There Have Always Been Two Swords - 2
It was a dwarven custom to forge weapons from the bones of the dead and treat them as family.
The practice was something I could never hope to understand, yet I could not simply deny a tradition that stretched back through the ages.
Besides, one could hardly raise one's voice in a place that demanded solemnity, could they?
I forced a smile onto my face and quietly nodded.
After enduring the full, dizzying explanation, the funeral proper began.
As the entire assembly observed a moment of silence and a sacred atmosphere settled over the gathering, I carefully slipped away.
They had said it would be fine so long as I showed my face, so leaving whenever I pleased shouldn't pose a problem.
Shaking myself free of the proceedings, I started back toward the medical tent.
Not much time had passed, so the scenery itself had not particularly changed.
Yet to my eyes, many things looked different now.
Most of the dwarves carried a weapon at their waist or strapped across their backs.
Just a day ago I had taken them for mere tools of self-defense, but knowing the dark truth left me thoroughly unsettled.
Those weapons they carried might well have been forged from the bones of family or lovers.
This other world is insane....
If only, like the monk Wonhyo, I had drunk from the skull without knowing what it was, things would have been better.
Now that I knew the truth, simply ignoring it and moving on had become difficult.
Having gazed into an abyss I should never have peered into, the preconceptions inside me had shifted.
I shook my head vigorously to cast off the idle thoughts and pressed forward once more, eyes fixed ahead.
Better to get some solid sleep and rest than waste time on pointless thinking.
Having firmly resolved to rest, I was strolling along the path when it happened.
A human—rarely seen in a dwarven village—entered my field of vision.
A human woman who gave off a mysterious air, her hood pulled low over her face.
She was arguing with a dwarf who had set up a sales stall.
"Customer, no matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. That item is no longer in our village!"
"...I need it desperately. Even a tiny amount would do. If you happen to have any, couldn't you sell it to me?"
"Ah, for goodness' sake! I told you we don't have it!"
The fact that a human was present in a dwarven village that did not welcome other races was rather interesting.
In my case I could chalk it up to the prestige of having a light dragon behind me, but for anyone else it would not be easy.
I found myself wondering how she had even learned of the dwarven village and how she had been accepted by them.
I stopped walking and eavesdropped on the two of them.
"Listen carefully to what I'm saying. The item you're looking for was found by Malkus, who used to live next door to me. He left the village with it, dreaming of striking it rich overnight. Do you understand now?"
"Hmm..."
"So instead of standing here, go track down Malkus and try to get the item from him. That would be far more productive."
"Very well."
The woman turned her back and trudged away, looking disappointed.
Apparently she had failed to obtain whatever she needed.
I carefully approached the stall and showed my face to the dwarf who had been speaking with her.
"Welco—oh my! Who do we have here!"
The dwarf's face, which had been crumpled with irritation, smoothed out completely as a wave of delight washed over him.
The difference in treatment compared to the woman just now was so extreme it was almost embarrassing.
"For Bern, the hero of the dwarves, to grace such a humble place with his presence...! I am truly moved!"
"You can stop with the flattery right about there."
"Flattery? This is genuine respect from the bottom of my heart!"
"Ahaha..."
I scratched the back of my head and laughed awkwardly.
Praise bordering on worship was still unfamiliar to me.
Lin sometimes reacted in a similar way, but she was someone I loved, so she didn't count.
Being elevated like this by someone I was meeting for the first time—someone I wasn't even close to—was a first.
"More importantly, what brings you here, Lord Bern?"
"Ah, right. I came because I wanted to ask about the woman who was just conducting business here..."
"Oho?"
The dwarf shopkeeper wore a meaningful smile.
From the look on his face, he was already laboring under a massive misunderstanding.
"So the woman who just visited my shop is to your taste, Lord Bern?"
"Excuse me?"
"You already have more than two beauties at your side, yet that still isn't enough! The phrase 'a hero is a lover of beauty' springs right to mind!"
"It's nothing like that, so please don't misunderstand. I only came to ask because her face seemed familiar."
Her face had been hidden by the hood, so I hadn't gotten a proper look, but her build and the glimpse of her features I had caught created a sense of dissonance.
How to put it—even though I shouldn't have seen her before, she felt strangely familiar?
