Chapter 7

(Third Person)

Let's go back a little in time.

It was just when Akira had found the path.

There was a stout figure behind him.

He was a dwarf.

At 139 years old, he was in his prime.

He was a minority among dwarves, who were usually obsessed with iron and metal, and would die alongside it. Hagg was one of those who were obsessed with something other than iron.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that his obsession was different.

Instead of spending his days in the dwarf kingdom hammering away at iron, copper, and mithril, he became curious about the metals scattered across the continent.

So he set out on a journey.

It's not uncommon for dwarves to travel.

Many of them are as obsessed with battle as they are with iron.

So some become mercenaries, go on martial pilgrimages, work as bodyguards or soldiers, or are drawn to the smell of blood for no reason.

Being naturally sturdy and dexterous, they are in high demand.

Females tend to settle down at home, so their population is not as extremely low as elves.

When they find a good place during their travels, they return to the kingdom, find a bride, and bring her back to their new home to start a family.

Their children then blend in as town-born dwarves.

However, most of these children end up being obsessed with the magic of iron... But let's get back to the story.

In any case, Hagg, the traveling dwarf, moved from town to town, working as a traveling blacksmith and, when there was no work, as a warrior, spending a long time on his journey.

The world is vast, with interesting and painful things, delicious drinks, and sometimes the darkness of humanity.

Despite all of this, the journey was enjoyable, always bringing new discoveries.

And today seemed to be no exception.

He was on his way to a remote port town at the western end of the continent, a detour around the mountains.

From Hagg's perspective, a human man was walking far ahead.

He seemed to be walking empty-handed, but his attire was unusually fine.

His white shirt and well-tailored trousers looked new, as if they had only been worn for a few days.

Hagg wondered if the man had put on new clothes just to walk through this wilderness, but humans sometimes do strange things out of vanity or bravado, so he concluded that this was one of those cases.

His shoes seemed to be worn out, with the soles almost coming off, and his heels were visible from time to time.

It was questionable whether they would last until the town.

Since he was used to wearing shoes, he was probably not just a commoner.

His pace was quite slow, as if he was not used to walking.

He might have been worried about his shoes.

Hagg was sure he would catch up before the town.

It might be interesting to hear where the man came from and what kind of stories he had.

It would be great to hear about iron from a foreign land.

He was probably not a noble, as he had no companions.

Hagg was not particularly interested in fabrics, but the trousers looked somewhat interesting.

While thinking such random thoughts, two more men appeared in front of the man.

During a brief exchange, Hagg saw a bald man circle around to block the retreat.

"Really..."

He sighed.

Why is this world full of fools?

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

(Akira's Perspective)

Sis, I'm in trouble. I'm in a pinch.

...But I don't have a sister.

"Um... As you can see, I don't have anything... Ah, if you want, you can check."

I raised my hands to show zero hostility and spoke with a (strained) smile.

"Huh? Alright, then take off all your clothes and throw them over here one by one."

"Here!?"

Naked?! Completely naked?! Here?!

Who benefits from this?! These guys don't have weird fetishes, do they?!

"Ah... Um..."

"Hurry up, you bastard!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

The bald guy suddenly pushed me with the butt of his spear. I let out a strange, bird-like scream, thinking I had been stabbed!

It happened when my shirt got caught on a bush.

"What's this, stripping in the middle of nowhere? Humans are as unpredictable as ever."

The new voice belonged to a man who was a head shorter than me but had a very sturdy, muscular build.

He was wearing metal armor and had a huge hammer on his back.

His face was wrinkled, and his impressive beard reached his chest.

However, his cuticles seemed lacking, and his hair and beard lacked luster.

I thought he might be a new member of the bandits, but the three of them were wide-eyed, so he was probably not related.

"It's not a strip show! Dwarf! Get lost, you're in the way!"

The bald guy shouted. He seemed to be short-tempered.

"Hmm, if it's not a strip show, then... it's more like a robbery."

The small giant (?) turned to me with a menacing smile and winked.

I didn't understand at first, but then it clicked, and I immediately shouted.

"H-Help! Robbers! Thieves!"

I dove behind the dwarf, rolling to take cover.

The bald guy tried to stab me with his spear, but the dwarf stopped it with one hand.

"What?!"

"Damn! Get him!"

"Don't let your guard down! He's dangerous!"

The bald guy dropped his spear, stepped back, and drew a knife from his belt. The three of them stood ready, lowering their stances and brandishing their weapons.

There was no hesitation in their postures, no hesitation in their intent to kill.

I collapsed in fear, my knees trembling, unable to stand.

The dwarf tossed the short spear aside and slowly drew his hammer from his back.

The three bandits, who had been shouting curses, fell silent, their throats dry.

He was overwhelmingly massive.

Not just physically, but the aura of killing intent the dwarf exuded added a heavy weight to the scene.

One step forward.

One step back.

One step forward.

One step back.

Even I, who had no understanding of life and death, could sense the power dynamics of this fight.

There was no way the bandits could win.

"Do you want to die?"

I shuddered.

The words the dwarf spoke felt like a physical weapon, transcending mere words.

"Damn! Damn it! We'll let you off today!"

"Consider yourself lucky!"

"We'll kill you next time we meet!"

Suddenly, the three of them ran off into the wilderness.

They were surprisingly fast, kicking up dust as they fled.

Well, as long as they're gone, it doesn't matter.

"Really, why do bandits always say the same lines before they run away..."

The dwarf scratched his head and put his hammer back on his back.

"A... a..."

I tried to speak but couldn't form the words.

"Are you alright, young one?"

He offered me a hand, which was like a catcher's mitt. I grabbed it, and he helped me up. Despite his short stature, he was incredibly strong.

"Ah... thank you... I owe you one."

I inadvertently used a casual tone.

"Aye. I'm glad you're safe."

That was how I met Hagg, the "Wandering Iron Hammer."