Episode 909 Omen – 4 (The Worst Dwarf)
The deep sea of the world.
In the central library of the Arcadium, a pale, octopus-headed humanoid being turned the pages.It was the Host.Even when he was short on time preparing for the Banquet of Knowledge, he never missed reading. Regular reading was his most important hobby.
… … Swoosh.
The host raised his gaze while seated elegantly. His eyes looked beyond the ceiling of the mansion toward the surface of the water beyond the darkness of the sea.
The Current Continent.The Great Demon’s Libereas.The Sky Island Ark.The Resistor’s Refragium Magic Tower.
And───
Excluding the present world, it is the fourth world.Including the present world, it is the fifth world.
[Are the specters running wild?]
Fate has gone awry, so it is impossible to know who will win and who will lose.
The host found that very interesting.
* * *
Adventurer Party, Manha.
While each individual remains at the Platinum level, their combined power is equivalent to the Mithril level.Since the party’s inception, not a single comrade has died in any incidents, major or minor, and they are evaluated as having excellent character as well as hunting ability.
Successfully completed the Adventurer’s Guild’s emergency subjugation order even during the Bloodcry Plague outbreak.
Without a word, he traveled across the Central Continent in the order of Silpera Autonomous Territory, Maren Kingdom, and Formene Free State, setting a record of 26 successful requests.
Naturally, since the Adventurer’s Guild covered all expenses—such as travel and food costs—in addition to the rewards for subjugation, my wealth grew considerably.I felt a sense of accomplishment, traveled, and earned money.As long as it suited my aptitude and I didn’t die, being an adventurer was a profession worth pursuing for life.
However, due to the nature of being an adventurer, one had to accept the downside that they might not be able to participate in regular events with officially set dates, as they never knew when or where something might happen.
“Phew, at least it looks like I’ll be able to enter Gargant, albeit belatedly.”
Vermin ran his hand through his forehead as he emerged from the International Carriage Icarus building.As the vanguard commander in Manha, he was eloquent and handled various procedural matters. He was also a useful man for haggling over prices at the market.
Archer Rubina’s eyes gleamed.
“You made a reservation?! You mean there are seats?!”“There were exactly two seats left in the middle of the night. Two of the finest carriages, incredibly expensive even with the Mithril class benefits. To think we’d end up riding in something even the most high-ranking nobles don’t… We’ve spent quite a bit of the public funds, so no extravagance for the time being.”
Generally, cities lock their gates at night to prohibit passage, but the mayor of Zantra exploited this for business purposes under the pretext of the magic festival.
Guests who made a contract with Icarus and paid an additional fee were permitted to leave Zantra even during curfew hours.
Wizard Gelton Rodney wore a apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault…”
Clergyman Kedian shook his head.
“Please do not do that. Gelton is not the only one who wants to see Gargant’s Magic Festival. He was so disappointed that he couldn’t watch the World Conference.”
Gelton and his colleagues acted separately before the World Conference was held.
This was because Vermin and Rubina were so exhausted immediately after the subjugation that Gelton, who was capable of
They agreed to meet again in Gargant so as not to be late for the World Conference, but Vermin and his party could not find a carriage, so only Gelton arrived on time.
Manha’s leader───Skald stroked his bushy beard.
“I don’t know much about magic, but I would still like to attend that lecture. Gelton praises it day in and day out, so I can’t stand the curiosity.”“Besides, this is the first time I’ve met Lord Verden since the Bone Dragon incident.”
Manha and Verden have known each other for quite a long time.
In Grey, the Kingdom of Estiria, they hired Verden as a mercenary to replace Gelton, and they even defeated an enraged forest spirit. They alsoreunited in Sacred, the Republic of Beldirn, and barely survived after facing a Bone Dragon and a special entity called the Seven Horns.
Have you been with the current Transcendental Being in the past?
It’s a lifelong topic of conversation.
Gelton, a magician of the ice element who even learned the theory of multiple continuity directly from a transcendent being, thought of him whenever he used fire magic.
Vermin said.
“Anyway, since we plan to leave at dawn, we should arrive by lunchtime tomorrow at the latest. Hmm, it’s the 8th day of the Magic Festival; that should be fine, right?”“It is fine. By noon on the 8th day, we haven’t even reached the halfway point of the second half.”
