Unrest in the Land of the Dwarves – Part 04

Gilma was the daughter of the Bright Rooster Clan’s leader, and she was the same age as Dodorono. Among Dwarves, men aged quickly in appearance, but women, like Gilma, retained a youthful look far longer.

“But when they become an old hag, it happens in an instant. Gahaha!”

Gilma jabbed Dodorono in the ribs. “You shut your mouth!”

“Ouch!”

“Uh… So, are you two just childhood friends?” Hikaru asked.

“No,” Dodonno said. “A marriage proposal was brought up between my brother and Gil—”

This time, Dodorono elbowed his brother. “You keep your mouth shut, too.”

“Ow!”

Even though it was just an elbow, Dodorono’s Dwarven strength sent his brother rolling about three meters, groaning in pain. Hikaru pressed his palms together in prayer.

“No, Dodonno’s right,” Gilma cut in.

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. Dodorono’s just embarrassed.”

“…”

“Come on now, Hikaru. Don’t look at me like that. I’m just—”

“Yeah, yeah. We get it. You’re embarrassed. So, you want to know what’s going on in the country, right?”

Gilma took over, steering the conversation. Hikaru quickly realized how tough female Dwarves were.

She then explained the situation. Out of the twelve clans, six had deployed private soldiers and were facing off in the central square.

The Orange Ox Clan, the Yellow Tiger Clan, and the Black Goat Clan had formed an alliance, while the Blue Dragon Clan, the largest military force, was acting alone. The Green Rabbit Clan and Indigo Snake Clan had also joined forces.

“The Bright Rooster Clan, Purple Horse Clan, and White Monkey Clan have officially declared neutrality. The Golden Boar Clan hasn’t made a statement, but they’ve moved their forces to this camp. The Dark Dog Clan lives in the country’s shadows, so we have no idea what they’re up to as always.”

“Hey, Gilma. What about the Red Rat Clan?” Dodorono asked. “We’re the only ones who can handle the Dark Dog Clan.”

Gilma let out a heavy sigh. “The Red Rat Clan’s head—your father—is ill. They haven’t declared neutrality or chosen a side. The clan is divided.”

“What?!” Dodonno exclaimed.

“That can’t be. Sure, my brother and I were abroad, but they still had Uncle and several of our cousins.”

“They’re using this opportunity to claim leadership.”

“That’s… That’s ridiculous.”

“Listen, Dodorono. How long has it been since you left the country?”

“…”

“A lot has happened since then. The Red Rat Clan you knew doesn’t exist anymore.”

“How’s Mom? Even if Dad’s not well, Mom should still be able to handle things.”

“Your mother is doing her best. But she wants to focus on getting the clan head better.”

“I… see.”

Dodonno and Dodorono slumped, looking ten to twenty years older.

“Uh, can I ask something?” Hikaru said, raising his hand slightly.

“What is it?” Gilma urged.

“How did all of this start?”

“What?”

“You don’t just see clans fighting like that out of nowhere. There has to be a reason.”

“Ah, that’s simple. It’s all because of Lord Brigid.”

“Lord Brigid, the living deity in Ironforge, right?”

“He’s a god, not a human.”

“I see. So what did this god—”

“Hey, Dodonno,” a soldier suddenly called. “Time for you to come out.”

“We’ll talk later,” Gilma said. “Dodorono. You’re not leaving without saying anything to me, right?”

“…”

“Dodorono!”

“All right, all right. So naggy.”

“Who are you calling naggy?!”

As Hikaru and the others left the prison, they found that the three members of the Golden Boar Clan were no longer in the station.

“What happened to them?” Dodorono asked.

“I already sent them home. Anyway, can you check this report?”

“Report? You haven’t even questioned us yet.”

Dodorono took the paper, and Hikaru peered from the side. It was essentially an apology for the commotion caused at the checkpoint.

“Why do I have to apologize, too?” Dodorono grumbled.

“Are you sorry?”

“Of course not. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then just sign it. Like I said, we can’t afford to upset the Golden Boar Clan. You want to get moving, don’t you?”

Dodorono let out a disgruntled grunt.

