The Unsocial Dwarf

Amuro nodded painfully. "That's right. Our Ironfoot Tribe was one of the survivors back then, but this village only formed after splitting off several times."

The Dwarven race had fragmented quite thoroughly. It seemed the impact of that nation-destroying blow still lingered even now.

"So your Dwarven Kingdom was wiped out by the Demon Race?"

"Yes!"

Amuro had been just a child back then, but the scene was still fresh in his memory.

A massive magic circle enveloped the entire Dwarven Royal City, and countless Monsters surged out from within it. Though the royal capital boasted a large number of elite Dwarven warriors, they still couldn't withstand such a horde of Monsters, let alone the Demon Race commanding them from behind.

From that day onward, the Dwarven Kingdom vanished from this world.

And Monsters and the Demon Race became the common enemy of all living beings on this continent.

At the thought, Amuro slammed his cup heavily onto the table, murky liquor splashing out. "The most ironic part is that the power source for those Demon Race's magic circle was the Ancient Sacred Relic we Dwarves dug up!"

The Dwarves' greed for gold and gems drove them to dig deeper and deeper into the mines, until they unearthed an Ancient Sacred Relic.

The Dwarves were overjoyed at the time, never imagining it would be the root of their destruction.

Hmm. A somewhat familiar plot.

I wonder if an Arkenstone exists here?

"What was that Sacred Relic?" Lord Rhode continued asking.

"A red stone tablet."

Serie suddenly cut in. "Where is that stone tablet now?"

Amuro shook his head. "It vanished the night the kingdom fell. It might be in the ruins of the Dwarven Kingdom. At any rate, those Demon Race didn't get it either."

Lord Rhode didn't quite understand why Serie had suddenly spoken up, so he looked at her, but saw that she had fallen silent again, clearly with no intention of continuing.

It seemed he'd have to ask when they were alone.

"Lord Rhode, I have an impertinent request."

Amuro looked at Rhode. Through his observations, he'd found that most matters in this pair were handled by Rhode, while Serie hardly bothered with them.

Now that these traveling companions had appeared in their village, perhaps it was some kind of divine will.

"Speak, but let me be clear upfront—we're just ordinary travelers. Don't expect too much from us."

For the sake of the Dwarves' fine ale, Rhode didn't mind agreeing to something trivial.

Besides, these Dwarves had a fairly advanced civilization. Various silk fabrics and full suits of armor were ample proof of their impressive craftsmanship.

He'd have to grab some before leaving—at least a few blankets, so he wouldn't have to sleep on that hard ground every night.

"Actually, I'd like you to spar with my son."

Amuro's words caught Rhode off guard, and even Serie looked up.

"Why?"

"That ungrateful brat thinks about nothing but going out on adventures. I want you to knock that ridiculous notion out of him."

Just mentioning it, Amuro could barely contain his anger.

Precisely because he had adventured before, he knew how dangerous the outside world was. His unfilial son was still a forty-year-old child—how could he rest easy letting the boy run off on adventures?

Only by using the gap in strength between these traveling companions and his son could he make the boy recognize reality.

In truth, he could guess the real reason his son Som wanted to go adventuring. Unlike ordinary Dwarves, the boy was like an anomaly among them.

He got headaches from drinking, so all the village feasts were forever out of reach. His Dwarven forging skills were mediocre at best, yet he was obsessed with weaving—a craft unworthy of a man.

In fact, in Amuro's village, there was no distinction between male and female Dwarves. Some female Dwarves even donned armor and fought on the battlefield.

But Amuro couldn't accept his son taking a liking to such a craft. And more crucially, his son didn't grow a beard!

A Dwarf without a beard—was that still a Dwarf? Wasn't that just an ugly goblin from next door?

So his son had been looked down upon by the villagers since childhood, and that was precisely why he'd developed the idea of going out on adventures.

"Gets headaches from drinking, huh? Could it be alcohol allergy? But not growing a beard really doesn't fit a Dwarf."

In a village where even female Dwarves grew beards, the boy was indeed an oddity.

It was like a Sphynx cat mixed into a group of hairless cats—it would definitely get the others hissing.

"What do you think, Serie?"

For a spar, Serie would have to handle it personally. He had a clear sense of his own current strength.

"Fine."

Serie would never turn down a chance to fight someone.

"In that case, let's go. Meet your son."

Led by Amuro, they arrived before a house. Shortly after knocking, a figure emerged.

Lord Rhode had never imagined he'd one day use the word "delicate" to describe a Dwarf, but this Dwarf before him truly deserved the term.

Did not having a beard really have that much impact on a Dwarf's looks?

On the other side, Som spotted Rhode and the others at first glance. He had also been on the front lines during the monster attack that day, but back then he was clad in full armor and a helmet, so Rhode hadn't noticed his presence.

"Old man, why aren't you taking your benefactor to the banquet? What are you doing here with me?"

Amuro kept a straight face. "Som, haven't you always wanted to go out on adventures? If you can defeat these two, I'll give you permission."

Som's eyes lit up instantly. "Really?" He looked excitedly at Rhode and Serie. "Just watch me!"

He was so confident that Rhode almost couldn't suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

Serie, however, merely glanced at Som indifferently. "Interesting."

Som couldn't wait to turn around and dash back inside. A moment later, he emerged carrying a strangely shaped long-handled battle-axe.

Rhode noticed that the axe blade was covered in intricate patterns. It looked more like a work of art than a weapon.

Som, of course, couldn't forge such a formidable weapon. This piece was crafted by his father—his father's proudest creation, which had accompanied him through many battles. Now it had been passed down to Som.

Serie studied the patterns closely. "Dwarves can't use magic, but they possess the finest forging skills. They inscribe magic into weapons in the form of patterns, giving the forged weapons certain magical effects."

Serie was actually explaining this to Rhode, knowing he wouldn't be aware of it.

"Magic enchantment, huh? Pretty interesting. I wonder if I could learn it?"

"I'm afraid not." Since their conversation wasn't kept private, Amuro naturally heard Rhode's remark. "No other race can learn the dwarves' forging techniques, including these magic runes."