Chapter 161: I Became a Plagiarizing Fairy Tale Author in a LitRPG (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: I Became a Plagiarizing Fairy Tale Author in a LitRPG (1)
A miner's greatest enemy is heat.
Swinging a pickaxe underground, crowded together with others, is its own special kind of hellfire.
Being drenched in sweat is uncomfortable enough, but when it evaporates in the stagnant, airless underground, the feeling is truly dreadful.
It's a common sight to see apprentice miners let their guard down and suddenly collapse from heatstroke.
Freezing to death was a story from another world entirely.
They always craved the cold.
Cold.
A deeper cold.
A cold that would freeze them to the bone!
To these dwarven miners, Azyeth's arrival was nothing short of a divine descent, the procession of a princess worthy of all praise.
In the dwarven underground, which was bustling with construction.
Dwarves, each with a safety helmet and a pickaxe, were gathered together.
Karami stood before them.
“Everyone! Do you want to cool down?!”
“Yeah!”
“I can’t hear you! Do you want to cool down?!”
“YEAAAAAH!”
A cheer so loud it shook the very cave.
The scene resembled a gathering of uncles at an idol's fan meeting.
They thrust their pickaxes high into the air like glow sticks.
One of them was already dancing with a pickaxe in each hand, legs spread wide.
“Alright, Azyeth. The people are desperate for you. Liberate them from the heat!”
Encouraged by the cheers, Azyeth used her magic. Snow fell, blanketing the underground heat, and she created large blocks of ice, handing them out to the dwarves.
Some used them as beds and lay down, others as chairs, and still others as pillows.
To top it off, she fashioned mugs out of ice and filled them with the ale they had procured. The dwarves gulped down the perfectly chilled, slushy ale.
For dwarves, ale was practically a substitute for water, so having a drink during work was no issue.
“Khuah! Now this is the life!”
Sighs of pure bliss erupted from dwarves who had tasted paradise.
A sweet, sweet break time.
It was a luxury they could enjoy thanks to Azyeth.
“I don’t know how we’ll work now if the princess isn’t here.”
“Tell me about it. How could we ever rest like this without her?”
“Shouldn’t we hire a mage from the outside or something?”
“Forget it. Those bastards have fucking awful personalities. If you expect someone like the princess, your brain will explode from frustration.”
The dwarves had no choice but to admit it.
Their bodies had become dependent on Azyeth.
Just the thought of a future without Azyeth made their world go dark.
‘Yes, that’s it.’
And this was all part of Karami's plan.
Skadia’s invasion was an inevitability.
Defeating Skadia was the final gateway to Azyeth's liberation.
The problem was, Azyeth couldn't defeat Skadia on her own. The Soul Shackles had made her stronger than she was in the game, but the two of them were a bad matchup.
Azyeth was skilled with a sword, but her ice magic was not to be underestimated. However, that magic was enhanced by the dragon's blessing. It would be difficult to defeat Skadia, the very one who gave her that blessing.
It was like a child having to overcome the parent who gave them life.
The key for Azyeth to overcome Skadia was the dwarves.
The seven dwarfs who protect the princess from her stepmother.
It wasn't just the Seven Meisters; the help of all the dwarves of Doomheim was indispensable.
In other words, helping them now to earn their favor was part of a strategy for the battle to come.
‘It's still not nearly enough, though…’
He needed to make the dwarves want to help Azyeth even more.
At least ninety percent of them.
What would be the best way?
Just as Karami was formulating his plan…
KUUUNG…!
A massive tremor shook the underground.
Azyeth flinched and looked up.
“What was that? An earthquake?”
“I don't know. It felt like it came from the surface.”
“A tremor from the surface reached all the way down here? What, did a dragon land or something?”
“Haha, a dragon? Don't be ridiculous. Why would a dragon come to Doomheim?”
“Right?”
While the dwarves were cracking silly jokes, Azyeth's expression was one of alarm. Her pupils darted from side to side.
An aura stronger than the Orc King's.
A being that should never have come here had arrived.
*
Doomheim was an underground city, but its entrance was on the surface.
Befitting the master craftsmen race of dwarves, the fortress was built to be impregnable, complete with magic turrets and brave dwarven warriors. It was one of the finest fortresses on the continent.
