The Dwarf's Defiant Stand
“Ugh, fuck, are we really heading here?”
“The stench is brutal.”
Outside Ifrit's eastern walls. Kim Jaeha and Avant-garde trudged along the path, tormented by the foul odor.
“That bad?”
Kang Hanbit reacted flatly to the all-too-familiar smell. Sure, it was unpleasant, but it wasn't the kind of stench that made you double over. You'd have to be on the verge of passing out for that.
Splash—
A moment later, as they walked on, an open clearing piled high with monster corpses came into view. In one spot, hides, organs, and materials were haphazardly stacked in a mess.
“Shit, this is fucking frustrating.”
Then, a irritable voice rang out from the wooden workbench in the center. As they drew closer, a few people came into sight. In front of them knelt a single dwarf.
“I'm sorry!”
“Sorry doesn't get the job done, does it? Can't even manage your sick fucks properly, you so-called supervisor.”
“Uh… I'm sorry!”
-Rude asshole incoming.
-Top-tier chronic rudeness.
-GOAT of unlikeability.
The tallest young man at the front hurled his one-sided insults, but the dwarf apologized boldly without flinching.
“Why am I getting pissed off?”
Kim Jaeha, watching from the side, furrowed his brow. The man's face overlapped with his department head's.
“Let's hide for a bit.”
The three ducked behind the workbench and corpse piles. Meanwhile, the conversation grew increasingly vicious.
“This is why I don't deal with rootless punks like you. Even your so-called prince ran off, didn't he?”
“Bro, word is he took all the tech and bolted.”
“I heard he's hiding somewhere, though?”
“Nah, probably took money from another country.”
The man's subordinates piled on rumors one by one. The dwarf suddenly shot to his feet, raising his voice.
“His Highness the Prince didn't run away!”
“The hell he didn't. He bailed 'cause he couldn't handle the heat.”
After the fall of the Hedric Kingdom, a group of dwarves had migrated to Ifrit. Leading them was Prince Gorik. But before even a few years passed, he vanished. It happened right when their exquisite artwork started gaining recognition, leaving everyone full of questions.
“You loved being called artisans, huh? Strutted around and then crashed hard.”
“Others might've, but I never strutted!”
“……”
The man's brazen response left him speechless. No matter the constant verbal abuse and beatings, this dwarf before him never wavered. Grimacing, he scanned the surroundings.
“Why's the work in such shit shape? Don't wanna get paid?”
Poorly stripped hides, damaged materials. Even piles that hadn't been touched. All jobs entrusted to the dwarves.
“There's too much work! Honestly, could you cut back a bit…?”
Smack—!
In an instant, a foot slammed into the dwarf's face mid-sentence. But his body didn't budge an inch.
“Oh? Holding up?”
It felt like kicking a wall. The man raised an eyebrow, then grinned.
“Wanna bet? Hold out for 10 minutes without falling, and I'll grant your request.”
“For real?”
“Obviously. But we'll all beat on you.”
-Look at these dirty bastards.
-Surprisingly, this is daily routine.
-Planning to do this till conquest.
-I think cities like this deserve to fall.
Five subordinates stepped up behind the man. Despite the absurd proposal, no fear showed on the dwarf's face.
“Got it!”
“You asked for it?”
The resolute reply amused the man. Just as he was about to start the real beating—
Crash—!
Something shattered from the direction of the walls.
“What the hell?”
The man, fist clenched, whipped his head around. A clear crack ran along the base of the wall where his gaze landed.
“Which crazy fuck…?”
His face twisted at the sudden event. But no obvious culprit lurked around the walls.
‘…That's a new one.’
Kang Hanbit spotted Gorik, whom he'd been tailing, hiding in the gap between the wall and the monster corpses. He'd dragged him here for one reason: to show him how his people were being treated. The goal was to slowly shift his mindset over time, but he'd never reacted like this before.
“Hey, sweep the area.”
The man started barking orders to his subordinates. If Gorik got caught now, things would get messy.
“Hey, hold up a sec.”
Kang Hanbit stood immediately and revealed himself to the group.
“……?”
All eyes snapped to the sudden voice. The man, mid-order, scowled and spoke.
“You the one who did it?”
A question that showed zero interest in who he was. To him, Kang Hanbit was just culprit or not.
“Nope?”
“Then why'd you pop out?”
“Hm.”
The atmosphere immediately branded him guilty. Kang Hanbit shrugged and walked toward the cracked wall section. He bent down and picked something up.
