Category: Hazure Skill “Alarm”, jitsuwa fūin kaijo no nōryoku deshita. Ochikobore no shōnen wa, nemuri kara sameta megami-tachi to yasashī saikyō o mezasu

This advance chapter is sponsored by Riellyster-san. Thank you so much for your support. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧ .

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Safi disappeared from the temple chamber. She must have headed toward the deepest level of the Alvis Dungeon alone.

I stood frozen in the empty room. Through the open window, the night wind howled. The distant mountains were stained red by a pillar of light rising from their slopes to the sky. The echoes of a great roar still lingered in the air.

“I’m going after her!”

I dashed down the stairs and out into the open.

From the temple’s high platform, I looked down over the city—and despair struck me. Crowds of people were moving about, preparing for the coming battle. It was like a mild panic had seized the streets.

To find Safi who’s like a small child in all this is impossible…!

“W-what should I do…?”

My head felt like it was splitting open.

What should I do?

Regret clawed so harshly at my chest that it was so unbearable.

At this moment, I heard the sound of many footsteps behind me. Mia-san, Felix-san, and the Raven Warriors must have rushed out, drawn by the commotion.

“…..You lost sight of Safi?”

Felix-san’s grimaced.

“It was our oversight. The windows weren’t supposed to open, but we underestimated the strength of a black dwarf.”

At that moment, a sudden lightness filled my heart. Like when, in the middle of a raging storm, you pass through a break in the clouds and the wind and rain ease for just a moment.

—Go ahead!

My heart was shouting at me.

When we parted ways with the dwarf king, I hadn’t been able to hear that voice. But now was different. I had hesitated once—I wavered, worried, unable to make up my mind.

So this time, I lift my head high, steady my breathing, and puffed out my chest.

“Let’s go after Safi too.”

The words I spoke clashed against Felix-san’s frowning face.

“…It’s too dangerous.”

And from the coin came another voice—Thor’s.

『He’s right. If the dwarves truly betrayed us, there may already be traps waiting there.』

A flood of thoughts surged through me. Felix-san and Thor are both right. They’re saying that such scenario is “more certain.” Outside the dungeon, we could muster an army. On the other hand, inside the dungeon, there might be traps, and the number of people is limited.

No reasoning of mine could overturn that truth. And yet, as those arguments spun through my head, other images broke through.

Safi, her face lit with laughter as sparks danced in the forge. Black dwarves and white dwarves, side by side, their hammers rising and falling in unison.

Could I really sweep all of that away with just that single word—betrayal?

No. That warmth, that fragile hope, was something I could not discard.

“The lowest level of the dwarves’ dungeon isn’t just a den of monsters—it’s the place where their true power lies dormant. And… that’s why we came here with the awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, isn’t it?”

I reminded myself of our original purpose. We had anticipated the threat of monsters. Even so, we came to rouse the power hidden within the dwarves’ dungeon.

“…..Which means, this argument will simply go in circles.”

Felix-san planted his staff on the ground. His gaze fixed on me, checking my resolve.

“Rion. You say you believe in the dwarves. We, on the other hand, cannot. And the facts we have witnessed in the dungeon—they all seem to point towards the dwarves betrayal.”

“But the guard golems fought against the giant golems. The great ballista was aimed at them as well. And… I’m certain, when the Dwarf King looked at my horn, he was about to say something—something important.”

Felix-san pressed his lips together.

The coin trembled in my hand, and from it Thor’s voice boomed like thunder.

『Just that?』

“Yes. Just that.”

『Feeble. Compared to the giant-forged weapons… and the scene of their dealings, your claim is nothing.』

His voice resounded in my head with such authority that, if I let myself slip for even a moment, I would crumble beneath it.

“S–Still… it comes down to this. Whether the dwarves’ technology stands with us or against us—we’ll know once we pursue Safi. Once we reach the lowest level and break whatever was sealed there…!”

『Hmph! In other words, it’s just a gamble.』

Thor spat the word as if it were an insult.

『If the dwarves truly betrayed us, then the gamble is lost—and so are we. If they had not… then the trap and technology they left behind may become our ally.』

Such exchange of words stopped there. Silence pressed in on us, so heavy that it felt like it would crush my chest.

『Rion. Will you drag your comrades… this entire city… into such a gamble?』

I might have just made enemies of both the gods and the Raven warriors. But—even so, I have to say this. If we were speaking of comrades, then Safi is one as well.

“T-then… believe in me.”

Felix-san’s mouth fell open, as if he had taken a masterful counter blow he hadn’t seen coming.

“B-belive in you…?”

“Yes. I believe in Safi, in the dwarves. So believe in me.”

For a long moment, no one spoke. I had already laid bare the voice of my heart. And when I thought about it, perhaps it was very simple.

To declare, “Even so, I want to believe”.

All the evidence before us screamed betrayal. But if no one gave voice to belief—if I didn’t—then who would? There’s never such a thing as helping someone without risk.

“…In other words, what you want to say to us—the Raven warriors—is simply this: ‘Follow me.’”

For a moment, I nearly flinched. But when put that way, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“I see. Hmm..…”

Felix-san took a step back, lifting his gaze toward the night sky.

“With the defenses as strong as they are now, if we hedge our bets… at the very least, a reconnaissance mission would be warranted.”

A soft chuckle escaped him, his shoulders shaking.

W—was he… laughing?

Perhaps sensing the change in the wind, Thor spoke,

『But that would mean—』

『Thor.』

『Stay quiet, Solana. You’re far too lenient with your followers. Listen well, Rion. What you’re really saying is—』

Once again, the coin trembled.

『Why not let him?』

It was Loki who spoke.

『Loki, you—!』

 Thor roared back.

『Thor, you’re looking at this the wrong way. You and Felix speak of safety—of a battle you cannot easily lose. Rion is different. His way is riskier, yes… but it’s a gamble to win. To gain new allies and turn the tide. That’s the choice he’s offering.』

Thor faltered, unable to reply at once.

The coin trembled again, and in a flash of light, a miniature Thor wreathed in thunder burst into the open. Loki answered in kind, slipping free of the coin as well, fire curling around his form.

Between me and Felix-san, the two gods faced each other—one clad in lightning, the other in flame, their glares colliding like weapons.

“…Loki. I thought you doubted the dwarves as well.”

“Oh, I still do,” Loki sang back, almost lazily.

“Doubt is part of the risk. But even so—”

At the corner of his eyes, Loki glanced at me.

“Never making a mistake—that’s not the mark of a hero.”

Something in his tone caught me off guard. For all his usual tricks and mischief, in that moment he sounded sincere—as though he were truly praising me.

“It’s about choosing. About deciding. And you said, believe in me. …Very well. I will. You’re the kind of man worth calling a friend.”

With those words, his form unraveled into violet light and slipped back into the coin.

『Rion, I believe in you—just as you believed in me.』

Solana’s voice followed, and warmth bloomed in my chest, as though I had stepped into sunlight.

Then came the others in turn.

『I agree』

 Uru, the hunting god voiced out.

『Nor have I any objection. After all, it will be Rion who awakens such power.』

Sigris, god of medicine, also added.

Thor lingered the longest. Hovering above us, he raked his broad hand through his red hair. His face contorted like a thundercloud, he’s still wrestling with himself.

“Aah, damn it!”

He shook his head like a man who couldn’t bear another moment of it.

“…Felix of the Raven Warriors. Is the city’s defense prepared?”

Felix inclined his head, staff in hand.

“It is an adventurers’ city by nature. Even if monsters spill from the dungeon, I can promise you we won’t see the chaos of the royal capital. Whether that’s enough to satisfy the Thunder God’s eye, I cannot say though.”

Thor let out a long, heavy breath that seemed to drain the storm from his chest.

“…Very well. But if you descend, every last one of you will use the Golden Flame. And should the tide of battle turn against you, you will withdraw to the defensive line without delay.”

“Yeah. Actually… that was my plan from the start. If we invoke the Golden Flame here and rush in, we can catch up to Safi.”

Meaning, it would be Felix-san, Mia-san, and me at the vanguard.

With the Blessing of the Sun mirrored through the blessing of the Medicine God, I could extend it to the others—but only two at a time, the strain of magic would allow no more.

Thor’s eyes widened at that.

“Ku… hahahaha! So that’s it—you really had thought this through!”

Once his mind was made up, Thor threw back his head and roared with laughter.

“Then onward!”

With that final command, he returned into the coin in a blaze of crimson light.

I fixed my gaze on the distant outline of the mine. The earth-shaking roar from before had ceased, and even the fiery glow seemed to be settling.

But this… this felt like the calm before the storm.

“Let’s go—”

The words caught in my throat as I noticed someone climbing the slope toward us.

It was a stout, elderly man.

“Eh-hoh… eh-hoh…”

He wheezed with every step, his face half-hidden behind a bristling beard. His back was burdened with a mountain of gear that swayed with his breathing.

At last, he reached the crest of the slope and came to a halt.

“Eh…?”

I faltered, caught off guard. Because I had no idea why—why someone like him would be here.

“A-antique dealer…san?”

It was the same old shopkeeper of the antique shop I’d met back in the capital.

If the word fate meant anything, then he was the one who’d started it all. After all, it was the coin he gave me that led to my meeting with Solana.

When his eyes found us, the antique dealer narrowed them with a gentle smile.

“Well now, was this the right place to evacuate to, I wonder? Ho, ho…”

He chuckled sheepishly, then tilted his head at us in recognition.

And in the shadows behind him, I thought I caught a glimpsed of a pair of ravens flitting past.

My voice caught in my throat.

Since that day in the capital, I’d thought I would never see him again. To meet him here in Alvis—of all places—was beyond belief.

“W-what are you doing here…?”

Felix-san took a step forward.

“Are you a citizen? The evacuation is—”

Before he could finish, two ravens alighted on the old man’s shoulders.

Something is different.…

His smile was as gentle as ever, the thick coat and heavy rucksack the same as back then. And yet—his eyes. They weren’t the eyes of a simple shopkeeper. They pierced straight through me, fathomless and ancient, as if they had watched the skies for a thousand years.

This presence….

A pair of raven…?

Solana’s voice quivered from within the coin.

For an instant, I saw the emblem of the warrior order in my mind—the Raven Warriors, their cloaks embroidered with two black ravens.

『…Hn? I didn’t notice before, but—you’d descended here all along, haven’t you?』

Loki’s words pressed the realization upon me, and before I knew it, I had whispered,

“O-Odin-sama… is that you?”

The antique dealer tipped his chin slightly.

“It seems the coin has served you well.”

It was he—the one who had placed Solana’s sealed coin into my hand. If he is Odin, then even that act of generosity suddenly made sense.

“Use the power of awakening. You carry it within you. And remember—awakening requires the sun.”

The coin case in my palm grew hot.

“Solana. Your faithful believer has grown so much. You must respond to him, must you not?”

『Odin, you…』

Solana’s voice wavered.

“Now then.”

 Odin tilted his gaze skyward.

“Wait! There’s still so much I want to—”

“Not now. Another time. For now, Rion… go on. Become the hero you are meant to be.”

With those parting words, Odin vanished into a scatter of raven feathers.

A tremor shook the ground. Deep within the mines, the Flamebone Surtr raged.

『Rion』

“Yeah!”

I nodded to Solana and then I activated the blessing of the Sun. Golden flame cloaked me.

I’m off.

