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𝐄𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 (2)
Johan and Suetlg felt a little sorry for suspecting the elf knight, so they smiled and said,
“Good work. Sir Knight. Thank you for handling the dangerous task well.”
“If there is honor and courage, how difficult can such a task be? It’s just easy.”
The elf knight answered arrogantly. Seeing his attitude, Johan and Suetlg admired him once again. It seemed that the two had misunderstood the elf knight.
“Your Excellency. In the honorable name of the Golden Hammer tribe, I would like to invite Your Excellency and have your name recorded in the dwarven silver circle if you honor us with accepting the invitation.”
“I gratefully accept.”
Johan already knew well that dwarves do not easily forget grudges when dealing with them. He had to be especially careful.
“Bring alcohol. It has to be a gift.”
Johan had the squire bring over the barrel of alcohol that he had prepared when departing the city. It was an item he was going to gift as a token of goodwill when meeting the dwarf tribes.
Seeing that, the elf knight said,
“Does Your Excellency Count need to give something like that?”
“Isn’t this much needed when meeting angry dwarves?”
“Even without that, those frozen fellows will figure it out themselves. While Your Excellency’s generosity is certainly a virtue, I fear the dwarves may take advantage of it.”
“?”
Johan became puzzled.
Seeing the way the elf knight spoke, no matter how he looked at it, there was no way to not offend the dwarves’ temperament.
Did he keep his mouth shut when he went as a messenger?
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Johan dismounted from his horse and walked with the dwarf mercenaries. Seeing that, the dwarves made satisfied expressions.
“You got off your horse and walked here. His Excellency the Count knows courtesy.”
“Yes, we knew you’d be different from those damn elves. According to the stories of the Silver Circle, elves aren’t the kind of people you get along with.”
Hearing the dwarves’ words, Johan concealed his bewildered feelings. Just getting off his horse and walking here was already too courteous.
Of course, Johan did have some prior dealings with the dwarves, but the main reason was that the elf knight who went ahead had accumulated a lot of resentment. It made for too much contrast in the eyes of the young dwarves.
In fact, the elf knights in the rear encampment were so angry that Johan was walking that some were even tearfully grinding their teeth in frustration. They regretted not stopping Johan.
“Your Excellency Count Yeats. Twenty casks of the finest ale! A debt of gratitude!”
“. . . . . .”
Hearing the dwarf Silver Circle’s loud roar, Johan moved his steps toward the interior of the dwarf encampment.
“Your Excellency Count. We harbor no resentment towards that army. What skills could we dwarves, stuck in these mountains, have to arrogantly attack anyone?”
The old dwarf, Kranxton, cautiously opened his mouth. Unlike the young dwarf, as the long-time leader of the tribe, he was a wise and sagacious dwarf.
He knew well what would happen if the dwarves living within the mountain range fought with outsiders.
Whatever the reason, their opponent’s pride had clearly been hurt right now. After all, nobles of the same alliance had been attacked.
“I also harbor no resentment towards the dwarves.”
” . . .???”
“In life, misfortunes pile up and misunderstandings mix in, inevitably making us point blades and spears at each other.”
“Well said.”
At the appropriate moment, Suetlg supplemented Johan’s words. Johan nodded as if he had spoken very well.
Bewildered by the eloquence of the two wizards pushing and pulling, the dwarf elders seated stared blankly.
The other side was more mild-mannered than they had expected.
That old wizard makes sense, but the young count next to him should be boiling with youthful vigor, no? According to rumors he wasn’t a coward either. It wouldn’t have been strange for him to erupt in anger as soon as he sat down. . .?
“So I want to hear what misunderstanding occurred. I will listen attentively so tell me.”
“Y-Yes. I will explain right away, Your Excellency.”
The dwarves collected themselves from their confusion and began speaking.
The tribes settled in the mountain ranges were often misunderstood as barbaric and ferocious but in reality were far from that. The mountains were also a place where people lived.
Those who only had brutality could not survive long there. What was Johan necessary in the mountain ranges was instead wisdom.
The wisdom to find edible things, the wisdom to read omens and prepare in advance, the wisdom to avoid danger.
In a way, you could say the last was the most important. And in the mountain ranges, the greatest danger was usually monsters.
While knights and the like tried to hunt monsters, ordinary people prioritized avoiding monsters or making them retreat. The dwarves were the same.
However. . .
“. . .The expedition woke up a basilisk?”
“Yes. That’s right, Your Excellency. Because of that, twenty of the mountain goats we were raising turned to stone.”
For a moment, Johan and Suetlg were at a loss for words. If they had woken up some other monster that would be one thing, but for waking up a basilisk, there was nothing they could say.
It was understandable for the dwarves to be enraged and try to demand compensation.
“Not only did they wake it up, but even when we told them to return without further provoking the creature, they ignored us. I cannot even guess how much more havoc the basilisk would have wreaked if we had not driven it off like that.”
“. . .If I compensate you for the mountain goats and take those people back with me, could you forget about this incident?”
Hearing Johan’s words, the dwarves froze. Guessing why they were hesitating, Johan nodded and spoke again.
“I swear on my honor that there will be no retaliation for this matter.”
The nobles gathered on the heights swallowing the choking smoke may feel differently, but Johan harbored no resentment towards the dwarves.
Seeing Johan speak, the dwarves’ faces brightened.
“If His Excellency the Count shows such favor, we will not forget the grace.”
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“We’ve been tricked by those dwarf b*stards!”
The elf knights shouted decisively as soon as they heard it. The situation had not yet been fully explained.
“. . .Goat prices aren’t that expensive. Instead of fighting in such cramped quarters, can’t we settle this matter honorably?”
