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

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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In the mansion in the mining town of Alvis, Ganis, the magic engineer, widened his big eyes. His frog-like face turned blue with anger and agitation, and he was covered in thick sweat.

“M-my golem…… it was destroyed……?”

His skill, 『Puppet Master』 has the ability, 【Golem Master】. Even if the golem is at a distance, he is still able to grasp its status and command it.

Though accuracy decreases with distance, the new type of golem that Ganis had unleashed into the dungeon was stronger than ever before. As a result, it was possible to grasp its general status even from outside the dungeon.

Not until now, where the signal was suddenly cut off.

“I-impossible! No, it should be a mistake.”

Ganis used his abilities many times. However, there was no response from the new golem in the dungeon.

“It’s a joke right……!? My years of hardship…. my money……!”

It wasn’t even noon yet, and the sun was only just rising. Even so, Ganis felt as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped.

“Kuu! I’ve finally been able to create a golem core, now it’s……!”

Ganis felt dizzy.

Golem cores are rare items found in dungeons. With adjustments from a magic engineer like Ganis, they can be activated again and used as a golem.

“Golem cores are, so to speak, lost technology that can only be found in dungeons! In the 1000-year history of the Asgard Kingdom, there has never been a successful example of its manufacture! If I had been successful with that new type of golem, I would have proven myself to be a genius that appears once in a millennium…!!”

Ganis considers what slavers call “ashes” to be a new kind of magic stone.

He solidified this new kind of magic stone to create a golem nucleus –of course, this was only possible with Ganis’ skill, Puppet Master, but the idea was simple. The prototype produced a successful golem. However, it was too aggressive, so it became necessary to procure some additional slaves.

“.…All that’s left is a practical battle test. ….I should have shown them that the monsters in the dungeon were no match to the golem!!”

Ganis bared his teeth in frustration. What he wanted now was more information.

“Get the carriage out!”

He ordered angrily.

He traveled in a horse-drawn carriage for about 10 minutes. Then the entrance to the dungeon came into view. It is still crowded with people, but the atmosphere is a little different from usual. The closest it was like this was when there was a collapse in the mine directly connected to it.

However, Ganis’ only concern was the golem.

“Get out of the way, commoners!”

With saliva flying, he shoves the workers away.

Oh, how satisfying it would be to throw a golem into this place and kill them all. Ganis thought so in his head.

“Defeated? Was its performance insufficient? Sure, I knew that the reaction disappeared suddenly, but I didn’t really expect it to be defeated……!”

Still groaning, Ganis finally found the adventurer he was looking for. He is a middle-aged man with conspicuous stubble and leaden eyes. Adventurers who do unscrupulous work with money had roughly the same eyes.

“Greetings, Ganis-sama.”

He was the man who was buying and selling golems as a side job. He was used to boss the adventurers around.

When questioned, the middle-aged adventurer grimaced.

“Anyways…. There was a thunderous roar from the middle level. The guild came to ban entry to the dungeon…… Well, I guess they panicked. There was a general message about ‘the end’ after all.”

“……They must have had a few people sneak in to report on the experiments. What did they say?”

As Ganis goes into a frenzy, the adventurer’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh right. It was a while after the roaring stopped. There seems to be adventurers that came up from the middle to the shallow level. It seemed that they survived a fierce battle… Among them was a young boy.”

Ganis snorted.

“So what? There are plenty of young adventurers out there, aren’t there?”

“But it’s rare to see someone like that challenging the middle level. He was wearing a hood, so I couldn’t see his face…”

Finally, Ganis remembered what the slave traders had been talking about.

――A brown-haired adventurer carrying a gold coin.

――He possesses great strength beyond what one would expect from a young boy.

He had been warned to be careful if such a person showed up. If he remembered right, he was called “Alarm Boy” or “Horn Boy.” Slave traders are secretive. But the fact that they had gone out of his way to warn him about such adventurer had stuck in Ganis’ memory.

“Where is that boy now?”

The adventurer shrugged.

“That’s all I know. Maybe they are still in the dungeon.”

The new golem may have dealt a considerable blow to the party. Ganis thought so.

If they were going back to the upper level to rest, then defeating the golem and going back to the lower level would make sense. It’s all the more suspicious that they stay in the dungeon after all this commotion.

Are they going to go even further?

Ganis analyzed.

“……T-that’s bad.”

If that adventurer was really the Boy with the Horn, the slave traders would check the dungeon. Now Ganis’ worries increased. The new type of golem was an experiment Ganis had carried out on his own initiative.

“I have to hide it somehow……”

The slave trader forbade anyone from using the “ashes” for experiments without permission. He was able to make mithril golems. But any further experiments were clearly forbidden. Still, he continued his research because of his ambition. If he can not only control golems, but also create them, Puppet Master becomes synonymous with infinite troops.

