The Dwarves' Dilemma
After Lilia left with Ian, the barrier vanished completely, allowing free access to the dragon's lair. Knights, mages, and laborers dispatched from the Adrahan territory were busy transporting the valuables inside while sorting and cataloging them.
"We've only moved about twenty percent of it, yet the total value is already comparable to the grand duchy's entire annual budget…."
"Don't even think about pocketing any of it just because there's so much. The true owner is the Northern Grand Duke. Get caught, and you'll be chased across the empire by two high nobles."
The administrators who had come along couldn't stop exclaiming as they assessed the worth of the goods and divided them up. Factoring in the sheer prestige of items originating from a dragon's lair, the price of certain pieces would undoubtedly skyrocket.
"Cease work! Stop everything!"
"Non-combat personnel, fall back! Prepare for battle!"
The knights who had been securing the interior came rushing out, shouting orders. The administrators scrambled to get clear. The knights formed ranks while the mages wove spells, bracing themselves for whatever was about to emerge from deeper within the lair.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound of massive footsteps. The ground-shaking advance made even the knights and mages swallow dryly, to say nothing of the civilians.
"Who the hell are you people!"
The figures that stepped into the sunlight were shorter than the average human. Yet their thick, powerful builds made it clear just how much strength those compact bodies could unleash.
"I am Bardin Iron, commander of the Glakan Kingdom's Warhammer Knights. Who are you to dare covet this place?"
Everyone froze at the words of the dwarf at the forefront—the one radiating the strongest presence. A dwarf. The appearance of a race that had vanished alongside the dragons.
Bardin radiated killing intent, but in truth he had no desire to fight. He trusted the strength of the Warhammer Knights and the supporting musket unit behind them, yet he intended to avoid any unnecessary battle.
There are far more important things than clashing with humans…
As time passed and night fell, the razor-sharp tension eased somewhat, but neither side made the first move.
"Phew! It's been a while since I ran at full strength. That took more out of me than I expected."
A man's relaxed comment drifted between the two silent camps. Both sides whipped their heads toward the voice.
"G-Grand Duke?"
"I received the report and came running. Are you the representative?"
"I am Hayden, captain of the Red Moon Knights. Did you truly come alone, Your Grace?"
"There's no battle to be had, so I came by myself."
Hayden, captain of the Red Moon Knights from the Adrahan territory, hurried forward to greet Ian. Bardin, who had been watching closely, narrowed his eyes with interest at the arrival of this high-ranking figure known as the Grand Duke.
"Hayden. I'd like to speak with this man alone."
"Understood."
Hayden returned to his lines and ordered the mages to raise a sound barrier. Moments later, a dome of silence enveloped the space where Bardin and Ian now faced each other.
"I am Bardin Iron. I have come on behalf of the Glakan Kingdom to investigate the disturbance here."
"Ian Wintergard. Grand Duke of Wintergard, the one who discovered this lair and took the dragon with him."
"Took… her?"
"One of my companions entered the lair with me. The little one followed her like a mother. Haha…"
Even Ian found it awkward to claim that a dragon had chosen someone of another race as its parent, so he laughed sheepishly. But for Bardin, there was nothing amusing about it.
"Would it be difficult to bring the dragon here to live among us?"
"Difficult or not, I won't do it. Absolutely not."
Though Ian's face still wore a smile, the moment those final words left his lips, Bardin nearly swung the warhammer resting beside him without thinking.
"Hoo…"
"Haha! Seeing my companion happy makes me happy too. But she's still just a child. Shouldn't we let her grow up where she wants to be?"
Though he spoke with an embarrassed chuckle, the meaning was crystal clear: do not touch a dragon who is doing well.
If Bardin had sensed any possessiveness or filthy desire, he might have retreated but never given up. Yet there was none of that.
"Can I trust those words?"
"As long as the child doesn't choose to leave us first, we will never abandon her."
The words us and child. The affection that treated the dragon not as a creature of another species but as a person of equal worth made Bardin decide to believe him.
"Then help us."
"You're not expecting me to do it for free, are you?"
"That is not something I can decide alone. I must return to the kingdom and consult with our king."
"Then let's leave right now!"
Ian's immediate suggestion to depart caught Bardin off guard. The dwarf instinctively glanced back at Hayden, who was waiting at a distance.
"What is happening?"
"I will travel to the dwarven kingdom as an envoy."
Sensing something unusual, Hayden approached, and Ian explained the situation to him.
"What? Why would Your Grace go personally? We should naturally organize a proper diplomatic delegation…"
"The problem arose because I discovered the lair, didn't it? Then I should be the one to go. Observe carefully and report back properly!"
Leaving the flustered Hayden behind, Ian hauled Bardin to his feet, gave him a firm push on the back, and strode off at a brisk pace.
"Are all human nobles like this nowadays?"
"I'm a noble in name only, so this is how I do things. Let's hurry before those annoying people try to tag along!"
While it was beneficial for Bardin to be escorting such a high-ranking human, he couldn't completely shake his unease. They left the Adrahan forces behind and set off quickly, but the sun was already setting. After maintaining such high tension, rest was necessary.
"Hah. Remarkable. How did you manage this?"
