The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Episode 25
The Fugitives (3)
George had thought that after the Mithril Mine, there was nothing more surprising, but this incident was truly beyond imagination.
“Is this true?”
I stuck out my tongue as I looked at the dwarf castle spread out before my eyes.
The same was true for Roder, who followed from behind and never let his guard down.
“There was a place like this in the land of the barbarians… … .”
It’s been hundreds of years since the dwarves disappeared.
Strangely enough, they seem to have made their new home in the sparsely populated and harsh northern wilderness.
Among them, the castle where they were located, despite being built of stone and the like, was not at all shabby, and blended in with the desolate land, rather bringing to mind a scene like a work of art.
What catches their attention more than anything else are the culmination of the craftsman’s skill.
“… … .”
“Wow! It can be so gorgeous!”
From areas requiring meticulous tanning, such as cloaks, to iron armor with scales that seem to move alive.
Its overwhelming quality is so admirable that it is almost a shame to treat it as just an ornament.
In particular, that black thing hanging over there could be considered the pinnacle of their metallurgical technology!
I felt it since the hammer flew towards me… … As expected of a dwarf, it felt on a whole other level from Esteban’s old techniques.
George rolled his eyes and calculated the value.
“… … I guess I can throw in about 5 million gold.”
Ugh.
George was in a bad mood because it was about fifty times the promised annual salary.
Soon, George’s gaze turned to the direction where the first prince had leisurely disappeared.
‘What doesn’t that guy know?’
It was twenty minutes ago that we entered the dwarf village.
-Why did you come here? Depending on your answer, I won’t let you go kindly!
To the dwarves who were giving off a sharp aura as if they were pushing them away, the first prince immediately started muttering something incomprehensible.
-Masters of the Rock Castle. Wasn’t it customary to give travelers who came to the Promised Land a chance to broaden their horizons?
– Huh?! How! There are still people among humans who know our clan’s true name and tolerance… … .
The dwarves exchanged surprised glances and looked at the first prince’s face.
Soon, the one who appeared to be the leader of the dwarves walked out, snorting.
-Adventure! Judging from the type of armor, it seems like they come from a different force than those who don’t even know the importance of weapons. And that momentum is the scent of a ruler.
Kwajik-!
The leader of the dwarves, who had pulled out the hammer with one hand that had not moved when touched out of curiosity, looked at the first prince with the hammer slung over his shoulder.
– A polite person. Come, and we will invite you to our castle as is customary.
It was a bold voice that was hard to imagine coming from such a small body.
A beard braided down to the chest could be said to symbolize a certain authority.
dump-
George slumped down on the delicately small guest sofa.
It felt a little uncomfortable since it was made for dwarves, but it was better than standing still.
If it’s not going to be mine anyway, looking any further will only make me feel worse.
Of course, there were some people who didn’t think that way at all.
“Wow! What a lifelike statue! I wish there was one in Esteban’s palace… … .”
“… … .”
I always think that way, but I really envy people who live comfortably.
But it is true that thanks to that, I discovered something interesting.
‘You’re not afraid of us.’
George’s eyes slit sharply.
The eyes that had been staring at the party from the moment they entered the dwarf village.
And that gaze was not one of caution toward an uninvited guest in the treasure trove, but rather one of relief and welcome.
George’s fingers tapped his forehead busily as he continued thinking.
‘Why?’
The age of chaos.
The era when mankind was consumed by a brutal war completely overturned the structure of the continent.
It was a time when all races suffered and were hostile to one another.
A time of darkness where intelligence disappeared and all races went mad.
And during that time, dwarves were often used as slaves because of their excellent dexterity and aesthetic sense.
It was the same for any other race, but it was also because wars were so active that dwarves were particularly utilized.
So they disappeared. That’s why they disappeared.
As a result, the argument was that it was humans’ fault that they turned their backs on the secular world.
However, there was clearly something wrong with the current behavior of welcoming rather than rejecting the animal that ran away from humans.
George felt that the favor was all the more contradictory, since even the traces he had found outside the canyon suggested that they lived ‘hidden’ in illusionary magic.
“… … Is that true name really that great?”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
George stood up from his seat after answering Roder’s question curtly.
