“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be eating a packed lunch on the back of a dragon.”
Rosaria murmured as she quickly swallowed the last bite of her sandwich and licked the bread crumbs off her fingertips.
“Well, it is quite a long journey, after all.”
Felix, who agreed with her, nodded while tidying up the lunch he had just finished.
Up until now, most of their travels on Tene’s back had been within the empire, with the farthest destination being the Great Elven Forest, which took just over an hour and a half.
The Ovina Empire was located on a continent slightly above the equator in Earth’s terms. The Evergarden Territory was positioned a bit below the empire’s center.
However, the Dwarven nation lay beyond the empire’s northernmost border, so the journey was bound to take some time. Â
Because of that, lunchtime had crept up on them before they knew it, and they ended up opening the lunch basket that Freya had prepared right there on Tene’s back.
[I wanted to eat lunch too…]
While the three of them enjoyed their sandwiches, Tene, still flying while carrying them, muttered in a sulky tone.
“Hey, hey, we saved yours! You can eat it later.”
[…Hmph, fine. I suppose there’s no helping it.]
Understanding Tene’s hardship, Rosaria gently placed a hand on her back, soothing her.
“You set some aside for her?”
“No, I left it in the basket over there.”
“Huh? It’s not there.”
“…Huh?”
Felix, who had been eating with them, gave Rosaria a puzzled look, and the two of them tilted their heads in confusion.
“Louis? Is there still a sandwich left in there—”
Just then, Rosaria spotted Louis, she called out to her, who was still clutching the basket and munching on something.
“Mmmgh! This is so good!”
“…I’ll buy you another one later.”
[What!?]
Rosaria averted her gaze and, with an even gentler smile, continued patting Tene’s back reassuringly.
_________________________________________________________________________
The northern lands, where winter reigned all year round, were known as the “White Expanse.”
It earned this name because the snow that fell in winter never melted, even when spring arrived, leaving the land perpetually covered in white.
“Wow… I really thought I’d never have to see a sight like this again after I got discharged…”
With every step she took, her feet sank deep into the snow, making a soft crunching sound. As she walked, Rosaria gazed at the seemingly endless mountains below, a hollow look in her eyes.
The dense forests of coniferous trees, all buried under a thick layer of snow, reminded her too much of the mornings when she had to rush out to grab a snow shovel and clear the training grounds without even the chance for a proper roll call.
The memory stirred an almost traumatic feeling within her. Â
“But still, magic really is amazing, huh? When I was here last time, no matter how many layers I wore, I was freezing to death, but now I’m walking around in a sleeveless shirt.”
Louis, who was striding ahead in nothing but casual clothing, rubbed the thin layer of magical energy covering his body as he spoke.
Using the same principle as the invisibility barrier that concealed Tene, he had enveloped the group in a thin magical membrane that kept their bodies warm.
Thanks to this, they could trek through the northern mountain range where even waterfalls froze solid without feeling the bitter cold.
“See? I told you, magic is incredible!”
Felix grinned, puffing up his chest proudly at Louis’s remark.
“So when are we actually getting there? No, wait why are we even climbing a mountain in the first place? I thought we were headed to the Dwarven nation!”
Trailing behind the group, Tene grumbled, her cheeks puffed up in clear displeasure.
Being a lover of food, she was already cranky after flying for hours without a proper meal.
“Okay, okay, my bad! I’ll treat you to a feast later, alright?”
“You promise?”
“Yeah! I’ll make sure you eat to your heart’s content!”
Scratching his head awkwardly, Louis tried his best to soothe Tene’s irritation.
“Alright! Let’s go, then!”
Brightening up at the promise, Tene hummed a cheerful tune as she strode forward enthusiastically.
“You sure about that?”
“Hm? About what?”
“She’s a dragon, you know. Can your wallet handle that?”
Rosaria, watching from a short distance away, casually leaned toward Louis and whispered.
At first, he answered without thinking then, his face stiffened. Hastily, he reached for the coin pouch at his waist and peeked inside.
“…Wait a second! I don’t have much money!!!”
“You promised!!!”
Louis let out a panicked yell as he sprinted after Tene, who had already moved ahead.
“Why is it that all the smart ones are also absolute idiots…”
Watching Louis desperately clutching Tene’s clothes and begging for mercy, Rosaria shook her head in pity.
Felix, Louis, Rachel.
Every so-called genius she knew had at least one screw loose.
“This… is the entrance?”
After what felt like an endless climb up the mountain, the group finally reached the summit. Rosaria stretched out her hand in disbelief, staring at the scene before her.
Even while flying on Tene’s back, she had followed Louis’s directions, only to end up facing a snow-covered mountain.
She had been skeptical from the start, but now, standing at the peak, she was met with nothing but an empty, desolate summit. Â
“Yeah.”
Louis, unfazed by Rosaria’s expectant gaze demanding an explanation, simply nodded.
“So you’re telling me that this barren mountaintop with nothing but that one rock over there is the entrance to the Dwarven nation?”
“Exactly.”
“What…? A completely empty peak with just a single rock? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just watch.”
