Let's Try That Too. (1)
The Yulian Mercenary Corps had now become quite a famous mercenary group.
Especially among members of the Salvation Church, this was even more so. Some of their operations had failed because of the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
The owner of the voice asked again.
"I know well that the Yulian Mercenary Corps is quite capable. But with your skills, you should've been able to handle it."
"Yes, we were certainly on the verge of success. We sacrificed four Inquisitors and severely wounded the Elf Grand Chieftain. Had we pushed just a little further, we surely would have succeeded."
"Then why did it fail?"
"I don't know how to explain it. Something like a miracle happened."
"...A miracle?"
"There was a priest in the Yulian Mercenary Corps. That person instantly expelled the energy I had implanted and healed the Elf Grand Chieftain from severe injuries. So I had no choice but to retreat."
"Who is that priest?"
"Seems to be a low-ranking priestess accompanying the Yulian Mercenary Corps."
"...A low-ranking priestess performed a miracle? Is that even possible?"
"I can't say. No matter how strong their divine power, that should've been impossible..."
The owner of the voice fell silent again. It was simply unbelievable.
The Pope himself hadn't come, and yet the operation was ruined because of a mere priest? An unknown, low-ranking priestess, at that.
Lahamod spoke firmly.
"Prophet Tagmah. I know it's hard to believe what I'm saying. But you must believe it. Otherwise, other plans may also fail."
Paaaah!
As darkness swirled, the one called Tagmah revealed himself.
He, too, looked like a middle-aged man, much like Lahamod. The difference was that he looked far more menacing.
Tagmah stared into Lahamod's eyes for a moment, then nodded.
Lahamod was not someone who lied. Nor someone who misjudged what he saw.
So his words must be true.
Tagmah had stayed in this place for a long time. So he was even less informed than Lahamod.
"If the Yulian Mercenary Corps was involved this time... does that mean the previous incidents where they interfered weren't coincidences?"
"That, I cannot say for certain. But now, it seems inevitable that we will clash with them again."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Yulian Mercenary Corps will be heading to help the Dwarves."
"...Are you certain?"
"Highly likely."
"Why do you think so?"
"It seems they're moving on the Pope's orders. After handing over Ismogen to the Empire, they immediately headed to the Elf Forest."
"In that case…"
"The only reason to visit the Elves as the Pope's envoy is the Holy Stone. Since they helped the Elves, they must've received a promise for the stone. Next, it's obvious they'll go to the Dwarves."
Lahamod didn't think the Yulian Mercenary Corps had taken the Holy Stone directly. It was too valuable for that.
He figured they just received a promise to deliver it to the Pope.
At the mention of the Holy Stone, Tagmah's expression hardened.
"The Holy Stone...? Are you saying they've figured out how to use it?"
"Unlikely. If they had, all the races would've already cooperated. It seems the Pope, unable to let go of his ambitions, entrusted the task to a famous mercenary group."
Tagmah let out a small sigh of relief. The power of the Holy Stone could inflict a devastating blow to their 'holy land.'
Even the leaders of the Human Alliance didn't know how to use the Holy Stone. They didn't even know what to do with it.
But the high priests of the Salvation Church knew exactly what it could do.
Now that they were after the Holy Stone, Tagmah couldn't help but be wary of the Yulian Mercenary Corps as well.
"The Yulian Mercenary Corps... is enough to jeopardize the Great Mission?"
"A powerful variable, without a doubt. Especially that man named Astion, who has reached the level of a superhuman and is also exceptional in black magic. He summoned no less than 100 Death Knights."
"Black magic? And the humans and Elves allowed that?"
"According to him... he's a righteous dark mage."
"..."
"I don't really understand the situation either."
"..."
An awkward silence passed. Tagmah couldn't comprehend it, but Lahamod was not one to joke.
After a few dry coughs, Tagmah nodded.
"Hmm... Yes, that would indeed be troublesome."
"I've instructed nearby dark mages to delay them if they move. Executor Munaref is spreading the word and coming this way."
"With Ismogen captured and even you having failed, it seems we can no longer remain in hiding."