“Where are you going? His Majesty the Crown Prince will be back soon.”
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Then he left without even listening to my answer.
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But as soon as I left the reception room, I began to feel regret.
“But where is the bathroom?”
I’m not a navigator, but I’m not good enough to figure out where the bathroom is the first time I see it.
Even the architectural style is too different from that of humans to even guess the location.
In that situation, George chose to wander aimlessly.
“It feels bad to go around among those decorations… … .”
It was at that very moment that I was about to take that step.
-I hope the captain is doing well.
At the faint sound coming from afar, I habitually leaned against the wall.
Then he listened calmly.
It was the sound of dwarves talking.
-Anyway, we’re going to be… … guys, right? If we’re going to do it… … then why not?
-Shh!… …What are you going to do if you hear that?
-But this time… … it’s for us… … .
Oh my.
It was difficult to infer the situation because the information was fragmentary, but I was able to grasp the basic outline.
Because there was something I had been guessing.
-I have to… hurry… …
George calmly walked away.
* * *
“If you are a human who knows the true name of our clan, you will know our speech well.”
“hmm.”
“Let me get straight to the point. Why are you here?”
As we entered the room guided by the dwarf captain, the main topic began without even offering us a cup of tea.
I liked it.
I also didn’t have a hobby of beating around the bush.
“I and my country, Esteban, need dwarves.”
Mithril buried in the Galder Plains.
And in order to handle the ore called Mithril more efficiently, the touch of a master craftsman was needed.
The leader of the dwarves showed signs of discomfort.
“Ahem! Are you saying that knowing the history of our dwarves?”
In a voice that was scratched and threatening, I agreed without even a shred of hesitation.
“I know better than anyone else.”
“Then what? Are you saying that the only reason you had to come here, even to the point of breaking the clan barrier, was to persuade us and make us your slaves?”
“I’m not saying that I’ll treat you like slaves. Slavery has long since disappeared from the continent.”
Rather, it was closer to saying that you pay a price to hire someone.
But the leader of the dwarves still showed his opposition with a face full of rejection.
“If that’s all you came to see us for, you’re seriously mistaken.”
“It may not be all bad news. There is plenty of room for negotiation.”
But even so, the dwarf captain’s face showed no sign of relaxing.
“You talk nonsense… …! Don’t you think that if it’s for your own benefit, you can do whatever you want to the foreign race? That’s how humans have always been!”
“… … .”
“I have settled here for the safety of my clan. I am not ignorant of your intentions, but we cannot follow you.”
As he said this, he folded his arms and blew air out loud.
A stubborn look that makes it seem like you won’t turn back no matter what happens.
but.
“really?”
In that moment, my sudden question left him speechless.
I waited until enough time had passed, then continued.
“Do you really think that would help the dwarves’ well-being?”
The dwarf captain showed no emotion as if he was listening to someone else’s story.
But to my eyes, I could clearly see the muscles holding the hammer twitching and moving.
“Are you saying that following humans will help the clan?”
“You know that very well. You must have felt a sense of crisis as the pressure from the barbarians grew ever closer.”
“How, how about that… … .”
The leader of the dwarves who began to waver at the word ‘barbarian’.
I continued speaking without paying any attention.
“There is nothing left to eat in this land. The war with the Empire has also increased the need for minerals. How long will it take for them to discover this land?”
“Adventure! I guess I have some idea about the internal situation. But that’s just speculation.”
“If only I could make you cool down by telling you the truth you’ve been ignoring.”
This was a land ruled by barbarians.
Even if you hide your appearance through a barrier and artificially hide your traces, you will eventually be discovered one day.
If, despite having endured for hundreds of years, such dire situations had occurred now, it was clear that the future was unavoidable.
‘And that’s not a good development for me either.’
The phrase “getting caught by them” had many implications.
But to me, who knows all the information, only a predetermined future is visible.
By the time they were discovered, most of the dwarven forces had been ‘captured’ by the barbarians.
‘Many died, and those who survived were turned into livestock according to their rules.’
And this incident became a trigger and had a great impact on the situation.
In the future, when they began to provide weapons in earnest and help build walls, the barbarians’ power grew so large that it became a burden.
There were several attempts to block this by deploying troops and breaking its momentum.
