An Unexpected Lesson
**CLANG!**
Dullahan swiftly stepped forward.
The silent, black-armored knight who usually stood quietly in the back or simply observed from the side.
“…….”
The wordless giant in armor carefully gazed down at the small Jed.
“Pyeok!”
[Jed. Dullahan has been worrying a lot. Shouldn’t you greet him properly?]
The first to notice Dullahan’s agitation and restlessness was Rune.
‘I’ve definitely gotten better at expressing emotions since sticking with Jed.’
That was a tremendous change.
Dullahan had obtained the seed of emotion from Baekya’s power, but nurturing it was clearly a different matter.
It would come through personal experience, meeting others, and being subtly touched and changed while thinking and worrying on one’s own.
A task that Rune had worried might not succeed was happening right now.
‘They must have learned various senses through the effect of the aroma box… but it seems Jed became a strong catalyst.’
Dullahan, who drew in death as a demon knight, was growing his heart.
Rune felt this achievement meaningfully.
‘This could be useful.’
Having a deep darkness inside did not mean one could not have others beside him.
‘From now on, Jed will be quite useful.’
Unlike when it was just a weapon, the appearance of a doll would make the benefits hit differently.
Rune internally calculated the benefits of the Dullahan and Jed combination.
‘Even with a small investment, the return will be substantial.’
Rune had already prepared something.
He smiled wickedly inside.
Meanwhile, Jed was chatting with Dullahan and gradually recovered his senses.
“Mr. Dull! What did I say? I’m Jed who finishes things perfectly once I decide! That’s me!”
**CLANG CLANG.**
Despite being carried and clung to by Rune just moments ago while sobbing, the words came out smoothly.
Rune felt a strange feeling.
‘But he’s still Jed.’
In any case, recovery was confirmed.
Rune let out a sigh of relief and opened his mouth.
“Pyeok.”
[Jed. The explanation earlier didn’t seem to get through properly, so let me say it again.]
But Jed, perhaps because he enjoyed the touch, rubbed against Baekya.
“Uhehehehe! Oh my, Baekya’s white fur is so addictive! I’ve always wanted to touch it!”
“Ppiyak!”
“…….”
Watching Jed react strangely, Baekya puffed up his cheeks.
And Rune furrowed his brows and thought.
‘He’s talking about something important.’
Rune glared at Jed with a hidden fear.
“……Pyeokuuu.”
[Are you having fun, Jed?]
“Y-yeah, no.”
The tense Jed gave a strange answer.
Rune ignored it and continued.
[Then listen.]
“Y-yes.”
Instantly, Jed lowered his head in front of Rune.
While Rune glared sharply, he shook his head internally but continued explaining.
“Pyeokuu kku.”
[I still can’t create a vessel to store my soul or move my soul at my current level. That’s something I need to grow first.]
**TAP TAP!**
Jed nodded with a sound like wood hitting wood.
“Yeah, Rune-nim is still a hatchling. Hmph, I was indeed a bit hasty.”
The agreement came quicker than anyone would believe.
Rune continued.
“Pyeok pyeok.”
[Yes. So we need time to build up strength and practice. However, with this much, the ‘senses’ that were fading away can be recovered, so for now it’s enough to focus on reviving the five senses.]
Jed, who had possessed the soul and mind of a dwarf.
But surviving as a mere dwarf after becoming an ego weapon was no easy feat.
As a result, the ‘fading’ began, and the minimal measures taken to prevent it had resulted in this state.
Jed looked at his own body and thought.
‘I’m a dwarf doll now.’
The moment he realized it, he felt like crying rivers of tears.
It was a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed.
However, he interpreted the situation positively and smiled brightly.
“Oh dear, using my body again after so long and I can’t control the tears!”
Tears!
A new realization of the reality that had dulled after becoming an ego weapon.
‘Huhu, this Jed! Has his heart weakened in the meantime? He’s saying “I’m disappointed” as if he’s sulking! You know him better than anyone!’
This feeling of being so heartbroken that tears come out!
It was the first time he felt real emotion in a long time.
**Hic!**
Jed sniffed back snot and cleared his throat once before speaking.
“What! Experiencing the feeling of becoming a soul isn’t something anyone can do, right? I’m a body made of the World Tree. If other dwarves found out, they’d be so jealous they’d want to examine it!”
Hearing this, Rune watched Jed slowly and nodded.
‘Well, having such a presence is fortunate.’
He truly had to acknowledge Jed’s strength.
Rune turned around.
Heungmi, Perdikion, Baekya, and Dullahan were all nodding or looking at Rune with expectant eyes.
It was a silent signal.
Rune looked back at Jed.
The doll fiddled with its nose, then suddenly sensed the gaze and looked up at Rune.
Rune opened his mouth.
“Pyeok pyeok.”
[I have something to show you.]
The two front paws of the black hatchling lifted the dwarf doll Jed.
Startled, Jed trembled and grabbed the chubby front paws.
“Oh no, Rune-nim. I’m terrified of heights!”
“…….”
Rune looked at Jed with an incredulous expression.
‘What kind of ego weapon has acrophobia?’
Unable to help it, Rune supported Jed’s lower half with the front paws.
At that, the jelly attached to the paw made Jed lean into it with a “Wow!” and cheer.
