I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 174 : Chapter 174

After receiving Grombrindal’s promise of dwarven support.I accepted his invitation and decided to stay overnight in the dwarven city.

“Welcome, this is the city of the dwarves— ‘Kazdûm-Krag.’”

The dwarven city, reached after passing through a rather long and low-ceilinged cave.

As soon as I entered the underground city, I was honestly amazed.

“Wow….”

“Haha, surprised? You didn’t expect dwarves to live so splendidly, did you?”

“……Yes. I didn’t expect it to be this magnificent.”

Living in the royal palace, I thought I lived in a rather splendid room myself.

I wasn't one for luxury, so I didn't have many decorations, but as it was the ‘King’s Room,’ it was decorated to some extent.

‘But here… the entire city is glittering.’

The dwarven underground city, Kazdûm-Krag.

It was like a massive dome. I had no idea how dwarves, who were not even 1 meter tall, could have carved such a high, rounded ceiling.

But what was even more surprising were the glowing jewels embedded in the ceiling, walls, and floor.

As I looked closely at a jewel on the floor, Grombrindal laughed.

“Haha, are you curious about that jewel?”

“Yes. It’s glowing… how does a jewel emit light?”

“According to the books containing our ancestors' wisdom, that jewel is one that ‘absorbs darkness and turns it into light.’ In other words, it’s a jewel that eliminates the darkness of this underground and emits light.”

Absorbing darkness to create light.

It was hard to understand logically, but in a world where magic exists, I thought it might be possible.

“Then is the dwarven city always this bright?”

“Not at all. No matter how much stamina we dwarves have, we still need to sleep. We know how to turn off the light of these jewels with our ancestors’ wisdom. So we turn on the lights during the day and turn them off at night.”

“Aha….”

“Then follow me. I will guide you to my house. It should be able to accommodate all of your escorts.”

Grombrindal led the way. He seemed to be walking rather quickly, but since his legs were so short, it wasn’t very fast.

After walking for quite a while, Grombrindal spoke to me in front of a large iron gate.

“This is my smithy. My house is next to it. Have the knights go inside the house and rest, and you, come see me in the smithy.”

At Grombrindal’s words, the knights flinched. They were probably a little worried by Grombrindal’s words, which seemed to separate me from them.

“It’s fine, go inside and rest. I’ll talk with Sir Grombrindal and then go in.”

“Your Majesty, still… I understand, Your Majesty.”

Yoanna started to say something else but then backed down. After seeing my expression that said, “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

Thump—!

As the knights entered his house, Grombrindal laughed lightly.

“The loyalty of your knights is impressive. To think they’d glare at me like that just because I asked to see you separately.”

“I apologize. But that is the role of the knights, so please understand.”

“Hmph, as it should be. Now, come in.”

Grombrindal guided me into the smithy.

“What would you like to drink? I have some hot tea that’s been brewing in the furnace for over three days.”

“That… I’m fine.”

I tried to accept Grombrindal’s goodwill whenever possible.

But to drink that ‘hot tea,’ the inside of the smithy was too hot.

‘…It’s like a sauna.’

What was strange was that despite being this hot, the air was surprisingly clear. Though the air was so hot it felt like the inside of my nose was being cooked.

‘By the way… dwarven equipment really does look different.’

On the walls of Grombrindal’s smithy were displayed various weapons, armor, and equipment of unknown purpose.

Having been in the army and seen my fair share of various weapons and armor, I could vaguely tell how magnificent these armaments were.

Scrape—!

Grombrindal gave me a chair and sat down in one himself, saying.

“What, do you covet those weapons? To be greedy even when you have Cardania, human greed truly knows no bounds.”

“That’s not it. It’s just… they are such incredible works that my eyes were drawn to them.”

“My eyes were drawn to them because they are such incredible works, you say. Hahaha!”

Grombrindal laughed more cheerfully than ever and drank ‘something.’

I didn’t know what it was, but as soon as Grombrindal opened his mouth, I knew what it was.

“When our dwarven craftsmen go to your kingdom, they will also train your blacksmiths. Dwarves quite enjoy teaching others.”

The smell of alcohol brushed past my nose. It wasn’t a terrible smell, but it was such a strong smell of liquor that it made my eyes sting.

To drink such strong liquor like water… so it wasn’t for nothing that they said dwarves loved alcohol.

“Kuh—!”

Grombrindal drank the liquor in his large cup in one go and continued speaking.

