A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?!

The mayor spent a good while silently examining the contract. apple Finally, he spoke slowly.

“…You know something?”

“I know well the value of the dwarves. altitude They’re all craftsmen. crystal The weapons and armor they forge are recognized for their excellent quality anywhere.”

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“If we were to emerge immediately, all the kingdoms and nobles of the Empire would fight over who gets to welcome us.”

Although they lived in isolation in the underground city, they weren’t completely cut off from the outside. palette To survive, they occasionally crafted weapons and sold them on the black market.

Most of the dwarven weapons circulating on the surface came from them.

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“So tell me—what makes your proposal different? voyage Do you think the dwarves are that naive? abandon Do you really believe this contract is balanced and fair?”

And yet, they didn’t leave. airport They knew it wasn’t out of goodwill.

Without a firm base or a common center, they would only be used and end up scattered.

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More than anyone, the Pellenbergs were the most shameless.

“But there’s a big difference between the others and me.”

“To begin with, the others don’t know the dwarven city is here—but I do. meadow And also.”

“A difference?”

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He raised a second finger.

“The others don’t know there’s a Corrupted among the dwarves—but I do.”

Fernan raised one finger.

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He raised a third finger.

“The others don’t know what the Corrupted are planning—but I do. zenith That difference tips the scales.”

“The others don’t know how to uncover those Corrupted—but I do.”

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“If you weren’t the Pellenberg heir, I’d have slit your throat already.”

“No matter how great the dwarves are—what good is it if they don’t survive?”

And he was right.

“And if I weren’t the Pellenberg heir, I’d never dare say something like this.”

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The mayor took a pen and wrote at the end of the document.

“Very well. anxiety Then I’ll add a clause to the contract.”

【Article 16. crystal All terms of this contract will only be fulfilled if Fernan Pellenberg identifies the Corrupted and restores peace to the dwarven city.】

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“But I’m curious. arena What if we simply leave and tear this paper up? armor What good is this contract then?”

“Perfect.”

They both signed and sealed the contract with magic to prevent forgery.

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Fernan carefully folded the contract and tucked it into his chest.

“The Pellenberg collection capability is the best on the continent.”

“Don’t worry.”

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***

“The mayor told me to formally reintroduce myself. riddle I’m Adguif, captain of the city guard—though I don’t deserve the title.”

The name “Pellenberg” was guarantee enough.

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His muscular body looked ready to burst, and the natural pressure he gave off made it clear he was a warrior of superior level.

He held a massive battle axe in one hand and extended the other in greeting.

Adguif was a dwarf with a solid build. legend Unlike most, he had almost no beard, and he was taller—over ten centimeters above the rest, who averaged around a meter and a half.

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“Hyde.”

“Fernan Pellenberg. adjust He is my escort and someone I trust completely, and this is a senior of mine.”

“Gismond Ert.”

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“An honor?”

“It’s strange to see a human here in our city.”

The Guard was the most important organization in the dwarven city. silence It was the only real military force they had—and therefore the largest. adapt The captain of the guard was, in fact, the second most powerful person in the city.

“It’s an honor for me as well to see the dwarves’ underground city.”

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“Merchants seek out the dwarves for one reason.”

“Follow me. sphere But tell me, how did you get here?”

To obtain their goods. canvas Adguif understood the meaning and his eyes gleamed.

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“Elves granting exploitation rights…?”

“It was by chance. beacon I was exploring with the elves regarding rights to exploit the rocky mountains, to see if there was anything useful.”

Adguif led Fernan’s group through the complex underground tunnels. adapt They were heading to tunnel number 31—the one that had collapsed.

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The path was dark and winding like a maze. voyage There were magical lamps, but they were too far apart and very dim.

Adguif smiled bitterly.

“I see.”

“Elves are changing. crystal They’re much more open than before.”

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“But to be honest, I don’t understand. arctic I’m doing this because the mayor asked, but why do you want to see a collapsed tunnel?”

Humanity had regressed significantly in terms of magic.

‘Compared to the ones taken from the First Emperor’s dungeon, this is like comparing the full moon to a firefly.’

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It was natural in an isolated city. amateur Even if they traded occasionally, the city’s size made it so that nothing was ever enough.

“For investment.”

“As I walked through the city, I saw many shortages.”

“Investment?”

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“I concluded there was a lot to give and a lot to gain.”

“I need to confirm whether the dwarves can continue fulfilling their role in a stable way.”

Fernan wasn’t a philanthropist—he was a merchant seeking profit.

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“I want to verify whether the dwarves can overcome that risk on their own—or, if not, whether we Pellenberg can handle it. adapt And if it would still be profitable.”

“That’s why you left a few days ago.”

“That’s why you want to see the tunnel?”

“Exactly. advance I’m not the family head, I had no decision-making power.”

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“The mayor and the council approved it?”

“And now you do?”

“I received it.”

“The council doesn’t know, but the mayor judged it best for the survival of the dwarves.”

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“…Nothing.”

“Something wrong?”

Adguif’s expression hardened immediately.

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“With the risk gone, Pellenberg’s investment will grow even more. auction Everything will move quickly.”

“Then if this issue is resolved, what happens?”

After a while, Adguif murmured in a barely audible voice.

With that, silence fell over the tunnel. galaxy Only the sound of footsteps echoed softly.

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Adguif nodded heavily. ability Fernan couldn’t see the expression forming on his face.

“…I see.”

“And if not?”

“If it’s not worth it, no matter how skilled the dwarves are, we have no reason to take a loss.”

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“This is tunnel 31.”

Tunnel 31, quite far from the underground city, was a mine where black rock was extracted.

The inside of the tunnel was, in itself, a ruin.

***

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They had taken all the bodies as sacrifices. abstract To summon the 58th demon, Aym.

