Chapter 120. Dwarf Tribal Union Brotswav (2)
“Uaaaaaaaah!”
A thunderous scream was echoing between dark mine tunnels.
“Just a little more to go!”
The dwarf controlling the mine cart from behind spoke to the party with a thick smile, but he was a person who had spat out the same words earlier too.
‘Should we have walked.’
Even Simon who lost eyes and Barzio who lost body were shutting their mouths feeling the mine cart they were riding sinking into darkness following the rail.
“Hieeee…….”
Even Tarania who always maintained cool-headedness was holding one of Blanc’s collars not knowing what to do.
‘We should have walked.’
Blanc looked at Tarania’s face turning pale and ended up regretting the decision he made earlier.
***
“The Tribal Union Brotswav is inside the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range.”
Neyanpalgar Mountain Range, the mainstream of dwarves where numerous tribes are gathered.
Just as elves lived gathered in the forest named World Tree Forest, dwarves also pierced passages in the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range and built their home.
Elves, who traditionally had bad relations with dwarves, called them ground bugs and looked down on them seeing that appearance, but when looked at with human eyes, they could only marvel seeing the passages pierced all over the huge mountain range.
Because they were huge, complex, and old enough that human ability could absolutely not perform.
“From here to Brotswav, we must walk for a week taking the passage.”
“Hmm…….”
Blanc frowned and worried at the schedule becoming longer than expected.
She was the woman in the black veil who already noticed Blanc’s existence.
If he delayed time any longer, he might not be able to find her trace.
Furthermore, because Blanc wanted to know what the calamity that happened in the Black Forest was even a little faster.
“There is a fast way.”
He ended up making a wrong judgment.
***
“Blargh…….”
Fabiano was bending his knees and vomiting placing his hand on a nearby wall.
Barzio patting his back.
Even Barzio, who was patting his back, had white Ghost Fire flickering dizzily.
The movement of the violently shaking mine cart was threatening enough to narrow even the distance between two knights who swung swords at each other in the past.
“Here.”
Blanc quietly handed a handkerchief to Tarania.
“……Thank you.”
Tarania, whose eyes were teary, accepted the handkerchief without refusing Blanc’s kindness.
Although she sent a sharp gaze to Blanc who chose to go down riding the mine cart.
“Are you reorganized?”
The dwarf appearing in front of the party with a good-natured laugh.
Everyone in the party sent him fierce gazes, but the dwarf smiled and said as if nothing was wrong.
“Follow me. Just walk a little more and it is Brotswav.”
“Do not say the words ‘just a little more’ ever again.”
Trust in dwarves was lowering infinitely in Blanc’s head.
‘To think I would miss mint candy!’
Blanc whose mind was becoming faint.
He was thinking of green round beads in his shaking head.
‘I am out of my mind.’
Blanc, objectively looking at himself wanting mint candy, realized his current condition wasn't very good.
The party following the dwarf holding onto their spinning gaze with staggering steps.
“Hmm…….”
Blanc had never reached Brotswav even in the last life.
“I-I think Sir Hansen would have liked it if he were here.”
“I think so too.”
Hansen who has much interest in antiques and murals.
The murals engraved everywhere in the passage heading to Brotswav would surely have stimulated Hansen’s artistic sense.
Murals engraved vividly as if alive.
Unlike things in Tiday’s dungeon, they were murals that would make anyone open their mouth.
Since such things were lined up densely following the passage, even Blanc was surprised at the scale.
“Is it Luminous Pearl?”
Furthermore, the passage shining brightly in orange despite being underground where absolutely no sunlight entered gave the party the illusion that they were standing under sunlight.
“It is the dwarves’ long-standing secret.”
The sly dwarf just smiled and didn't resolve the party’s curiosity.
The moment Franz, who lost his temper, was about to say a word, Rakshar’s ears perked up.
“C-Count. I hear sounds.”
Sounds echoing faintly from the end of the passage.
“It is the sound of pickaxes.”
The cheerful sound of pickaxes starting from inside the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range was one of the things symbolizing Brotswav.
“Everyone, this time it is real. If you walk just a little, it is Brotswav.”
Franz grumbled saying he wouldn't let him be if it was a lie this time too.
However, just for this time, it wasn't a lie.
