I Became the Ophidian of the Apocalypse - Chapter 80

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: HidingTurtle

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◈ I Became the Ophidian of the Apocalypse ◈

Chapter 80: Good for the Body and Delicious

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-Kyaaaah!

Pelerian frequently foamed at the mouth.

Just moments ago, I had scolded Pelerian for overreacting.

“Sssaaah!”

This time, though, I had no choice but to foam at the mouth too.

The Relic Room.

A secret room where Pelerian had stored the weapons and armor they intended to give the Guardian.

It was clear that humans had never discovered this place.

There were no torches on the walls like in the other rooms. No glass cases covered the weapon racks. Naturally, there was no rearranged route for convenient viewing either.

More than anything, it looked as though nobody had entered this room in a very long time.

Dust lay thick everywhere.

It was deep enough for my trail to leave a long mark as I slithered in.

-The preservation magic has been dispelled. It must have collapsed when the security magic was broken.

Sometimes, when a person became angry beyond a certain point, they actually grew calmer.

Like Pelerian was now.

‘Then the weapons here were stolen ages ago too?’

That was why Pelerian and I had both foamed at the mouth.

There was nothing inside the Relic Room.

It was perfectly, completely empty. Only the dust-covered racks welcomed us.

-Yes, it doesn't seem the humans stole them. To force this place open, you would need the blueprints at the very least. Otherwise, I made sure it would collapse.

Pelerian was certain.

Half the weapons outside had already disappeared. Humans had probably taken those.

But they could not possibly have discovered the Relic Room, so where had everything inside gone?

‘You said dwarves built this Dungeon for you.’

-That's right.

Pelerian ground their teeth.

-Bluebeard, Lord of the Anvil. Flamehammer. That dwarf I hired for an enormous sum of money.

Pelerian's fury burst forth as though they were about to breathe fire.

-Bluebeard betrayed me and stole my belongings!

Pelerian currently had a tiny body and an oversized head, making them look like a chibi character.

I wasn't sure they had the right to use “shorty” as a slur when addressing actual dwarves, though.

-Snake!

‘Yes.’

-It's time to collect blood payment. Time to pull out those traitorous dwarves' beards and cut off their heads to pass judgment. Naturally! Then we shall recover what was stolen!

Pelerian cried out for bloody revenge.

-It seems the mine where they lived is still nearby. Let's invade it. We'll go and demand that Bluebeard answer for their crimes! Pelerian and you, Urooros, together!

‘Uh... is Bluebeard the Dwarf King?’

-Foolish snake. Dwarves don't have kings!

‘But you called Bluebeard the Lord of the Anvil.’

-That's only their Epithet! They're just the person in charge of the dwarves living in that mine. Like a chieftain!

‘So they're basically a king...’

-We'll invade at once! We'll stage a massacre and dye the mine with dwarven blood!

My ears hurt.

I cleared my throat.

“Sss, sss.”

-What!

‘Let's calm down first.’

It wasn't the kind of situation where telling Pelerian to calm down would actually calm them down.

Still, Pelerian was not an old mage who had spent their entire life with their head up their ass.

They forced themself to suppress their anger.

‘Wouldn't it be difficult for me to invade the mine alone and meet that Bluebeard dwarf?’

-...Are you lacking confidence? I didn't take you for that sort.

A basic attempt at provocation.

‘Honestly, we don't even know for sure whether the dwarves took the weapons. And even if they did, they might not still have them.’

-Grrr.

Dwarves excelled at making weapons, not wielding them.

Of course, dwarven warriors were famed for their bravery, but why would they take Pelerian's weapons in the first place?

-So you're saying you don't feel like it?

Pelerian glared at me.

No, it wasn't about motivation. I was just saying we should be a little calmer...

As I was about to defend myself, Pelerian spoke in a very calm voice.

-It's certain the dwarves took them. Absolutely certain.

‘Really?’

-The equipment I commissioned from Bluebeard consisted of a paired sword and shield, as well as a spear. All of them were forged with Celestium mixed into them.

What was Celestium?

When I remained unimpressed, Pelerian explained.

-It's a metal you couldn't obtain even if you mined until you died. Dwarven smiths covet Celestium above all other metals, and those weapons were forged from it.

‘Star metal, star metal... Huh?’

Every scale on my body stood on end.

‘Meteoric iron?’

-That's right. Celestium is metal extracted from meteorites and refined.

‘Then the sword you had made was a meteoric iron sword...?’

How could someone who walked the path of the sword turn down a meteoric iron sword?

It would be the same even if I wasn't merely a swordsman, but a magic swordsnake.

-Precisely. Had it entered the world, it would have been a famous sword worthy of a magnificent name.

A peerless sword that could stand beside Ganjiang and Moye had been here.

And I had just learned that dwarven smiths had stolen it.

My body trembled, and Pelerian smiled with satisfaction.

