[On the underground dwarves searching for the heart of the mountain.]
Do you know the animal called a beaver?
Surprisingly, these mere animals spend their lives building dams.
They interweave branches to make dams in rivers, not because anyone told them to, but out of instinct.
There’s probably no long-winded reason why these animals build dams.
The underground dwarves digging the earth is similar.
They want to mine precious minerals and refine them to make even greater things.
I judge that the driving force behind dwarves digging deeper into the earth is not much different from that of beavers.
In that sense, the ‘heart of the mountain’ is similar to the beaver’s ‘perfect dam’
Dwarves dig deep into the earth, saying they will find something called the heart of the mountain.
Often, they encounter massive lava zones in those deep underground areas.
Dwarves believe there is a perfect and pure flame in those lava zones.
What they sometimes call the essence of flame, the ‘fire essence’.
The legend says that with it, all metals in the world can be melted and refined, and when it’s solidified and cooled, it becomes the best metal.
But whether it really exists is debatable.
If there really is a ‘heart of the mountain’, why can’t we see things made from it?
In fact, the heart of the mountain might just be a legend of fire-obsessed dwarves.
Once bewitched by fire, dwarves dig deeper and deeper into the lava zone.
In the end, they burn and sicken in the intense heat, agitate the lava vein, and the entire mine is engulfed in flames, that would be the miserable end of a fire-bewitched mine…
==
“It’s not just lava.”
Blue Beard said.
His voice was cracked from the hot and dry air.
“I’m not an idiot, I can distinguish between lava and the heart of the mountain.”
When I asked as Pelerian told me to, that’s what he replied.
“The purest fire is in the lava lake down there. If we dig deeper, we’ll surely unearth the heart of the mountain.”
What do you intend to do after finding this heart of the mountain?
When I asked that, Blue Beard gave me a look as if he couldn’t understand my lack of comprehension.
“We can do anything. We’ll take it to the surface. A kingdom of dwarves will be born.”
Come to think of it, dwarves are also a race without a kingdom.
At least elves have strongholds like the Great Forest and the World Tree, but dwarves are scattered all over the world.
“We’ll move the heart of the mountain to the surface and create a massive furnace. Dwarves from all over the continent will gather. To see the primordial forge.”
It seems it’s not just digging because they like it.
Blue Beard had ambitions too.
‘The primordial forge?’
“I mean the legendary forge where all metals in the world can be melted and refined with the fire essence.”
I thought he’d be burning with madness since they said he was fire-bewitched, but Blue Beard was calmer than expected.
Of course, the ambition to establish a kingdom was by no means modest.
To think there was another king-disease patient here, when we already have Nanaluk who wants to establish a goblin kingdom.
“I don’t intend to become king. I’ll just excavate the heart of the mountain and step down. That’s my calling.”
If that’s true, then he’s not a king-disease patient.
Though his mind might change when the time comes.
Eventually, I reached the center of the deepest part.
There was a circular cliff like a huge well, and a lava lake could be seen far below.
“The heart of the mountain is in there.”
It’s incredibly hot.
「Your heat resistance proficiency is rapidly increasing.」
Even the cloth soaked in cooling water is getting hot.
Just being nearby feels life-threatening.
“This is why we need celestium. Most metals would melt the moment they go down there.”
Blue Beard said he made chains and buckets with celestium, and used the rest to make hammers and such.
“I’ll show you how to extract some of the fire essence. You need to see the potential that the heart of the mountain holds.”
After having his subordinates hold the iron chains, Blue Beard threw the bucket down there.
The bucket fell onto the lava lake.
Of course, instead of sinking, it floated.
How does he intend to scoop up the heart of the mountain?
But, that lava lake just looks like ordinary lava.
Just as I thought that, Blue Beard seemed to sense my inner thoughts and said.
“Look closely. That’s just lava. The heart of the mountain is inside it.”
The atmosphere I sense from his voice is somewhat ominous.
I became a bit wary, worried he might suddenly push me off.
“You have to watch carefully, it’ll be very brief.”
“Saaak.”
Alright, just don’t come close.
Pelerian also stood beside me and carefully looked down.
“What on earth is supposed to be there?”
Seeing nothing, I turned back to Blue Beard.
He was embracing the old dwarf called Jeremiah.
What is he doing?
“You’ve worked hard, Jeremiah.”
“This old and sick body. It’s a joy to be used like this. Cough.”
Blue Beard didn’t mind even as blood from Jeremiah’s mouth stained him.
“Let me help you.”
“If you would…”
Jeremiah walked step by step and stood in front of the cliff.
And then an unbelievable thing happened.
Blue Beard pushed that sick dwarf without hesitation.
The fall wasn’t long.
Without even a splash, the dwarf’s body was swallowed by the bright red lava.
Hiss!
Smoke rose from that spot.
‘W-what are you doing!’
I screamed in surprise.
But the dwarves didn’t.
They approached the edge of the cliff and looked down, as if waiting for the appearance of something rare.
Whoosh!
An orange flame shot up from the surface of the lava lake.
It was clearly something different from lava.
It was as if a hellish monster was flicking its tongue.
That light bursting forth reflected in the dwarves’ eyes.
No one spoke.
They just stared at the dance of that flame with dazed expressions.
Blue Beard finally broke the silence.
“Isn’t it… beautiful?”
His voice was choked with tears.
“Look at that flame. It’s the purest flame in the world…”
Beautiful…?
Not at all.
Not beautiful at all. To my eyes, it just looked like a flame.
“He’s mad, fire-bewitched indeed.”
Pelerian clicked his tongue.
Blue Beard, who had seemed sane until now, now looked truly insane.
I finally understood what fire-bewitchment meant.
“But, it is indeed a beautiful flame ·…·····.”
But Pelerian’s voice sounded a bit strange too.
He was staring at the continuing dance of flames with a blank expression.
What’s so beautiful about it?
No matter how closely I looked, I couldn’t feel any such sentiment.
It was then.
That I heard a message I’d heard a few times before.
「Due to the trait ‘Indomitable’, you are immune to mental attacks.」
Ah.
I see.
Now I understand.
‘That’s a bewitching fire.’
It’s not that they’re bewitched because they’re dwarves.
Whatever is below that lava lake was a flame with real danger.
“Saaak!”
“Huh, you startled me, w-what is it!”
The negotiation is over.
To think they plotted to bewitch even me.
Give me back my celestium sword right now.
Blue Beard clicked his tongue.
“To not understand that beauty even after seeing it directly. You’re just a lowly creature.”
Lowly creature.
That’s the word I hate the most.
“Catch that snake and throw it down!”
Blue Beard revealed his true colors.
I didn’t hesitate and tried to write the keyword with my notebook and pen.
Hiss!
But the pen’s ink bubbled and caked.
The notebook turned yellow and finally caught fire.
“Got you!”
In the meantime, one of the dwarves pounced on me.
It doesn’t matter if the pen and paper disappear.
I can use another pen and paper.
“Ugh!”
I tied up the ankle of the charging dwarf and made him fall flat.
On top of the fallen dwarf’s buttocks, I pulled out the dagger Ashura and swung it.
Chik, chiiik- chik!
“Aagh!”
The dwarf screamed in searing pain.
Letters were engraved on his bottom.
Blue Beard read those letters too.
What a fool, it wouldn’t have worked if he had kept his eyes closed.
“Ugh!”
Blue Beard’s body froze stiff.
A punitive runic word, demanding the price for breach of contract.
I shouted it once more in my mind.
‘Barus!’
