Chapter 202: The Young Tall Furnace (2)
21QH“The ship that left Nassau is said to have reached the fog zone.”BsAez4
blwXDu“Really?”yeb
m7bQRLBIn the dimly lit office, a man holding a red fruit smiled upon hearing the report.8XwDk
UBcZb“It seems that the northerners are finally going to meet the dwarves.”qeU
xvFykPTThe man began slicing the fruit into pieces one by one and feeding them to the parrot perched on his shoulder.oARN
nSKz3RThe colorful parrot’s eyes narrowed as if it enjoyed the bitter taste its owner was offering.uPihu9
JZ7rwWW“Did you bribe the sailor properly?”6918
OSv“Yes, we’ve already placed the communication crystal on the ship.”Zyfr
IFzHL7“Good.”f8O4M
ILoSatisfied with the report, the man swung his feet off the table and, holding the parrot on his finger, walked over to the window.ogVhz
xZfafzQ“At last, I’ll finally see the island of the dwarves.”at5Jd
JateHSunlight started streaming in through the open window, revealing the blue sea.Lfp
LBDZVThe man began to laugh as he felt the salty sea breeze coming in.1sg
F5Uwfvw“I should start preparing as well.”4dQ2DNX
Muz6However, although the sea was blue, the adjacent port was completely black with lined-up ships.t9pXS
yV4AAnd on the sails of all the ships waved flags with the same emblem.4IuKq7
q12They were the crests of the Barbosa family, adorned entirely in gold.dFLSG
wsY2Z***MC7
Radwcf9The Zemina advanced over the calm waves.qX9
u5TpPWBecause it was in the fog, it was the same no matter where you looked, and the surrounding area was filled with remnants of broken ships, perhaps due to reefs. However, Harven’s movements while holding the helm showed no hesitation.z60zcAD
npPhpukThis was because they had finally found something to cling to in the vast ocean.ePSfIt
rYr7P5“That looks like a moonfish.”PWh3gG7
kffs“What is a moonfish?”09xAl
5M9lZh“A fish that looks like that.”Px3
q4eNNdW“…When you put it like that, I have no idea.”qjB
TsfUGsNVlad ignored Harven’s nonsensical words and looked ahead.qi6PtIh
Jtterl4Currently, the Zemina was following a ship with a strangely shaped body that was hard to describe.gWtFj
4v9WeVIt was short in length but tall in height, which made even someone as inexperienced as Vlad think it looked extremely unstable.ALgnZ
zFOL“A ship that swims underwater… no one would believe it.”1kbyiH
ZhDXY“That’s right.”Cr6TwB
HLyVlad responded to Harven’s words and looked toward the bow of the Zemina.1wO41
tcWE0LNot only Nibelun, who seeks out mysterious things, but also Joseph, Jager, and the elves of Ausurin.7DkgF
qreQ3lDThey all gathered and said it was the first time they’d seen something so strange, despite the uncomfortable atmosphere they’d been feeling until now.LFmB
iCo“There are ships that move without wind and ships that swim underwater.”trqT7g
jewAjIXVlad raised his hand to his eyebrow and looked away.xWMT12
Ze343This was because the wind passing through his hair felt cooler than before.zzBu
1mpq9“I wonder what else there is.”pyQL
g1IxThe clear sunlight began to shine on the back of Vlad’s hand, which was placed over his eyes.aQQAT
yzxWith that, the white fog, as if it were a lie, began to clear.DHt46D
ri4As the dense fog that had blocked their view disappeared, the crew members began to express their amazement spontaneously.DmVcA
0eVs20l“It must be the island of the dwarves.”3Dh
voua“Yes.”9hAo3
2ZXmVlad nodded as he looked in the direction Harven was pointing.fKy
y9Cf2An island floating alone under a flock of seagulls hovering over the blue sea.1GjU
VaDFinally, the island they had been searching for appeared before them, reflecting the sunlight on the water.3qUkCB
TnsaVThe island of the dwarves, Lemnos.PvI0
ii9Just as Ausurin was the last bastion for the elves, Lemnos was a refuge for the dwarves, who now welcomed them.Pynm0
d94Uq***PSV3Q
OsE9oK“Then, it seems we part ways here.”1D7yIjH
5iE1gFrom the half-submerged ship, a dwarf climbed up and waved towards Vlad.3SeTe
7uM0“Thank you for saving us back then.”FlYha
BifxmThe captain of the strange ship that had guided them until now was Vulcan, a warrior from Nidavellir.goA
Zr7He had been one of those who volunteered for this mission after being trapped in a Nassau tavern with other young dwarves.JFr
5Mh“We didn’t specifically come to save you, but…”scwQ2b4
mYnFSo“But you did.”cc7k
1BPrDo what you have to do where you need to be.10vF
