Thud, thud.
Having entered the world of God's Atlantis, I walked along a rugged mountain path.
Whoosh!
My steps halted. A strange cry made me look up. A brown monkey with a bird's head perched on a tree branch.
Temongki-kun.
The monster named Temongki wasn't particularly strong. I could easily handle it in my current state.
Crackling.
As I summoned a Thunderbolt in my palm, the startled Temongki fled swiftly. Temongkis were unusually timid for monsters, always fleeing unless they were certain of killing their enemy.
Chasing after it to kill it... I'm too busy with my own path.
They could have gathered their comrades to ambush me, but I wasn't worried. I was confident I could wipe out even dozens of Temongki if they attacked.
When will this village finally appear?
I grumbled to myself as I continued along the mountain path.
A few minutes later, just as the air suddenly felt stifling, a village materialized before my eyes.
Territory 4,523, Ironwood Forest, has been entered.
Territory 4,523, Ironwood Forest. I had successfully reached my destination.
I remained motionless at the village entrance, observing the settlement and waiting for the villagers to emerge.
What a chaotic mess of a village.
The buildings in the village were each uniquely distinctive. Some resembled rectangular Lego blocks, while others were triangular, circular, or even honeycomb-shaped no two houses looked alike. The materials used in their construction varied just as widely, ranging from earth and wood to iron and stone.
This place... I could believe it's an amusement park.
Yet these diverse homes shared one striking common feature: each had a chimney, from which thick, black smoke billowed skyward.
The barrier must have concealed the smoke from outside.
As I watched the dark smoke gradually dissipate into the sky, someone approached me.
The Dwarf wore an iron helmet shaped like a thimble. He stood about one meter tall, with a long, black beard that reached his knees. He was clad in sturdy-looking chainmail and wore pointed steel boots.
My gaze was drawn to the hammer hanging at his waist. It looked so heavy that only someone truly worthy could even lift it.
"You don't look like a peddler. Who are you? How did you find our village?" His voice was rough and gravelly.
"I've come to Ironroot Village with a request," I said, adopting a humble posture. In my heart, I wanted to enslave these Dwarves and put them to work, but this wasn't the world of Plum Blossom Sword Saint, and this territory had its own master.
"A request? I'm sorry, but we don't entertain requests from outsiders. Nor do we welcome them. We can't even offer you a cup of water, so turn back now."
The Dwarf rested his hand on the hammer handle at his waist, a clear warning that he would resort to force if his words were ignored.
"Ah, please wait a moment. I have her permit."
"A permit? Show it to me, don't just say you have it."
"I was just about to take it out."
I retrieved the letter from my inner pocket. It bore a blue crescent moon and sword seal. The Dwarf removed his hand from the hammer handle.
"It's been a long time since someone other than a merchant has come calling."
The Dwarf accepted the letter and carefully broke the seal.
"I am Daimons Unroot, a Dwarf of Ironroot Village. I am both a blacksmith and a warrior."
"I am Sung Yujin, an Exile."
"An Exile?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that this is the first time an Exile has visited our village. Congratulations."
"Thank you?"
I blinked. Was this something to be congratulated for?
Daimons slowly read the letter.
The document, called a permit, was personally written by Illusionist Elena Baldert, one of the Imperial Five Dukes. This territory was one of her domains, and no trade with the Ironroot Dwarves could occur without her authorization.
I had obtained this permit by requesting it from her, as I had a specific purpose in mind.
"...I understand. Your Grace the Duke instructs us to craft whatever you desire. Follow me for now."
I followed Daimons. He led me to the largest village in the area.
The house resembled a gaunt, winter-bare tree. Dozens of skeletal branches, instead of leaves, were adorned with plumes of black smoke. The structure was as large as a four-story mansion.
"What a unique and magnificent house. I've never seen anything like it before."
"My parents built it themselves. It took them about four months."
We opened the strange door and stepped inside. A wave of intense heat washed over us. I instinctively took a deep breath, only to regret it immediately. The sensation of the heat filling my lungs was deeply unpleasant.
Five Dwarves working around a furnace turned to regard us with curiosity.
"Daimons! Who's the Human?"
"Bringing a human all the the way here? He must be no ordinary human."
"It feels awkward saying this on first meeting, but this human gives off a really bad vibe."
The stocky dwarves turned their attention to me.
If I enslaved them and put them to work, my life would become much easier. But Elena would undoubtedly try to kill me if I did that, so I abandoned the idea.
"This human was carrying a letter from Your Grace the Duke. We need to craft something for him."
"Something? What kind of something?"
"Heh heh heh. It's been a while since we've hammered metal to fulfill a human's request."
"But he came empty-handed? How disappointing."
The dwarves' reaction wasn't bad.
"Of course, I brought gifts for all of you."
I retrieved beer from my Inventory. The common fantasy trope that dwarves love beer held true in this world as well. After some deliberation, I pulled out ten cases of beer.
However, when the dwarves saw the beer I had brought, they only tilted their heads in confusion.
"What's this?"
"I've never seen glass bottles like these before. Is it water? If so, we have plenty in our village."
"It's beer. Beer. I heard you dwarves love beer... Is that not true?"
"Beer? Ooooooh!"
"Ooooooooh!"
The dwarves swarmed the beer cases, grabbing bottles in one hand and immediately putting them to their lips.
"Uoooooh! I never knew beer this delicious could exist! It's on a completely different level from anything we've ever tasted!"
"Kiyaaaah! This is so refreshing! Just perfect!"
The Dwarves suddenly started a drinking party. I felt uneasy. Would they pass out drunk?
