Chapter 177: A Happy Ending?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: A Happy Ending?
The sharp clang of a hammer on steel—a Doomheim alarm bell—rang out.
Followed by the morning sun.
This wasn't the artificial light of Doomheim’s luminous stones.
It was real sunlight, pouring through the hole in Doomheim’s ceiling.
“Mmm…”
Azyeth tossed and turned in bed.
Unlike the adjustable glow of the luminous stones, the sun offered no such mercy. A beam of sunlight struck her right in the eyes.
She pulled the blanket all the way over her head and waited.
Quietly.
A moment later, she heard the sound of footsteps.
The blanket was suddenly ripped away.
“The sun is high in the sky. How long are you going to laze around in bed? Do you think you can sleep in just because you defeated a dragon?”
A familiar voice.
The voice she had been waiting for.
But Azyeth didn’t move.
Like Sleeping Beauty.
She waited patiently for the right moment.
“Get up. If you don’t, I’ll have to wake you by force.”
Not yet.
Not yet.
A presence drew near.
A shadow fell over her.
Almost there.
Just a little longer.
Just a little…
Pinch.
Karami pinched her cheek.
“Mmmph…?”
“What the—you were awake. You should have gotten up. Why are you still lazing about? We have a mountain of work to do.”
“…”
“Get up. Breakfast is ready. Everyone is waiting for you, Azyeth.”
Karami let go and stepped back.
Azyeth pouted, watching him with a look of displeasure.
“…Why are you looking at me like that again?”
Azyeth let out a small sigh. Then, closing her eyes, she stretched both arms toward Karami.
As if waiting for something.
Karami had no trouble guessing what she wanted.
“I’m the patient here, you know?”
One minute she was nursing him, the next she was asking a one-armed man to pull her up.
Karami was baffled, but Azyeth’s expression soured. Figuring she might actually throw a tantrum, he gave a wry smile and took her arms.
Just as he was about to pull her up…
“Huh?”
Instead, Azyeth pulled him.
The move was so sudden, and she used so little strength, that Karami was caught completely off guard. He lurched forward without any resistance.
His face landed in Azyeth’s chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
When a flustered Karami looked up, he was met with the sight of Azyeth, a faint, happy smile in her eyes.
“Rami… good morning.”
*
The return to a normal routine was proof that peace had been restored.
The same could be said for this moment, the four of them sharing a meal at the same table.
It had been two weeks since Skadia invaded Doomheim.
When the Heart of Magmora was attacked, defeat had seemed certain, but by combining their strength, they had managed to slay the dragon.
The damage wasn't as bad as they had feared.
The citizens had taken refuge in bunkers. And while some buildings had collapsed, this was Doomheim, the land of artisans—the repairs were finished in the blink of an eye.
Doomheim quickly returned to its daily life.
But things hadn't just returned to the way they were.
The once-cowardly dwarves had found their courage, Azyeth had rediscovered her warmth, and even the frustratingly distant relationship between a certain dwarven father and daughter had seen some progress.
Perka, who had been cautiously watching Thorvar, finally spoke.
“…Father. Are you going to the Heart of Magmora again today?”
“Why.”
“Well… I was wondering if I could come observe.”
Perka had always loathed the duties of the ember’s keeper. But what she had witnessed had changed her. A flicker of interest had been kindled.
“The ember is not something just anyone can approach.”
“…”
“Well, it’s a different story if you’re an assistant. And it just so happens there’s an opening.”
“Oh! Hmm. I will give it some thought.”
Things were looking up.
“What’s with that way of speaking? Last time, you were talking just fine without that strange affectation.”
Perka hadn’t always spoken that way. As a child, she’d sounded like anyone else. But at some point, that had changed.
“Huh? Ah, well…”
Perka hesitated, scratching the back of her head as if there was a long story behind it. Karami jumped in.
“Perhaps she was pretending to be a boy?”
“What?”
“H-How did you…!”
Enjoying Perka’s flustered reaction, Karami continued his explanation.
“Back when Miss Perka was my slave, you see, I put her in a frilly dress, and she started speaking perfectly normally. I suspect she’s been pretending to be a boy for some reason.”
Thorvar turned his gaze to his daughter.
“Is that true?”
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
Perka hesitated to answer, her head bowed low. Then she slowly squeezed out the words.
“After Mom died… it was so hard, and I couldn't get over it… I thought if I acted like a boy, it would be okay…”
“Is that why you were always running off?”
“Being at home… it was suffocating. It just made me think of Mom…”
“Haaah…”
Thorvar let out a long, heavy sigh.
Perka flinched.
A heavy silence descended.
Gazing at Perka with a mix of complex emotions, Thorvar sighed once more.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“…”
“What’s past is past, but… if you’re struggling, don’t hide it. Talk to me. I know I won’t be like your mother… but I’ll try.”
