episode_0118
by fnovelpia“Father!”
Perka shouted in anger at Torvar’s unexpected marriage proposal.
Of course, Torka has no intention of getting married. As the daughter of a master, Torka aims to become a great blacksmith like Torvar.
But marriage?
Is that opponent a slave trader?
That’s nonsense.
“No, I don’t like it.”
And the same goes for Karami.
“Think about it carefully. If you become my son-in-law, you will become a member of the dwarves. Even though you are not a dwarf, you will be granted at least the minimum legitimacy to approach Magmar.”
A human being without any morals?
‘Do you think I don’t know your intentions to take care of things?’
And on top of that, he tells the master to marry the slave.
That goes against Karami’s view of slavery.
“I will decline since it is not a very attractive offer. Even so, I have quite high standards.”
“Tsk. I thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“Haha. Miss Perka, I rejected you cleanly.”
“… … .”
what.
This indescribable, unpleasant feeling.
I don’t like it, and Karami doesn’t like it either, so our interests coincide, but Perka feels uncomfortable for some reason. It’s like being kicked out by a citizen passing by.
These two men.
I don’t like it.
“If you refuse, there will be no more negotiations. Take my daughter and get out of here.”
Torvar folded his arms and closed his eyes. It meant that he was full. In the end, one way or another, Karami had to take responsibility for Perka. Do as you wish.
“Hmm… .”
Karami is drooling.
A desperate determination to somehow send her daughter to a man, even if he is a slave trader.
Torvar knows that if not now, Perka will live alone for the rest of her life and become a virgin ghost.
This is the feeling of a father with a spinster daughter that cannot be expressed in a mere game.
Knock knock.
Just then, there was another knock.
When Thorvar opened the door, a dwarf was standing there. It was Thorvar’s aide, Gurdan.
“Gurdan?”
“I’ve come to pick you up, sir.”
“Oh, it was a meeting day. I forgot.”
Today was the meeting to deal with the major issues of Doomheim. One of the masters, Thorvar, had to attend as well. I forgot about it because Perka came to visit.
“So, did you find out? What do you all think about laying the railroad? Do you think it’s positive?”
“It won’t be easy since you are people with such strong thoughts.”
“You’ve all been out of office for a long time, so you must have made up your mind. … You go first. I’ll just take care of business and then go.”
“Okay.”
Gurdan bowed politely and left.
“Okay, you all heard me. I have to go, so you guys should hurry up and go too.”
Torvar, with the door wide open, nods outside.
‘A meeting… I think the name was the Iron Blood Meeting?’
Iron Blood Conference.
This refers to the highest council of Doomheim, where all masters gather in one place.
Since persuading Torvar had failed, he had to throw his weight there. If he could win over the favor of another Meister, he might be able to borrow some sparks.
“I would also like to attend a conference, sir. As far as I know, not only masters but also the general public can attend if they want.”
“Only dwarves. You, a human, are not qualified.”
“If you say that you are the savior of your daughter’s life, wouldn’t it be possible for an outsider to do it?”
“Why should I do that?”
Here’s the main point.
Karami smiles his signature sly smile.
“I just listened to your story and it seems like you have some issues that you’re having trouble with. I think I can help you.”
“How can you do that?”
Karami flaps his hands in a frivolous gesture, almost like a bird snapping its beak.
“I am not a merchant. I am a person who makes a living by tricking people with words. I am confident that I can provide meaningful help to the elderly.”
“… … .”
“Besides, don’t you feel a little uneasy about sending Miss Perka off like this? Momentary emotional judgments can lead to irreversible results. How about taking a break and talking again?”
Karami’s plausible words flow into Torvar’s ears.
Torvar exchanged glances with Karami for a while before leaving the room.
“You’d better keep your mouth shut. If you don’t want to turn into minced meat.”
“Hmm, it might be close to impossible, but I’ll at least pretend to try.”
***
Hall of Fire.
Decorated with statues of ancient dwarven warriors and giant hammers, it is a meeting hall located on the upper level of the Heart of Magmar.
On the floor, molten iron from the furnace flows, and in the center of the hall, a flame burns.
There are seven masters sitting at the round table, and dwarven citizens sitting in the circular seats surrounding them.
Doomheim is ruled by the seven masters, but citizens can also attend the Iron Council, where important matters are discussed.
