBSt“…Hold on a moment.”VZYxrs5
p7E6YMOne of the guards went inside the building. However, the perimeter remained intact, and a cold tension filled the air.yu6Rv
qvg4w“Is that really a human?”x6TL
Cbo“Was it really Ahgrot who brought him?”rvHj
RLNsZS“Citizens, step back!”Zn9d
mJTBC5REven curious dwarves, alerted by the rumor that a human had entered the city, began to gather.WCPm1
7hs4hrGSome tense time passed until—3g4Oky
Ez00Ce“The mayor has agreed to receive you. Follow me.”mXIa8gF
1m6Df“Thank you very much.”GSEI
9B0“Human, if you try anything strange, we’ll kill you on the spot.”thuoWC
hOlOW“I have no intention of doing anything.”lCMJEhm
tuR0Fernan entered the building under strict guard escort.M1OrLQm
uK2pho“Ahgrot, you wait outside. The mayor wants to speak with the human in private first.”TF8HQ3
FINW“Understood.”akz
4c3“I don’t know how this conversation will go, but I thank you nonetheless. Here’s what I promised.”O8H
RErjnyfFernan handed Ahgrot the three metals.OH3xJp
0Qqe1pk“By all the gods—along with orichalcum, adamantite, and mithril?”4GJ
USf0“…Now I understand why you brought a human with you, Ahgrot.”kQg
GChBfeThe guards looked on enviously, practically drooling with greed.swtY4kd
ZTnvN“I’m the one who should be thanking you, hehe.”TOUbbhq
pk4suD8“Now that I think about it, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves. Though I already heard your name, it’s different saying it properly. I’m Fernan.”L23VaOf
ggAiDbk“Ahgrot.”nWRnPk
t2z6EAt that moment, a flash of lightning shot through Fernan’s mind. The world flipped upside down.rb6
Wetz[“Ahgrot.”]DD5e
jLe1GHis appearance wasn’t much different from now, but the atmosphere was completely changed.4ZWE
54IvtnA volcano on the verge of erupting. It was as if he were forcibly suppressing an uncontainable rage.U9Uor
BDj[“I heard you’re a hero. That you’re skilled at hunting demons.”7uE4jfE
w0e“It’s not that big a deal.”CHVy0rZ
32A“I heard it with my own ears, so it’s true.”]r6HD9B
umc83The one before him was Aint. With a gaze more mature and deep than it was now, clearly showing the passage of time.jc7JWLl
Zq0[“I’ve been looking for you.”gak3Ogo
N9N“Why me?”DXJAt
OLJ“I heard you defeated Demon No. 70, Seir; No. 64, Flauros; and even No. 72, Andromalius.”tnN
RxUjvz“It’s true. But I didn’t do it alone…”bczt
Fe9N“It doesn’t matter. You’ll keep fighting demons, and sooner or later, you’ll face that one too. When the time comes, I want to stand beside you, axe in hand.”]LKhHp
wkbSRtAs he said this, he gripped his weapon tightly—its blade still crusted with dried blood.2x6vkjf
F1q[“That one? Who are you talking about?”Jaw
hD6NvXf“Adguif. A traitor who allied with the demons. The scum who murdered my family, my friends—all my dwarf brethren.”Jn7P
VMxQm4And he added,zU1H
stO“The demons used him to summon Aym, Demon No. 58.”]WQvb
daI‘…Aym? A rank 58 demon appeared just like that?’e1tNiE
ZQjjUaLAnd because of him, this massive dwarven city would fall into ruin?8U4
16ugNdThat was a bolt from the blue.yDQJuk
AgC0VZ‘Damn it, what the hell is going on!?’xEcXu
RWdNfFinding another of Aint’s companions, as foretold by the prophecies, brought no joy.zp7BSM8
oMyKqXDA demon—and a rank 58 one, at that!haeEZk
zIplxiJust yesterday he’d breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Bercheff was safe, and now another threat stood in his way.VLx
4SzS“…Why that face all of a sudden?”kgK7Iit
tRXz“No, it’s nothing.”qkLGTL
ao5B“Human, get in already. The mayor is waiting.”fTG8FC
Gc2hqThe door opened. The inside of the office was surprisingly modest. The furniture, the carpet, the chandelier—none of the decorations were particularly flashy.OK8
1wjUjCHowever, everything was dwarf-made, which gave it immeasurable value.GNBrkgf
EX3And there, in the center, sat the mayor.WEykXOj
QCYPoOPA venerable old man.VxR
9aEHis beard reached down to his chest, his wrinkled face paired with a stern and unyielding gaze, along with a body still muscular from age and labor.rTTTmT2
YS7A7LHe almost looked like a father.Ejw7Z
Tm0W6yK“Welcome.”pOE
azAHis deep voice resonated throughout the room.JWf
oScc“I’m Valbern, mayor of this city.”wNlBTVw
AxWwnO“Fernan.”hwZqyU
SgHFernan bowed his head.mse8e
K1aUmp“Take a seat.”AqbrxtX
b58sBfJ“Thank you.”nKtl
ALph“Tea, perhaps?”5nC
lPt“No need.”qYc
ZGaXtsi“I’m glad to hear it. It wouldn’t be proper for the first intruder in the city’s history to demand tea like it’s nothing.”Pim4rmj
WSNnC37His words were sharp.qXq5G
qki3“They told me you came in with Ahgrot. How did you meet?”2a0L6Pc
P2oHL“I found him while looking for mines.”e99GJ
WnWG“And how did you persuade him?”Brn98
Erh7yE“I gave him three fist-sized stones.”HqI
QUZCQv“It matters what kind of stones.”AbX
Luw3ryQ“Adamantite, orichalcum, and mithril.”FSIJ36
MHCAt that moment, the mayor’s pen—busy signing document after document—stopped.7SuDQN0
T4Eor“…Enough to tempt Ahgrot.”cjULlf
Wrh“There’s more.”l3jHX5C
2Qf“…Don’t play games with me.”rdQ
EZxGnThe mayor answered calmly, but Fernan caught a glint of greed in his eyes.MOxMF
n8c“Let’s get to the point. Why have you come here?”79nLuU
sMV“It was coincidence.”Csy
5vjT1“This city is 1.2 kilometers underground. And you expect me to believe it was coincidence?”MlISblX
vTL7Z“It was. I was digging for mines, and there he was.”RwF
I1LJyThe pen resumed movement, papers flying by with speed.JexDoN
6YTqG“That’s an even worse excuse. I’ve never heard of elves allowing excavation on their land.”Uhd
Q8mgnV“But it’s true. My family obtained exploration and mining rights. Only in rocky, barren mountain zones, of course.”HPGTZ9
RNMK“…Really now?”vmQWDp
nUNjQP“There’s no point in lying about something that could easily be discovered.”IZY
XMv4HThe mayor paused again.iT7N
02KebI“…What family could convince those stubborn elves?”y5VIxpe
9hz“Sorry for the delayed introduction. I’m Fernan Pellenberg.”pXTgV
GYKEeW“…Pellenberg, you say?”W2t
BrLcwOKValbern’s eyes shot wide open.lPP
XFlY“Yes. Even living in hiding, I doubt you’re unaware of who we Pellenbergs are.”kE41r
9Jk“Of course I know. How could I not? Every time we go out to trade, you carrion merchants always try to lowball us.”8hiUK8d
Xx0“…You’ve misunderstood. I am one of the Pellenbergs.”CWZonLa
WFR‘Damn it, seems we don’t have a good reputation…’TwvsQD
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