Chapter 162 - You reap what you sow (3)

Upon hearing the news that a ship they had never seen before had appeared, the people of Soara began to gather like a cloud.

This ship, reportedly brought by dwarves, was enough to pique the curiosity of the people and, unintentionally, added warmth to those who were cowering due to the unstable situation.

"...It's amazing."

People flocked to the dock as if a festival were being held.

Among the large gathering were Harven and Otar.

The refuge was swept back and forth by the tumultuous flow of people, but their gaze remained focused on the ship and did not waver.

"I heard it moved on its own even though the sail was folded?"

"Mmm."

"How can that be? Is it because of the water mill next to it?"

"Mmm."

Harven seemed excited and talked nonstop, but Otar, who had to respond, wasn't in the mood.

Even now, he had to keep his balance on behalf of Harven, who was losing his focus.

"It's a ship that moves on its own without depending on the wind..."

Loud noises rang in my ears, and the tremors of the crowd made me feel dizzy even though I was standing on the ground.

However, for now, Harven could only see the dwarven ships displaying their majesty before his eyes.

Although he was shocked, his steadfast eyes resembled those of a child standing in the mud.

"Please. I want to ride it someday."

Although he didn't want to, he was a cripple who couldn't stand on his own, so he had no choice but to sway back and forth.

However, his eyes as he looked at the object of his envy were steadfast.

Harven truly wanted that ship that could move on its own without depending on anything.

Just like Harven's slowly growing desire, a faint smoke spread from inside the unnamed dwarven ships.

According to the people who had been here before, it was the smoke they had been seeing since they arrived.

***

The mayor's office of Soara was filled with fragrant scents.

Even Vlad, who had no knowledge about tea, could tell it was expensive tea, but the expression on the dwarf's face as he looked at the teacup seemed somehow serious.

"Mmm… It's just a bit of water mixed with grass clippings."

It seemed it wasn't just a matter of taste.

The dwarf, who introduced himself as Sigurd of Nidavellir, looked at Joseph with a subtle expression.

Several dwarves who were with him also seemed to have a problem, as they didn't hide their confusion.

"If you don't like tea... Do you want me to switch it to alcohol?"

"If there was alcohol, you should have decided that a long time ago."

Sigurd's final tone increased significantly, as if he had been waiting for those words.

"According to our customs, offering tea is like telling you to leave. Of course, you did this because you didn't know."

"Right. You said it. That was rude."

Following Joseph's hurried instructions, Vlad quickly opened the cabinet door and started fetching Joseph's favorite bottles of alcohol.

Unlike the West, the North had no interaction with the Dwarves, so the current situation was inevitable.

"I was really surprised. This is actually the first time I've experienced something like this."

Sigurd chuckled as he finally looked at his new glass of wine.

This was because he didn't want to make a mistake due to mutual ignorance.

"I read the letter you sent. Our chief was also very pleased."

"...Is that so."

Joseph listened to Sigurd's words and raised his teacup, hiding his slight smile.

He said he was willing.

It was just a friendly letter and didn't promise much, but it seemed the dwarves also had things they wanted to accomplish through the Northern Alliance.

"And it was nice to see the gift you sent along with the letter."

"..."

Sigurd raised his glass and toasted Vlad, who was next to him.

Everyone was baffled by his sudden actions, but Sigurd from Nidavellir had a reason for doing so.

"Thank you. Vlad of Soara. For sending our men back."

"Ah."

As he looked at Sigurd's narrowed eyes, the events in Nassau began to appear in Vlad's mind.

"It was the first time they returned to the dwarves who had been sold as slaves. If it weren't for that, they probably wouldn't have made it this far."

What the human knight sent to the dwarves wasn't just a letter.

The basement of the slave market, disguised as a tavern, was filled with dwarf children and the warrior Vulcan.

If it weren't for Vlad, those children who were locked behind bars would probably have wandered through the West for the rest of their lives, never able to return to their hometown.

"I thought all humans were the same, but it seems some people act differently depending on where they live. We decided to think of it that way."

"I see."

Although it wasn't something he did with specific intentions, Vlad's actions were enough to earn him great favor from the dwarves.

Unlike the West, which had treated the dwarves as cattle for a long time, the people of the North, who had just occupied Nassau, sent a different message to them.

"I am the head of one of the 12 tribes that make up Nidavellir. We have enough authority to convey our opinions."

"Are all dwarves like this? Or is Sigurd the dwarf special?"

Sigurd drank his wine and got straight to the point without even thinking about it.

"I want to control the West. We'll do it ourselves, but we need help."

"If I see. I already imagined that."

To Joseph, who was accustomed to conversations among nobles, it was difficult to keep up with the conversation.

Joseph quickly started pouring whiskey into a teacup as the dwarves spoke freely between courtesy and rudeness.

"Among them, the Gaidars were especially bastards. I heard they're fighting against those guys."

"That's right. It's on hold right now, but someday it will come to an end."

Not only Sigurd but also the dwarves with him began to clap as if they liked Joseph's expression of ending it.

Vlad rolled his eyes as if he were anxious while the atmosphere increasingly resembled a market, and Jager slowly started to fiddle with his eye patch.

The people of the North were still not accustomed to the dwarves.

"The enemy of my enemy is like an ally, so there must be something we can do together!"

Seeing Sigurd's hand extend as if it were already made, Joseph began to panic for the first time in a long time.

A resolution for an alliance to be concluded with a single handshake.