“Yes…”
It wasn't just Thorvar's house that was at peace.
The city, too, was the same as it had been before Skadia’s invasion.
Even in broad daylight, they drank, swung their hammers, and mined ore, just as they always had. But a new thrill, a lingering echo of the battle, now coursed through them.
“I’m tellin’ ya, the moment I used my full strength, that giant lizard bastard came crashing down!”
“Dragon Slayer Miguel! That’s what you’ll call me from now on!”
Without exception, every single one of them boasted of their heroic deeds from that day. There might have been some embellishment, but no one cared.
In the city center lay a colossal skeleton, a stark reminder that the battle with the dragon had been no dream.
Skadia’s remains.
There's a saying that no part of a dragon's body goes to waste, but it wasn't as if they had swarmed it like piranhas, peeling off scales and carving off meat.
Skadia had scattered like shards of ice and been absorbed by Azyeth. Even the dragon heart. Only the bones remained, unabsorbed.
“It’s… inside me.”
Skadia’s power had been absorbed into her.
That goddamn lovesick fool.
To think he’d choose to become one with her, unable to give up even in death.
Well, I guess I should be glad he won’t be coming back to life. Azyeth is fine, and it’s not like gaining his power is a bad thing.
Karami wasn't seriously worried.
Some more time passed, and the second volume of Snow White was published in Doomheim.
Those who had read the first volume were naturally the first in line, but even those who hadn't couldn't resist their curiosity. They scrambled to buy the book.
The second volume contained the story of what happened after Snow White fell asleep.
The seven dwarfs, longing for their time with the princess, cursed their past cowardice.
Finding their courage, the dwarfs joined forces to fight the witch. In the end, they succeeded in defeating her and breaking the princess’s curse.
Snow White thanked the dwarfs with a kiss on each of their cheeks. And so, the dwarfs and Snow White lived happily ever after, just as before.
“Aah, now this is what I’m talking about!”
“Happy endings are the best, after all.”
“Haha! Those useless elves! See? It’s the dwarves who get the important things done!”
The story’s ‘fairies’ were only described as long-eared forest dwellers, but everyone naturally assumed they were elves, just as they assumed the little men were dwarves.
The role of these ‘fairies’ was practically nonexistent in the second half. This was Karami’s intention. If he was going to prop up the dwarves, he was going to do it right.
Elves were beneath dwarves.
Or ‘Dwarves over Elves,’ as the sentiment came to be known.
The effect was spectacular.
Azyeth also read the new Snow White.
The storybook she held was distinctly different from the mass-produced versions sold in the market. It had a high-quality leather cover with gold-leaf inlay, and its pages were made of the finest paper, not cheap pulp.
It was, by all accounts, a luxurious book.
But it wasn't just the appearance that was different; the content was, too.
It was a single, complete volume, not split into two.
The story was the same up to the point where the dwarves defeated the witch, but what awakened Snow White from her slumber was a kiss from a prince from a neighboring kingdom.
He then placed a ring on her finger, and they were married.
It was the only book of its kind in the world, containing the very ending Azyeth had imagined.
“Do you like it that much?”
Azyeth nodded.
She hugged the book to her chest, refusing to let it go.
*
“Hey. Slave trader.”
While Azyeth was lost in her fairy tale, Thorvar called out to Karami. He gestured with his head, and Karami understood immediately.
Thorvar led him to the forge and handed him a ring. It was exquisitely crafted, set with a crimson jewel.
“Thank you. I’ll pay you for it.”
“Hmph. Don’t need it. I’m not desperate enough to take money from a snot-nosed brat like you.”
Karami grinned.
“This is why dwarves are so endearing. You could just say ‘you’re welcome,’ you know.”
“You’re still wet behind the ears and you’re already running your mouth.”
Thorvar had a good idea of what had happened.
The improvement in his relationship with Perka was undoubtedly the result of Karami’s meddling.
He didn't like it, but he couldn't deny the results.
This ring was his way of showing his gratitude.
“So. Who are you giving this ring to?”
“You’re quick on the uptake.”
“Anyone who couldn't tell must have something wrong with their eyes.”
Most would assume it was a gift for Azyeth, but Karami had ordered a ring with a black base, set with a striking, crimson jewel.
A color scheme completely opposite to Azyeth’s blues and whites.
No colors could clash with her more.
It was definitely not for Azyeth.
“As a blacksmith, you of all people should know. Every item has its rightful owner.”
“You…”
“There are more than one or two pitiful slaves in this world.”
Karami met Thorvar’s sharp gaze with a sly smile, letting the comment slide. He tucked the ring box into his coat.
Skadia was defeated. The ring was made.
Now, it's about time…
The time had come to bring another journey to a close.