Chapter 60

After all, planning is crucial.

Dwarves love alcohol and gambling the most.

Not all dwarves are like this, but surprisingly, this race is quite clear-cut in their relationships, which is why they enjoy gambling moderately.

In fact, it's said that many who are stuck in their work and stressed out often relieve their stress through gambling or drinking.

Even the most skilled craftsmen can't be free of work stress.

"Hmm? What's going on here?"

As soon as I entered the huge tavern, the one who recognized me was none other than Gorda, the 8th Elder who had welcomed me.

He had said he was too busy to even spare time for a deal, so what was he doing drinking here?

Judging by the number of glasses in front of him, he must have been drinking for quite a while. The amount was enough to make a regular human stick out their tongue in amazement.

"Looks like you're quite busy, but you seem to have some free time now. Let's have a drink together."

Sitting down opposite him with a relaxed face, he looked at me silently and then laughed.

"Hmph! No matter how important the task, if you don't take appropriate breaks, it's as good as not doing it at all. Besides, Gorda is currently chasing us all away, so why not have a drink?"

"Dwarven poison wine is said to be quite potent."

"What? Poison wine?"

The one who reacted to my words was not the 8th Elder Gorda, but Gert, the dwarf guard captain nearby.

I thought he was supposed to be guarding the door, but he was drinking here.

"Hey! Malcolm! This human says he wants to drink poison wine!"

"Huh?"

At Gert's words, all eyes turned to me.

The dwarves, who were so drunk they didn't even notice my entrance, now stared at me as if I were some exotic animal.

"Hahaha!"

"Want to drink poison wine? You've got some guts! And you're challenging Gorda, the Elder?"

Then, as if they understood my meaning, they started chattering from all around.

"Hey, human, you said your name was Dave, right?"

"Yes."

"Just a word of advice, but Dwarven poison wine is not your average alcohol. It's far too potent for a human to drink."

"Sure, I can handle it."

Smiling, I picked up one of the poison wine glasses in front of him and gulped it down.

The clean yet intensely toxic alcohol aroma hit my nose sharply.

"Whoa?!"

"Hmm…."

The dwarves, who had been chattering and snickering, looked at me in surprise.

"Phew! That's how you drink! Good stuff."

Smiling, I clicked my tongue.

-What exactly does alcohol taste like…?

'Honestly, it's just too toxic and tastes terrible.'

"A bit weak, but it's fine. How about it, 8th Elder? Want to have a drink with me?"

At my words, Gorda, who had been looking at me in surprise, opened his eyes wide.

His gaze was still one of annoyance, but his eyes were wide with surprise.

"Hey, are you sure? You drank that in one shot? Do you know how many glasses that is?"

"It's just right."

"Hahaha!!!"

At my words, he burst out laughing.

After a moment, he put down his glass with a thud and looked at me with fiery eyes.

"Alright, we dwarves don't mistreat those who can drink well! Let's do it! Hey, Malcolm! Bring this young prince as much as he wants, I'll pay for it!"

"I'm not responsible!"

A muscular dwarf in an apron shook his head and went into the kitchen.

After a moment, the same amount of poison wine as Gorda's was placed in front of me.

"Dwarves love betting. If you win, what do you want? Although I can't accept your proposal due to current important matters."

"Tell me a story."

Be cautious.

At my words, he laughed heartily, seemingly pleased.

And then,

Without a word, we grabbed the handles of our wooden mugs and glared at each other.

"No mercy. If I win, you leave this place. I haven't seen a human I like in a long time, but the timing is bad."

"Sure."

* * *

"Ugh… Hey, I'm fine, how about you give up now?"

"From what I see, you're at your limit."

"Damn… You stubborn human…."

I thought he would be more stubborn, but he was surprisingly clean.

Initially, with my Master-level mana, getting drunk was meaningless.

Of course, this is also a matter of mental fortitude, but even though my physical condition isn't what it used to be, my mental strength hasn't changed.

-A complete cheat.

'Even without using mana, I can handle this.'

-What exactly do you have to do to be this good?

Perseus's question, asked in amazement, brought back a faint memory.

One of the two masters who taught me swordsmanship.

A hero who unified everything as soon as he appeared in the Central Plains.

I wondered why he, who left a legacy of fear in people's minds, became a hero.

In the end, he was just a person with emotions.

The only hero.

