thedancenovel Chapter 193 : Dwarf (5)
Chapter 193 : Dwarf (5)
Chapter 193: Dwarf (5)
From their very first meeting, there had been many suspicious aspects about Niaroti.
Even if he let it slide that she knew a shortcut to the Dwarf Kingdom.
She had wrapped her entire body tightly, which only deepened the curiosity about her identity.
The subjugation target she had spoken of as if it were nothing turned out to be a dragon, and in the Dwarf Kingdom she had found the way without hesitation.
Thus, Robin could not erase his doubts about Niaroti.
When he thought about it carefully, there had been many hints.
The suspicion that this person might be Taironi had been confirmed through the verbal sparring in front of the tavern.
He had thought the others had noticed it too and been flustered.
But judging by Volgrime’s reaction, that did not seem to be the case.
“To create a mechanical body of this level with nothing but your bare hands—your craftsmanship is impressive.”
“If I didn’t have skill, I’d have died long ago.”
The two Dwarves, Taironi and Volgrime, spoke to each other without reserve.
It was fortunate that they were acquainted.
In summary, Taironi had been searching for a way to save the Dwarves, who had been driven into crisis, and with only the final step remaining, he had contacted Robin.
To kill the dragon and create a Dragon Speech Stone.
“You left a message for my companions, didn’t you?”
“Indeed. They’re clever ones, so they’ll have seen the map I left behind and be on their way.”
It seemed he had even taken into account the possibility of the ground collapsing.
He had a more cunning side than he appeared.
Robin did not know exactly what message had been left, but by now the three of them were likely transporting the corpse needed to craft the Dragon Speech Stone.
“Then shall we wait here quietly?”
He had finally met Taironi, whom he had longed to see so desperately.
There were mountains of things he wanted to ask, and his mouth itched to speak.
Naturally, he had expected the answer to be that they should wait, but unexpected words came from Volgrime’s mouth.
“There is a problem.”
“What is it?”
“The Kingdom is in a situation where it would not be strange if it collapsed at any moment.”
“I heard as much while going around.”
“It is no exaggeration. Are you not curious why this deep underground is filled with heat?”
With a troubled expression, Volgrime showed him a map.
At the bottom of the map depicting the underground structure of the Kingdom, a chaotic illustration caught his eye.
“Our soldiers are fighting while surrounded in the Kalikta Gorge outside the Kingdom. Even if we take the Dragon Speech Stone right now, it will be a close call.”
“How bleak.”
“Taironi likely brought you here knowing that.”
The atmosphere was flowing in a rather strange direction.
Leaving aside the faceless Taironi, expectation, hope, apology, and desperation were visible in Volgrime’s eyes.
“Please eliminate the monster in the deepest part.”
“What are you talking about now?”
Despite possessing technology far superior to other races, the reason they could not avoid hardship was simple.
A monster had appeared at the key sites where iron and various other minerals could be mined.
A monster summoned by the Demon Tribe and maintained by pouring in an immense amount of Demonic Energy.
If that monster could be slain, the tide of war could be reversed.
Of course, it would not be easy.
“You’re asking me to kill not only a dragon but even an unidentified summoned creature? Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”
“I know it is shameless. If you would agree….”
Taironi, who had been observing Robin, cut in before Volgrime could finish.
“I shall answer the question you are curious about.”
“You can’t just tell me?”
“It may sound strange, but it would be better for you to hear it after you have slain that monster.”
“Why?”
“I do not know how you will react once you learn the truth.”
Robin fell into thought.
Even though Taironi had hidden that the subjugation target was a dragon, there had been no great malice.
That was evident from the fact that he had saved his life.
As Robin tried to move to speak with Taironi alone, Volgrime tactfully left the room.
“Then answer me just this one thing. Taironi, what is your relationship with Harold, the Mercenary King… no, Burt the general store owner of Stonegoth?”
“I can see through your probing, but I shall tell you—he is my companion.”
“Not limited to the past, but even now?”
“Indeed.”
A fact he had only speculated about, without certainty, was now revealed.
The one-legged general store owner who had taken Robin in during his childhood had been the Mercenary King.
After taking a couple of deep breaths, he spoke.
“Understood. I’ll help.”
“I like how quickly you decide.”
Grasping the map placed on the table, he left the room.
Upon hearing Robin’s decision, Volgrime expressed his sincere gratitude.
“I shall not forget this favor.”
As Robin descended toward the deepest part of the Kingdom, he thought of Burt.
The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place one by one.
The path to the deepest part that Volgrime had mentioned was simple.
Take the elevator down to the lowest floor, and that was it.
However, when he arrived at the lower level, he had not expected to see countless Dwarves pouring out all kinds of firearms.
“Cannons?”
“Have you seen them before?”
“Yes. In the Uncharted Area near Narvik.”
Memories of what he had experienced after discovering the dungeon flashed through his mind.
Unlike back then, these were not automatically targeting cannons, but their barrels and cannonballs were larger.
From the deeply hollowed pit at the center, a scorching gust of wind blew upward.
Even with that level of bombardment, they could not kill it.
That fact alone made his palms grow damp.
“You may curse me. You may even kick me, and I shall not blame you. But remember this one thing. We must kill that monster for our Dwarves to have even the slightest chance to breathe.”
“That only makes the pressure worse.”
At present, Robin was adorned in various pieces of equipment provided by Volgrime.
Mithril armor, wyvern leather boots, an orichalcum helmet.
Volgrime had offered to lend him any other weapons he might need, but Robin had refused.
