Chapter 211

“I am Morus.”

“This one is Prielder.”

I thought the Dwarves had multiplied, but that wasn’t it. No, well—since their number had increased, maybe it was similar in a way? In any case, it meant they hadn’t multiplied through something like bacterial self-replication.

In other words, they were different individuals.

The Dwarf we met before, named ‘Hans,’ was standing in a corner with his arms crossed, glaring at us with a sullen expression. Miyu was no different.

“Um… why is that girl looking at us like we’re thieves who stole her parents’ beer?”

“Don’t mind her.”

From behind me, Miyu poked out half her face, grinding her teeth. I thought I heard her mutter, “Dwarves… I’ll dismantle them…” but I decided to ignore it.

There’s no way our sweet and adorable Miyu would do such a thing. It must’ve been a hallucination. Definitely.

“I’m called Aaron Stingray.”

“Alrighty. What brings you here?”

“I came to speak to that Dwarf over there named ‘Hans.’ I have something I’d like to ask him.”

“Hans?”

At my words, Morus and Prielder tilted their heads, then burst into hearty laughter as if they had swallowed a train whistle.

“Puhahahaha! Hans! Hahaha! Did you say Hans?”

“What’s so funny?”

“That guy’s real name isn’t ‘Hans.’ That’s just a name he gave himself because he wants to be like humans.”

“That rascal left the village and opened a forge out here without even the village chief’s permission. We came to take him back for breaking the rules and leaving the village.”

“What impeccable timing for a visitor to arrive.”

Kuhuhuhu!

The two Dwarves laughed heartily.

Impeccable timing, they said. But to me, it felt like the timing reeked of someone’s intention. It looked like that one wanted me to do something again. If so, at least throw me some Point rewards.

“Why the long face, Mr. Chairman?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Unfortunately, the Author didn’t respond this time. Well, maybe I was being too greedy.

“So, what kind of request brought you here?”

“Hmm.”

No harm in telling them.

I explained the Lv.6 modules I had recently acquired. I told them that with current human technology, we had no idea how to deal with them.

“Could we take a look at the items?”

Apparently piqued by their craftsman curiosity, the Dwarves asked. Even Hans, who had been squatting silently in the corner, was sneaking glances this way.

These guys are so short that whether they sit or stand, their height’s almost the same—it’s hard to tell.

Anyway, I showed them the newly enhanced modules and the fleshy mass of ‘Omega.’ For reference, Omega’s corpse was still trying to regenerate like cancer cells, so we had to inject it with poison periodically to keep its size in check.

“Oooh! This is—!”

“Well now, how astonishing.”

The Dwarves were shocked upon seeing the items I laid out. They hadn’t even connected it to a computer, yet they seemed to see something in them.

“Humans use things like this as weapons? How curious.”

“Crude, yet sophisticated. A truly exquisite combination. Like a delicate woman clad in iron armor.”

“And despite being made by humans, it’s nearly touching the ‘River.’ I can’t believe something like this is considered on par with a ‘Relic.’”

“And what is this mass of flesh? Hm? An android, you say? You made an actual human? Huh. This is more akin to a primordial being than you humans…”

The Dwarves mumbled among themselves, examining the items from every angle. Before I knew it, even ‘Hans’ had joined in, peeking over their shoulders.

“Well now, this is fascinating.”

“So basically, you’re asking us to help you absorb this flesh in order to use this ‘Relic,’ correct?”

“To summarize, yes.”

I nodded.

“Is it possible?”

“It’s possible, but…”

Hmm.

The Dwarves exchanged troubled looks.

“Humans are not our enemies.”

“True, you gave us beer earlier, so we know you’re not bad humans.”

“And it was quite a good beer, too.”

“Indeed. It reminded me of the brew from old man Soryon’s brewery.”

“No, it was more like what you made, Dalifus.”

