The Flame’s Whereabouts – Part 01

There’s a whole city hidden in the mountains? Hikaru felt like he had stepped into a different world altogether.

Stone buildings lined the streets, most of them three stories or more. The stonework was impeccable, so precise that even the capitals of major nations rarely boasted such craftsmanship. Compared to the sleepy Dwarf settlement that clung to the mountain trails, this felt like a sudden leap into a bustling metropolis.

Sunlight reflected off the finely crafted glass windows. Despite the major earthquake, not a single building had collapsed. At least, not here on the main road. That didn’t mean the entire city had come through unscathed.

“No time to be admiring things.”

The narrow street was packed with Dwarves. All of them were staring up at the tilted anvil atop the mountain. It looked as if it could slide down the slope at any moment. If something like that fell, it would be a disaster. The Dwarves were in chaos, unsure whether to flee or stay, wondering what their clan leader was thinking.

The person Hikaru was looking for—Dodorono—was supposed to be in the building belonging to the Red Rat clan. And finding it didn’t seem all that difficult. Each of the twelve clans flew a banner representing their name: the Blue Dragon clan had a blue flag with a dragon, the Purple Horse clan had a purple flag with a horse, and the Indigo Snake clan had an indigo one with a snake. So naturally, the one he needed would be red with a rat.

“There it is.”

Activating Stealth, Hikaru weaved his way through the Dwarves without bumping into anyone, and soon spotted an especially large manor. Several banners flew from the roof, red with rats.

The residence was surrounded by high stone walls and had a thick iron gate at the entrance, but no gatekeeper in sight. Not that one would’ve noticed Hikaru anyway.

“Pretty careless. Or maybe just deserted?”

He threw a grappling hook and latched it onto the wall, then climbed up and slipped down into the grounds. Illegal entry was something he’d gotten far too used to, not that he ever wanted to.

Using Mana Detection, he sensed only a handful of people inside the five-story building. He picked up the presence of both Dodorono and Dodonno among them.

The double doors at the front entrance weren’t even locked. The carvings on the doors were fitting for this country: on the right, a Dwarf swinging a hammer; on the left, another raising a mug in a toast. The craftsmanship was highly detailed and vividly rendered. But the slight tarnish on the metal decorations and thin layer of dust made it clear they hadn’t been maintained.

The entrance hall was empty. Unlike the noble estates Hikaru had seen before, this place had exposed stone walls and a rugged interior, but still managed to feel warm. He made his way down the hallway, heading straight for the room where Dodorono, Dodonno, and one other person were gathered.

He cracked the door slightly and listened.

“Pops, do you even understand what you’re saying?”

It was Dodorono’s voice.

Pops meant the third person in the room was probably their father and the head of the Red Rat Clan.

Hikaru deactivated Stealth and stepped inside. “There you are.”

The Dwarf brothers, nearly identical in appearance, turned around. Dodorono was dressed as sharply as ever, this time in a pinstripe suit. His older brother Dodonno wore work clothes typical of Dwarves. The way his hair was slicked back with oil, however, showed he had a sense of style too.

“Hikaru?!”

“H-How did you get in here?”

“I just looked for the building with the Red Rat clan’s flag.”

Hikaru turned his attention to the person the brothers had been speaking to—the Dwarf lying in bed.

His hair was long and frizzy, with streaks of white. His beard was almost entirely gray. He looked a lot like Dodorono, except he was frail, his cheeks were sunken, his skin dull.

They had mentioned he was bedridden, but Hikaru hadn’t expected it to be this bad. His instinct told him no healing magic would fix this.

The man was nearing the end of his life.

“So you’re the adventurer Hikaru, eh?” the man rasped.

Even in his frailty, the light in his eyes remained sharp. He radiated the presence of someone who led a clan.

“Hikaru, this is our father, Donovan.”

“Nice to meet you. Though this hardly seems like the time for formalities.”

“You’re talking about the earthquake?” Dodorono said. “That was something. Everyone at the base okay?”

