LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 37
‘It’s completely different from the outside.’
The interior of Jangsan Cave was surprisingly vast and bright, to the point where it was hard to believe it was a cave.
This was the result of the electrically lit ceiling and the fierce flames rising from the workshops below.
Kim Il-shin looked around.
Surrounding the paths that branched out from the center were buildings with low ceilings, each boasting distinct characteristics, most of which were workshops.
“Lift it higher there!”
“Grip it harder!”
Despite it being quite late, the city buzzed with activity.
Out here, the passage of time from the outside didn’t hold much significance.
Given that dwarven craftsmen often stayed awake for days on end once they started working, it was no surprise.
‘Hanarine was like that too.’
Most of the people wandering around the city were of the dwarven race.
When thinking of dwarves, one immediately conjured images: short stature, sturdy build, and bushy beards.
Their iron-pounding arms and rough, heavy hands left a considerable impression.
‘…There are some interesting folk, though.’
There were also dwarves with braided or dyed beards. It seemed to be a trendy fashion among them.
However, judging by Hanarine’s reaction upon seeing them, it didn’t appear to be the case.
Her expression twisted as if she had seen something utterly bizarre upon encountering the flamboyant dwarves.
‘Indeed, there aren’t many humans around.’
While there were some, the number was distinctly low. I barely noticed a few after coming in.
‘There’s really no need to come. There’s nothing to buy here, anyway.’
Most of the equipment produced here could only be purchased after passing through the scrutiny of the dwarven-operated association.
The purpose of quality control was significant, but more than that, it was to prevent inexperienced dwarves from getting scammed by outsiders.
‘The association isn’t without its problems, but it’s certainly better than having none.’
In fact, it was said that before the establishment of the association, such incidents happened quite frequently.
“Stop looking around and follow me properly. Is this your first time here?”
“It is.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Anyway, that must be the Mountain Range Workshop, right?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Kim Il-shin pointed to the building towering at the edge of the city.
All the other buildings barely reached three stories, making it stand out immediately.
A gigantic stalactite spreading down from the ceiling met the building.
It must have been designed to harness the powers of the mountain range through that connection.
“You don’t have much further to go, so keep following. If you lose your way here, it’ll be hard to find your way back.”
“Got it.”
I casually responded to Hanarine, who seemed overly worried, and continued along the path.
*
“We’re here. Let’s go in.”
Hanarine led the way to the town hall located in the city center of Jangsan Cave.
The Mountain Range Workshop was a highly important facility for the dwarves.
Thus, using it required the permission of the mayor, the highest authority in Jangsan Cave.
While it was difficult to meet someone of such high status without an appointment outside, it was possible here.
The dwarven society resembled a large community.
Although the roles were different, the distinctions in social class or status were minimal.
That was unless it was a master-disciple relationship.
“I came to meet the mayor.”
“Uh… just a moment. You can go right up.”
After checking the monitor briefly, the city hall staff pointed to the stairs leading up.
It was an impressively quick processing of their duties.
“Let’s head up.”
Hanarine and Kim Il-shin ascended the stairs and arrived on the third floor, where the mayor’s office was located.
“Don’t draw the black lot when you go in. It’s clear that he’ll throw a fit and want to do it himself.”
“Got it.”
Nodding in response, Hanarine opened the door to the office.
Upon entering, they saw a handsome-looking dwarf sitting at the desk across the room.
His bushy beard flowed down to the chair.
It was Mayor Hwang Deok-soo of Jangsan Cave.
“Oh, I was wondering who our guest was, and it’s Hanarine!”
“It’s been a while.”
The kindly-faced Hwang Deok-soo greeted Hanarine warmly. From his expression, he genuinely seemed happy to see her.
Hanarine also responded casually.
Then, upon noticing Kim Il-shin who had followed, Hwang Deok-soo curiously asked.
“I’ve never seen this friend before… Did you perhaps get a boyfriend while you were outside?”
His teasing tone and slanted eyes made it evident he was joking.
“He’s just a guest. I came with him for some business.”
However, seeing that Hanarine didn’t react, Hwang Deok-soo clicked his tongue in disappointment and introduced himself to Kim Il-shin.
“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you. I am Hwang Deok-soo, the mayor here.”
“Nice to meet you! I’m Kim Il-shin.”
Having exchanged pleasantries, it was time to get down to business.
Hwang Deok-soo, guiding Kim Il-shin and Hanarine to their seats, initially asked.
“So, what’s the reason you came to see me?”
“I want to use the Mountain Range Workshop.”
“Hmm…”
Hwang Deok-soo leaned back in his chair, humming thoughtfully. His reaction suggested there was a complication.
“That’s going to be tough.”
Hanarine didn’t show any strong reaction. With a sigh, she calmly asked.
“There must be a reason for that, right?”
“Yeah. I can grant permission for usage, but if they oppose it, there’s not much I can do.”
