Chapter 118

"Father!"

Ferka shouted, bristling at Thorbar’s unexpected proposal of marriage.@@novelbin@@

It went without saying that marriage was the last thing on her mind. As the daughter of a Meister, Ferka aspired to become a great blacksmith like her father, Thorbar.

But marriage? And to the Slave Reaper, of all people?

It was absurd.

"No way, I don’t want that."

Karami felt the same way.

"Think it over. If you become my son-in-law, you’ll be recognized as one of the dwarves. Though you’re not a dwarf, it would grant you a minimum degree of legitimacy to access Magmar."

This shameless man.

‘Does he think I don’t realize he’s trying to pawn off his daughter?’

Besides, suggesting a master marry his slave? It went against Karami’s views on the master-slave relationship.

"I’ll have to decline. I have rather high standards, believe it or not."

"Tsk. I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Ha ha. Miss Ferka, I’ve refused him quite firmly."

"…"

What was this strange, inexplicable feeling?

She didn’t want it, and Karami didn’t want it either, so their interests aligned. Yet, for some reason, Ferka felt irritated, as though she’d been turned down by a passerby.

These two men… she didn’t like them.

"If you refuse, there’s no further negotiation. Take my daughter and get out."

Thorbar folded his arms and closed his eyes, essentially daring them to leave. In the end, whether this way or that, Karami would have to take responsibility for Ferka. He could handle it however he pleased.

"Hmm…"

Karami hummed thoughtfully.

Even if he was a slave trader, it seemed Thorbar was determined to pawn off his daughter to any man available.

Thorbar knew well that if not now, Ferka might live her whole life alone, destined to become a spinster ghost.

A father’s frustration with his aging, unmarried daughter was something even a game couldn’t replicate.

Knock, knock.

Just then, another knock came at the door.

Thorbar opened it to find a dwarf standing there. It was Gurdan, Thorbar’s assistant.

"Gurdan?"

"I’ve come to fetch you, sir."

"Ah, I forgot. There’s a meeting today, isn’t there?"

Today was the day for a meeting to address Doomheim’s key issues. As one of the Meisters, Thorbar had to attend. Ferka’s arrival had made him completely forget.

"So, did you look into it? What do they think about laying down railway tracks? Are they seeing it favorably?"

"Given their strong convictions, it seems unlikely."

"They’re all so set in their ways, probably because they’ve been retired for so long. …Go on ahead. I’ll handle my affairs here and join you shortly."

"Understood."

Gurdan gave a respectful nod and left.

"So, you heard that. I have to go, so you two should leave as well."

Thorbar opened the door wide, gesturing outside with his chin.

‘A meeting… Was it called the Ironblood Meeting?’

The Ironblood Meeting.

It was the supreme assembly of Doomheim, where all the Meisters gathered.

Since convincing Thorbar had failed, perhaps Karami could try his luck there. Gaining favor with another Meister might make it possible to obtain the flame.

"I’d like to attend this meeting, sir. As far as I know, not only Meisters but also the general public can observe if they wish."

"Only dwarves. A human like you has no right."

"Surely, being my daughter’s savior could qualify me as an external guest?"

"Why should I do that?"

This was the crux of the matter.

Karami flashed a sly, merchant’s smile.

"From what I just overheard, it sounds like things aren’t going smoothly. I think I might be able to help you."

"And how would you do that?"

Karami flapped his hands in a playful gesture, like a bird pecking at seeds.

"Because I’m a merchant. I make my living by persuading people with words. I’m confident I can be of meaningful assistance to you, sir."

"…"

"Besides, wouldn’t it feel a bit unsettling to send off Miss Ferka in this way? A decision made in the heat of the moment can lead to irreversible consequences. How about giving it a little time and talking again?"

Karami’s reasonable words floated into Thorbar’s ears.

Thorbar met Karami’s gaze steadily for a while before finally stepping outside.

"It’d be best if you kept your mouth shut. Unless you’d like to end up as ground meat."

"Hmm, that’s nearly impossible, but I’ll at least pretend to try."

Hall of Fire

The Hall of Fire, decorated with statues of ancient dwarven warriors and massive hammers, was a meeting chamber located on the upper level of Magmar’s Heart.

Molten metal flowed along the floor, and flames blazed in the center of the hall.

