Archmage's Restaurant - Chapter 35: The Dwarf Village (2)
Dragons are a species defined by their pride and arrogance, but they rarely lie. They have no need to, although they can if it serves a purpose, like Rurin.
If what this dragon said is true, it’s troubling. The lair must be completed to the elder’s satisfaction within a year to ensure the restaurant’s peace.
Sending Rurin would be against my pride, and waging war with the entire Black Dragon clan would be overkill.
Of course, it’s not impossible if I am willing to face death.
But there’s no need for such risks when it’s just about building a lair.
Therefore, the help of the dwarves is indispensable.
I looked at the red dragon with a puzzled expression and asked.
“You didn’t exterminate them yourself, did you?”
“No! Why would I lie about that? Don’t look at me like that! It’s true! I despise that magic! I plan to live out my life peacefully and die in my sleep! So, I don’t like you, human!”
Judging by her reaction, it didn’t seem like she was lying.
But did they really all die?
There must be survivors, right?
Having come this far, I need to confirm the situation with my own eyes. First, we need to head directly to the Miliolek Mountain Range.
“Is that so? Fine, then could you move aside? We’ll pass through peacefully. Oh, and if you interfere, I won’t be lenient. Consider yourself warned.”
“Fine. Do you think I’m crazy? It might be nice to have you as a subordinate, but what can I do against someone I can’t beat? So hurry up and leave, you oversized human! And take that foolish black dragon with you.”
The red dragon pointed at Rurin. Given her personality, there was no way she would let such a provocation slide, leading to another argument.
“What? You old red! Be grateful I’m sparing you!”
“What? I’m still in my prime! You’re just a fledgling with only down feathers!”
Red and black. Rurin and the red dragon glared at each other, sparks flying. They’d probably fight all day if left alone. Sigh.
“Red dragon? Will you leave, or do we need to fight again?”
“I was going to leave, but she started it! Ugh, how unfair! Two against one! Aaaaaah! I’m so mad!”
“So?”
“Uuugh!”
The red dragon, sensing my magic, whimpered and fled towards her lair.
Blood is thicker than water, and if two dragons fight, I’d side with Rurin. Even if three dragons fight, I’d side with Rurin.
Even if it were an entire horde of dragons, Rurin comes first.
“Foolish red dragon. Hee hee.”
Feeling good, Rurin rubbed her cheek against my arm under my shoulder.
“Try to restrain yourself sometimes.”
“I don’t know! Reds are enemies!”
“You never know anything. Anyway, that’s not important. Let’s get going. Follow me.”
“I understand!”
We walked diligently and eventually left the dragon’s territory, emerging into a regular forest. After walking through the forest, it eventually cleared, revealing open plains below the mountain.
At the western end of these plains lies the Miliolek Mountain Range, our destination.
If we can see the mountains, the hard part is over.
“Rurin, let’s teleport to the foremost peak of that range.”
Rurin can teleport to locations she’s seen directly.
That’s the nature of Rurin’s teleportation—dragon teleportation.
“There?”
Rurin pointed to the spot. I nodded, and she nodded back, indicating it was possible.
Then she spread her arms wide.
“Hee hee hee.”
She looked at me with a mischievous smile, like an old man leering. I had no choice but to step into her embrace.
“Teleporting is tiring, but it has its perks! Hee hee.”
With Rurin’s words, darkness enveloped my vision. In the pitch black, I could only feel Rurin’s softness in my arms.
When I regained my senses, we were standing on a rocky outcrop. The surrounding peaks grounded us in reality.
“Let’s see, according to various documents, there should be a dwarf mine near this peak.”
“Why are those stubby fellows so hard to find?”
“If they’ve been wiped out, it’s even harder. This is for your lair, so hurry up and lead the way.”
Crossing the ridge, we found a well-maintained mountain path to the north and a basin in the distance. The path’s craftsmanship indicated it was made by dwarves. But as the red dragon said, there seemed to be no living dwarves.
