A Father’s Death and the Dwarves Who Forsook Their Nation – Part 08

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

One of the mountains was spewing black smoke. A second jolt shook the earth, but Hikaru couldn’t take his eyes off that mountain.

Against the black smoke, a burst of vermilion light shot up like sparks. Then, thick red liquid began to ooze from the summit.

“An eruption?!”

Was that mountain a volcano? He vaguely recalled something about geothermal spots in the area.

“Get out of here! Prioritize evacuation! Get down the mountain! We don’t have time!”

There was only one thing to do: evacuate.

He didn’t know how big the eruption would be, but if lava started flowing, there was no way to stop it.

Screams and shouts erupted from every direction as more people noticed the eruption.

The leaders of each clan were barking orders for evacuation, and the Dwarves finally began to move.

“Hey, get up. We need to get down the mountain,” Hikaru told Dodorono’s uncle, who was still sitting on the ground.

“I-It’s over. This country is finished!” He burst out laughing. “A country that won’t be mine deserves to be destroyed!”

“This guy.”

So this was what happened when someone’s ambition crumbled. Hatred for everything bloomed, and they stopped caring even about themselves.

He’s beyond saving.

Hikaru gave up on him.

Looking up at the mountain, he saw thick black smoke rising, and lava flowing down its slopes. Even from a distance, the lava was moving fast. There wasn’t much time to evacuate. Any hesitation could mean death. If only a limited number of lives could be saved now, this man wasn’t one of them. He should focus on others.

“Uncle!” Dodorono came running. “We have to go. It’s dangerous here!” He dropped to his knees and placed a hand on his uncle’s arm.

Why? Hikaru wondered. This man had never mourned his brother’s death, had stolen Dodorono’s honor, and tried to take over the Red Rat clan. Why would he still extend a helping hand to someone like that?

Apparently, the uncle wondered the same thing. “What are you doing, Dodorono? I’m your enemy, remember?”

“You’re no enemy. Now come on, can you stand?” He grabbed his uncle’s arm and tried to pull him up. “Heavy,” he muttered. Slowly, the uncle rose.

H-He’s seriously thinking of leaving with him?

Hikaru couldn’t understand why Dodorono would burden himself like this, even knowing the danger.

“Can you walk, Uncle?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.” Dodorono turned to the servants. “Leave everything but valuables behind. No heavy luggage either. There’s a campsite at the foot of the mountain. We can get by there for a while.”

The servants nodded and started running, clearly planning to bring only valuables.

“Dodorono, I tried to become the head of the Red Rat clan over you and Dodonno.”

“I know that.”

“I should stay here. It’s better if I die.”

“Don’t be stupid!” For the first time, Dodorono raised his voice. Even he seemed surprised by it. “S-Sorry. But please, Uncle, don’t say things like that. I don’t want to lose any more family.”

“…”

He must’ve been thinking about his father, Donovan.

“You still consider me family?”

“Of course I do.”

“…”

His uncle closed his eyes for a moment, then finally said, “I’ve lost. My brother’s body is still in the house, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go get him.”

“What?”

“Your mother—my sister-in-law—will say she’s staying behind to protect the body. But we can preserve it in the ice chamber at my brother’s estate. We need to get her out.”

“Y-You’re right! Uncle, thank you.”

“You go on ahead.”

“B-But she’s our mother.”

“Then who’s going to lead the Red Rat clan? Aside from you and Dodonno, there’s no one else.”

Dodorono’s face lit up with realization.

“I’ll make sure she gets out. We’ll meet at the camp below.”

“O-Okay.”

His uncle started away. He was fat and out of shape, but still, there was a strange dignity in his retreating figure. Maybe Dodorono saw a glimpse of his father in him.

“Hmm?”

Just then, Cornu came over and held something out to Dodorono—the Progenitor’s Shield.

“This… for me?”

Cornu gave a firm nod.

“But this is…”

“Take it, Dodorono,” Hikaru interjected. “It’s exactly what you need to lead the Red Rat clan right now.”

“But still…”

“We don’t have time. Let’s move.”

It was good that his uncle had gone to Donovan’s estate, but time was running out fast.

“A-All right!”

Dodorono took the Progenitor’s Shield, and they left the estate and headed to the front yard. The number of Dwarves had dwindled.

“Hikaru!” Lavia came running and threw her arms around him. “I finally get to see you.”

