We stepped over the dwarf corpses scattered at the entrance and entered the village.
There was no point in harvesting magic stones from their bodies like monsters, nor were we leisurely enough to bury the dwarves. We owed them no such courtesy.
"Oh…"
As I looked around the village, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of admiration.
Truly dwarves. As expected of a race known as the artisans, their buildings were anything but ordinary. They exuded artistry and looked incredibly sturdy.
'But living here would be quite uncomfortable.'
The buildings were designed to fit the short stature of dwarves. I'd have to crouch to enter one of those houses, and even if I did, the small space would undoubtedly be inconvenient.
'It's natural that houses made by dwarves for themselves would be uncomfortable. What we should appreciate here isn't the convenience but the artistry.'
I plan to capture the Frost Hammer Tribe dwarves, enslave them, and take them to the port city of Tebura. There, in my future territory, I'll have the dwarf slaves build a residence for me.
'Hehehe. The artisan race, dwarves! They're the kind of slaves every noble in a fantasy world should have.'
Not just dwarves. Later, I plan to enslave elves too. Elven sex slaves are a staple in fantasy, after all.
'The taste of an elf's… I'm really looking forward to it.'
As I was lost in my imagination about elves, the door of one of the dwarf houses suddenly swung open.
"Ah…?"
It was a female dwarf.
If you were imagining a cute, petite girl, you'd be sorely mistaken. Female dwarves in this world look exactly like male dwarves, just without the beards.
In other words, they're about a million light-years away from my taste. Sure, they have somewhat larger chests, but their stocky, muscular bodies make them look chubby.
The only exception would be half-blood dwarves. Half-blood female dwarves are said to be quite cute. However, half-blood dwarves are extremely rare. In a place like this, where humans are shunned, there likely aren't any half-blood dwarves at all.
"H-Humans?!"
The female dwarf's voice was thick and rough.
"Ahem... Humans? I am to be your master! Come forth, kneel, and prostrate yourself before me!"
I had no intention of killing the female dwarf.
Female dwarves are still dwarves. They're skilled craftsmen. I can't just kill them recklessly. Moreover, female dwarves are necessary for the next generation.
"M-Mad humans! Mad humans have invaded the village!!"
The female dwarf began screaming and running away.
"...Should I kill that dwarf, Master?"
Yuria gripped her dagger. It seemed she was ready to throw it and kill the dwarf the moment I gave the order.
"Leave her. She's valuable labour."
"Won't it be troublesome if she causes a commotion?"
"That's exactly what I want."
Dwarves and elves, perhaps due to their small numbers, have a stronger sense of camaraderie than humans. They rarely abandon their comrades when faced with an external threat. Of course, there are individual differences.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
The sound of a bell echoed from the center of the village. Dwarves who had been hiding in their houses rushed out, running toward the village center with all their might.
'The bell's ringing is quite late. They must not know yet that their warriors have been wiped out.'
It's understandable. The Frost Hammer Tribe dwarves had too much faith in their village walls. Moreover, living in such a remote place, they likely never faced a proper external threat.
Considering how clumsy the dwarf warriors we faced earlier were, they probably weren't full-time warriors. These dwarves were spoiled by peace.
"They'll probably gather in the village center and try to kill us."
"Wouldn't it be dangerous to go there head-on?"
"It's fine. I already know how they'll come at us."
I came to Hughes Snow Mountain because I was confident I could subdue the dwarves.
Yuria and I walked leisurely toward the village center.
As expected, all the dwarves had gathered in the village center. Men and women alike were armed with swords, spears, and axes.
'There are too many of them. Around 60 would be easier to manage. If I were to kill some, should I start with the elderly? No, the older dwarves are more likely to be skilled craftsmen. Selecting who to kill would be a hassle. Maybe I should just take them all.'
Managing them would be difficult, but not impossible. Once I become the lord of Tebura, I'll have plenty of administrators, so it's better to take them all for the future.
"Young human. Why have you invaded our village and caused such havoc?"
A dwarf stepped forward.
He had a red beard, and his armour and weapons were more ornate than the other dwarves.
"Are you the chief of this village?"
"Yes. I am the chief of the Frost Hammer Tribe. Ehans Nottle."
Ehans Nottle.
I nodded as I looked at his red beard. Dwarves all look similar, so it's easiest to distinguish them by their beards. Each dwarf's beard is slightly different, and their beard decorations vary widely.
"Ahem... Ahem..."
I cleared my throat a few times before speaking to Ehans.
"Frost Hammer Tribe. I hereby command you, dwarves. Do not resist me. Submit quietly. Become loyal slaves. If you do, I will spare your lives."
"So that's your goal! How did you even find out we were here?!"
Ehans roared with a red face. He pointed his hammer at me.
"Advisor! What should we do?!"
An elderly dwarf stepped forward beside Ehans. He was a dwarf mage, wearing a robe and holding a magic staff.
