A Moonlit Encounter in the Dragon Range
Darkness had settled over the Dragon Mountain Range.
The night was even darker and more desolate because of the dense trees that blocked even the moonlight.
In that mountain range, a notorious spot known for its rocky terrain and treacherous paths.
A group was passing between the rocky hills that formed the second spine of the range.
Ten carriages and over fifty people.
Jingle clank, thud thud!
It was a remote spot where ordinary merchant groups avoided, so the road was quite rough.
Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss!
The rough wind brushed against the oddly shaped rocks, constantly producing eerie sounds.
A group moved along this road with a calm demeanor, as if they had traveled it often.
Guarding the surroundings with magical lights that showed no effect from the rough wind.
Dak dak.
The group leaders at the front suddenly stopped and shone the magical lights ahead.
The darkness was pushed back, revealing massive and majestic traces of the ages.
A great stone bridge connecting the rocky hills and rocky hills.
Under the artistic creation made by the wind, five silent carriages were left standing alone.
The group stopped in front and quickly began to move.
The coachmen dismounted and headed to the carriages below the bridge, while the guards who were watching the surroundings moved the horses with familiar hand movements.
Jingle.
Suddenly, two figures in deep blue robes descended from the middle of the ten carriages.
One of the group members approached them, bowed his head, and said,
“Everything has been completed.”
“Wait at the entrance as usual.”
“Yes.”
After the short reply, the five carriages began to turn back the way they had come. Then only the ten carriages they had brought and the two figures in blue robes remained.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
A while after the desolate wind brushed past the two people.
From the darkness on the opposite side, twenty or so figures emerged walking.
When the figures in robes shone the magical lights, their appearances were revealed.
Long beards reaching to the belly buttons on the halfway height of adult men.
They wore helmets with horns and carried on their shoulders weapons as big as their own bodies.
It was the otherworldly race known as dwarves, who were said to handle fire and iron like ghosts.
The two figures who had confirmed their appearance lifted the robes covering their faces back.
An old man with white hair and a young man who had just become an adult.
The old man smiled gently and bowed his head toward the dwarves.
“I didn’t know that you, Master Grombal, would come in person. It’s been a long time since we’ve met the others as well.”
“Hoho! Benjamin, this is our last transaction, so I have to come myself.”
“It’s a shame. You’ve already reached the age to retire.”
“Tsk, there’s no one more kindhearted than you.”
“This late in the game, but your father was an incredibly strict person……”
“You’re the last one, so why do you have to be so serious about the atmosphere!”
The dwarves bickered.
The old man Benjamin smiled softly.
“Hoho, how could you not know? How much hardship I’ve suffered under a strict father like him.”
“As expected, words get through.”
“If only I could have a farewell drink here right now, it would be a shame.”
“Master Grombal, how can that be? It’s too much of a shame to send them like this.”
The front red-bearded dwarf Grombal let out a groan at the dwarves’ words.
When he was pondering what to do, Benjamin shook his head and said,
“Don’t you know that a short farewell is better? And I’m the one retiring, not our transaction being completely stopped, right?”
“...Do you know? There were times when you didn’t feel like a human.”
“Is this praise or insult? I don’t know.”
“It’s praise. It means you’re too lacking in greed to be called human.”
“Hoho, if you knew how expensive I sold the items I exchanged with you, you couldn’t say such things.”
Watching Benjamin’s kind smile, Grombal took a small bite and stepped forward. He stopped in front of Benjamin, who was even bigger than him, and spread his arms wide.
“Just this once, the first and last time, let’s hug.”
“You still think I’m a kid, don’t you?”
Contrary to his words, Benjamin smiled softly and lowered his body greatly, sharing a deep hug with Grombal.
“Thanks for never breaking your promise with us throughout all this time.”
“That’s what I want to say. I’m really grateful that you trusted me and continued the contract. And I hope you’ll take care of me from now on as well.”
“That’s obvious. As long as our trust doesn’t break, the Red Anvil Tribe will continue our contract with the Avalon family.”
“So you don’t have to worry. My grandson will do well.”
“Hah, who I thought was coming with me was Lucius.”
Grombal released the hug and looked at the young man standing next to Benjamin.
Lucius’s kind face and bright eyes impressed, so Grombal nodded his head greatly.
“Hohohohoh, now I understand. Lucius! You’ve really grown a lot.”
“Grandpa Grombal, hello. The others are all doing well, right?”
“Hah! It really is Lucius?”
“The little nose-picking kid has become a full adult?”
“How many years has it been! Every time I followed Grandpa, my feet suddenly stopped, and how much I wanted to see you!”
In the dwarves’ welcome, the young Lucius smiled brightly.
“The things Grandpa makes are a bit rare. It took some time to prepare to trade them.”
“Puahahaha, you’ve grown very trustworthy?”
“I can’t see you as just a kid anymore.”