They were confident they could laugh heartily and repel any attacker, but this time, even the dwarves couldn't help but be on edge.
Because it was none other than Skadia, the primordial dragon, who had come. The most dangerous moment in all of Doomheim's history had arrived.
Standing in Skadia's path was a tiny dwarf.
While the Meisters didn't rank themselves, he was tacitly acknowledged by dwarven society as the strongest among them. It was Wolfram, also known as the Little Giant.
Standing before the dragon, his small frame seemed even more diminutive, but Wolfram's spirit projected a much larger presence. He held his head high, meeting Skadia's gaze without flinching.
“To what do we owe the honor of your visit to Doomheim, Ice Dragon?”
“Descendants of Hargran. I have come because I have an item that needs your repair.”
“Hoh, for the Ice Dragon to have an item for a dwarf to repair… I am most curious to see what you have brought.”
Skadia took out a magic mirror that had been tucked between her scales. It was the size of a dragon's claw, but to the dwarves, it was as tall as they were.
“I can feel an extraordinary power from it. It must be a magic tool. What is it used for?”
“It answers questions with the truth.”
“I see. We have a craftsman who is exceptionally skilled at repairing magic tools. I will entrust it to him. Do you have any other business with us?”
“Other business…”
Skadia, after a moment's thought, narrowed her sky-blue eyes and asked.
“Do you happen to know the princess of Freezian? The most beautiful woman in the world.”
“The princess of Freezian…”
Wolfram stared at the ground as if deep in thought before finally answering.
“I'm afraid I do not. If she is as you say, Ice Dragon, I would surely remember her. The fact that I cannot recall her must mean I have never seen her.”
“……Is that so. Perhaps you are hiding her underground.”
Wolfram and Skadia stared intently into each other's eyes.
Neither wavered, their gazes locked.
It was Wolfram who broke the silence.
“How could I lie to the great Ice Dragon? If you doubt me, you are welcome to check for yourself.”
“No need. If I were to enter, the ceiling would surely collapse. I will wait here, so bring the mirror back when it is repaired.”
“My apologies, but it will take time. We must analyze the mirror's magical properties and procure the necessary materials for its repair. It is impossible to finish it today.”
“How long will it take?”
Wolfram stroked his beard, humming thoughtfully.
“With a blacksmith's eye, I'd say it will take a month, to be safe.”
“Too long. Finish it within a week.”
“For the Ice Dragon, who has lived for eons, to say a mere month is long… I cannot comprehend it. But all things require proper patience. Rushing the work could lead to mistakes. Give us one month.”
Wolfram, not bowing and scraping, but actually haggling with Skadia. The other dwarves were horrified, thinking, ‘Has the old man gone senile?’, but Wolfram's stance remained firm.
“Fine. Since you plead your case so, I will give you one month. However.”
Skadia lowered her head, bringing her face right up to Wolfram's. Fushiiiik— A puff of her breath frosted Wolfram's beard.
“If you are plotting any foolishness, it would be best to stop now. Otherwise, the dwarven race will vanish into history.”
“I will take your words to heart.”
Wolfram replied with a gentle smile, his expression unchanging. As if deflated, Skadia raised her body.
“To think the blacksmiths who once awed even the gods are now struggling with a single mirror. If Hargran could see you now, he would be lamenting.”
“We will strive to do better.”
“Hmph.”
Skadia flapped her wings, soared into the sky, and vanished over the horizon in an instant.
A storm that passed in a moment.
Wolfram let out a deep sigh.
*
In the round table meeting room, situated above the Heart of Magmora.
An emergency meeting had been convened.
Gathered in the hall were the Seven Meisters, ordinary dwarven citizens, and, of course, Azyeth and Karami, the root cause of the situation.
Wolfram relayed his conversation with Skadia in its entirety, from her request to repair the mirror to her search for Azyeth.
Only the Meisters and Perka had known this fact.
The dwarves who learned the truth were, naturally, in an uproar.
“What are we going to do?”
“What do you mean, what do we do? I feel bad for the princess, but we have to hand her over to the dragon. You want us all to be turned into ice pops?”
“But what about the ale slushies? The ice chairs?”
“Hey, you crazy bastard! We're about to die, and you're worried about some damn ale?”
