Chapter 167
T50“Wow, this never ends. How far down are we going?”CV8Fm0e
e2T4ZGismond looked around curiously. The gently sloping cave landscape leading into the depths was surprisingly beautiful.JQK
nAAdG“We’re only halfway there… senior.”kNTrmAu
rxBsjca“Only halfway? I swear we’ve been walking for three hours. So the dwarves take more than six hours every time they go outside?”21ODKRD
gvQSfzE“Of course not. It’s because you’re outsiders—that’s why we make you go around in circles.”VZz
eNgZFG“H-How did you know…?”jqZhgd8
G6KM0fYou didn’t need to be a genius to figure it out. Sensing the rising tension, Fernan changed the subject.jpd
yD0tZb“By the way, do you know a dwarf named Adguif?”lpBD
t4vT“Captain Adguif? You… I mean, senior… wait, am I really going to enter the Academy?”gyUOM
GeT8“Do your parents live in the city?”jIzdw
f619a“Yes, of course, but…”MLf1r
uPUZbjI“Then just go ask for permission this once, and it’s settled.”ey7h
9kQBack to the topic.OPkHcVB
tVC“What kind of dwarf is Adguif?”ZDmm
mGc“He’s the captain of our guard. A just and upright person. All the dwarves respect him.”csi
uG2LF8vJust and upright, Fernan thought. Very different from what he had seen in the prophecy.dqri
E8LVCIt could only be one of two things—either the future had changed and he wasn’t a Corrupted yet, or he was hiding his true face.shwJw
5ng“Haven’t there been any disappearances in your city?”zDsEcK7
QLA“How do you know that…? Is there a spy among us?”3hOs
9cZDIxkAhgrot was left speechless.nU3
XXLUZO“Yes, it’s been a while now. Miners who went on expeditions in search of mines vanished… ah, I shouldn’t be saying this…!”vsoS22p
Pq17azVHe covered his mouth too late.hPY
uDNuO“Ten grams of mithril.”oBzouh9
kiWn“…Fine, but don’t tell anyone.”JHZQ
D5dNvResigned, Ahgrot continued.UibTJDZ
5uxfT“We’ve been living here for hundreds of years, and the nearby mines are already depleted. So going far out to look for minerals is normal.”KVr3iR
7HTZ“What about the iron mine where we met?”5nobmhR
I1RtGWQ“That was too close to call it an expedition. More like something we avoided, since it’s near elven territory. I used to sneak out there from time to time to get some ore.”67hJ
tgMCX5He confessed he considered it his own “hidden treasure.”Fyel46
BnG“Unnecessary detail.”7XYu
m6pyDn“Anyway, that’s brought us trouble. There have always been monster attacks, but this time it was different. An entire tunnel collapsed.”6NK1
vmUEa5QAs casualties increased, the dwarves became increasingly resistant to those expeditions.esmuewH
SPrkH8“And when they tried to clear the collapsed tunnel, miners and guards disappeared.”3PWn
2n98ok“Disappeared?”cmHB
EOr“Yes. Not a single corpse. Just some bloodstains, tracks as if they’d been dragged off by monsters.”sHs6
lQ1VVpFor a tunnel built by dwarves to collapse like that, and not leave even one survivor, was enough to shake the entire city.G2KZM9
clAq7“That’s why things are unstable now. Some don’t want to leave their home, but after running into you guys, I fear it’ll get even worse.”USDz
2959r“Haven’t you found any traces of the missing?”bxfl8
0bpVvE“No. Captain Adguif has led the investigations, but nothing turns up.”Ph0n5
KppVA6“Of course.”9pgyFI
hBx5bJHow could you trust the cat to find the missing fish?rmcT
uL7Qsr“What do you mean by that?”g1Bahp
NQz“Nothing. Keep telling me about your city.”Xfue
5SUW8“…But if I say I’m going to the Academy, will the mayor allow it?”DDzz7C
ErrD3b“Leave that to me. You just get ready.”I50
EB3zA“Really?”uyc