Contrary to my expectations, the Dwarves didn't overindulge.
"Sung Yujin, thank you. I didn't know you had such delicious beer. Where is it from?"
"German beer."
"German? Well, the beer tastes great regardless."
Daimons' reaction was lukewarm. He seemed to have asked about the beer's origin out of mere curiosity.
"But you've drunk quite a bit. Can you still make the item I need?"
"Ha ha! There's no such thing as a weak Dwarf who gets incapacitated by a single bottle of beer! To us, beer is like oil!"
"Huh? Oil?"
"Wheels need oil to turn smoothly, don't they? It's the same for us! We need beer to keep moving! Now, tell me what you want! If we have enough materials, we can even make you a gun!"
These dwarves' technology seems far more advanced than I'd imagined. Come to think of it, I do see some mechanical contraptions nearby.
"I want armor, a sword, and a cloak. The armor should be light but durable, and the sword should prioritize durability above all else. The cloak needs to be able to keep me warm in cold weather."
"Hmm."
After hearing my request, the dwarves exchanged glances before taking another swig from their beer bottles.
"Tsk. That's all?"
"I thought you'd ask us to build another Slaughter Wagon. I was looking forward to it..."
"The peddler who came last time said guns were all the rage these days... Was he lying?"
The Dwarves seemed disappointed.
"Armor and a sword... A knight, then? If you've been sent here directly, you must be a knight trusted by Your Excellency."
"Well... something like that," I replied vaguely. I couldn't reveal my relationship with Elena to them.
"Do you have any specific designs in mind? We'll do our best to meet your requirements."
"Um... I'd like something cool, first of all. Something sturdy yet sleek, not too big but not too small either."
"Come on, how am I supposed to work with that? Just draw a rough sketch of what you want."
Daimons handed me a piece of paper and a pencil. I took the pencil and began sketching the armor and sword I wanted.
Objectively speaking, it was a terrible drawing. But the rough outlines and shapes were still easy to discern.
"What's this on the gauntlet? A hidden weapon?"
"It's a Hidden Blade. A sword that extends from the back of the hand. Is that impossible?"
"Not impossible, but I doubt its practicality."
"Just make it look cool for now. I might need it in a real fight someday."
"Hmm... Alright. But this sword... the tip seems blunt. Was that intentional?"
"Ah, that's because I drew it poorly. Make the sword black, hard, and sharp."
"Is this skull decoration on the sword absolutely necessary?"
"Isn't it cool? Doesn't it scream 'Supreme Sword'?"
"No. It just looks creepy. If you carry a sword like this, people will doubt your dignity and insult the tastes of us Dwarves. I'll leave it out."
"Fine by me."
I nodded. To be honest, the sword's decoration wasn't that important to me.
"What about the cloak?"
"Make it red."
"Understood. It'll take about a week."
Daimons gathered the papers and stared intently at me.
"...Is there something you want from me? If it's beer, I'll give you more."
"More beer? I won't refuse. But do you happen to have any weapons? I'd like to see them if you do."
"My weapons...?"
Why? I eyed Daimons warily, glancing around to see other Dwarves watching me too. Could they be trying to steal my weapons?
"Ah, don't misunderstand. We don't get many visitors in this village, so we rarely see weapons made outside. We don't often get a chance to broaden our horizons. If you'd rather not show them, that's perfectly fine."
"Showing them is no problem. I happen to collect weapons as a hobby, so I have quite a few."
I drew a weapon crafted by the Dwarves of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint world, intending to put the Ironroot Dwarves in their place. But when they saw the weapon, they chuckled dismissively.
"It's well-made, I'll give you that. But it clearly shows signs of being rushed."
"...Rushed?" My face stiffened. When the Frost Hammer Dwarves presented this sword to me, they had claimed it was forged with utmost dedication.
"It's a decent sword, true. But to our eyes, the artisan who made it possessed the skill to create something far superior."
"Hmm. Not as skilled as us, but a fairly competent artisan nonetheless. Their temperament, however, seems rather lacking."
"The hilt is poorly constructed. Surely the blacksmith who made this couldn't have overlooked such a flaw..."
"You have skill, but you lack the spirit of an artisan."
Grind.
I gritted my teeth.
Fuck. I've been too lenient lately, and these slave dwarf bastards are getting carried away... When we get back, I'll have to give them some proper re-education.
The dwarves stared at me. The grinding sound had been a bit too loud.
"...What's wrong? Did our harsh words anger you? If so, we apologize. We were indeed too blunt."
"It's just a habit. And you all, this is merely one of the swords I own. I don't even use it in combat. Let me show you the weapon I truly cherish and wield in battle."
I drew the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger. I couldn't let them continue to underestimate me.
The Dwarves' eyes widened and their mouths dropped open the moment they saw the Hwaryeon Flying Dagger.
"This...!"
"Unbelievable."
"Hoo..."
"Incredible..."
Seeing their astonishment filled me with satisfaction.
"Heh heh. What do you think? Isn't this crimson blade absolutely stunning? Every time I look at it, my heart swells with pride..."
"Sung Yujin," Daimons called out, his expression serious.
"Yes?"
"This blade has accumulated far too much malice. It's on the verge of becoming a cursed weapon. It seems to be made from Dragon scales... This wouldn't happen unless it had been used to slaughter humans in a short span of time. This blade is dangerous."
"Dangerous? What do you mean? A blade is just a blade, isn't it?"
"It's difficult to assess the condition of a blade without being an Artisan. Have you ever experienced headaches or sudden surges of murderous intent while wielding it? You might have even felt the urge to harm yourself."
"No. I didn't feel anything at all..."