“The reason I called you separately is because I wanted to ask about Philip.”

“About my father?”

“Yes. I am curious about his end. How that strong fellow died.”

Grombrindal spoke in a light tone.

But I could see curiosity and genuine sadness in his eyes.

‘…He truly thinks of my father as a precious friend.’

After thinking for a moment.

I began to tell the story of the king named ‘Philip’ as I remembered it, from the beginning.

“My father—.”

***

The next morning.

I, along with Grombrindal and the dwarves who would be going to the kingdom, came out from the underground city to the surface.

Among those dwarves was Domitar, who had taken the paper with my ‘Griffon Aircraft Carrier’ drawing on it yesterday.

‘He said he would recruit the dwarves to go to the kingdom last night, and he’s really gathered them all already.’

“Sir Grombrindal. We will be riding Gryphons back to the kingdom as we came, but how do the dwarves plan to travel?”

“We will also ride the Gryphons.”

“Ah, but the Gryphons—.”

“I know. That they don’t like to carry anyone but their masters. Don’t worry. We have a way.”

After speaking, Grombrindal called out to a dwarf behind him.

“Hey! Bring the boxes!”

At Grombrindal’s command, the dwarves in the back brought several wooden boxes. The boxes were almost as tall as the dwarves themselves.

“We’ll get into these boxes, so please place them securely on the Gryphons. Then the Gryphons won’t know we’re riding and won’t mind.”

“……You’re going to be inside those boxes all the way to the royal capital?”

“Mhm. It’s not a very difficult task for us. When we dwarves go into the mines, we get into even smaller iron cages than this. Deep underground, at that.”

“No, but still, that’s a bit… the Gryphons will shake too.”

“The iron cages going down the mines shake a lot too. And I’ve ridden like this before when I got a ride on Victoria’s Gryphon; I didn't get motion sick, and it was rather cozy and comfortable. Now, let’s not waste any more time and go!”

As Grombrindal spoke.

Clunk— pop!

The dwarves got into the boxes as if on cue, or even as if they had practiced.

It really seemed like they got into smaller iron cages when they went into the mines.

‘Well… it should be fine, right? The didn’t mention anything special.’

Deciding to think positively, I spoke to the knights who were standing behind me, looking bewildered.

“Load these boxes onto your respective Gryphons. As you know, make sure they don’t fall off. Securely.”

—Ah… yes, understood!

The knights immediately followed my command.

They all seemed a bit awkward, but they still securely tied the boxes to the Gryphons.

A moment later.

After finishing preparations for departure, I spoke to the ‘Grombrindal box’ that was loaded onto my luggage compartment.

“Sir Grombrindal, we will be departing now.”

—Go ahead. I’m going to get some sleep, so wake me up when we take a break.

“Haha… yes.”

To sleep inside that box.

Dwarves were truly an amazing race in many ways.

“We’re departing!”

As I shouted and took off, the other Gryphons followed suit and took off.

***

Elly, Leonardo’s exclusive maid and the head maid of the royal castle.

After cleaning Leonardo’s room today as well, she was staring blankly at the sky outside the window.

‘When will His Majesty return.’

It had now been ten days since Leonardo left the royal castle on a trip to meet the dwarves.

There were two days left until his scheduled return.

So it was useless to wait like this.

Nevertheless, waiting for Leonardo in his room had become a daily routine for Elly. It was the same when Leonardo left the royal castle to meet the giants and elves, when he went to war, and now that he had gone to meet the dwarves.

‘The sky… is so clear. Today, too.’

She resented the sky for being different from her own heart.

‘But still, when His Majesty returns this time, he said he would give me two days.’

The ‘King’s 2 days,’ which she had obtained by being a little persistent.

Elly actually had no plans to do anything special with Leonardo during those two days. Her position was not one where she could do something together with the king.

Nevertheless, the reason she received the ‘2 days’ from Leonardo was simple.

‘Because His Majesty also needs time to rest.’

Elly recalled Leonardo’s past.

From the day he, whose daily routine was just staring blankly into the air on his bed, suddenly started going to the library—

To his recent past, from the purge of the nobles, the execution of criminals, the kingdom maintenance project, the raising of an army, the alliance with the giant and elf races, the war against the monster army, and his trip to the dwarves.

‘During that time, His Majesty hasn’t rested for a single day. Not one single day.’

As the one who had seen the king from the closest proximity, Elly could say it with certainty.