fbR16LThough he looked a bit unsure, Ahgrot didn’t seem unwilling.SA8L
G1WB“Doesn’t sound so bad, right?”tDLUysr
46ZWVLw“It’s just I’ve never left here. After seeing the elf city, I felt like discovering more.”sh3C
iEpS6v“Do many dwarves think like you?”l86K4P
qwIVXhQ“Yes, quite a few. Some wonder why we have to live buried underground.”4UWfp
I84OA8cIt made sense. No matter how big the underground city was, nothing compared to the open sky and the vast continent.vthB
Zri‘So a relocation.’lXuSa1
KnhcIf he could grant the dwarves land and titles, he could turn them into loyal subjects—or better yet, into a source of income for the Pellenberg.9Hvmk
YyVZZZFThey didn’t realize how far they had walked until the city’s main gate finally appeared.M7V
mgTbSomething was wrong.R4B
yqFhn“Move him, now!”muPL
i5q7Fs“The search party isn’t back yet! Head straight to the site!”KvGby
5s8weUj“They’re on their way!”oI23w
nn2RuFThe gate, which should’ve been closed, was wide open, and a large number of guards were rushing in and out.i8l
33Sl5“…What’s going on here?”bSr3tr
U7U27“Something happened?”XLo
ZD4“Ahgrot?”Yxogb
zNWw“Captain! My respects!”OELk
NwunA dwarf, leading the guards, had spotted him.U3v
Luph4iHe was strange—he had no beard at all, very unusual for a dwarf.49CBl1
TCOFWt“I heard you went out with a human. You’re late.”6md8pNL
tUtHpJ“Sorry, there was a mishap…”FX6Oz
hJdHfZHis gaze swept over Fernan and the others, frowning.mwvSH
Jhw0ZSp“So it was true.”jTAcj
Iy8MMq“Excuse me? What did you say?”Q8mXA
S0n37n“Nothing. But I heard it was one human. Why are there more?”eMy
AJq“…There were circumstances.”azqIMw
bibOThe captain ignored Ahgrot and extended his hand to Fernan.sJ1
eUBS“I’m Adguif, captain of the guard.”GrVQ6z
qVNuto“Fernan Pellenberg.”y9UXy
G74ZPB1“Pellenberg? As in the Pellenberg I know?”OVL
HKcBI5“If the Pellenberg symbol is the turtle, then yes.”EdE
Gjk“…Holy hell.”UAoaCN
M0lAdguif’s eyes widened, though he quickly regained his composure.CeNGzn
Y3TupR“Welcome to the city. The mayor is expecting you. Ahgrot!”YY4K8x
Xpa1o“Yes, captain.”tOWKY
lyGT“Take our guests to the mayor, then report back to the barracks.”S0UzC
4lqBmH“Yes, understood. But… what’s happening?”MZow
w6OWgcd“Tunnel 31 collapsed.”5ztSlVO
c8r3ScF“Again…?”VsG
HfCKAY4“This isn’t the time to discuss it in front of guests. I must go.”ucykn5
IE4x2S8With a shout, Adguif left along with the guards and the search party.LHLAB4
WwAJ“Damn, another tunnel… come on, senior.”xwv
fNiUV1‘That’s Adguif? What do you think, Wooden?’lyd8
96S7mz— Kyuu.Nk2vzNl
QtTUEHXThe golem shook its head. He didn’t seem like a Corrupted, though nothing was certain.AyZ
M0giWooden easily detected external magic, but not hidden forces—that was more Aint’s specialty.wdNZhQm
4oO9Even so, Adguif seemed powerful.dAtU
cewOINot quite Royal Knight level, but close.gYH
7o8C‘Maybe I should’ve brought Luina.’jxc
LDScClicking his tongue, Fernan entered the city.QGbZ
dbSN0W***z2LwQ
rEUg3Ir“Seems like on the surface, they call a week what we here call ten days.”YRUdJs
DmsgThe mayor wasn’t very pleased.HA9i
G69MAnd Fernan understood—not expelling him immediately was already a great act of patience.ltLIIYy
9xBTg“My apologies. Something unexpected came up.”Jc33fp
tFKKeV“Unexpected?”uECEq3
JII0Fs“A matter with the Corrupteds. They’re active both above and below ground.”MXi0Z
mtTtwQAt that, the mayor changed the subject.Lh0ttY
YktX8S“I’ve been thinking about what you said. You claim there’s a Corrupted among the dwarves?”misim
YBF“Yes. And I’m still convinced of it.”6hIBZQ