“I understand how you feel,” Hikaru whispered, “but we can’t lose sight of our goal. Let’s hurry to the Red Rat Clan’s headquarters.”

“Mm… I suppose yer right.”

Dodonno and Dodorono quickly signed the paper, and the guard gave a satisfied nod.

“Great. Now, then. Dodonno, Dodorono, you’re cleared to pass through.”

“Acting high and mighty, are we? Whatever. Let’s go, Hikaru.”

“Wait. You two are the only ones cleared.”

“What?”

“We can’t grant clearance to the human.”

“Wait, I can’t go? Why not? Can’t they use their clan’s authority to give me a pass?”

“Normally, yes. But in this case, I’m afraid you’ll just have to give up. Having you inside the country right now would cause too many problems,” the guard said apologetically.

It seemed there was nothing he could do about it. Hikaru started to worry. Maybe the internal strife was worse than he had thought.

“Aren’t guards supposed to solve problems?” Dodorono said.

“I’m really sorry,” the guard added awkwardly.

“Well, nothing we can do.” Dodorono clapped a hand on Hikaru’s shoulder. “This is our homeland anyway. We’ll be fine without you. We’ll head to my family’s house right away.”

“Gilma, can you look after Hikaru and his friends? I’ll come back once I finish my business with the Red Rat Clan.”

“Sounds good to me. Without a hostage, you might just disappear on me again.”

“Oh, come on. Whatever. I have your word.”

Gilma had a huffy look on her face, and Dodorono clearly knew better than to argue with her. It was actually his own fault for not staying in contact since leaving home, so he had this coming.

If Dodorono ever brought up going to Vireocean to buy materials, Gilma would likely explode, saying he could’ve at least written home instead.

“Bye, then.”

“See you later, Hikaru.”

“Take care.”

Dodonno and Dodorono shouldered their bags and started up the mountain path. Ahead, the road narrowed too much for a carriage.

“A hostage, huh,” Hikaru muttered.

“Oh, I was just joking,” Gilma said. “I had to say that or else he wouldn’t have learned his lesson. Well, even then, he probably still wouldn’t.”

Thwack! Gilma smacked Hikaru’s back, making him cough.

“Oh, sorry. I guess hitting you with the same force I use on male Dwarves might be too much for a human.”

“I’m… fine.”

Hikaru’s fighting style revolved around Stealth, so he wasn’t used to taking hits like that.

“During your stay here, Gilma of the Gittan Trading Company guarantees your safety and security, so rest easy! As to whether it’s gonna be comfortable… now that I can’t guarantee.” She laughed heartily.

What a cheerful lady, Hikaru thought. His back still hurt.

“All right, then, let’s head to my store.”

Outside the guard station, the wind was cold but the bright midday sun provided plenty of warmth. Grasslands blankted the rolling hills, filling the air with the scent of earth and grass.

“That reminds me. I have other human guests at my place. I’ll introduce you to them later.”

“Ah, in that case, I’d like to meet up with my companions first. I left the carriage with them.”

“Are they humans?”

“Yes. Two women.”

“Really? Well, my guests are also a group of four women, so I’m sure they’ll get along well. Oh, wait. That means you’ll be the only man around. A harem, huh?”

Hikaru let out a dry laugh. “Wait, did you say a group of four women?”

“Gilma! I heard you suddenly left the store. Did something happen?”

Someone was coming, and they froze when they saw Gilma and Hikaru.

“H-Hikaru?!”

“Selyse!”

It was Selyse, the leader of the Four Eastern Stars.

“Oh? You two know each other?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Ahhh!” Selyse let out a shrill scream, then turned and bolted off at full speed.

“Huh?”

“Do you have some kind of history with Selyse?” Gilma asked.

“What? No.”

“Yeah, right! For a woman to run off like that, it must’ve been something very serious. Aha, you look well-mannered and all, but I bet you’re blackmailing her with some secret.”

“N-No, I’m not!”

Gilma grabbed him by both arms with surprising strength.

“What are you doing?”

Gilma’s wild assumptions didn’t settle until Lavia arrived, wearing a look of disbelief, and cleared up the misunderstanding.