“Yeah, somehow. How about up here?”

“We managed. We were just saying there’re probably some collapsed homes.”

“The main street looked fine, at least.”

“Go a bit further out and you’ll find wooden houses too.” For once, Dodorono didn’t speak with his usual chirpy tone. His manner was formal.

“I came here to get you out,” Hikaru said. “I heard you were being held captive, but it looks like you can move around freely.”

“Well, I’m still a Red Rat clansman, y’know. My uncle took the Progenitor’s Shield you brought, though. Sorry about that.”

“You idiot,” Donovan said. “Your brother too. That thing belongs to the Dwarves.”

Dodorono shrank back in shame.

“I don’t really care what happens to that shield,” Hikaru said. “We need to evacuate. This place isn’t safe.”

“Y-Yeah. I’d love nothing more than to do that… but our father refuses to move, no matter what we say.”

“What?”

Hikaru looked toward Donovan. He was staring out the window, where the tilted anvil atop the mountain was clearly visible.

“Dwarves can only live on this mountain,” the old Dwarf said. “My father, his father, and his before him—all of them lived and died here.”

“Are you saying Dwarves should perish here?”

“Hey, Hikaru.”

“Dodonno, this is the kind of issue that needs to be treated seriously. I think every Dwarf should evacuate, even if only temporarily. Do you have any idea how many will die if that anvil comes crashing down?”

Hikaru couldn’t shake the strong sense of danger, especially after Talis’s warning. He felt the people living here were underestimating the threat.

“Dodonno, show the adventurer Lord Brigid’s words,” Donovan said.

Dodonno frowned, then picked up a paper from the nearby table and handed it to Hikaru.

“What’s this?”

“Dad says it’s from Lord Brigid himself. When a clan chief went to offer one of our finest crafts, he said words appeared on the floor.”

Brigid. A god-like being the Dwarves worshipped. The one who granted them the Progenitor’s Forge. A Transcendent, like the Fire Drakon or, Talis, also known as Tartarais Leviathan.

Hikaru took the piece of paper.

The joy of the long night lies only in counting the stars.
Yet black clouds gather, shrouding the heavens.
The season of budding is forgotten, yet still do men rejoice in spring.
What the wasteland lacks is water, and seed.
Gold is fair to behold, but gold is gold, not art.
Leave your home, that you may gain the seed.
May elegant melody be heard once more in this land.
Now, let the flame choose a single clan and grant it power.
The long night shall deepen the dark.
Know that over this village, the sky holds not a single seam of light.

What’s this?

If Brigid were the subject, the message could be interpreted as follows:

There’s nothing interesting lately. You may be having fun, but this land is withering. Bring water and seeds. If you succeed, I will grant one clan the flame. There is no time to waste.

Hikaru could only imagine what water and seeds meant, but since Brigid was the god of craftsmanship, it might refer to technical skills or art. The flame was likely referring to the Progenitor’s Forge. If this was to be granted to one clan, it was a huge deal.

“Hmm… the Dwarves offer their works to Brigid, right? Maybe he’s planning to hold some kind of contest based on that?”

“How did you read it like that?” Dodonno said.

“What?”

“It means that Lord Brigid is having a problem. The clan that solves that problem will receive the Progenitor’s Forge.”

“Oh… I see.”

That was another way to read it. If the wasteland referred to Brigid’s situation, it would mean that there was something troubling Brigid, and he wanted the clans to fix it.

“So, did anyone leave home because of this?” Hikaru asked.

“Only the Golden Boar clan. They’ve set up a camp at the foot of the mountain. I’ve heard there are others who left their homes and now sleep in their yards.”

Ridiculous, Hikaru thought. What was the point of pretending to run away from home by sleeping in a yard?

“You don’t know what Brigid’s problem is, do you?” Hikaru asked.

“We don’t, but other clans might. If they knew what’s troubling Lord Brigid, it would give them an advantage over the others. So everyone’s keeping each other in check, not sharing any information.”

Hikaru started to get a headache.