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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Magrian, the current king of the Dwarven Allied Kingdom, was Dagran’s older brother.
They had shared a deep bond, closer than most siblings.
“……”
He had been hesitant to invite Edgar Fix to the exhibition.
The tragedy 40 years ago had been caused by the Empire’s reckless expansion, and his brother’s suicide had been triggered by the shock of his wife’s madness and the subsequent slaughter of their kin.
Of course, many things didn’t add up.
Even if Reina had been driven mad by a monster, Dagran wouldn’t have taken his own life so easily.
It was unthinkable.
“……”
But the dead couldn’t speak.
He had no way of knowing the truth, as the only witnesses were those human knights.
‘Even traveling the world didn’t give me any answers.’
Magrian had traveled the world, searching for the truth, hoping to fulfill his brother’s dream of circumnavigation and find closure.
He had even befriended an elf, seeking their wisdom, but to no avail.
The questions remained unanswered, buried in the past.
“The next participant is Edgar Fix. Please come forward.”
Lost in thought, Magrian heard Ed’s name called.
He watched Ed approach the stage, his eyes were cold.
He looked at Ed’s exhibit, concealed behind a black curtain, thinking only of how to replicate the technology.
‘Humans are not to be trusted.’
Magrian considered the Empire an enemy. He hadn’t invited Ed out of goodwill. He wanted to steal his technology.
‘We can’t fall behind the Empire technologically.’
In short, Magrian had invited Ed because he felt threatened.
The dwarven technology, once thought to be unmatched, had been surpassed by a single human.
He had to acquire Ed’s knowledge, by any means necessary.
He was willing to offer rewards, titles, and mountains of gold.
Anything to keep the dwarves from falling behind the ever-advancing Empire.
“Greetings. I am Edgar Fix.”
Finally, Ed’s presentation began.
The dwarves focused their attention, some analyzing his techniques for political gain, others genuinely interested in his craftsmanship.
“Heheh. This will be interesting.”
Croto and his two companions sat in the front row, anticipating the presentation.
Ed had told them there would be a video commemorating their heroic deeds.
“Well, I suppose I owe the dwarves a debt of gratitude.”
Forty years.
Enough time to forget the sins they had committed.
Now in their sixties, they had rewritten their past.
Their underhanded methods had brought prosperity to their families.
They were now respected elders of prominent noble houses within the Empire, hailed as the three brave knights who had defended the dwarven border against the monster wave.
They had amassed wealth and honor, and they believed they had lived honorable lives.
They had always justified their actions by their results.
As Croto and his companions basked in their self-proclaimed glory, Ed spoke.
“Before I begin, I have a confession to make.”
A confession? Before even revealing his creation? What could it be?
“The weapon I’m about to present… isn’t actually mine. I merely restored someone else’s creation.”
“……”
…Restored someone else’s creation?
Silence fell over the audience, followed by an uproar.
The VIP guests voiced their disapproval.
How dare he bring someone else’s work to the sacred Iron Hammer Exhibition?
And to admit it so brazenly?
“Typical human! Get him off the stage!”
Some dwarves demanded Ed’s removal, unwilling to let him desecrate the exhibition.
But King Magrian remained silent, his face grim, waiting for Ed’s next words.
He didn’t believe this clever human would sabotage himself.
As expected, Ed’s next words calmed the unrest.
“But I’m not ashamed. In fact, I’m honored to have restored this weapon to its original form. Because the weapon I restored is the holy sword, ‘Guide of Emotions.’”
Ed pulled back the black curtain, revealing a magnificent sword displayed within a shimmering glass case.
The first sword that had harnessed emotions as an energy source, the sword that had slain the ancient nightmare, the Bayater.
Dagran’s masterpiece had finally returned to the dwarves.
-Whoosh!
King Magrian stood up abruptly, along with most of the dwarves who knew of the holy sword.
They rubbed their eyes, squinting, unable to believe what they were seeing.
No one had expected this.
Ed continued to speak as the audience was still in chaos.
“The holy sword, ‘Guide of Emotions.’ I’ve named it ‘Returned Honor’ for this exhibition. Because this sword holds the truth about tarnished honor.”
Tarnished honor.
There was no need to explain who he meant.
Dagran and Reina.
The couple who had met their untimely deaths 40 years ago.
“…Damn it. This isn’t what we discussed.”
Croto and his companions paled.
The memory of their misdeeds resurfaced, and they began to sweat.
“W-Wait…”
They had to leave immediately.
Years of underhanded dealings had honed their instincts for danger.
They stood up, trying to slip away.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
A powerful force pressed down on them, forcing them back into their seats.
Elena’s telekinesis.
“Ugh! Gah…”
They couldn’t resist, no matter how much mana they channeled.
The Archmage looked down at them with cold eyes.
‘We’re screwed…’
They knew they were trapped.
This entire exhibition had been a setup, a trap to expose them.
Ed addressed the confused audience.
“I understand your confusion. This holy sword was corrupted into the demonic Black Obsidian, and no one could restore it.”
He paced the stage, drawing everyone’s attention.
“But I was able to do it, with the help of Archmage Elena, the most skilled inscription mage in the world.”
The audience began to understand.
The corruption of the holy sword was related to inscriptions.
It made sense, considering even the Archmage had been involved.
“Yes, as you’ve guessed, the sword was corrupted by an inscription. A ‘Resentment’ inscription, containing powerful feelings of hatred and vengeful memories.”
A Resentment inscription.
An inscription containing a fusion of emotions and memories.
The dwarves realized whose memories and emotions were trapped within the sword.
Reina.
Dagran’s wife, the beautiful knight, the owner of the holy sword.
Her resentment had corrupted the sword.
But why?
Ed began to explain.
“I’m sure you have many questions. What happened to create such powerful resentment? To understand, we must go back 40 years. We must see the ‘truth’ of that day through the memories contained within this resentment. And for that, I’ve prepared something special.”
Ed gave a signal.
James, waiting backstage, activated the projector.
Enya and Clarice channeled their mana, activating an inscription.
Elena’s “Illusion” and “Hypersensitivity” inscriptions were triggered, transforming the space.
Reina’s memories began to play.
“You only need to follow the memories of a human knight who loved a dwarf. Let’s begin.”
Ed said that and stepped back.
The images flickered to life on the giant screen.
Reina’s memories.
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IT’S FUCKING HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!