Chapter 76

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Translator: Ace

Chapter: 76

Chapter Title: Ddol Ddoli Enters the Dwarf Village

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Dolin rubbed his eyes, then rubbed them again. No matter how many times he looked, he just couldn't believe it. What on earth was that thing? Was it really a golem?

'Is it... not a golem?'

He rubbed his eyes once more and looked up. An overwhelming power emanated from the massive figure made of frozen white stone. The mana radiating from its pristine white surface was so dense it made his entire body tremble.

The flow of that mana was incredibly natural. The colossal rocky body moved so freely, so organically.

Most people wouldn't notice that much. But he was a dwarf. Blessed with masterful craftsmanship, he was an artisan who had wielded a hammer for years. That's why he could pick up on details others missed.

There was no faint creaking unique to golems. The bonds between stone and stone were impossibly solid. The mana surged and receded with utter freedom—freedom so profound it was like the thing was breathing mana.

'It can't be. No way. A monster like that being a golem?'

Fine, let's say the sheer density of mana could be replicated. If a dragon poured its heart into designing it with the finest materials, it might be possible.

But that body? How in the world did they pull that off? How could they shape such a massive construct from mere stone without a single millimeter of error?

Dolin was certain. Not even a dragon could manage that.

Which meant it wasn't a golem.

Yeah. It couldn't be.

It had to not be.

But... why was it a golem?

"This is insane! No way! Who the hell made something like this?!"

"Hey, golem! You are a golem, right? What are you? Who made you? How's your body put together? What's your core made of? It looks tougher than iron just at a glance—what's the material? And how did they etch mana circuits into stone like that?"

"Wait a second. Now I see it's not just straight-line mana circuits. There are fine mana circuits etched across the surface of the stone body too. How the hell did they manage that?"

"And what's with all these magic circles engraved everywhere? How can it have this many without overloading? No mana clashes either? My god."

"How did they make the chill flow like this? It doesn't seem magically processed. Don't tell me they used a spirit stone or...?"

Dolin jolted out of his thoughts at the sudden voice of the giant.

"Huh?"

"Fri... Oh shit!"

Dolin realized his mistake. He'd been so fixated on the golem that he'd forgotten.

"Right! Aindelph! Aindelph! Come on, snap out of it!"

"Urgh..."

"Damn it! Aindelph!"

Dolin clutched Aindelph and wailed. Ddol Ddoli watched him scratch its head with a thick finger.

'This little human seems a bit odd.'

Everything about it was weird, starting with the bushy beard on such a small chin, but the way it talked was even stranger.

The way it stared at him with sparkling eyes, babbling on frantically like a maniac.

But what had it been saying?

Ddol Ddoli hadn't understood a single word.

"Aindelph! No! Aaaargh!"

Ddol Ddoli stared at the shivering Aindelph. Something it never could have seen before was now plainly visible.

"Urk! Without you, our clan is doo... Huh?"

"Y-You can save him? For real?"

"...!"

Dolin's eyes changed in an instant.

"Do you know how?"

He desperately clung to Ddol Ddoli's foot. Despite the cold aura from its frost golem mode, he didn't seem to feel it.

"Golem! Save Aindelph! Please!"

"I'll repay this debt no matter what! We dwarves of the Stormhammer Clan never forget a favor! I swear! So please save my friend... Huh? W-What?"

Dolin rubbed his eyes, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Y-You're really going to save him?"

"What makes you trust us?"

"I have no idea what that means. Anyway, thanks! Really, thank you! I'll repay you somehow!"

"Curious about what?"

"Huh?"

Ddol Ddoli ignored him and looked down at Aindelph. It could sense the intense chill permeating his tiny body.

'I think I can pull out that chill.'

Extracting the chill. Something it couldn't have dreamed of before. Hell, it probably wouldn't have even known such a method existed.

But now? It came to mind as naturally as if it had always known. A method never tried before, but somehow it felt doable.

"R-Right!"

Ddol Ddoli knelt down, lowering its stance, and carefully extended a finger toward Aindelph, afraid the little body might shatter.

It closed its eyes and focused, finger touching him. The chill permeating his body felt even clearer now.

'If I do it like this...'

Thinking of drawing out the chill, it gently applied force. White steam-like vapor rose from Aindelph's body and flowed toward Ddol Ddoli. Proof that the chill was being extracted.

"Ooh?"

It was slow. Painfully slow. It had to be—any misstep in control and the tiny body would crumble.

But it was working. As the white vapor escaped, Aindelph's expression eased. Clear evidence.

'Oh, the chill is being absorbed into Ddol Ddoli.'

It was fascinating. The more chill it absorbed, the lighter its own body felt.

'Is it just my imagination? Or is my body actually getting lighter?'

Just as it felt an urge to jump around thumping the ground, the absorption stopped.

No more white vapor. Maintaining focus, it checked closely—the chill that had seeped to his bones was gone.

"I-It worked?"

"R-Right. Thanks... Oh shit!"

Dolin's eyes went wide. Aindelph's eyes fluttered open.

"Urgh..."

"Aindelph! You awake?"

"Is this... hell?"

"You crazy bastard! What hell?!"

"Weird. Felt like I'd been to hell. Urk."

Aindelph muttered weakly with his eyes open. Dolin smacked his back.

"Quit talking nonsense and shut up! You were at death's door, you know that?!"