Curiosity refused to leave me alone, which was why I had come to investigate in person like this.
When I conveyed that meaning, the shopkeeper scratched his cheek and looked ashamed of his own behavior.
"Sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion. By way of apology, I'll tell you everything I know. So what is it you wanted to ask?"
"First of all, this place pursues a rather isolationist policy, doesn't it? So why is a human other than myself walking around freely?"
"Ahh, that's because she is an adventurer hired directly by His Majesty the King."
"King Bolmond?"
"Yes. She's human, but her lips are sealed tight and her skills are rock-solid, so whenever there are materials that need to be obtained from outside, we leave it to her. His Majesty instructed us to treat her with proper courtesy."
Among adventurers, there were those who settled in a particular village, became part of the local community, and took on commissions there.
The woman from earlier belonged to that category—and she had even been chosen by Bolmond himself.
Her skills must be exceptional.
The dwarf king's personality was exacting, yet he was treated as a living legend.
"I see. Then could you tell me her name, by any chance?"
"Hmm. Was it Hena? I think that was the name..."
"...Could it be Hesha?"
"That's right! So you really do know her!"
"Yes. We're not particularly close, though."
That was a lie. Hesha and I had never exchanged a single word, and she did not know me.
The reason I knew her real name was simple.
Hesha was a heroine who appeared in Adokchoe.
And not just any heroine—she occupied the position of Kang Junhyuk's master.
A powerhouse who would proudly claim victory at the martial arts tournament held in the royal capital a few months from now.
Kang Junhyuk, who came to admire Hesha's strength, would forget his original master Bern and cling to her instead.
Hesha would rebuff him with an iron wall, but just as there is no tree that will not fall after being struck ten times—
under his persistent requests for instruction, she would eventually accept him as a disciple.
After that, the usual developments would follow.
As time passed, Kang Junhyuk would demonstrate the blue-out-of-indigo phenomenon, surpassing his master.
Through countless incidents and hardships, Hesha would gradually develop romantic feelings for her disciple.
In that fashion, one more name would be added to the ranks of Kang Junhyuk's heroines.
Predictable as it was, Hesha's character arc was incredibly satisfying.
The development of a blunt, stoic woman being won over, growing cuter and more charming along the way.
With that kind of story and character, Hesha had formed a decent fanbase in the community.
Though that had nothing to do with me, whose favorite character had been the secondary protagonist.
"By the way, what were you discussing with her? It looked like voices were about to be raised."
"Ugh, don't even get me started! Two days ago my neighbor Malkus was wandering around the mine and luckily got his hands on an ore that turned out to be exactly what she wanted, so she's been coming by every day to harass me."
"An ore?"
"Yes. The Full Moon Stone—the kind they say is worth whatever price you name."
I was not particularly surprised.
I already knew that the item Hesha wanted was the Full Moon Stone.
However, my shadow began to thrash violently.
Of course it did—the Full Moon Stone that the fellow named Malkus had supposedly taken was originally Chaos's.
I firmly stomped down on my shadow and calmed Chaos.
If Chaos burst out right now, my position would become awkward. Moreover, Chaos might lose the chance to reclaim the Full Moon Stone.
I had solidly identified the thief's identity, so I needed to extract more information and draw up a plan to get it back.
"Malkus left the village the very night he obtained the Full Moon Stone. He was probably planning to sell it and live a life of leisure forever. The kid hated working but loved booze more than anything."
"I see."
"Sigh! The one who took the Full Moon Stone was my neighbor Malkus, so why does she keep coming to me..."
After that, the shopkeeper launched into a long string of complaints.
There was nothing useful in the grumbling itself, but I was already satisfied with the excellent information I had harvested.
The fact that Hesha—Kang Junhyuk's master and heroine—was staying in the dwarven village, plus information on the dwarf who had stolen the Full Moon Stone.
How to use that information was entirely up to me.
Just when I thought I could finally catch my breath, the pile of things I have to do has grown into a mountain....
Chaos's Full Moon Stone, Hesha, and Malkus.
There was more than one or two matters to handle, but what to tackle first was already decided with certainty.
I watched Hesha walking away into the distance.
Kang Junhyuk's heroine, huh....
The corners of my mouth rose of their own accord.
I already gave him a freebie, so it should be fine if I snatch one for myself, right?