Chapter 10. Stubbornness and Arrogance (7)

There were a few things that were better than I expected.

The dwarves, despite everything, possessed a developed civilization.

Ventilation equipment was properly installed deep inside the mine, supplying sufficient oxygen. Long pipes made of some kind of leather had numerous fans attached at intervals, drawing air properly from outside the mine.

And we didn’t just walk all the way to the end of the mine.

Dwarves, after mining out a vein, expand the remaining caves to use them as living spaces. Therefore, mining veins like this was akin to infrastructure construction and urban development for dwarves.

Since it was impossible to walk through such a vast city, dwarves operated trains powered by mana to travel efficiently and transport materials. In fact, rather than for passenger use, they were primarily for transporting large quantities of ore, so the interior was very dirty and lacked a roof.

“Ptooey, ptooey!”

Dust swirled around the entire journey and got into my mouth, so I spat out towards the outside of the train several times.

It wasn’t just me; all the dwarves who rode the train with me did the same.

Since it was a simultaneous ‘infrastructure construction’ project, fortunately, the ceiling wasn’t too low. So, there was little risk of hitting my head on a rock and spilling my brains out on the way, but unfortunately, dwarves seemed to have no concept of ‘safety devices.’

A helmet, or at least a mask, I should have brought one.

Holy power can heal cancer, so I wouldn’t die just from being in a place with slightly bad air, but it was still annoying.

There wasn’t even a seatbelt, so as my body jolted with movement, Ria held me tightly from beside me, allowing me to barely maintain my balance.

“…”

Just as I was getting used to the jolting, the train stopped with a powerful screech.

Ria supported me as my body leaned sharply to the side.

…However, while she could have just pushed me with her hand, for some reason, Ria supported me by pulling me into an embrace. Well, it’s true that it’s less dangerous of getting hurt that way, and it’s safer because Ria’s body firmly supports mine, and it’s efficient in many ways…

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed, so I quickly pulled myself away from Ria’s body.

“Hey, you look quite something.”

“What?”

After saying that and touching my face- Ah, right. I realized a bit late that my hands were covered in a lot of mineral dust.

Ria laughed as if it were absurd.

When I glared at Ria, she nonchalantly took something out of her nun’s habit.

It was a disposable wet wipe, the kind you get for free at restaurants.

“Ah, I- Blub.”

Ria brought it towards my face and reached out, but Ria, with an expressionless face, naturally dodged my hands and wiped my face with the tissue.

“Who’s a child!?”

But by the time I protested, Ria had already finished wiping my face.

“Well, you look neat now, so that’s good.”

As time goes by, your attitude towards me is becoming more and more like you’re treating a child.

If only you were a MILF-type heroine who openly treated me that way, I wouldn’t feel so wronged.

…Even though you were the one clinging to me and calling out “Mom, Mom.”

“…”

Well, I am a rational, reasonable, and even civilized person, so I don’t hold grudges based on catching a glimpse of someone’s personal past.

Instead,

“Hmph.”

I expressed my displeasure by making a sound and turning away.

For some reason, Ria laughed even more openly at that sight.

*

Let me make one thing clear,

Most dwarves treated me well. They had no particular ill will towards an outsider, a species they were seeing for the first time, and they had heard that I was a somewhat important figure.

Although I did many good deeds for the gnomes, it seems that it doesn’t really resonate with those who are not nobles.

Moreover, the war itself had been in a stalemate for quite some time, so few had actually participated in combat, and unless they were directly confronting gnomes nearby, it was difficult to harbor animosity.

Like gnome society, dwarf society also lacked a medium to reliably convey all those stories. The concept of ‘nation’ that people on Earth have doesn’t seem to have taken root among the ‘common people’ here.

“…”

“…Why are you staring like that?”

However, there was a dwarf staring intently at me and Ria as we headed towards the dwarven sanctuary, so I asked with a slight tension.

He had a large pickaxe slung over his shoulder, and his shoulder width was wider than both me and Ria standing side-by-side, with unrealistically large muscles bulging on his arms.

About half of his face was covered in a shaggy beard that wasn’t properly maintained, making him look like a bandit. Or perhaps a pirate.