Naturally, all of these attempts resulted in casualties among the barbarians, who had been fully prepared.
Of course, there were some dwarves who fled to escape the clutches of the barbarians.
Unfortunately, the problem was that the direction was not good.
‘Southeast… … It was a land that bordered the Federal Empire.’
If the barbarians treated them like cattle, the Federal Empire aimed for another position.
They cut off his legs while he was still alive, strapped him to a chair, and made him spend the rest of his life making things.
In a place where they couldn’t even run away… let alone take a single step, their role was nothing more than that of a factory tool.
That is why I hastily headed north, even to the point of causing trouble.
‘If we don’t stop it now, it’ll be our Esteban who’ll be in trouble.’
But the guy who had been silent for a while soon shook his head as if he didn’t want to admit it even if it meant dying.
“It is, as you said… … We are currently under pressure from those guys! But that is not a reason for our clan to cooperate with humans!”
Then he started searching through his pockets.
“And you guys who don’t even know the importance of weapons! As long as you have this, it doesn’t matter how many people come!”
“Hoo.”
What the dwarf captain took out was a round artifact.
I nodded my chin as if telling him to continue. The guy started explaining with a smug look on his face.
“This artifact was created by the elves a thousand years ago. Unlike the crude barriers installed at the entrance to the village, this one is imbued with magical essence.”
“I see.”
“Whoa! While I’m at it, I’ll tell you about its effects! When you activate the artifact, it spreads in all directions… … .”
“stop.”
“… … Huh!”
The guy flinched at my low voice and shut his mouth without even knowing what was going on.
I uncrossed my arms and tapped the table lightly with my index finger.
“so?”
“That, that’s why… … .”
“Are you beating around the bush like that when you say you want to offer fair contract terms that match the price?”
“Huh… … ! Ahem… … .”
Since that was probably his intention from the beginning, it didn’t seem like a bad thing.
It’s just ridiculous to keep talking in circles.
So I started reciting the terms of the contract I had thought of before coming here.
Although I hid some information, it is the truth without any lies.
“At the border of the kingdom, there is a mountain range that no one can climb. And underground, there is a mine that no one has developed.”
“Huh? What’s that all of a sudden… … .”
“I will transfer 5% of the ‘mineral’ shares that will be produced there.”
“Huh!”
The dwarf captain’s heart began to pound as if it would burst.
As evidence, he ran towards me with eyes that were bigger than when we first talked about the contract.
“Is that true?! We also know about the Cheonhye Mountain Range! If there really is a mine in such a place, it must be quite large… …!”
“Unfortunately, the estimated reserves of minerals have not yet been revealed.”
“That, that… … !”
“Of course, things would be different if a dwarf, an expert in this field, came.”
That moment.
The expression on the face of the dwarf leader, who had collapsed as if the world was about to collapse, flashed awkwardly.
Something came to mind.
“Ahem! Only 5%… … It’s too small to mortgage the future of the clan.”
“Hoo.”
“Do we not know whether you are the kind of person who can protect the freedom of our clan, and whether the mine’s reserves or the type of ore… … ah, no… … whether that land is suitable for our clan to live in silence? Don’t we know anything?”
… … Oh, really?
I opened my mouth, the corners of my lips rising higher and higher.
“So how much stake do you want?”
“Add 5% more. It’s only natural considering the pride of our dwarves!”
“I see.”
“… … Now that I think about it, isn’t that too little? I want one fifth of all the ore. If it’s not that much, I’d rather die here than cooperate with humans!”
I really like the determination to fight for one’s clan.
It is also about forcing yourself with wrong desires even when you do not have the time.
What is certain is that they have reaffirmed that they have been living among themselves in a closed world for a long time.
“good.”
I nodded without hesitation.
Then, the face of the dwarf captain who had been observing brightened.
“then…….”
“I’ll kill you however you want.”
“Oh, to have a stake in the mine! If only I had that… … Hmm?”
I slowly stood up from my seat, freeing my stiff body as I watched the dwarf captain stand still, sensing something strange.
Let’s see… … .
“I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.”
If it were to interfere with Esteban’s natural course of action.
If you dare to insult me and try to comfort me.
… … Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill them all?