Seeing Sigurd finish what would have cost even Hainal, who had been cooperating fully for several days, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Joseph could only hold out his extended hand.

"Let's do it together. Bayezid and the Northern Coalition welcome Nidavellir."

"Good!"

I wondered if it was okay to proceed so quickly, but it had to be done anyway.

The dwarves, who couldn't even hear the applause, began to eye the bottles in Joseph's cupboard as if they had finally finished.

Although it was only tea time.

***

"What is this? What's happening?"

The smile of a rose just bloomed.

However, Goethe, who had rushed in, said that the shop would be cleared today.

From the lobby to the rooms where the guests would rest.

"The town hall was assaulted."

"What?"

"Are you drinking too much today? It should be double the usual."

Zemina, who was eagerly waiting for Vlad to see if something had happened, soon saw some small men shouting disorderly behind him.

They were tall enough to barely reach Vlad's chest, but their shoulders were narrow and broad.

Moreover, the fact that they all had long beards was clearly attire and behavior never before seen in the North.

"Perhaps those people..."

"That's right. They are dwarves."

Vlad shook his head with a disgusted expression and grabbed both of Zemina's shoulders.

"They say he likes meat. Meat instead of fish. The stronger the alcohol, the better."

"Yes."

Vlad's confrontational gaze was not normal.

It resembled the gaze of those days when he said that the real reason had arrived today.

"And don't serve vegetables or anything like that. They say potatoes are fine."

"Okay."

Joseph, who drank a lot but had little resistance, had died long ago, and only the back alley bars could satisfy the dwarves who still hungered for alcohol.

Among them, the only place that had formality and scale was Rose Smile, so it was a natural decision for Vlad to bring the dwarves here.

"Vlad, the human knight!"

"Yes, that's correct. I'm Vlad."

"Honorable savior of children! You should have seen the scene when the children arrived!"

"Yes. It would have been nice to see it."

As soon as Vlad skillfully put the dwarves as a waiter, the awaited food began to be placed on the table.

As there was no time, they simply brought up hot sausages first, but just that made the dwarves' eyes widen.

"The Northerners know how to treat guests! Very well!"

"The smell of sausage is amazing!"

The dwarves, who were satisfied just with basic snacks, began to cheer up the atmosphere with loud noises.

It was such joy that even Bordan, who arrived late to entertain Sigurd, found it difficult to join in.

"Please understand. Everyone was exhausted from the long journey."

"Yes. I understand."

It was said that Nidavellir, the Dwarven Liberation Front, had its base on an island.

Since they traveled back to Soara from there in a secret location, everyone couldn't help but be happy to see a proper meal for the first time in a long time.

"Thank you for coming here. Although it was just a letter."

"It was the right time and the need is mutual. It's nothing special."

Sigurd waved his hands as if satisfied with Vlad's words, but it was certainly an unconventional move.

No matter how many children they rescued, they still came here with that large ship.

Perhaps the relationship with Nidavellir would be of great help to Joseph, who was vying to become the head of the family.

"I heard there's a blacksmith nearby? It might be tough today, but tomorrow I'll take a look at your armor."

"No, it's okay..."

The reason Sigurd came to Soara was not only to respond to Joseph's letter, but also to repay Vlad.

Not only was it a tradition for dwarves to return favors with favors, but it was also an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with the Northern Alliance through Vlad's symbol.

"Don't be surprised. From the beginning, the reason the folks from the West want to treat us as slaves is because of our forging skills."

Even if there was little interaction, it was known that dwarves were skilled in blacksmithing.

The reason why the Western cavalry was famous in the first place was because of their dwarven armor and swords, light but strong.

"Although I'm not a master blacksmith, I should be better than most common humans. So don't worry too much..."

However, once in front of Vlad, Sigurd, setting aside all those things, wanted to strip Vlad's armor.

There were dents here and there, but the finish was very well polished.

Moreover, even at a glance, he could see devices designed to mitigate impact.

It was clearly the skill of a craftsman.

"While I'm here, I'll also take a look at the sword. For knights, the condition of their sword is directly related to their life."

"..."

Sigurd casts a glance as if he wanted to take a look here.

Vlad didn't like it when he saw their eyes starting to gleam, but it was something he couldn't avoid.

"It's impolite to ask a knight to draw his sword as if you were offering a cup of tea to a dwarf."

"Still, I really look forward to seeing it someday."

In the end, Sigurd couldn't hide his true feelings and simply spoke, but the same happened with the dwarves surrounding him.

They say dwarves are born with the eyes of blacksmiths and had already noticed that Vlad's armor and sword were unusual.

"...Alright."

I didn't feel right because it felt like I was performing a trick, but the dwarves in front of me were valuable guests.

Vlad, thinking it would be fine to unsheathe it from a distance, gently drew his sword from its scabbard.

"..."

There was a blue light.

From Vlad's sword, which showed very briefly.

Some dwarves who encountered that bright light were so surprised that they even dropped the sausage they were chewing on.

Vlad, who felt something suspicious in the gradually changing eyes of the dwarves, quickly sheathed his sword, but the cheerful atmosphere from before didn't return at all.

"Is something wrong with my sword?"

"..."

Sigurd, who had almost fallen onto the table, attracted by the bright light, continued to stare blankly at Vlad's sheath.

Among the quickly fading blue lights.

Sigurd had clearly seen a young lizard spewing fire as if it were happy to see him.

____

Join the discord! 

https://dsc.gg/indra

____