-You said it yourself. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine.

Pelerian had found the crack in my heart.

They whispered like a demon.

‘That's... right.’

-You said you wanted a proper longsword, didn't you? Right? Of course, to wield a sword, you need a famous blade. You've heard the saying that a master doesn't blame their tools, haven't you?

‘I have.’

-It's a complete lie. It's nonsense poor fools who can't afford good tools say because they're jealous of those who can. The finest knight I knew possessed the strongest famous sword, and I, the mage Heaven-Defier, had a staff made from a phoenix feather and a mermaid's pearl.

Pelerian was right.

Every word sank into my heart.

The more I had come to understand Pelerian, the more Pelerian seemed to understand me.

They continued in a sweet voice, like a snake offering temptation.

Even though I was the snake...

-It's a sword you deserve to have. Isn't that why I came here, because I wanted to give it to you?

‘Really?’

-Of course! Did you think I was searching for a sword to swing myself? A ‘Hero Slayer’ is worthy of wielding a Celestium sword.

A meteoric iron sword.

What would it look like?

I did want to see it.

Then should I go confront Bluebeard the dwarf?

I didn't know how many dwarves there were, but I wasn't some weak monster anymore.

If I used Giantification and intimidated them from the front, wouldn't they return the meteoric iron sword they had stolen?

It might not come to a massacre, but this did seem like a situation where I needed to demand answers sternly.

As my imagination took flight, Pelerian dropped a bombshell.

-That impudent dwarf has probably already melted down the meteoric iron sword and the other equipment.

“Sssaaah!”

-It's obvious if they went out of their way to steal my things. They either melted them into ingots or made them into something else.

My world had just collapsed.

‘Then what do we do!’

-We go and demand answers! We make them hand over Celestium and forge it into a proper new sword for you!

I was tempted.

Pelerian played their final card.

-There is no need to be afraid. I don't know what gave them the nerve to steal my belongings... They probably assumed I was dead. A contract with a mage isn't something you can break so easily.

Then again, Pelerian wasn't the sort of person to sit back and take it.

-You only need to meet Bluebeard. Put me before Bluebeard's face, and I'll pluck out every hair of their beard and make them pay double the penalty. They won't dare harm you.

I didn't know what Pelerian could actually do.

Still, Pelerian's confidence was incredibly reassuring.

‘...All right.’

Should I go?

To the dwarves' underground city, to reclaim my meteoric iron sword.

* * *

But how would I get there?

First, I would enter the dwarf mine, meet Bluebeard, the mine's lord, and demand answers.

I would collect the penalty for breaking their contract with Pelerian, then have them forge a meteoric iron sword perfectly suited to me.

Easy to say, but the method was the problem.

I first had to figure out how to enter the dwarf mine at all.

I asked Roil everything I wanted to know.

“Red Anvil Mine, you mean.”

Roil answered while drying his wet hair.

After leaving the Relic Room, I had gone back inside his coat. Roil had taken me out with him by claiming he had forgotten the coat.

Our bodies and clothes had gotten wet, but it had been perfect teamwork.

“I hear the dwarves settled in this mountain before Kalea City was even founded. They were originally famous for making high-quality weapons and armor, but...”

But?

“I hear they closed the mine and shut themselves away decades ago.”

Pelerian's eyebrow twitched.

-Those bastards hid because they were afraid of me.

That didn't seem likely.

I asked why they had done it.

Roil looked troubled.

“We don't really know. Dwarves have always done as they pleased... and every mine has its own culture. Ah, and it seems the lord's name really is Bluebeard.”

If the mine was closed, was there no way to enter at all?

That couldn't be true. Dwarves had to make a living too.

“The dwarves do raise livestock inside the mine, but they still trade on a small scale. That's why beer sells for such a high price in Kalea City.”

How did they raise livestock inside a mine?

I was curious, but that wasn't important.

“Yes, on a set day each week, a small group of dwarves comes out to collect beer. In return, they sell refined metal ingots or fairly ordinary tools. Even a hoe made by dwarves sells for a high price. It's my dream to trade with dwarves someday! I'll establish a proper merchant company too. The Riddle Merchant Company, Roil and Amaen!”

Roil happily spoke of dreams I hadn't even asked about.

Did he want to become a great merchant? Get rich?

“Me too. I'll become a great merchant and help Dad.”

Clever Amaen said so from beside him.

I patted Amaen's back.

From what I heard, infiltrating the dwarves' mine by myself would be difficult.

Normally, they sealed it shut with a sturdy iron gate.

The only opportunity was when beer was brought inside.

Then... hmm.

A plan formed in my mind.

As a snake with Stealth Lv. 10, I would surely find a way in.

‘Human.’

I wrote in my notebook in elegant handwriting.

By now, I had grown quite used to writing with Transparent Hand.

‘Greed kills humans, but it is also the virtue that allows them to prosper more than other races.’

