Chapter 73

“What is this? How… How is this even possible…?”

The dwarf’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared intently at the ring. He knew it couldn’t be true, yet the fervor in his gaze was so intense that I half-wondered if he was worried the ring would wear down under his scrutiny.

All traces of worry about his lost Dragon Orb had long vanished from his excited expression.

‘These dwarves, I swear…’

With the exception of a few eccentrics, nearly all dwarves are devoted to creating excellent items with utmost passion and dedication. They take pride in their craftsmanship, but they aren’t so arrogant as to not recognize superior work when they see it.

It’s said that they used to be that way in the distant past, but I wouldn’t know about that.

Naturally, it’s rare to come across an item that can satisfy their discerning eyes. Even if they casually hammer something together, it ends up being superior to what most blacksmiths can create. How could anything mediocre catch their attention?

So, the dwarf’s reaction right now was proof that the ring I was wearing was far from ordinary.

“Can’t you just take it off and show him? …He’s asking if you could,” Da-eun translated for me.

“No.”

I flatly turned down the dwarf’s request.

“With a piece like this, I understand why you’d be so attached to it.”

The dwarf looked disappointed but accepted my refusal without further argument.

But the confusion wasn’t over.

“Why not just take it off and show it to him? It’s not like he could steal it or anything. Isn’t it more uncomfortable to keep holding out your hand like that for so long?”

Da-eun’s question was reasonable. It would definitely be easier to just take the ring off and let him examine it, rather than holding my hand out for several minutes.

Not to mention, his excited breathing tickled the back of my hand now and then as he peered at the ring, almost like he was about to bury himself into it.

“Is it that precious to you?”

“Precious…? I don’t know about that, but it’s definitely valuable.”

After all, it was crafted by a dragon and was once considered a national treasure.

Well, considering that the Grasis Kingdom is no longer around, I guess ‘once was a national treasure’ would be more accurate.

“H-hieeek…”

Hearing my explanation, Da-eun, who had been looking at the ring like it was just a pretty piece of jewelry, suddenly recoiled in shock.

“Th-this is that national treasure?”

“Yeah. Didn’t I mention it?”

“No! I just thought it was a pretty ring….”

Muttering in disbelief, Da-eun looked at me as if I were some kind of alien being.

“So that’s why it felt weird to see you wearing it. If it’s such a valuable ring, then I suppose it makes sense not to take it off.”

“It’s not that I won’t take it off—it’s that I can’t.”

If I do, something strange might come for me.

Those damn snakes are such a problem.

“Is this made from the Dragon Orb? But something feels… off.”

“Stop looking at it.”

“W-wait…! Please, just a little longer…!”

I ignored the dwarf as he reached out desperately.

If I left him to it, I knew he’d be staring at it for days without a break.

“You’ve seen enough. Let’s talk business now.”

I hadn’t shown him the ring to entertain him or to expand his appreciation for craftsmanship—I did it to draw his interest and make our conversation easier.

Haven’t you heard the saying, “Liking free things will make you go bald”?

The dwarf jerked back in shock, brushing a hand over his hair.

It seems that even dwarves, who are more obsessed with their beards than anything else, fear the idea of going bald.

***

“…So, that’s what happened.”

Hmm… Let me get this straight.

“So, you told your apprentice to bring back the item yesterday, didn’t tell anyone else about it, and this morning, when you woke up, the Dragon Orb was gone… Is that correct?”

“Yeah. That’s what it looks like.”

“So where is this apprentice now?”

“I sent him up the mountain to fetch some tools needed for the job. I got an idea for a project, so I went to open the box and found it empty.”

“Hmm…”

That’s everything the dwarf told us.

Just from what I heard, there isn’t much to go on.

I was tilting my head thoughtfully when Da-eun whispered quietly in my ear.