zmRPVulcan recalled the knight who had been genuinely angry upon seeing the trapped children.tbLhz
4ruyO3“Move forward to where you can see. Nidavellir welcomes you with open arms.”m6DI
ShZlcAfter his farewell, Vulcan returned to the chimney, and the strange ship that resembled a sunfish began to submerge again into the sea.XcN3
Cl2PBWatching the ship disappear, leaving only bubbles as they had first encountered it, some of the sailors couldn’t help but express their amazement with contained groans.72MLX4x
2YkV7L“I really want to ride that too someday.”NTQFSf
pXYFoyLLooking at the sinking ship with a bit of sadness, Harven fully unfurled the sails, which had been half-open until now. Then, receiving the wind blowing from behind, the Zemina began to move forward with all its might.b7YEs
qWpyUnlike when they were trapped in the fog, now the ship moved towards a clear goal, providing a refreshing sensation to those observing it.YvEAe
Ms30AWX***vOCU
10rs1sThe port of Lemnos Island was filled with dwarves flocking to the island after hearing the news.8jTy
ssbxBJust as the dwarves were a novelty for the northerners, the humans and elves seemed like strange guests to the residents of Lemnos Island.SRnu9tZ
rMgugME“But they said they would welcome us earlier, didn’t they?”dO4XbHe
VD6jD“…Whenever you travel to a foreign place, you must follow their customs.”MxW
i5wBpJoseph and Vlad raised both hands and made eye contact as if they were surrendering.QRX4joe
k1QIjo5Not just these two, but the entire group that disembarked from the ship was now being meticulously inspected by dwarf warriors.ZtWBw
ftFLttEvery time the sturdy hands of the dwarves touched them, Vlad frowned, but on this island, security was essential, so there was no other choice.1Dfuqw
yKikg0L“Please be patient. I will make sure you receive proper hospitality later.”AtUvT
pGR7wSigurd, an acquaintance of the group, tried to calm them by noticing the increasingly tense atmosphere.6a7A
ywTNEven if he were one of the 12 tribal chiefs comprising Nidavellir, he couldn’t avoid such strict procedures.6xMuAnI
VLJ“Can I take a look at your sword?”fXdX
TrtI“What?”Vge
jEuxDespite Sigurd’s attempts to calm them, Vlad’s gaze filled with a blue fire.Qen6P
cjqbK“I need to ensure it doesn’t contain anything suspicious, so…”Pi6XT
55059“Are you asking a knight to hand over his sword? Are you really telling me that?”DjPLWf
JuxGrAlthough they were human words, they sounded like a beastly growl.ls2j
3EgtdAs Vlad’s eyes gradually turned blue, the dwarf warrior took a step back unconsciously.cT7
yvqthWu“…Then at least give me the dagger you’re wearing.”s39
reX“Isn’t a dagger also a sword?”nj80d7
mJBWutTFor a knight, the sword is his identity. The dormant fury in Vlad began to awaken at the dwarf’s demand to surrender his identity.RlB
DTFBl“Try touching me. I’ll rip your head off in an instant.”Ov6
d0gp“…”OXJL
tAl90He spoke softly, almost like a whisper, but his voice was a mix of alleyway roughness and dragon ferocity.EBH5DS
QlMRThe dwarf warrior in charge of the inspection, despite being an experienced man, hesitated for a moment at Vlad’s threat.Jc0uNQ
1WYaQ“Idiot, stop bothering people and take out the dagger as they asked.”7JH91P
FST6x“…”e9fKLM
o1KK“Don’t just glare. Take it out at once.”QTv7
4V4DAt that moment, an old dwarf emerged from the crowd and called out to Vlad in a loud and clear voice.dus
AtWIt was an elderly man struggling to straighten his back, which had become hunched over time, with a cane.m1RAYS9
IjURfm“Who are you, old man?”C0ytx77
Ba2Dt“Why would it matter to you?”7z3M
BEHkKrYDespite Vlad’s threatening questions, the old dwarf simply approached, paying no attention.vr97
qdeUgFor the elder who had dedicated his life to forging iron, the threat of the young dragon was nothing.EUK05VW
nnLjRfH“Anyway, why is all your armor broken? Despite your pretty face, you’re quite rough.”aWRI
5NO“…”z5Ix
irhAlthough his armor seemed intact on the outside, the old dwarf had quickly noticed its multiple damages.iCeKd0
uG4PVlad, who had been gaping a moment ago, was a bit surprised when he saw the elder recognize the state of his armor with just a glance.jQph4
3YnS“Even if you do that, I won’t give you the sword.”kbC2
2rK“I don’t need it either. Those swords are trash.”r0vYbfD