Suddenly changing weapons he was accustomed to was merely inviting more variables.
“I don’t see any Dwarves going in to fight directly.”
“Of course we tried close combat. And we learned the lesson that we must not fight that way.”
“Hmm….”
“What is it?”
“Because I wanted Taironi to come with me.”
Taironi was silent for three seconds before giving a small nod.
“Very well.”
He then picked up an axe and a hammer from among the weapons scattered around.
“That’s all you’re taking for armament?”
“In any case, I won’t be of much help.”
“You never know. Even something trivial can change the outcome of a fight.”
As the two of them stood at the path leading downward, the barrage ceased.
The Dwarves, bare-chested and drenched in sweat, all turned to look at them at once.
The emotions in their eyes varied.
Cheering, jeering, hope, pessimism, gratitude, exhaustion, resignation…….
Robin accepted it all and descended.
“How did you end up using a mechanical body, Taironi? You were fine even after going to the Demon Realm.”
“You know more than I expected.”
“If you’re one of the greatest blacksmiths of this era, I thought you’d be living in luxury.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Sell just a few weapons and you could earn enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life.”
At that, Taironi burst into laughter.
It was hearty, yet tinged with a trace of self-mockery.
“Spending the rest of my life that way does not suit my temperament.”
“So you were injured badly enough to have to replace your body?”
“Do not worry. I am healthier than you think.”
Among the many questions, one was why Taironi was going around in such a form.
Robin wanted to press further, but the casual talk ended with the unspoken implication that if he wished to know more, he should finish the task first.
They followed the spiral staircase and arrived before the final door.
Taironi halted and steadied his breathing.
“I’ll say it again—I am only support. It does not change that you must finish this.”
“Are you afraid?”
The mechanical body, massive enough not to be outmatched even by a Barbarian, stiffened.
“Indeed. I am afraid.”
“What frightens you so much?”
“Even if I explained, you would not understand.”
Click.
Instead of answering, Taironi pulled the door handle.
A pungent smell stung the tip of Robin’s nose, and the thick smoke made it impossible to identify the target at a glance.
“Let us go.”
Taironi swung his axe like a fan, dispersing the smoke.
A pit littered chaotically with countless cannonballs.
At its center was neither a gigantic Monster nor a Demon Tribe member exuding Demonic Energy.
Something oval, dark violet in hue, hovered there—neither fully gaseous nor fully liquid.
“That’s the monster I’m supposed to eliminate?”
“You could say that.”
“It’s not attacking us.”
“Then why not strike first?”
“I’ll identify its type first.”
“We do not have time.”
As Robin approached slowly, the entity that had been seeping smoke shifted abruptly.
Like a stone thrown into calm water, a ripple surged.
His body reacted before his mind did.
Crunch.
A maw that shot out from the oval bit down hard on the spot where he had just been standing.
Acting on instinct, Robin evaded, his eyes sharpening.
Torgen’s death he had witnessed in the Runeberg War.
It was that summoned creature.
Swoooosh!
The moment he drew his sword, he released Fighting Spirit toward it.
The slash aimed directly at its maw missed.
Slash.
But the Fighting Spirit flying toward the oval severed it.
Even after being cut from the main body, it writhed like a worm.
He drew an X-shaped slash, and the twitching maw burst into four pieces.
Robin stomped hard on the motionless corpse and ground it against the floor.
“That thing was nothing special…….”
“You do not think this is the end, do you?”
“There’s more?”
“This is not even the beginning. It is merely a simple greeting.”
No sooner had Taironi finished speaking than the oval quivered.
The Demonic Energy seeping out made the hairs all over Robin’s body stand on end.
“So it wasn’t just one.”
“Steel yourself.”
Robin moved to cut down the oval itself, the very source of the Demonic Energy.
Without slowing his charge, he spun and drew his blade.
Regrettably, the sensation at his fingertips did not follow through smoothly.
Shrrraak.
Taironi grabbed Robin’s back and yanked him away in haste.
As he was pulled back, Robin saw what he had just cut.
A maw, baring sharp teeth, had suddenly protruded.
Judging by its dangling jaw joint, his attack had definitely landed.
“Grrrrrrr.”
Dripping some unknown liquid—whether saliva or stomach acid—the summoned creature revealed its form.
Unlike the first one, which had shown only its maw like a larva, this one boasted a bulky frame like an ogre.
The problem was that there was not just one of them.
Thud. Thud. Thooom.
The violet oval spewed out summoned creatures as if vomiting whatever it held inside.
“I figured it would do that, which is why I tried to eliminate it early on…….”
He sent Fighting Spirit toward the clustered creatures, and several that failed to evade were sliced apart.
Even so, he could not feel relieved.
The rate at which they emerged surpassed the speed of his blade.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
There was a limit to cutting down the freshly emerged ones.
The newly spawned creatures advanced step by step, using the slain summoned creatures as shields.
“At this rate we’ll be pushed back. Do you have a better idea?”
“Step aside.”
When Taironi extended his left hand toward them, a small barrel emerged from his palm.
Robin’s guess that he might fire a cannon was completely off.
Fwoooooosh!
Blazing flames poured over them like water.
The surroundings lit up brightly as the summoned creatures burned alive.
“You were hiding something this monstrous?”
“It will not last long. That is why I need you.”
Even so, the widened field of vision put them at an advantage.
“If we eliminate that source, we win, right?”
“Correct.”
“Let’s do it.”
As the flames ceased, the stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Robin charged toward them, breaking through the acrid fumes.