In Jangsan Cave, there was an organization called the ‘Elders’ Council’ that assisted the mayor in running the city.
They held enough power to act as a proxy for the mayor in their absence, all while remaining largely uncorrupted—a peculiar trait for such an organization.
‘It’s due to the dwarves’ nature, being uninterested in power.’
However, the issue was that of the five elders belonging to the council, three had put in significant effort to establish the association.
Moreover, their relations with Hanarine were quite strained.
“When did that happen, and why are they still holding onto it?”
“You did go too far, you know.”
“They started it first!”
“Still, I can’t deny that blowing up the storage was a bit much, no?”
“Not at all! They scammed me first!”
“……”
Mayor Hwang Deok-soo sent a glance to Kim Il-shin that seemed to say, ‘What do we do with her?’
“Do you know the situation?”
While everyone knew, I responded as if I didn’t.
“No, I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“Then let me explain.”
Hwang Deok-soo began his explanation, and Kim Il-shin listened intently, knowing that his memory might have flaws.
‘Nothing seems off from my memory.’
Currently, it was evident that the association was running smoothly due to its many advantages, but when it first started, there were a great many objections to its systems.
The notion that the association would determine the value of their creations and sell them—without the artisans’ involvement—was a strike to their pride.
As a result, the association members needed a way to quell the craftsmen’s objections.
They decided to showcase the process of acquiring products from renowned blacksmiths and selling them according to the association’s procedures.
Since the association’s system primarily existed to protect inexperienced blacksmiths, the intent was to promote it by handling famous blacksmiths’ gear.
The aim was to envelop them first and then demonstrate through trial operations that it differed from their initial thoughts.
‘It wasn’t a bad idea.’
The real issue, however, was that none of the notable blacksmiths wanted to part with their gear.
This led the association to seek out Hanarine, who had begun to stand out, and they made a grave mistake.
During the process of acquiring her equipment, they twisted the truth in a crafty manner.
As a result, Hanarine ended up handing over her equipment without knowing where it would be used.
‘That was nearly a scam.’
After discovering the truth, Hanarine was infuriated.
She literally blew up the association’s storage, where her equipment was kept.
“……True, they did mess up first, but there was such a huge aftermath from the destruction that it’s hard to ignore.”
Thus, the association members who suffered substantial losses back then still harbored resentment towards Hanarine.
Hanarine felt likewise towards them.
“However, I’ll send a request form. You should hear back soon, so wait here.”
*
Knock knock knock!
Just minutes after Hwang Deok-soo sent the request for approval, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from outside, sounding quite furious.
Bang!
The door swung open hard without so much as a knock, and a bald dwarf burst in, shouting loudly.
It was Park Kwang-seok, a member of the Elders’ Council.
“Hanarine! To allow that thunderous idiot to use the Mountain Range Workshop! I can’t permit it! Who knows what disaster he’ll cause!”
“Park Kwang-seok, for now, calm down.”
Despite Hwang Deok-soo’s attempt to quell his anger, Park Kwang-seok’s gaze shifted toward Hanarine.
“Oh, there you are. Listen well. As long as I’m alive, you’ll never set foot in the Mountain Range Workshop! Never!”
“Y-!”
Hanarine stood up, ready to shout, but he grabbed her shoulder and forced her back down.
Then, standing up, he said.
“We absolutely need to use the Mountain Range Workshop. Is there no way to work this out?”
“Hmph! If that kid apologizes first, I might consider it.”
“Apologize? What kind of nonsense is that?”
Kim Il-shin interjected calmly, positioning himself between Park Kwang-seok and Hanarine.
He had anticipated this situation and had a way to resolve it as well.
“Then how about deciding it with a bet?”
At that statement, Park Kwang-seok, along with Hwang Deok-soo and Hanarine, all looked at him as if to say, ‘What on earth is he talking about?’
“What? A bet?”
“Yes. If I win, you grant me permission to use the Mountain Range Workshop, and if I lose, I’ll leave without a word.”
“What do you mean by—”
“The contest will be a drinking match. Whoever can hold their liquor better wins.”
At the mention of ‘drinking match,’ Park Kwang-seok hesitated.
Dwarves lived for their drink; they would not survive without it, and their pride in drinking was immense.
No one could tolerate being called weak when it came to alcohol.
“……Don’t speak nonsense! There’s nothing in it for me!”
After a moment of hesitation, Park Kwang-seok declined. But Kim Il-shin wasn’t deterred and continued.
“This is a dwarven contest; it’s only right to face it with something like this. Unless…?”
He was aware of the magical phrase to ensure the bet went through.
“Excuse me, but…are you perhaps afraid? Is your drinking weaker than it appears?”
Upon hearing that, no dwarf could bear it.
“Damn it! Follow me!”
Park Kwang-seok was indeed a dwarf.