Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 29
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“Once we get back to the kingdom, introduce us as an economic delegation from the continent.”
“An economic delegation?”
Uralen tilted her head and asked back.
This was during a meeting, just before returning to Harac Bar.
“Technically, it’s not even a lie. Just do that, and I’ll handle talking to the king or the prime minister.”
It was a cryptic statement.
“What makes you think we have the clout for something like that…….”
“You planning to sell meat to the dwarves?”
River and Bankers couldn’t quite read Dane’s intentions either. But he didn’t elaborate.
‘Can’t help but play it by ear, so if I tip my hand too much, it might backfire.’
He had several scenarios in mind.
Uralen tricking the Lucas Hunting Party to lure them to Harac Bar. There was no real reason to go that far just to capture Dane’s group alive, so he relegated that to the remotest possibility.
A more realistic assumption was that the prime minister’s faction, which wanted war, had already seized real power in Harac Bar.
In that case, the king would need a situation that bolstered his position. That’s where Dane’s idea of an “economic delegation” came in.
But with so many variables, he couldn’t explain the full plan even to his allies.
“Just follow my lead for now. You’ll figure it out as we go.”
River felt a bit miffed but also a little pleased.
Dane had taken the initiative this time, suggesting they couldn’t go in naked, so they should dress properly.
Ever prepared, River had gathered outfits for Dane and Bankers by type. Naturally, she had the most varieties of underwear.
“How about this…… No, this one’s a bit more formal. Change into this later.”
A modern-feeling suit set: shirt and pants, necktie and vest, jacket and shoes.
That was Dane’s current attire.
Veradruk, the captain of the guard, eyed the sharply dressed pair of humans and the lizardman with suspicion before puffing out his chest and responding.
“You mean to bring humans and beastkin inside under these circumstances?”
Uralen answered.
“That’s not for you to decide. And…… I’ve brought the rebels along too, so if you keep blocking the way, I’ll consider you one of them.”
“Rebels?”
At Uralen’s words, Veradruk’s gaze shifted to the dwarves tied up on the carriage roof. They shook their heads desperately, but his expression didn’t change in the slightest.
It was as if he were drawing a firm line.
Veradruk pondered for a moment before slowly nodding.
Dane imagined the sly smile hidden beneath his bushy beard.
“We’ll soon find out who’s truly rebelling against the kingdom. Let them in.”
If the guard captain carried himself with that much authority, what must the prime minister, leader of the opposition, be like? Dane felt a small thrill.
It was similar to the tension he felt before hunting a powerful beast.
Uralen shot a glance at the Lucas Hunting Party without a word.
Bankers adjusted his coat collar and slowly urged the carriage forward. With dozens of dwarves surrounding them, it looked just like an escort under arrest.
* * *
Everything changed the moment they passed through the entrance.
“This is Harac Bar…….”
River couldn’t even finish her sentence as she looked up at the new world.
The sky was blocked off. But the ceiling was so high that one might not even realize it.
Above all, it was bright.
Every rock forming the space glowed. Bright enough to see everything clearly, yet soft like moonlight.
It was also warm.
Outside Harac Bar lay the snow-white Tike Mountains, but the air inside held a cozy warmth. As if the entire nation had central heating.
The Lucas economic delegation forced relaxed smiles, straightened their backs, and slowly took in their surroundings.
The craftsmanship of this vast underground empire was far too precise and neat to call it a burrow.
The buildings, aligned at perfect angles, weren’t built but carved from the stone—and each one was disproportionately huge compared to the dwarves’ stature.
‘They sure like things big and bold.’
Of course, it wasn’t without flaws.
Whether from age or the recent earthquake, every building bore large and small cracks.
Traces were visible on the stone walls behind them too. The buildings were carvings anyway, so it was all one massive piece.
Dane thought to himself.
‘No wonder the prime minister’s arguments hold sway…….’
This was something even Dane couldn’t fix.
“The princess really brought humans.”
“And beastkin too…….”
Curiosity focused on the unfamiliar carriage and strangers. Countless dwarves watched the delegation from atop and below the buildings, following behind.
The air was thick with wariness and distrust more than curiosity or admiration.
Dane calmly pieced together the conditions and variables he could control. But he hadn’t yet found a solid clue to turn the situation around.
That’s when they arrived at a grand hall.
Opposite the hall loomed a massive carved relief, like the grand finale to the epic saga they’d glimpsed in the tunnel.
Dane couldn’t contain his pounding heart.
‘To feel my heart race at a carving…….’
It was that overwhelming.
Dane instantly recognized what the carving depicted: dwarves charging at a gigantic monster.
The monster was a Dleksadhak.
“Amazing!!!”
Bankers threw his head back and exclaimed in genuine awe. Pride filled the faces of the watching dwarves. For that moment, at least, there was no hostility.
“Pay your respects to King Tuparak Adrin of Harac Bar and Prime Minister Grad Skaul.”
Even then, someone snapped everyone back to attention with a shout.
Only then, at the sound of Guard Captain Veradruk’s voice, did they notice the dwarves waiting beneath the carving.
Two dwarves sat side by side in large chairs, spaced apart as if sharing power.
The woman on the left. Her stern expression scanned the delegation before softening briefly toward Uralen. That was Tuparak.
As expected of a king bearing the nation’s weight, her aura of dignity was extraordinary.
‘The man beside her is Prime Minister Grad…….’
Dane had imagined an elderly dwarf with a cunning look. But he was young—unexpectedly so. His eyes were bright and sharp. No ordinary fellow, Dane surmised.
Grad, who met Dane’s gaze without flinching, spoke first.
“Princess Uralen. Where have you been, and why are you with humans at a time like this?”
