Inherited Grudge

"Hey, so you got an invitation to the Artifact Crafting Contest, right?"

"Yeah, am I really that famous?"

"Isn't it because of the rumors about No.1 and No.2?"

"No.2 has a pretty bad rep, though."

From what I'd heard, it was going around that No.2 had been smashing dimensions left and right... But what could I do about it? Honestly, I had a hard time believing talk of shattered dimensions even came from a reliable source, so I'd just brushed it off.

They said surviving gods had testified that it had grown to constellation-level power or whatever. So what about our No.1? I'd put way more care into making her than No.2, but all she did was dishes and serving drinks. Was that really okay?

Anyway, no idea where the rumors started, but I ended up invited to a contest where all sorts of master craftsmen gathered.

I was stressing over how to get there since it was so far, but Kaoru-senpai from the graduating class offered to drive us as part of her team's project.

"But is it really okay to let me mooch like this?"

"When else am I gonna treat a junior? Just eat."

Senpai was a mushroom anyway—she could survive on just sunlight and water like always, so she had no expenses. Thinking about it, living as a mushroom sounded super convenient... I mean, sometimes I'd see edible mushrooms sprouting on her neck and get the urge to pluck one off and eat it.

Senpai got scared, saying I'd probably chomp her whole if she let me, but come on, I wouldn't eat something alive raw. If she died, maybe I'd grill her up as a tribute or something.

"Is treating livestock you raised the same as treating a close friend?"

"Isn't it better to eat something precious and keep it with you forever than bury it in the ground?"

"This kid's psycho tendencies just explode out of nowhere sometimes."

Kaoru-senpai chuckled that it was a relief we'd have no reason to see each other after next year, but the greatsword dummy's face darkened.

She muttered something about dog meat not tasting good... Dogs have their own flavor, you know... But it felt awkward to push her to try it, so I just suggested she give it a shot sometime.

"Ugh, gross."

We grabbed a quick meal at a street cart and looked around. Some folks had come by wagon, others in massive trucks. But the real showstoppers were the dwarves arriving with huge drones hauling their cargo or landing in airships straight out of a movie.

"Dwarves are just on another level with tech."

"You know that guy who later got called a hero ancestor? Park Chun-sik or something—he passed down the knowledge. Dwarves worship him as their father and god of booze."

"Never seen him in the pantheon shrine."

"Yeah, 'cause he didn't actually become a real god. More like a symbol? Turns out you can learn divine magic through faith even without a proper god."

"So, if I have faith in Mom, can I use proper witch powers too?"

Wasn't that what I'd been doing all along?

Kaoru and the greatsword dummy stared at me in shock, but surprisingly...

Out of all the Witchcraft family techniques, the only one I could use was "Go, Grand Duke! Body Slam!"

Of course, that move dealt near-instant-death damage unless you were a cleric, so it wasn't easy to pull off. Imagine sparring at the academy and suddenly whipping out Hell's King for a tackle—that'd turn WWE into UFC real quick.

The real issue was I'd actually considered testing it out since I could revive anyone I killed. And yeah, the first guinea pig was Multrenung. Thanks to his cleric job change, he tanked one hit.

"I made Giant Knight Talos too, but the dwarves' Mobile Armor weapons are all degraded versions of that."

"No idea what that is, but sounds cool."

"I've got a plamo model of it in my room—I'll show you."

The greatsword dummy's eyes sparkled, ears perking up as she basically said, If you like hero stories too, hang with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me all day.

"By the way, dwarf tech supposedly degenerates over generations. Looks like progress to us, though. Heroes really are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on another level, huh?"

Kaoru-senpai quickly shut down the greatsword dummy before she could speak and kept going.

As we listened to tales of how dwarves became the tech rep race—still pioneering the future—it was fun stuff. Then someone shoulder-checked me hard on purpose.

A normal bump I'd shrug off, but this was loaded with mana, sending me tumbling back into the greatsword dummy's arms.

The guy didn't even glance back—a bearded "young" dwarf with coppery dark skin just like mine, mechanical prosthetics on his limbs.

"Hey, you picking a fight on purpose?"

I called out in disbelief, but he whipped around, glaring like I was the absurd one.

Tanned copper skin... An eerie sense of familiarity, like we matched tones. The dwarf glared daggers.

"You reek of demon sulfur, wench—daring to speak to a dwarf, earth-kin?"

"What does me being a witch have to do with bumping into you?"

"I bumped you on purpose, you damn bitch."

His blatant hostility left me flustered instead.

Young dwarves around snickered, saying I deserved it or lamenting they hadn't gotten to bump me first. Some even drew weapons, challenging me to fight if I had a problem. No wonder I was stunned.

I couldn't fathom why these strangers hated me so much. At least explain! But they just glared murderously, hunting for an excuse.

"Wiyu, better just go."

"Hmph, yeah! Bow your elf ears and scram."

"Oh yeah? Fine. Later, runt."

Talk about a guy with arms swapped for cyberware after some amputation. Legs too, maybe? Made him tall enough to shoulder me. But as Kaoru-senpai brushed past, she pulverized his shoulder—his arm exploded.

Power level? Off the charts. The dwarf flew like a deflating balloon, smashing into a wall. Surreal didn't cover it.

"P-Prince... No, Your Majesty!!!"

"You traitors! Trying to kill Geaka Dersian, heir to Nidavellir No.7 and son of the Mountain King?!"

"Get 'em, boys!!"

"Holy crap, Kaoru-senpai! That shoulder-checker's a king?!"

"Oh, forgot to mention. The dwarf kingdom's basically done. Might as well call it extinct."

"Huh? Why?"