The other heroes in the corridor called him the Heavenly Horse, Dukgojun.

-Just one hero.

'Well, I only heard a bit about that world.'

In any case, the reason I have this insane drinking capacity is because of that Heavenly Horse, Dukgojun.

The undisputed best drinker.

Even the saintly Daphne, who loved alcohol, warned against ever drinking with him.

The problem was that as I learned swordsmanship from him, I naturally ended up drinking with him a lot.

Thinking back, the most challenging part of my training with him in the corridor might have been those drinking sessions.

The main drink was poison wine, which could knock out even transcenders who handled mana, so it wasn't easy to keep up.

'Compared to that guy, Dwarven poison wine is nothing.'

I still vividly remember him treating alcohol like a god and preaching about it.

"Ugh! Damn. I never thought a human could drink better than a dwarf…."

"The world is vast, isn't it?"

"Hahaha! Ugh! Spinning… spinning…."

Thud!

In the end, Gorda couldn't handle the alcohol and fell asleep with his head on the table.

It was clear who the winner of the drinking contest was.

"Ooh! Gorda the old man is down!"

"What a rare experience!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

As Gorda fell, the surroundings became noisy again.

Even the dwarves, who were shocked by my incredible drinking capacity, were chattering excitedly.

The one who couldn't even stand a moment ago was now making a good judgment.

"Human! You're really amazing!"

"How did you drink all that?!"

"Our tribe's best drinker, and he's out like that!"

The best?

I chuckled and looked at him, but he was completely out cold due to the alcohol.

-I'll have to wait a day.

'Right?'

Watching Gorda being carried away by the dwarves, I smiled at the remaining dwarves.

"Next, who wants to challenge me?"

If you start a fire, you might as well have a campfire.

* * *

"Alright, a bet is a bet. What are you so curious about?"

"The Primordial Flash, right? It's causing chaos in the tribe."

At my words, he, who had been swaying from the alcohol, suddenly stiffened.

Then, he laughed and sprawled out on the table.

"Nothing much. The old sword that protected our Yellow Rock Tribe broke."

"It broke?"

"Yes. It's a tragedy."

He sighed, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Then, why not give up?"

At my impartial question, he looked at me as if trying to gauge my intentions.

"Though it's an old and unbreakable sword, it's a spiritual pillar for us in a way."

"I see. I'm sorry."

"Originally, each tribe took turns managing the sword. The tribe that received the sword was responsible for its care for a certain period. This time, it was supposed to be my father, but he passed away earlier than expected, so my brother and I took over the responsibility."

His words helped me understand the situation. The Dwarven relic had been passed to the Yellow Rock Tribe, but with the ideal caretaker, Gorda's father, passing away early, the responsibility had suddenly fallen to Gorda and his brother.

Given that the sword had broken….

I nodded, understanding the situation, and he looked at me silently.

"Since you're a human I like, I'll ask you. Is that all you really want to know?"

At his question, I smiled. Dwarves are proud, but they definitely return kindness to those who show them kindness. I had only engaged in a drinking contest with him, but I hadn't wasted my efforts in making a good impression from the start.

"Actually, I have some basic blacksmithing skills. Can I watch the work as a fellow craftsman?"

At my words, his body twitched.

* * *

As soon as it was light, Gorda, who seemed to have forgotten about the alcohol, headed early to the Central Forge, the highest forge of the Yellow Rock Tribe.

I followed him silently.

Although this world has magic, the scientific level is a bit lower than Earth's because magic is so advanced.

In reality, the extremely high temperatures of the furnaces that are technically achievable on Earth are not possible in most kingdoms or empires without magic or alchemy.

Most forges in territories or cities can only melt iron.

But the Dwarven forge was different.

This enormous forge is a true pride of the dwarves, showcasing their technological prowess.

Hundreds of wheels turn automatically, pumping bellows, and the special materials used can withstand the extreme heat.

As a result, the temperature of this forge reaches 3,000 degrees Celsius.

Of course, even this excellent forge would gradually break down if pushed too hard.

-All of this was made by their technology alone, without magic or alchemy.

At my explanation, Perseus nodded with interest and fluttered up to follow me.

Even though she has lived a long time, she wouldn't have mastered this aspect. Most of her existence has been as a spirit, so this was a natural result.

"Hey, Gorda… Who did you bring?"