We continued walking deeper into the cave.
At some point, the cave gradually widened, and a warmth began to permeate the air. Dressed in thick layers, we soon felt more heat than warmth and shed our outer garments.
I lightened my attire, while Yuria returned to her usual maid uniform.
As we ventured further into the cave, the surroundings began to brighten. An inexplicable, soft light illuminated the cavern.
"Plants... are growing here," Yuria remarked, sounding surprised. True to her words, grass sprouted from the cave floor, even in this completely sealed-off environment.
I nonchalantly trampled the wild, overgrown grass and said, "This is a Dragon Vein. Even with limited water and sunlight, the abundant Spirit Energy allows everything to thrive."
"A place mages would adore," she remarked.
"They'd go absolutely wild for it. That's why dragons nested here in ancient times."
But it wasn't all advantages. The downside was the increased monster population. Managing such a massive Dragon Vein would be difficult for anything less than an Ancient Dragon.
We ventured deeper into the cave.
It's hardly a cave anymore, I thought.
Grass and trees began to appear. Then, suddenly, the ceiling became so high it was barely visible.
I looked up at the ceiling, which was at least 100 meters high. It appeared to be made of stone, and I wouldn't have been surprised if it collapsed.
This is clearly a secret chamber, but where is the light coming from?
The original story didn't explain it, so I had no way of knowing. Since this place was once a Dragon Lair, I could only speculate that it was the work of dragons.
"The conditions here are completely different from outside," Yuria remarked.
"If it's been winter outside for ten thousand years, then this place is spring. An eternally continuing spring."
Below us, colorful flowers bloomed, and trees were laden with fruit. I plucked a cylindrical fruit from a tree and took a bite. The nameless fruit was sweet and tart.
"Delicious. What do you think, Yuria?"
"Yes, it's delicious. I've never heard of a fruit like this before. Could it be a fruit that only grows here?"
"Since we're here, it wouldn't hurt to gather some fruits and saplings."
She meticulously began tucking fruits and saplings into the shadows. I didn't stop her; I quite liked these fruits myself.
Hmm?
I thought I saw something moving inside the tree, and it turned out to be a squirrel. The adorable creature was perched on a branch, staring down at us strangers.
So, not just plants but animals too. Well, that's to be expected in a place like this.
After a short rest, we checked the time and resumed our journey. Since the weather here never changes, we need to keep a close eye on the time.
More than seven hours until sunrise. Even with extra time for contingencies, twelve hours should be plenty. We have plenty of time.
We couldn't afford to dawdle. No plan is ever perfect, and variables can always arise.
We pressed further inward.
Soon, we discovered a village carved into a stone cliff face.
The stone wall, three meters high, encircled the village completely, with crossbows mounted at strategic points. The entrance was firmly sealed, making entry impossible without scaling the wall.
"Is this the Dwarf village Master mentioned?"
"That's right. The Frost Hammer Clan."
Due to their small numbers, Dwarves and Elves don't form kingdoms but operate in clans. They are known for their low reproductive drive, likely due to their lifespans being over four times longer than humans'.
"Should we enslave all the Dwarves here?"
"Those Dwarf bastards will resist. We'll have to kill about half of them."
One of the two reasons they had come to the Huge Snow Mountain was to enslave the Frost Hammer Clan Dwarves.
While it was difficult to enslave Dwarves or Elves who openly lived in towns or cities, the situation was different for wild Dwarves and Elves who lacked any legal protections.
"I'll infiltrate immediately and kill any Dwarves who pose a threat."
"Sneaking in will be tough. That barrier is enchanted. We can't just walk through it."
Attempting to cross the barrier would likely trigger the magical traps set within it.
"In the original story, Kyle doesn't arrive here until much later."
The Frost Hammer Dwarf from the original story receives Kyle's help during a battle against the Yeti tribe that discovered this place, leading the dwarf to acknowledge Kyle. In return, the dwarves forge a special sword for him.
"They only acknowledged Kyle because their entire village was on the verge of being destroyed by the Yeti. These dwarves don't easily accept humans. The Frost Hammer Clan dwarves are known for killing any humans who stumble upon their territory."
They aren't friendly toward humans; they're downright hostile. That's why they live in such a remote place.
"Trying to persuade them through conversation is impossible."
Creating a situation like in the original story? That's far too dangerous. Even we rarely encounter Yetis. Besides, there's no need to befriend Dwarves. Enslaving them is much more efficient for exploiting their labor.
"Master, what should we do then?"
"We'll make them open the entrance."
I raised my hand.
"My goal is to lure out the Dwarves, but it still stings my pride to see it completely unscathed."
I had to admit, this barrier was the result of years of hammering by a master Dwarf craftsman.
About a minute after we began attacking the entrance, a Dwarf appeared on the wall and addressed us with arrogant confidence. He clearly didn't believe we stood a chance against him.
With a barrier like this, it's no wonder he's so cocky.
I stared at the Dwarf with fascination. The Dwarves of this world looked exactly like the stereotypical depictions in cartoons and movies: short, muscular, and bearded. He wore a steel helmet and armor, carried a shield in his left hand, and wielded an axe in his right.
Seeing a Dwarf in person for the first time was quite refreshing, as I had only ever encountered them in comics and movies before.
"Having found your way to our Paradise, your fate is sealed!"
"We arrived here by accident. Let's talk calmly."
I decided to try reasoning with them. Perhaps there was a 1% chance we could resolve this peacefully through negotiation.
