The Clans Clash, Turning a Blind Eye to the Chaos – Part 03

“By the way, Pops, Lord Brigid complimented my clothes.”

“What?” Donovan looked surprised.

“He also said he would grant me the Flame.”

“Whoa there. Does that mean you were chosen by the Flame?!” Dodonno asked.

“No. I turned it down.”

“You what?!”

Dodonno’s eyes widened, while Donovan looked just as stunned.

Yup, like father, like son, Hikaru thought. Their faces looked a lot alike.

“Fire and clothes don’t really get along,” Dodorono said awkwardly.

Donovan burst into loud laughter. “I see, I see. Your obsession with fashion runs that deep, huh. I guess you really were right to leave this country.”

“P-Pops, this isn’t funny!” Dodonno argued. “He turned down Lord Brigid’s offer.”

“It’s fine. Dodorono’s not part of this country anymore. It’s good that we have Dwarves like you who are free. I hope more like you show up from now on. Dodorono, come here.”

Still looking uncomfortable, Dodorono slowly stepped up to his father’s bedside.

“Sit.”

“Uh, but there’s no chair.”

“Sit on the floor.”

“Uh… my clothes’ll get dirty.”

Grumbling, Dodorono plopped down onto the floor. Compared to humans, he was a bit short and stocky, but he managed his figure carefully to make sure his clothes had a clean silhouette. He was nothing like those potbellied blacksmithing Dwarves.

And yet, sitting cross-legged like that, he looked every bit a Dwarf.

“Dodorono.”

Donovan placed his hand—battered by years of smithing, covered in burns and bumps—on Dodorono’s head, not caring at all that it was slick with hair product.

“I… wasn’t much of a father to you.”

Dodorono stayed silent. Maybe he didn’t know how to respond.

“A Dwarf who loves clothes. That was unheard of in the family of the Red Rat clan’s chieftain. But look at you now. You grew up well and came back. That body of yours that’s not very Dwarflike, and those shiny clothes. You’re the only one who could’ve crafted such fine pieces.”

“You were a good father. I mean, I’m the Red Rat clan chieftain’s son, and I said I was leaving the country. That should’ve been a huge scandal. But you let me go. You even covered my travel and startup costs. I heard later you sold your prized liquor collection to raise the money.”

“The doctor told me to quit drinking. It wasn’t for you.”

No one present believed that.

“Dodorono.”

“Yeah?” Dodorono’s voice already sounded nasal.

“I’m proud of you.”

A sniffle. Dodorono’s shoulders were shaking.

“Follow the path you believe in. Even Lord Brigid, god of art and craftsmanship, couldn’t ignore your talent.”

“…”

“There’s nothing shameful about turning down Lord Brigid’s offer, or about leaving this country now. It just means your talent is too great to be kept here.”

Hikaru felt Dodonno tap his shoulder, and they stepped out into the hallway. He wanted to give the two some space.

The hallway was quiet. There wasn’t even a hint of anyone else around.

Dodonno had been silent the whole time, but eventually said, “Dad coughed up a lot of blood last night. He probably only has a few days left.”

---

When the flames of the Progenitor’s Forge died out, and the Progenitor’s Gauntlets disappeared, the plaza fell into a state of turmoil. Each clan began squabbling, but before that even started, the Blue Dragon clan had already slipped away and returned to their base.

This clan prided itself on being the most battle-hardened in the nation of Ironforge. In fact, it was said that half of the national military consisted of members tied to the Blue Dragon clan. Their chieftain, a Dwarf, was two heads taller than the rest—roughly the same height as the Golden Boar clan’s leader—and clad in blue armor, making him highly conspicuous.

“The Black Goats and Green Rabbits are full of idiots,” the chieftain said. “Instead of searching for the Progenitor’s Gauntlets, they should be following the trail of the Flame.”

A chorus of agreement rose from the surrounding Dwarves.

“So, I heard the Golden Boar clan have returned.”

“Yes, sir. They came in carrying a massive sign, you couldn’t mistake ’em. Not just the chieftain, either. There were even a few humans mixed in. A decent number of them came back.”

“Humans? Oh right, wasn’t the old man’s granddaughter some kind of adventurer?”

“Yeah, probably related to that.”

“If the Golden Boar clan’s back, does that mean they’re planning to join in the Black Goat and Green Rabbit mess?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case, chief. They went to the Bright Rooster clan’s estate.”

That report astonished not just the chieftain but all the other Dwarves.

“The Golden Boars and the Bright Roosters, huh. Did they always have a relationship?” one wondered.