"Exactly. Time is tight. All the kingdoms are rapidly growing more wary. So at least the Dwarf matter must be completed, and we must return to the holy land. That's why I left the Yulian Mercenary Corps and came straight here."
Tagmah nodded. Though preparations to strike the Dwarves were not complete, the situation was urgent.
"I understand. We're underprepared, but with your help, we should manage."
Tagmah closed his eyes.
They had to kill the Dwarf King and destroy the Eternal Forge. If they succeeded, the Human Alliance would suffer a massive blow.
One of the pillars supporting the Human Alliance would collapse.
And then...
"They will never awaken the power of the Holy Stone."
That was their true objective.
***
Across the continent, countless Dwarves lived scattered.
They usually built cities in mountainous terrain rich in mineral veins or deep underground.
Among them, the most famous place was 'Valskrum,' the dwelling of the Dwarf King.
Valskrum was a massive fortress city built deep in the mountains, where the outer wall and the mountain connected like a single fortress wall.
Inside the fortress was a complex structure of numerous Dwarf villages, workshops, and mining areas.
The entire mountain was literally both city and fortress.
Below the mountain was a human city built for trade with the Dwarves. That city, too, was far larger and grander than most human settlements.
Dwarves were different from Elves.
They didn't stack their creations just for display. A work is only complete when it is put to use.
So Dwarves actively traded with humans who highly valued their creations.
Because high-quality Dwarven goods were easy to come by, countless merchants from across the continent gathered here.
The Dwarves, in turn, acquired fine grain liquor, clothing, and magical tools made by humans.
As both sides obtained what they needed from each other, the city naturally grew in size.
And now, the Yulian Mercenary Corps had arrived in that very city.
"Waaaah! We're finally here!"
"I thought I was going to die from exhaustion!"
"Seriously... this journey was next level."
The mercenaries collapsed the moment they arrived, grumbling as they dropped.
In truth, they looked worse than refugees. Even Erenes, who always kept tidy, now looked like a beggar elf.
Kyle muttered with a tired expression.
"I never knew there were so many dark mages in the world. Where the hell were they hiding before?"
And it wasn't just the dark mages. Monsters summoned by those mages and bandits kept appearing nonstop.
That made the journey all the more difficult. The enemies weren't strong, but fighting nonstop without rest pushed their exhaustion to the limit.
Ghislain brushed his tangled hair back and chuckled.
"Well, we made it. It was fun though, wasn't it?"
It had truly been an enjoyable journey. The enemies weren't all that tough, but fighting day after day without rest was its own kind of training.
Everyone looked at Ghislain with blank expressions. Even Erenes, who had longed for intense adventure, looked at him the same way.
Regardless, Ghislain simply kept walking.
"Alright, first let's find a place to rest. We're filthy. Good thing it looks like the invasion hasn't started yet."
The Dwarven fortress was known to be impregnable. The Salvation Church must have needed time to prepare for its attack.
The group slowly began exploring the city.
The streets were crowded, and the sound of hammers striking metal echoed constantly from the workshops.
Along the neatly paved stone roads, shops were lined up as if partitioned. Some had designated spaces to try on weapons and equipment.
There were also many human merchants trading with Dwarven craftsmen.
This city had been built by humans to trade with Dwarves. Even so, the Dwarves blended into the city as if they were part of it.
One Dwarf was chugging liquor straight from the bottle, while another was surprisingly trying to pull in a passing human man with aggressive sales tactics.
"Hey! This belt was made by me, a Dwarf! I'll give it to you for just one gold! Still not buying it?"
"I said I'm not! What kind of belt costs that much?"
"I told you, it's Dwarf-made!"
"As if there's anything here not made by a Dwarf! And that thing looks like it was made while drunk, it's a total mess!"
"Fine, I'll give it to you for the price of one bottle of grain liquor."
The man still refused. He shook off the Dwarf's arm and fled.
The Dwarf cursed at the man's retreating back.
"You damn bastard! Why are you humans so picky! Back in the day, you'd take anything we gave you without complaint, now you're all high and mighty. Ptooey!"
Ghislain and his companions, being seasoned travelers, quickly grasped the atmosphere.
"Selling items they made while drunk, huh."
"Guess living alongside humans does that to Dwarves too."