Kaoru-senpai hammered dwarf skulls into their torsos like nails. They fired weird sci-fi stuff—vibrating polymer blades, plasma guns, whatever—but her mushroom spores turned weapons fungal and jammed them. Regen kept her unscathed; she one-sided the beatdown.

"Your moms did it."

"Ah... Ack!!"

Kaoru-senpai explained it was ancient history—irrelevant to the "young generation"—but pages 20-ish of the dwarves' Book of Grudges covered it. She casually folded one dwarf like paper while talking.

"Stuff like that, right?"

"..."

At that point, I figured we should be grateful they hadn't axed my head on sight...

Kaoru-senpai said grudge-holders had long been swept away by Mom's hand—cold sweat. Current young gens hadn't suffered directly... She'd helped out later, netting them gains. But still...

"What'd Mom even do for them?"

"Your bitch mom's dragon-slaying byproducts, god-slaying loot, stellar minerals, and necromancy-revived ancestors restored our tech!! But we won't forgive witch blood!!"

"Shut it."

"After sucking up every drop of honey—reparations in astronomical sums from Mom, living cushy—these punks got nerve."

Kaoru-senpai slammed a fist into the young dwarf king's face, sending him flying. Watching him sail away stirred complicated feelings, but she patted my head.

"Your mom's the bad one—not your fault, so don't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sweat it."

She freaked that Mom would crack skulls anew if she knew—dwarf kids had no fear.

"Contest's starting. Let's go."

Thus began the Artifact Crafting Contest. Theme: Use the most unique material brought to craft on-site.

I'd thought pre-make and present, but no—fastest, highest-quality on-the-spot creation.

Everyone seems super prepared, though?

Greatsword dummy and I entered too, but barely packed anything—just whatever since others did.

She always carried tons anyway. But others unpacked exotic ores, machines... I had zilch. Awkward.

Invite said just show up...

Felt off, but witches don't need materials.

I started conjuring from thin air—contestants' faces shifted wildly. Even the puffy-faced dwarf king entrant looked weirded out.

"...Tch, bad vibes."

Dwarves had ambushed early, picking fights. Kaoru in the stands sensed the offness too.

Invited, sure—but pre-setup folks made it fishy.

"Ah, total scam."

Still, judging'd be fair, right? We waited chill. Finishers awaited judgment.

Greatsword dummy's rune-enchanted magic sword oozed confidence. Mine? A plain-looking beer mug.

Obviously witch-made = extraordinary; crowd knew.

"Hmm, subtle."

She wasn't hyped anyway—not a real artisan.

Dwarf king's gun? Top contender, judges raved.

My turn: Skipped entirely. Absurd.

I gawked at the judge's back, tilting my head.

"Um, you skipping my item?"

"Regrettably, witch-made stuff ain't worth judging."

"Like we'd judge a Witchcraft whelp."

Dwarf king sneered openly. Obvious now who sent the invite.

Expected artisan grandeur—instead, dwarf-biased farce?

Wiyu's excitement soured to disappointment; her eyes swirled.

Unfamiliar... Anger? No. Disappointment? More like—disgust?

"A witch playing artisan, expecting judgment? Hilarious."

King's words questionable, but young dwarves roared laughing. Old ones sighed deeply, heads bowed in gloom.

...Academy politics and Kaoru's dwarf lore let me infer.

Pure show-politics for interests. Mock hated Witchcraft blood openly.

Once-praised artisan race—reduced to this?

More absurd than disappointing; darkness welled in me, suppressed.

Other entrants... old dwarves eyed me apologetically.

"Y-You scum!! Still a dwarf after that?!"

One old dwarf charged with rusty axe—shot down by king's gun, rolling.

"Witches or fossils preaching artisan spirit? Hammering's outdated."

Winner predetermined.

King smirked at me: Gonna swing violence like Mom?

"Today marks dwarf extinction."

"I'll chop that pint-sized punk's limbs."

Kaoru rose laughing from stands; greatsword dummy licked her blade: "Try my magic sword!"

But messy brawls disgusted me; I raised a hand to stop them.

"Hah, pathetic."

What confidence? "Young king" arrogance baffling. Kingdom dire, yet unite via mockery? Still split generations?

"Flaunting that shoddy gun."

"What?"

"Shoot it."

Tone shifted—swirling eyes. King pulled trigger: fizzle.

"Learn gun basics before 'artisan spirit.'"

Tsking, I grabbed my mug and left wordlessly; Kaoru and dummy followed.

King rage-tossed gun—showed dwarf decline.

"Knew Mom's deeds would bite someday."

Mom's rap sheet long; academy worries made sense. But raging every time? Exhausting, hurts only her.

Toughen up, mock 'em—you win.

"Bullshit. Puppets mocking for politics are the broken ones."

"...But what was that? Mysterious aura around Wiyu."

—Like a dwarf artisan, dummy said.

True artisans have soul aura—you know it when you see. But I shrugged, clueless.

Guess I got crafting talent? Laughed it off.

"So, what's yours?"

"Made it as a gift for you, senpai. Magic Infinite-Refill Beer Mug."

Infuse mana—beer endlessly fills. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Frothy, tempting brew brimmed; Kaoru whooped.

"You cutie!! C'mere!!! Muah!!"

"Gyaaah, virgins don't smooch just anyone!!"

"Whatever, marry me then."

"That's even more serious!!"

Greatsword dummy shook her head at their blatant flirting.

Wonder if telling Ephemera back home sparks rampage...

"...Speaking of, our volunteer spot to fill hours—wasn't it the dwarf kingdom?"

Coincidence much? Break for service hours: collapsing dwarf kingdom.

Overdev caused AI boom; young dwarves brain-dump to it, no will. Tech decaying...

Our task: slum relief supplies. Worrying.