—To rescue a comrade. To save Safi.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The sound of the horn echoed through the vast chamber.

Golden magical energy filled the air. Along the platforms encircling the hall, massive ballistae began to shed their rust in an instant, and the dwarves who had been turned to stone breathed life once more.

“Rion…!”

Safi could hear it clearly now.

He is coming. Even now, he is running, drawing ever closer to this place. Several of the massive ballistae immediately came to life, their enormous spearheads turning toward the titan, Surtr.

“Stop that dwarf!”

Serpentbone Jor shouted.

From directly behind came Surtr’s roar, and all around, Safi could sense the golems and monsters surging towards her.

She’s still fifty meters away from the red jewel embedded into the wall.

She threw aside her blacksmith bag, keeping only the hammer, and sprinted forward.

Could I cross that short stretch before the monsters closed in from both sides?

Safi’s heart is pounding. A boulder entered the edge of her vision to the left—if she hadn’t ducked, the thrown rock would have crushed her skull.

(—This way, Safi! Your magic!)

The dwarf king’s voice continued to call from the crimson jewel by the wall. She understood instinctively. That jewel was the power source feeding many of the great ballistae. But it wasn’t enough yet—it has not to set the whole mechanism in motion.

Thirty meters left.

“Grrrrrrr!”

The roar of a beast and the sound of claws running over rock came.

“G-Garmr…?”

Red light flared on her right. It was Alvis’s watchdog, spitting flames.

“Gah!”

A fireball launched, bursting just behind her and blasting her forward. She landed in a miraculous roll and then she pushed into another sprint.

Ten meters left.

As if to tell her it wasn’t the end, a huge hand reached from the side—it was an enemy golem.

“Golems, to me!”

From a high platform, a fat magic engineer shouted.

—However, a different armored golem, smashed the attacker aside.

It was a guard golem.

Guard golems are part of the defensive mechanisms the dwarves had left behind. The melting of the ice must have brought them back to life as well. A giant bow ballista on the upper platform is now also firing spear-like arrows to stall the advancing monsters.

“E-everyone…!”

The crimson jewel is now right before Safi’s eyes.

Behind her, the hellhound Garmr’s flames burst again. Riding the blast, Safi leapt and brought her hammer down on the red jewel.

“Blessing!”

It was a technique for pouring magic into an object. The crimson jewel flared brighter, magic spilling forth in a torrent.

(—Thank you.)

She heard the dwarven king’s voice.

The white dwarves had left the mechanisms, and a black dwarf had carried them into the present.

“I-I know it’s a little late to ask, but… is it you, Your Majesty…?”

(—I had been channeling my magic and consciousness into this jewel. The same way a god once did for that horn.)

The awakening horn, Gjallarhorn, that Rion carried with him was said to be the vessel that the god Heimdall had lodged his own soul in. In the same way, the dwarven king must have imbued his soul into this jewel.

For what purpose? Probably to keep its magical power alive.

(—We didn’t have enough magical power… but with your Blessing— the mechanism will begin to move.)

From the crimson jewel, an enormous surge of magic burst forth, racing along the walls. All across the great hall, magical runes flared to life like a field of stars, and Safi understood at once.

“…..This entire hall… it’s a single, massive tool.”

Yes, it’s a cage of some sort— it is meant to lure in the enemy and set the stage for the final confrontation.

In the dazzling light, she thought she felt a small hand gently stroking her head. Along with the magic, an ancient vision passed through her mind.

The scene in her head was of an age long past.

◆◆◆

It was likely a chamber within the royal palace. The glow of magic stone lamps was far brighter than anything in the dungeon it had become, and the white walls still bore clear patterns from that time.

Gathered in the room were dwarves—

Safi realized these were the ten blacksmiths of the dwarven nation, Alfheim. All of them were white dwarves with delicate wings and long ears. One of them was the dwarven king himself.

It seemed that all ten blacksmiths had been summoned except for Safi.

The king then started speaking.

“A messenger came from the titans and the monsters. If we submit to them, they claim they will spare us even through the End.”

At the king’s words, the blacksmiths exchanged troubled looks and muttered to each other.

—A messenger came?

—Telling us to submit?

—But we cannot win!

—The dwarves’ technology, the technology to create something will be used for destruction…

A sharp pain ran through Safi’s chest.

There was no doubt—this was the moment when the dwarves decided whether or not to submit. It was possible that before Safi or the majority of the dwarves even learned of it, the tide of war had already turned drastically against them.

The nation’s Ten Blacksmiths were the pride of the realm, representatives of all craftsmen. In Alfheim, where one’s strength was measured by skill, they were the ten most accomplished of all.

After some time spent in quiet but heated discussion, the white dwarves reached their decision.

“…..We will lay a trap.”

The king declared.

From a face still youthful as a boy’s, his voice rang with resolve.

“To submit to the monsters to survive… is no true survival. It is the same as being dead.”

Little by little, their plan began to take shape—

They would lure the enemy’s general, the Flamebone titan Surtr, into the palace itself. Then they would strike him down with the great ballistae and the guardian golems.

Afterwards, they would bring down the entire mountain to bury the palace forever.

Their aim was clear— to ensure the monsters targeting Alfheim were destroyed beyond any hope of return. And secondly, to survive the enemy’s inevitable counterattack.

If they buried the palace beneath the earth, it might be possible to make the world believe the dwarves had perished along with their foes.

Of course, the cost would be steep. Many warrior dwarves would fall in the battle to come. But dwarves were born to live underground. Even if the palace were smothered in rock and soil, its deepest levels would not collapse.

There, those unable to fight could be hidden away, to endure in the dark through long years until at least some remnant of their people could emerge again.

“The problem is….”

The king paused.

“It’s Safi—one of our own Ten Blacksmiths.”

At those words, the blacksmiths lowered their eyes.

“We cannot allow even the slightest risk that our plan reaches enemy ears.”

A pang of pain tightened in Safi’s chest. She wanted to shout “I’d never betray you!” to them. But the weight of the blacksmiths’ reply crushed her voice in her throat.

—We would like to trust her.

—But we cannot!

—Would a dark dwarf truly resist the enemy’s offer to ‘make her one of them’?

The king’s gaze was steady.

“Safi’s skill surpasses even the other dark dwarves. If she were to learn our stratagem and then yield to the enemy, our greatest craft would be placed in the monster’s hands.”

And so, she was excluded from the plan.

The one whose betrayal would hurt them most would most likely be from a black dwarf, the one who’s most likely to betray. History bore that fear out— dark dwarves, enamored with power, had more than once turned against their kin.

“An excellent blacksmith is also worthy of passing on his skills to future generations. For those two reasons, we cannot involve Safi in this.”

He looked around the chamber.

“Until the battle is over, we will put her to sleep. The chamber will be guarded with our strongest runes and a ring to seal it.”

Pain knifed through Safi’s heart. What the vision had shown her was a memory far too bitter to bear.

“I’d never do such a thing!”

She cried out. But her voice could not reach the past.

—Agreed. There is no other way.

—Even between blacksmiths, some secrets must be sealed.

—When the fate of the realm is at stake, a dark dwarf cannot be trusted lightly…

They had agreed to put her to sleep. Her skill was acknowledged, yet her blood branded with the shadow of betrayal, made them wary.

Untrusted because of the crime of her race’s past, Safi was left to slumber.

◆◆◆

—The plan was for the white dwarves and the ten blacksmiths to carry out their plot alone.

—With the battle approaching, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to trust the black dwarves.

“I—, If only I could help…!”

Preparations proceeded with the white dwarves at the center. The black dwarves weapon blacksmiths were only a selected few, less powerful than the ten blacksmiths, and were kept under supervision.

However, it seems that in the end, all the dwarves would participate. Once the battle actually began and those who fought and those who fled deep underground split into groups, they would tell everyone.

From the dwarven kings’ perspective, this was probably the greatest risk. The fear of rebellion. Keeping the secret from Safi only postponed the same risk.

But the black dwarves…accepted the white dwarves’ request. Not a single one defected to the titans, and most chose to fight.

―As long as it meant Safi could survive.

―Yeah. She’s still young…

―I’d always thought it was presumptuous of a black dwarf to aim to become one of the Ten Blacksmiths, but how, how…

When the black dwarves found out that Safi had been sealed away first, it seemed their bond had only strengthened. They must have thought that Safi, now one of the Ten Blacksmith, was worth preserving for future generations.

The original plan was to lure monsters into the palace, fight them, and bury them, resulting in many casualties.

By that time, the reason for putting Safi to sleep first had changed from “fear of betrayal” to “protecting” Safi herself ―the youngest of the Ten Blacksmiths.

“This…”

Safi’s eyes began to tear up.

The giant weapons that she had seen in the frozen forge, and the scene of the betrayal in the throne room. It was probably a scene where the plan to lure the titan had been left unfinished.

“It’s too late now…!”

I had been sealed away alone for 1,000 years. Safi’s anger and relief were in conflict, and she couldn’t put it into words. Hot lump of blood just spilled from the corners of her eyes.

Jor shouted from the high platform, her black robe swaying.

“That’s right! Your defeat is certain!”

“Aaaaah!”

The golem approached. A blade of wind pierced its feet.

“Safi!”

A voice called out from the hole in the wall.

Rion, holding a horn in his hand, looked down at Safi. He must have come from the hole in the passageway leading to the lift. Behind him were Mia, Felix, Solana and Thor —the gods themselves.

They jumped down from the hole and rushed to Safi. The gods and adventurers protected her from the army of monsters.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Rion said as soon as he rushed over.

Thor, a giant god over two meters tall, shouted, his red hair flying.

“Haha! Surtr, a giant, a puppet, and a demon dog! That’s quite a generous gesture!”

Safi, still crouching on the ground, looked up at the boy with blurred vision.

“…Why did you come?”

Rion hesitated for a moment.

“I’m sorry, I said I would trust you. When the Dwarf King asked before…I didn’t have the courage.”

“But,” Rion continued.

He pulled out a coin purse tied with a leather cord. It was the trinket Safi had praised as the most heartfelt when they first met.

“I remembered. I said, it wasn’t about the black dwarves or anything like that… I’m going to trust you Safi.”

Rion held out his hand to Safi.

Safi timidly took it. His hands are only slightly bigger than hers, but she felt that they are so warm. His sky-blue eyes warmed her heart.

(—Safi, who is this boy?)

The Dwarf King’s voice echoed from the red jewel.

“He is Rion. He is called the god’s awakener—he’s my… my comrade.”

(—I see)

The Dwarf King replied.

“I’m surrounded by monsters. But now, I’m no longer scared.”

Safi muttered.

——Boy, Rion. Please use that horn once more.

——The jewel’s magical power is sufficient. Now is the time for you to truly awaken it.

Rion nodded and put the horn to his mouth.

The horn resonated.

There was movement on the upper floor of the cylindrical hall. The sound of gears driving. What had seemed to be a stone wall caved in, opening up to the left and right, kicking up dust. Hidden inside were even more giant bow ballistas, or weapons that fired magic or iron balls.

——Everyone, fire!

The dwarves’ traps, awakened by the horn, began attacking Flamebone Surtr and the monsters.

The approaching monsters were fended off with Thor’s hammer, Loki’s magic, Uru’s bow, and Valkyrie’s spear.

Solana, the daughter of the Sun, stayed close to Rion and seemed to be strengthening the Golden Flame that resided within the party.

