Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Dwarves' Inspiration
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Follow me this way."
Following behind Brundal, Enri headed to the grand workshop where the dwarves of Alpenheim had gathered. The moment he stepped into the workshop, a considerable number of dwarves shot glances his way.
Dwarves were typically seen as the type who wouldn't tear their eyes away from the hammer and anvil even if a scantily clad beauty appeared before them, but not everyone was always like that.
Weren't dwarf-made weapons renowned as masterpieces superior to any other gear? They boasted such exquisite functional beauty that they were called works of art. And this wasn't just a metaphorical expression.
—"You there."
"Hm?"
"Want to give this a try?"
Dwarves were a race that considered themselves artists.
True artists weren't creatures who churned out works mindlessly; they lived off prolonged anguish and bursts of inspiration.
Hammering away 24 hours a day was something only novices lacking skill did. For dwarves who had reached a higher realm, what mattered far more was a handful of artistic inspiration.
In that sense, Enri's body was, to them, practically a lump of star-like inspiration.
"Like this? Oh, what is this?"
"Not bad strength for a human, eh? What do you think? This one's designed to hide its heat normally, then release it under pressure..."
"Isn't this a pressure-type heat-emission sword?"
"You activated the pressure-type heat-dispersal mechanism? If you've got that kind of grip strength, why not try drawing this sword too!"
"Hnnngh—! ...It came out."
"Ah, no! I said draw the sword, not yank the whole stone slab!"
"How about this weapon? It has a rotating orb inside, so the center of gravity shifts in real time. If you can control it, you could disorient your enemies."
"Oh, this one's kinda fun."
A work of art disguised as a human.
A mistake forged by the heavens by chance.
The theoretically optimal solution made possible.
The dwarves, having laid eyes on Enri's existence firsthand, shivered with inspiration exploding in their minds like popping candy.
Weapons they'd made half-jokingly, set aside in case some hero might one day appear, dismissed as theoretically usable only and slated for disposal.
Enri wielded all of them effortlessly.
—"You! Please, please use my weapon!"
"No, let me make you custom gear!"
"Wh-what about a thousand el? A thousand el!"
"What the hell? You trying to sell gear for pocket change!?"
"What'd you say! I'm offering a thousand el!"
The dwarves swarmed toward Enri like dogs half-mad with lust. Seeing them charge, Enri scratched his cheek awkwardly, looking half-traumatized.
"I just need a plain longsword."
"A plain longsword with a body like that?!"
"Well, weapons are consumables anyway... They always end up breaking eventually."
"Probably some cheap crap made by no-name hacks!"
"I bought it here..."
Enri let out a hollow laugh and, just in case, pulled out his own sword. The one shattered by Makina. Even handling it carefully, after slicing trains, bullets, magic, and all sorts of things... the blade dulling and snapping was inevitable.
The dwarves who saw the sword he drew mobbed it to analyze how he typically wielded a blade. Soon, they groaned and began exchanging opinions.
"Hoooh, this..."
"Traces of shattering from thermal pressure."
"Not just that. He's slashed all kinds of things with it? Without even magic. Maintenance seems decent, but..."
Enri was a superhuman.
A superhuman knight.
Possessor of strength and stamina far beyond ordinary flesh.
Of course, in a tug-of-war with ten average adult men, Enri would be dragged along. But give him a sword in battle, and he could fell a hundred foes alone.
Among knights, he was peerless. The Knight of Knights.
Such a superhuman required a weapon befitting one.
—"The weapon's basic frame is all wrong."
"We need designs. Blueprints."
"We'll need Alpenhium too."
Dozens of dwarves moved in perfect unison, like a single organism. Watching them, Enri couldn't hide his fluster and eyed them cautiously.
"No, really, any old sword will do. Why the fuss... You trying to rip me off? I can't pay that much."
"Don't worry. You think we're doing this to fleece you?"
Hearing that, the elder dwarf's eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"We just want to forge a sword worthy of the greatest knight."
Like moths that burn themselves to ash upon seeing the sun, yet fly toward it regardless.
Upon seeing Enri, every dwarf had no choice but to pick up their hammers.
They couldn't hold back.
That was the kind of existence Enri was.
In a cave lit only by a flickering lantern, a dwarf hammering away frowned and listened to his comrade.
"...What? Where'd you find them?"
"The Lady of the Claudia Ducal House and her knight have arrived."
"At this timing... Quite the coincidence. Or is it?"
Halting his hammer strikes, Vinskar groaned, gauging how much the duke's lady and her knight would interfere with their plans.
No doubt, a great deal.
And for good reason...
"The Claudia Ducal House was surely pro-kingdom."
"Right. They saved the 3rd Prince from the elves' schemes, crushed the Pandemonium that attacked the palace, and the lady herself is betrothed to the 1st Prince."
"Then they're our enemies."
Based solely on open-source intelligence, the Claudia Duke appeared pro-royal. At least, that's how it looked to the dwarves.
And their pro-kingdom stance meant they were prime suspects to obstruct their plans.
"We need to weaken the royal family's power here too."
"What's your plan?"
"Lure them into the mines somehow. Use an inspection as pretext."
Vinskar lifted his halted hammer again and continued.
"Then blow the mines. Mage or knight, if they're buried, that's the end."
No questions on method. Vinskar would handle preparations.
The dwarf nodded and quietly turned away.
Moments later, only the sound of hammering filled Vinskar's workshop in heavy silence.
—"An inspection of the mines by me?"
"Yes, my lady. The Lord of Alpenheim requested it personally."
Having finished her custom order and resting in the guest quarters, Eve nodded as if it were no big deal at the dwarf's sudden request.
As tedious as it was, she couldn't refuse a request from another of the Five Great Houses' dukes.
It was easy to guess why they'd ask her. Her mind held every law in the kingdom, including the stuffy old king's legal shackles on Alpenheim territory.
'Mines above a certain size require auditing by someone dispatched from a house ranking higher than a duchy.'
The fact that only Alpenheim's mines met that size threshold kingdom-wide. That they couldn't audit their own... It was blatantly a royal ploy to monitor if Alpenheim harbored rebellious thoughts.
Understandable. Even if the异種 king of Alpenheim laid down his crown and bowed, full trust would be impossible. They'd want chains. The overt discrimination was the problem.
"Very well. I'll go."
Eve changed clothes and declared she'd head out immediately, donning practical attire with her maids' help. Can't enter a mine in a dress, after all.
But the moment she finished changing, laziness surged to the top of her head. Do I have to do this now? No way.
As her annoyance threatened to sour into irritation, Enri entered the room right on cue.
"Lady, I placed the weapon order—"
"Perfect timing. You go instead."
"Pardon?"
Eve shipped Enri off to the mines alone in her stead. She'd have to bring him anyway if she went herself, so sending him solo was better, she realized.
The 'audit' was just a stroll; eyeball the records and ore yield, stamp approval, done. Royals didn't inspect rigorously. Alpenheim wouldn't rebel. No issues with output for centuries.
"Making me work even here..."
Grumbling all the way, Enri headed to the mines alone. He watched dwarves swing picks diligently and ventured deeper.
The audit was nominal: skim logs, guesstimate ore, stroll the tunnels, leave.
He thought it'd end simply today too.
Ruuuuumble...
"...What was that noise?"
The mine shook violently.
Enri frowned slightly and looked up.
The growing vibrations soon turned into massive quaking.
Moments later.
Kaboom—!
—"!"
The mine collapsed.