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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The day after Reina slew the Bayater, the Dwarven Allied Kingdom erupted in celebration.
The ancient beast, long feared as the “Calamity of the Snowy Mountains,” had finally been vanquished.
Reina was hailed as a hero.
“Guide of Emotions,” crafted by Dagran, was also praised as a holy sword and revered as a dwarven artifact.
Dagran, who had lived a life of leisure without any titles, suddenly became a star, earning the title of “Master Craftsman.”
-Dagran… I didn’t know he was so capable. How did he create such a holy sword…?
-I wondered what he was doing, skipping all those parties. He was making something incredible.
-And not only that, he even won over an Imperial woman. He’s truly remarkable.
The Empire held a status comparable to the United States in the modern world, its economic, military, and cultural influence surpassing all other kingdoms.
Dwarves admired Imperial women, and with frequent trade interactions, their admiration often turned into desire.
Dagran had achieved this seemingly impossible dream, becoming the blacksmith of blacksmiths, the true man among men.
“Don’t you feel anything now?”
Amidst the festive atmosphere, Dagran and Reina sat together, discussing her emotions.
“No. Yesterday, my emotions were overflowing, but now I’m back to normal.”
Reina’s face was expressionless. Dagran stood up and sat beside her.
He coughed and took her hand.
Reina’s shoulder twitched.
“How about now?”
“……”
Reina’s face remained impassive, but Dagran noticed a subtle change.
The corners of her lips were slightly upturned.
“It’s nice. I feel relaxed, and my heart is beating a little faster.”
“…I’m glad to hear that.”
They smiled quietly, holding hands.
They continued talking long after the festivities ended, returning home and sharing their innermost thoughts over simple snacks and beer.
“…That’s my story.”
Dagran had told Reina his entire past.
Now that she had discovered her own feelings, she was curious about him.
“…You must have had a hard time, Dagran.”
After hearing his story, Reina felt a pang in her chest. His life had been filled with boredom and listlessness.
Dagran had dreamed of being an explorer.
As a child, he was so curious that he could never sit still.
Unlike other dwarves, he had no interest in blacksmithing.
His goal was to become the first dwarf to explore the entire world.
He had spent years collecting maps, studying cultures, languages, and preparing for his journey.
-I need to practice!
Once he was ready, he started exploring nearby regions, venturing from human villages outside the kingdom to undiscovered caves in the snowy mountains.
-Hmm?
One day, he stumbled upon a mysterious cave filled with a new type of mana stone.
He was the first dwarf to discover emerald mana stones.
-I..I have to tell everyone!
Why hadn’t anyone discovered this massive cave before?
Dagran hurried back to his family and announced his discovery.
He received his father’s permission and led a group of retainers and workers up the mountain.
But when they reached the spot, the cave was gone. Only a blank rock face remained.
No one knew at the time that the cave was located in a “magical anomaly zone” that only appeared at certain times.
-Perhaps you saw an illusion?
-Hahaha, the young master is too enthusiastic about his travels.
-Emerald mana stones? Such a thing doesn’t exist.
Dagran became known as a delusional liar.
To make matters worse, they were ambushed by mountain demons that appeared due to the magical anomaly.
More than half of his group perished.
-Cancel your journey immediately!
From that day forward, Dagran became a recluse, living a meaningless life, burdened by shame and anger at the disappearing cave.
He turned to gambling and parties to escape his self-loathing.
“But it’s alright. Everything changed after I met you.”
Then, he met Reina. His explorer’s spirit, which was still lingering within him, was drawn to her life as a nomadic mercenary.
“Perhaps it wasn’t you who was saved, but me. I said I wanted to make you smile, but in truth, I wanted to smile myself.”
Dagran chuckled bitterly. Reina stared at him with her expressionless face.
“My heart aches.”
Reina placed her hand on top of Dagran’s hand on the table. She circulated her mana, emitting a haze.
“When you’re in pain… I’m in pain too.”
A gloomy blue haze emanated from her – deep blue, the color of sadness, tragedy, despair, and depression.
“Can you see my heart?”
But the gloomy color began to spread and turned gold – the radiant color of love, hope, courage, compassion, and comfort.
Reina smiled faintly.
“I want to heal you, the one who’s been hurt… now, and for the rest of my life, by your side.”
“……”
Reina, who had lived a life devoid of emotions and blindly chased money.
And Dagran, who had lived a life of suppressed anger and self-hatred.
Dagran felt his heart race again, like when he was a child, collecting maps and dreaming of becoming an explorer.
He could dream again.
“Now, you are my dream.”
That night, Dagran held Reina, and Reina held Dagran.
They whispered words of love, sharing their warmth.
With every shared kiss, they felt the knots in their hearts untangle.