“…Amazing.”

Safi muttered.

Ahead, Flamebone Surtr stood like a fortress. Perched on the platform above it was Snakebone Jor, her face twisted in agony.

Dwarfs, gods, and humans. These three, once separate, now faced off against the Titan of the Apocalypse.

——It’s not too late!

Safi also raised her head and glared back at Flamebone Surtr and Jor.

“Wake up!”

Rion shouted in final force, and the ceiling of the great hall shifted. The existing crack widened, and falling rocks and earth crushed the monsters.

A new wall opened, and a giant arrow pierced the monster.

The crack in the ceiling widened. The moon was still high in the sky. Safi saw a pair of ravens there.

A hooded old man peeked quietly from the crack.

The old man narrowed his eyes at the sight of the dwarves and gods fighting together, then he gently closed one eye and dissolved into the darkness, leaving behind a raven’s feather.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The ground shook, and a bright red light shot into the sky from behind the mine.

Safi used the black dwarf’s strength to break free from the warrior corps, then leapt from the temple window and dashed alone into the streets.

Her destination— the mines.

The tremors showed no sign of stopping. The roar, the bellowing—it was as if a giant hammer is trying to shatter the very ground.

“Kuu…!”

Clutching her bag of smithing tools tightly to her chest, her green hair whipped behind her as she sprinted through the midnight mining town.

In truth, she didn’t remember the route from the temple. She’d only ever seen it peeking out from inside a backpack, and the last time she’d returned from the dungeon she had been too dazed to take note. But the moonlit silhouette of the mountain loomed over the town, visible from anywhere.

All she had to do was run towards that place—such was the reliance on her own judgment.

Still, Safi ran. She could no longer trust Rion, the gods, or any other human—because they had chosen not to go deeper into the dungeon. To her, that was a choice to abandon her companions, and to turn their backs on the words of the Dwarf King.

“If I back down here… I won’t be a dwarf, or a blacksmith, anymore.”

Why had she been left behind all alone?

What had everyone left behind in the palace?

A thousand years of time, a frozen forge, and weapons meant for titans. All these uncertainties piled up in her heart, and if she didn’t find the answer, she felt as though her chest would be crushed under their weight.

—Oooooh!

Again, came another roar.

The ground trembled beneath her feet, the distant mine quaking. Clicking her tongue, she glanced around—adventurers were running about in a frenzy, and the remaining townsfolk were fleeing with torches in hand.

“…W-where… is this?”

At times like this, she cursed her small body. Everywhere around her were human-sized houses and walls, a constant reminder that the land of the dwarves, Alfheim, no longer existed. Buildings and silhouettes blocked her view of the mine.

“Don’t tell me… I’m lost…?”

This is not funny at all.

The ring shining on her finger is the Ring of Protection. It will protect Safi from the seal that envelops the world as long as its magical power lasts. She should still have time—but she wanted to reach the dungeon as quickly as possible.

(—This way.)

At that moment, a shadow swept across the sky.

Even though it was night, it was clearly….

“…A raven…?”

A pair of ravens beat its wings with steady power, circling once above her head before flying toward the mountain. There was something strange about it. There’s an inexplicable pull in it, as though a giant unseen hand were beckoning her onward.

Following its lead, Safi found she could move without hesitation. Before long, the wall separating the mountain from the city came into view. Once, it must have been built as a fortification to keep watch over the dungeon.

“Here…!”

The gate was closed now. But time had etched deep cracks into it, and a child—someone Safi’s size—could easily slip through.

A group of workmen with mortar in hand are already gathering to seal the gap.

“Move!”

She slipped through, and from there it was just a sprint toward the mine.

“A kid!?”

“Hey, it’s dangerous——come back!”

Ignoring the voices behind her, Safi followed the ravens as it guided her around to the back side of the mountain.

There, an ancient stone-paved path stretched out, winding around the mine’s base. By tracing it, she eventually arrived at a familiar exit. It was the same passage where Rion and the others had emerged after meeting the Dwarf King.

The mine’s rear side opened into a deep forest. From high up in the trees, the pair of ravens that had led her peered down at her, while the moonlight bathed the rock-framed entrance in a pale, cold glow.

From the hole came a low, keening sound, like the howl of wind. From the mountain ridge, a red glow flared upward into the sky, like the breath of an erupting volcano. Closing her eyes, Safi drew in a deep breath, then lifted her chin and plunged into the dungeon. She passed through the throne room, brushing away the tears welling up at the sight of her petrified comrades, and continued down the passage leading underground.

Partway along, the path merged with a wider road. Her dwarven instincts told her, this tunnel was in use until recently. And strangely, it felt… familiar.

“This… this is the slope I climbed when I first woke up.”

Safi murmured.

It was possible she had been put to sleep much closer to the throne than she’d realized. Or perhaps Rion’s wake up call had unlocked multiple sealed routes down to the lowest floor.

She pressed on through the newly opened corridor. And then, Safi’s breath was caught in her throat.

“W-what… is this…?”

In the wall gaped a massive hole—as if something enormous had been ripped straight out of the stone, leaving a yawning void behind. She swallowed hard. Beyond the opening seemed to be a vast chamber. It was still dark inside, and she couldn’t make out its depths.

“W-what should I do…?”

Fear wrapped itself around her small chest, but Safi shook her head to fight it off. She is alone now. In this era—there are no other dwarves.

If Safi the dwarf didn’t believe and press on, then no matter what feelings the lost dwarven kingdom of Alfheim had left behind, they would vanish into this mine forever.

Safi could no longer bring herself to run. Afraid to make a sound, she crept forward carefully step by step.

“…A lift?”

What she found at last was a lift—its design based on golem technology. She stepped inside and pulled the activation lever.

CLANK.

The machinery’s racket echoed far too loudly in the emptiness. It was only then that Safi realized—the thunderous rumble she should have heard, the searing red light she should have seen—had both faded away.

The lift came to a halt. Safistepped out into the lowest level. It was a vast, hollow space. The gloom kept its full shape hidden, but a single jagged fissure split the ceiling, letting in a ray of moonlight.

Perhaps the red glow from the mine had been escaping through that crack.

“Hoh? I never thought a black dwarf would come here.”

With that voice came a flood of blinding light. Safi squeezed her eyes shut.

“W-what…”

When she looked up, she saw that a circular platform ringed the space above, looking down into the open area below.

If the chamber’s ceiling was thirty meters high, then the platform sat about halfway up—around fifteen meters. On that platform stood two golems, perfectly still, each holding up a massive magic crystal lamp. The magic stones bathed her in a round pool of light.

“W-who are you?”

Between the two golems stood a woman in black.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Serpentbone Jor—Jor of the World Serpent Jörmungandr, little black dwarf.”

The black-clad woman looked down at Safi.

“…Just you? The ‘horn-blowing boy’ isn’t here?”

When Safi kept silent, Jor let out a quiet sigh.

“…I see. Sigh. And here I even calmed the giant down so we could talk.”

When Jor waved her hand, a fat man rose to his feet behind the golems. Though large in build, he staggered oddly—like a puppet on strings. Yet the way he raised his hand in response was brisk and precise, making the sight all the more unsettling.

“Golem—rise!”

The man’s hollow voice echoed. Then hum of golems filled the space.

It seemed that many of them were stationed along the walkway encircling the plaza. Each puppet-like figure held up a magic stone lamp, and together they flooded the entire space with an overwhelming, blinding light.

“Hii…”

Safi caught her breath.

What the light revealed was—an unbelievably massive giant. Skin blazing like molten metal. Hair alight with searing fire. The half-opened eyes already glowed crimson, and from the mouth, thin wisps of flame crackled and spilled forth.

If it hadn’t been kneeling, its size would have been so overwhelming that she might not have even recognized it as humanoid.

“S–Surtr…?”

There was no longer any room for doubt.

Hands big enough to crush a carriage in their grip. A chest like a fortress wall. If it stood up, it would surely be close to twenty meters tall. A giant beyond even the “Flame Soldier” or the “Incarnation of Rage”—a being utterly outside the norm.

Her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Her hips felt like its going to give way. Her instincts were screaming “don’t look” yet the sheer terror bound her gaze to it.

A soft, mocking chuckle drifted down from above.

“What’s the matter? This is your people’s palace, the back gate. Of course…, it’s been quite heavily remodeled to welcome Surtr.”

The giant stirred. It was then that Safi noticed—Surtr, still kneeling, had both hands and feet bound in ice. The hall was vast, so vast its edges were hard to see, yet even along its distant walls, the ice still remained. Inside that frozen barrier… something was there—creatures, perhaps—held captive.

The gods’ seal must still be holding its power.

—Ooooooooh!

A blast of hot wind erupted.

Safi was blown away—her small body tossed at least five times her own height. She landed headfirst on the ground. She’s now bleeding.

Around the great hall, the ice of the seals cracked in many places, melting away entirely in some spots.

“I had hoped to tell the boy holding the horn and watch the look of despair on his face… but, heh, it doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you first.”

Jor spread her arms wide, almost singing the words.

“In the age of myth… the dwarves betrayed.”

Blood from Safi’s brow ran down, mingling with her tears.

“The terms were simple—the ten blacksmiths of the dwarven kingdom would become monsters. And the rest of the dwarves would keep forging weapons for the giants. That is why the Dwarf King… welcomed Surtr, King of the Flame Titan, into his palace.”

Jor’s laughter echoed through the hollow space.

Monsters are beings that kill gods and humans alike, and laugh as they spread destruction.

And when a being falls into monstrosity, it becomes a twisted living thing. The dwarfs who fall into it became goblins, and like Garmr in the dungeon and the giant soldier, they become evil, hopeless beings. They were the opposite of what a dwarf was meant to be.

A creator turned into a destroyer.

Could it be… that her homeland had truly submitted to something like that?

Safi’s mind is now in a mess. The very foundation she leaned on felt ready to shatter.

Memories—treasures no master blacksmith could forge—were being defiled by Jor’s words.

“So the dwarves, too, were seduced by power. Only…”

Jor’s voice faltered, laced with bitterness.

“But….. just before they could fully submit, the ice of the seal arrived.”

The ice binding Surtr shattered completely.

—Ooooooh!

Surtr began to rise.

But the giant let out a voice of agony, shielding his leg with one arm. Then, with his massive hand, he pulled something from his limb.

Jor narrowed her eyes.

“A ballista… bolt?”

Surtr hadn’t been crouching after all.

His massive legs had been pinned to the ground, run clean through by a gigantic bolt.

With a single motion, he wrenched it free and hurled it far away. The spear-like projectile struck the ground, splintering to pieces.

“W-what does that mean…?”

Safi muttered.

Surtr’s flames seemed to spread throughout the entire space.

The back gate of Alfheim, which had been covered in earth and ice, regained its original form. The cave was only a temporary form. It was covered in sealing ice, with earth and sand building up on top of that over eons.

Now, that ice had disappeared. The earth and rocks that had been piled up on top of the ice crumbled, and earth began falling around Safi.

“Kyaaa!”

Billowing clouds of dust filled the air. Through them emerged yet another platform—this one built even higher than the one Jor stood upon. Upon it stood a ring of massive siege bows—anti-giant ballista—all trained directly on the spot where Surtr had been.

Around the weapons stood dwarves.

They were frozen in place, mid-motion as they manned the rusted ballista, their bodies turned to lifeless stone.

