Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Dwarf Tribe (3)
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Dwarves are specialists in arm wrestling.
The lore says they arm wrestle whenever they're bored, as casually as eating a meal.
Not only were they born with exceptional strength,
but their muscles were also honed to the extreme from forging all sorts of weapons.
They were undoubtedly formidable opponents.
And indeed, I struggled from the very beginning.
As befitting blacksmiths who had spent their lives swinging hammers and striking iron, their grip strength was beyond imagination.
“You can't even budge. You're holding on well, but technique is more important than anything in arm wrestling. Hahaha!”
“...”
As if certain of his victory,
the middle-aged dwarf let out a smug laugh.
Hmm? You dare let your guard down in front of me?
My raw strength might have been slightly inferior, but this body's potential was second to none.
My sixth sense soon activated, seeing through everything.
In an instant, I had completely mastered the technique of arm wrestling.
With the activation of a dedicated skill, my movements became near-perfect.
“Hmm? Suddenly...”
The dwarf's thick eyebrows twitched.
He seemed to be putting in a last-ditch effort, but it was impossible to turn the tide.
His face contorted.
His initial composure had vanished without a trace.
“You'll have to practice much harder to beat me.”
“—!”
It's only right to give back more than you receive.
I gave a faint smile, showing not an ounce of mercy.
Slam!
My opponent's hand slammed against the surface.
The impact was strong enough to split the table in two.
It was more violent than necessary, but that was entirely intentional.
Given the dwarves' hearty nature, they would likely laugh it off.
“No way! To think he beat Muradin so overwhelmingly...”
“He was the strongest among us... Ugh, we're completely screwed.”
“...”
So they played their strongest card from the start.
It seems they were desperate to win the arm-wrestling match.
Contrary to my expectations, the mood grew serious.
Surely they're not giving up already, are they?
Indeed, the dwarves quickly changed their tune.
“If I beat that fellow, it'll be like beating Muradin.”
“My blood is boiling! I'll take him on this time.”
Multiple dwarves stepped forward simultaneously, flexing their muscles.
The elven girl squeezed her eyes shut, as if horrified by the sight.
I felt much the same,
but with a quest on the line, I had no choice but to accept all their challenges.
Well, it didn't take that long.
After mastering the technique, it was actually quite easy.
“To defeat ten of them in a row...”
“Hmm, I see why he's a hero candidate.”
“He's more than qualified. We can trust him with the weapons we forge.”
They seem completely unaware of my situation.
I saw no need to correct them.
Finally, a dwarf with a sharp gaze stood opposite me.
“My name is Bolder. I am the War Chief of this village. This time won't be easy.”
In human terms, would that be like the commander of a knightly order?
His presence was different, so I was a bit tense, but the match was over in ten seconds.
“Excellent... I acknowledge you as a warrior!”
“...”
As soon as I defeated all the challengers,
the system window announced the quest's completion.
[Sudden Quest Complete]
[Dwarf Tribe's Favorability has increased from Interest to Amity.]
Feels like I'm getting this for free.
Of course, this was nothing new at this point.
“Jace is amazing, as expected!”
“Just as I predicted.”
“That was so cool. It was so satisfying to watch.”
Not only did my favorability with the dwarves increase,
but I also earned the girls' affection as a bonus.
Is this what they call killing two birds with one stone?
Things were going so well that I felt confident I could do anything.
The dwarves started another drinking party, even though it was broad daylight.
They were stubborn and conservative, wary of outsiders,
but once they acknowledged someone, they treated them like one of their own.
“It seems you'll be the hero of this generation.”
“You must, for the sake of our pride.”
“If you do become the hero, I'd like to take a look at the Holy Sword...”
“...”
Everyone was friendly toward me,
but the attention from these heavily bearded men was mentally taxing.
I remembered my original purpose.
It was about time I got Jace's exclusive weapon.
“Where is the Chieftain?”
