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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Dagran, a dwarf bearing the title of “Master Craftsman,” was the creator of the holy sword, “Guide of Emotions.”
Initially dismissed by his fellow dwarven blacksmiths for his lack of talent, however he rose to stardom with the creation of “Guide of Emotions.”
It was a groundbreaking achievement, as no one had ever created a weapon powered by emotions before.
However, it wasn’t just the creation of the weapon that made him famous, but the reason behind it.
And that reason was love.
Love for a human knight.
The story began 40 years ago, when the Empire and the Dwarven Allied Kingdom still maintained friendly relations.
Imperial knights were often dispatched to aid the dwarves, who were actively securing mining veins at the time.
The knights protected them from monsters encountered during their explorations.
It was during this period that Dagran met Reina, the human knight.
While Dagran and his companions were leading workers up a mountain to secure a new mining vein, they were attacked by a large monster called a Snow Ogre.
Reina saved Dagran from certain death.
“Ugh!”
“A-Are you alright?!”
However, Reina injured her leg in the process, a severe injury that would prevent her from walking for months.
The Snow Ogre possessed a putrefaction component that nullified it to healing magic, so even healing spells were ineffective.
“I’m sorry. You got hurt because of me…”
“……”
Reina had suffered an incurable injury while saving him.
But her fellow knights showed no concern, even mocking her for showing pain and ostracizing her.
Angered by their behavior, Dagran confronted them.
And they replied,
“Mind your own business, dwarf. It’s a good thing she’s injured. We were worried about being in the same party as her, but now, good riddance.”
They abandoned Reina and continued up the mountain.
Dagran’s companions also urged him to move on, as they needed to find the mining vein before nightfall.
Unable to leave Reina alone, Dagran decided to stay with her.
However, her response was cold.
“What are you doing here? Why aren’t you following your companions?”
“…Excuse me?”
“We have a contract. I fulfilled my duty to protect you. But you’re not fulfilling yours.”
“But I’m worried about you…”
“Go find the mining vein. My reward depends on you finding it. You’re no use to me if you can’t even protect yourself.”
…Ha. It was absurd.
He had stayed out of concern, and this was how she treated him? But since she had been injured because of him, Dagran suppressed his anger.
He sat down beside her and said,
“You’ve got quite a temper. I’m also unskilled and bad-tempered, so I’m an outcast too. Let’s keep each other company.”
“……”
Reina stared at him blankly. She then looked away and said,
“I’m not bad-tempered.”
Not bad-tempered?
That was an unexpected answer.
He had assumed her colleagues ostracized her because of her abrasive manner.
“Then what is it? It can’t be your skills. You took down a Snow Ogre on your own.”
Dagran, curious, tried to make conversation. His companions wouldn’t be back for at least half a day, so he wanted to pass the time by chatting.
“……”
But Reina remained silent with her lips sealed and just stared straight ahead.
Dagran, trying to hide his embarrassment, followed her gaze.
He was stuck with her for the time being.
“…It’s just… I’m different from others.”
Her reply came at an odd time, nearly ten minutes after his question.
But Dagran didn’t mind. He looked at her carefully.
What was different about her?
She wasn’t unattractive.
In fact, she was quite beautiful by human standards.
Fair skin, vibrant blonde hair, downcast eyes with long lashes.
But her face lacked expression.
Her eyes were lifeless.
He realized she hadn’t shown any emotion since they started their ascent.
Then, she said what he had been suspecting.
“I… don’t feel emotions.”
“……”
He had vaguely guessed it, but he was still stunned.
She didn’t feel emotions?
As if to explain, she continued,
“It’s a good trait for a knight. I never make mistakes due to emotional impulses.”
“……”
“Thanks to that, I survived. Four years ago, when my companions fell into a trap and everyone rushed to save them, I made a rational decision and survived. If I had joined them, we would have all been killed.”
Dagran nodded.
He understood why she was ostracized.
“How did that happen?”
“Fate. I was born with brain damage. My parents discovered it too late to treat it.”
…Fate.
The word sounded sad to Dagran.
Had she accepted this life as her destiny?
“Everyone makes that face at first.”
Reina looked at him, her expression unchanged.
She was referring to his expression.
“Th-This face…?”
“Yes. The look of pity.”
“…Ah. I apologize.”
“It’s alright. I don’t feel anything anyway.”
