episode_0025

25. Brooke and Aithrey

Two dwarves with short stature but curvaceous figures resembling adult women.

Both had orange hair and blue eyes—the older sister Brooke wore her hair long, while the younger Aithrey kept hers short.

After a heated argument, they suddenly stopped fighting as soon as I, their guest, arrived, pretending nothing had happened as they got up to brew me coffee.

Of course, it wasn’t the high-quality coffee nobles drank but cheap beans.

Because of that, it didn’t taste as good as I expected, though I never cared much about such things anyway…

As I quietly sipped and surveyed the surroundings, Brooke, the older sister, was the first to speak.

“So, what brings you to us, the remarkable Huldra sisters, renowned enough to craft the weapons of gods?”

“Sis, that nickname…!”

Brooke acted rough and spoke like an old man, much like other dwarves.

Aithrey, covering her sister’s mouth, bowed her head timidly—likely due to her shy demeanor—and apologized.

“If you came here because of our reputation, you’ve made a mistake…

That talk about forging divine weapons? It’s just mockery since we can’t use dwarf magic….”

“Hey, it’s not like we’re completely useless!”

“Just… quiet down a little….”

To add, “Huldra” referred to a type of tree spirit resembling succubi that seduced men.

Completely incapable of magic yet enchanting dwarf villagers with their beauty—hence the nickname…

Or rather, in dwarf standards, they were pretty on the outside but hollow inside… The implication being that if anyone fell for their looks alone, they’d be ruined. A derogatory term, perhaps?

I couldn’t help but feel pity for the two sisters, ostracized by their entire race.

But Brooke, the older sister, didn’t seem bothered. Waving her hand dismissively, she spoke to me.

“So, you’re not here to grill us about that, right?”

“That’s correct.”

I handed them the blueprint.

Erika had mocked my drawing skills.

What could I do? Without CAD-like programs, I had to sketch it by hand.

Besides, I’m just an engineer who knows nothing about art…

Scratching my head in slight embarrassment, Brooke examined it slowly before speaking.

“Interesting structure. Very clever.”

“It’s like striking lyre or harp strings with a rubber hammer, right? How delicate.”

Contrary to expectations, the sisters seemed genuinely fascinated.

Of course, it probably seemed difficult at first glance, but the piano’s basic structure was surprisingly simple.

Pressing a key lifted the opposite end like a seesaw, striking the string with a hammer to produce sound.

Imagine hitting guitar strings with a hammer—that’d make it easier to grasp.

“I’m planning to use 88 keys in total.”

“Hmm… What material will the strings be made of? Using sinew seems like it’d wear out quickly.”

Aithrey, the younger sister, who grasped the mechanics instantly, began asking questions.

From what I’d heard, medieval string instruments used twisted sinews or dried intestines for strings.

If we made piano strings that way, they’d break quickly under the hammer strikes.

Originally, following authentic piano designs would’ve been ideal.

“The material will be steel wires.

The higher the pitch, the thinner and shorter…

The lower the pitch, the thicker and longer, wrapped in copper wire.

Like actual wire….”

Then, my words trailed off.

This world was fantasy-blended, but its tech level was roughly early medieval.

Even with fantasy ores and dwarves, producing uniformly drawn wire like modern wire was an entirely different challenge.

Pulling ore melted at 1200°C into consistently long strands was practically impossible with this era’s technology.

Seeing me panic, Brooke snorted and spoke up.

“Quit the theatrics. Can’t we just spin copper around to wrap it?”

“But the steel and copper wires need to be uniformly drawn…”

“Easier than kicking a fairy’s backside. Don’t worry.”

Then, after getting rough measurements from me, she headed to her workshop.

Coolly off to work, Brooke left Aithrey beside me, who swiftly redrew the blueprint.

She seemed artistically gifted, drafting an improved version in moments.

The blueprint was finalized after rounds of questioning and adjustments.

In less than 30 minutes, Aithrey had brilliantly completed the grand piano’s design.

Not only that, she appeared to grasp most of the technical elements—soundboard, pedals, keys, Italian stops, dampers, frame—from my explanations along the way.

Meanwhile, Brooke, uninterested in complex theory, had left for her workshop only to return holding wire.

In just 30 minutes, she’d forged uniform, high-purity steel wires using just an anvil and hammer.

I couldn’t help but ask the two dwarves.

“How were you ever outcasts? You’re this skilled?”

It wasn’t empty praise.

Even in a fantasy world, where dwarves are known for craftsmanship, manually producing uniform wires was insane.

Frankly, it was more astonishing than the dwarf magic I’d witnessed hours earlier.

Embarrassed by my praise, Brooke barked defensively.