“Woaaaa…….”
Jerome, who had lived only in Norington all his life, had seen rare sceneries and places normal people wouldn't capture in their eyes in their lifetime while following Blanc.
But the spectacle in front of his eyes right now was the most overwhelming thing among anything he saw recently.
“Everyone, it is the Dwarf Tribal Union Brotswav!”
Phenomenal spectacles started from the guiding dwarf’s fingertip.
It was a huge hollow.
No, it was a huge space embarrassing to call a hollow.
It was a huge space enough to contain Norington here and have space left.
Everyone in the party ended up opening their mouths at that overwhelming size.
“It is bright!”
Like Franz’s short shout, bright and brilliant light like the sun was wrapping around Brotswav.
At Franz’s shout, Blanc raised his head and looked up at the sky.
“Haha…….”
A huge existence making even the Regressor who experienced all sorts of hardships laugh in vain.
Numerous gems and Luminous Pearls attached to the huge ceiling that could be called the sky.
Among them, there was an unidentified gem boasting overwhelming size.
It was a yellow gem of a size as if a castle had been moved there.
Even Blanc, the Regressor, had heard stories but it was the first time seeing it in reality.
“Everyone, it is the ‘Eye of Brotswav’.”
The Eye of Brotswav, a gem and magic stone as old as the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range said to have stood from the beginning.
Started together with dwarf history, it was something evoking the same sentiment to dwarves as humans loving the bright sun.
“Some of us call it Mother instead of Eye of Brotswav.”
The Eye of Brotswav not losing its light even after thousands of years passed.
Dwarves’ affection toward the largest, brightest, and unchanging gem was literally like children following a mother.
“Dwarves are hanging.”
While the party admired looking at the Eye of Brotswav, Tarania seemed to have explored the surroundings quietly.
At the place Tarania pointed, dwarves were pickaxing while hanging on ropes.
Dwarves constantly expanding Brotswav’s space simultaneously with finding gems and ores.
Thinking that this spectacle must have continued for a thousand years, even Blanc couldn't help but open his mouth.
“I will guide you to the Chieftain!”
The dwarf guiding them reminded the party, who couldn't get a grip on themselves, of their goal.
“Get on!”
However, at the place his fingertip pointed, the accursed mine cart was waiting, so.
“Just a little more to go.”
“Didn't I say not to say the words ‘just a little more’?”
It was a difficulty they had to pass inevitably to move quickly in a place larger than Norington.
***
Fortunately, this mine cart was running on flat ground at a moderate speed unlike the mine cart they rode down from the entrance earlier.
Moving without help from the slope seemed to stimulate Franz’s curiosity, but Blanc was just preparing for the meeting with the Chieftain to come.
However, beside Blanc and the party calming their minds slowly, short dwarves were moving busily.
The dwarf guiding the party asked seeing that appearance.
“Where are you all going?”
“Tunnel 47 is breached!”
“The Black Forest bastard came in following the passage again!”
‘Black Forest?’
Blanc opened his closed eyes wide as the name of the place he targeted was heard.
“Could you tell us in detail…….”
Blanc wanted to call the busily moving dwarf and ask for detailed circumstances, but dwarves with the race’s peculiar hasty temper had already disappeared quickly following the rail riding the scattered mine carts.
Looking at the backs of dwarves disappearing swiftly, Blanc asked.
“……Would it be rude to the Chieftain if we go first to the place called Tunnel 47?”
Hearing Blanc’s words, the dwarf answered laughing.
“Rather, you will be able to meet the Chieftain quickly if you go there.”
“Then let’s go.”
As if waiting for Blanc’s words, the dwarf pulled the mine cart’s lever skillfully and increased speed.
“Something is stuck here! Is this a magic stone?”
Franz barely revealed the secret of the mine cart a little only now, but the mine cart didn't easily allow his observation.
The mine cart rushing at high speed.
“I will crush those bastards’ heads this time!”
“I was off duty today! I was going to pound a cool beer!”
Other mine carts with dwarves riding began to stick slowly to the front and back of the mine cart the party rode.
‘They are joining quickly using mine carts.’
Brotswav, the haven and work place of dwarves.
Rails were laid wherever dwarves’ hands touched, and through them, dwarves could move here and there in Brotswav quickly.
