Chapter 48
The story Hutan told with a deep sigh went like this:
The Black Wheel Dwarves lived clustered together in a secluded mountain, far from human settlements.
They spent their days forging whatever weapons they pleased, sometimes selling them outside for income, and lived a generally joyful life.
Their only problem was that living so scattered made it difficult to defend against monsters or intruders.
That’s when someone came up with a brilliant idea.
‘What if we had a weapon that moved on its own to protect us?’
Thinking it was a great idea, the Black Wheel Dwarves came together as a village to make it happen.
They spared no expense, pouring their most precious materials into it, and their best blacksmiths worked day and night.
Eventually, they succeeded.
They created a weapon that could not die, would never tire, and was stronger than anything else.
They enchanted the sword with magic to slay anyone who entered the village without permission.
But, as always, the world rarely goes according to plan.
The sword they created began attacking not just intruders but also the dwarves themselves when they left the village and tried to return.
The sword meant to protect them had turned on them.
Naturally, the dwarves didn’t sit by and let it happen.
The village warriors and the creators of the sword all tried to subdue it—but failed.
They had made a magical sword so powerful that even their own talents couldn’t overcome it.
Trapped in their own village, the dwarves resorted to living off stored food and the few crops they could grow.
But that, too, had its limits.
“Since the sword keeps wild animals away, we can’t even hunt them… These days, we rely on shooting down the occasional bird with a bow,” Hutan said.
‘Was that why they helped me? Because they thought I might have food with me? Wait… then…’
“So I can’t leave either?”
Hutan averted his gaze at my question and muttered, “Well… probably not.”
“This is bad.”
If I didn’t return soon, Swell would be in an uproar, and that would reach the duke’s ears too.
“Of course, there is a way to get out.”
“Past that sword?”
“Yes. According to our theory, the sword stops functioning at a certain distance from the village.”
I rested my chin on my hand, thinking.
From what I experienced earlier, if I had enough mana, I could probably slip past the sword on my own.
‘But the real problem is these dwarves.’
The reason I insisted on coming along for the subjugation despite the duke’s opposition was to recruit these dwarves.
From the looks of it, they weren’t in great health, so I was worried they wouldn’t survive a hurried descent down the mountain.
“This being the case, I’ll be honest too. I came here to recruit the Dwarf race.”
“Us?”
“Yes. I’m Ariel Clasta, heir to the Duke of Clasta.”
“A noble, huh.”
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll stop that sword and get you all out. In return, you’ll come to our family. Of course, we’ll treat you generously. The Clasta Dukedom never mistreats talent.”
Hutan fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright.”
But one dwarf shouted in protest.
“Chieftain! But it’s unsettling to live in the human world! What if they treat us like slaves?”
“I understand. But if we stay here, we’ll starve to death. Do you want that? If anyone objects, speak now.”
Hutan looked around at his people.
“This young human might not succeed… but we’ve done everything we could over the past 10 years.”
Ten years?! They’d been trapped here for that long?
It was amazing they were still alive.
“Do you want to see our children die without ever setting foot outside this village? Out there, there’s plenty of food! Cold beer! Bread! You can eat your fill! But us? Do you want to keep digging up bugs and eating tree bark forever? If you object, speak now!”
His burning words seemed to stir hearts, and one dwarf stepped forward.
“I admit… I’m scared of humans. I don’t know how they’ll treat us.”
He hugged a child tightly and continued.
“But I still want to leave! I can’t stand seeing my child cry from hunger anymore! I have nothing to give him, and I’m his father!”
“Me too! Even if I’m treated like a slave, at least I won’t go hungry!”
“I don’t care what happens! I just want out!”
The dwarves cried as they shouted.
Hutan turned to me and said, “If you save us, we’ll give you our full trust. Please.”
With a request like that, there was only one thing to say.
“Yes. I’ll help you.”
At my words, a glimmer of hope lit up in the dwarves’ eyes.
“But I can’t do it alone.”
“Is there anything we can do? If it gets us out, we’ll do anything!”
“No. I need help from outside. Honestly, you haven’t had proper meals in a while, have you?”
“True… We caught a big bird a week ago and shared it, but since then we’ve been starving…”
The Black Wheel Dwarves’ village was deep in the mountains, hidden from sight.