“Hey, doesn’t this apprentice sound suspicious? He’s the only one who knew about the Dragon Orb, right? And they realized it was gone only after he left for his errand.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely suspicious, but…”

Is the apprentice really the culprit?

If he were someone driven by greed, he wouldn’t have delivered the Dragon Orb to his master in the first place. Even if he didn’t know it was a Dragon Orb, it’s hard to believe that he wouldn’t have at least opened the box to check it.

While it’s true that the apprentice is the most likely suspect, there’s still not enough evidence to draw any conclusions.

Moreover, it’s strange for us, as outsiders, to suspect him when his own master, who knows him better, doesn’t.

“Ah… That’s true. So, what should we do now?”

“Let’s just wait until the apprentice comes back.”

Even if he’s not the culprit, he’s the closest person to the victim and may have noticed something suspicious.

With no other clues to go on, we had no choice but to wait.

“When do you think he’ll be back?”

“He left early in the morning, so he should return in a few hours.”

While waiting for the apprentice, we engaged in some casual small talk, like learning each other’s names.

It was then that I found out the dwarf’s name was Brondin.

“Why are you helping me?”

“After seeing you panic over losing something as valuable as a Dragon Orb, I got curious. And maybe if I help, I’ll get a little something out of it too?”

“…We dwarves are known for appreciating honesty, but isn’t that a bit too straightforward? Well, if you do find it, I won’t be stingy with the reward… though, unfortunately, I’m broke right now.”

We also talked about this and that.

“You want to know about me? I craft weapons, armor, tools, devices, magical items… A little bit of everything.”

“Wow… You can make all those things? That’s amazing!”

“E-Ehem! W-well, it’s not that impressive… This is something I made last year. What do you think? Interested?”

“Ooh…! It’s amazing!”

I also took a look at some of the things he’d made.

Every time Da-eun let out a gasp of admiration, a wide smile spread across Brondin’s rough face.

For a dwarf who takes great pride in his craft, Da-eun’s honest compliments were probably more pleasing than any other praise.

Thanks to that, Brondin’s mood softened considerably, so I had no complaints.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long.

“….”

“Kana?”

I turned my head towards the presence I felt approaching from outside.

Among the countless presences moving around outside, one was headed straight for this workshop.

Soon, the door to the workshop opened, and a young man walked in—

“Master, I’m back— …Huh?”

“…!”

The moment his eyes met mine, as I was lowering my hood, he froze in his tracks, his foot still on the threshold.

The sunlight spilling through the door shattered against the youth’s muscular upper body and handsome face.

Seeing the young man, who must have surely captivated the hearts of many women, I couldn’t help but think:

‘…Why is he shirtless?’

Did he really want to show off his body that badly?

Objectively speaking, he did have a good physique, but I had no interest in seeing a man’s bare chest. To me, it was nothing but an assault on my eyes.

I quickly averted my gaze from the gruesome sight that was steadily degrading my vision.

“…Why are you here?”

“I should be the one asking you that….”

Creeaak. Thud.

The young man, revealing his shock without hiding it, finally stepped inside the workshop after my reply.

Ignoring the surprised gazes of Brondin and Da-eun, he set down the tools he’d been carrying.

“So, you are the apprentice Brondin mentioned?”

“Did he really say that? Hah. He always used to boast that he’s not my master and he’s only showing me a few things, acting all high and mighty… But look at him now, huh? Anyway, your tone hasn’t changed a bit.”

“What’s wrong with my tone?”

I frowned slightly at his sudden criticism of my manner of speech.

“If anything, your tone is just as strange.”

While others pretended to be dignified and reserved, he always spoke in a friendly tone as if talking to a close friend.

There was nothing particularly odd about his tone, but it definitely didn’t match his status.

He grinned, ignoring my words completely.

“Anyway, it’s good to see you again, Canaria. Ah, do you still hate being called that?”

“…I don’t really feel that happy to see you.”

“That’s harsh.”

“It really is a strange feeling seeing the face of someone I thought was definitely dead.”