“…This is—”

Jor clicked her tongue. The magic-stone lamps held by the golems sliced through the dust.

“Tch. So the dwarves… plotted this, did they?”

Her head was still hazy.

“Plotted…?”

What did the dwarves… what had they done?

Through the drifting haze of dust, Safi spotted it—a red jewel gleaming on the wall, glowing with the same light as the Ring of Protection she carried.

(—Safi.)

A voice seemed to echo inside her head. It sounded so much like the voice of the Dwarf King.

“Y-Your Majesty…?”

Inside Safi’s mind, things began to connect—events that had seemed puzzling before now fitting together like parts of some immense mechanism.

Surtur, lured to the rear gate. The countless ballista aimed squarely at that spot.

The first floor of the dungeon—once the main gate of Alfheim—collapsed and buried, as though the mountain had been deliberately brought down.

“Surround him… strike him down… and bury him…?”

Slowly, Safi began to see what the dwarves had tried to do.

Tears welled in her eyes.

“They… they hadn’t betrayed…?”

She still didn’t know why she had been left behind, nor did she fully understand the dwarves’ intentions. But knowing that they hadn’t simply betrayed—that alone was hope.

A right heart, and the right tools.

The pride that both the white dwarves and the black dwarves had carried was still alive, even a thousand years ago. And that was proof that Safi too, was one of them.

“…I see. But it’s already too late.”

Jor’s words echoed through the space.

Safi bit her lip.

“So what if the dwarves didn’t betray anyone—what difference does that make now?”

The gods had not trusted the dwarves. The chief god, in turn, had not trusted the other gods, and had sealed the world away. And Safi herself had not trusted her current companions either.

After all, if there had been trust, she wouldn’t have come here alone.

The ancient weapons were here, and the dwarves were here. But the awakener was not.

“Mistrust is something that goes in circles—like a serpent biting its own tail.”

It looked as though Jor was biting the tip of her own finger.

“—I’m sorry, everyone.”

In the end, she was no different. She had come alone, and she would die alone.

“Do it, Surtr. This time, let’s have the real—Ragnarok!”

Surtr raised his fist. Wrapped in flame, it made Safi squeeze her eyes shut.

Darkness.

The heat never came.

When she cautiously opened her eyes, she saw something strange. Golden light, like the sun, was pouring down over the entire space. Surtr had stopped his raised hand, glaring into the air.

“…I can hear it.”

The sound of a horn.

Still far away. But somewhere in the mines, somewhere along the tunnels, that boy was blowing the horn for Safi.

(—Safi!)

It felt like someone had just struck her on the back, and she felt strength return to her legs.

“…Rion, you—”

The voice of the dwarf king was coming clearly from the red gem. Perhaps the Awakener’s power was causing the ancient jewel to stir once more.

(—This way! Your magic—use it with the blessing!)

The horn’s call rang out again. Safi gripped the dwarven warhammer and rose to her feet. The golem pointed her out, Jor turned in realization, and Surtr roared.

The monsters freed from the ice also began to move, chasing after her.

“It’s not over yet.”

With the blacksmith’s hammer in her hand, Safi dashed toward the jewel.

She would fight against the Ragnarok.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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In the unexplored area of the Alvis Dungeon.

The Dwarf King has turned to stone, silent and motionless. We stood before the wall he had told us about. I exhaled a white puff of breath, then I gently placed both of my hands on the cold surface of the wall before me.

“Wake up!”

With my right hand, I released the seal on the passage to the right side and with my left, the one to the left. The stone wall crumbled away, revealing a fork in the path.

Like what the Dwarf King had said, one path likely led underground, the other above ground. The left side descended to the lowest floor, where Flamebone Surtr awaited and the right side leads outside.

We must make a choose.

“I…..”

I hesitated. Because this wasn’t just our problem— the fate of Alvis itself was at stake.

Something inside me was shouting. The fact that the Dwarf King had mentioned the “prison.” That there was an anti-Titan trap on the boss floor. That the guard golems had faced off against the titans.

Can dwarves really not be trusted?

Is that truly the right answer?

Was the country Safiy came from really such a terrible place?

All those thoughts were in my head.

“Let’s retreat.”

The words, spoken as if to cut something off, came in a firm voice. Felix-san’s sharp gaze passed over each of us in turn.

Me, Mia-san, the Raven Warriors, and finally to Safi.

After letting his eyes rest briefly on the dwarf blacksmith, Felix-san turned his gaze back to the passage.

“In this situation, it’s difficult to place complete trust in the dwarves. The dungeon is a den of monsters to begin with, and right now, we must also be wary of dwarven traps. We know that Flamebone Surtr is here. In that case, it would be far more rational for us to return to the surface, have the adventurers and guards prepare, and meet the attack from outside.”

Fighting in a place where traps might be waiting is sheer foolishness. That, perhaps, was what Felix was trying to say.

The gods—especially Thor—were probably thinking the same thing. 

Nothing was coming from the gold coin. I know they are waiting for me.

“B-but…”

I raised my voice, about to argue back at Felix-san.

“What is it?”

Looking down at me, Felix-san’s gaze stopped me from talking. He was a veteran of the Raven Warriors, and his words were sound enough that even the gods had nothing to say in objection.

“No way…!”

Safi’s lips trembled. The dwarf blacksmith’s face had gone pale.

“I… I…”

“We’ve heard enough about the land of the dwarves.”

Felix-san dismissed her. Safi glared back at him.

Yet my heart was still screaming—

—Believe them!

But… believe in what?

Which side?

“……!”

I couldn’t find an answer to that question.

And in the end, I couldn’t turn my voice into my true voice. When we returned, the city of Alvis was in an uproar. The dungeon had been declared off-limits.

Along the old castle walls that lay between the mining dungeon and the city, adventurers and soldiers were already lining up, preparing for the possibility of monsters pouring out of the dungeon.

Having fled back from the depths, we made our way to the Temple of Odis and revealed our identity as the “Raven Warriors.” We spent the entire afternoon issuing orders to the Adventurers’ Guild and informing the lord of the dungeon’s abnormal state. All to prepare for a large-scale monster invasion, like the one that had struck the eastern side of the Royal Capital.

◆◆◆

Right now, we are in the Temple of Odis. Night has already grown late.

I stand and walk over to the window. The mine still looms like a massive wall. From the temple’s high ground, I can clearly see the gentle slope leading up to its entrance. From the dungeon’s gate which was once the main entrance of a royal palace—the slope suddenly steepens.

At the foot of the moonlit mountain, countless torch lights are moving.

『There is nothing for you to worry about. Not a single thing.』

The gold coin vibrated, and Solana’s voice reached me. I take up the coin case Lu made for me and gently run my fingers over the half-exposed gold coin.

『…That kindness of yours, the way you can’t just shut your feelings off—I like that about you.』

Solana’s encouragement usually warms my heart like sunlight. But this time was different. There was a hollow in my chest, and no matter what words were spoken, they just slipped away with the wind, leaving nothing behind.

『In that moment… Felix is right.』

“No.”

I clenched my teeth.

“When I… when we left the Dwarf King’s chamber and head to the surface, when I decided not to go down—to face Surtr and the others…!”

I was presented a choice. To trust them and fight in the deepest layer, or to trust the gods and return to the surface. In the end… I chose to trust the gods.

I didn’t trust Safi, or the dwarves. What I chose was “retreat.”

“…I kept wondering if that was really okay. Safi looked so sad, but I don’t know what the future holds, and I couldn’t bring myself to decide… so…”

From my lips, the weaker side of me slipped out.

“I… I actually felt a little relieved.”

Because—

“…the gods decided for me, instead of me deciding for myself.”

The night was quiet, and perhaps because it was still before spring, not even the sound of insects could be heard. The roars and tremors that had shaken the ground so fiercely before were gone now.

“There were so many things I wanted to say, so many things I wanted to ask, so many things I wanted us all to talk about and think through together… But… the words just wouldn’t come out…”

The outline of the mountain blurred.

…Tears?

Father once said that, back in the dungeon where Ymir appeared, he stood and fought alongside his companions. Now, I could finally grasp just how incredible that was. Even when the Raven Warriors had nearly chosen to retreat, he kept fighting.

—That meant Father had made a decision. He knew what was right, and what should not be done. He had something like an unshakable core as an adventurer… and that’s why he could hold his ground.

“…You are kind. But at the same time, Thor’s way of thinking—and Felix’s—are also correct.”

Facing Solana, I kept my gaze fixed on the cluster of torches moving along the city wall.

They were prepared—keeping watch through the night against a monster assault, and come morning, we’ll be surrounding the dungeon. It’s a two-layered strategy, leaving no room for carelessness.

“I know that, but…!”

I gripped the window frame.

The gauntlet still on my hand gleamed white under the moonlight. I am weak. At the most crucial moment, I hadn’t even been able to show my own will.

It wasn’t enough to just be kind. I had sworn an oath to the goddess because I wanted the strength to uphold that kindness. Swallowing down the lump of shame in my throat, I tore my thoughts away from the past.

I stepped back from the window and sat down on top of the clothing chest.

“…I wonder if Safi’s okay.”

Safi should have been resting where the Raven Warriors were staying. 

I want to go check on her, but… right now, I didn’t really have the energy myself.

“I’m worried too, but…”

Solana’s voice brought back the words Safi had spoken when we returned to the surface. A sharp pain shot through my chest.

—And here I thought the black dwarves and white dwarves had changed.

—They’d started working at the forge together, cooperating with each other…

In the distant past, in Álfheim, the conflict between dwarves had been deeply rooted. So deep that they wouldn’t even work together. But in the frozen forge, both white dwarves and black dwarves had shared the same space.

Safi, a black dwarf, had even been granted the title of Top Ten Blacksmith.

The dwarven kingdom had been changing—or so we’d hoped. But that hope must have been shattered by the reality of their betrayal.

『I think it’s something that couldn’t be helped though.』

Loki’s voice came.

『…I may have said this before, but distrust and betrayal existed back then as well. In fact, I myself was once suspected of betrayal. Distrust existed even among the gods.』

I wiped away my tears, startled by his words.

“Y-you too, Loki…?”

『Heh. I once traveled far and wide to broaden my magical knowledge. I met with dwarves, and at times even with titans. Long, long before the war, there were still titans you could reason with…』

From the coin, I could feel Loki’s wry smile.

『Rion, just as you wrestle with your choices, the gods can be a little complicated too.』

He let the words hang with a sly air before falling silent.

Then the voice of Sigris, the god of medicine, followed.

『…Even when Loki was suspected, he continued to share the magical knowledge he had gained on his travels. You saw similar technology among the dwarves in the Western Dungeon, didn’t you?』

I see…

The magical rune letters in the Western Dungeon, and even the boss, the Iron Golem—those might well have been based on the knowledge Loki had acquired on those journeys.

『I may have been suspected, but the knowledge I’d gained was useful. Sure, I was down for a while, but they let me stick to my ways—stubbornly, flexibly, you know.』

To carry it through huh…

Father would’ve made that decision in an instant.

I’m still hesitating. Even after being swept along once, I’ve kept on wavering… over and over.

『Rion… Think it through, you have your own kind of strength.』

Solana said.

I touched the horn in my pouch— the Gjallarhorn, the horn I inherited from Father.

Calm down. Steady your breathing. Face forward.