“Hmm, probably in the forge.”
“That old man should have retired by now, but he stubbornly keeps picking up his hammer.”
“Come to think of it, it's our fault. There's no one who can surpass the old master.”
An unparalleled existence even among the many dwarves.
The Chieftain had the highest probability of crafting an S-rank item.
Raising favorability was important,
but ultimately, I needed to move his heart.
“Did you meet him last time?”
“Yes, I commissioned a weapon. I came to check on it...”
“Excellent. Your weapon is already complete. It's a masterpiece that will go down in history.”
Huh? A masterpiece for the ages?
And that's by dwarven standards, not human blacksmiths.
I came expecting an S-rank weapon, but could it be something more?
Jace's exclusive weapon never appeared in the main story.
Before he could get it, he became one of the Four Heavenly Kings and used a demon sword.
Thump, thump.
The scent of a jackpot filled me with excitement.
“The old master dislikes noise. It would be best for you to go alone, quietly.”
One of the dwarves offered to guide me to the forge.
I told my companions to wait and followed him.
* * *
While Jace was away,
the girls gathered together and chatted.
The topic was the arm-wrestling match from moments ago.
Esterize spoke up, looking puzzled.
“Umm, wasn't that a little strange?”
“What was strange about it? It was the result you expected, wasn't it?”
Ilensia was in high spirits.
Thanks to Jace's performance, those obnoxious dwarves had been utterly humiliated.
What exactly was this feeling?
He seemed to shine particularly brightly today.
Is this love?
That seemed a bit much, but she was thrilled nonetheless.
“No, I'm not talking about the result, but the process. It felt a bit aggressive. No matter how you look at it, he was different from his usual self, wasn't he?”
As the heir to a great family,
Jace was dignified, sensible, and polite.
But this time, as if determined not to hold back, he crushed every challenger.
Ilensia paused to think.
From a different perspective, that did seem to be the case.
“Well, I don't see it as a problem. Even the ones who lost just laughed it off awkwardly.”
“That's true, but...”
“Perhaps he was just matching the dwarves' temperament. They think of themselves as hearty and bold. And in fact, they welcomed it even more.”
“Ah, I see.”
Esterize nodded.
To think he adjusted his behavior to suit them.
That, too, was a form of consideration.
Jace hadn't changed. No, it felt like he had grown into an even more wonderful man.
‘My judgment wasn't wrong in the slightest.’
He was so charming he seemed mature.
She didn't regret revealing her secret one bit.
A more reliable companion than anyone else...
For now, she was content with just that relationship.
Just as Esterize was smiling brightly,
Ilensia was entertaining a different notion.
‘Could it be... that he was granting my request?’
She had asked Jace to teach the dwarves a good lesson.
Looking at the situation, that's exactly what happened. It meant he respected her enough to use such aggressive methods...
Hmm, maybe we get along better than I thought?
When she followed his words, he treated her even better.
The way he looked out for her without making it obvious was very gentlemanly.
Perhaps...
Jace was the only human suited for an elf.
It wasn't that she was going to do anything about it, but her heart fluttered strangely.
After the two girls had sorted out their thoughts,
they both turned to stare at Aruru.
Nom, nom, nom.
The fox beastkin was simply filling her stomach, as if to say that eating was all that mattered.
It was nothing new,
but since Jace was the topic, she could have at least said a word or two.
As their gazes lingered on her, Aruru shrugged.
“You two think too much.”
“—?”
“Jace is cool no matter what he does. That's enough, what more do you need?”
As long as he's cool, that's all that matters!
We just need to sit back and enjoy the show.
The girl's philosophy was incredibly simple, yet quite persuasive.
“Even if he changes drastically, I'll always be on Jace's side, no matter what.”
“Why go that far...”
“Because I like him. Enough to want to spend my whole life with him.”
“—!”
She finished with a soft smile.
At Aruru's unwavering attitude,
Esterize and Ilensia received a great shock, as if they'd had an epiphany.