"It's the human's fault, obviously."
Even so, it was fascinating—and amusing—to see different races living together so vibrantly.
As they wandered, looking for a place to stay, they came upon a crowd gathered in one area.
There, several Dwarves were loudly calling people over.
"Alright, solve this engineering puzzle and we'll give you the legendary sword 'Gramdir,' passed down among Dwarves! If you don't want the sword, you'll get 100 gold instead!"
The sword hanging beside them, supposedly the prize, looked incredibly plain and simple at first glance. It had no gems, not even decorative patterns.
No, even calling it "plain" was generous. The blade was covered in rust, clearly not well-maintained.
Still, it was a sword a Dwarf presented with confidence. The unusually dark blade hinted there might be some hidden secret.
Merchants and knights who knew a thing or two about swords inspected 'Gramdir' with curiosity and expectation.
But soon, they muttered in disappointed tones.
"Ugh, it's really just a rusty old sword."
"Knew it. No way a legendary sword's just lying around in the middle of a market."
"The Dwarves coming here these days sure talk a big game."
"Still, looks sturdy. Might be worth its weight in iron at least."
You could buy a better sword at any workshop. Taking 100 gold was clearly the smarter option.
The Dwarves' engineering puzzle was a spherical mechanical device.
Around the round machine were seven metal rods.
Numerous holes were drilled all over the device, each labeled with numbers and various symbols.
As the crowd failed to make sense of it, a Dwarf began to explain.
"This device can be rotated side to side while holding the top and bottom! Every time it's turned, the numbers and symbols shift! The rods also have their own numbers and symbols!"
"So what are we supposed to do with it?!"
Someone impatient shouted, and the Dwarf clicked his tongue and responded.
"You must find the hidden pattern! In other words, figure out the logical relationship between numbers and symbols, then insert the rods into the correct holes! If you put one in the wrong place, it won't go in!"
"Sounds like a scam! Maybe it's made so none of them fit! Some Dwarf got caught pulling a scam like that not too long ago! There's more and more scamming Dwarves these days!"
At that, the Dwarf flew into a rage.
"You ignorant human bastards! How dare you accuse me! Watch closely!"
The Dwarf grabbed the top and bottom of the device and began to rotate it several times.
Click, click, click.
Each time the device turned, the positions of the numbers and symbols really did change.
The Dwarf picked up one of the rods, carefully examining its numbers and symbols, then slowly inserted it into the device.
Clack.
With a satisfying sound, the rod slid perfectly into place. Anyone could see it fit correctly.
The Dwarf picked another rod and tried inserting it into a different hole. It went in slightly, then stopped abruptly as if something blocked it.
Grinning smugly, the Dwarf shouted.
"See that? If you calculate it correctly, the rod fits! If you're wrong, it won't go in!"
"Oooh…"
Only then did the crowd begin to regard the device with genuine interest.
Dwarven engineering was said to be the finest on the continent. It wasn't strange for them to invent something like this.
Of course, finding the hidden pattern among all those numbers and symbols wasn't easy. It would take someone with a sharp mind.
Looking around at the crowd, the Dwarf shouted again.
"Entry fee is one gold! You get three tries! That means I'll let you fail up to three times! And let me warn you—anyone who can use mana, don't try to force the rods in! Even if you manage to insert one with mana, if it's the wrong hole, the internal magic circuits will explode!"
People hesitated. One gold was a steep entry fee for a game.
But with three tries and the promise of a 100 gold prize, it was tempting.
Before long, a few humans who prided themselves on their intellect stepped forward to try.
"Failure!"
"You failed too!"
"Tsk! Failure!"
Every challenger was failing. The Dwarf watched the pile of coins grow beside him with a beaming smile.
Even after watching others fail, a few more people tried. The merchants who came to this city were wealthy, and many believed themselves clever and quick-witted.
But no one succeeded. Failure after failure, and the pile of coins beside the Dwarf grew taller.
Someone shouted that it had to be a scam, but when the Dwarf demonstrated it again, everyone fell silent.
As they continued to watch the Dwarf making easy money, Ghislain spoke.
"Let's try it too."
His eyes began to sparkle.
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