The Dwarf's Final Farewell
Traces of a certain dwarf's handiwork were everywhere in the room.
And then there was the security setup.
This room's defenses incorporated both divine power and mana.
That Jed guy must've been really good at running the shop.
The relationship between the Temple and the Mage Tower was one of pure antagonism.
The fact that even the most elaborate security measures drew on the strengths of both groups was proof of that.
So that's why Christina permitted the visit.
Perdikion's experience in the human world as a hatchling probably played a part too.
But the decisive reason was surely this place's ironclad control over outsiders.
Just looking at the physical locks reinforced with all sorts of mana and divine power, it was security fit for an emperor.
In truth, this room had held the deepest secrets—Jed's private, clandestine space.
Perdikion spoke to Rune, who was surveying the surroundings.
"Wait a moment. I'll summon the dwarf who has the will."
As if he'd been forewarned, he approached one wall and pressed a protruding button cleverly hidden within the patterns.
Ding!
When Perdikion pressed the raised switch, a light chime rang out.
How much time passed?
Footsteps echoed from above.
Then came the sounds of something being disassembled, tinkered with, and reassembled in quick succession.
The door opened, and a middle-aged dwarf blinking his eyes spoke up.
"Oh! Lord Rune, Lord Perdikion. It's been too long!"
He was a familiar face.
One of the reformist dwarf vanguard who'd grown into middle age now gazed at Rune and Perdikion with eyes full of nostalgia.
"I remember. You were part of the reformist vanguard that came to Christina's Lair, right?"
"Yes! It's an honor that you remember me, Lord Rune."
Watching him stirred strange feelings.
Rune recalled the three dwarves he'd seen just a few months ago.
Their youthful figures shouting "Fighting!" triumphantly at the meal Christina had prepared, having received a dragon's oath—they overlapped with this aged face.
A century had transformed those passionate, eager young reformists into seasoned mid-level dwarves.
Seeming to share the sentiment, the middle-aged dwarf spoke.
"I've heard about you often from Lord Jed, but seeing you unchanged brings back memories of when we first set foot in this land. We were reckless back then, but it felt like we could do anything."
The dwarf adjusted his glasses—which he hadn't worn back then—pushing them up his nose as he took in Rune's appearance for a moment.
His green eyes, tinged with some untold story, reminisced about his own past through Rune.
Rune responded in kind.
"I remember too. You've matured a lot."
"Is that so? Standing before someone who knew me as a kid is a bit embarrassing."
A gentle smile creased the dwarf's wrinkled lips at Rune's reply, then he headed to a corner drawer.
"You've come for Lord Jed's will, I assume. It should be around here somewhere... Ah, found it."
Rummaging through the drawer, the dwarf opened a safe and retrieved an ornate box.
When Rune took the box, the dwarf's face relaxed with relief as he spoke.
"It's inside there. And there's something Lord Jed President left in our care."
The dwarf then handed over a heavy cloth-wrapped object from the desk.
"Here it is. Please take it with you."
I can feel mana from it.
Now that he held it, it was surprisingly heavy.
Rune thought the weapon's shape felt familiar—then realization dawned, and he looked down with somber eyes.
This is Paralium, the weapon I bestowed on Jed.
The S-grade battle axe Paralium, given to honor his defense of Rune in the Abandoned Mine Dungeon.
Perdikion recognized the outline too, reaching the same conclusion. They exchanged nods.
"...Thanks for keeping it safe. We've got it now."
With the weapon in hand, the reality sank in even deeper.
Jed was truly gone from this world.
"We're the grateful ones. After that, we received support no lab or finances could refuse. Especially the day those countless pearl magic stones arrived—we dwarves were floored. Lord Jed shed tears that day, even breathing fire from his cherished weapon in his excitement... Heh heh. That's all in the past now."
"Sounds just like Jed."
Rune nodded in agreement, and the dwarf smiled nostalgically once more before clearing his throat.
"Ahem! Anyway, thanks to that, negotiations with the Temple and Mage Tower went smoothly. On behalf of the reformist dwarves and Lord Jed, thank you sincerely."
I knew it would help, but it seems they made even better use of it than I thought.
The Musketeer Merchant was now a giant, but when they first established it, they couldn't match the Temple or Mage Tower.
The best they could hope for was cooperation with the Mage Tower, given blacksmiths' affinity for magic tools.
But becoming the sole supplier of pearl magic stones combined wealth and uniqueness, drawing checks or alliances from other conglomerates.
The vanguard dwarves and Jed had seized the opportunity well—but without Rune's aid, it would've been a pipe dream.
The dwarf clasped his hands together, gazing at Rune.