“……”
“Eventually, you’ll come to despise me too. And I still won’t feel anything. Nothing will change.”
It seemed likely.
She maintained her emotionless expression throughout their conversation.
But Dagran felt a strange sadness emanating from her, as if she was hiding a deep sorrow within.
“You saved my life.”
An impulsive vow formed in Dagran’s mind.
He blurted it out, even though it seemed impossible.
“So, someday, I will make you smile. Even for a moment, I want you to feel joy.”
“……”
Reina blankly stared at him with her unmoving face.
She then looked away and said indifferently,
“It’s impossible.”
“……”
…Impossible.
But Reina’s words only spurred Dagran on.
They ignited his dwarven stubbornness, strengthening his resolve to make her smile.
From that day forward, Dagran devoted himself to finding a way to make Reina smile.
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“Stay at my house. I’ll provide you with servants to aid your recovery.”
After descending from the snowy mountain, Dagran made an offer to Reina.
He invited her to stay at his house and recover, so he could investigate the cause of her inability to feel emotions.
“If you pay me.”
Her response was unusual.
A typical woman might have questioned his intentions, but Reina only cared about the money.
“How much do you want?”
“50,000 Arden a day. In Imperial currency.”
“…Alright.”
Dagran was wealthy.
He was, after all, the son of one of the five leading families of the Dwarven Allied Kingdom.
He could even be crowned king if he wanted to.
The problem was, he had no interest in the throne.
“I’ll provide you with accommodations. Follow me.”
Thus began their strange cohabitation.
Reina, using mana to support herself with crutches, followed Dagran and was given a comfortable room.
A month passed.
“Kheh… It seems conventional methods won’t work.”
Dagran chuckled self-deprecatingly, sinking into the sofa.
Reina, sitting on the bed, stared at him impassively as he held his head in his hands.
“Shall we terminate the contract?”
“…No. Not yet.”
Dagran had tried countless methods to make Reina smile, but all had failed.
Humor books that were bestsellers across the continent, famous clowns, delicious food, fragrant flowers, beautiful scenery, legendary swords – nothing could elicit a smile from her.
But Dagran didn’t give up.
He decided to use a dwarven approach.
He would create a device that would make her smile.
“I will make you smile, no matter what!!!”
Thus began his stubborn pursuit.
Dagran’s forge burned day and night.
He spent his days conversing with Reina, researching emotions, and his nights crafting devices to stimulate them.
He, who had lived a life of leisure as the son of a clan leader, was now consumed by passion.
Making Reina smile became his ultimate goal.
“…Your face is quite bruised.”
One day, Dagran entered Reina’s room with a battered face.
Reina showed little interest, glancing at him before returning to her book.
Dagran sat heavily on the sofa and said,
“Aren’t you curious? About why my face looks like this?”
“……”
Reina looked up, her face expressionless.
“Why did that happen?”
“……”
Dagran chuckled.
He felt a pang of disappointment at her indifference, even after three months of living together.
“…Your companions said… that you’re a money-grubbing lunatic. A whore who would sell herself to a dwarf for money. …I couldn’t just stand by. For a knight to trample on someone’s honor… I knew it was wrong, but I had to punish him.”
Dagran hoped Reina would understand that he had fought for her honor.
Even though he had been beaten without landing a single blow, he wanted her to know that he had fought for her.
It would soothe his bruised ego.
“You did something pointless.”
But her reply was shocking.
Her face remained as cold as a sheet of paper.
“I don’t feel shame. I was able to abandon my colleagues and flee because I feel no attachment to them, nor any shame in running away.”
“……”
“Why did you do that? His words didn’t affect me. I only care about the money. If you had asked for my body, I would have given it to you for a suitable price…”
“Stop!”
Dagran shouted, rising to his feet. He stared at Reina, breathing heavily.
“I told you. You’ll come to despise me.”
“……”
“Shall we terminate the contract?”
Looking into Reina’s unwavering eyes, Dagran felt a sense of despair.
All his efforts seemed to have been in vain.
But amidst this despair, he had a realization.
He knew, with certainty, that he loved her.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be experiencing such intense emotions.
“…You clearly don’t understand dwarven stubbornness. Just you wait. I will make you smile someday.”
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[T/N: I can feel it…those despicable onion ninjas are coming, and there’s no escaping them.]
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