Fractured Pride and Lizard Assault
Outside the northern wall of Ifrit, following Kudran. The first thing that came into view was a barricade crudely built from wood and stone.
"This is the place!"
Kudran took the lead. 'It always looks so rundown no matter when I see it.'
It was impossible to believe this was a dwarven settlement. The reasons were endless: lack of materials, funds, skill, and sheer will.
"Come on in!"
Creak— Kudran opened the gate in the barricade. It let out a sound no wood should make, teetering on the edge of collapse.
"What the hell is that?"
A few dwarves were inside the village. Their gazes toward the newcomers brimmed with wariness and disgust.
"Look at the high-and-mighty artisan, dragging something along."
"Why bring a human here? You lost your mind?"
"That useless punk..."
The sharp words flew straight at Kudran. The target brushed them off with practiced ease, letting them slide in one ear and out the other.
"Why the cold shoulder?"
"Isn't he supposed to be in charge? They're just straight-up ignoring him."
The two watching beside him whispered. But something felt off for a true leader.
"This is getting rowdy. Just follow me straight ahead."
Kudran pressed on toward the village center. There stood a small house slapped together from wood.
Squeak— Inside, following him, it was spartan. Or rather, barren to the point of emptiness.
"...Kudran?"
An elderly dwarf greeted them from within. A name tag floated above his head.
[Dwarf Elder Ballon]
Kudran was the village's public face. But Ballon wielded all internal authority—the real power behind the scenes.
"Who'd you bring?"
His eyes locked onto the golden bracelet on Hanbit's wrist.
Kudran shouted with innocent cheer. "These folks say they'll bring back His Highness the Prince!"
"The prince?"
Ballon's brow furrowed at the word, as if he'd heard something repulsive.
"I told you never to bring up that bastard. What good's dragging back a royal who abandoned his people!"
"His Highness didn't abandon us!"
"If he didn't, why are we living like this? Truth doesn't bend to your faith. The prince did abandon us."
"No! We drove His Highness out!"
-They're fighting among themselves lol
-This WWE?
-So why'd he ditch the people?
-He didn't ditch 'em.
-Then why'd it happen?
-Lmao prince drama
The spat ignited from that single word: prince. Kudran, who'd been all sunshine until now, was genuinely pissed this time. No end in sight, so Hanbit pulled out the mayor's letter of introduction.
"Look at this first."
"Tch." Ballon snatched it with clear annoyance, shot Hanbit a glare, then scanned the text.
"...Hah."
It was less an introduction and more a command. Infuriating, but ignoring a letter penned by Firnen de Artua herself? Impossible. Pissing off that woman would make life even harder.
In short: best to heed the golden-braceleted guest's words.
"Sit, for now."
Decision made, Ballon gestured to the threadbare rug on the floor. Everyone plopped down amid the dust.
"So, what's your business?"
Ballon's face stayed guarded. Hanbit's reply was straightforward.
"I want the dwarves' help to defend Ifrit."
"Pardon? Is that necessary?"
"Things could get dangerous as they stand."
"...?"
Ballon looked genuinely baffled. Avant-garde, eyeing the empty space around, chimed in casually.
"Not many folks in the village. The rest at work?"
"Most are on sewer cleanup now. Others scraping by with odd jobs somewhere."
Dwarves here had to earn coin. Taxes steeper than for Ifrit's citizens. What was left barely covered booze to numb the stress.
"How many smiths you got?"
Kim Jaeha asked next. He'd hunted dwarven forging secrets, visited this village countless times—but never entered. Natural curiosity about their inner workings: what were the artisans up to?
Ballon's answer was unbelievable.
"No true smiths left worth the name. All because the prince left."
"What?!"
Kudran shot up, cutting in. "You only listened to the mayor, insisting on art pieces—and that's why! His Highness always said we needed to hone our weaponcraft!"
"You damned fool, always...! I did it for us! Sticking to forging alone under that prince would've starved us sooner!"
Boiled down: Ballon pushed lucrative art commissions for survival. The prince demanded honing their pride—their weapon forging. Clash of ideals forced Gorik out.