At the basin’s end was a mine entrance, covered by a massive rockfall.
It seemed the rocks were the remnants of broken peaks, likely destroyed during the dragon war, causing the rockfall that doomed the dwarves.
“Well, this is troublesome.”
“Where are the dwarves!”
Rurin was also upset.
“Maybe they’re hiding in the mine? Should I melt all the rocks blocking the entrance with my breath? One shot should do it, but I’m too hungry right now.”
Even if the dwarves are a subterranean race, they wouldn’t hide in a blocked mine. They’d starve without a food supply. So, they might truly be wiped out.
That’s problematic.
“Since you’re hungry, let’s eat something first. Come here.”
I sat on a nearby rock and patted the spot beside me, but Rurin instead sat between my legs, resting her head against my chest.
It was like I was giving her a back hug.
“Why this awkward position, dragon?”
“Hee hee, you’re my backrest! Stay still.”
“Oh?”
She was in the perfect position for me to press her temples, so I did.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Rurin whimpered but didn’t leave my arms.
“Say it again, who’s the backrest?”
“Not a backrest. I just like being close! That’s why. You’re mean.”
Rurin turned her head to look up at me, pouting. I had brought jerky for times like this. I poked it against her inflated cheek.
“What’s this? It smells like meat!”
“Yes, it’s meat, your favorite.”
I placed it in her open mouth, and she chewed reflexively. Beef jerky is excellent emergency food. I gave one to Rurin, then ate one myself, repeating the process.
“Dried meat is delicious. I wish we had beer!”
“A dragon that knows the taste of beer is really something.”
She chewed the jerky happily, repeatedly holding out her hand for more. After a while, she asked seriously, concerned about her lair.
“But what if there are no dwarves?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to make your lair even without dwarves.”
“I’m not worried. You’ve always fulfilled my wishes.”
With a half-chewed piece of jerky in hand, Rurin muttered, then rested her head back on my chest.
“Yeah.”
I answered softly, stroking her black hair. This black hair is precious, a reminder of home, a calming presence.
“Aaah!”
Just as we were enjoying a peaceful moment, Rurin’s eyebrows twitched. A scream had interrupted us.
“Help me!”
A dwarf appeared. Short legs, a broad body—exactly what we were searching for.
But this dwarf had a pale face and was shackled in chains.
He looked like an escaped prisoner.
And surrounding him were orcs. It seemed like he really was a fugitive.
“A dwarf?”
“A human? Why are you here?”
When I spoke to the dwarf, he looked at me with suspicion and urgency.
“Wasn’t the Miliolek dwarf clan wiped out?”
The orcs, noticing our conversation, began surrounding us along with the dwarf.
But that spelled doom for the orcs.
Interrupting Rurin’s meal was a fatal mistake.
“Yes. Our clan faced great peril. But some of us survived.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Some dwarves survived. But all who survived were captured. We were too few and lost to the orcs. Anyway, run, human!”
The destruction of the mountains due to the dragon war, the catastrophic crumbling of peaks that destroyed the village and killed many. And now, the remaining dwarves were captured by orcs fleeing their own war with humans.
But why didn’t the orcs kill the dwarves?
Orcs are generally dumb, but they can form armies and fight. Occasionally, intelligent orcs lead their tribes.
The orcs’ armor and weapons were quite refined, certainly not orc-made.
If the remaining dwarves were being held to forge weapons, then there were enough survivors to build the lair. This was good news for me.
That red dragon didn’t look closely enough at the dwarves who paid tribute. She just saw the devastated village and declared them extinct.
Why do dragons avoid tasks so much? Is it because they live so long?
Anyway, the orcs formed a perfect encirclement, howling.
The dwarf tried to flee but collapsed in despair, seeing no escape.
“Siiieeeek!”
“What did it say, Rurin?”
“It said running is futile, only death awaits.”
“I see.”
“Indeed. How pathetic.”
Rurin, annoyed by the orcs, raised her eyebrows while chewing jerky.