Chapter 115 - Trial of the Earth

 The next morning.

Septekifa, the female dwarf who had spent the entire night being ravaged by me, had transformed into a completely different woman by the time we left our room.

Well, she was always a woman, of course. But previously, she had been a bundle of rough behavior, aggressive attitudes, and foul language—not a shred of allure to be found. Now, she was still just as rough, yet she radiated a spellbinding, dreamy sensuality.

"Uuuugh... I can't believe we really went all night...! My hips are literally shaking...!" 

"You were adorable last night, Septekifa. You've given me a wonderful memory of the Dwarven Kingdom."

I reached out and gave her massive dwarf-rear a playful stroke. A cute little squeal—"Hyaun! ❤️❤️"—echoed through the hallway.

"Hey! ❤️❤️ We're out of the bedroom, so stop with the lewd touching! ❤️❤️ ...I'll kill you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Coming from her now, that sounded less like a threat and more like, "I'm going to marry you and drag you to the 'grave' of domestic life! ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Sex is a ritual that makes a woman realize she is a woman to the absolute maximum. After a night of countless rounds, the stocky dwarf girl now carried an intoxicating, musky scent of femininity. I couldn't help myself; I stroked her rear again.

"Hyaun! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Stop it...! ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Her "anger" was so cute that I pulled her close and pressed my lips against hers.

"Mwah... slurp... ❤️❤️"

She tangled her tongue with mine, which was even cuter, so I dragged her into a shadowy corner, dropped her pants, and coupled with her from behind.

"Nghhh!! ❤️❤️ G-gah! ❤️❤️ Haaah...!! ❤️❤️" 

"Tell me where my cock is right now." 

"In my pussy! ❤️❤️ In my thick, muscular dwarf-pussy!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Good. The "training" results were excellent. I finished deep inside her canal, and yet, our conversation hadn't moved a single step forward.

"Ngh...! ❤️❤️ Haaah... ❤️❤️ C-cut it out, seriously. We have to go see the Old Man and hear his answer, and we aren't getting anywhere like this... ❤️❤️"

Right. Let’s hurry along, then. Though, isn't calling your own King "the Old Man" a bit disrespectful? Are the dwarves just lax about that sort of thing?

◆

The audience began. Meeting the old Dwarven King again after a day, I saw that his eyes were still sickly yet possessed a piercing, sharp intensity. He beckoned Septekifa to his side and had her whisper something in his ear.

I was too far away to hear, but I could guess the context based on the situation...

"Well? Did he make any suspicious moves?"

He was probably asking that. After all, he’d assigned her to be my "guide" as a thinly veiled excuse to watch my every move. In response, Septekifa likely said...

"Nah, not really. He didn't do anything like what you're worried about, so relax. ...I mean, he did plenty of 'suspicious' things in a different way, but...!" 

"Hmm? What do you mean?" 

"Nothing!! Forget it!"

At least, that’s the "voice-over" I provided in my head.

"Fumu... very well, human guest. I shall give you the conclusion we have reached regarding the agenda we tabled yesterday." 

"I am listening." 

"We, the Dwarven Smith-Nation, believe we may consider opening trade with your Merchant Coalition."

Oh? Seriously?

Wait, I shouldn't celebrate yet. My real goal is to cut off the supply of weapons and war engines to Niosebuk. The trade application was just a way to get my foot in the door. If they simply accept the deal, the only person who wins is the Widow Corzette back at the Coalition!

"However, there is a condition."

Good. There was more. While I worked to fulfill this condition, I could find a way to dig into their internal affairs.

"The weapons made by us dwarves boast the greatest performance on the surface. Therefore, the wielder must also be of the world's strongest caliber."

What kind of logic is that?

"Only when the wielder's strength matches the weapon does our work truly have meaning. Is that not so?" 

"Is it?" I asked. 

"Therefore, I want you to show us that you have the qualification to handle our steel. Prove you possess the strength worthy of it."

Show my strength? Does this mean I have to fight something again?

"Deep within the Great Mine owned by our nation... there exists a Great Presence that surpasses human knowledge. Face that being. If you can be recognized by it, we shall recognize your strength."

That’s a remarkably vague test. Even if they’re proud of their weapons and want a "worthy wielder," testing me personally doesn't prove anything for the Merchant Coalition. I'm here as an envoy. The Coalition wants to buy your stuff to sell it to others! Whether the merchant buying the sword is strong or not shouldn't be the issue.

"I have one question..." 

"W-what is it?" 

"I understand you want strong wielders for your weapons. Is that why you've only been giving weapons to Niosebuk until now? Because they're strong?" 

"Y-yes, precisely...! The Kingdom of Niosebuk is so powerful they are known as the 'Tiger-Wolf Nation.' They are more than qualified."

So, "hobbyist pickiness" is the reason for the monopoly? No way.

"Then, did the people from Niosebuk take this same trial and clear it?" 

"Umu, they did... wait, or did they...? I... I seem to recall...!"