"Chief Ehans. Do not forget why our ancestors settled here. Why they built such sturdy walls. Our ancestors created this paradise for us to avoid becoming slaves to vile humans."
Advisor Malef. I know him from the original work. He's the only dwarf mage in the village. And Malef is the true power behind this village.
"You're right, Advisor. But what should we do? You're the smartest among us. Surely you have a plan?"
"...Chief Ehans. There are only two of them. Surround and kill them."
"Right! People of the Frost Hammer Tribe! Listen well! Surround and kill these humans! Our warriors have already been slain by them! We must avenge them!"
"Yes, Chief!"
"Grrr! My brother was in the warrior squad… Damn it! Humans! I won't forgive you!"
"Let's protect our village with our own hands!"
The dwarves surged forward, beginning to surround us.
I stood with my arms crossed, still at ease.
"Master?"
"Ah, right. We need to enslave them, so kill just enough."
"Understood."
Yuria and I drew our daggers. Yuria often used daggers, and since my body wasn't fully grown yet, daggers were more convenient than Hwaryeonbido.
"Die, humans!"
The dwarves charged at us.
I raised my hand.
Crackle!
Lightning crackled in my palm. The dwarves hesitated, stopping in their tracks.
"You have tougher bodies than humans, so I doubt you'll die from this little current. Well, if you do, so be it."
Discharge.
The lightning in my hand spread out in all directions. The dwarves struck by the lightning trembled and collapsed to the ground.
'Hehe. Lightning is so convenient against weaklings.'
That's the nature of lightning. Unless you block it with mana, it's hard to completely defend against. The current flows through shields, swords, and armour. Unless their armour is made of insulators, of course.
"L-Lightning magic! Advisor! What should we do?!"
"That's not magic. It's just converting mana into lightning. In a way, it's more impressive than magic."
"No! Advisor! Praising the enemy won't help! How do we deal with that human?!"
"There are materials like glass or rubber that don't conduct electricity well. Use those."
"Where would we get that now?! Look! That woman is also using lightning to knock out our people! We'll all be defeated at this rate! Do something, Advisor!"
The dwarf mage Malef sighed and muttered softly.
"...Shouldn't the chief think for himself?"
"What did you just say?"
Ehans asked sternly. Malef shook his head and replied.
"We have no choice but to use the weapon our ancestors left us."
"…Do we have to use that? My father, the former chief, said to only use it if the village was on the brink of destruction… Isn't it dangerous?"
"It's not dangerous. It's just that it can only be used once."
"Can't you just use magic to kill those humans?"
"I'm too old. My magic is weak. I can't handle those humans. Chief, this is a village crisis. Use the weapon. Or would you rather become their slaves to save the weapon?"
"We will never become slaves!"
Ehans pulled something out from his pocket. It was a blue orb. Clutching it tightly in his short hand, Ehans hesitated for a moment before resolutely throwing it to the ground.
Crack!
The orb shattered.
Immediately after.
The space split open, and something heavy stepped out.
It was a golem over 5 meters tall, made of stone and metal. The ultimate weapon created by their ancestors using magic and engineering.
The Frost Hammer Tribe's knowledge of magic and engineering had declined over the years, so they could only use this golem once. After that, it would be unusable because they lacked the technology to repair it.
Thus, this golem was a kind of ancient relic.
"Great Golem King! Kill those who have invaded our paradise!"
"Hehehe."
I smiled contentedly as I watched the golem approach me.
Of course, I knew about this ridiculously named golem. And despite its silly name, I knew it was quite powerful.
[Hacking successful.]
[You can control the Great Golem King for 5 minutes.]
"Stop, golem."
The golem stopped.
"What's going on?! Why is the Great Golem King obeying that human?! Advisor! Say something!"
"Uh… It seems that human has pulled some trick."
They were panicking. I gave the golem another command.
"Use all your strength to smash the ground."
The golem raised its right leg and slammed it down. Thanks to the hacking, it moved exactly as I intended.
Boom!
A minor earthquake shook the area.
I was surprised. Its power was stronger than I expected.
"W-What?! Was the Great Golem King always this powerful?!"
"That can't be… The Great Golem King was severely damaged. That's why it could only be used once… But it seems to be functioning at full power now."
"No! That's not the point right now?!"
"...Didn't you ask, Chief?"
"What should we do, Advisor?! Tell me quickly!"
"...There's no way. We're finished."
"Advisor! You have magic! Do something with magic!"
"Magic isn't omnipotent."
"Y-You…!"
I looked around at the dwarves. They were panicking and terrified as the golem turned hostile. A golem over 5 meters tall. One punch from it could turn them into pulp.
"I'll ask again. Kneel and submit to me."
"Shut up! Vile human! We'd rather die than become your slaves!"
Ehans shouted resolutely. That one might need to be killed.
Just as I was about to move the golem with my will, a dwarf with a black beard leaped forward and stabbed Ehans in the stomach.
"Guh! Pethas! My brother! W-What are you doing?!"
"I'm inheriting the chiefdom, brother."
***
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