Gelton smiled.
“If things go well, we might be able to attend not only Mr. Verden’s academy lecture but also the main stage.”“But what if we’re unlucky and miss both? We don’t know the detailed schedule.”
The schedule can change at any time.
Of course, since it is a grand festival, such a thing is unlikely to happen unless the situation is exceptional, but as an adventurer, one must always keep such exceptions in mind.
“That’s true…….”
Gelton became sullen.
Skald patted his shoulder, which had become more sturdy compared to before, and laughed heartily.
“We haven’t even arrived in Gargant yet, so why are you getting disappointed already? Stop worrying unnecessarily and why don’t we discuss how to spend our time? We also need to decide what to have for dinner.”“Hmm, since it’s getting late, I suppose we’ll have to grab a bite at a tavern. It’s a bit of a stretch.”“Since things have turned out this way, why don’t we just stay up all night and leave right away? We can just sleep in the carriage.”“I agree.”
The adventurers amicably agreed on what to do, as usual, and reached a conclusion.
“But I’m not sure which pub would be good. Is it downtown or on the outskirts?”“Should I go look into it?”“Hmm.”
Gelton looked around, contemplating whether to head into the city or to the outskirts.Zantra was a relatively ordinary city, so there was no particular information available.
“How about we start in the outskirts this time?”“Start in the outskirts? Is there a reason?”“Uh, just… I guess you could say. Like there might be a decent pub there?”
There really wasn’t any particular reason.
Gelton simply chose whichever he was more drawn to between the city center and the outskirts. His colleagues, who didn’t particularly care where he went, agreed with Gelton’s opinion.
It was while I was leisurely strolling through the relatively quiet night streets, having escaped the bustling center filled with the fervor of the Magic Festival.
Several people were gathered and running toward somewhere on the outskirts of Zantra.Wondering what was going on, I listened closely.
“I heard there’s a strange dwarf at the tavern on the outskirts over there?”
Skald made eye contact with his colleagues.
“……Dwarf?”“……Dwarf?”
I immediately followed the people.
I stepped into the pub.
Although I hadn’t yet looked around the center of Zantra, it was no exaggeration to say that the interior was more crowded than any tavern in the center.
“Hahahahahahaha!”“Cough, cough…… Ugh.”
A man with a flushed face from the alcohol threw up through the window. The rumored dwarf emptied the barrel of alcohol while surrounded by many people.
A faded white beard and hair.A short stature that almost touches Gelton’s solar plexus.An extraordinary physique.Muscular arms that make Skald, who wields a two-handed axe as his main weapon, look like a child.
Skald and his party had seen dwarves a few times during their adventures, but… judging by his appearance and demeanor, that particular dwarf was somehow mysterious.
People whispered.
“Crazy, did he really drink that strong liquor in one gulp?”“Is that all? We’ve been staying up for days competing in drinking contests without sleeping, and there’s no one who can beat us.”“I heard dwarves are good drinkers, but I didn’t expect it to be this much…”“Is that what the dwarf race is like…!”
It is enough to naturally inspire awe at the drinking capacity that humans could not even dare to imagine.
The tavern owner came out carrying another barrel, groaning.
“Th-this is the last one…! The only drinks left are the ones that don’t taste very good…!”“You mean the last one already? Taverns these days aren’t well-prepared. Back in the day, we could drink all day and the liquor never ran out. Tsk.”
The dwarf casually pulled a glittering stone from his bosom and tossed it. It was gold. No matter what the dwarf complained about, the master bowed and scraped to take the gold.Whether human or dwarf, the race that paid a very—high price for drinks was the king.
“This isn’t enough…….”
Beep, beep, beep.
“Ah? Just in time. Hahaha, then one barrel of liquor should be enough.”
The dwarf turned off the alarm on a wristwatch he had never seen before, which seemed to be a copy of the one at Artisan Magic Tower, placed the barrel to the side, and shifted his gaze.
“Look here, is there anyone among you interested in magical skills? Or anyone well-versed in magical power?”
Magical skill?Magic power?