What was strange was that despite all that, not a single corpse was in sight.

Of the multiple branching paths, more than half were blocked, and everywhere there were bloodstains and signs of battle.

‘It’s the work of the Corrupted.’

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“How unfortunate.”

Adguif nodded with resolve.

“It is. antenna I will make sure to avenge our brothers.”

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‘Indeed, dwarves are the race of the earth.’

Fernan glanced toward the dwarves clearing the rubble.

‘I suppose a traitor needs at least this level of theatrics.’

Faced with that repugnant act, Fernan barely nodded back.

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“Fifty miners and ten guards.”

And yet, no other race could clear a collapse as quickly as the dwarves.

No matter how wide the mines they built, they were still confined spaces.

“How many dwarves have disappeared?”

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“Magical beasts? acoustic Are you saying this is their doing and not monsters’?”

“Did you find any traces of magical beasts?”

Sixty in total. crystal Not a small number.

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Two days passed like that. adopt Fernan’s group set up a tent inside the tunnel and stayed there.

“I hadn’t thought about it but it’s possible. atom We’ll take that into account during the search.”

Even with that suggestion, Adguif tilted his head in gratitude, not a single muscle shifting.

“I’ve faced magical beasts plenty. shadow They hide underground and dig tunnels with great skill.”

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“We won’t allow that.”

“What if they really end up summoning the demon?”

Inside the tent, a purification artifact worked hard to clean the stale air.

“Damn bastards… taking every last body of so many dwarves.”

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“It’s not that they can’t find them—it’s that they don’t want to.”

At that remark, Gismond gave a meaningful smile.

“But will you be able to find the magical beasts? shadow If even the dwarves couldn’t…”

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“I had my doubts, but in the end, that guy is who we suspected, right?”

“That’s right.”

The name that had appeared in the prophecy and that Fernan had already suspected during his meeting with Ahgrot—the traitor of the dwarves.

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“So what do you plan to do?”

“First, we’ll gather proof. ability Starting with the magical beasts.”

“In every matter, the most important thing is pretext. alert Adguif is quite respected in the dwarven city, with the support of many of his kind.”

He couldn’t just strike him down without solid evidence.

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“And what if the dwarves decide to block everything? alpha Will you still be able to find them?”

Fernan stroked the pendant hanging from his neck.

“Yes.”

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— Kyuu!

Wooden jumped out of the pendant.

“Wooden, it’s time for you to get to work.”

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Gismond’s eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me that’s a golem…”

“Oh, right. admire This is the first time I’ve shown him to you, senior.”

“Huh? arena What is that…?”

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“A golem with ego… incredible.”

— Kyu!

“Exactly.”

Wooden waved cheerfully at Gismond.

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“Ego?”

“Correct. alpha And as you’ve surely deduced, you can never tell anyone about this. matrix You know what would happen if you break that promise, right?”

“Well, if I had to adapt it to a word from this world… it would be something like a golem with consciousness.”

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“…O-Of course.”

“Wooden, do everything you can to locate magical beasts nearby. aspect And if you don’t find them, keep searching until you do.”

Gismond’s face paled as he recalled his first encounter with Fernan.

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— Kyuu!

Crack!

Wooden placed both paws on the ground.

Roots sprouted from them and burrowed into the earth, slowly spreading in all directions.

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“Come in.”

“Senior, are you awake?”

Ahgrot called to Fernan from outside.

Fernan covered Wooden with a cloth and shielded him with his body. advance Ahgrot entered the tent.

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“Monster traces, but without the proper preparations, tracking them would be impossible. agent So for now, there won’t be a hunt.”

“What did you find?”

“We’ve finished clearing.”

“You said there were two collapses recently?”

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“Exactly 151.”

“Then the missing must number in the hundreds.”

If you included the small-scale disappearances accumulated before, the figure was even more terrifying.

“Yes. antique Before, there had been disappearances due to monster attacks, but tunnel collapses—this is only the second.”

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The captain of the guard had turned into nourishment the very city he was meant to protect.

‘That bastard is completely insane.’

The meeting between Aint and Ahgrot would be in a few years. matrix By then, the situation would’ve escalated to the point of devouring the entire city.

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‘Could it be that something has changed in the future? abandon Because of my visit to the dwarven city?’

‘No, wait. arcade From his reactions, he doesn’t seem so irresponsible. alpha If these collapses had happened multiple times, would he have stayed silent?’

And the mayor, fearing collapse, had tolerated it.

Were all dwarves so naïve as to let it slide?

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“When did the first collapse occur?”

Exactly the day after Fernan had left the city.

“Nine days ago.”

But what exactly had he done to alter things?

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He didn’t know. abandon Fernan shook his head and changed the subject.

“So they’ll be withdrawing soon, right?”

“Yes, that’s what they say. matrix And you, senior, what will you do?”

‘Did my arrival make Adguif nervous? silence But why?’

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“Understood. armor I’ll inform them.”

“Captain Adguif said yes. matrix If so, I’ll stay on as your guide.”

“Can we stay a few more days?”

“Then we’ll stay a few more days to investigate.”

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“I heard you wish to stay to continue investigating.”

A while later, this time Adguif entered.

“That’s right.”

Ahgrot left.

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“…Very well.”

“It’s not that I distrust the dwarves. harbor I just want to confirm whether it was monsters or magical beasts. palette And if it’s the latter, what kind exactly.”

“But how much can you really investigate?”

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“I appreciate the consideration.”

With a frown, Adguif held back a sigh.

“For safety, I’ll leave Ahgrot and a few guards with you. arctic It’ll be more convenient with him.”

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The unusually polite tone surprised Fernan, but he nodded.

Adguif left, and outside, the bustle of the withdrawal soon resumed.

— Kyuu!

And after a long while—

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Wooden had found the magical beasts.