Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Dwarf Tribe (2)
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Chapter 60
The Dwarf Tribe (2)
We had finally reached our destination.
The dwarves greeted us with great enthusiasm.
“Oh, you’ve come just in time.”
“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you with bated breath.”
“Let’s start the welcome party right away!”
“It’s a bit of a shame there’s an elf, but… I suppose we can overlook it just this once.”
“Huh??”
It was an unexpected reception.
We all tilted our heads in confusion.
Ilensia, in particular, looked utterly bewildered, as if she had fallen into an abyss.
*W-Why?*
*Why on earth are these short, stumpy dwarves acting like this?*
From the looks of it, she was having an instinctual aversion.
It was certainly strange.
Normally, they would have spit on the ground the moment they saw an elf.
This situation was beyond suspicious; it was downright bizarre.
I stepped forward and, on behalf of the group, calmly asked a question.
“We appreciate your hospitality. However, this is quite unexpected…”
“Ah, don’t you worry about it.”
“We’re definitely not doing this because we need a favor from you.”
“Well, something might come up, but we can think about that when it happens.”
“…”
They spilled the beans before I even had to probe.
It seemed they had a problem and were hoping we would solve it for them.
Only then did the memory surface clearly.
The dwarf village was a sort of event map.
The dwarves here were like quest NPCs.
*Go fetch us some rare ore.*
*Please defeat the monsters appearing in the mine.*
Completing such tasks would be followed by a reward.
Originally, the intermediate steps were skipped.
But it seemed they were trying to win our favor with a touch of realism.
A grand welcome party, followed by a request.
It was different from what I expected, but it wasn't a bad turn of events.
I could probably raise our affinity with them more easily than I thought.
[Dwarf Tribe Affinity]
[Current Level: Normal]
Normal, Interest, Friendly, Allied, and so on.
Once we went through all those stages, things would become much smoother.
I had to complete this quest.
How could I pass up the chance to duplicate an S-rank item?
“Here, please make yourselves comfortable.”
“You all look hungry. Just wait a moment.”
We sat down without a word.
We had been traveling nonstop, so we were indeed feeling famished.
It was a dwarven-style banquet, held outdoors.
Soon, they handed us large mugs filled to the brim with beer.
According to my personal philosophy, beer wasn't real alcohol, but the dwarves' creation was on another level.
A cool, refreshing sensation.
It was clean, yet it had a unique, rugged taste.
I felt an exclamation of admiration about to escape my lips…
“Aaaah!”
“…”
Our little cutie had downed it in one go.
She showed the perfect reaction, as if she thoroughly enjoyed it.
The surrounding dwarves nodded in satisfaction.
“Oho, she knows how to drink!”
“She could hold her own in a drinking bout with us!”
“You really can’t judge a beastkin by their appearance. Hahaha…”
Our affinity was rising without me having to do a thing.
This quest seemed to be a group mission.
Every time the dwarves offered her a new mug, Aruru accepted and drank it down.
*Hmm, is this right?*
*She’s not going to get wasted and make a scene, is she?*
Racking my brain, I recalled that she didn't have a "drunken rampage" trait.
Then there was no problem.
She might look like a kid, but she was a proper adult.
The fact that her younger sister was about to get married was proof enough.
“Phew, that’s the stuff!”
“…”
The princess also drained her mug with gusto.
Somehow, she resembled a mercenary gathering at a tavern after a tough job.
*Aren’t you of noble blood?*
It seemed she had completely abandoned her royal dignity.
I was starting to feel like it didn't matter anymore.
A freedom unbound by anything.
In its own way, it highlighted the girl’s charm.
It just made my head spin a little.
In any case, with the princess joining in, our affinity rose again.
Of course, the elf lady wasn't enjoying the atmosphere in the slightest.
“What’s so good about this… It’s just bitter.”
She took a small sip of the beer and grimaced.
Then she glared at the dwarves with displeasure.
*They might have poisoned my drink.*
*I can never trust these wretched creatures!*
It seemed she distrusted the dwarves with that kind of sentiment.
It was pitiful in a way.
But the discord between races was something she had to endure on her own.
Before long, the smell of roasting meat filled the air.
It turned out they were roasting a whole pig.
The sight could be a bit off-putting, but our little cutie was too busy drooling to care.
“Ugh, that looks so delicious…”
*I can’t resist a pig roast!*
*You mean I have to wait until it’s fully cooked? This is torture!*
Just as she was fidgeting with impatience, as if to make that very point.
The dwarves set food down in front of us.
Mouth-watering smoked ham and sausages.
Regardless of the taste, the portions were enormous.
Only then did the girl’s tail start wagging as if she were the happiest person in the world.
“It’s not a grand feast, but we prepared what we could.”
“To be honest, this is all we eat.”
“It’s fantastic with beer! Don’t be shy, drink up.”
*Nom nom nom.*
Aruru had already started.
Like a fish in water, she devoured everything.
I began to eat as well.
It wasn't exactly what you’d call cooking, but that meant the natural flavors were well-preserved.
“Just eating and drinking is no fun. How about a little competition?”
One of the dwarves came forward with a challenge.
True to his nature, he seemed eager to show off his drinking prowess.
He radiated confidence, as if defeat wasn't even a consideration.
Yes, this was what I was waiting for.
Given the dwarves' nature, the concept of "play" was rather limited.
At most, it involved holding contests like this one.
If we won, they would acknowledge us as equals.
[Sudden Quest]
[Objective: Overcome the Dwarf Tribe’s challenge.]