“No no, the hop aroma was much stronger than that. There was a faint fruitiness at the end, and judging by the carbonation, it must’ve been aged at room temperature…”

“Ahem.”

Enough with the beer talk, you lunatics.

I cleared my throat to redirect their attention to me.

“I will provide compensation.”

“You’ll give us beer!?”

“…I said compensation. But if beer is what you want, then so be it. Would twenty drums be enough?”

“Hey now, that’s barely enough for a baby’s daily ration! Who are you trying to fool!”

“Dwarves feed beer to their babies…”

Next to me, Iri muttered in disbelief. I was a bit appalled too, but the Dwarves looked proud of it.

“Of course! If you saw how cute our little girl is, you’d fall head over heels! Especially with that tiny chin and bushy beard—absolutely adorable.”

“Female Dwarves have beards too…”

“Enough. Let’s drop the nonsense.”

Trying to steer the conversation back on track was exhausting.

“Beer, sausage—whatever you want, I’ll provide it as compensation. I don’t care who takes the job, as long as it gets done.”

“I already said it’s possible.”

“The issue is that it can’t be done ‘here.’”

“That idiot set up his forge way too far from the ‘River.’ So anything made here ends up breaking quickly.”

“To make proper items, we need to work from our village. Which means we’d have to bring you there to modify you.”

“But that goes against the rules.”

“Indeed.”

“You’re humans, aren’t you?”

“Indeed.”

The Dwarves nodded in perfect sync.

And at that moment—

“Are your eyes just knots in a log?!”

Evangeline suddenly burst into the conversation.

Sitting atop my head, she pointed and shouted at the Dwarves.

“Do you not recognize this body?!”

“Eh? Whose daughter might you be…?”

“Wait, hold on, Morus. That blonde hair and red eyes. I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before…”

“Gasp, no way.”

“Fufu, indeed. This body is none other than—”

Evangeline puffed out her chest proudly.

But what came in return was a completely off-the-mark answer.

“You must be Lady Evangeline’s daughter!”

“Ooooh! That’s it!”

“No, you idiots! It’s me!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Lady Evangeline isn’t some little runt like you.”

“I’m telling you, it’s me! I really am!”

Age was Evangeline’s greatest complex.

Her face flushed red in frustration, and her eyes brimmed with tears. But the Dwarves took it all as a child’s fib and just chuckled heartily.

In the end, Evangeline snapped and blasted a fireball at the Dwarves, burning off about 30% of their beards. Only then did the Dwarves bow their heads to her.

“Y-you really are Lady Evangeline…”

“But what happened to you…?”

“Silence! Don’t ask!”

“Yessir.”

With unexpected charisma, Evangeline instantly subdued the Dwarves and huffed through her nose as she shouted.

“In any case, these are people I trust. I vouch for their identity, so won’t you take on their request?”

“Eh, even so…”

“Ssshh!”

“Yes, understood…”

“Her temper hasn’t gone anywhere…”

“No kidding…”

“Silence, I said!”

“Yessir.”

Thanks to Evangeline, the problem was temporarily resolved, but there were still a few issues remaining.

One of them was transportation.

“How do we get to the Dwarf village?”

In the original story, it had that we got caught in an accident, then suddenly woke up in the Dwarf village kind of vibe.

“Don’t worry. We have our ways.”

With that, the Dwarves went off somewhere and soon returned, arms full of junk. Then, using a hammer and anvil pulled out from who-knows-where, they began clanging together something.

The unusual part was that among the things they were hammering weren’t just metals—there were also cloth and plastic materials.

“What are they making?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking? A dimensional jumper.”

“Teleportation!?”

At that moment, Miyu was horrified.

“You’re saying you’ll construct a quantum teleportation device—when humanity hasn’t even fully mastered nanomachines!? Do you have any idea how much theoretical energy is required to quantum leap a 70kg adult male!? To fold space requires mass equivalent to billions of solar masses, and—mmph…!”

“Calm down.”