That meant harsh terrain and dangerous monsters.
How could these frail-looking people make it down safely?
I needed the knights’ help.
“I’ll go and bring people who can help.”
As I headed toward the village entrance, Hutan suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“You’re leaving now? Why not rest and recover your strength first?”
“There are people who’ll worry if I’m late.”
It wasn’t much of a reason, but saying it out loud made me feel warm inside.
Before my possession, no one would’ve cared if I died. But now, things were different.
“Do you have any food that helps recover mana?”
“If we did, we’d have eaten it all already.”
“Right.”
I approached the village boundary, but the magical sword was nowhere in sight.
“By the way, what powers that sword? You didn’t recharge it, and yet it’s been active for ten years.”
“We asked a spirit. Said it’d last a hundred years easily. Didn’t expect it to turn on us…”
This is why you have to be careful what you ask for.
Hutan clung to me desperately.
“…We’re counting on you. Many warriors tried, but you’re the only one who got past that sword. Don’t abandon us.”
“Just pack your bags. We’ll leave tomorrow.”
As soon as I stepped over the village’s boundary line, I felt the sword slicing through the air toward my throat.
‘Seriously, this sword is smart.’
It didn’t even have eyes, yet it targeted vital spots perfectly.
Was it sensing my pulse or something?
I tilted my head to dodge, and the sword—after flying wildly past—suddenly twisted back toward me.
I ran like mad to avoid it.
Once I reached halfway down the mountain, the sword stopped chasing.
“Haa…”
My legs throbbed from the mana I had poured into them.
It was only thanks to memorizing the terrain and perfectly controlling my mana that I made it through. Otherwise, I’d have been in serious trouble.
‘This sword eats up a ton of mana. Even skilled knights would have a hard time getting through.’
Back at the inn, Swell ran up to me.
“My lady! Where have you been?! We were looking everywhere!”
“Just out for a quick walk nearby.”
“I told you it’s dangerous to go alone. You should always be with the knights.”
“But I’m the strongest.”
“I know, but something could still happen. Anyway, please come in. The Duke has called.”
“The Duke—no, Dad?”
Did something happen at the dukedom?
Worried about an unexpected situation, I ran straight to the communication orb.
The Duke of Clasta was reviewing documents but gave me a small smile when he saw me rushing in.
[You’ll trip if you keep running like that. Slow down.]
In the past, I wouldn’t have understood why the duke said such things.
But now I knew he was truly concerned about me.
“Did something happen at the estate?”
The words slipped out—and I immediately realized my mistake.
I hadn’t fully adjusted to calling him “Dad,” so I kept making slip-ups like this.
[No, my daughter. Nothing happened.]
But instead of scolding me, he gently called me “daughter” each time.
Like he was telling me it was okay to call him “Dad.”
“Ah, I was just surprised you contacted me so suddenly…”
Thankfully, this time I managed to call him “Dad” without issue.
[Does there always have to be a reason to reach out?]
He added lightly.
[Between family?]
Oh, right.
Family doesn’t need a reason to stay in touch.
[Just wanted to know if my daughter was eating well, sleeping okay… You look well.]
“Uh, yeah…”
I didn’t expect him to worry about my well-being.
Flustered, I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“I—I’m fine. The knights treat me well. Oh! I had an apple pie the other day, and it was really good!”
If Regan heard me talking like this, he’d have scolded me harshly.
He’d yell, “You can’t even speak properly? You think he called to hear about what you stuffed your face with?!”
But the Duke listened seriously, even to such trivial talk.
[Apple pie? What kind?]
“It was from a local territory we passed. A knight gave it to me, so I’m not sure.”
We went on, chatting about silly little things.
[I didn’t know my daughter liked apple pie that much. I’ll tell the chef to prepare some for you. How’s your room? Comfortable enough?]
The small, ordinary events of my day turned into something special.
[Okay. If anything happens, call me. I’ll be in touch again.]
“Yes, yes!”
Even after the call ended, I sat there dazed.
It was such a strange feeling—having someone who cared about what I ate or how my day went.
‘Is this… what real family feels like?’
It felt like warm water was filling my heart.
And at the same time, I felt a pang of sadness.
Because if the Duke ever learned my true identity—this moment could never exist.