“Also….”

A middle-aged adventurer whispered.

“Is there more?”

“Yes. I’ve also got a message for you, Ganis-sama. That.…. uhm, the “Business Expert” is waiting for you.”

“Say that quickly!”

Ganis turned pale and he quickly ran out of the dungeon. That guy is one of the leaders of the slave traders.

He quickly made the horse-drawn carriage descend the hill to the riverside. Then they traveled up the river in a boat using golem technology and reached the back of the mine.

No one goes near the forest managed by the lord. In fact, the forest behind the mountain where the dungeon is located is a place that even hermits shy away from, perhaps because it brings to mind images of monsters.

In the forest at the foot of the mountain, there is a hidden passage that leads down to a secret tunnel.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

In the middle of the tunnel, a man was standing.

“……Ra-Rata-dono.”

“Hello. I’m Rata, a business expert.”

The man who introduced himself as Rata bowed. He was a little over 20 years old. He had a friendly, gentle smile, short, trimmed chestnut hair, and fine clothing. He looked like a first-class merchant. Well technically, he was actually in business ―but his goods were “people”.

“I’m here to check on you.”

“Business Expert” was a kind of code, and true to his name, he seems to be in charge of all the practical aspects of the slave trade. The fact that the secret tunnel of Ganis does not come to light is largely due to this person.

At the appearance of a higher up, Ganis struggled to paste a smile on his face.

“C-check on me?”

“Yes.”

Rata smiled and looked at the rocks in the middle of the tunnel. That is the huge boulder that Ganis always feels like it resembled a “human face”.

“It’s time huh……”

“Ah?”

“Nothing, please excuse me. I just came to say hello. I heard the ashes are being mined smoothly, and the golems are being put to good use—”

After dragging him out with a bit of small talk, Rata pointed out the main point.

“I’m just a little bit interested in the side business you’re doing with our ashes.”

“……-uh?”

“You’ve made a deal with Lord Valis, haven’t you?”

Ganis’ heart began to beat wildly. He certainly did send golems and made deals in secret.

Now that he thought of it, he wondered what happened to the golem core he sent to Kalmar.

“The Lord of Valis also had some problems, and, well… he was ‘disposed of’. At that time, your deal with him came to light.”

Rata continued with a smile on his face.

“Well, that’s all fine. Rata knew, and we were interested to see how you would use the skills we gave you. That’s if only to a certain extent… but you see, you are a little flashy today, so I can’t protect you.”

He is smiling. It was an elegant smile, like he was attending an evening party, but Ganis’ face was covered in sweat.

“Here’s some unfortunate news.”

“W-what……?”

“Actually, my name, Rata, is from Ratatoskr. I’ve always had a tendency to, uhm… love telling tales~”

With a blush on his cheeks, Rata said what Ganis feared most.

“I took this opportunity to tell Jabone-san all about your past side jobs♪”

Ganis had the illusion that a large hole had opened up beneath his feet and he is going to into the abyss.

“W-Wha-…! P-Please, at least not with that woman, at least not with Jor-dono. P_please intercede for me, please forgive me!”

“Fufufu, she’s probably rushing over here right about now. She has bottomless stamina, and could travel the world in one go you see.”

Rata is grinning from ear to ear.

With Ganis cornered, at the very least, a way out occurred to him.

“……The potential slave with a rare skill that you are chasing. Don’t you want information about that boy?”

Rata’s smile faded.

“…………Hoh~?”

“No, I’m not sure. But it seems that the adventurer who defeated my new golem had similar characteristics! No, no, no, it must be him! There’s no way my masterpiece can be beaten by an ordinary adventurer!”

Rata stroked his jaw. Eventually, he smiled.

“Interesting….. Then if you could use a golem to capture the boy, or at the very least hold him back in the dungeon, I’d be happy to mediate for you. However…..”

The ground shook. Ganis groaned and looked up.

His jaw dropped from what he saw.

“W-What’s this……!”

A huge face made of rock rested on top of Alvis’ secret mine. Its eyes were open. The mouth, which had seemed closed, was now slightly open, spewing out fiercely hot breath.

――Gods, gods.

Ganis heard such voice.

Voice? A voice……? From a rock that is supposed to be nothing more than a mineral ore?

“It’s time after all….. He is the source of the ashes that melt the ice that sealed the place. If that’s the case, then he would be the first to break the seal that was imposed on him, no matter how powerful it is.”

What is this man talking about? W-What was I mining?

“But since this is a place with so many ‘titan ashes’, maybe Jor-san can also transform as the World Serpent… It’ll be perfect for a showdown with the gods.”