xgtuMxkFernan’s firm tone left the mayor silent for a moment before he spoke again.cShyB
cBFeT“You know something? We’ve had a problem for some years now—when the nearby mines ran dry, our mining expeditions went farther out, and that drew monsters into the tunnels.”Jtk0J2
ZmxJThat was the small issue he had mentioned earlier.KuwcVLM
gZ7eocO“I heard about it on the way in.”eHnb
Wr9NYcB“Then you know security is a disaster.”NLxmby
4MNYBut he added nothing further.ddx
pEKDaT“Yes, but those attacks were minor. At most ten casualties, sometimes just one or two. Annoying, but we managed by reinforcing the guard.”XlPseak
rSr50DHowever, something different had happened just a few days ago.hnvhMY
DHLoLFDA collapse so powerful that an entire tunnel caved in and all the dwarves inside disappeared.BOqHEeC
hh1Only traces of struggle and bloodstains remained as proof that they had ever existed.DQFiQb
pchBt5“Dozens missing. At first, I believed that, in searching for new mines, we had awakened a monster nest.”wPy
p3a“And do you really believe that?”uTkP4
HT6h7“Yes, that’s what I wanted to believe. These past days, even though we’ve searched thoroughly around the collapsed tunnel, we haven’t found any nest.”yKrmBbi
m5oDNot long ago, he had started to feel that something didn’t add up.dv2Np
q7mm1He knew that some dwarves, dissatisfied with living confined in the city, were moving differently.Pwoij
Jx2vSCHe had wanted to believe that time would solve it—that it was an inevitable problem after so many years of stagnation.DdBZ
WMlBut the idea that they were involved in the monster attacks and the disappearance of dwarves was completely unexpected.3BKS
gEf3“We’ve lived together in this cramped place for hundreds of years.”XOtvFP
ZJNThe dwarven city wasn’t small. But it wasn’t just about size.1QHKYE
fJR“Do you know what’s most important for surviving so long in an enclosed, isolated, and limited space?”p4W
Gn8Zo1O“Avoiding fights?”jndhuc1
pr8Myh“Correct. There must be no disputes. Once they start, there’s no going back.”Q0y
ewZHumans could fight and then flee to another city, another kingdom. But dwarves couldn’t.2uc16V
MfjKKJ1Their city was the only one, and the outside world was unknown and feared.VVWZw
WGgzM3“That’s why I turned a blind eye.”MSsZYaA
4c2Even if he suspected his own people, exposing it poorly could drag the entire city into ruin.PRQm06
1XH41“Were you waiting for the right moment?”pErZmb
n8T3Fk“It may sound like an excuse, but yes. I wanted to catch solid evidence.”60KOB0
a3mTo end it with the least possible damage and in a definitive way.Meu
IC0W“The problem is, I didn’t understand why they were sacrificing their own kin, one after another. Why hundreds of dwarves had to be offered…”K0MbLQE
1dZWOKSBut now he understood.tiU0
1oCriAs incredible as it seemed, if there were Corrupted among the dwarves, everything made sense.LLIJ
okDkGThe traitors had sold their own race to the demons.5MGAUH
lb5GThe mayor clenched his teeth.jiY
KUNQSin“…Let me ask you again.”rAdSW
vYmRbHe wasn’t trying to hide it anymore.6D6a
yzDjOne tunnel had collapsed and dozens had disappeared at once. A few days later, another had given way.eiRJJ
xyLwmSurely, those victims had also been delivered to a demon.zeI
QYV0M“Do you have proof? Not words, but something that anyone would accept as indisputable evidence.”0SpNz
NogOmH8At that moment, Fernan appeared like a rope thrown into the abyss.7lqj
W4EA5“Not yet.”wJnC
s49Qr“Not yet?”QCMUsDH
Z0s“But I think soon. The Corrupted usually rely on monsters. Near the attacked tunnels, they must have hidden creatures.”kBkhx1l