Amaen's eyes lit up at the plausible words.

It was still a little early for him to develop middle-school syndrome.

‘I am quite pleased by your greed, Roil.’

“Th-thank you?”

‘I'm going to enter the shortfolk's mine and collect the debt Bluebeard owes me. In the meantime, you have a task to carry out...’

Roil was an ambitious but poor merchant.

From what I had seen, he wasn't bad-hearted, and he was surprisingly capable.

I slowly raised my tail.

Thanks to an appropriate use of the Subspace ring, it made for quite a dramatic scene.

Clink.

Gold items poured from my tail.

Treasure several times, no, dozens of times greater than the pure gold bar I had given Roil piled across the guest room floor.

It was part of the wealth I had collected from Pelerian's Dungeon.

“Th-this is! Surely, for me...!”

‘You could call it an investment. I am not simply giving it to you.’

“O-of course!”

Gold reflected in Roil's eyes.

His undisguised greed was obvious.

But perhaps that was why he seemed sincere.

‘There is something you must do with this.’

I received advice from Pelerian.

-If you go to the capital, you'll be able to exchange it at a fair price. Scrape the surface of those ancient gold coins with a knife so nobody can tell what era they are from. Their value will drop, but it is safer when your assets have a questionable origin.

Pelerian had lived as a villain for a very long time.

Unlike other elves, they were deeply familiar with how the world worked.

-Tell him to rent a warehouse in the capital. You need a base to put money to work. Don't try to save money by using some cheap company with a low deposit. Once we collect the penalty from Bluebeard, we'll need somewhere to store that too. It's much better to receive physical goods from a dwarf than jewels, so we'll need a warehouse.

Pelerian and I already had a full plan.

-It would be wise to keep in touch with those Goblin friends of yours too.

I would discuss that later.

I gave Roil instructions for everything else.

His mouth fell open wide.

Big fat tears streamed from his eyes.

“I, Royle Riddle, will devote my life so I never betray your faith in me.”

His reaction was even more intense than when I had given him a single pure gold bar.

If he had only offered thanks, it would have been about what I expected.

“Please wait a moment!”

Roil took my pen and suddenly began scribbling something onto paper.

After a long time, he produced none other than a contract.

“I cannot make an oral promise over such an enormous investment. Please read it carefully. It is a contract.”

The contract contained detailed terms.

I would invest in Roil and his merchant company, and it stated the profit share and the repayment period.

“This is the planned use of the funds.”

He smoothly explained what he would do with the money and how he would use it.

It seemed he had planned it all long ago, in case he ever came into money.

-Hmph. He seemed clumsy, but he isn't completely useless.

Even Pelerian, who rarely gave praise, evaluated him that way.

Roil had even written a confidentiality clause regarding my existence.

I gave an answer to the man looking at me anxiously.

‘A contract. How very human.’

“Then...”

‘Excellent.’

The only contract I had ever signed was a part-time job agreement.

Still, I gave a grand signature.

It wasn't proper writing. I had simply scribbled something like a crawling snake.

That somehow seemed fitting.

“Thank you. I won't disappoint you!”

After accepting the contract, Roil hugged Amaen and spun around in circles.

Amaen looked happy too.

‘And find out when the dwarves leave the mine.’

Roil said he understood and immediately ran out.

I needed to prepare soon too.

I looked at the flowerpot by the window.

No matter how I looked at it, there was no sign of a sprout emerging.

I was a little worried.

What would grow if it sprouted? Would it sprout at all? I was curious.

A little while later, Roil returned.

“I found out.”

Roil spoke urgently.

“It's this evening!”

‘What!’

We had to hurry.

I put Kibaemi's flowerpot back into Subspace.

* * *

“Since you insist on seeing it yourself, I suppose there's nothing I can do...”

The potbellied man wore a troubled expression.

Roil understood what that expression meant and smoothly latched onto him.

“Please, I really want to meet the dwarves.”

A few silver coins were passed to the potbellied man.

“Oh dear, that isn't why I told you...”

Roil could now hand over this much money without hesitation.

The potbellied man quietly pocketed the silver coins.

“There's no point trying to talk to the dwarves. They don't say a word to us.”

“Yes, I only need to see their faces when they collect the beer.”

“You seem to think you might be able to start trading with them if you become familiar with them. But you aren't the first person to think that. I'm only saying you shouldn't expect too much.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

The beer Roil had brought was quite high quality.

It was good enough to sell to dwarves.

And today was the day those oak barrels would be delivered to them.

By spending the appropriate amount of silver, Roil had gained permission to personally observe the delivery.

“They're coming out.”

Creeeak.

The mine entrance opened, and dwarves emerged.

The dwarves carried boxes filled with metal ingots.

As expected of a strong race, they carried those heavy boxes with ease.

Thud!

They set down the boxes and glanced at the oak barrels.