A Father’s Death and the Dwarves Who Forsook Their Nation – Part 09

Ironforge was in utter chaos. With a volcanic eruption imminent, evacuation was inevitable. The roads down the mountain were packed, and voices echoed from all directions. The main street saw fewer people, but many Dwarves were carrying massive backpacks, trying to take as much with them as possible. Beneath the clanging of the emergency bell, Hikaru and the others made their way to their destination. Hikaru had hoped Lavia would go ahead of them, but she had flatly refused.

“You imbecile! You’ve got some nerve showing your face now!”

“S-Sorry, sis. I just…”

“Don’t you dare call me sis, you bumbling fool!”

At the entrance of Donovan’s mansion stood Dodorono’s mother, arms crossed, while his uncle knelt on the ground.

“Uncle.”

After all his big talk, this was how things ended up.

“Dodonno! What are you doing here?” His uncle turned around, looking absolutely mortified.

Dodorono’s mother, having heard that not only Dodorono but also the chieftain of the Golden Boar clan and even the Blue Dragon chieftain were coming, realized something serious was going on. She opened the door to the mansion. When Dodorono brought the Progenitor’s Gauntlets to the entrance hall, the chieftain of the Golden Boar clan and his granddaughter Waffa’s eyes lit up as they took it in their hands.

“Wow, Grandpa, this is amazing!”

“It sure is. But you get it, do you?”

“Yeah. It’s not Dwarf-made, is it?”

Hikaru didn’t quite understand what they meant by it not being Dwarf-made, but once the Blue Dragon chieftain arrived, it all started to make sense.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. The guards made a fuss, but here it is.”

His subordinates carried in a helmet and breastplate. Like the Progenitor’s Shield, they looked like plain silver metal, nothing flashy. But when the four pieces of equipment were lined up on the table, the atmosphere grew intense. Dull, covered in tiny scratches, it was clear that these were very old. For a moment, no one said a word, but as Hikaru studied the gear, he realized something.

“I see. These don’t fit a Dwarf’s build.”

They were too slim for the average Dwarf. Since there was no convenient auto-fitting function around, typical gear had adjustable belts, but the curved metal of these breastplates and gauntlets made them incompatible with the barrel-chested Dwarf physique.

And that wasn’t all. While the height was sized for Dwarves, they wouldn’t fit a human adult male. But even human children would struggle; the gear’s arms were made for a sturdy frame.

“That’s right.” The Blue Dragon chieftain gave a nod. “Not just us big Dwarves. Even my troops can’t wear it. Dwarves tend to gain weight easily. The more muscle we build, the bulkier we get. Over the years, many Dwarves have tried to wear the Progenitor’s Helmet and Progenitor’s Breastplate. The helmet’s manageable, but the breastplate’s hopeless. See this leather add-on? It’s new, right? We tried to make it work somehow, but no luck. It just doesn’t fit right.” He sounded very passionate about equipment in general.

When he saw Hikaru staring at him, he looked embarrassed and muttered, “I tried it myself back in the day. No good. We Blue Dragons are picky about gear. Everyone dreams of wearing the Progenitor’s equipment at least once.”

Still, as the chieftain had said, the leather looked relatively new. At a glance, it seemed like the gear could be worn right away. Needless to say, it wouldn’t fit Hikaru’s build.

“Now that the four pieces are assembled, it’s a magnificent sight. But obviously, we didn’t gather them just to put them on display, especially not in an emergency like this.” The chieftain of the Golden Boar clan turned to the manor’s owner. “Dodorono.”

“Wh-What is it?”

Startled to hear his name at such a tense moment, he immediately sensed something unusual.

“Suit up.”

“What?”

“You get it, don’t you? Put on the Progenitor’s equipment. Judging by my eye, it should fit you perfectly.”

Dodorono looked bewildered, but Hikaru understood. Dodorono was fashion-conscious and maintained a slim build for a Dwarf. It took effort, but he couldn’t stand letting his clothes lose their silhouette.

“Me? Wear this?”

“What are you saying?” Dodorono’s mother cut in. “You show up out of nowhere and start digging up antiques?!”

“It’s simple. We have Dodorono wear it and go convince the Purple Horse clan. Otherwise, they won’t move until the lava’s practically on their doorstep.”

“Dodorono’s not part of this country anymore. You can’t just use him when it’s convenient for you.”

“Maybe not. But we’re only asking him to do this once, just once. Of course, we can’t force him. But both Dodonno and Dodorono were named chiefs of the Red Rat clan. With the nation in danger, they have a duty to act.”

