“What nonsense are you spouting? After pulling such a stunt. Seems like you’ve got flames instead of brains in your head. Should I make a hole to let out some pressure?”
Rozena twirled the wooden pillow in her hand.
For any dwarf who knew her strength, this was not a statement that could be taken as a joke.
“Step aside, Rozena. This is an order from the Mine Lord.”
Blue Beard Genzero spoke coldly.
“Do you think you’re the king?”
“But I am the master of this mine.”
The Mine Lord of the dwarves is not a king.
Due to their racial characteristics, dwarves do not absolutely obey or pledge loyalty to the Mine Lord.
It’s different from humans.
However, residents of the mine have an obligation to follow the orders given by the Mine Lord.
Rozena knew this well.
“I’m sorry, but this is my workshop. And a Meister has the right to drive out intruders in their own workshop.”
She spoke while tapping the wooden pillow.
“Are you saying you’re working right now?”
“Yes, I was in the middle of completing my final collection.”
On her workbench, there was indeed an unfinished necklace.
The thousandth collection, the Sun’s Necklace.
“You will never complete that collection.”
Blue Beard didn’t back down either.
For a moment, their gazes clashed in mid-air.
Rozena looked into Blue Beard’s eyes.
Deep-set, pitch-black eyes.
She couldn’t see those clear eyes from before.
It had been a very long time since she had directly faced Blue Beard.
It must have been over 5 years already.
But in that time, Blue Beard had changed so much.
So the snake was telling the truth, she thought. He’s truly entranced by the fire.
Unavoidably, a sticky and damp emotion swept through Rozena’s heart.
It was an illusion, a delusion.
Weren’t they once in love? Although they had grown old and changed so much…
“Draw your weapons. Meister Rozena has refused the Mine Lord’s order.”
At that moment, Blue Beard ordered his subordinates.
They were dwarves who followed him as the Mine Lord’s closest aides, but for a moment, they looked at their lord in confusion.
“Can’t you hear? Draw your weapons and subdue Meister Rozena.”
Maces, war hammers, battle axes.
Unlike other dwarves, Blue Beard’s close aides carried such weapons.
“If it’s not convenient, you may kill her.”
Blue Beard’s order fell.
“Ha.”
Rozena laughed.
And her face contorted like a ferocious demon.
Drawing weapons.
Among dwarves of the same mine, this was unimaginable.
The dwarves who had drawn their war hammers and axes approached Rozena stealthily.
The look in their eyes was also unusual.
Rozena realized that Blue Beard wasn’t the only dwarf entranced by the flames.
“Hup!”
An axe came flying.
It was a strike with sufficient killing intent.
If that’s the case, there’s no choice.
Rozena moved like lightning as well.
She struck the dwarf’s crown with the wooden pillow in her hand.
Crack!
The wooden pillow shattered, and the dwarf who had been swinging the axe fell face-first, spewing a nosebleed.
In an instant, the other dwarves who were about to charge hesitated.
Rozena’s fighting spirit was that terrifying.
“Genzero.”
Rozena was smiling, but a single tear rolled down from her eye.
“This is the last tear I’ll shed for you.”
“…”
Blue Beard silently drew his axe.
“Attack all at once. Don’t let your guard down!”
And the battle began.
Rozena was indeed the strongest dwarf in the Red Anvil Mine.
Although it had been a long time since she had been on the battlefield, her martial prowess remained.
Despite being barehanded after her wooden pillow broke, she subdued two dwarves in an instant.
But she didn’t use lethal force.
The other dwarves, however, charged at Rozena with the intent to kill.
Especially Blue Beard, who was strong enough to be a match for Rozena.
Gradually, wounds increased on her body.
The mace that struck her leg was critical.
Crack!
With a spine-chilling noise, Rozena’s body staggered.
That was the deciding factor in the battle.
The sturdy hands of the dwarves pounced on Rozena.
She was restrained in an instant.
“Phew…”
Blue Beard exhaled.
He ordered one of his subordinates.
“Gamin, bring the essence of the flame.”
“Yes!”
And Blue Beard stood silently next to Rozena.
He remained motionless even as Rozena hurled harsh curses at him.
The dwarf who had gone back to the depths returned.
For a moment, Rozena felt the air in the room heat up intensely.
An orange flame flickered, casting shadows.
“Rozena, you said I was talking nonsense. You laughed at the idea of finding the heart of the mountain.”
“Idiot.”
“See for yourself. The essence of the flame I’ve found.”
Blue Beard pressed his knee against Rozena’s back and forcibly lifted her head.
In front of her face was a torch.
A beautiful, abnormally orange flame that writhed like a living creature.
“Look.”
Blue Beard’s voice hissed like a snake’s whisper.
Rozena’s pupils dilated.
Truly, it was a flame that exuded a demonic aura.
As if it could melt anything, like a devil licking its lips…
Crunch.
Rozena bit the inside of her cheek.
The taste of blood and pain snapped her back to her senses.
“Ptui!”
She spat out flesh and blood, and tightly shut her eyes.
“Tsk.”
Blue Beard roughly released her head.
As her face hit the ground, Rozena thought.
She should have taken up arms.
She should have faced them armed.
‘Pure flame, the heart of the mountain?’
It wasn’t that.
Instinctively, she noticed the malevolence of that flame.
Where was the fate of the Red Anvil Mine heading…
Blue Beard had dug up something evil from the earth.
==
“I suspect it might be related to demons.”
That was Pelerian’s analysis.
“There’s something called a fire demon. It’s a type of demon.”
‘Aren’t demons originally horned monsters with black or red skin?’
“Not necessarily. Demons are countless in variety and have no fixed form. There are also amorphous demons that are closer to natural phenomena.”
It seemed that demons actually existed in this world.
I had met someone who claimed to be a demon’s minion before.
When I entered Deshnan’s house, it suddenly entered my mind and came out with my mucus.
“If one’s soul has already been taken by a demon, the magic of a contract that held the soul as collateral might not work.”
That was the basis of Pelerian’s judgment.
Originally, we could have controlled Blue Beard as a puppet for violating the contract.
But Blue Beard had broken free from the influence of the magic too easily.
‘So what does that demon want to do by entrancing the dwarves?’
“Once involved with demons, there’s only destruction.”
Pelerian spoke in a serious tone.
It seems demons are bad guys in this world too.
Actually, I had thought about the possibility that demons might unexpectedly be good.
Why not? Among the monsters feared by humans, there are some good ones.
Like Mrs. Gorilla, a kind-hearted monster, couldn’t there be nice demons too?
“That’s quite a foolish thought.”
Pelerian stated firmly.
“Demons come in various types, but they all crave blood and souls alike. In the end, their goal is probably to enthrall the other dwarves and burn all the dwarves in this mine to death.”
I remembered the scene of Blue Beard pushing that old and sick dwarf into the lava lake.
If that’s the case, it’s a big problem.
‘Then who’s going to make my Celestium sword?’
I still haven’t recovered about half of the Celestium.
Moreover, only dwarves can refine Celestium, and only master-level Meisters at that.
If I miss this chance, who knows when I’ll be able to get a Celestium sword.
“That’s true.”
Blue Beard, no, that curly beard was very displeasing.
I immediately went to find Dunkel, as Rozena had advised.