“If we follow Tunnel 12 and pass through Tunnel 59, we will reach Tunnel 47.”
The guiding dwarf said something, but it only sounded to Blanc like words saying the destination wasn't far.
CLANG-! CLANG-!
“……!”
Sounds of dwarves screaming along with loud noises were heard from the front.
“It is ringing loud.”
Dwarves boasting tremendous volume compared to their small physique.
Their voices were echoing through the passage and reaching where Blanc’s party was.
“Prepare for battle, everyone.”
Blanc felt urgency in the echoing dwarves’ voices and quietly put his hand on his sword.
“It is Tunnel 47.”
As soon as the dwarf’s words ended, the mine cart exiting the passage was moving down following the rail attached to the ceiling.
Because of that, the party could naturally look down from above and have a wide field of view.
What was seen to them was.
“Death Worm?”
It was the appearance of a giant earthworm that seemed to fill a whole tunnel and numerous dwarves clinging to it.
Dwarves’ urgent and loud voices were starting from there.
“Death Worm!”
“It looks like a guy at least a hundred years old.”
While the party analyzed the situation looking at the Death Worm’s appearance, Blanc closed one eye and opened his Mental World.
At the same time, Blanc looking down hanging one foot on the mine cart.
White Thunderbolt began to form on his sword.
“Follow slowly.”
The moment the mine cart the party rode came down following the rail and passed the giant Death Worm’s head.
Shining white lightning fell from the mine cart and struck down on the Death Worm at high speed.
“……!”
The Death Worm, whose eyes had degenerated from piercing through dark tunnels, could not see the white lightning striking down above its head but could feel that huge momentum.
The Death Worm detached the dwarves clinging to itself and twisted its body fiercely, but.
“My world shall burn white!”
It couldn't escape from Blanc who already captured the target.
All dwarves present were watching the thunderbolt falling with loud light.
No gem in Brotswav could be more intense than the thunderbolt shining white right now, like a shooting star.
“Heup!”
Blanc struck down the Death Worm strongly using even the falling force of gravity.
CLANG-!
However, Blanc’s strike bounced up along with a loud metallic sound.
Only a small mark remained where Aselheit’s sword touched.
‘……What the!’
It was a Death Worm possessing a stronger outer skin than any opponent Blanc had dealt with so far.
It was so hard that sparks flew up as if iron met iron the moment it encountered Blanc’s sword.
However.
‘There is no way a Death Worm’s outer skin is this hard!’
Even searching the memories of the last life, the monster called Death Worm was not an existence possessing an outer skin hard enough to block Blanc’s strike.
Numerous thoughts came to mind, but the senses learned through training were faithfully taking a posture for the next preparation.
KRAAAAA!
The Death Worm, really pissed off from being attacked, opened its mouth wide as if it was its turn this time and was charging toward Blanc.
“Move!”
At that moment, there was an axe rushing in blocking Blanc’s front.
It was a huge axe.
It was an axe with a body larger than the dwarf holding that axe right now, but.
“Huaaaap!”
The dwarf wearing a horned helmet handled the axe larger than his body skillfully and swung the axe from bottom to top, striking up the Death Worm’s jaw refreshingly.
POOOOF-!
KIEEEEE!
Along with a sound like something bursting, the scream the Death Worm spat out echoed fully in the tunnel.
Along with a hitting sound completely different from when Blanc attacked, the Death Worm’s huge body soared high into the sky.
“Damn hard bastard!”
The dwarf who appeared suddenly pressed his helmet deep and spat on his palm.
A dwarf holding an axe larger than any dwarf in the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range.
Blanc could know.
That he was the Chieftain of Brotswav.
“If I don't kill that bastard today, I'll change my family name!”
The huge axe soared above the short dwarf’s head.
“Well…….”
There are a few nicknames meaning the Chieftain of the Dwarf Union.
Ruler of the Neyanpalgar Mountain Range.
Largest Axe.
Blanc felt he finally knew why the dwarves’ Chieftain was called the Largest Axe among them.
Blanc’s eyes looking at the Chieftain began to grow larger.
Because only then could he capture the axe the Chieftain held in one glance.
The axe he held began to grow larger.
Endlessly, endlessly.
Hard to capture in two eyes.