Hanbit interjected. "Elder, why choose that path? Even with the mayor's offer, there must've been room for thought."
"...In a safe city, weapon demand was nil. Then the mayor proposed art."
Early after migrating to Ifrit, dwarves focused on arms. Habit, and the prince's firm will. But the peaceful city ignored them.
"We kept forging stubbornly, growing poorer. Ifrit was too safe to need our new gear."
"That's when the mayor came? Pitched luxury goods for cash?"
"Exactly. Art paid big; most dwarves dove in. No need for weapons."
"...Un-fucking-believable."
Kim Jaeha sighed, face twisted in disbelief. He'd chased dwarven metallurgy day and night—natural reaction.
Hanbit pressed on. "When'd the prince leave?"
"Around when art production ramped up. Once stable, he'd have turned back to weapons..."
Gorik, steadfast in honing craft amid hardship. Loyal dwarves followed, but eventually quit for Ballon's way. Kudran alone remained. Furious at the betrayal, the prince soon vanished quietly.
"Current situation? You don't seem to make art anymore."
"The prince's blessing amplified even art. Without it, our 'specialty' vanished. No way the mayor's satisfied."
"Still better than average smiths, right?"
"Experience lingers, but not enough. She lost interest, ditched us."
-That damn mayor;
-Mayors are all trash.
-Art still rakes in cash tho.
-Fr, those cosmetic pretties are stacked af.
-RP endgame vibes.
Dwarves mass-produced stellar art. Eyes gleaming, the mayor expanded wildly. Then, post-major contract, the blessing vanished. Supply dried up; she raged at the humiliation. Two days later, dwarves were shoved underground.
"I can't agree. We could've survived on our skills! But everyone sided with you, and we collapsed!"
"You know nothing! Think your flowery head changes reality? Here, money's king!"
Both sides' feelings rang true. No blame to assign; no side to pick. Even Prince Gorik obsessed with craft, neglecting his people's lives.
"Got the picture now. Let's move."
Hanbit snatched the mayor's letter from the floor. Key was restoring normalcy from this mess.
"As I said, one goal: borrow your strength to defend Ifrit."
"...Walls are shaky, true. But the city's forces are solid. No easy downfall in sight."
Ballon, whose nation fell to monsters, still denied Ifrit's peril. Mayor and guild master's complacency aside—too late post-ruin.
"You really think it's safe?"
"We'll cull breeding monsters early. Minimal damage overall."
No shift despite talk. Hanbit's plan needed dwarven sincerity. Didn't matter if for the city or not.
Rumble—!
A roar from outside. "Gaaah!" "Keurk!" Followed by dwarven screams.
-??
-What?
-Emergency emergency.
"...!"
Kudran's eyes widened; he bolted up and dashed out without hesitation.
"What the..."
Even Ballon rose, flustered. "What? What's happening?" "Raid?"
Kim Jaeha and Avant-garde startled too.
"Let's go."
Hanbit stood, leading out. Boom—! Crash—! Endless roars drew eyes. Trouble at the village entrance. The rickety barricade lay in ruins.
Grrowl—!
A massive lizard atop the debris. Its elongated tongue bound two dwarves.
[Teng Lizard (Lv.35)]
-??
-Tongue whip ㄷㄷ
-Why they here already?
-Wave not now tho?
Crack!Splat!
Dozens of lizards around battered dwarves helplessly.
"Damn it..."
Ballon followed, face pained. Battlefield trauma resurfaced—defeat, national ruin.
"Hup!"
Kudran, hammer raised, clashed with monsters. Fearless even against multiples.
Clang!
Hanbit drew sword, kicked off. Reached the dwarf-grabbing lizard in a flash.
Slash—!
Horizontal cut severed the tongue clean.
Screeech—!
The lizard thrashed, blood spraying, too slow to react.
Thud—!
Captured dwarves hit ground; other lizards turned.
Wind gathered on Hanbit's blade. He spun to the stunned crowd.
"Monsters first?"