One by one, I picture the words I couldn’t say aloud.

Yes… the dwarf king, he… the horn—

“…Ah.”

Just as I was about to speak, the ground shook.

The things all around me fell with clattering sounds. The clothing chest I was sitting on nearly tipped over, and I clung to the window frame for balance.

A deafening roar rolled across the sky. From behind the mine —from the exit we had used to escape the dungeon —rose a pillar of blazing red fire, like something out of a story about a volcanic eruption.

『Here it comes.』

Thor’s voice came from the gold coin. I tucked my chin, slipped the coin case into my pocket, and tucked the horn into my pouch. Rushing out of the room, I ran straight into a woman from the warrior group.

“Rion-san….”

After hearing what had happened, I must have gone pale. I raced back up the stairs I had just descended and threw open the door to a certain room.

No one was there. Night wind swept in through the open window, stirring the mess left behind by the earthquake.

“.…Safi-dono has run off.”

I was told by a member of the warrior group that she had most likely gone to the mine alone.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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In a hidden tunnel beneath the Alvis Dungeon.

Ganis’ eyes snapped open. He gulped. Sweat beaded on his frog-like face. His bloated body quivered, and he spoke in a trembling voice.

“A-all the golems on the lower levels… They were destroyed?!”

No. That couldn’t be. It had to be a mistake.

Ganis desperately clung to such denial.

However, his own skill, Puppet Master, and the ability [Golem Master] told him the cruel reality. There were no more signals from the golems just above the mine shaft.

“Kiiiiiii! Impossible! Impossible!”

The test golems stationed in the dungeon’s depths were annihilated. The new batch, brought in to intercept the intruders, hadn’t even caught up to them.

“This is bad… this is very bad…!”

His frog-like face flushed, then paled.

“Too fast…! They’re advancing through the dungeon far too fast!”

Whoever was down there was no ordinary adventurer. This wasn’t just some “boy holding a horn”. That child held terrifying power for sure. Of course, Ganis had no concrete proof that this “boy holding a horn” was the one tearing through the dungeon. He couldn’t be sure until he saw it with his own eyes. But the circumstantial evidence was piling up.

His skill transmitted fragmented data from just before the golems were destroyed. One had been struck by a powerful thunder spell that even Ganis had never heard of. The technique used to avoid the golems could only be said to be too refined to be that of a novice.

No, whoever it was… it could not be just a mere adventurer.

At any rate, the risk of staying in the tunnel any longer is too great. The slave trader woman is closing in on Ganis, intent on punishing him. The “Business Expert”, Rata’s promise to mediate on his behalf was conditional. It is contingent on his success in stopping the boy.

Ganis looked out over the secret tunnel with wide eyes. The icy tunnel is cold enough to make him shiver. Or… perhaps it is fear that made him shiver.

“In that case… there’s only one option. I run.”

Fortunately for him, Rata had already disappeared.

The tunnel, once filled with the rhythm of pickaxes, is now eerily silent. Ganis had returned to the dungeon entrance after meeting with Rata to issue detailed instructions. During that time, the slaves must have fled.

There were originally golems in the mine tunnels used as guards, but many of them had been turned back into golem cores in order to be used in tracking down the “boy holding a horn”. Just to be on the safe side, Ganis had also hired some adventurers, but it seems they have fled along with the slaves.

Then, from above, a beast-like growl echoed down.

A tremor shook the tunnel.

“…Those worthless scum. If they’d stayed, I could’ve used them as shields!”

Ganis clicked his tongue and hurried back toward the lift.

“I have to reach the manor. Burn the ledgers… Forget this research—no, wait…”

Muttering to himself, he rode the lift to the upper floor. And there, waiting at the exit, was a woman.

Ganis collapsed backwards in fear.

“Oh my, hello there.”

It is a woman in black robes.

“J-Jor-dono…? W-what a surprise, meeting you here…”

“Mm, going somewhere?”

Jor stepped closer. Her lips curled in a faint smile. Her black hair curled like coiled serpents. That crimson tongue licking her lips—paired with Ganis’s wide-eyed stare—made it look as if a frog had just caught the gaze of a snake.

“And where are you off to?”

“Ah, t-that…”

“Where to, mountain toad?”

Far too fast.

Ganis cursed under his breath.

“R-Rata… that bastard…!”

Rata sounded as if he’d only recently told Jor about it—though in reality, he’d probably tattled on him ages ago.

“Fufu… Ganis.”

Jor grasped Ganis with one of her pale, slender arm and lifted him effortlessly. The strength was clearly not that of a human. She dragged him out of the lift and slammed him against the wall.

“Gu-uh!”

“You used the ashes of the titan without permission. My, my, your greed is even greater than that of a snake.”

As Ganis tried to get up, he noticed the giant face in front of him. By coincidence, the place where Ganis was thrown was very close to the giant’s face embossed on the rock wall. He landed right in front of it.

――Oooooooo…

A searing breath leaked through its cracked lips. Blood-red eyes, as large as human heads, began to focus on him.

Ganis begged.

“I-isn’t this just a vein of ore? W-what have I been mining—!?”

Jor giggled.

“Ufufufu. No way. This—this is no ordinary ore. It is what remains of a titan that lived long ago, before the kingdom of Asgard was founded. He was sealed away and what remained of him was buried under ice and earth.”

Jor reached up lovingly and stroked the stony giant’s face.

The giant face, slightly larger than Ganis’s, was probably nearly two meters in size. If the creature stood upright, it could probably step over castle walls.

“B-buried in ice and earth…?”

Ganis remembered the subsurface landscape.

Finally, he understood. The materials he’d been mining—were parts of this giant.

――Oooooooo……

“Hi-hiiii!”

He curled up, clutching his head in terror, pleading. But Jor’s voice remained playful, even as heat rippled through the air.

“Oh? Seems that the boy with the horn is getting close.”

The dirt and stone peeled off the giant face, revealing the red-hot skin. The passageway began to heat up. The giant face is beginning to glow with flames.

“He’s reacting to god’s presence.”

Ganis could hear it—the crisp sound of his robe sizzling. Sparks scorched his cheeks. His instincts screamed.

“F-flame titan…?!”

Ganis knew neither the true myths nor the race called “Flame Titan.” But the words that slipped from his lips were true nonetheless.

“Correct. This is Surtr Flamebone, king of the flame titans.”

The titan roared. If it weren’t for the magical barrier that Jor had whimsically erected, Ganis would have been slammed against the wall and died. At the very least, his eardrums would have been ruptured.

“Ha, ha, hahaha… hihihihi…”

Ganis wept and laughed like a madman. The fact that he hadn’t wet himself only suggested something in his mind had already snapped.

The titan’s eyes turned upward—slowly.

“Oh my? Not coming after all huh…”

Jor covered her mouth with a delicate hand, chuckling.

“Cautious? Or just cowardly? Either way… the end won’t wait forever.”

Footsteps echoed from the tunnel. Another figure emerged from the exit.

It was another slave trader—Rata. His noble-style garments looked out of place in the dreary tunnel. Despite the heat, his expression was calm and composed.

“The dungeon is in complete chaos.”

He smiled like a kind youth. But his crescent-shaped eyes with cold gleam made that smile unsettling. From their golden depths, he stared into the titan’s burning face.

“That shaking and that roar… Some are calling this the world’s end. Well, it is not far off.”

He turned to face Jor, frowning slightly. He brushed aside his thick chestnut hair with a sigh.

“Jor, you are the only one here? There is no mistake about it—the boy holding the horn is here. They outsmarted us.”

“Ymir-sama won’t be joining us. As for brother…. it’s likely that he won’t be coming either.”

Jor added a small “ah,” as if remembering something.

“By the way, the brother I’m talking about isn’t the boy with the horn.”

She giggled and crouched, locking eyes with the slumped Ganis.

“But you know, Ganis, I am grateful to you. Ymir-sama granted you the Puppet Master skill to awaken the ancient dwarven techniques that lay dormant in this land. You did well—though, yes, a bit too greedy.”

Her eyes gleamed.

Ganis shrieked.

“But still. Since Surtr won’t fully awaken until nightfall… Ganis, I think I’ll borrow your strength a little longer.”

A fire ignited in Ganis’s heart. He wanted to be called a genius. To wield power freely. To have not only the commoners but nobles—even lords—kneel before him.

That greed was drawn out and it grew stronger.

Skill: Seduction was used.

Just as Surtr was cloaked in flame, Ganis’s soul was consumed by the fire of ambition.

“The power of the Serpent’s Temptation… Gideon didn’t need it. But you, Ganis—I’ll grant it to you.”

Jor leaned close to the dazed man, her red lips brushing his ear.

“Now… if this titan becomes your golem… If it were enhanced with your craftsmanship… You’d go down in history, wouldn’t you?”

The flame in Ganis’s almost-extinguished ambition was rekindled. At the serpent’s temptation, the magic engineer laughed like crazy. He stood up with vacant eyes and began to slowly walk back to the lift.

The conversation between the slave traders went on.

“Now, Surtr will fully awaken by nightfall.”

Rata said, glancing at Jor in her black robe.

“Surtr’s body is nothing but the ‘titan’s ashes.’ It seems Thor is also there… perhaps I can finally fight in my true form?”

Rata smiled gently.

“Serpentbone Jor—in the age of myth, you were the world’s largest serpent, after all.”

Jor shrugged and bit her fingertip. Dreaming of a day when her serpent’s maw would swallow the Thunder God, the boy, and his sister—all whole.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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The boss layer of the Alvis Dungeon has returned to its original darkness with the disappearance of the Guardian. The unsealed “Anti-Titan Ballista” is pointing at the empty space.

We continued on, guided by Safi.

Eventually, I found a wall that is glowing faintly.

“Here goes.”

I took a deep breath and placed my hand over the vast wall.

“Wake up.”

The palace of the dwarves began to awaken. The earthen walls, once protected by the seal covering the dungeon, crumbled away bit by bit.

What emerged was a massive gate.

For over a thousand years—ever since the seal had been cast upon the world—soil and stone must have buried this grand entrance.

Looking up, it must be at least eight meters tall. As for the width, even if all of us walked through side by side, there is still plenty of room to spare. The carved decorations still retained traces of gold and silver in places, unmistakably marking this as a true palace.

“So big…”

I couldn’t help but mutter.

Without a doubt, this was the largest one I’d ever unsealed. Well, aside from when I used the Gjallarhorn, that is.

By the way, any unexplored area opened with Alarm is sealed off again by the Raven Warriors after the investigation. They use magic to manipulate the soil and stone, disguising it so well that it just looks like an ordinary wall.

But this time.…. I had a feeling that even the Raven Warriors are going to have a tough time.

Speaking of big things—

“…Eh?”

Something just as big—no, even bigger—than this one… I could feel its presence nearby.

Could it be that something massive is still hidden so close?

I could sense it clearly, but… I had no idea where it is. This was a first.

Safi brushed dust from her green hair.

“…..Originally, there should’ve been a grand staircase descending straight here from the first floor’s main gate.”

That maybe it. I concentrated on the door in front of us too.

Everyone brushed off the dirt that fell on the fireproof cloak and hood.

“Cough. Cough. It’s probably covered in dirt. There might be many other mechanisms still dormant in the dungeon, like that ballista.”

The massive gate began to open slowly.

It seemed the doors were designed to swing inward. Each one was as large as a giant bed. But the motion stopped midway. The right door remained still, while the left opened just enough to let two or three of us pass through at a time.