"Urgh, I'm starving. Want some ice-cold beer. Real cold beer. The kind where you yell 'fuck, that's cold!'... Gah!"

"You crazy bastard! I said shut up!"

The two hairy dwarves traded curses back and forth. Ddol Ddoli watched their pointless banter and thought.

'Definitely weird little humans.'

Ddol Ddoli soon realized these hairy dwarves weren't humans but a race called dwarves. Not that it figured it out itself—Dolin told it.

"That's right! So don't call us little humans or whatever."

"Urgh, can't say no to my benefactor. Anyway, thanks. Really. Without you, Aindelph would've been done for. I'll repay this favor."

"What're you saying? How can a man ignore a debt like this? I'll repay it, no question! Hmm, first let's head to our village. You're invited."

"Yeah. Where the Stormhammer Clan lives. Mission's busted anyway. Gotta head back if we don't wanna die."

And so Ddol Ddoli accepted the two dwarves' invitation.

It pondered briefly whether to go, then decided yes. No reason to refuse.

These chatty little dwarves were novel and intriguing, but more than that, they were the first to treat it so warmly despite seeing what it was.

All the humans it'd met before had just fled in terror.

"But your size might be an issue for the village. Oh well, can't be helped. Gotta repay that favor."

"Shrink? What do you... Oh shit!"

The two dwarves jumped in shock. Ddol Ddoli's massive frame had shrunk dramatically.

The giant they'd had to crane their necks to see was now their size. How could they not be stunned?

"H-How?!"

"No way! That's possible?!"

"Insane! Incredible! How?! Magic, right? Shrinking this bulk like that... Learned something new. Got an idea—gotta head back and make a new piece right awa..."

"Oh, right. Look at me."

There were a few hiccups, but they made it to the village successfully.

A tall fence deep in the rocky mountains. Houses visible beyond it.

As Ddol Ddoli and the two dwarves approached, the gate opened. A dwarf armed with an axe saw Dolin and Aindelph and went wide-eyed.

"By the gods! You went deep into Frostborder Forest and lived?! A miracle!"

"Miracle's right. Hurry, help me support Aindelph. He can barely walk."

"R-Right! But what's that next to you...? A golem?"

"Yeah. Golem. Our benefactor."

"Benefactor...?"

"Told you. Details inside."

And so Ddol Ddoli entered the dwarf village.

The Stormhammer Clan, they called it. Home to over a thousand dwarves, apparently. Ddol Ddoli didn't care about that—it had one thought.

As Ddol Ddoli looked around curiously, Dolin explained to his kin.

"So this golem saved Aindelph from the frost curse?"

"Yes! Healed him! Without this golem, Aindelph'd be a cold corpse by now."

"Hard to believe. This little golem saved him? Meaning it broke the frost curse...? Possible from something this small?"

"It worked, so he's alive! And this is shrunk. Original size is huge. Really... amazing, right, golem?"

"See?!"

Doubt flickered in the dwarves' eyes. They weren't buying it.

Dolin got pissed.

"You bastards, it's true! Golem! Show 'em! How awesome you are!"

"Yeah!"

"It's fine! If it breaks, we rebuild!"

Ddol Ddoli released the shrink. It returned to its original gigantic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠form. The dwarves gasped in shock.

Some even fell backward from the surprise.

"Whoa, insane. What is this?"

"A golem this huge is possible?"

"Look at that solid stone structure. Wow..."

"The mana circuits... amazing."

Admiration erupted everywhere. Eyes gleaming, they swarmed Ddol Ddoli, touching it everywhere. Some looked enraptured, like they'd met a god.

"Impossible. A golem this perfect."

"Even we couldn't make one like this."

"Who made this golem?"

"How is this even possible?"

Doubt washed away, replaced by curiosity and trust.

"You bastards! Told you! Kahaha!"

Dolin grinned smugly at their changed expressions. But the dwarves ignored him, bombarding Ddol Ddoli with questions as they stared up.

"What material is this? So tough."

"How'd you etch mana circuits so precisely?"

"What's your core's output?"

"Even something this great dies if the core breaks, right?"

Ddol Ddoli rubbed its head. No clue what they meant.

'Too many complicated words. Head hurts.'

"Idiot, of course the golem doesn't know! Only the creator does!"

"R-Right! Forgot the obvious!"

"Then just ask about the creator!"

Silence for a moment.

Then the questions resumed.

"Golem! Who's your creator?"

"Who made you like this?"

"Introduce them to us! Please?"

"We're begging!"

.

.

.

The barrage hurt its ears. But unlike before, it understood these.

"Yes! Exactly!"

Normally, that would've been the end. It never revealed Master's name to others. What if they hurt Master?

But these seemed fine. It liked them, and more importantly, they thought Master was amazing.

Hearing Master praised everywhere lifted Ddol Ddoli's mood. For the first time, it told someone Master's name.

"Ian?"

"A dwarf named that?"

The dwarves were stunned.

"A h-human?!"

"Not even a dragon?"

"No way. A human made this...?"

Ddol Ddoli puffed out its chest proudly, voice louder than usual.

Soon Ddol Ddoli began babbling on about Master's exploits.

"Huh?"

He'd set aside territory matters for now.

Ian, drafting overdue reports on imperial palace magic circle inspections in his office, jumped at the sudden alert.

"W-What the...?"

'Dwarf Race Favorability?'

Out of nowhere?