The Dewdrop's Whispers and Rune's Invitation
They arrived at Jed's forge just like that.
The Dullahan was helping with Jed's work, standing with one arm twisted up oddly, gazing off at a diagonal angle.
“Oh? What brings you two here?”
He'd been sketching with charcoal, shading to give it form, but Jed set the paper on his desk and came out to greet them.
Clank.
The Dullahan gave a light shake of his head in greeting.
Rune raised a hand lightly to signal that the Dullahan didn't need to relax his stance, then opened his mouth.
“Got something to ask.”
Rune's gaze turned to Jed.
“I heard from my brother—you were gathering female dwarves to start some kind of project?”
“A project?”
Rune nodded.
“Yeah. And just so you know, I think I already know what you're thinking. Came to talk it over.”
Jed's eyes widened in surprise at his words.
“Really? You figured it out?!”
Jed looked utterly moved.
The reaction was stronger than expected, but as Rune watched him, he thought to himself.
Guess it's a tough concept for a dragon to grasp. Makes sense. For Jed, anyway.
Rune came to his own conclusion silently.
Opening up blacksmithing to female dwarves—who have fewer opportunities—could give them all sorts of chances.
Whether work or leisure.
The continent was vast, full of human cultures waiting to be explored.
They didn't have to stick to blacksmithing—they could sing, sew, use any talent they had.
And now that they've come out to the continent, their horizons have widened.
It was a solid intention, so Rune had no plans to scold Jed for any minor slip-ups or misunderstandings along the way.
Rune crossed his arms and spoke again.
“You were trying to help the female dwarves settle into new lands, right? Am I close?”
“! Rune, my lord—!”
Rune tensed a bit at the sight of Jed looking ready to lunge forward.
Thankfully, Jed just clasped his hands together and stared up at him.
A dwarf village was essentially one big hamlet.
Livelihoods were self-sufficient, production and distribution handled at the village level.
That meant it operated on a much smaller scale than cities or nations with their exchanged cultures.
Before they knew the continent, that was fine. They could trade in metals, food, sundries instead of money.
Of course, that only worked inside the village.
Why else would coins be in use?
Nations needed recognized currency everyone valued—something light and easy for trade.
It wasn't hard for Rune to recall that.
Rune shrugged lightly.
“Eh... I had a hunch. We've spent time together, you know?”
He figured that would tip him off.
To the Desert Black Market, where all sorts of goods were traded.
Jed was the only dwarf village peddler, so he'd known the need for common currency ages ago.
Peddler.
The term here meant traveling merchant.
Actually, closer to smuggler.
But the key point was this.
He was the only one who'd sold dwarf weapons, exchanged them for other goods, and bought stuff.
Rune subtly glanced at Perdikion.
He didn't know about it, so he misunderstood... and he still looks clueless.
The Desert Black Market was something Rune had agreed to keep quiet about too.
Rune recalled Jed dramatically slashing his throat, warning that Pasiyas or the dwarves finding out would spell disaster.
Meanwhile, Jed fell silent under Rune's gaze for a moment.
Then his face lit up like a bulb had switched on, eyes and mouth rounding wide.
“Oh! Well, now that you've caught me, I suppose I have no choice but to confess. Sigh, you'll be dazzled by this Jed's genius, but here goes.”
“......?”
Sure, he used his head well... but that much?
Something felt off.
Given Jed's behavior, Rune expected subtle winks his way or nervous glances at Perdikion, wondering if he'd spilled.
That kind of reaction.
Wasn't the Desert Black Market a generations-old secret?
Rune spoke to plant some caution.
“What are you talking about? Get a grip.”
But even Rune's effort couldn't stop Jed's mouth.
Chuckling to himself, Jed's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“Indeed! I was preparing the business opportunity of a lifetime. That one thing every man must fulfill!”
Doom!
The dwarf puppet Jed thumped his chest with his fist.
“Finding a good match, of course!”
“......”
“......?”
That wasn't it.
As Rune and Perdikion both fell silent, Jed got carried away and kept talking.
“Kuh, as expected of Lord Rune! To understand the dwarves' hearts so well! You're a true man yourself. And who was it that consulted with you on first love? This Jed!”
“......I told you that's not it.”
How many times had he said that now? He couldn't even count anymore.
As Rune stared in disbelief, Jed grinned.
“Of course, this Jed understands completely. Indeed. So you were helping warm the cold sides of our lads out on assignment in the human lands?”
Rune stayed quiet, having read the lines already, but Perdikion voiced his doubt.
“Then why keep it secret from me?”