“Found this.”
A fist-sized stone in Kang Hanbit's hand. The man, watching from afar, snorted.
“Someone threw a rock? Lame excuse. Looks exactly like your handiwork.”
“You don't know what this is?”
“What?”
His genuine tone shifted the man's reaction slightly. Kang Hanbit stepped a few paces closer and held out his hand.
“……”
The man examined the stone in his palm. Then, as if realizing something:
“No way… a Crash Bird?”
“You know it.”
Kang Hanbit nodded at the instant correct answer. True to its name, the Crash Bird attacked by slamming its hard head before dying on impact. The corpse at the wall's base was a coincidence only Kang Hanbit knew about.
“That makes it even less likely. No Crash Birds around here.”
“You know better than anyone that things around Ifrit have gotten weird. A few of these bashing their heads against the walls? Not that strange.”
“…Slippery bastard.”
-Scam mode ON
-Mouth fu mastery ㄷㄷ
-Was it a scam?
-Info: Real Crash Bird.
The man scowled, clearly annoyed. He wanted to call bullshit, but the evidence sat right there. Gorik, who'd thrown the monster corpse at the wall, had already slipped away.
“That settle it? No one to blame now, right?”
“What does some outsider know? And I never said you were innocent.”
“Call investigators if you need to. But can I take this guy?”
“What?”
Kang Hanbit's finger pointed to the dwarf standing rigidly. His nose trickled blood from the earlier kick.
“From what I heard, this lunatic… Don't you know who he is?”
The continued casual speech and absurd demand riled up the subordinates first.
Of course, Kang Hanbit had no need to ask his identity.
[Ifrit Guild Master Jinook Artua]
His memory was sharper than the name floating overhead. This man was one of the prime culprits who'd endangered the city.
“The mayor's half-brother and guild master, right?”
“Know that? Then fuck off. Know your place before butting in.”
“Jinook, just toss him?”
Amid the subordinates' uproar, Jinook only shifted his gaze. Specifically, he'd noticed the bracelet Kang Hanbit deliberately flashed on his wrist.
“Gold… Haven't seen one in a while.”
He turned and took a few steps toward Kang Hanbit.
“What business does a big shot like you have?”
“Told you. Got business with that dwarf.”
“That's what I'm curious about. A dwarf? And technically my employee?”
Jinook was sincere. A gold bracelet marked someone acknowledged by the mayor—elite skill or power. No reason for them to seek out a mere dwarf.
“Ask your sister if you're curious. And check this.”
“Sister?”
Kang Hanbit handed over the letter of introduction from Firnen de Artua. Jinook took the paper with a puzzled look and scanned it quickly.
“…What're you thinking?”
The short text was easy to read. Pouting, he handed it back to Kang Hanbit.
“I'll let it slide for my sister's sake. Watch yourself from now on.”
Having vented on the dwarf, Jinook spat and left with his crew. Kang Hanbit approached the dazed dwarf.
“You okay?”
“Uh… Yeah!”
He snapped out of it belatedly. His eyes fixed on Kang Hanbit's wrist. Probably suspecting some high-rank official.
“Bracelet or not, I'm just an adventurer. Check this first.”
Kang Hanbit showed the mayor's letter. The dwarf hesitated, then carefully read it. His eyes widened.
“Oh, you need us?”
“Need a way to protect the city.”
“Pardon?”
The dwarf blinked in confusion. Reading the letter again, he looked up.
“You need our skills?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“Then I'm afraid we can't help!”
The dwarf raised his voice confidently.
“Why? No reason to protect the city?”
“No, there are no able-bodied dwarves left! And honestly, I don't even want to protect Ifrit!”
-?
-Straight-up honest lol
-But you're a dwarf too;
-???:Everyone except me is trash.
His criticism of his own kind was scathing. And not wanting to defend the city made perfect sense. Despised in Ifrit, pushed outside the walls entirely, they had no love left for it. They scraped by because they couldn't leave. The city's fall might even open new paths.
“So if you had the ability, you'd help?”
“Not possible now, so who knows!”
“Fair. Losing dwarf metallurgy must hurt bad.”
“……!”
This time, the dwarf's eyes bulged. A sharp glint pierced his previously dull gaze.
“How do you know that?”
Curiosity outweighed caution or suspicion. Kang Hanbit pulled out a fragment from his memory.
“I met the king of Hedric once.”