“I escorted an economic delegation from the continent. I happened to meet the escort sent by Prime Minister Grad and came with them.”
Uralen’s voice was calm but firm. Grad glanced at the carriage roof, but his expression didn’t change.
“A shabby group of just three, dragging some strange carriage—these are supposed to represent the continent’s economic delegation?”
“What does that matter? What message they bring is what counts.”
The two young dwarves faced off without backing down.
“It sounds like you’re saying their message matters more than the kingdom’s safety.”
“If it helps the kingdom’s safety, then yes. We’re on the brink of a decision we can’t make lightly, aren’t we?”
“Isn’t the problem your prior contact with humans in this situation? I sent an escort out of concern for the princess’s safety and the kingdom’s welfare. And yet you bring them bound like that. You’re proving your own disloyal intentions, Princess.”
Murmurs started from behind the carriage and echoed through the vast hall. Every word from the prime minister and princess reached every dwarf unfiltered.
Having steered the mood in his favor, Grad rose from his seat.
“It’s undeniable that Harac Bar’s princess met with humans beforehand, on the eve of war!”
Grad continued in a commanding tone. The dwarves in the hall hung on his every word.
“This is clear treason against the kingdom. Princess! Speak. Did you leak war plans to the humans in advance?”
“…….”
Despite the blatant insubordination, Uralen couldn’t respond. The murmurs in the hall grew louder instead.
Grad raised a hand to silence the crowd.
“It’s hard to believe the princess decided and acted on such a grave matter alone. So…….”
Grad suddenly wore an exaggerated expression as he turned to Tuparak.
“Surely the king didn’t orchestrate this herself? Did she order the princess to meet the humans and hint at the war?”
Tuparak, meeting his gaze, stared silently at Grad, then Uralen. After a long silence, a groan-like admission escaped her lips.
“Yes, Prime Minister Grad. I gave the order.”
At Tuparak’s words, Grad dropped to his knees with a thud. His face twisted as if the world were collapsing.
“How…… how could the king prioritize humans over Harac Bar’s future…… no, over the safety of our race?!!!”
He cried out in anguish, pounding the floor with both fists. Such heartfelt, desperate acting.
Dane’s group saw right through it, but it seemed devastatingly effective on the dwarves.
Cries and shouts erupted like wildfire from all sides.
‘So thin-skinned…… must be a racial trait.’
Dane chuckled inwardly with a hollow feeling. But as if it weren’t over, Grad swallowed his tears and rose, unleashing the rest of his passion.
“So…… it’s true? The rumors that the king long ago sold out to the elves and humans?!”
“Prime Minister, what are you saying!”
Uralen shouted, interrupting. Grad ignored her, pressing Tuparak.
“Even when the whole world whispered that the king changed after venturing to the continent for the Mekel Mountain expedition in her youth…… I didn’t believe it. But now I have no choice.”
He adopted a solemn expression, as if resolved. The mention of “Mekel Mountain” in Grad’s tale caught Dane’s attention, but he watched a bit longer.
“Investigate thoroughly whether King Tuparak and Princess Uralen have committed treason against the kingdom. If true, the king will be dethroned!”
A deep silence fell over the murmuring hall at Grad’s declaration.
Dethronement.
Could something this monumental happen so abruptly? Did the prime minister even have that authority? Was it truly justified?
Doubts and shock swirled in everyone’s minds, but no one spoke up.
Everyone except Dane.
“No, this is…… isn’t it too harsh without even giving us a chance to speak? From what I’ve heard, dwarves are supposed to be exceedingly kind to guests.”
He broke the tension with a loud opening line. The dwarves’ thoughts stirred anew at Dane’s fresh topic.
“That’s true.”
“We’re not an unkind race.”
Such murmurs arose. Dane continued, his gaze alternating between Tuparak and Grad.
“I’d heard as much, but hearing it straight from dwarves makes it feel fresh again.”
What was he getting at? No one knew his true intent, so they simply listened.
“The prime minister is right. Harac Bar’s King Tuparak has indeed been in contact with humans for a long time.”
“Wh…… what?”
Not just Uralen—even River and Bankers blinked in confusion. Dane turned casually to address the crowd.
“But it was all preparation for this very day. It’s truly regrettable that the prime minister’s misunderstanding and rash judgment have nearly ruined it.”
“My misunderstanding?”
“Exactly. King Tuparak has long pondered a world enslaved to the World Tree and elves. Knowing it would one day threaten global safety, she allied with Pohen, the king of hunters who rules the continent, to gather strength for the future.”
The words echoed the prime minister’s, but the intent was entirely different. Dane nodded emphatically, as if deeply moved himself.
Acting on par with Grad. Everyone held their breath, watching Dane.
Dane knew it was time to breathe life into his rhythmically paced tale.
“To seal the pact, they exchanged tokens. The rabbit’s foot I have and the one the princess holds are proof.”
Dane held up the two rabbit’s feet high. Tuparak shot up from her seat. Her eyes trembled more than ever.
“You…… how do you have that!”
“Because I am the second King of Hunters.”
He puffed out his chest proudly, meeting Tuparak’s gaze. Tears welled in her eyes. Dane could guess their meaning.
“Ooh!”
“It’s real?”
“The king’s reaction is genuine!”
The mood ripened. Time to play his trump card. Dane committed to the gamble.
“And there’s another reason their pact cannot be broken.”
Dane bit his lower lip, as if broaching something vital and difficult.
The anxious crowd’s gulps were audible.
“It’s the princess standing right here: Uralen.”
He extended an arm toward her. Not just her—everyone’s faces filled with bafflement.
“What?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dane shouted louder to quell the commotion.
“Princess Uralen is the blood child of King Tuparak and Hunter King Pohen! Daughter of dwarf and human!”