A bitterly cold wind whistled through the gap, blowing toward us.

『I’ll go first.』

Solana spoke from the gold coin.

『This space is filled with magical energy left behind by that boss. This is the lowest level, but—even if it’s just a little—I can help you, Rion. 』

I touched the gold coin, and the Goddess awakened. A doll-sized Solana floated through the gap in the large door as if to guide us.

“Let’s go, Solana, everyone.”

The unexplored area of the mine dungeon was dark. I could tell it was covered in ice because my breath turned white. But even though Solana is ahead and is emitting light for us, I couldn’t grasp the full extent of the space.

In other words, that’s all there is to it—it’s a big space.

“Felix-san, can you light it with magic?”

“Wait.”

In the darkness, Safi’s eyes shone like those of a squirrel or a cat—an animal-like gleam. It’s moments like this that really remind me—black dwarves are different from humans.

“Y-Yeah…”

I’ll keep it to myself, but… I was a little scared.

Safi moves in the dim light without hesitation. It seems that she is examining the wall near the main door.

“The lighting…… Mm, it’s working.”

Solana approached, she lit up the hammer that Safi had taken out.

“I’ll re-engrave the runes. Abundant Light!”

Safi struck the crystal by the wall. In an instant, a dazzling light was born. The ceiling glows white, and the surrounding ice reflected it. The light, like a snowy morning, burned our eyes for a moment.

My eyes gradually got used to it.

Then I was speechless at the sight before me.

『That settles it. 』

『Yeah……』

The gods, Thor and Uru, were conversing. I had no idea what they were talking about. But it was kind of ominous. I didn’t want to know.

“This is…….”

Safi muttered and bowed down.

“No way…”

Safi muttered as she collapsed to her knees.

“T-this has to be a lie!”

What had been frozen in ice was a scene of negotiation.

A golem—or perhaps a dwarf—was kneeling, offering up a massive weapon. The one receiving it was the Titan Vanguard—the very same figure we had seen in the boss chamber.

What was preserved in that vast, seemingly endless hall was a secret transaction: dwarves handing weapons to a titan, a truth even the gods themselves didn’t know. The ice seal had captured that moment with such vivid, chilling detail—so real that it was almost cruel.

『Kuku, I think it’s a reasonable decision. 』

Loki’s voice came. It was a terrifying laughter.

『Dwarfs have physical bodies just like monsters. So in principle, it is possible for them to succumb to monster-like behavior. Perhaps in exchange for supplying weapons, they chose to join the camp of the titans and escape the flames of the end. 』

“No, no. That’s not true!”

Safi’s face turned pale, and her dark eyes were wide open.

“W-we… we take pride in our weapons, in our tools! To knowingly supply tools that would bring harm to people, to our comrades—that’s unthinkable!”

At last, the reality of the scene began to sink in.

Mia-san, Felix-san, even the Raven Warriors—everyone stood in stunned silence, overwhelmed by what lay before us.

“…And if we’re talking about betrayal, aren’t you one to speak? I’ve heard the stories—Loki, God of mischief.”

『In my case, those were just rumors spreading. 』

As if he would not forgive insults, Safi stood alone in the hall.

“Let’s go further in.”

I shouted.

In this way, I drove the word “betrayal” out of my mind. I told myself that nothing had been decided yet.

“The king …… maybe the king of the dwarves is there, right?”

We went straight through the hall.

In this space, the ice seal had melted considerably. Where there are titans and dwarfs, ice still remains like pillars. However, the deeper we went, the less the ice became, and we could see the hall so much that it seemed hazy at the end.

The red carpet stretched straight out, and at the end of it was a fine chair—a throne.

“Your Majesty!”

Safi rushed over.

A winged person was crouching, clinging to the throne. Frost-like ice still clung to his body. But he hadn’t turned to stone, and most importantly, the light of the Alarm still dwelt within him.

“The seal is already about to be broken……”

The doll-sized Solana approached the person.

Loki’s voice echoed in my head.

『I thought ashes wouldn’t affect gods… but unlike gods, dwarves are merely demigods. Since they have physical bodies just like monsters, the ashes may have affected them, thus loosening the seal… though it doesn’t seem to be complete. Could that be why Safi woke up…? 』

Solana turned back to me.

“Rion!”

“Yes!”

The sealing ice was already melting—at this point, I should be able to use Alarm without needing the horn.

Please… let this be the time he finally wakes up from this nightmare.

“Wake up!”

As the dwarf king was enveloped in light, the ice covering his body shattered completely. With a jolt, the king’s body twitched, then he staggered forward and clung to the throne.

He was about the same height as Safi—only reaching up to my chest.

“T-this is…?”

“Your Majesty!”

Safi gained momentum and supported the king’s body. Solana became the size of a normal girl and held her hand.

“Rion, you too.”

“Uh, yes!”

Skill, 『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. Executing 【White Flame】 ―――――――――――――――――――― 【White Flame】…… Recovery. With the protection of the sun, curses are also dispelled.

The white flames from me and the goddess enveloped the dwarf king. His complexion got better in no time.

“Uuh-, Y-your Majesty……!”

Safi’s eyes moistened.

“Here is….”

The dwarf king opened his eyes. He looked like a beautiful young boy. But the thin wings on his back, the pointed ears, the white hair—everything about him felt completely different from us, and even from Safi.

Most striking of all were his eyes—clear blue, yet so deep it felt like I could be pulled into them.

“Your Majesty, do you recognize me? I’m Safi. One of the Ten blacksmiths of Álfheim.”

The dwarf king’s eyes widened.

“S-Safi?  ……Why are you ……?”

“Your Majesty, what is going on? The titans…. then our people offering weapons….”

The king looked around. Then he noticed me and Solana holding his hands. He frowned.

“Gods……?”

I felt like the “white flame” that enveloped my small body shook. Solana frowned.

“This is….…”

Safi, still exited, continued,

“It’s now 1,000 years in the future. Our city of Alfheim was attacked by the titans, but the gods sealed them away, and the place remained asleep like this for hundreds of years! What happened back then… without my knowledge?”

Safi’s eyes were moist.

“Tell me, did Alfheim start selling weapons, tools, and technology to the titans?”

The dwarf king looked at Solana, me, and Safi in turn.

And when he saw the sealed ice scattered around him, he seemed to have guessed various circumstances.

He slowly closed his eyes. Then his legs began to turn to stone.

“Y-Your Majesty!?”

Safi screamed.

“Dwarf King, what are you doing!”

Solana raised her voice. It was the Goddess’ scolding voice.

“……You are letting your magic flow somewhere, aren’t you? No matter how much new magic you poured in, it won’t help! King, don’t you want to be saved?”

“Safi”, the dwarf king, who’s turning to stone, finally spoke.

“Are you staying?”

“……Huh?”

“In that case, I want you to take over our final task. If you believe me now, but……”

The king turned his gaze to the back.

“Beyond this chamber, further down… there’s a path leading to the back gate. At the end of it lies a prison—where the leader of the Flame Titans is being held.”

“P-prison?”

“If you wish to leave this place, there is another path. Be blessed, Safi of the Black Dwarves…”

The king’s small body began to turn to stone. Even when I tried to unseal him again—there was no response.

I took out the horn.

“Fufu… so they sealed a soul inside a tool….. I see. So there were gods who did the same thing as us.”

When the Dwarf King completely turned to stone, a thunderous sound arose from directly below. It was a scream. A sign of anger and hatred crawled up from the depths of the earth.

“Flamebone Surtr….…”

Solana’s voice trembled.

We stood frozen in the shaking, unexplored area.

“The dwarf king told us to go… down below…”

“Hey.”

Mia-san reached out and steadied Safi’s swaying shoulders. Even someone as experienced as her didn’t seem to know what to do—or where to go next.

Of course, neither did I.

『Rion, fall back.』

Thor gave the order.

“But-”

『These guys clearly betrayed us. Don’t follow his words, it could be a trap…… from the very beginning…. 』

When he said from the very beginning, a chill ran down my spine.

Did he mean… even the voice we heard through the Water Mirror of Yggdrasil was part of the trap?　

Such a possibility……

“Rion, you……!”

Safi’s voice tightened my heart.

Go or go back.

Move forward or stop.

For adventurers, it was the ultimate choice in a dungeon.

But this time… wasn’t Alvis’ fate at stake?

“Rion, calm down.”

Only Solana didn’t rush me.

Using Alarm, I can see a faint light in the back. If what the Dwarf King said was true, then one of the passages that could be broken by the seal led underground, and the other to the surface.

Believe in the dwarf, go down and fight?

Or believe in the Gods and flee outside?

I had to make a decision.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A massive body, nearly eight meters tall, is wreathed in flames. The original boss of the dungeon, “Titan Vanguard”, has been changed to “Flame Titan”. Its disheveled hair had turned into fire, the red glow in its eyes intensified, and its already thick, enormous frame became even more imposing with the searing heat.

There came a heatwave and roar that shook the space. The Flame Titan was rejoicing in regaining its true power. Or perhaps it had found a god and was enjoying the chance to resume the battle.

The mouth that stretched unnaturally wide across its face made me think so.

“……I knew it’s gonna be a giant-type guardian.”

Mia-san lightly swung her chain-axe, the chains clinking. From beneath her hood, her lips curled into a sly grin.

“I see. The ‘Titan Vanguard’ in Alvis Dungeon is not just a giant type. Its true identity is the flame titan who was stripped of the fire with a seal.”

I swallowed hard. So it’s true—there really is a Flame Titan in the Alvis Dungeon. The idea that their king, Flamebone Surtr, lies deeper underground suddenly feels a lot more convincing.

“There’s no need to panic. If the king is there, then of course his subordinates would be as well.”

Felix-san readied his staff, his sharp eyes turning toward us.

“Just as planned.”

At Felix-san’s signal, everyone dispersed. The enemy slams his fist into the ground. A tornado of flames swirled and the entire room shook. If that hit you, both the burns and the impact would be fatal. But in terms of the sheer, instinctive fear it stirred, yesterday’s “Incarnation of Rage” was far more terrifying.

“Wake up.”

At my voice, the wind spirit Sylph and the flame spirit Salamander jumped out. The wind blade cuts through the enemy’s shoulder. The scale-shaped barrier that nullifies the flame protected us from the heat wave.

“Guo-oh!”

Holding down its slashed shoulder, the titan groaned. The wind blade cannot fire repeatedly. But it’s powerful enough.

『It doesn’t measure up to yesterday’s incarnation.』

Nodding at Solana’s analysis, I activated Blessing of the Sun. As golden flames wrapped around my body, my senses were instantly heightened.

“Vuooooo!”

A vast battlefield.

The enemy leapt low and landed right in front of me. The ground shook, and the roar echoed through the space. But rather than feeling scared, the feeling of “wanting to confront it” comes first.

“Get out of the way!”

Because I can’t afford to stop!

I burst forward, diving in close to its feet. Looking up at a foot the size of a table, I slipped around behind it and slashed lightly at its leg. The Salamander spirit protected me from the flames surrounding its body.

The enemy raised its fist—likely preparing to unleash fire. But before it could, Felix-san swung his staff, and a chunk of ice pierced into the titan’s hand.

“Gaaah!”