‘I’m sure His Majesty will try to get busy with work as soon as he returns… but I must stop him no matter what.’

Elly clenched her fists and made a vow.

Then, another thought came to her.

‘Come to think of it, I heard Commander Jereuth received permission to marry Lady Silvia. From Sir Elvandor.’

The marriage of Jereuth, the kingdom’s hero and the king’s closest confidant.

The news had already spread throughout the royal palace and to the people of the royal capital.

‘Commander Jereuth said he already exchanged vows with his wife in the forest and won’t have another ceremony… but the military is trying to force him to have one.’

While the subordinate knights congratulated Jereuth on his late marriage.

On the other hand, they also envied him for taking the very beautiful woman, the elf Silvia, as his wife.

‘Marriage…’

Elly’s gaze blurred as she continued her thoughts.

‘……What does His Majesty plan to do.’

If he were any other king, he would have had two or three fiancées by now. With Leonardo’s looks, power, and popularity.

But the King seemed to have no interest in women whatsoever, and never brought up the subject.

Even when audacious maids occasionally tried to seduce him subtly.

—Elly knew all about the misdeeds of those thieving-cat-like maids.—

“……I wish it were me—.”

As Elly was muttering to herself without realizing it.

Knock, knock—.

Startled by the knock, she calmed her needlessly pounding heart and went out of the room.

Outside the room, a few maids were standing demurely.

“What is it?”

“His Majesty has returned, Head Maid.”

“……He has returned?! Already? No Gryphons have arrived at the training ground. Ah, no, that’s not what’s important. Where is His Majesty!”

She was always a calm and dignified head maid, but she got excited like that whenever the king was mentioned.

Anyone could see she was a girl in love.

“His Majesty returned to the west training ground today. He’s taking the dwarves to the west sea port and shipyard—.”

Without even hearing the end of the maid’s sentence, Elly immediately rushed down the corridor.

Having heard that Leonardo had arrived at the ‘west training ground,’ there was nothing more she needed to hear.

Tatata—!

As Elly headed to the west training ground, she thought.

‘They say men don’t feel attracted to women who like them too much, but…’

What can’t be helped, can’t be helped.

So, Elly thought.

***

The Hideon Family, which ended the civil war of the Jerpan Archipelago.

General Milton, the most respected general and the lord’s vassal in that family, was currently troubled by a secret letter on his desk.

That secret letter—a letter sent by Loa, the only daughter of the Hideon Family.

‘……The young lady is trying to stop the war by any means necessary.’

In fact, there was no such content in Loa’s letter.

It simply said, “Please help me so that I can go to the Plank Kingdom as an envoy.”

But with just that content, General Milton could understand Loa’s intentions.

‘Perhaps the young lady intends to go to the Plank Kingdom herself to check their military strength. And whether the Plank Kingdom is strong or weak, she will unconditionally report that it is strong… It seems she thinks that will be enough to stop the war.’

Loa’s intentions were good. Her idea was indeed a proper one to prevent an attack on the Plank Kingdom.

After all, there was nothing more foolish than forcibly attacking a strong kingdom.

‘Yes, that would be right. If the current situation in the Jerpan Archipelago were a ‘normal situation,’ that is. But… this is not a normal situation. The lord will probably wish for the Plank Kingdom to be strong. So that the armies of the other lords will be completely annihilated.’

So no matter how much Loa told the lord that the Plank Kingdom was strong.

The lord would only be more pleased and push forward with the war.

—That was Milton’s thought.

‘But… this is still the only way. A way that might stop the war.’

General Milton also did not want to fight anymore.

Having already seen too much blood, he did not want to see any more in his lifetime.

‘Lady Loa is a wise person. So if I send her to the Plank Kingdom, she will somehow find a way to stop the war.’

Finishing his thoughts.

Milton spoke to the woman in tight black cloth clothes who was kneeling on one knee before him.

“Aeris, go to the young lady and tell her. That I will do my best to help her achieve what she desires.”

“Yes, understood.”

Swish—.

As soon as she heard Milton’s words, Aeris immediately left the room.

Left alone in the room, Milton quietly muttered.

“I wish the Plank Kingdom would suddenly send an envoy. Then we could send Lady Loa on the grounds of returning the favor…”

The chances of that happening were low, so he would have to think of another way.

But the easiest and most certain method Milton could think of was just that.

And the only way to save the countless soldiers and people of the Jerpan Archipelago from the greed of the lords—

Milton thought that was probably the only way as well.