“Well, in business, sure,” another replied. “There ain’t a trade in this country the Bright Rooster clan ain’t involved in.”

“Didn’t the Golden Boars hate the Bright Roosters? Those birds always grab all the gold.”

“Might be worth checking it out,” the chief said.

And with that, he led all of the Blue Dragon clan’s private soldiers to the Bright Rooster clan’s estate.

---

Of the twelve clans of Ironforge, the Bright Rooster clan’s estate was one of the most luxurious. Their policy was clear: “If it doesn’t make money, we don’t do it.”

That was why, even amid this crisis, they insisted on staying neutral and planned to trade with whichever clan inherited the Progenitor’s Forge next. One could say they lived by the saying “the wealthy don’t fight.”

The chieftain of this clan was a female Dwarf with gray hair in a braid. Of the twelve clans, only three had women as leaders. Small in stature, she glared upward at the Golden Boar clan’s towering chieftain across from her in the reception room. There was a significant height difference between them.

“You look great, old hag. Not even the reaper could take you out.”

“Fuck off, you old coot.”

The sudden exchange froze the air in the room, but the two of them acted like nothing had happened.

Luckily, only a few people were present—just the two chieftains and one attendant each—so the only ones caught in the frozen tension were the latter.

“A male Dwarf didn’t come all this way just for small talk, did he? Out with it.”

“Glad you’re quick on the uptake. You’ve got that Gittan Trading of yours set up in our camp, right—”

“The camp was something you lot set up on your own. The firm’s been at the border for ages.”

“Details, details.”

“Hardly. I’m pissed off you’re trying to claim rights without even asking.”

“Oh, loosen up. You’ll pop a vein and drop dead.”

“If your ugly mug hadn’t shown up, I’d be having a wonderful day.”

“Is that so? Then don’t come crying later, yeah? You’ll be the one in tears, thanking me for showing up.”

“Excuse me? Pretty bold words, old man.”

By that point, the Bright Rooster chieftain started to feel that something was off. Their usual back-and-forth was nothing new, but the Golden Boar clan’s chieftain radiated extreme confidence. And more than that, there was no obvious reason for him to visit the Bright Rooster estate during a crisis. At first, she thought he’d come to extort money or rob them, but that wasn’t it. She’d heard word that he brought humans with him, and that too piqued her curiosity.

In short, the Golden Boar chieftain was acting completely unlike himself.

“Listen up, hag. The one running that Gittan Trading of yours—Gilma—is currently under our custody.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

What he said wasn’t remotely expected. The Gittan Trading Company was indeed under the Bright Rooster clan’s management, but it was a small-time outfit. At the end of the day, it was just a general store near the camp and the border checkpoint.

“Did Gilma come to you for help?”

“No, I offered.”

She looked even more confused. The chieftain of the Golden Boar clan grinned like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“Listen, you old hag. I’m here out of the kindness of my heart. Truth is, I didn’t need to bring you into this, but Gilma insisted.”

“Quit beating around the bush and get to the point!”

“All right, all right, don’t get so worked up.”

The Golden Boar clan’s chieftain shrugged and spread his arms wide, clearly savoring every moment. He was enjoying the fact that he held all the important information and she didn’t.

“Can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll tell you. So, old hag. You remember what Lord Brigid said, don’t you? About the flame—”

“Chief! Chief!” called a loud voice from the hallway. A Dwarf from the Bright Rooster clan burst in, looking pale.

“What’s with the ruckus? This old man was just about to tell a tale that would shake the heavens.”

The Bright Rooster clan’s chieftain glared at him, who continued grinning smugly, which only irritated her further.

“It’s urgent. The Blue Dragon clan is here.”

“The Blue Dragons? Weren’t they brawling in the plaza?”

“The whole group’s come here now!”

The Bright Rooster chieftain’s eyes grew sharp.

“Oh, so the Blue Dragon dogs caught a whiff of something even without proof,” said the Golden Boar clan’s chief.

“You bastard. What did you do?”

“I told you, this was an act of kindness. So the Blue Dragons brought their troops, huh. Fine. We’ll send them packing.” The Golden Boar chieftain rose.

“Hey! I still don’t know what’s going on. Explain!” The Bright Rooster chieftain stood and chased after him.

“It’s not that complicated. Gilma was chosen by Lord Brigid, that’s all.”

“What… chosen? You don’t mean… by the Flame?”

“Exactly. And Gilma came to the Golden Boar clan for protection. To me. That’s why I brought her here.”

In reality, he had coaxed those words out of her through negotiation, but of course, he wouldn’t mention that.