"Talk? I have no intention of talking to you!"
"Why are you so hostile? If you truly wish us gone, we'll withdraw."
"Do you think we're ignorant of human treachery?! You'll retreat only to return with an army! Our Paradise will be your grave!"
Upon further reflection, the chances of a peaceful resolution seemed even less than 1%.
"Are you the leader of this village?"
"No! I am Purex Gladida, Warrior Captain of the Frost Hammer Clan!"
I shook my head and sighed. He had carried himself with such authority that I'd assumed he was the village leader, but I was wrong.
"What a joke. You're just a lackey. Go fetch your chieftain."
"You insolent human!"
A blue aura crackled around the dwarf's axe. He hurled the aura-charged weapon at me.
Yuria, who had been calmly observing the situation, moved with lightning speed. She snatched the axe mid-air and hurled it back at Purex.
But the axe couldn't harm him. A transparent barrier materialized, blocking the weapon. It was a defensive spell woven into the barrier.
"Hah!"
Purex staggered back in shock, his face flushing crimson. He seemed ashamed of his surprise.
"You... you humans!"
Purex descended below the barrier.
Clank. Click. The sound of something being manipulated echoed through the air, and a white magic circle materialized above the barrier. I knew what it was.
"Dodge, Yuria! It's an Air Blast spell."
A mass of compressed air shot forth from the center of the magic circle. Yuria and I sprinted in opposite directions, evading the attack.
The air blast exploded the moment it struck the ground.
Easy to dodge, since it's a straight shot and the magic circle is clearly visible.
This attack was more suited for killing monsters than humans.
"Tch! They dodged them all! Those nimble bastards!"
Purex climbed back onto the ramparts, but this time he wasn't alone. Over ten armed Dwarves had joined him, glaring down at us.
"How about this! Fire crossbows!"
The Dwarves raised their crossbows and began firing at us.
We swiftly took cover behind the trees. Papak! Papak! Papak! Crossbow bolts slammed into the tree trunks.
The Frost Hammer Clan has over a hundred Dwarves, but these warriors are all they've got.
Elves and Dwarves, with their long lifespans, have little reproductive drive, so their numbers rarely increase. They don't even feel the need to grow their populations.
If we kill all these bastards, there won't be many Dwarves left to resist.
Papak! Papak! Papak!
The crossbow bolts failed to pierce the tree. Even the finest Dwarf craftsmanship had its limits.
When the barrage ceased, I cautiously revealed myself. The Dwarves had little they could do from atop the barricade.
"What a pity. Your attacks can't even reach us. If you want to kill us, why don't you come down here? Oh, wait are you Frost Hammer Dwarves too cowardly to descend? Well, it figures a cowardly Dwarf clan would be holed up in a place like this."
I plucked a berry from the tree and crunched it leisurely as I spoke. My nonchalant demeanor flushed Warrior Captain Purex's face crimson.
"Y-you bastard! I'll come down and kill you myself right now!"
"Commander! Calm down! It's just a simple human provocation! Humans are a treacherous race there could be a trap!"
"If you won't come down, fine."
In truth, provoking the dwarves was pointless.
Because...
"We're leaving. Have a nice stay here, you little dwarves."
The dwarves couldn't afford to let us go.
As Yuria and I turned to leave, it was the dwarves who grew anxious.
"Seize them! Seize them now! They'll return with soldiers! We must capture and kill them! Open the gate!"
"Yes, sir! Open the gate! Chase down and kill the humans!"
Kuuuuummm!
The sound of the gate opening echoed. I smirked triumphantly.
"Dwarf warriors may possess strength comparable to knights, but these guys are different."
Among them, only the Warrior Captain can properly wield aura. This is a peaceful place, so there are no Dwarf warriors who regularly train their bodies or hunt monsters.
"More than anything, they rely more on their barriers and weapons than on their own combat skills."
I stopped running and gave Yuria an order.
"Yuria, let's focus on getting into the village rather than killing them."
"Understood. Then we should circle around to the side."
Yuria and I moved swiftly.
"Humans! Accept your fate!"
The Dwarves chased after us, firing crossbows.
"Manlei. This is going to be electrifying."
I unleashed a bolt of lightning at the Dwarves. Startled, they scrambled to raise their shields, but their reaction time was too slow.
"...!"
Three Dwarves were struck by the lightning, sent flying, and convulsed violently before collapsing dead.
"L-Lightning? Is that magic?!"
"Commander! The Humans are targeting our village! They're trying to get inside!"
"What?! N-No! Stop them immediately! No, wait! Seal the entrance! Are there any Dwarves still inside?!"
"Uh... well, they all rushed out!"
"Damn it!"
The Dwarves frantically chased after us.
"These little runts have such short legs, they can't even run properly."
I stepped inside the entrance, dodging crossbow bolts as I retrieved an item from my inventory and aimed it at them.
"What's that?!"
"It's Mr. Thompson! Die, you primitive bastards!"
Ratatatatatatat!
Mr. Thompson began firing bullets. The primitive Dwarves, unfamiliar with firearms, didn't even raise their shields when the gun was pointed at them.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
The Dwarves, including Warrior Captain Purex, screamed and collapsed to the ground.
Warrior Captain Purex was, at best, a mid-tier Aura Expert. Facing a hail of bullets head-on, his small shield, barely covering half his body, stood no chance.
"Hah. Good work, Mr. Thompson."