CH 123

Chapter 123 – Back in the Caves!

Once the incident with the Temple Knights Order had been settled, I got to work, crafting tools and weapons for Varthburg.

We also traded some of the shell meat from the sea for horses and donkeys. And then on the following day, we returned to the village.

After that, the next few days in Fendel were very peaceful.

Even the trade with the elf village and the Kappa island was going smoothly, with goods being transported through the river. And while boars and Hell Alligators would sometimes attack the boats, our weapons were more than enough to drive them away.

As for the Demon King Army, they showed no signs of movement. Both the east and south were eerily quiet.

In the meantime, I started making glass windows for the houses.

“Fuuu… It fogged up.”

Melk muttered as she breathed on the glass panels.

“It’s like solid water…how strange.”

Iria also said as she stared hard at the glass cup that was on the table.

I had also made a few other glass items, not just panels. Mostly, they were tableware, but I also made a portable lamp.

Also, I taught the others how to make glass, so the demihumans were also making things.

The days that passed by were incredibly peaceful.

However, suddenly, an imposing carriage that was covered in iron plates appeared from the east.

“What is that? Ah, it came from the dwarven caves.”

The carriage was being driven by Ymir the dwarf.

She was waving her hand at me.

“Joshua, good morning!”

“Morning, Ymir. What brings you here? And what is this carriage?”

“I brought you the bombs that you asked for.”

“Oh, those ones…”

The exploding balls that had burned up the kraken back on White Sand Island.

We decided to call them ‘bombs.’

And I had asked the dwarves to make about fifty of them for self defense.

“As they are highly dangerous when they explode, I had to bring them in a purple iron carriage!”

“I see. Indeed, it would be best to deliver them in very durable boxes.”

Later, we would share some with the elves and Kappas. So I would have to make smaller, strong boxes for that.

Bombs were very powerful weapons.

And so it would be easier for the Kappas and elves to defend their homes.

“Thank you, Ymir. Please tell the dwarves how grateful we are.”

“And thank you, for always sending us such delicious fish. Ah, by the way, Joshua. There is one thing that has been troubling us.”

“Troubling you?”

“Yes. As we continued to dig in the cave, we started to hear some strange noises. And though we all dig with weapons on our belts, it is so eerie that we have not been able to dig much recently.”

“Huh. A strange noise.”

Even in human society, I had often heard stories about people hearing strange noises in caves and tunnels. And the deeper you dug, the louder the sounds became.

And it’s not like you could just wear ear plugs…

“In that case, I think that I better go and have a look. Besides, I also want to check out the quarry dungeon.”

Ymir’s face frightened when she heard this.

“We would be very grateful! You should also stay the night. We have prepared a room for you.”

And so like this, it was decided that we would pay the dwarven caves a visit.

We got into the carriage, crossed the bridge, and headed east.

There was a road paved with stone that stretched straight towards the caves.

This was the work of the dwarves and Golems.

And thanks to it, the carriage ride was very smooth.

After riding for some time, I saw the quarry on our left side.

That was where we had found a dungeon. It was temporarily closed.

However, nothing has come out of it since.

So it was probably safe to look inside once again.

Just then Melk muttered from the passenger seat,

“How are the dwarves living now?”

“I suppose they live and sleep in the caves. They dig and make new rooms.”

I myself had not been there in a while, so I didn’t really know what their home looked like now.

However, considering the vast quantities of ore and metals they would bring, it was clear that they had dug quite deep underground.

Eventually, the foot of the mountain, with the dwarven cave, came into view.

At a glance, it seemed like nothing had changed.

But…

“There is something like a gate.”

Melk said as she saw the giant gates that sparkled with a golden color.

“That’s…the cave?”

The entrance to the cave looked more like the entrance to some kind of royal palace.