The Clans Clash, Turning a Blind Eye to the Chaos – Part 01

The most influential clan at the campsite was, without question, the Golden Boar clan.

They pitched the largest tent, with a golden sign engraved with a boar hanging at the top. Waffa, the clan chief’s granddaughter, led the adventurer party Fringe Bell Fierce Blossoms, but even without her group, the clan was well-staffed with private soldiers.

The clan chief, a towering giant of a Dwarf, had a body so robust it was hard to believe he was elderly. Even after the recent major earthquake, he remained on the front lines, directing restoration efforts.

“Yeah, give ‘em as much stock as they need. What? Interest? Don’t be ridiculous. This is the Golden Boar clan’s turf. Anyone who tries to do greedy business here, I’ll personally knock ‘em flat!”

The Dwarves all jumped into action. Just then, three Dwarves came running up to the old man.

“Ch-Chief! Something bad’s happened!”

“Huh? You lot. I told you to go back to the house and bring furniture, didn’t I?”

“This is way more urgent.”

“What could be more urgent than that?”

With a loud thud, the chief stepped forward, and the trio of Dwarves simultaneously fell onto their backsides.

“Are you saying my order is not important?”

“N-No, that’s not it! It’s just, uh… well…”

“Spit it out already!”

Of the three, one foamed at the mouth and collapsed backward, another clutched his head and curled up, and the last just flapped his mouth like a fish.

“Grandpa, what’re you yelling about this early in the morning?” Waffa came over, yawning.

Her rich hair was parted to either side. Though small in stature, she was a melee fighter who swung around a battle axe longer than her own body.

“Ah, good morning, my little Waffa. You slept through that earthquake?”

“What earthquake? Whoa, what the heck?! There’s cracks in the ground!”

She genuinely hadn’t noticed. Her eyes blinked rapidly in confusion.

Waffa had returned late last night and passed out the moment she hit her bed. A huge fan of Selyse, one of the Four Eastern Stars, she had plotted to sneak up on her at the Mountain of Illusions, startle her, and then swoop in heroically to save her from danger. But it backfired spectacularly, and Selyse chewed her out for it.

A lot had gone wrong. She’d picked a fight with Hikaru, fallen off a cliff, and generally caused chaos. But getting recognized by her idol had sent Waffa soaring with excitement. She celebrated with her party, drank despite not holding her liquor well, got totally wasted, and slept right through the earthquake. There probably weren’t many Dwarves as thick-skinned as her. On a related note, her companions had long since woken up and gone off to assist with rescue efforts.

“L-Lady Waffa, this is serious. Y’know that human you’re so into?”

Now that Waffa was here, the Dwarf who’d been flapping his mouth found his voice again.

“Don’t you dare talk about Lady Selyse so casually!”

The Dwarf shrank back.

“Now, now, Waffa. You shouldn’t scare the faint-hearted. They’ll get too nervous to say anything. You gotta soothe and coax them into talking.”

“R-Right. You really know how to deal with people, huh.”

The chief guffawed. “True that!”

One of the Dwarves gave him a flat, deadpan look. “Ah, crap, this is supposed to be urgent. Chief, milady, Gittan’s Gilma seemed to have acquired some weird power.”

“Hm?”

“Gittan? That’s where Lady Selyse is staying, right?”

“Yeah. Word from someone nearby says they heard a voice say something like the flame’s master being chosen or whatever.”

The chief’s eyes snapped wide.

“After that, Gilma apparently set fire to the box she was carrying.”

“Take me there. Now!”

The Dwarf who’d been sitting on his rear actually jumped three centimeters into the air.

“Where is she?!”

“G-Grandpa, what’s gotten into you?”

“We’ll talk on the way. Hey, you three doofuses, on your feet!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”
“Right away!”
“Fweh!”

The three Dwarves stood up and jogged ahead, with the clan chief following in long strides. Waffa hurried after them.

“Waffa, remember why we moved our base to this camp?”

“Uhh… I think you said it was because of Lord Brigid’s message or something?”

The chief nodded. “We, the Golden Boar clan, bear the name of gold. The gold beloved by Lord Brigid himself. We left our home in accordance with her message.”

The message Brigid left behind said:

Gold is fair to behold, but gold is gold, not art.
Leave your home, that you may gain the seed.

The Golden Boar clan had taken that message quite literally.

“And?” Waffa urged.

“If Lord Brigid’s words hold true, then it means the power of the flame is to be granted to a clan. Likely in the form of a tool or an ability.”

“So Gilma received the power?”

“Indeed. I don’t like that someone from the Bright Rooster got it, but the power landed right here in our turf. Just proves the sharpness of my insight in believing Lord Brigid.”

“Whoa, that’s awesome, Grandpa!”

The chief laughed even louder, riding high on his granddaughter’s praise. But when they arrived at the medical tent where Gilma was said to be, the situation changed.

“We’re not handing over Gilma.”

Standing in front of the tent was a female swordswoman. Despite being an adventurer, her white cloak was spotless, and not a strand of her golden hair, tied up in a chignon, was out of place. She was Selyse Lande, leader of the Four Eastern Stars and a Rank B adventurer.