Rata grabbed the slumped Ganis by the collar. Though he’s supposed to be a gentle man, he easily lifted Ganis’ obese body.

“Y-you are not human……?”

“I’m a slave trader, that makes me ‘inhuman’, you see.”

Rata chuckled before letting go of Ganis.

“You’d better hurry if you want to achieve results. There’s no time left, for you or for the town of Alvis!”

Adventurer driven by money. Experimental golem core brought into the dungeon.

Possible options began to pop into Ganis’ mind. The magic engineer desperately searched for a way to save himself.

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

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The unexplored area I found in the Great Hall felt cold just by approaching it. There was a gaping entrance wide enough for a carriage to pass through, and it was dark inside.

“…… It’s cold.”

I can’t help but murmur so.

Even though the dungeon was getting hotter as we descended the floors, my breath fluttered white at the entrance to the unexplored area.

It’s quiet.

The Great Hall, where we had a fierce battle with the Incarnation of Rage, now reigns in silence. It’s like we’ve wandered into an ice cave where we are the only ones around.

Beyond this darkness lies the dwarves’ forge.

“Let’s hurry up.”

Felix-san tapped his staff, and the sound reverberated through the great hall.

“There was such a roar. It wouldn’t be surprising if the adventurers in the upper levels came to see it.”

I tucked my chin and strengthened my resolve to move forward. Leaving the two supporters on guard, we stepped inside the forge.

Hiding behind my body, Safi peered ahead.

“……Everything is frozen.”

“Yeah….…”

Frozen forge. It was a scene that could only be described as such. Anvil, bellows, scattered gears. Covered in frost, these items were dimly illuminated by the light from the great hall.

“Lantern”

After Felix-san used his magic to create light, the view became even clearer.

It’s a pretty big room.

The ceiling is about 10 meters high, and it looked as if all the walls of the mansion have been removed. The sides are covered in ice, and a giant-sized armor is trapped inside.

An axe with a blade as tall as me and a club that could be used as a pillar were lying dormant in the clear ice.

“W-why do we have a weapon of this size……?”

Safi’s voice trembled.

“It’s too big even for a golem, and I’ve never made anything like this before……”

Safi tried to go even deeper, but her legs got tangled.

I supported her small back.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yes….…”

Her feet were a little unsteady.

I asked Safi, who is now clutching her forehead.

“Is it because of that technique a while ago?”

I think Safi used a special power towards the golem. The damaged golem confronted the giant golem once more, as if to grant her wish.

“Oh……you mean, the blessing?”

The dwarf blacksmith smiled wryly. She continued,

“Hmm, maybe. It’s a technique that puts our feelings into weapons and golems as magical power. There is no other manipulation to it, so it uses up a lot of magical power.”

She shrugs her shoulders, trying to act tough.

“I tried to be careful, but I guess it’s no good since I’ve been away for a while.”

Relying on the magic light, Safi began to investigate the unexplored area. Though she acted calm, she was probably nervous about reuniting with her comrades and the possibility of it happening. Her steps were a little unsteady, and her voice is trembling.

“The lights… are no good, they’re dead. The magic stone hoist crane is no good either, how did they make such big weaponry?”

Gears and shafts could be seen on the ceiling. There were also pulleys for lifting heavy objects, so perhaps that was the power source for those. The various facilities made me feel that there was a high level of technology. In the ice, there are spears, swords, and other weapons that must have magic.

Even the workshops in the Royal Capital would not be able to hit the Scarlet Axe lying here.

I could understand what the gods are expecting. 

If dwarves can make such large weapons and engrave magical runes into them, it would be very reassuring to have them on our side. If we give out special weapons to all the warriors, it will surely be easier to protect Lu.

There are also magical runes in the Western Dungeon where Loki was, but it is the dwarves who specialize in carving them on weapons and tools. In addition, there is the power of Golem technology and the ability to input blessings in weapons like Safi showed.

They got small body, but as Solana said, they are demigods.

“Dwarves are amazing….…”

If Gods highlights “military power” or “magical power”, then the greatness of the dwarf is “technical ability”.

However, there are no dwarves in the first room. There were a few small items that could be unsealed, but the most important piece of armor was in the ice. The horn in my pouch is also not particularly responsive.

“……It’s like there’s no one here.”

Mia let out a white breath and I nodded my head.

――What is it?

My heart swells with anticipation, but at the same time, I felt an uneasy feeling. I looked at the passage that led to the back. Perhaps because the entrance was open, the wind blew in.

“Let’s go.”

As Safi led the way, the cold air intensified even more. We walk through a high-ceiling passage to another forge.

Beyond that, there were dwarves.

“Guys!”

Safi turned around in a cheerful voice.

“Look, they are my friends!”