k66NNA vein appeared on Vlad’s forehead at the mention of a ragged sword, but the elder’s attitude did not waver.eGIF4J
vOBdrr6To be precise, no one here could stop the old man.z0Xm7r
UfxyRM“Sigurd! Is this the guy?”mVCDH
CvQAt the elder’s shout, he shook his head and said it was Sigurd in front of him.aD6DMV
wpeeDfNVlad, incredulous at the elder’s audacity, held back only because of Joseph’s urgent look beside him.ORJY
NWP“…Then, let me take a look.”4oQ
txLDSshring-Gm8k
GfNo5RsThe dizzying sensation of something mine being taken by foreign hands.eH4MZ
hiH5The growing discomfort made the air around Vlad even tenser.EBI
zJXm6vx“Put that down, old man. I’m telling you nicely.”0hLN
5d359Due to the sudden change in atmosphere, everyone at the port began to focus their attention on Vlad.Zh5k6Ca
UXt6FSX“I said put it down.”8IWF
mfn“…”lcI1ik
Y9da81RAlthough Vlad demanded the dagger with blue and bright eyes, the dwarf blacksmith simply smiled.ujUV6h
9p9e7rThis was because he found old marks he had carved on the drawn dagger.WgECr
3q5qnWw“Yes, it’s the right one.”H2f
xxdWith trembling hands, but respectfully, the old dwarf sheathed the dagger again and looked up to face Vlad.C8h7
Yi61“But where did the rest of this go? I think I made at least ten of these.”VJPyKAe
E95QJt“What?”FQc
CLkq3“Anyway, how is Sir Jorge doing? I haven’t seen him in over ten years.”g11y
RMkbT3Vlad, who was growling, fell silent while observing the old dwarf talk about his former boss.y1P
6vDAKjX“…Jorge?”KQ7SV6
0azfMore than the confusion of hearing a familiar name in a strange place, Vlad was perplexed by the elder’s gaze.I1NWIB
ZkQBecause the elder’s eyes at that moment were like those who wandered searching for some old memory.osb
faH***MkO0G
ByM9UOVOn the calm sea, there was an empty beach illuminated only by the moonlight.sNB
YRS7u3Contrary to its seemingly peaceful appearance, it was a place filled with suppressed moans and children’s cries.iZDOMH
NKT“Old man, have you gone mad? That’s a cooking pot.”pGX
7Uza“I know.”UO5
2JHZDespite the lamentations, the old dwarf heated the pot with a concentrated look. It was the only thing he could do for the knight he would soon part with.m3Zcvsj
Vy0qcF“…”LurKs
7zS6The old dwarf tossed pieces of rusted iron into the hot pot.haDJ
HPgrvceHe sprinkled the powdery, vision-filled dust there and melted it into a lump. Then he transferred the molten, red-hot iron into a mold made of wooden pieces.DJX
ne081“Thank you for protecting us.”ESfaGw
kpUw“…Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t do it because I wanted to.”6EVRr98
rh46The old man, who had carefully moved the molten iron, raised his head and looked at the knight standing alone under the moonlight.QrXKcZ
1r68T7wUpon closer inspection, I saw that the man’s tattered armor was filled with red wounds here and there.7pM25
hWimu5“I only did it because the children kept crying.”xmHzRng
qBo8h8A man who was where he was supposed to be.6k8dQza
IpeA3nGThat’s why Jorge, who followed rules instead of orders, relaxed his stern expression only when he saw the ships approaching from the horizon.a4qfgpK
mzsIy7“They’re here. It’s time to say goodbye.”ZVs7ty
iZIt1f5“Wait.”xwpabr
ATcyWhen Jorge tried to rise without further ado, the old dwarf hurried to grasp his pants.yRZ
AO5d“Take this, at least this.”Rdof1
rW5O“What is this?”dICkp
hNRA6“A dagger.”VN7I
aGyJorge looked at the daggers the old man was offering him.8urCKT
rP3DIfSince I saw the process of making them right in front of me, I didn’t expect them eagerly, but they were daggers that somehow had a distinctive gleam under the moonlight.BLvHn3A
pyFRD“Although I give them to you now, if we ever meet again…”JyyIi
jxLu“We won’t.”HwUw
50lfiUnderstanding the old man’s desire to give something back, Jorge took the daggers with his bandaged hand.XAUI
2BKm7Perhaps because they were made with warmth rather than heat, the daggers were simply warm even though they had just been made.STU3Evn
A4h9OK“It’s better for you and for me to never see each other again.”6f18INB
9OowWith his last indifferent words, the Gaidar knight simply waved his hand and left the peaceful white sand beach.a3j7c
sJZNThe old dwarf stood on the white sand beach for a long time, watching his figure for a long time and only greeted by the moon.123Fl
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