“We know the power of the flame has manifested in Gilma,” the clan chief said. “Hand her over peacefully. We, the Golden Boar clan, will take her into our custody. Surely that’s not a bad offer.”

Waffa casually walked past him and stood beside Selyse.

“Waffa? What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry, Grandpa. But if you’re going to be enemies with Lady Selyse, then I’m your enemy too.”

“Whaaat?!”

A sudden betrayal by his own granddaughter.

“Chief, let’s round up the Golden Boar soldiers and wipe out this whole shelter.”

“Shut it, you morons!” he roared so loud spit flew.

The Dwarves’ hair stood on end, their eyes went wide, and their faces were soaked.

“B-But Waffa, this is Lord Brigid’s will,” the chief said softly.

Waffa turned away in a huff. “I’m gonna start hating you, Grandpa,” she said, which only further shook the chief.

“Uh…” Selyse, on her end, was now wondering if maybe this imposing clan chief was actually kind of amicable. “Wh-Why don’t we talk about this inside?”

The chief entered the aid station with Waffa in tow. Many Dwarves watched anxiously, but seeing a battle averted brought relief. Lavia and Serika, who had been hiding in the shadows with their staves at the ready, also breathed a sigh of relief.

“After checking, we found that Gilma has indeed gained the ability to produce flame at will. However, it’s not strong enough to melt iron, more like a slightly stronger kindling flame.”

Since no emergency patients had arrived, the tent was currently empty.

The chair the clan chief sat in was normal-sized, but his massive frame made it look like a child’s seat.

Selyse sat across from him, explaining. Beside her was Sophie. Serika and Lavia were watching the entrance, Sara stood guard around the perimeter, and Paula was assigned to incoming patients. The three idiots, of course, had been kicked outside.

“Where’s Gilma?” the chief asked.

“She’s asleep in the back. I think the shock got to her.”

“Hmm. About that ability of hers. Could the Golden Boar clan take a look? I suspect that if we use it as a kindling flame, it might produce the same fire as the Progenitor’s Forge.”

“I think so too, but we need to ask Gilma first,” Selyse replied. “Besides, she’s from the Bright Rooster clan, isn’t she?”

“The Bright Rooster clan is still within the country. And frankly, they’re nearly powerless. If another clan—especially someone like the Blue Dragon—sets their sights on her, she’ll just be kidnapped.”

“Wouldn’t the same thing happen if she was under the Golden Boar’s custody?”

“I can talk to the head of the Bright Rooster clan. I like gold, and he likes making money. We compete from time to time, sure, but we can have a chat.”

“Hmm.” Selyse put a hand to her chin, deep in thought.

Waffa gazed at her with heart-shaped eyes. A thoughtful Lady Selyse is so lovely.

The clan chief tried to catch his granddaughter’s attention with a look that said, your grandpa’s doing his best too. But she didn’t notice at all.

“Selyse. Let’s accept the Golden Boar clan’s offer.”

“Gilma!”

Gilma stepped out from behind the partition. Her face was pale.

Sophie quickly moved to support her. “Take it easy now.”

“Thank you. I’m all right now. I was just a little surprised, that’s all.”

“Well then, Gilma of Gittan Trading. Are you willing to be in the Golden Boar clan’s custody?” the chief asked.

Gilma nodded.

“Are you sure about this?” Selyse said. “Shouldn’t you consult with the Bright Rooster clan first?”

“To be perfectly honest, I’d like to,” Gilma replied. “But in the middle of all this chaos, I don’t know if the main family can make a sound decision. And I don’t fully understand what this power is myself. I think I should stay somewhere safe until things settle down.”

“A wise decision,” the chief said. “The fact that you were chosen by the flame is what truly matters. Not anyone else, you. No one else was chosen.”

“Are you absolutely sure about that?” Selyse asked.

The chief laughed. “The Golden Boar clan’s information network has no holes. None of the other clans have been chosen yet. They’re all still squabbling with each other. Fools, the lot of them. And in the meantime, the Progenitor’s Forge’s fire has gone out.”

Selyse, Gilma, and the rest, were shocked by the news.

“Grandpa, are you serious? The Progenitor’s Forge’s fire went out?”

“Yes. I received the message first thing this morning.”

“How did you find out?”

“That’s a secret I can’t tell even you.”

“I hate you, Grandpa,” Waffa said, turning away.

The chief froze. “Th-There are rules, you see. The means of gathering information can only be revealed to the clan head and the heir.”

“The Progenitor’s Forge’s fire went out, and I’m the only one with this power?” Gilma grew even paler.

“A-Ahem.” The chief cleared his throat. “So there you have it, Gilma. The Golden Boar clan is stable for now. We can keep your secret and still get you back to the Bright Rooster clan. Until then, we’ll try to honor your wishes as best we can. Is that acceptable?”

“Y-Yes,” Gilma said. She had once been so strong-willed, but now she looked as though she might collapse at any moment.

Selyse hesitated over whether to say something but decided not to. This was a matter concerning the entire Dwarf race. Too big for a single adventurer to meddle in.

Hikaru, where are you now? This is exactly when we’d need Dodorono’s help.

What Gilma needed was someone who could stay by her side, regardless of the fate of her clan.

Only Dodorono, her childhood friend who’d left their homeland, came to mind.