Since most of them were citizens of Zantra, no one readily answered.Except for one person.
“……I wouldn’t say I’m particularly knowledgeable, though.”“Oh, judging by your attire, are you a wizard! Would you like to come sit here?”
The dwarf tapped the empty chair.
It was a sudden suggestion, but Gelton soon cautiously stepped forward.This was because his colleagues were giving him a look that urged him to go ahead, and he was also very curious about a dwarf discussing magic and magical power.
This, too, is an adventure.
Gelton sat facing the dwarf.
People’s attention was focused on it.
“Would you like a drink?”“Just a little taste would be fine.”“It’s good that you aren’t holding back for a wizard! And you’re surprisingly well-built, too.”
When Gelton was refuted by Verden head-on regarding his magical theories, he suffered from severe depression and spent nights drinking, and he also exerted himself through exercise to overcome it.The latter soon became a habit, and Gelton regularly dedicates time to physical training.
The dwarf raised the empty glass and scooped up the liquor with a hearty gulp.Judging by the smell, it seemed quite strong.
“What is your name?”“I am Gelton Rodney.”“Gelton Rodney, as a wizard, how much do you know about magical power?”
Gelton narrowed his eyebrows as he took a sip of alcohol.
“Hmm, that is too broad a question.”“Is that so? Then I will change the question. Do you know about ‘magic particles’?”“You mean the magic particle theory?”
Power particle theory.
It was a theory that, just like objects, there exists a minimum entity that constitutes matter within magical power, and it was a theory that was personally proven by the 3rd Great Magic King of the Arkenad Magic Kingdom in the past.
It was a useless theory for almost all wizards.
This is because unless you master the
“Time is truly frightening. Magic particles were discovered merely a few hundred years ago? That they cannot be handled unless you belong to that mysterious lineage known as the ‘Great Bloodline’? To think such misinformation has spread!”“What are you talking about—”“Magic particles are not an inviolable realm. That is true even for those who are not mages. Of course, you would need to be a genius dwarf like me. How do you handle magic particles? Since I am in the mood, I will give you a brief explanation of the principles.”
The dwarf took out a strange pen and scribbled something on the table.
“If you look very closely at magic, it is made up of these spherical particles. A perfect sphere. Yet, it is not perfect. Even if it cannot be divided further, if you artificially destabilize it and expose it to a specific wavelength, it explodes instantly. In a chain reaction.”“You mean magic… explodes? I have never heard of such a thing.”“Magic particles were discovered in my era, but only I know this method. This was my power! I proved my greatness by slaughtering everyone with a ‘Magic Chain Explosion’! In the end, I even wiped out the continent and the beast simultaneously through self-destruction. Hahahahahaha! It’s a memory, a memory.”
The dwarf laughed heartily.
Something felt off.The way I felt.
“You just killed something…?”“After dying like that and waking up in this era, good heavens. Magic has advanced tremendously. Thanks to that, I was able to conduct experiments I never even imagined before. That is how I was able to complete, with my own hands, the new power I had only conceived of during my lifetime.”
His hands moved busily.It seemed as though Gelton was of no concern at all.
“If I reshape a perfect sphere using magic particles, it becomes a massive magic particle. I named this the ‘Magic Core.’ That balance of power is unparalleled. What would happen if I forcibly shattered it? That thought prompted me to try using the Magic Chain Explosion technique on the Magic Core. Heh heh, do you know what happened?”
Kagagagagagak.
The dwarf’s pen scratched the table like crazy.
“The magical particles that made up the magical core spread out in all directions, destroying not only the magical energy but every constituent material of the object. Thoroughly! Without leaving a single thing behind! However, the further you move from the center of the explosion radius, the less powerful the force becomes, meaning that probabilistically, more things remain undesirable. And the aftershock takes their place. In any case, it is clearly a superior technique to a magical chain explosion.”“…….”“I called this ‘Magical Splitter’.”
Their gazes crossed.
“The probability that this tavern will completely disappear due to the magic split is 7.32%. Well, in other words, only about 11 people out of here will be able to survive. It is just a probability, so it might differ a bit from the actual number, though.”
The corners of the dwarf’s mouth curled up all the way.