The titan’s right fist froze solid, extinguishing the flames that had cloaked it. Mia-san stepped in front of me and activated the Axe Warrior skill—Immovable and Mighty Strength.

“Haa!”

Earlier, Mia-san had blocked the shockwave from the flaming tornado with her axe. The Crimson Axe gleamed, its magical rune letters repelling the force of the spell. The frozen right hand of the titan shattered completely.

As the titan collapsed to its knees, Mia-san, Felix-san, and I closed in to surround it.

“Ooh…”

The enemy should be a powered-up boss. But we’re overwhelming it—thanks to the god’s skill, the dwarf’s runes, and the coordination of our party.

Maybe… just maybe, we really are becoming a true party.

I raised my voice to my companions.

“We’re almost there!”

“Yeah!”

The Flame Titan crouched down, clutching its lost right hand.

A low growl escaped its mouth.

“Grrr…! OOOOAAAHHHH!!”

The entire space is shaking, and the Blessing of the Hunting God also detects that the enemy is gaining enormous magical power.

Mia-san stepped back.

“No way……”

I also have a bad feeling. Felix-san’s eyes widened.

“Magical power is contracting in the center of the body? This reaction…”

Felix-san shouted.

“It’s going to self-destruct!”

If it explodes in such a closed place, we will definitely be annihilated!

“Finish it right away!”

In response to Felix-san, I tried to kick the ground. However, suddenly, my Alarm skill conveyed something unusual. The light that can be unsealed is on the wall very closely.

“Anti-Titan ballista” can be unsealed.

“Ba-ballista……?”

The image of the giant bow from the passage we came through flashed through my mind.

No time to hesitate. Now’s the time to act!

“Wake up!”

As I activated my power, the entire wall lit up.

What burst forth was a massive mechanism. It’s a ballista—a relic resembling an enormous crossbow. The huge bow, as wide as a full-grown adult, was set horizontally. Loaded in it was a massive bolt, more like a spear than an arrow.

Its tip gleamed sharply. Then, as if moving on its own, it aimed straight at the titan—and fired the massive bolt.

“Gugaaaaa!”

The spear pierced deep into the titan’s chest. The death cry of the monster was painful to the ears.

“O-one hit?”

“What an incredible blow……”

The Raven Warriors also stood there in a daze. The flame on the titan gradually weakened and then it fell to the ground.

“Ooou……!”

The keeper of the dungeon stretches out a resentful hand to us. The fire covering its body had already been extinguished, and it had returned to the original “Titan Vanguard” form. Its head turned to ash, and the remaining right hand crumbled away in pieces.

Aside from the lingering warmth in the air, the boss chamber had returned to what it was just moments ago.

“That’s….”

Safi, her green hair swaying, poked her head out from the backpack.

“…Just like the golems—that’s a defensive mechanism of the dungeon. Something hidden and had been sealed away…”

I wonder if it’s a trap from a long time ago.

Mia-san took off her hood and bent her mouth as she wiped her sweat.

“This is near the throne room, right? Did they really have to set traps this far out?”

“I-I mean, it’s true the battle wasn’t exactly going in their favor, but still…”

Safi leapt out of the backpack. Her dark, wide eyes stared towards the back wall.

“I think we’ll understand once we get there!”

Without hesitation, Safi marched across the vast chamber.

“The throne should be in that direction, deep in this area!”

We hurried after her.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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With the return of the Raven Warriors, our party has grown from five to seven.

Each dungeon has its own optimal number of people for a party, and in the Alvis Dungeon, there are seven. If there are more people than this, it will be easy to be distracted by monsters, and the attrition from continuous battles would outweigh the increase in strength.

Until now, there were a total of five people, including me, Mia-san, Felix-san, and two supporters. That was to speed up my leveling up. If we defeat a monster in a large group, less magic power will be absorbed by each person. That’s why defeating strong enemies with a small number of people was a shortcut to leveling up.

But now our purpose is different. Our goal is the bottom floor. Fourth level, fifth level and sixth level. We went down the floors in silence.

The Alvis Dungeon started to show palace-like halls from the fifth floor, but from the sixth floor onwards the ancient technology became more apparent. We encountered traps such as drop lattices and hidden doors. From time to time, an arrow launcher —a ballista—would stare down at us from a recessed wall, giving me a start.

Because of the blessing of the hunting god, I am in the lead, which means that I am the only one who is surprised. Luckily, they were all rusty and didn’t work anymore.

“It’s the palace’s defense mechanism. Some of them shoot arrows on their own, like golems.”

Safi told me from inside the backpack. Mia-san spoke in a low voice as she checked the hood.

“……Isn’t this something you usually put near the entrance? Attack from the top huh.”

“Or….…” Felix-san added,

“The attack may have come from below. If Safi is right, then there must have been another entrance at the base of the mine?”

In the middle of the conversation, I raised my hand. This was a signal for everyone to stop and stay still. Everyone held their breath.

Wearing a fireproof cloak and hood, I feel like we are bandits sneaking into an ancient palace.

“……It moved away. It was a golem.”

It was huge and had two legs, so there was no doubt about it. After making sure that we won’t run into them if we proceed forward, I started moving.

Next up is the seventh layer.

“There are a lot of Golem.”

I nodded my head to Mia-san.

“It may be that the enemy golem master released them into the dungeon.”

“Hoh~. What a troublesome enemy.”

That guess was quickly proven. Up to the eighth level, we are able to descend with minimal encounters, but on the ninth level, there were five golems camped in front of the stairs leading down to the boss level.

Felix-san smiled wryly.

“Well, well, look at this. This is blatantly stopping us.”

“It is declaring, don’t enter the boss room. It’s now clear that the golem master is in cahoots with the slave traders.”

We exchanged quick glances. 

Felix-san raised his hand to shoulder level and then pointed his finger at the golem. He must have given instructions to the group of warriors behind him. It was the same signal I’d seen in the southern dungeon of the royal capital – “kick them all away and advance.”

“Let’s go.”

Mia-san and I stepped in. Magic attacks covered us from behind. Instantly, the two golems were engulfed in flames and destroyed.

“The core is all on the left shoulder!”

I told Mia-san about the results of the detection. A powered-up chain axe shattered the golem’s left shoulder. I also go around behind the enemy camp and borrowed the power of the spirits.

“Wake up.”

A blade of wind sliced through the golem’s left shoulder. The soil covering the red orb was peeled off. Then I leaped full of momentum to crush the orb.

Only one golem was left in its army.

“Ooo-ooooh!”

I dodged the fist that is swinging down on me. Using the Protection of the God of Thunder, I slammed an electric shock into its left shoulder. 

Lightning shook the golem. The blessing of the God of Thunder seems to have gradually become more powerful.

『……Blessings come from bonds with the gods. Rion, you may be forming a stronger bond with Thor.』

I tilt my head as I wipe the sweat on my brows.

『That means you’re recognized. Because Thor is the god of warriors.』

When she said that, a new power emerges between me and Solana. That’s the ability “Sword of the Daughter of the Sun.” Maybe the blessings get stronger and my abilities increase as I spend time with the gods.

For example, by confronting the golems and the giant golem like now, I became closer to being a “warrior”.

“Vo…..oooh.”

The defeated golem falls on its back and returns to the rocks and dirt.

The goddess’ voice trembled.

『Rion, you…… You become unrecognizably stronger. You get stronger every time you carry something. 』

“Mm. But we can’t stop here.”

The boss layer has the power I seek to protect Lu. But that’s not all. An important secret to a dwarf girl lies dormant there too.

“Everyone, go forward.”

We descended the long staircase leading to the boss level.

The space we arrived at had a high ceiling. It is likely to be 15 meters high, and even if the bell tower is brought here, I don’t think the roof will hit the ceiling. It was circular enough to fit an entire city block inside. The cityscape where we lived in the royal capital will fit perfectly into this space.

Because it was a hollow void, I felt lonely and uneasy at the same time.

What kind of boss would require such a large space?

At that moment, God’s voice echoed in my head.

A titan vanguard has appeared.

What emerged from the darkness was a giant humanoid figure. Its red eyes glowed atop its thick body. Its messy black hair looked like the mane of a lion monster.

“A giant-type monster huh.”

I muttered out.

It’s so huge that I have to look up, but it’s a little smaller than the Incarnation of Rage we fought before. The head is about half the height of the ceiling.

But I can’t relax.

“If the ashes have an effect here as well, then……”

And as expected, God’s voice immediately became distorted.

% %|大∠ has appeared.

Shiver runs through my skin. It’s a primitive tension that defies logic. 

It’s just like the Eastern dungeon after all. They have used the ashes that could disrupt the dungeon’s seal.

A being that is more than a giant appears. The darkness of space converges around it, and its gigantic body is covered in darkness.

We braced ourselves.

The human form, painted black, stood motionless with its hands outstretched. However, a bright red flame lit up at its fingertips. It was as if its whole body was covered in oil. The fire spreads to its arms, shoulders, and torso, enveloping its large body in flames.

In the blink of an eye, the space was filled with light and heat waves.

The Flame Titan has appeared.

Fire and roar shook the space, and the boss of the dungeon —no, the sealed-off boss —rushed to us.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Safi began to speak, staring at the bonfire. The flickering flames stretch the shadows of me and Safi to the wall.

“Alfheim was a country of technology. As you can see—”

Looking around, Safi smiled wryly.

“—Well, to be honest, there’s no trace of it left. But this was our palace, carved into the mine, and it was also our town. I was born and raised in these mines.”

The staircase room at the end of the dungeon is dimly lit and a little chilly. The heat, and perhaps the magic of the lights, didn’t fully pass through to this place.

I squinted my eyes into the dim light.

There were patterns remaining on the walls, and there is a protrusion on the ceiling similar to a magic stone lamp. It was probably a remnant of the time when this was a palace.

“I think it’s already filled, but on this level there is the soldiers’ quarters and a room for their families. When the gods started the war, most of the dwarves fled from the surface and took refuge here.”

Safi stopped talking and stares at the flames.

“……How much do you know about black dwarves and white dwarves?”

I searched through the shelves of my memory.

“Of the races that were in Alfheim, the black ones are the blacksmiths, and the white ones had wings and was good at crafting, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m a black dwarf…… they hated us.”

Safi stammered. After sighing as if letting something heavy out, she forced a smile. It was a smile that looked like her cheeks were twisted in a forced way.

“But, you know, it’s no surprise that they hated us.”

“Why?”

What went over my head was something like “useless skills”. I wonder if even in the land of dwarves, there was superiority or inferiority based on their innate skills.

“The black dwarves are blacksmiths. We— well, we are ‘weapon craftsmen’ through and through.”

Safi held the hammer in her hand over the fire. The faint, red magic runes on it stands out.

“Weapons are meant for fighting, aren’t they?”

“Uh-, yes—”

“So, some of the black dwarves wanted war. They made deals with gods and humans, tricked them into fighting, or placed curses on the weapons themselves.”

I pulled the scabbard from my waist and pulled out the blue crystal short sword. The ancient relic in the sheath had the letters Jinrad engraved on the hilt. 

“For example, you could carve a magic rune that draws battles. In reality, it has the nauseating effect of “attracting enemies”. Then the wielder would fight a lot, and with that, it will show the power of the weapon. It would prove how superior the weapon is.”

“No way……!”

“Mm. For the sake of technology, they would do anything to get there. There were people like that.”