The underground passage that began at the dragon's lair. Ian had to stoop slightly to move through it, yet the stability that required no visible supports drew genuine admiration.
The space where they currently rested was the same. No visible air vents could be seen, yet the air circulated naturally.
"It is a secret of the kingdom."
"Tsk. Then it can't be helped. Even if we discuss trade terms with the king, at least let me hear about the problem itself."
"You're awfully impatient."
Bardin finished his combat rations, smacked his lips, and began to speak.
"Do you know about drakes?"
"Of course. Those damned flying bastards."
The apex monsters among dragonkin demonic beasts. If hydras ruled the land and serpents the seas, drakes dominated the skies.
"You speak as if you've fought one."
"Once. In ten years of adventuring, I met one exactly once—and never wanted to meet another. I had companions with me at the time. It was brutal."
Raw strength wasn't the only issue. The creature had the judgment to flee when the odds turned against it. To counter that, Ian had been forced to act as bait alone.
"Only after I lured it into a trap and drove it into a corner could we barely bring it down."
"And that very thing has come to attack our kingdom. A variant that lives underground."
"Huh…?"
"Our firepower was more than sufficient. The problem is that using it all underground would cause the kingdom itself to collapse."
"Moderate firepower would only make it flee."
At Ian's conclusion, every dwarf in the space nodded. The clever beast had harassed them with hit-and-run tactics, and the ones forced to chase it on short legs had been the Warhammer Knights.
"The finer details are beyond my authority. You can hear them after meeting His Majesty."
"Understood."
Thanks to the dwarves who used the wristwatches on their arms to tell day from night, Ian was able to set out early the next morning. His heart raced with excitement, washing away his fatigue as he followed them. Then came the rumbling booms.
The sound grew louder until they reached a massive door guarded by what appeared to be sentries.
"Attention! We greet the commander!"
"Attention!"
"I have come with the lion of the humans. Open the gate."
At Bardin's command the doors swung wide, revealing a breathtaking sight. Unlike the imperial capital, which overflowed with the ornate splendor typical of romance-fantasy realms, the dwarves' underground kingdom was pure steampunk incarnate. Yet only a few colossal mechanisms continued to move; most of the machines stood dark and silent.
"What you see operating now is the highest-priority circulation device that maintains the underground air flow."
"So the city is barely being kept on life support."
A city with only its heart still beating. The sight was spectacular, yet at the same time utterly desolate. The faces of the dwarves living within this dying city were equally grim.
"This way."
Perhaps burdened by guilt for failing to protect the city as its commander, Bardin's steps were hurried. They crossed the city quickly and arrived at the royal palace. It lacked ornamentation but radiated a clean, powerful presence.
"Attention!"
The palace guards opened the doors the instant they recognized Bardin. They would normally have followed strict protocol, but knowing why their commander had ventured outside and returned with a human after centuries of isolation, they let the matter pass.
"Inform His Majesty that Bardin Iron has arrived."
Yet no matter how urgent the situation, an audience with the king of a nation still required proper decorum.
BANG!
Waiting before the first door to the audience chamber, Ian and Bardin found themselves facing the king who had just kicked that very door open.
"Bardin! Where is that human!"
A dwarf with hair, beard, and eyes like blazing lava—distinct even from the Adrahan ducal line—strode forward.
"Haa… Your Majesty. What are you doing?"
"What do you mean, what? I'm dying of impatience here—who cares about procedures! Let's get inside, quickly!"
The hot-tempered King of the Dwarves, Lindur Glakan, who seemed to have swallowed a powder keg for breakfast, dragged both Bardin and Ian back into the audience chamber.
"Now! Tell me the solution!"
"…Is he always like this?"
"My apologies…"
Ian was left dumbfounded by Lindur's abrupt demand for an immediate answer.
"It's simple. I will kill the drake."
"What!"
At Ian's declaration, Lindur shot up from his throne as if furious.
"You! A human, yet I like you! Let us slay it together!"
"Both of you, please calm down. I beg you…"
At Bardin's single exhausted plea, the two men finally settled their emotions, looking somewhat sheepish.
"And didn't you say you barely caught one by acting as bait yourself? How exactly do you plan to kill it?"
"That was back when I was only in my third year as an adventurer. Things are different now."
At that time he hadn't possessed the strength to pierce the drake's scales and hide, but now it was another story. With a proper weapon, he could sever the neck of that fake dragon.
"Of course, I'll need suitable support."
"If you want weapons, I'll give you as many as you desire. So what exactly do you want?"
"Gunpowder is out of the question, I suppose?"
"Of course it is. I'm sorry, but that is impossible!"
At Lindur's firm refusal, Ian discarded the faint hope he had been holding onto.
"Hmm. Then I will need external support and technology from the dwarves."
"For what purpose? Someone of your strength shouldn't require such things, should you?"
"Are you familiar with the northern Demon Realm?"
"It is required reading for any king, so I know a little. That it is a filthy cold and dangerous place."
"I intend to pioneer that land. I am not asking for frontline support."
He would teach the talents selected from Wintergard their technology, then request rear support based on that foundation. As a bonus, he would also receive assistance in construction and various other fields.