“What? ‘Some damn ale’? You son of a bitch, you're a knife-ear wearing a dwarf's skin!”
The meeting hall descended into a chaotic uproar.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
“Order, please. Order.”
Ulgdar banged a metal gavel on the table, silencing the commotion. The fiery atmosphere seemed to subside, but an unsated heat still lingered in the air.
It couldn't be helped.
Their kingdom and their lives were at stake.
They were walking a tightrope that felt like it could snap at any moment.
Wolfram surveyed the murmuring hall and quietly presented the issue.
“So, let's hear everyone's opinion on what we should do. Those who wish to protect the princess from the Ice Dragon, please raise your hand. Don't worry about what others think, just raise it freely.”
One by one, people raised their hands.
Among the Meisters were Halgran and Ulgdar.
And from the audience of about sixty, a mere ten or so raised their hands, most of them the miners who had been helped by Azyeth.
“Next. Those who believe we should hand the princess over to the Ice Dragon. Raise your hand. Again, don't mind what anyone else thinks.”
This time, in stark contrast to before, hands shot up all across the hall.
Among them were the Meisters Hergen the Immortal Blacksmith and Turuntu the Guardian of Steel, along with most of those who had no deep connection to Azyeth.
A miner who, just moments ago, had been worshiping Azyeth like an idol was now among those with their hands raised.
He may have received Azyeth's help, but this was a case of, ‘Still, this is a bit much…’
“No matter what, a dragon is just too much.”
“We can't beat a dragon. It'll swallow us whole in one gulp!”
Dwarves were hearty, but most of them were cowards.
You could tell just by the fact they lived hidden away in underground tunnels.
“Those who did not raise their hands will be considered neutral.”
There was no need to count; the result was plain to see. In a way, it was to be expected. All Azyeth had done was make their working conditions more pleasant.
That was far from enough to ask them to risk their lives.
All eyes turned to Azyeth.
The gazes that had been filled with admiration just a few hours ago had abruptly shifted to ones of anxiety and avoidance. Like a hero who is suddenly branded a traitor.
Overwhelmed by their stares, Azyeth unconsciously lowered her eyes.
“Then I will state the conclusion. It is regrettable, but a promise is a promise. In accordance with the principles of the Ironblood Council, by majority vote, we will hand the princess over to the Ice Dragon…”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute~”
Just as Ulgdar was about to bang the gavel.
The one who interjected was, as expected, Karami.
“I have no intention of ignoring your opinions. It's a matter of life and death; I would have done the same. It's a perfectly rational decision. I respect that.”
The attention that had been on Azyeth now focused on Karami.
“But isn't it still too soon? From the sound of it, we have a whole month. Isn't that right, Wolfram?”
“That is correct.”
Wolfram replied, a smile playing on his lips, as if he had been waiting for Karami to speak up.
“Give us a chance. One month. We will change public opinion within one month. If nothing has changed after that time, we will go to Skadia of our own accord.”
*
The meeting ended, and the dwarves began to disperse.
They left the hall still engaged in heated debate, their opinions clearly divided.
The meeting hall was now empty.
Only Karami's party and a few of the Meisters remained.
Karami gave Wolfram a slight bow.
“Thank you for your help.”
“Help with what?”
“The month. You deliberately stalled for time for our sake, didn't you?”
He was right.
If Wolfram had truly wanted to fix that damn mirror, a few days would have been more than enough.
But Wolfram had deceived Skadia to extend the deadline as much as possible. He had also known how the dwarves would react.
“It wasn't for your sake. It was for my own selfish desire.”
Wolfram was curious. In a matter of life and death, he wanted to see what kind of brilliant method Karami would use to change the dwarves' minds.
“Seeing you step forward so confidently, you must have a plan?”
“More or less. Though I don't know how well it will work.”
“Would you mind giving me a little hint? I'm terribly curious.”
“Very well. But in return, I'll need your cooperation with my plan.”
Wolfram let out a short laugh as if to say he was helpless against him, and nodded.
Karami stated the one and only plan that would captivate the dwarves.
“I'm going to create a fairy tale. A fairy tale that will make it impossible for them not to help the poor princess.”
Operation name:
I Became a Plagiarizing Fairy Tale Author in a LitRPG.