“Now that you’re continuing our contract with us, take care of yourself from now on.”
At the dwarves’ words, Lucius nodded his head greatly.
“Don’t worry. I will continue my grandfather’s wishes without betraying them.”
“Good. Good!”
“I can’t believe I can’t drink alcohol even once like this, it’s so unfair.”
“Next time, when you take your grandpa away, let’s have a big drink.”
While the lively atmosphere continued, a bitter smile formed at the corner of Benjamin’s mouth.
Suddenly, Benjamin quickly erased his smile and said,
“The road ahead is long, so we’ll take our leave now. Please… take care.”
“You’ve really aged. Leaving such meaningless farewells.”
“Hoho, that’s right. Then……”
Benjamin bowed deeply, and the dwarves waved their hands with regretful expressions.
“Stay safe.”
“Next time, let’s definitely have a drink.”
After hearing the dwarves’ greetings, Benjamin and Lucius turned their bodies.
“Come on! Let’s go too. We have a long way to go too.”
“Yes! Master Grombal!”
“Let’s go quickly!”
“We’ll come back and have a big drink.”
The dwarves, who had loaded the weapons they made and exchanged with them along with daily necessities and a lot of alcohol, quickly disappeared in their carriages.
After the dwarves disappeared, Benjamin and Lucius slowly turned their bodies.
“I’m worried that it’s not splitting the belly of the golden goose.”
“Grandpa, they’re not the golden goose. They’re the sacrifice to make our family the best on the continent.”
“Hmm, do you really think they will keep their promise?”
“The transaction we made isn’t just with them. They were also our trading partners. And… they have prepared for a thousand years. That’s enough power to change the world.”
Even at his words, Benjamin looked at the place where the dwarves disappeared with a bitter expression.
Lucius clenched his fist and continued.
“Don’t be sorry. This is the best we can do. Haven’t you experienced it enough with Grandpa? No matter how much gold we accumulate with the dwarves’ weapons, those with power and authority will see it as just a merchant’s noise. I! I don’t want to be treated that way anymore. For that, the world must change. For that, we must give up our biggest possession! Only then can we gain something greater.”
“Okay, I’ll try it once. If you walk a different path for our family because of you, I’ll be satisfied with that.”
“Thank you for believing in me……”
Lucius could not continue his words.
Because a group of people appeared silently around them.
These figures walking out from the darkness.
Nearly two hundred figures were all wearing black robes.
One of them stepped forward and said,
“I was worried about you playing around… but you handled the job properly.”
“W, we acted as promised. So……”
“Don’t worry. You will survive in the new world we will create.”
“T, thank you.”
“Go back and prepare. Soon… a new world will open.”
“Understood!”
Lucius quickly finished his reply.
Pulling Benjamin’s arm, who had a stiff expression, he quickly left.
After the two disappeared, the figures in black robes looked toward the place where the dwarves disappeared.
“Is the tracking magic attached to the carriage working?”
“It’s functioning properly.”
“Good. Follow them while informing the other groups of their movements.”
“Yes.”
“We have to move as fast as possible. We have to sort it out faster than the elves who went to deal with them, so we can get more recognition from him.”
“Understood!”
After the conversation ended, the figures in black robes melted back into the darkness.
Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss.
Perhaps because of their appearance.
The sound of the rough wind became even more desolate.
Like a ghost’s cry.
***
Kwaaaah!
Kwoooow!
I can do it!
Today’s lively market too.
Hearing the screaming and shouting, Jin Chen came out of the main hall.
“Kwaaaah!”
Stretching his back and rubbing his eyes, Jin Chen clicked his tongue shortly and said,
“Hey, you dog.”
The light words spread throughout the market.
A while later, someone flew in at an incredible speed from afar.
It was the dog.
“Did you call me, Lord Jin!”
A very tense expression, as if expecting another scolding.
Jin Chen swallowed dry saliva after the dog stopped in front of him.
“What you just said.”
“Huh? Which thing are you talking about?”
“The flying one, kid.”
“Ah! Yes! It’s Fly Magic.”
“Can I do that too?”
“Ah… that’s……”
Fly Magic is impossible to create as an artifact.
You can make it float in the air, but controlling direction or speed is difficult.
“It’s impossible.”
“S, sorry.”
“Can’t Sybel do it either?”
“I don’t know about that either……”
“Well, never mind. How about doing something about these screams?”
“Ah! Anyway, the kids were too anxious, so we were preparing a sound-blocking magic circle.”
At those words, Jin Chen smiled faintly and said,
“Teaching magic seems pretty fun?”
“It’s a bit difficult to say this, but some of the kids have incredibly talented abilities. I would want to take them as disciples if I could.”
“You can, why not?”
“Huh? Really okay?”
“Ha, you brat. At times like this, I don’t know if your head is smart or stupid.”