They, who had been broken and incomplete, could finally start anew as whole individuals.
They became each other’s dreams.
The golden haze emanating from Reina showed no signs of fading.
Like the rising sun painting the world in gold, Dagran and Reina’s world began to shine.
They vowed to cherish this small, precious world of theirs together for a long time.
For a very, very long time…
Forever…
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It was a grand wedding.
Three months later, Dagran became the happiest man in the world, and Reina, the happiest woman.
A natural smile now graced her face.
Years of effort had finally enabled her to express her emotions.
“That bitch…”
But amidst the joyous celebration, three people wore scowls: Croto, Egua, and Arzier.
They were the knights who had been dispatched with Reina to the Dwarven Allied Kingdom.
They had been reprimanded for mocking Reina and assaulting Dagran.
“Damn it, we got a pay cut because of her, and she’s over there, happy as can be.”
Assaulting Dagran wasn’t the main issue.
At the time, he was just the flawed son of a dwarven clan leader, while they were sons of noble families from the mighty Orserc Empire.
The problem was their desertion.
While Reina faced the Bayater alone, they had abandoned their duty to protect the dwarves and fled.
They received a 50% pay cut and faced the risk of being stripped of their knighthood.
If it weren’t for their fathers’ influence, they would have been jobless.
“Forget it. We just need to finish the handover and build up our experience. Don’t cause any trouble.”
They were only able to return because of the “handover.”
They were tasked with staying for three years, training young knights about the terrain and monsters of the snowy mountains.
Despite their desertion, they were the most knowledgeable about the region, so they were reinstated under the pretense of “handover” and “sincere apology to the dwarves.”
“That bitch got lucky. That dwarf is becoming influential. If he becomes king, all she’ll have to do is spread her legs and shake her butt around.”
They pretended to be remorseful, but their resentment had only intensified.
They found it absurd and disgusting that Reina, who had abandoned her comrades, would risk her life for the dwarves.
If she had been killed by the Bayater, they could have excused their actions, but her single-handed victory only made them look foolish.
“Just forget it. Damn it… It’s frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do.”
But their anger changed nothing.
They had been assigned to border patrol, tasked with training Imperial knights entering the Dwarven Allied Kingdom and sending them inland.
They were no match for Dagran and Reina, who had already risen to prominence.
They returned to the border with their hearts filled with bitterness.
No one knew then what tragedy their resentment would bring.
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A year later, a new life began to grow within Reina’s womb.
Dagran and Reina’s love had borne fruit.
“Hahaha! Reina! Thank you!”
Dagran was overjoyed.
Reina, who had thought she would live her life alone, shed tears of joy upon realizing that she was going to be a mother.
Her emotional impairment was almost completely healed; she could now laugh and cry naturally.
“But I’m sorry. I’m busy right now. Let’s celebrate tonight!”
“Fufu. Yes, dear. I’m busy too.”
They both held important positions.
Dagran served as the “King’s Advisor,” a crucial role held by all future dwarven kings, and Reina was the Knight Captain, training young dwarves in combat.
“We need to reinforce the border.”
Dagran repeatedly urged the dwarven king to strengthen their defenses. But the king was skeptical.
“Hmm… Our budget is already stretched thin with the mine development. Border reinforcement in these peaceful times? Isn’t that a waste of resources?”
“…The Empire is expanding its territory at an alarming rate. And recently, I heard they’re planning to conquer the Shadow Forest.”
“The Shadow Forest…”
“It’s a serious concern. If they stir up trouble there, it could spill over into our kingdom… We need to be prepared.”
The king nodded.
From a conservative dwarven perspective, Dagran’s proposal for precautionary measures seemed reasonable.
“Alright. I appoint you as the chief supervisor.”
Dagran, with the king’s approval, led a large group of workers and servants south.
Reina also moved to the border region, both to support Dagran and for the sake of her health.
“Begin construction!”
Large-scale renovations began under Dagran’s supervision.
They tore down the old wooden walls and built new ones, installing additional siege weaponry.
The border defenses were rapidly strengthened.
“Monsters!”
But the Empire’s advance was too swift.
Moreover, Dagran, with his foresight, had been appointed too late.
There wasn’t enough time.
Before the construction was complete, monsters from the Shadow Forest attacked.
This was the beginning of the tragedy.
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[T/N: The fucking onion ninjas are at it again.]
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Lemme guess, those three deserters would likely go after Reina but Dagran caught wind of it and he does as a result. Or maybe the other way round. Or both of them die at the act of betrayal, but Reina’s remaining emotions, despair, rage and hatred fuse into the sword.
I would never sleep in peace if those three survived and had good lives at the expense of Dagran and Reina’s family.