hOa“But we’ve searched tirelessly around the collapsed tunnel and found nothing. Surely, that’s also the fault of those traitors.”Auu3
iZUlHtThe dwarves had spent their entire lives digging through the earth. No one surpassed them underground.tsQ
yFhRIf they hadn’t found anything, it meant there was nothing.T3rD
RIH8IE3“Yes, that must be it.”S2C
TdkXUnless their own had purposely hidden the truth.fkv
3eIN“If we let this go, it’ll be over soon. To the Corrupted, the dwarven city is too sweet a prey.”R6Y
jNj4A large, underground, isolated city.LQQWZmM
AvttOSmPerfect to use as a sacrifice to summon demons without anyone finding out.BkqeY
ctilTTe“But your words sound like you have a plan.”eMoGmxD
RvBtX“I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have dared come to see you with such confidence. Though maybe a week won’t be enough.”rer
QPwLs“It could take months—it doesn’t matter, as long as you manage to uncover it.”NJtzG
17ijiD“That complicates things. The Academy reopens soon.”DieKch
mIqDWAnd besides, that much time wouldn’t be necessary.KCWByPs
wXVDqa“Let me join the search for the missing and the new mining expedition. With my companions.”037
iZvE73R“Trying to make up for bringing more humans, are you? No wonder they say it’s never wise to deal with the Pellenberg.”KI9YoTP
Hebu0But in this situation, even the help of a cat was needed.o1I7D
1j7EFO“…One more thing. The Corrupted you suspect—is he a member of the guard?”7wLPw
Oul“Yes. I think the same as you.”romyk
Emo4SUpon hearing the confirmation, the mayor pressed his lips together.8fB
a3yG“…Fine, I’ll leave it to you.”y29
84gQMs“Thank you.”aBoVN9k
zKUrFernan pulled out some papers.vu2c
vOL“What’s that?”lwPZ1y
ScV“A contract.”lMwsPU
ktKRh1“A contract?”bGEY
t5xktF0“One that states that, in exchange for eliminating the threat of the Corrupted, you’ll collaborate with the Golden Turtle Guild.”fhDui
ox3“What did you say?”VZsI
lgDThe mayor’s face twisted.d8B
6pRuQG“By what right?”cGoZN8
bQFT1I“You’ve spent too much time underground—it seems you’ve forgotten that in this world, nothing is free.”VVYVNLf
ajFC7FNEverything has a price.qlHFOtJ
rQO6EOf“But we’re honest merchants. If there are profits for both sides, there are never any losses.”0HpBs
4YTm3y“A contract drawn up without my consent isn’t a loss? And you say it’ll be beneficial?”wIhelJ
BsT“Please read the last clause.”7Ro
ohf6AThe mayor flipped through the document.hwpOG
rLqOXQI【Article 15. If the contract is fulfilled, the Pellenberg Family will grant the County of Algott to the dwarves and facilitate their relocation. The leader of the dwarves will become the Count of Algott.】vGGsss
dG8Fm“……!”eS8
UeLx“You said you have nowhere to flee? That the outside world is too dangerous? Then take my hand.”Mccv
eMQFernan smiled.gIhHI7Q
Q2kEWj“I know many dwarves are asking why they remain buried and want to see the surface.”P6Nz6Jp
OJHvLUGHow much longer will they keep hiding?ExSirLV
SbHI“The Pellenberg will give you vast lands, legitimacy, and a noble title.”ROn72
eo0qIn return, the dwarves only had to cooperate with the guild.P5lGrN9
OPV“What do you say? It’s a deal where everyone wins, isn’t it?”8ozN
nVuBut he didn’t stop there.rngVz
WuOqvFzFernan went one step further, appealing to the mayor’s ambition.vHynXo
8LNP“You will become the Count of Algott. Not an elected mayor, but the eternal leader of the dwarves.”jDF
rycj86The smile on Fernan’s face widened.J3z
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