“Here’s the question again. Will you be able to survive?”“……!!”
Instinct suddenly sounded the alarm.
Gelton activated the magic circuit. Skald immediately swung his two-handed axe, and Vermin raised his shield to protect his comrade.
and.
Boom─────────────!
A massive explosion was visible outside the tavern window.It was the center of Zantra.Just as I felt my whole body going numb, Gelton broke through the current hierarchy and deployed the
The aftermath hit hard.
Kwag
The magic couldn’t last even a moment and was shattered.
The pub was shattered into pieces.
Those directly exposed to the magic split were instantly reduced to dust and scattered. Even those who avoided the split were pierced by fragments hurled by the explosion, their bodies flying away as pieces of flesh.Before there was even a chance to scream, the streets, lively with the magic festival, were filled with death.
Kuuuuu… … .
90% of the city of Zantra was lost.
All that remained in that spot was a huge mushroom cloud soaring toward the sky.
How much time has passed?
Stirring up.
The pile of debris twitched, and Gelton crawled out from underneath.His whole body was covered in dust.
“Gasp, gasp…… Ugh!”
My mind was hazy. As I lowered my gaze amidst the immense pain, I saw that one of my arms was gone. The cross-section of the wound was crude, as if severed by a saw.I belatedly covered the wound with my hand.Barely managing to hold onto my senses, the first thing that came to mind was my comrades.
“Rubina…… Where are you……! Skald! Vermin! Kedian!!!”
Psychokinesis
I concentrated and searched through the debris.
Fingers, toes, organs… were they the ones of those inside the tavern? The thought that they might be my colleagues’ made me feel nauseous.Still, I didn’t stop.
That is how I found them one by one.
Skald, whose left leg was blown off.Rubina, with eight fingers torn off and one eye burst.Kedian, missing both arms.Vermin, whose body part was pierced by wood splinters.
“M-Everyone……”“Oh, five of you survived? You guys are pretty lucky. To think you made it through.”
The dwarf gulped down alcohol on the wreckage and leisurely clapped his hands.
Gelton’s eyelids trembled.
“You, just who….”“Back in my day, there was a Dwarf Dynasty, but now there isn’t even a trace to be found. I think it’s because of me, but well, if it’s gone, I can just rebuild it.”
The dwarf patted my chest.
“I am Grimmel Gromfar. The last king of the Gromfar dynasty, and a dwarf who will become the new Dwarf Emperor in this modern era.”
Ice Spear
The ice spear struck the dwarf—Grimmel—but could not penetrate a single strand of his skin. More blood gushed from Gelton’s wound.
“Calm down. I have no intention of killing you. I just need someone to spread the rumors. The aftermath of the magic split will reach Gargant by morning, so people will be arriving soon. You five just need to relay exactly what you saw and heard.”
Grimmel shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, maybe it’s four people, not five?”“Cough, cough!!”
Berman fainted, vomited blood, and suddenly stopped breathing. Gelton hurriedly pressed his chest with his remaining arm, but he could not apply proper force.
“Vermin…… Vermin!!! Snap out of it!!”“What desperate camaraderie. But do you think you can last until morning like that?”“Shut your mouth!!”
Gelton was furious, but he could not bring himself to let go of Vermin.
“I’ll be going now. I have a lot of work to do. According to the plan, that beast should be fighting by now. Let’s meet again if the chance arises. It was a pleasant conversation.”
Grimmel leisurely walked past Gelton and kicked Vermin in the head for no reason.
“Oh my, that was a mistake.”“This bastard…!!!”“If you let go, your friend Vermin will die, right? Do you want to take revenge or save your friend?”
Grimmel waved his hand behind him.
“You know, if you try to catch two rabbits at once, you end up losing them all. Hahaha!”
The laughter of the worst dwarf on earth gradually faded from the ruins.
“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
Thousands of dead and missing.
Free State of Formene, City of Zantra───Destroyed.
* * *
The dawn when the main stage of the Magic Festival ended.
Verden, who was resting at home, suddenly turned his head north.
“……what?”
It feels strange.
Verden immediately prepared himself and got ready to teleport. It was his nature not to overlook anything suspicious.