Which is it?! His behavior was clearly suspicious. But it was exactly that suspiciousness that made me want to dive in; I might get a glimpse of the hidden truth.

"Understood. I'll take the trial." 

"You'll do it? ...You have a warrior's spirit too great to be a mere errand boy for merchants."

Oh, please. Spare me the praise. I’m actually "working" for someone else entirely.

"The guidance to the site and instructions during the trial will continue to be handled by Septekifa. Is that understood, Septekifa?" 

"..." 

"What's wrong? Your answer?" 

"...Understood."

Hmm? What's up with her? Her response was clearly off.

"Then set off at once. Time is precious. A craftsman who uses time well and meets their deadlines is a good craftsman."

I feel like I heard the same thing at the Merchant Coalition. I guess being punctual is the key to trust in every industry.

Alright, let's go.

◆

We arrived.

So this is the Great Mine. It looked like a massive cave opening on the side of a mountain... but it wasn't a dungeon, right?

"Who knows?" Septekifa explained as we stood before it. "The majority of the minerals we dwarves need for smithing are dug from here. Ever since our nation was founded hundreds of years ago, we've mined this place every day without break, yet the veins show no sign of drying up. There’s a theory that it’s actually become a dungeon over time."

"If it were a dungeon, the ore and treasure chests would respawn after a while," I noted. 

"But if no monsters come out, the 'dungeon' theory sounds like a rumor. Is there another theory?"

"The other one is more popular," she said. "They say a 'Guardian' lives in the deepest part of the mine, and it’s that being that gives power to the ore veins."

I felt an inexplicable chill at those words. It was the kind of unease one feels when the existence of a god is hinted at.

"Like I said, we've been digging for centuries. The tunnels are so long that no one even knows how deep the bottom truly is. It wouldn't be strange if something beyond human understanding made its home there." 

"And going to see that 'something' is the trial?" 

"That's the gist of it."

This is getting scary all of a sudden...!

"Well, if you're going, go. If you want the Old Man's permission for the trade, this is the only way. Or are you going to back out because you're scared?" 

"I'm going."

If this was the only way to get to the core of the Dwarven Kingdom and sever the link to Niosebuk, I had to do it. I would march straight ahead.

"Tch... you should have just stayed scared...!"

Hmm? Did she say something? I decided to use the protagonist-exclusive "Selective Hearing" skill.

It was obvious that Septekifa, along with the old King, was hiding something. If I could uncover the truth during this trial, I’d win. For now, I headed into the depths of the mine, acting like a serious candidate.

Entering the shaft, we passed several dwarves in the dark tunnels, and they bowed as we went by. They were likely miners. The fact that an outsider like me could walk through without being questioned was definitely thanks to Septekifa. She seemed to have a lot of influence here.

"What exactly is your position in this country, Septekifa?" 

"What’s with the sudden question?" 

"Well, you're acting on direct orders from the King, and the people here seem to respect you. I figured you must be someone important... or an important dwarf."

Actually, having non-stop sex with a high-ranking official on the first day I met her is probably a major diplomatic incident.

She ignored my question entirely. "We've come quite deep..."

Talk about a forced subject change.

"We won't see any more miners this far down. Those guys believe in the Guardian, so they're too scared to delve this deep."

As she spoke, Septekifa began to fidget with her clothes... and then she started taking them off. An unexpected strip-tease in the underground.

"Why?!" 

"Because it's hot. It's dark in the tunnels, and there's no risk of being seen, so plenty of people just go naked."

She didn't stop until her top was gone, exposing her radiant, heavy breasts.

"The miners we passed were practically naked, wearing nothing but loincloths, right? That’s the basic style in the shafts. At the bottom of the earth, men and women aren't any different..."

"Boobs... boobs...!!"

As a human from the surface, I couldn't wrap my head around dwarven common sense that quickly. When such magnificent breasts are bared right in front of me, there is only one logical response!

"SEX!!"

I didn't just take off a piece; I stripped everything off and lunged at Septekifa’s supple body.

"Ah! ❤️❤️ I knew you’d be like this if I showed a little skin! ❤️❤️ My 'honey trap' actually worked! ❤️❤️ After you toyed with me all night, I'm glad the sex appeal I picked up actually works on you! ❤️❤️"

Septekifa had the face of a woman in love. She finished stripping off her lower garments without a moment's hesitation. She flaunted her entrance—the very thing she never would have mentioned when we first met—and spoke with a melting voice.

"Now, put your cock in here... ❤️❤️ You want to know where 'here' is? ❤️❤️ I learned well from you last night! ❤️❤️ It's my pussy! ❤️❤️ Put your cock in my pussy! ❤️❤️ That's how a woman is supposed to beg, right? ❤️❤️ So I'm begging you lewdly... ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

To think she’d become this much of a slut after just one night of training! I couldn't resist her charms, and I joined our genitals as she invited.

Sex before the trial. And I’m sure there’ll be sex after the trial, too.

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