“If you’re this scrawny, can you even dig properly?”

“Humans don’t do things like digging, I heard?”

“Really? Then what do they do to make a living?”

“They probably live by writing, like writers!”

“If you only write, who will dig for mushrooms? Even if it’s ore, without mushrooms, you can’t live, and you can’t raise livestock either.”

“…”

The conversation continued in a way that fit the impression of an old man, so I felt a little relieved.

“More importantly, where did your beard go?”

“I’m not a man.”

“Well, I know that. Our women’s bodies are also shaped like that. Though more voluptuous than yours.”

It seems to be the case when I look at the princess-

“…Just a moment.”

I said, touching my forehead with my finger.

“Do women also grow beards? Like men?”

“Of course! Though it grows a bit slower.”

“They say it’s not like that. The growth rate is the same as ours.”

“What? Then, do you mean you trim your beards every day?”

“…You wouldn’t know since you’re not married yet. If the length of your beard changes by even a knuckle, your wife will ask how much it has changed today.”

“Hoho… So, do young ladies also cut their beards?”

“…Then, Princess? Are you a special case?”

“Huh? Well, people of high status all manage themselves that way.”

The old man said, looking somewhat displeased at my question.

“Anyway, people who don’t keep traditions as traditions and follow trends and such.”

“It’s probably their way of saying they don’t want to live the same way as us commoners. I wonder if it’s good to live with a smooth face like the gnomes.”

“…”

Hmm.

It feels like I heard something I shouldn’t have. Information I really didn’t want to know…

Looking at her face, which shows no trace of beard growth, is she covering it with makeup or managing it with magic?

I glanced at Ria, and she just shrugged. It seemed she wasn’t very interested in that sort of thing.

So, I decided to erase that remark from my memory.

Although I’ll probably think of it every time I see the princess, for now.

*

“…”

While most dwarves had a friendly atmosphere, the priests were different.

The dwarf society wasn’t described in detail in the original work, but since it was called a ‘kingdom,’ there would likely be separate royal, noble, and priestly classes.

The priests all had orange hair. A color somewhere between blonde and red, the kind that comes to mind when you think of natural red hair.

It was a relief that it wasn’t as red as Ria’s.

…

Uh, I don’t know why it’s a relief, but anyway.

“Saint Candidate.”

“Please call me Anna.”

“…Sister Anna.”

The person who seemed to be the highest among the dwarf priests didn’t have a low, deep voice like the other dwarves. However, it didn’t sound out of place.

Unlike the laborers I saw earlier, this one was a typical obese type with a plump physique, so he was a bit less intimidating. To be honest, his long braided beard looked quite unfitting.

“I heard that Her Highness the Princess introduced you.”

“Yes, I have a promise with the Princess, and I’ve come to fulfill one of those promises.”

“Was that promise to persuade our priests?”

“…You could say it’s similar.”

I spoke while observing the priest’s face.

“I’ve come to help the poor here.”

Proving my power.

That statement itself is somewhat ambiguous. In the first place, I don’t think my power is my own, and the princess knew that to some extent. We had a brief conversation while drinking yesterday.

Therefore, I can’t be sure if the princess asked me to prove the existence above, or if she asked me to prove that I can reliably prepare for the approaching threat by her side.

If so, shouldn’t I prove both by considering both at once?

That’s why I chose this place as the place to prove my power.

At my answer, the priests murmured amongst themselves.

And then they spoke to me.

“Sister, do you perhaps not know what ‘poor’ means?”

“I know.”

I replied.

“But you don’t need to worry. I have no intention of going deep into the slums either. Besides-“

I looked at Ria.

Too many people couldn’t come this far inside. The trains were always used for transporting ore, and the conservative dwarves said they would only give us a ride in the remaining space besides the workers and ore.

A few knights, and Ria.

Most importantly-

“Isn’t it problematic if the priests don’t protect me?”

At my question, the priests frowned.

Yes, that’s right.

This is a ‘kingdom.’

And that means the king holds the power.

There are probably only those planning rebellion or betrayal who would dare to defy the princess’s words. Especially if a priest acted that way, they would be the first target to be eliminated.

Watching the priests grumbling with dissatisfaction, I smiled inwardly.