In silence, I listened to him talk. It was an interesting story that felt rewarding to listen to. I thought about the elves and dwarves, races that looked like humans but were not, and wondered if I’d meet them in the outside world someday.
“Instead, they put their faith in the deity Blaze who was their forefather. They researched the old Words and combined them with the skills of metallurgy and engraving. When it comes to the art of infusing objects with Words — that is to say, engraving the Signs — you will not find more talented artisans. The majority of the dwarves live in mines, preferring to live underground due to their origins as fae of the earth and rock. They are short, perhaps related to where they live, and barrel-chested. They are heavy drinkers, they are physically strong, and the majority of them grow beards. And on top of being highly talented craftsmen, they are also excellent warriors.”
When I heard that, my eyes naturally went straight to Blood. “Yeah,” he said, and nodded. “Those guys are the real deal.”
I was shocked. I could tell from Blood’s voice that this was genuine praise.
“T-Tell me more about them!”
“More? Uh, I’ll give it a shot. Hmm…” Blood thought for a little while.
“They’re simple, honest people, and… they understand the meaning of fighting, and what courage is. They’re more upright inside their hearts than anyone’s ever stood.”
There was no sarcastic response from Gus, not this time. Instead, with gentle eyes, he simply listened to him speak.
“One thing is always on their minds, day in and day out.”
“What’s that?”
“The question of what’s worth laying down their life for. What’s their reason to fight.” Pale blue will-o’-the-wisps roared in Blood’s eye sockets. “And when they find it—” He paused. “They go into battle with their souls burning with the fire of courage, and never once fear death.”
I got the chills. If they could make Blood of all people say that, these dwarves had to be incredible, true warriors.
“I salute those dwarven warriors. The ones I met, at least, and who fought alongside me, were true champions.”
I was now greatly looking forward to the day I’d meet them. I wondered what their faces looked like, their straight backs, their braided beards, their shining axes, their prideful, forthright gaze. I imagined all those things, and fantasized of the day when I would fight shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
“As for me, I am not particularly fond of them,” Gus said sullenly.
I was surprised to hear him say that. “Really?”
“Mm… Of course, I will admit they have marvelous knowledge and skills. I will even admit they are warriors with resolve,” he said, and sighed. “But I’ve never known such an obstinate, tightfisted lot in all my life! They are unbelievable!”
I stood there blinking speechlessly for a moment, then looked to Blood and saw him meeting my gaze with a look that said “Can you believe this guy?”
Gus clearly had a repulsion for his own kind.
I awoke in dim light. I could see the room’s plank ceiling above me. I’d had a pretty nostalgic dream.
“Oh…”
Somehow, I got the feeling that I now understood the real reason I’d helped out those dwarves back then: I’d felt sad. And it wasn’t because my imagination had been betrayed; it wasn’t because they hadn’t had straight backs, braided beards, shining axes, and prideful, forthright gazes. It was because Blood, the one and only Blood, had acknowledged this race as warriors, and they had looked at me nervously, cautiously, submissively, covered in dirt and mud, with thin arms and legs, and their eyes flicking about, full of insecurity. And the sight of them was just terribly, unbearably sad.
That isn’t what you are, I must have been wanting to tell them. It simply isn’t.
In truth, you all… are amazing. You’re… so, so much more—
Of course, I was just pushing the image I had inside my head onto them unasked. I knew that. But even so, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted them to take back their pride, to drop that submissive, nervous look, to hold up their heads and push out their chests. And that was why I was so happy that they were able to live with pride here in this city.
I slowly got out of bed. It was made of bundles of straw with a white sheet pulled over it. It was much better than sleeping directly on piles of hay, because now the straw didn’t scratch my body. I slowly opened the door, went out into the hall, and to the well in my yard.
The house I currently lived in was located close to the center of the city. It had been refurbished from a mansion in the ruins that had managed to retain its structure comparatively well. I hadn’t especially been looking for a big house to live in, but if I had refused a big house, it would have made everyone else feel awkward. Besides, they suggested it as a good idea because I often had visitors and guests who needed a place to stay, anyway.
As I result, I ended up employing some servants — specifically, maids. I had memories of the novels from my previous world, so the sound of the words
“employing maids” had made my heart flutter a little, but—
“Ah. Good morning.”
“Ohh, good morning, young master William.”
“Pffhaha, don’t you look a sight! Go and tidy your hair, dearie!”
The ones who applied were old ladies who lived nearby. That’s reality for you.
Of course, that aside, they did great work with the cleaning, cooking, and laundry, so it was very helpful having them around. Thanks to them, I had a lot more free time to spend on my own training. Gus had mentioned to me before that money could buy time to a certain extent, and this was exactly what he meant.
I used a bucket to fetch some water from the well. As I pulled the bucket up, I thought about how useful it would be to have a hand-operated pump. I thought I remembered it using a directional valve and pressure to draw up the water… but couldn’t quite remember the full details. But thinking about it more carefully, we couldn’t afford to be so wasteful with metal anyway. I might have been able to recreate the design, but we wouldn’t be able to make it widespread, so I concluded as I washed my face and rinsed my mouth that there was almost no point.
“Okay.”
I had bed head, so I put water through it to fix it. It didn’t work.
“Huh?” I wet my hair a little more and made sure it was just the way I wanted it. Boing. My hair sprang up again. “Grr…” I adjusted it once more, this time really taking care to set it properly.
“Finally!”
It sprang up again. It was being horrendously stubborn.
I fixed it. It sprang up. I fixed it. It sprang up.
“O-Okay. This time I’ve definitely got it.” Boing. “Gaaahh!!”
I tipped the entire bucket of water over my head.
“That’s why your head’s so soaking wet?”
Menel and I were in the yard. While laughing at my stupidity, Menel continued to press my head in one direction, while I resisted and pushed back against him. We were doing neck training.
Training the neck muscles is modestly important. If you’re punched in the head or have your legs swept out from under you, it’s your neck muscles that protect your head. If they’re weak, it’s relatively easy to get seriously hurt.