“Oh, come on. At least with this Jed as matchmaker, we need that first marriage success to show results, right? What's the point of bragging before then?”
Perdikion's brow furrowed instantly.
This time, Rune spoke up.
“So, to get the reformist dwarves who've ventured into human lands married off, you were playing matchmaker... not fortune teller?”
“Exactly! As sharp as ever!”
Snap!
Rune was speechless at the thumbs-up from Jed.
And then Jed really got into it, licking his lips.
“Settling in foreign lands is great and all. But what's the point if we don't make it livable?”
Jed clenched his fist and ranted on.
“They want families! Wives like bunnies, kids like foxes—that's the dwarven way!”
Perdikion unwittingly moved his lips.
“Wives like... what?”
Rune felt something had shifted too, but
before he could think, Jed continued.
“Ahem! Embarrassing as it is, you saw the burial spots I prepared after my death. It wasn't just my own effort and wealth that made resting places for us dwarves after we pass.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
Rune replied, and Jed nodded vigorously.
“Right! Now that we've dwarves resolved to fully settle in the human world. What's next?”
Clap!
Jed smacked his hands together and shouted powerfully.
“Becoming the proud head of a household!”
Then, as if someone might overhear, he cupped a hand to his mouth and whispered.
“The lads have been feeling lonely, you know. Come autumn and winter, they get all gloomy. Even in spring, they just pluck petals moping. Me too... kinda.”
Suddenly, Jed rubbed at his eyes.
Rune's gaze wavered faintly.
“......”
The first wave of reformist dwarves were, coincidentally, all males.
Leaving home took resolve, but facing lonely old age alone? That was too heartbreaking.
For those who'd toiled in foreign lands to carve out a home, Jed's plan was surprisingly apt.
“Ah! Not that I was set on results no matter what. Lord Perdikion, I heard you went to great lengths for us dwarves.”
Winking one eye, Jed addressed Perdikion.
“Didn't want you overdoing it more, so I took on what I could. Might seem presumptuous for a mere dwarf, but.”
Hearing that, Rune checked Perdikion's expression.
As expected.
The Red Dragon youth was speechless, like he'd eaten honey.
Rune chuckled inwardly.
This one's worth being touched by.
Jed's words meant he'd shoulder some responsibility if issues arose during the female dwarves' migration.
No need for Perdikion to handle everything.
Rune spoke up.
“But you did it trusting me, right?”
Jed didn't deny it, rubbing his hands slyly.
“Ehehe. Sharp as ever, Lord Rune.”
True to his cunning nature, Jed exploited what Rune hadn't forbidden.
Annoying in a way, but Rune understood and nodded.
“Fine. Though I had a different idea.”
“A different one?”
To Jed's question, Rune answered.
“You've been to the continent, so you saw jobs needing female dwarf hands. Figured you'd use that.”
“? Huh?”
Jed blinked, then his eyes lit up with a drawn-out “Ooooh.”
“I thought of that too!”
Of course you did.
Rune thought, wearing a strange expression.
“It was part of my pitch bringing those lovely female dwarves over!”
With that, Jed smacked his own forehead.
“Speaking of which, when Lady Heungmi visited the dwarf village briefly—do you know how much dwarf wealth she raked in alone?”
Grin.
Jed made a scheming face, chuckling slyly.
Rune gave the answer he wanted.
“Must've been a lot.”
“Exactly! Spot on!”
Jed even clapped for Rune's casual reply before continuing.
“How could we let that madness and passion go to waste?”
Pffft!
Jed snorted, eyes blazing.
“We gotta use it! That superb energy! Power! Strength! Pure, primal fervor!”
His nose practically touched the sky.
Raising both hands like he expected applause, Jed himself looked possessed by that frenzy.
Rune, watching, felt like he'd seen something he shouldn't.
This guy's... sometimes just like that.
That mindset of exploiting everything.
The face of a money-mad incarnation of greed.
Jed rolled his eyes dramatically.
“Once married and settled, our ladies become stellar workers—and perfect dwarves with beauty! Praise be, the allure of dwarves!”
Ting!
Magic stone dust flew uselessly.
Rune eyed him hazily, thinking.
When did that quick-handed punk grab the magic stone powder?
After that, Jed launched into a long spiel about plans for dwarves to shine on the world stage, droning on.
But Rune cut in.
“I gotta prep dinner, so let's finish over food.”
Jed whined “Aww” and smacked his lips, cooling off.
“Aww. My mouth's itching. But touring the palace is best after a meal, as they say.”
Perdikion shot Rune an approving look—“Well done.”
Rune opened his mouth.