Spend her whole life with him?
But Jace already has a fiancée.
It made them wonder if this was right,
but they could only envy her ability to say it so honestly and confidently.
* * *
“I've announced your visit. You can go in now.”
After a short wait,
I found myself face-to-face with the chieftain of the dwarf tribe.
Durar Wildhammer.
An elderly dwarf whose hair and beard were both snow-white.
Was he over 300 years old?
Seeing him in person was a rather novel experience.
Unlike the other dwarves, he showed no trace of frivolity.
“It's an honor to meet you, Chieftain. I trust you've been well...”
“I have been fine, but it seems something has happened to you.”
“...”
An eye honed by experience.
He noticed the change in this body at a glance.
He would find out eventually, so I told him the truth.
“Your dantian was destroyed? Yet you've already recovered this much strength... That in itself is remarkable. You must have been devastated. How did you overcome it?”
I wasn't particularly devastated, though.
Though I started from the bottom, my growth was so fast that it was actually quite fun.
I couldn't reveal that part.
Here, I had to give a model answer, just as Jace would.
“I thought of my family, my beloved, my friends... my precious people. I strayed for a time, but I wanted to repay the faith they had in me. And so...”
“You seem a little different, but that righteous spirit of yours is unchanged.”
“You're too kind... In any case, this experience has taught me a great deal. I'm now certain I will become stronger. With that strength, I will protect everyone.”
“Hmm...”
As I showed my full resolve,
he nodded as if he understood.
Perhaps because I'd raised his favorability quite a bit, things were going well.
I immediately handed over the document I'd received from the vice president.
His lips twitched faintly. A slight change appeared on the dwarf's stern face.
“An unexpected gift. I'll accept it gladly.”
He was clearly pleased.
Just as I thought, his favorability rose significantly.
Now it was time to press him to show me my weapon.
“I was told my sword is complete.”
“Yes. A rather fine piece was forged.”
He said it was a work that would rank among the best of his entire life.
From any other dwarf, it might have been an exaggeration, but the chieftain's confidence carried weight.
My excitement grew...
I had a feeling. This had to be a weapon beyond my expectations.
“However, as you are now, you may lack the qualifications...”
“...”
In the end, the problem I feared arose.
It seemed he intended to uphold his principles, regardless of favorability.
My creations must be wielded by someone worthy!
How was I supposed to break through that stubbornness peculiar to artisans?
If I had my way, I would have just insisted.
You made it exclusively for this body anyway, right? Hurry up and give it to me!
“Of course, that was my intention.”
“—?”
“It would be useless to anyone but you. Well, you can just earn its acknowledgment later.”
No, wait a minute...
Could it be what I think it is?
“You didn't know? The sword itself will judge your worthiness. It's nothing compared to the Holy Sword that chooses its own master, but it's still a piece with a strong personality.”
“...”
A true artisan pours their soul into their work.
The soul might not remain intact, but it meant the sword could at least judge a person's worth.
I had no choice but to believe him.
No matter what anyone said, the chieftain was the greatest blacksmith... unparalleled in his field.
This is even better!
The more demanding it was, the better its performance would surely be.
I was worried I wouldn't even get to see it, but if it becomes mine, I can rest easy.
I'll have to invest some time and slowly tame it.
If I really liked it, I was even willing to give it a name.
A moment later.
The chieftain emerged from the armory, holding a sword.
“This is your exclusive weapon. What do you think?”
“—!”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
A chill ran down my spine without me realizing it.
There was no way I could fail to recognize it.
In the main story, it had appeared as Ceria's exclusive item.
Th-that is...
It was the sword she used when she stabbed the Four Heavenly Kings version of Jace.
“Why aren't you saying anything? Ah, you must be so satisfied you're speechless.”
“...”
No, this is how it connects?
I didn't experience it directly, but I feel like I'm developing a trauma