“Wouldn’t it wound Your Excellency Count’s honorable pride? My friend here has studied law and knows it well. If you leave it to him, he’ll expose their despicable lies.”
His fidgeting with the sword at his waist made it seem like the Count was considering a judicial duel. Johan ignored him and said:
“I’ll pay in silver coins and bring an expedition. When the expedition arrives, prepare food so they can eat. Count Puakonyu. From what the dwarves said, it seems they know the basilisk’s location. Shouldn’t we ask them about it?”
Instead of speaking to the other elves, Johan addressed Count Puakonyu. As the oldest among them, he should know how to bend his stubbornness and bow.
“Hmm. I see. But rather than ask the dwarves, we’ll find it with our own strength.”
“. . .I see. As you wish.”
Johan looked at Iselia beside him with renewed interest. Iselia tilted her head and asked:
“Do you have something to say, my dear?”
“I was just thinking how fortunate I am that the elf I met is you, Iselia.”
“Wha, wha, what. . .”
Iselia’s face turned red at his sudden words.
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Johan, who had been wondering whether to get angry, scold them sternly, or comfort them, couldn’t get angry when he saw the state the returning expedition was in.
Regardless of their status, high or low, they had become so destitute that they were extremely hungry.
“Count. . .”
Seeing them trying to keep up appearances despite their condition, Johan shook his head and waved his hand. Then the servants brought in millet porridge served in bowls.
The mercenaries were taken aback at the sight. It was too plain a dish for a count to eat.
The noble who received the bowl with trembling hands looked puzzled and glanced at the sub-bishop next to him.
“Isn’t this. . . too simple?”
“Is it not to uphold the virtue of frugality?”
Unlike the other nobles, the sub-bishop was someone who had gotten used to coarse food. He scooped the porridge without hesitation. Despite his hunger, it was much more palatable than he had expected.
Suetlg casually took a spoonful and looked at Johan in wonder as he brought it to his mouth.
“Did you order this? It’s surprisingly tasty for something made by servants.”
“After boiling the millet, I drained off the water, added milk and eggs, then some spices and meat juice.”
“Quite skilled. I wondered why you served this, but now that I’ve heard about it and tasted it, I almost regret it.”
“If you gorged on greasy food right away and collapsed, how would that look?”
‘𝘐𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵?’
Who would have thought a knight who wielded a warhammer and slaughtered enemies in their armor would have this kind of skill? Suetlg was increasingly amazed the more he looked.
Seeing the sub-bishop eat with relish, the other starving nobles also started eating. Naturally they ate more desperately than Suetlg since they were much hungrier. It was a rare sight one would not see normally.
“Bring meat and wine in a while.”
“Yes.”
There was one good thing about the nobles being extremely hungry. Too exhausted and worn out to do anything but eat and rest, there were none who thought of revenge.
‘𝘐𝘵’𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.’
“Um. . . Count.”
“?”
“The skills of the servant who made this porridge are pretty decent. You wouldn’t sell him for a high price when we get back, would you?”
“. . . . .”
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Although they rescued the expedition team, they couldn’t return right away. From the mercenaries to nobles’ servants, there were many who found it difficult to walk on their own feet. They had to eat, rest for a few days, then march.
Upon hearing of the basilisk, the elven knights eagerly prepared to go find it. Asking the dwarves would make things much easier, but they chose to discover it themselves.
It seemed everything was resolved without any issues. . .
. . .until the dwarves came to mediate, that is.
“Say that again. Who kidnapped who?”
“Those damn dwarves kidnapped Sir Lauren out of resentment!”
“Nonsense! Why would we kidnap your whelps? If anything, you abducted the shield-bearer’s son, and now you’re making a fuss!”
“As if we care about your filthy, stench-ridden, half-grown dwarfling!”
“Say one more word, and I swear on my beard I’ll stick a bolt down your ugly gob. . .”
“Can’t you all shut up?!”
Johan growled viciously. The ferocious voice made the air tremble, and the nearby Karamaf jolted up in surprise.
When a usually generous, easygoing man gets angry, it feels more terrifying no matter the race. Seeing the friendly count’s first outburst stunned both races into silence.
“Anyone who speaks without my permission from now on, I’ll take as insulting my honor. State the situation in order.”
As Johan listened to the dwarves and elves explain in order, his expression strangely changed. An elven knight and a young dwarf had gone missing.
It didn’t seem like they kidnapped each other, rather. . .
“It seems the basilisk’s doing. . .?”
Jyanina cautiously spoke up. The dwarves and elves glared at Jyanina. A dwarf raised his hand, asking permission to speak.
“When a basilisk looks for prey, it turns anything in its way to stone as it lazily feeds. It doesn’t sneak around stealing things like a thief in the night!”
“But it only acts so confidently when it thinks it can win. If its prey looks difficult, it may resort to stealthily stealing morsels.”
“. . . . . .”
The dwarf seemed at a loss for words and said no more. Johan nodded at Jyanina’s argument.
“It’s highly likely the basilisk took them.”
“T-That’s. . .”
“If so, shouldn’t your two races combine strength to find it instead of arguing like this?”
At Suetlg’s words, the elven count and chieftain looked at each other. Regardless of animosity, they couldn’t deny the need to cooperate.
“. . .Count, if you aid me in finding Sir Lauren on the honor of my clan, I swear on my beard to repay you. To join strength with them requires the count’s help.”
“Your Excellency, if you help find him sworn on the honorable name of your ancestors, I swear to repay you. Without your leadership, it’s absolutely impossible to fight alongside them.”
“. . . . . .”
Johan regretted not whipping the expedition team down from the mountain.