Ignoring Rosaria’s confusion, Louis exhaled sharply, then set down the bag he had been carrying on his back the whole time.
“Now, where is it…? Not here… maybe here…? Where did I put it…?”
After rummaging through his bag for a while, he suddenly perked up.
“Ah! Found it!”
Pulling out an object small enough to fit in his hand, Louis held it up.
“Wait… isn’t that the Dwarven nation’s emblem?”
As soon as the medal was revealed, Felix immediately recognized the pattern engraved on it and spoke.
On one side of the medal, a hammer and tongs crossed in an X shape, while behind them, flames rose high.
It was a design that fully reflected the dwarves’ belief that their very foundation lay in the forge, where metal was hammered into shape so much so that blacksmithing was synonymous with dwarves throughout history. Â
“Hey, look down at your feet.”
“My feet? Huh? Was this always here?”
As Louis gestured toward Rosaria, who was leaning against a rock watching the scene, she lowered her head and noticed a groove beneath her feet.
It was round just the right size for the medal Louis was holding. Â
“…No way?”
“Yep, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
Louis then stepped forward and carefully fit the medal into the groove.
Thud—
“Whoa!?”
“T-The ground just shook!”
Suddenly, as if an earthquake had struck, the ground rumbled violently. The three of them staggered slightly, shouting in surprise.
Then, looking straight ahead, they witnessed an astonishing sight.
Rumble—
“Look over there!”
What they had assumed was just a massive rock suddenly began to move on its own.
As it shifted, a hidden space beneath it was revealed.
It was structured almost like a secret base.
Soon, the opening grew large enough for two people to fit inside, and only then did the tremors stop, with the rock settling in place once more.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
“You could’ve warned us earlier! That scared me!”
“It wouldn’t be as fun if I did, would it?”
“Mm, well, I guess that’s true.”
Louis, who was already stepping forward toward the hidden space, flashed a mischievous yet cheerful smile.
“Are these stairs?”
Following Louis, the group moved into the space beneath the rock.
It was dark inside, likely due to the lack of any light sources, but since it was still midday, the sunlight streaming in allowed them to get a rough look at the interior.
A staircase, about the height of a first-floor apartment, led downward, and below it was a space slightly smaller than a studio apartment.
One by one, they descended the stairs and stepped onto the flat ground.
Rumble—
“W-What now!?”
“Relax. Now that we’re all inside, the entrance is just closing automatically.”
As soon as all four of them made it down, the ground trembled once again, and the massive rock began to move back into place, sealing off the entrance.
“It’s way too dark in here.”
“Should I use Light Magic?”
With the vibrations settled, they found themselves in complete darkness, unable to see a thing.
“No, wait.”
Felix raised his staff to at least secure some visibility, but he refrained from casting magic when Louis stopped him.
At that moment, the gemstones embedded in the ceiling of the small room began to emit a soft glow, brightening their surroundings
Wooong—
“Huh? Light’s coming in.”
“Finally, we can see something.” .
“So, what do we do n—”
Thud—
“Uwahhh!?”
“Oh, come on, enough already!!”
Just as Felix was about to ask Louis a question, the ground trembled again.
Unable to hold back any longer, Rosaria snapped in frustration at yet another sudden quake.
But then, the ground beneath them began to slowly sink.
“The floor… it’s moving?”
“Is this some kind of elevator?”
Unlike an ordinary collapse, it felt structured—like an elevator descending with its doors shut.
As they went down, they could see the exposed layers of earth passing by, confirming that only the floor they stood on was in motion.
How much time had passed?
Whoosh—
“Ugh! The heat!”
“Ah, it’s so bright!”
Suddenly, the walls disappeared, and an intense light burst forth.
Instinctively, Rosaria and Felix covered their eyes.
But unlike them, Tene whose sturdy physique allowed him to endure much more gazed ahead and let out an awed exclamation.
“Whoa! Guys, look over there!!!”
Blinking rapidly, Rosaria and Felix struggled to adjust their vision.
“What the hell is so… Holy… crap.”
“My god…”
As their eyes finally adjusted, they turned their heads and their jaws dropped. Â
It was like something out of a post-apocalyptic bunker from a nuclear wasteland game no, it was far beyond that. Â
Despite being deep underground, the massive space was brightly illuminated, likely due to countless glowing stones embedded everywhere.
The scale was staggering. Having descended from above, they could take in the entire underground city at a glance.
A vast, circular expanse stretched before them, its center split by a river—not of water, but of molten lava or perhaps liquefied metal.
The fiery substance bubbled and frothed, glowing so hot that it was nearly white. Â
Clusters of buildings lined this molten river, packed tightly together.
From each structure, smoke billowed into the air. From their elevated vantage point, the figures moving below appeared like tiny ants but a closer look revealed stout, bearded dwarves, all carrying heavy loads as they bustled about. Â
“This is the land of the dwarves—Karak-Zar.”
A mountain fortress of flame, hidden beneath the frozen wastelands of death.
Karak-Zar.
For the first time, they laid eyes upon the legendary stronghold of the dwarves.