Da-eun crept closer and cautiously asked.

“…Do you know him?”

“Oh, an Apostle who speaks Granic. This is quite fascinating! Nice to meet you!”

“Uh, um… It’s nice to meet you too?”

The young man approached Da-eun with sudden familiarity, and she responded hesitantly.

Da-eun, when it comes to sociability, usually wouldn’t lose out to anyone. But his social skills seemed to surpass even hers.

“….”

Or is it because of something else?

I didn’t miss the fact that Da-eun’s face was turning a shade of red, and her gaze kept darting to the young man’s exposed torso.

“So that’s the type you like.”

“?! N-no, that’s not it! It’s just… unusual to see someone walking around half-naked, so I looked without thinking!”

“It’s okay. I get it. I support you.”

“No, it’s really not like that!”

For me, even though I have a body like this, I’m not really a woman at heart, so seeing something like that doesn’t do anything for me.

But I can understand why Da-eun might feel that way, given she’s at that age.

“…I know you’re not interested in such things, but hearing you say that still kind of hurts.”

“…Hmph.”

“…?”

The young man gave a wry smile, while Da-eun seemed puzzled.

And in that moment, I broke the silence and spoke disapprovingly.

“Talking about yourself like that, huh?”

“Actually, I’ve grown used to getting hurt like this. So, what do you think?”

“What do I think of what?”

“My body, of course. I think it’s pretty much perfect. What do you think?”

The young man twisted and turned his body.

He bent his arms and twisted his waist, and every time he moved, his muscles seemed to writhe like a living creature.

I looked at the confident young man’s face and bluntly said:

“Disgusting.”

“….”

“I don’t understand why you’re walking around half-naked.”

“Th-that’s….”

“It’s weird. Unsightly. Stupid. You look like an idiot.”

“S-stop…! I’m sorry, okay? Please stop….”

Beaten down by a relentless barrage of verbal attacks, the young man staggered, battered and bruised.

Who told him to go around shirtless for no reason?

I snorted dismissively.

“…I have no idea what’s going on here.”

Brondin muttered in bewilderment, still unable to grasp the situation.

After things calmed down a bit, the young man, who had somehow managed to find and put on a shirt from somewhere, sat down with us in a circle on the workshop floor.

Although he was dressed, the clothes he had managed to find were much smaller than his build, making it look like they might rip at any moment.

Among the four of us, who were cautiously observing each other, it was Da-eun who broke the ice first.

“I’m Joanie. I’ve been traveling with Kana. As you might have guessed, I’m an Apostle of Lady Edel.”

“…You’ve been traveling with that girl? That must be quite the ordeal, huh?”

“…Don’t say pointless things.”

“Pointless? I bet that friend of yours, Joanie, would agree with me.”

“A-ahaha… It hasn’t been that tough, really.”

It should have been tough, though…

Thinking that, I shot a skeptical look at his leg and kicked it.

“Ow! Geez, a girl kicking so unreasonably hard…!”

“…But you must have known Kana for a long time too, right? Does that mean you’re from Grasis?”

“What, did Kana even tell you things like that? Wow… she’s really mellowed out.”

“…Want to get kicked again?”

“Um, I’ll politely decline.”

When I lifted my leg slightly, he recoiled.

Clearing his throat with a cough, he then began to speak.

“You’re right. As you guessed, I’m from Grasis, born and raised. I guess you could say I’m an old friend of Kana’s.”

“Old friend, my foot.”

“Well, I suppose it’s time I introduce myself properly.” Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

He abruptly stood up and gave a deep bow with his arms crossed.

It was an overly exaggerated, yet somehow elegant and dignified greeting.

Da-eun, overwhelmed by the near-perfect gesture, clapped her hands in awe.

Smiling brightly at her, he spoke:

“Nice to meet you. My name is Ashié Grasis.”

I was once the prince of Grasis.