“Yeaaah! This soft, bouncy feeling is jelly, right? Kyaa! The ride is so smooth it’s better than the finest cushion!”
“Pyeokuuu.”
[Be quiet.]
While Jed’s eyes widened at the strange sensation, Rune gave a warning.
Then Rune entered the space inside the black room.
“Pyeokuuu.”
[Now you can live here. This is your room.]
Rune placed the Jed doll on the floor.
**Tap!**
The wooden doll’s feet touched the ground.
To the bewildered Jed, Rune said,
“Pyeok pyeok.”
[All the things in that room are yours too. We prepared them bit by bit.]
At that, Jed’s eyes widened as he looked around the items.
“This… what is this?”
**Click!**
The wooden mouth opened wide.
Had he died and gone to heaven?
There was a furnace prepared along with blacksmith tools like anvils, hammers, and bellows.
And on the other side was an abundance of materials.
“Oh! High-quality mana stones and mithril are so plentiful!”
Because his body was small, the small space felt like a dwarven forge to Jed.
He moved his wooden body and reached out to the sparkling mana stones.
The mana stones, too large to fit in his arms, were all real.
Even some mana stones he had only ever seen from afar were there.
“This is a black mana stone!”
**Thud!**
A dark mana stone that was said to be found only when the Black Dragon clan still lived!
Such large quantities!
Jed’s eyes filled with happiness.
“Yahoo! jackpot!”
Not only the black mana stones, but other mana stones formed mountains.
Jed rolled around and played on a mountain of mithril and mana stones.
He checked the private forge area in detail and his jaw dropped.
“Kyaaaaak!”
It was a sound of joy, but Rune internally felt amazed.
‘There are really people who make such screams.’
Whether he believed it or not, the dwarf doll Jed filled with tears and opened his mouth.
“Everyone… Thank you for caring for me this much!”
Jed’s self-loving eyes sparkled enough to be burdensome.
Rune noticed Jed about to leap and naturally stepped back.
“Everyone, thank you! I’m so grateful!”
**Pew!**
The eyes overflowing with tears made Jed fly like a spring.
Fortunately, the target this time was Dullahan.
The armored knight accepted the Jed into his wide embrace.
“Kuhekuhuk! I’m the lucky one!”
Seeing Dullahan rub his face against the sturdy armor while crying, Rune internally sighed in relief that it wasn’t him.
He swept his chest and thought.
‘If that one had jumped at me, I might have reflexively knocked it away.’
Heungmi, seeing Jed in ecstasy, smiled and said,
“Hehe. Master Jed looks so happy! Elder Eonshi and Elder Eeshi are so jealous!”
The intermediate fire spirit peeked out from the forge.
Fire cat, Eonshi, and Eeshi.
These were all gifts from Heungmi.
Behind Heungmi’s words came Perdikion’s evaluation.
“Yeah, it’s worth preparing while Rune-nim was unconscious, just like he said.”
When building the forge, Perdikion provided eternal fire with the power of the Seal of Fire, and Dullahan brought the furnace after visiting the Red Dragon.
Installation and location, various metals and mana stones were from Christina.
Perdikion also gave some dwarf weapons and enchanted equipment.
Rune also gave the mana stones and minerals he had to Jed.
“Pyeok pyeok.”
[I knew you’d like it.]
All of this was Rune’s consideration.
He had designed it for Jed, who had been deeply focused on his original desire, and asked for cooperation.
With arms crossed, Rune continued.
[Since you’ve properly grown a body, I prepared the room for you.]
In truth, the space given and the forge weren’t that large.
But considering Jed’s small body, it was quite vast.
‘Dullahan will guard this space like a gatekeeper, so there shouldn’t be any problems.’
Perhaps because a sense of camaraderie had formed.
Dullahan, who had obtained the seed of emotion, watched the joyful Jed from start to finish.
Rune watched them both.
More precisely, the changes shown by Dullahan.
‘They seem to be getting close… Then the talkative one will mostly talk to Dullahan.’
**Huff.**
Rune let out a sigh of relief.
Rune wasn’t confident he could endure the vortex of gossip once hooked.
‘As long as they like it, it’s fine.’
Rune smiled inside.
The items Jed produced through research would benefit Rune and others.
‘Win-win.’
**Grin.**
Rune smiled contentedly, expecting the small investment would bring great returns.
In his happiness, Jed climbed onto Dullahan’s shoulder.
“Everyone!”
Jed, who had overcome acrophobia in excitement, spread his arms wide and declared.
“I love you all very much!”
“Kyahaha! Heungmi too!”
“Ppiyak ppiyak!”
Heungmi and Baekya in perfect rhythm.
Perdikion with a twitching brow and Rune sighing.
“……Pyeokhuuuu.”
[Someone please calm this one down.]
Rune shook his head silently while watching the Jed doll show the limits of madness.
“Uahahaha! Everyone, please look forward to it! I, Jed, will definitely repay the favor!”
I hope that’s the case.
Not some strange sound.
“Pyeokuu kkyuu.”
[Yes, I hope you show it with your skills rather than words.]
With that, Rune finished, repeating the words from when he had been in the dwarven village.
And that ‘repaying the favor’ was executed much faster than expected.
“Hello! I am Master Jed!”
……It was a ‘repaying the favor’ Rune didn’t really want to receive.