The short sword I had been using suddenly became terrifying. Adventurers entrust their lives to their weapons, so if they are betrayed by a blacksmith, their lives will be at stake.

“They’re not weapons for people. They are weapons for weapons’ sake. Some of them even make deals with monsters and titans or leave their forges to join the titans’ camps.”

Safi took a deep breath. The flickering flame is reflected in her dark eyes.

“……Of course, such black dwarves are in the minority. I don’t want to be lumped together with them. But it’s true that there have been scoundrels among us. That’s why we were disliked, and why you guys are wary of us.”

The words that had been between us were cut off. When silence comes, the sound of the dungeon, whether it is the roar of the wind or the roar of a monster, fills the surroundings.

Loki said it too. Even in God’s day, distrust and betrayal existed.

“But, you know—”

Safi smiles, showing her teeth this time. It’s a smile that is much more like the Safi before, as if she’s bragging about something.

“That’s why I wanted to be a good blacksmith, because the skills of the black dwarves are great, and the white dwarves who are suspicious of us are also engineers at heart. I thought that if I improved my skills, we would be able to understand each other.”

Study, practice, train. After saying this, the dwarf blacksmith shook her green hair and looked at me.

“In the end, I was chosen as one of the ten blacksmiths of Alfheim. That’s particularly the top ten most outstanding blacksmiths. It’s the highest honor!”

Her big eyes shined with pride.

“Fufu. It took decades though, because the black dwarves were disliked…”

Decades? …… Safi, how old are you?

While I ponder about that, Safi pursed her lips.

“……Hey, show some reaction will you. At that time, it had been about a hundred years since a black dwarf had been chosen.”

“H-hundred years?”

Not only is the dwarf’s sense of time great, but Safi might just be a pretty incredible girl…

Uhm, anyways, just praise her.

“T-that’s amazing. You’re amazing!”

“…………Nevermind.”

Safi shifted her eyes. She held her hands over the fire and resumed her story.

“I learned a lot about the white dwarves’ techniques during that time, including the blessing of pouring feelings into tools. I guess I became a bridge for the exchange of skills.”

Safi proudly shook her green hair.

“The Dwarf King also said, ‘Tools are power, so give the right tools to the right person. A person with the right heart.’”

Having said that, the little blacksmith looked down. The fire shook and Safi’s face darkened.

“Hey, Rion.”

“……What is it?”

“What do you think of the giant armor in that forge?”

This time, I stirred. The bonfire crackled.

“……I’m not sure either.”

“I see.”

Safi’s red ring sparkled.

“I was probably put to sleep before ‘something’ happened to Alfheim. And then I was sealed away. But… I don’t know what happened, or why it turned out this way.…”

I didn’t want to think about it, I just wanted to keep going.

“……I really don’t know, and I don’t remember. Hey, Rion, you are scared of me after all.”

“B-but—”

I interrupted Safi’s words.

I gripped my head hard. At this rate, Safi was likely to fall into a pitch-black valley, and I felt that now was the time to pull her out.

“Safi wants to find the Dwarf King and your friends, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll look for them together!”

I turned to Safi while still sitting. The words just slipped out of my mouth. Saying them out loud would surely sound simple.

Safi seemed taken aback.

“…..Really?”

“Yes.”

“………Is there nothing else? That I’m suspicious, or that I’m a black dwarf, or that I-”

“Uh, no….…”

That’s true, but strangely, I didn’t feel like thinking about any further reasons. It felt like something important, some words, was inside my heart. But when I took it out and exposed it to the air, it seemed to crumble as soon as possible.

Like a statue made of snow.

“I think if it’s Safi  it will be fine.”

Safi was dumbfounded.

“……You have a gods with you, right? Is that really okay?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe isn’t good enough you know? Even goblins and other monsters were originally banished black dwarves who fell into depravity…”

Safi’s eyes wandered in all directions, then she scratched her green hair with both hands. She turned away and exhaled.

“……Well, thank you.”

Perhaps because of the fire, Safi’s cheeks and ears seemed to blush a little.

“I feel better now. Truly.”

The gold coin vibrated, and I heard the voice of the Gods.

『Rion, you’re good at encouraging people.』

It was Solana.

(T-thanks……?)

I wonder what kind of decision my father made at times like this. I wonder if Father wouldn’t have to make a decision while hesitating like me.

『A-ahem. But, you know, it’s kind of…… itchy feeling. 』

The goddess was mumbling something, which was unusual for her. When she said that, my body also felt itchy, and I started to stir as I sat with Safi.

Our conversation went on for a while. Then I heard footsteps in the distance. Within the range of the『Protection of the Hunting God』 , the supporters who had gone to the surface have returned. Reinforcements seemed to have been brought in as there were more signs of people.

Felix-san returned, leaned on his staff, and pointed to the exit with his eyes.

“It’s time to leave.”

I nodded and stood up.

The boss of the dungeon is at the 10th level.

Alfheim’s king, the king of the dwarves must be there.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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A purple light flashed into Thor’s field of vision.

“Thor, can you hear me?”

The gold coin held by Rion contained several gods. Even while they were sealed, the gods still had consciousness, so by sensing each other’s consciousness, it was possible to exchange words without leaving the gold coin.

“……What?”

Thor manipulates his magic powers and responds to the question.

Light filled the surroundings. Floating in the space are two gods. Thor, the god of war, and Loki, the god of mischief.

Loki is dressed in a slender black outfit wrapped in a dark robe. He was a stark contrast to Thor, who was dressed in sackcloth and had disheveled red hair. Occasionally, lightning would flash in the distance behind him. On Loki’s side, it was dim, like the sky before dawn.

Each god has a unique magical power, and that individuality is reflected in the space. The fact that the nature of the gods is reflected in the natural scenery such as the sky is probably influenced by the fact that it was the god of nature, the sun goddess, who made the gold coin.

It was, so to speak, a space created by magic for conversation.

Loki tilts his head as he puts his fingers to his cheek.

“You’re aware, aren’t you?”

There is no usual smug smile on his lips. His eyes are narrowed with seriousness.

“Are you going to let Rion and the others go deeper like this? I think we should give them a little advice……”

Thor clenched his jaw, and Loki pointed his long finger at him.

“Unlike the gods, dwarves have bodies. That is fundamentally important.”

The God of Thunder snorted.

“Having a physical body is the same as most monsters.”

“That’s right. Just like humans can become undead, dwarves can become monsters. Goblins are monsters that dwarves have transformed into. In other words――dwarves can descend upon their enemies.”

The tone that gradually quickened indicated that Loki, who was good at annoying others, was now on the contrary, annoyed.

“Demigods…… It’s a convenient word, isn’t it? When they were allies of the gods, we call the dwarves demigods. But that also means they are demigod and half-monster.”

Loki’s red eyes flashed.

“Rion doesn’t realize it. Felix and the other adults are probably vaguely suspicious. They must be thinking, why would a giant-sized weapon be in a dwarves palace…..is that it?”

Thor remained silent. Thunder shook the space, and the occasional breeze disturbed Thor’s red hair.

“……We don’t need any superfluous information right now.”

Loki narrowed his eyes.

“Superfluous information? Is it superfluous information that the dwarves might have betrayed?”

“We have to look deeper into it, that’s for sure. So now is not the time to lead Rion astray. He’s a warrior, but… he’s the type who only shows his strength when there’s something to protect.”

That’s why he hides the possibility that the gods have noticed. Safi and the dwarves need to be “protected” for Rion’s sake.

Loki went silent for a while.

“It’s unfair and unjust. It brings shame to the name of the God of Thunder. But as a god of war, it makes sense.”

Eventually, he waves his hand and leaves the conversation.

“……I don’t think we should underestimate humans or Rion too much. It’s a bad habit of all of us gods.”

◆◆◆

I think I heard someone call my name, so I looked up. There is a bonfire in front of me. The cup of tea placed next to me has long stopped to steam. While resting my body, I must have taken a nap before I knew it.

The dungeon is quiet.

Sensing the abnormality down here, many adventurers must have turned back to the ground. The roar of the incarnation of rage must have reverberated through all levels after all.

And as for our group, it would be reckless for us to continue to fight all the way down to the 10th level. Right now, we are back at the stairwell that connects the third and fourth floors to rest. In terms of location, it was like the edge of a dungeon, chilly and dim. This is probably due to the cold air on the mountainside.

“Haa……”

My sighing like this must be a sign of fatigue. When I fight a strong enemy, even if I can heal my wounds with magic, it still deeply scars my heart.

“Awake?”

It was Mia-san. She is now standing next to me. In her hand is a cup of steaming tea. Felix-san must have warmed it up over the bonfire.

“Y-yeah. I think it’s okay now…… Sorry, I’ll now go check for enemies.”

I patted my butt to dust off and as I stood up, I turned my attention to the party members gathered around the bonfire. The only people here right now are Felix-san, Mia-san, and Safi, the dwarf. The two supporters carrying our luggage are back on the ground, I guess. They should be tasked to find out what is going on above ground and to get support for the bosses.

“You still need to get a good rest.”

Mia-san reprimanded me when I said I’ll search for enemies. Felix-san squinted his narrow eyes even more as he sips his tea.

“There’s a good reason why Felix said it’s only the third day that we’ll take on the bosses.  You see, adventurers adapt to the dungeon as they level up. And when you sleep, your mind organizes the experience. The next day you will be more familiar with the environment and the monsters.”

Come to think of it, my dad said that too.

“Sleeping” is one of the adventurers’ talents.

“I’m now level 22….…”

“It would have been great to get a good night’s sleep and try to do it early tomorrow morning. But, well, I guess it can’t be helped this time.”

Mia-san shrugged her shoulders and pushed me to sit down.

“For now, leave it to us. As you’re the one with the lowest level, it’s your job to rest and adjust your body to your new level and to the dungeon.”

With a final pat on my back, Mia-san left the bonfire. Felix-san also slowly stood up.

I wonder if the reason I find myself thinking, “I’m so reliable,” in a somewhat unrealistic way, is because I’m emotionally tired.

But I don’t feel as drowsy as before. In terms of resting the body, a nap may have been sufficient. My head has become much clearer, and my eyelids have become lighter.

As I looked around, I noticed another person away from the fire.

“……Safi, don’t you want to rest?”

Shaking her green hair, Safi turns her head towards me. It seems that she is investigating by tapping the wall of the stairwell room with her hammer.

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about my friends……”

Safi turns to face the wall. Her face seemed to be covered in dark shadows, perhaps because she was facing the other side of the fire. Her eyes, which tend to be black, sparkled like animals do.

――At times like this, I think that she is indeed a “dwarf”, not a human.

“Hey, Safi.”

I called out.

“What was Alfheim like in the old days?”

“Do you want to know……?  I’ve told you guys a little about the palace and the terrain…”

“Yes…… I wonder what kind of place it was for Safi.”

Until now, I haven’t had the time to ask, and I’ve only been able to ask about the black and white dwarfs, and what Safi was feeling. But seeing the Dwarves’ forge has changed my mind. Even if we go forward, there may be no salvation.

That’s why I want to know more about Safi.

I think it’s important to know in advance what kind of people I’m trying to help or can’t help. Sometimes it’s like Gideon in the Royal Capital. I think that “saving someone” means thinking about “what the one being saved will do”.

“……Me? It’s not a very interesting story.”

As she says that, Safi approaches the bonfire.

She sat down next to me and began to speak to the swaying fire.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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