Dwarf Country

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As I got closer to the dwarf country, the number of trees in the area increased, a river flowed through the valley, and the mountains became higher.
Then the scattered trees became a grove, and by the time I had passed through the border checkpoint on the road, there was a forest all around me.

The trees were lined up with unnatural neatness, and it was clear that they were planted deliberately. And since I could see pillars of smoke here and there, they were likely making charcoal.

I wondered if they would not be attacked by monsters, but since the trees were lined up with such regularity, it was easy to see. So it would be harder for monsters to attack. In fact, I hadn’t been attacked once since crossing the border.

After passing the city of Mesebabaro, where the iron furnaces blazed day and night, turning the ore into iron, I finally arrived in Gasebabar. The closer I got, the higher the mountains became, and nearly all of the flatlands turned into farmlands.
There were also more carriages and people on the road, and the vast majority of them were dwarves.

I continued to travel down the swirling path along the valley and river through the cultivated farmlands. And after making a final turn, my vision opened up, and it revealed itself.
The walls that seemed to fill the gap in the valley. The gates of Gasebabar.

The precisely cut stone was packed tightly without gaps, and it exceeded ten meters in height.
The gate was wide, and there were no gatekeepers as I passed underneath. And then within, there were three entrances that led into the city.

A gate where there was no one waiting in line, a gate where carriages were going in and out, and a gate where people went through. The carriage stopped at a parking space, and then the passengers stepped out. From here, we would be on foot.

I waited in line as the gatekeepers quietly and quickly inspected the identifications of the people entering the city.
The gatekeepers in large cities were always like this. They would lose their voices if they spoke to each person who passed through.

And so I also kept silent as I handed over my Adventurers plate.
He looked a little surprised when he saw the platinum plate, and then he saw the name and looked up at me. And then his eyes went to my legs. Damn it.

“Huh, so you’re…”

“Is that enough? Let me through then.”

I took back the Adventurers plate and entered the city. I had heard that the rumors had spread, so this wasn’t unexpected. There was no point in trying to be stealthy here, so I might as well walk around boldly.

Thankfully, Gasebabar was a dead end city. And so the rumors would not spread any farther than this point.
I asked Adventurers who escorted us for directions, and then made my way towards the Adventurers Guild.

The city was filled with dwarves. Obviously.
However, dwarves were generally short. And so when any of the other races walked with them, they tended to stick out. So there was nothing I could do about it.

The sight of the surrounding mountains and stone buildings was a little overwhelming, but not unpleasant. And even though I looked in the distance, I could not see any castles or tall buildings.

The city was currently bathed in the red light of the setting sun. At least, from what I could see from the main street, there were no wooden buildings anywhere. The buildings themselves were simple, square and plain. Yet looked very durable, as you might expect from dwarves.
The buildings and the church in Rokuidol had been the same. It was no wonder, as dwarves had constructed those buildings as well.

Because of this, I felt that the Adventurers Guild looked quite familiar as I stepped inside of it.
Once inside, I saw that there was a bar right next to the reception desk. They were dwarves, after all.
I could hear uproarious noise as I waited in line.

“I have come to report my arrival, and pick up a guide to the city.”

I said as I handed over my Adventurers plate. The receptionist looked at it and smiled.

“Mr. Ajifu. Welcome to Gasebabar. It’s an honor to get to meet you!”

Unfortunately, the story seemed to do well with women as well. She then gave me back the plate, along with a guide.

Using a fake name previously had not gone well. It could not be helped, as it did not match the name on my Adventurers plate.
In that case, perhaps I should just change the name on the plate. However, it was not that easy.
It was possible, as one’s name might change through adoption, marriage or a reward. However, you would have to prove publicly that you had a good reason for the change.
After all, this was also your identification.

As I headed for the exit, my path was suddenly blocked by several dwarf Adventurers.

“Can I help you?”

I asked.

“You’re Mr. Ajifu, aren’t you? I heard about how you killed the wyvern. I’ll buy you a drink, if you like.”

While the beard made it hard to tell, he seemed rather young, based on the voice. And his breath smelled of ale.
I suppose they had overheard us. Things never went well when I was near a bar.

“Sorry, but I want to get a look at the town. Let me pass.”

I was not going to be their entertainment for the evening.

“Now don’t be so stubborn, eh?”
“Yes! Drink with us!”
“Tell us about it!”

Said the others as they surrounded me. They must have been in the same party.

However, they did not do anything. Because two furious Adventurers had appeared behind them.

Go-go-go-gon.
“Ah!”
“Ouch!”
“Ow!”
“Gah!”

Four fists came down over their heads.

“Sorry for the trouble, young man. Dwarves should know to be more polite when drinking. I’ll make sure they are properly educated, so please forgive them.”

Their equipment seemed rather good. And they bowed apologetically, as did a few others who were nearby.

“No, that won’t do at all. I will punish them myself.”

“What!?”

The atmosphere of things wrapping up neatly was smashed. And I raised my hand towards the young Adventurer.

“Nana-len-mas-nar Cure Poison!”

I chanted, and then the young Adventurer’s face became less red, and then he turned pale.

“I-I’m sorry!”

He suddenly changed his tune and bowed his head.

“He-hey. What did you do?”

“Removed the alcohol from his body, that’s all. It’s quite effective on drunks.”

I had used it often in the Rokuidol church.

“Bahaha! Removing alcohol from a dwarf! What a terrible thing to do. You really are as amusing as the rumors made you out to be. What do you say? How about accompanying me while I educate these youngsters?”

He said as he pointed to the bar. I suppose I could accept this kind of invitation. These days, I was always the target of discussions, so it would be a nice change to flip the table once in a while.

After that, the youngsters drank, and then were cured as they continued to be lectured by the increasingly drunk people around them, much to their dismay.
I would sit back and drink, and from behind, cast Cure Poison on them every once in a while, to keep them sober.
That being said, there were four of them, and so I soon ran out of MP, and they were finally free. And so they could drink as much as they wanted.

“I’ve never been as afraid of light magic as I was today.”

Now that we had peace at the table, I drained my mug at the table with the Adventurers.

“But it is Lord Memrikia’s miracle. You should accept it gratefully.”

“Indeed. It’s not light magic I should be afraid of, it is you, Ajifu. You are the man who kills the drunkenness of dwarves.”

“Kills drunkenness…”
“Drunkenness killer…”
“Ajifu the Drunkenness Killer.”

They began to mutter the name with a sense of dread.

And like that, the name ‘Ajifu the Drunkenness Killer’ became well-known at the Gasebabar guild.

The only thing I could do was silently tip my glass. That was all.

Next Chapter

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Bonus chapter courtesy of Photo. Thank you so much!!

Ossan Boukensha no Jimichi na Isekai Tabi