The dwarves who had become stone statues were scattered throughout the room. Some are frozen close to the wall, some are prostrate on the table in the middle, and some are lying on the ground as if they are sleeping.

There were about 20 of them in total. As if time had stopped, the dwarves stood still.

“Good, good…… I found you guys, I found you.”

Safi’s gait is wobbly but light. Her green hair is bouncing in excitement.

“Rion, hurry up and wake them up! You are ‘God’s Wake-up caller’, right?”

Then Safi laugh became wry, “Oh right, we are just dwarves.”

“U-uhm.”

I decided to use my Alarm skill. But I noticed something was wrong.

“Eh……?”

“Unseal” has the power of appraisal. If something can be wakened up, I should be able to see a faint glow on it. But such brilliance is nowhere to be found in space.

『This…… 』

I heard Solana mutterg.

“What’s wrong?”

At Safi’s urging, I put my hand on the stone statue sitting on the floor. It feels like ice, like real stone, it’s just cold.

“Wake up”

Bright light scattered. I believed that this time too would work out somehow. My Alarm skill had always made miracles happen.

The dazzling light enveloped the stone statue, scattered and disappeared. But even when the light was completely lost, the stone statue remained a stone statue.

“W-wake up!”

I repeated it. Again, and again. 

But the result is the same. 

My heart is freezing just like the forge.

『……I don’t feel any magic from these stone statues. 』

Solana’s voice could be heard.

It seems that Safi, who has been watching for a long time, has also realized that something is wrong. Her lips is trembling.

“W-what do you mean……?”

『Safi』

Solana spoke from the gold coin.

Her voice is painful, but it is dignified and clear. When she woke up, she was alone too—maybe she could understand the pain of having to tell Safi.

『The seal also imposes a burden on the sealed beings, and dwarves are demigods…… I suppose the dwarves here couldn’t stand the long seal. 』

Even Solana, a goddess, was initially protected by the gold coin. In that point of view, it’s not surprising that these dwarves can’t stand it.

But—

“N-no. That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

Safi’s eyes widened.

“……Then why am I the only one who survived?”

The red ring on her finger shined brightly.

『It maybe thanks to that ‘Ring of Protection’. Or maybe, for some reason, they were already weak when they were sealed away……』

Safi collapses, at loss for words. 

Among the stone statues is a ‘black dwarf’ and a ‘white dwarf’ with wings that looks very similar to Safi. Neither of them showed any signs of being unsealed.

“……Can’t even Gods cure them?”

I asked.

As if hesitating, the reply did not come immediately.

『……My power is only healing. As long as you have lost all your magic and life force has left your body, I will not be able to heal.』

Sigris answered first. There is a hint that Solana is also trying to say something. I waited for it.

Solana looked extremely distressed.

『…… Sorry. I can’t respond to you, my believer.』

Solana continued,

『The power of the sun is the power to send magic and light from celestial bodies to the earth. It strengthens life force but…. there is nothing I can do about a being that has lost its very life.』

The goddess was remorseful.

『…… If they had even a little bit of life force left, or if I had the strength of my mother, I might have managed to do it…..』.

The Gods used to say it. Solana is one of the youngest of the gods. I wonder if that’s the reason she is very sorry for the fact that she can’t help me. She wished she had more power.

“Safi ……”

I looked at my hands. Once again, I reached for another dwarf. Even through the gauntlet, it’s as cold as ice.

“This….”

I was frustrated.

Everyone defeated the giant golem together, and even Safi finally found her comrades. How cruel it would be if her wish of reuniting with her comrades could only be at this scene.

“Safi, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

Breathing white, Safi smiled wryly.

“……It’s okay, I’ve been prepared to say goodbye since I heard about the war. But…… It’s a little tough.”

Thor spoke sternly.

『It’s unfortunate, but time doesn’t come back. 』

But God strengthens His words.

『But even if it’s not in this forge, we need to hear from the survivor. And to give up… it’s too early to throw the fight elsewhere. A voice was definitely raised from Alfheim, right? 』

『Thor…… you….…』

『Medicine God, if you look away, it won’t do you any good. One should think about the next move. 』

Safi staggered to her feet.

“Deeper than here, there is the throne room, where the King of Alfheim—the Dwarf King is. If I’m right, then the Dwarf King is still alive.”

Our next objective was decided. 

We’ll ask the king what was going on in the depths of Alvis Dungeon.

“I’ll make sure I’ll wake him up.”

We decided to leave the frozen forge.

『Oh my, oh my~, Thor is kind too.』

Suddenly, I heard Loki’s teasing voice.

Everyone did not stop. It seemed like I’m the only one who heard it.

『……I wonder why the King of the flame titans is in a place like this though. Giant weapons…… it is almost like a tribute……』

Loki muttered.

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

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