"Thanks to you, reformist dwarves and young ones alike could embrace change. Lord Jed bragged about his personal communication with you often, so you might already know."
"?"
Rune recalled the unread long messages piling up on his Mokoji Stone but didn't mention it.
"The Musketeer Merchant Lord Jed founded has become the continent's largest in name and reality. It even allowed young dwarves to experience human society and culture under the guise of training abroad."
His humble tone and soft voice warmed his otherwise stern dwarven features.
The dwarf continued.
"All this was possible thanks to Lord Perdikion, of course—and the consideration from Lord Rune, Lady Christina, and Lord Perdikion to help us establish ourselves in the human world."
"Ahem."
Rune glanced sideways at Perdikion, who cleared his throat awkwardly.
In truth, he'd quietly lent a hand for his sworn brother's sake—or the lair's residents' progress.
"Beyond that, the unstinting material support was the lifeline that revived the Musketeer Merchant. It let us secure cooperation from the Temple and Mage Tower."
The Temple and the Mage Tower.
Cooperation between those feuding powers was an achievement no mere merchant could claim.
As Rune began feeling like he was receiving a progress report,
"Please continue to support us going forward, Lord Rune."
Rune caught the dwarf's intent.
He's asking for ongoing pearl magic stone support.
It started sentimental but ended pragmatically.
Perfect timing too, right as they received Jed's belongings.
Asking a dragon for favors? He's got guts.
His intentions were obvious, but his looks and gentle tone made it palatable. A real talent. Rune chuckled.
"Jed picked a good successor."
"Thank you. I just believed my sincere concern for the merchant guild would resonate."
Just the right mix of softness, lightness—and backbone beneath.
A dwarf who'd serve the merchant guild well in every way.
This one's skills were likely a big reason behind its growth.
"I can tell just from that black market key you're carrying. Jed trusted you deeply."
"...You saw right through it. As expected."
Admiration mixed with a flicker of tension.
He controlled it masterfully, but any notion of Rune as a mere young hatchling was gone.
Rune asked.
"What's your name?"
"Maron, reformist dwarf of the Musketeer Merchant."
"Right. Maron."
Like Jed, this dwarf Maron would leave the world long before Rune.
Even a simple "see you later" wouldn't fit.
Rune pulled a pouch of pearls and deep-sea monster sacks from his subspatial pocket.
Maron hid his glee well, but not completely.
"Thanks for safeguarding the will and belongings."
"Thank you. You will always be an honored guest here, Lord Rune, whenever you visit."
Finally, Maron politely confirmed Jed's grave location.
"Come to think of it, Lord Perdikion visited once before. Might I guide you?"
"That was the plan. We won't be staying long anyway."
Maron delivered the necessities with dignified grace, then bid a proper farewell.
He even leaves a good impression at the end. Born merchant through and through.
Rune and Perdikion headed to Jed's gravesite.
The memorial stone stood in a plot the Musketeer Merchant had bought—an entire mountain turned into a columbarium and memorial ground.
Purchased for future human-world working dwarves and his family, only Jed's grave occupied it now.
Perdikion said.
"Dwarves' traditional funeral is cremation. It's the way of fire-wielders, honoring a great blacksmith who lived his life with flames as companions."
Knowing it intellectually differed from seeing the grave and memorial before his eyes.
Rune read the inscription on the tombstone.
The great blacksmith who forged mighty strides,
Inventor who opened the future.
Benevolent merchant. Reformer of civilization.
Dwarf Jed Musket rests here.
He knew he shouldn't.
But he couldn't help the fleeting thought.
With necromancer aptitude and resurrection Word of Power, was there some way?
Reason and conscience shook their heads immediately.
No. Even if possible, it shouldn't be done.
This wasn't like Dullahan or Heungmi.
Heungmi's soul hadn't lived fully.
Dullahan's was a dungeon reward, a lost wanderer's.
But Jed had passed peacefully—his soul was gone.
Reviving a soulless corpse would just yield a walking husk with old memories.
That didn't sit right.
I've come far.
In the end, Rune closed his eyes before the grave, offering silent prayer.
Perdikion did the same, joining briefly.
Rune drew the battle axe Paralium from his subspatial pocket.
"Got it, Jed. You held onto this weapon until the very end. You cherished it, so I'll keep it safe."
Thanks or condolences felt wrong.
Rune chose what he could say.
"I'll keep supporting the dwarves. You wanted to spread dwarf pride—your reformist kin, no, the whole race's masterpieces—across the continent. You worked hard. Rest easy now."
With that, Rune stowed Paralium.
"Is that it?"
"Yeah."
For Rune, who hadn't seen his end, this farewell at the grave was all he could do.