[Reward: Significant increase in affinity.]
With a quest added to the mix.
This had become a battle we couldn't avoid.
I subtly exchanged a look with Aruru.
*Our little cutie.*
*Show them the skills you've been honing.*
*Teach these dwarves a lesson, just like you mercilessly emptied my wallet!*
“Okay!”
The girl answered with vigor.
She looked like a goddess of victory.
Of course, the dwarves were formidable opponents.
They may be short, but their torsos were incredibly thick.
They exerted a lot of strength, and they ate more than enough to match.
Natural-born gluttons, or perhaps food fighters…
One of them looked like he could take on five or six people alone, but this time, he had met his match.
“We’ll put Aruru forward.”
“As expected, putting forth the beastkin. This will be a worthy match.”
It was a sudden battle.
But just as the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
We decided to respect the customs of the dwarves here.
The showdown between Aruru and a middle-aged dwarf.
In the beginning, they both easily downed twenty mugs, but after that, a clear change occurred.
“Hmm, that fox beastkin seems a little different…”
“As expected of a Hero candidate… We should probably get the next person ready.”
The middle-aged dwarf’s nose had turned red.
He struggled to gulp down his beer, looking like he was in agony.
In contrast, Aruru’s face was only slightly flushed.
“Ehehe, the beer is tasty and the sausage is tasty. They’re a perfect match! I think I’ve discovered a whole new world!”
“!!”
The middle-aged dwarf’s eyes widened as if he were dumbfounded.
Not to be outdone, he chugged several more mugs in a row, then collapsed.
“Bruno went down without putting up a fight.”
“Well, I expected as much. The guy lacked grit.”
The dwarves didn’t seem particularly fazed.
*Heh, he was the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings…*
With that kind of attitude, they simply sent out a new contender.
I couldn’t take my eyes off our little cutie.
The alcohol made her even more charming than usual.
A blush bloomed on her cheeks.
She was already a girl who smiled a lot, but now, a smile never left her lips.
What was I to do?
She was so cute and lovely that it was driving me crazy.
“Umm, is this right? Is she really okay?”
The princess nudged me and asked.
Aruru looked so young that she seemed to be feeling a sense of dissonance.
*Tsk, tsk, she’s of an age where she should already be married.*
One shouldn't judge her by human standards.
Instead of saying that, I whispered the magic words.
“You have to trust your comrade.”
“I-I don’t think that’s the issue here?”
*It’s not working?*
I ignored Esterize and looked at Ilensia.
*What do you think?*
The elf lady's way of thinking was extremely simple.
“I just hope Aruru wins. I want her to completely crush the dwarves’ pride…”
It seemed a little different from what I was going for.
But at least she was trusting her comrade and cheering her on earnestly.
“Do you get it now?”
“Huh??”
While the princess was utterly confused.
Our little cutie’s winning streak continued.
“Kuh, I’ve never faced such a tough opponent. To think even I would be defeated…”
In the end, she achieved an all-kill on her own.
Even after the competition ended, she munched on smoked ham, displaying the composure of a champion.
“Truly astonishing…”
“It was so one-sided that I don’t even feel ashamed.”
“We must take this defeat as an opportunity to strive for more…”
“We must admit what we must admit. You are worthy of being our friends.”
All the dwarves paid their respects to the girl.
The four challengers were dead drunk.
And though the stench of alcohol was thick in the air, the moment itself was needlessly solemn.
In any case, the result was more than satisfactory.
The system window announced the quest’s completion.
[Sudden Quest Complete]
[Dwarf Tribe affinity has increased from Normal to Interest.]
There were still three or four more stages to go.
But achieving a result on the first day was a good start.
However…
Why did I have this nagging feeling?
“Sweet, so sweet… It just goes down so smoothly!”
“…”
The fox beastkin had discovered the taste of beer.
At the sight, a few dwarves flinched as if sensing a crisis.
*Huh? She’s still drinking after all that?*
*At this rate, she’s going to drink our entire reserve!*
They seemed to be gripped by the fear that it might actually happen.
Perhaps I…
Had I created a legendary drinker who would go down in history?
“You guys should drink too. We should all enjoy this together!”
Whatever, what did it matter?
As long as our little cutie was happy, that was enough.
In the end, I stayed up with her late into the night.
It’s not something I’m proud of, but we were the last two standing.
“What do I do? My body is so hot…”
“…”
It was a miracle she was still conscious.
Her body was flushed, as if the chilly night breeze had no effect.
She snuggled into my arms, curled up, and slowly closed her eyes.
Yeah, I had a feeling this would happen.
It was about time she passed out.
Somehow, even reeking of alcohol, she was still cute.
I gently stroked the girl’s tail.
I gazed blankly at the moon hanging in the sky above.
If I ignored the dwarves sprawled out all around, it was a reasonably beautiful night.
***
The next day.
The dwarves’ welcome ceremony continued.
“Yesterday was our complete defeat, but today will be different.”
“…”
He took off his shirt, flexing his muscles.
To my sensibilities, it was simply awful.
I wished I could unsee it, but there was nothing I could do.
[Sudden Quest]
[Objective: Overcome the Dwarf Tribe’s challenge.]
[Reward: Significant increase in affinity.]
This time, they wanted to compete in arm wrestling.
It seemed best for me to step up.
“You can do it!”
“We can count on Jace.”
“You have to win. This is our chance to teach those nasty dwarves a lesson!”
“…”
As I expected.
The elf lady was getting overly excited.
I might as well grant her wish while I was at it.
This time, I would earn their respect with my own strength.