“Chief? Why?”

Not knowing what had happened at the uncle’s estate, Dodorono’s mother turned a reproachful glare on him. But the uncle just kept bowing, all his earlier bravado gone.

“Fine. I’ll wear it.”

“Dodorono!”

“Sorry, Mom. I hate showing up only in times like this, pretending I care about this place… but still, it looks like I’m the one who has to do this.”

Dodorono picked up the Progenitor’s Breastplate and Progenitor’s Gauntlets and headed for the next room. Gilma followed behind with the Progenitor’s Helmet and Progenitor’s Shield.

“Dodorono.” His mother looked worried, but seeing how determined he was, she couldn’t say anything.

Dodorono was only gone a few minutes. When he stepped out, everyone watching let out a quiet gasp. The Golden Boar clan’s chief had said the gear would fit him perfectly, and he was right.

Silver helmet, breastplate, gauntlets, and a massive shield in hand. The dress shirt under the suit didn’t match at all, but it didn’t matter. On Dodorono’s slim Dwarf frame, the Progenitor’s armor had a commanding presence.

“Thanks for the help, Gilma.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Normally, Gilma would’ve had something to say, but this time, she just nodded, still holding Dodorono’s coat.

“Sorry for worrying you again, Mom. And while I’m at it, please, go with Uncle down the mountain. The few servants who’ve stayed behind won’t leave without you. Just until the danger passes, please.”

“U-Understood,” she replied politely.

Dodorono found it puzzling, but decided it was fine as long as she agreed.

“Golden Boar chief, Hikaru. Thank you for waiting. Let’s go.”

The Golden Boar chief blinked a few times, then lit up. “Oh-ho-ho! I didn’t expect this! A true hero stands before me. I can feel it. A new chapter in Ironforge history is being written right now.”

“Do I really look that different?”

Dodorono shot Hikaru a pleading look. But Hikaru agreed with the chief. Even Dodorono’s mother had straightened up at the sight of him. This wasn’t just appeal. It was aura. When Dodorono walked, the Dwarves couldn’t look away. When he spoke, everyone listened.

“Just be your usual self,” Hikaru said. “If you do that, everything will go just fine. Let’s get this over with quickly.”

The Blue Dragon clan’s chief nodded in agreement.

---

Just as expected, the Purple Horse clan listened to what Dodorono said. Maybe it was because those who had seen the lava flow firsthand were already starting to call for an evacuation. Still, they had been in the middle of a heated debate when Dodorono showed up. The chief of the Purple Horse clan shielded their eyes, overwhelmed by the brilliance of the Progenitor’s gear, an image that stuck in everyone’s mind.

Hikaru and the others finished persuading the Purple Horse clan by that evening. As the sun sank lower by the minute, the last remaining Dwarves of Ironforge began descending the mountain. Since there was only one mountain path, the line of evacuees stretched on and on. Near the rear of the procession, Hikaru walked down the trail alongside Lavia and Paula, after the sun had already set. In the distance, they could see lava glowing red-hot as it flowed down the slope. The leading edge of the lava seemed to have already reached the city. Though it was hard to make out clearly, black smoke was rising from the city, blotting out the starlit sky.

Hikaru wasn’t optimistic enough to think this was just a natural disaster or a coincidence. It had to be Brigid’s doing.

Someone with power was throwing a tantrum—flipping the toybox just because things weren’t going their way—and that was dragging the Dwarves into chaos.

If he hadn’t come at just the right moment, and if Dodorono hadn’t been there either, it wouldn’t have just been chaos. There would have been casualties.

“Hikaru? What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking.”

“You had a scary look on your face,” Lavia whispered softly.

He had never faced someone with power this overwhelming before. And he had never, of his own will, thrown himself into a warzone when it wasn’t absolutely necessary. That just wasn’t Hikaru’s way of doing things.

Stealth didn’t work against Brigid or Talis. But he couldn’t deny it. He was furious at how things had turned out.

“You possess none of the all-embracing benevolence of Tartarais, the bravery of Behemoth, the spiritual devotion of Diva, and the sincerity of Yggdrasil. In short, you’re just like me, a seed of chaos, a jester of the world.”

Just like me, my foot.

“We are absolutely not the same.”

Lavia looked at him with concern, but she didn’t seem to hear him.

Hikaru had no intention of walking into a fight he knew he would lose. But that didn’t mean he would sit back and take it either.

How could he strike back at Brigid?

Late that night, Hikaru’s group finally reached the campsite.