Seven Meisters sat at the round table, surrounded by concentric rows of seats filled with dwarven citizens.

Doomheim was ruled under the leadership of the seven Meisters, but at the Ironblood Meeting, where important issues were discussed, citizen attendance was also allowed.

In this hall, packed with dwarves, the lone figure of Karami—a human—stood out starkly.

One of the seven Meisters, Uldram, the Warlord, stared intently at Karami.

"Who might you be?"

"He’s my guest," Thorbar replied. "He brought back my missing daughter, so I invited him for a bit of sightseeing."

"Thorbar, are you finally about to see a grandchild?"

"That’s not it. Let’s just start the meeting."

The meeting covered a wide range of issues.

Topics included mineral trade with other countries, determining which forge would handle large-scale orders of weapons, and dispatching troops to deal with monsters emerging from the mines, among other things.

With their boisterous nature, the dwarves held loud and rowdy discussions, yet they were straightforward folk who didn’t know how to scheme and spoke their minds openly.

Despite the noise, the meeting proceeded smoothly because everyone expressed their honest opinions without having to guess each other’s intentions.

Thanks to this, the meeting quickly reached its finale. Urdgar, who chaired the session, presented the last item on the agenda.

"Now, for the final item. Meister Thorbar Drak has proposed the installation of railway tracks in the mines."

Thorbar rose from his seat, drawing the attention of the dwarves.

"My proposal to install tracks has no hidden motive. It would allow for faster, easier travel to our destinations and the transport of more minerals."

It was a logical statement.

Installing tracks would significantly increase productivity.

Once the initial investment was made, it would continue to yield benefits. From the perspective of Karami, a human and merchant, there was no reason for opposition.

But dwarven reasoning differed.

One of the seven Meisters, Roxar the Earth Shield, immediately voiced his opposition.

"Don’t be ridiculous, Thorbar. Excessive convenience only leads to laziness."

"It’s not about laziness. If we save energy in transit, we can accomplish more tasks."

"That’s the kind of talk for the weak. A true dwarf should be able to perform beyond their limits without relying on such crutches."

"With tracks, we’d be able to achieve far beyond those limits."

The two Meisters’ opinions clashed sharply.

Urdgar, aligning with Roxar, joined the argument.

"I share Roxar’s sentiments. While I understand Thorbar’s point about increasing efficiency, as dwarves, we should tread upon the earth with our own feet and feel the ground. Only then can young dwarves learn how to locate veins of ore."

"Then perhaps we could at least use it for transporting supplies…"

Bang!

At that moment, Harglan the Berserker’s Hammer, who had been drinking directly from a jug throughout the meeting, slammed it down on the table.

His face, red and flushed, showed he was quite intoxicated.

"Listen, Thorbar. Roaming underground, hauling minerals—all of it is a sacred ritual to dwarves. And now you want tracks? Are you trying to destroy a time-honored ritual that has been passed down from our ancestors?"

"Don’t spew nonsense, Harglan. My only aim is to reduce the risk of accidents while moving underground. You know full well that accidents often occur when we return from work exhausted."

"That, too, is part of the ritual process, a trial that dwarves must overcome. What does everyone else think?"

Harglan’s shout rallied the dwarves, who all voiced their agreement.

"Harglan’s right! What’s this nonsense about tracks?"

"In my day, we’d never return by the same path after a job; we’d circle all the way back home instead. But these young ones these days… Tsk."

Most dwarves took Harglan’s side, bolstering his confidence while Thorbar could only remain silent.

It became clear that the proposal was on its way to being rejected.

Bang, bang.

"Order, please."

Urdgar hammered on the table.

"Judging from the room, it appears the majority are against the proposal. Therefore, we shall dismiss Meister Thorbar’s proposal to install tracks based on majority—"

"Excuse me, pardon me~"

A high-pitched voice rang out, in stark contrast to the deep, booming voices of the dwarves. This only made it stand out even more among the dwarves in the hall.

Karami raised his hand with a sly smile, drawing the dwarves’ attention. Thorbar sighed deeply, covering his forehead with his hand.

"What is it?"

"I couldn’t hold back any longer. Frankly, I think everyone here is being a bit short-sighted."

With all eyes on him, Karami seized the opportunity.

"An elf would laugh at this, saying, ‘Dwarves only see the trees and not the forest.’”