A man standing alone in a conference room teeming with dwarves. The presence of Karami, a human, was too noticeable.
One of the seven masters sitting at the round table, the ruler of the battlefield, Ulbram stares intently at Karami.
“Who are you?”
“You are my guest. I invited you to come and see my missing daughter.”
“Torvar, are you finally seeing your grandchild?”
“That’s not it. Let’s start the meeting.”
The agenda for the meeting was varied.
Agenda regarding mineral trade with other countries.
Which blacksmith will be entrusted with the large-scale order for medical supplies?
Sending troops to eradicate evil spirits from mines, etc.
The meetings of the dwarves, who have a hearty personality, are very noisy, but they are dwarves who do not know how to make up stories and reveal their true feelings as they are.
The meeting where the two sides confronted each other went smoothly, contrary to the commotion. Since there was nothing to hide, there was no need to spend time figuring out the other person’s intentions.
Thanks to this, the meeting quickly entered its finale. The Iron Law Urgdar, who was the moderator, presented the last agenda item.
“Now the last item on the agenda. The suggestion to lay a rail line through the mine was made by Torvar Drak, the Firebender.”
Torvar rises from his seat.
The dwarves’ eyes are focused on him.
“There is no other reason to suggest installing a railroad. It is faster and easier to get to your destination than walking, and you can bring more minerals.”
It was an extremely orthodox statement.
If you lay railroad tracks, the quality of labor will definitely improve.
With just one investment, you can make steady profits. It was an agenda that had no reason for opposing opinions. From the perspective of Karami, a human and a merchant.
The dwarf’s way of thinking was different.
One of the seven masters.
The shield of the earth, Roxar, immediately stepped forward in protest.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Torvar. If you pursue excessive convenience, you’ll become lazy.”
“It’s not that I’m lazy. If I conserve my energy while moving, I can do more work.”
“That’s what a weakling would say. A true dwarf should be able to do more than his abilities without such help.”
“If you install the railroad, you can do more than what is possible.”
The opinions of the two masters are sharply opposed.
Urgdar steps forward on Roxar’s side.
“I agree with Roxar. I understand Trubar’s opinion that it can increase work efficiency, but as a dwarf, you need to feel the ground by walking on your own feet. That way, even young dwarves can learn how to find veins.”
“Then, just for the purpose of carrying self-restraint… .”
Boom!
At that moment, the Berserker’s Hammer Hargran, who had been gulping down his alcohol throughout the meeting, roughly slammed his alcohol bottle down on the table.
His face was flushed red and he was already extremely drunk.
“Hey, Torvar. The whole process of moving around underground and transporting the harvested minerals is a ritual for the dwarves. So you want to build a railroad? Are you trying to destroy the traditional rituals that have been passed down from our ancestors?”
“Don’t make me repeat my nonsense, Hargran. I’m just trying to prevent accidents as much as possible when going back and forth underground. You know very well that accidents happen frequently when you come back from work because you’re exhausted.”
“That is also a part of the ritual process, and a trial that the dwarves must overcome. What do you all think!”
Hargran shouts.
The dwarves who were listening to the meeting agreed with Hargran.
“Hargran is right! What kind of railroad is the Dwarf Railroad?”
“Back when I was a kid~ When I went out to work, instead of going back the way I came, I would circle around and come back home~ But these days, young people… Hey~ Tsk.”
Most of the dwarves sided with Hargran with all their might. While Hargran’s momentum grew with the dwarves on his back, Thorvar had no choice but to remain silent.
So naturally, the agenda was rejected.
Knock knock.
“Please be quiet.”
Urgdar slammed his hammer on the table.
“Judging from the mood of the chairman, it seems that the majority is negative. So, Torvar’s proposal to install a railroad is rejected by a majority vote──”
“Excuse me~”
Compared to the thick, loud dwarves, this was a very light voice. That’s why it stood out even more in this place where there were only dwarves.
When Karami laughed and raised her hand, the dwarves’ gazes were all focused on her. In particular, Torvar let out a deep sigh and placed his hand on his forehead.
“What’s going on?”
“I can’t help but lick my lips as I listen to it. I think everyone’s thoughts are a bit short-sighted.”
At this point, attention is pouring in.
Karami did not miss the opportunity that came his way.
“If an elf saw this, he would laugh. ‘As expected, dwarves can’t see the forest for the trees.’”
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