I grabbed Miyu from behind and covered her mouth as she ranted in excitement. But even then, she thrashed like a muzzled rabid dog, unable to calm her fury.

“Mmmph! Mmmrgh!!”

“What’s wrong with that girl?”

“Sorry about that. She’s just… like that.”

“Mmmrrrgh! Mmbrbrbrgh!!”

Meanwhile, the Dwarves’ work steadily progressed. While I tried my best to hold back the raging Miyu, a large gate-like structure was completed in about ten minutes.

“There, it’s done!!”

Thunk thunk, the Dwarf confidently tapped on the gate.

“Oooh.”

“Oooh.”

“Oooh.”

“Grrrrrrrr!!”

In order: me, Evangeline, Iri, and Miyu’s reactions. Miyu had somehow fully transformed into a literal rabid dog.

At this rate, she might really bite a Dwarf. Should I muzzle her?

“Now, the materials were a bit lacking, so it won’t stay stable for long.”

“If you’re going, go now. Just walk through it. I’ll demonstrate.”

One of the Dwarves stepped into it first. Amazingly, he vanished on the spot.

And at that moment—

Miyu broke free.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re calling that a dimensional jumper!? I saw a teddy bear get hammered into it just a moment ago! With all those impurities inside, how is that thing supposed to withstand quantum leap energy!? And what’s your power source, huh!?”

“Power source? What are you talking about?”

In response to Miyu’s outburst, the remaining Dwarf tilted his head, placed a coarse hand over his chest, and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Our power source is the passion that burns like the sun! The longing in our hearts to return home!”

“Gyaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Miyu clutched her head and turned toward me this time. She looked up at me with pleading eyes.

“Please, Aaron! I—I can’t take this anymore! Watching this bootleg race is driving me insane!”

“Calm down.”

“Yeah, relax, Miyu. It’s just magic.”

“Indeed. You’re usually so calm—what’s gotten into you? Did you eat something strange?”

Sadly, there wasn’t a single person in our group who could truly empathize with Miyu.

“There’s no such thing as magic! Even if there were, it would have a scientific explanation! That thing those pseudoscientific freaks made—there’s no way it’s a real dimensional jumper! It probably won’t work at all, and even if it does, stepping in would melt your body or disassemble your atoms! Please, let’s just not do this, okay!?”

“There’s no other way.”

“Yeah. And to be honest, I kinda want to see the Dwarf village too.”

“Magic exists! Take back what you said!”

Miyu’s passionate speech had absolutely no effect.

Realizing she had no allies, Miyu looked like her whole world had crumbled.

“You’re all so cruel… too cruel…”

“That’s enough of the theatrics. Let’s go.”

“W-wait, Aaron. I can’t. I absolutely can’t go. Even if that thing really works, what awaits on the other side is hell!”

“It’s not hell, it’s our village.”

“That is hell! I’m not going!!”

Miyu threw herself onto the ground.

And strangely enough, Hans was lying right beside her, reacting the same way.

“I’m not going back! I’m not going back to that damn village!”

“Good grief, these two.”

Miyu and Hans rolled around on the floor, throwing tantrums like children protesting school.

“Sigh, can’t be helped. Aaron, was it? Give me a hand.”

“Right. Iri, take care of Miyu.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Waaah! Stop it, Iri!”

“Urgh! What are you people planning to—ugh!?”

I kicked Hans’s butt, sending his body flying into the dimensional jumper. He vanished instantly.

Next up were Miyu and Iri.

Miyu, whose basic physical abilities had improved thanks to assimilating my DNA, still couldn’t overcome Iri, a trained combatant.

Like a doll in Iri’s arms, Miyu was forcibly taken into the jumper. The way she was carried resembled a homunculus being dragged into the Gate of Truth.

“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!”

Miyu’s scream faded into the distance.

Finally, Morus, Evangeline, and I stepped into the dimensional jumper.

And so we—

Arrived at the Dwarf village.

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