“Dwarf elders look down on anyone who can’t use magic.

Plus, if you try making pretty things like your design, they mock you as ‘assembly junkies.’”

“So we focused on precision… prioritizing form over essence.

Working against dwarves’ sacred magic beliefs, no wonder they scorned us.”

Brooke had vast knowledge and skill in ores, framing, and materials.

Aithrey had an artistic touch and an eerie knack for understanding and crafting intricate mechanisms.

The elder sister handled hardware; the younger, software—a brilliant pair of geniuses.

Which made their shabby wooden house all the more perplexing.

“With this much talent, why’s your place so run-down? Not making money?”

“Other elders trash-talk us, so jobs are scarce.

Even if we get work, we can’t make magic weapons without dwarf magic.”

“Surviving on carpentry and interior decor jobs…

But petty coin like that barely covers taxes now.”

It was truly tragic.

At the same time, their talents felt wasted.

Ending ties after this project would be a shame—they could fill gaps in my own shortcomings.

Was this how Erika felt looking at me?

Seeing rare talent made my mouth water.

“What if the Grace family offered you work? Would you take it?”

“They pay well?”

“Obviously!”

Brooke and Aithrey reacted positively.

I envisioned these two impressing Erika, leading to my graceful resignation.

Goodbye, serfdom ending… Hello, wealthy bum life.

Encouraging the two, I began work on completing the piano.

——————————————

Two nights later, late evening.

I arrived at Erika’s lodgings.

Officially for a progress report… and to propose recruiting Brooke and Aithrey.

Truthfully, I’d been so engrossed in piano-making I’d forgotten about Erika.

When I knocked, Erika emerged with a pout.

Standing taller (151cm) than dwarf males (150cm), Erika’s height was impressive.

Crossing her arms, she glared at me.

“I thought you’d forgotten me. Seems you remember after all?”

“How could I ever forget Countess Erika?”

“Quite the silver tongue.”

Erika looked down at me with her hands behind her back, exuding authority.

Tall for a dwarf but petite for a human—adorably so.

Less like a regal monarch, more like a confident little pup?

Of course, voicing that would split my head from my neck, so I kept quiet.

As I bowed, waiting for her scolding—

Erika stayed silent, gazing at the night sky before asking:

“Have you been eating well?”

“Yes.”

Though busy, I’d spent two days silently at Brooke and Aithrey’s workshop—she had every right to be angry.

Yet, kindly, my caring lord worried first.

Erika patted my back and spoke.

“Well, my fox isn’t the type to slack off… Any progress?”

A move to ease tension.

But rather than pressing for answers, Erika awkwardly added, as if guilty—

Unaccustomed to apologies, she fumbled, face flushing.

“I… may have given you too harsh a task.

A bit of jealousy… no, my trust in you made me greedy to see how far you could go.

So, no pressure… Wait, what’s this?”

“The perfect instrument you commanded me to make.”

In two days, the piano prototype was complete.

Aside from briefly attending piano classes in elementary school, music was foreign to me.

So, while lacking perfect pitch and barely knowing scales, Aithrey insisted it was flawless—should be fine.

Trembling as she took the blueprint, Erika didn’t seem scared but exhilarated.

“…Just two days? The design alone is fascinating… Keys striking strings with hammers for sound?

And you conceived, drafted, and perfected this in two days? You’re heaven-sent, truly.

If I had to pick my most prized possession, it’d be you.”

Her praise missed the mark.

She likely assumed only the blueprint was done.

I corrected her.

“Huh? The prototype’s already finished. Works flawlessly, just needs fine-tuning…”

Grabbing my shoulders, Erika shook me violently.

Petite but magically reinforced, her strength nearly rattled my skull loose.

“You finished this masterpiece already?!”

“Nghaa…!”

Dizzy but pleased by her excitement—

“Brooke and Aithrey, two dwarves, helped.

They want to work for House Grace. I’d like your permission.”

“Brooke, Aithrey…? Sound like men’s names. Fine, permission granted!”

Luckily, Erika accepted them as my replacements.

Now, step by step, my retirement plan was solidifying—I smiled faintly.

“But it needs tuning? Is it unfinished?”

“No, I lack musical expertise, hence the remark. Aithrey claims it’s perfect…”

“So it functions?”

“Yes.”

Erika grinned and declared:

“Then bring it to tomorrow’s three-day ball.”

“Pardon?”

Had I misheard?

Held in the imperial palace, attended by the empire’s elite—

Did she just say…?

“I want to show it off. Oh, bring Brooke and Aithrey too.”

Smirking, Erika ordered, adamant.

Why keep throwing me—a commoner—into things like war and now this?

Cross one mountain, only to face a taller one.