“I didn’t expect you to be here. You weren’t in danger, were you?”

“Not at all. What about you? Your clothes look kind of chilly.”

“Well, it’s a long story. Anyway, we need to go.”

“Okay.”

She didn’t let go. When Hikaru tried to peel her off, she reached for him again with a look that clearly begged for one more hug. It was cute, but there wasn’t time for that. Paula beside them and Selyse a short distance away both looked pretty jealous.

“Well then, let’s raise the Progenitor’s Shield and start heading down the mountain.” The chief of the Golden Boar clan arrived with Dodonno.

“Dodorono, can I ask you to take the lead?” Dodonno said. “I’ll go check if anyone from the Red Rat clan got left behind.”

“Got it. Uncle went to check on mother.”

“He did?!” Dodonno couldn’t believe it. “I see. All right. Then I can focus on my part. Stay safe!”

“You too, brother.”

Dodonno looked ready to lead the Red Rat and Dark Dog clans in issuing evacuation orders.

“What about you, little human?” the Golden Boar chief asked Hikaru. “You managed to wrangle the Orange Ox, Yellow Tiger, and Black Goat clans? Not bad.”

Hikaru looked, and sure enough, those three clans hadn’t moved. They were waiting for him.

“You guys!” Hikaru shouted. “Find your families and head down together! Watch out for any collapsed buildings from the quake!”

They responded with a loud “Yes, sir!” and immediately turned around and ran.

“Wow. You really have them tamed,” the Golden Boar chief said with a chuckle.

“Aren’t you guys a little too relaxed?” Hikaru said.

“Most of us had already relocated to the camp. Now that we’ve got the Flame, it just proves leaving the country was the right move.”

“You got the Flame?”

“Hikaru. Gilma was chosen by the Flame,” Lavia explained.

Gilma walked up from behind her, looking rather awkward.

“Th-The Flame chose you?” Dodorono said.

“Seems like it.” Gilma smiled. “Not exactly ideal, huh?”

What she said didn’t really match the weight of the situation.

“Lord Brigid chose you… because of me.” Dodorono looked dejected.

“Dodorono. I understand how you feel, but first we have to evacuate,” Hikaru said.

“Got it.”

Gilma wasn’t sure why Dodorono was feeling that way, but Hikaru was. Brigid had initially tried to give the Flame to Dodorono, but he turned it down without hesitation. Back then, Brigid had fallen eerily silent, his expression unreadable.

“I see. Very well. This may not end well for you, but I’ll make the decision myself.”

He must have chosen someone close to Dodorono to receive the power. Otherwise, there was no reason for Gilma to be selected. Dodorono believed the Flame had passed to Gilma because of him, and he, born into the family of the Red Rat clan’s chieftain, knew better than anyone that gaining great power wasn’t always a blessing.

“I’m not sure if the Purple Horse clan plans to evacuate,” said the chieftain of the Golden Boar clan.

“The Purple Horse clan?” Hikaru said.

“They have farms. They’re the most attached to the land out of all the clans.”

“What if Dodorono went to them as the representative of the Red Rat clan? The Red Rat clan is the head of the Twelve Clans, right?”

“Hmph. If titles alone were enough to make things happen, this country wouldn’t be in such chaos.”

“Yeah… fair point.”

“But you’re not wrong to bring it up.”

Hikaru was wondering what he meant by that—if titles were meaningless, then what was the point—when the chieftain of the Golden Boar clan gave a sly grin.

“Hey, Blue Dragon! Mind moving for a bit?”

He called over the chieftain of the Blue Dragon clan and whispered something to him. Watching two huge Dwarf elders whispering like that was unsettling, but the Blue Dragon chieftain grinned too.

“Sounds fun. But we don’t have the Progenitor’s Gauntlets.”

“Hm? I thought the Green Rabbits had it.”

“It went missing during all the fighting.”

“If it’s the Progenitor’s Gauntlets you’re looking for, it should be at Donovan’s manor,” Hikaru cut in.

“Why would it be with the Red Rat clan? Well, whatever. That works out for us. Then we’ll regroup at Donovan’s place.”

“Got it.”

The Blue Dragon chieftain took his men and left. He had fewer people than before because many had already been sent out to assist with the evacuation.

“Huh?”

As Hikaru and Dodorono stood there, still unsure of what was going on, the Golden Boar chieftain turned to them.

“All right, let’s go. Dodorono, we’re going to give you the best title there is.”