The Dwarf Duke

I had come to Mürnberg, a city in the dwarf territory, and since a cave-in accident had occurred, I ended up helping.

Led by the well-built dwarf guild master, we ran through the cave-like townscape dug inside the mountain.

When we reached the edge of the city, there were several large recesses in the wall. Perhaps they should be called large boxes that could hold several dozen people.

The dwarf guild master quickly boarded one. Seeing me hesitate, he shouted in a sharp tone.

“Come on, hurry! You two get on too!”

“What is this?”

“It’s an elevator! Hurry!”

Because he urged us, Liricia and I hurriedly got on.

Then the door closed, and I was struck by the sensation of my body floating softly.

Liricia murmured with wide eyes.

“This is… descending downward.”

“That’s incredible technology. Does it use magic?”

The dwarf man grinned as he stroked his neatly trimmed beard.

“It’s technology. When the door opens, the stopper works, and when the door closes, it moves up and down using weights. It’s the latest dwarf technology.”

“That’s amazing… So that’s why.”

When I had left the inn, I had looked for stairs leading to the upper layer but could not find any.

I realized that because there were elevators, stairs were not necessary.

While I was impressed, we arrived underground.

When the door opened, a dim cave illuminated by magical light entered my sight.

White, smoky, dusty air filled the place, and screams and angry shouts were flying back and forth.

“It’s no good, the collapsed support beams won’t lift!” “Someone, save this person!” “The branch tunnel’s buried! Is anyone free to help!”

The atmosphere was just like a battlefield.

The dwarf guild master shouted.

“Split into three teams and move! The treatment team goes with the receptionists, the collapsed branch tunnel goes to the veterans, and the rubble removal team comes with me!”

“““Ooh!”””

The dwarves raised deep voices and began working.

I helped with the rubble removal.

Liricia was with the rescue team, casting healing magic.

As I removed the rubble blocking the mine tunnel, the bearded dwarves raised their voices.

“You’re good, brother.”

“You’re pretty strong for a human!”

“You’ve got a good body on you!”

While being praised by the bearded dwarves, I removed the rubble.

When we rescued miners bleeding from their heads and arms, we carried them to the treatment team where Liricia was.

Most of the injured were dwarves, but there were humans too.

Perhaps because there were not enough healers, treatment was not keeping up.

“This is rough. Will you make it in time?”

“I will make it in time—High Heal.”

Liricia rubbed potion into the injury while chanting magic.

She healed the people with the worst injuries in order.

“Oh, she’s not a healer, but a true healing mage?”

“Amazing. She’s fast and precise.”

“This really helps.”

The surrounding healers praised her while causing a stir.

However, a rumble came from far away again, and screams and the sound of collapse echoed.

I frowned and spoke.

“Could there have been secondary damage…?”

The bespectacled receptionist beside me furrowed her brows painfully.

“They hit fragile ground, and cave-ins have been occurring frequently lately. I wonder how long this will continue…”

“I see…”

I suddenly had a flash of inspiration. I stroked my chin and thought.

Liricia raised her face curiously.

“What is it, Master?”

“Sorry, Liricia. I just thought of something very wicked.”

“Huh? W-What is it…?”

“How about using Puchi Elixirs to treat them?”

“My, you are using them for promotion… As expected of you, Master.”

“You don’t think it’s awful?”

Liricia smiled without stopping her treatment.

“You are no longer a hero, Master. Since the country no longer pays you a reward for helping people, you should earn proper compensation.”

“You’ve gotten tough, Liricia.”

“Yes, because I am your wife, Master.”

“Then I’m counting on you.”

I took a large number of Puchi Elixir bottles out of the magic bag.

The receptionist’s glasses gleamed.

“What are those?”

“They are Puchi Elixirs. You can think of them as high-performance healing potions—like this.”

When Liricia approached an injured person whose arm was nearly torn off, she connected the arm and poured a Puchi Elixir over it.

The arm reconnected in the blink of an eye.

The receptionist opened her eyes wide behind her glasses.

“What is this! What incredible recovery power! —Please let us use them!”

“Yes, one bottle is twenty thousand—no, fifty thousand gort.”

“That’s expensive.”

“Don’t worry. Today, they’re free.”

At my words, the receptionist patted her chest in relief.

“That helps. Thank you! Everyone, use them too!”

“Amazing!”

“What is this!”

“My injury is healing…!”

“Thank you, Alec-san!”

The treatment team resumed work while raising voices of astonishment.

I also returned to rubble removal, while instructing them to pick up even severed body parts.

The mine tunnel was cleared in about an hour.

All the miners who had been working there were saved.

It was astonishing that even people who had lost various parts were healed with all their limbs intact.

—I learned the performance of Puchi Elixirs. I had not realized they were this high-performance.

The large dwarf man who seemed to be the guild master came over to me.

“I heard about it. They say the medicine you had saved everyone.”

“Yes. How was it? Was it useful?”

“It was more than useful! Several of them had serious injuries that would have forced them to quit being miners. It was wonderful medicine!”

“Oho. I’m glad to hear that… If you want to keep using it in the future, I can sell it to you for a price.”

“Mmm… Is there room for negotiation?”

“Well, if it’s a bulk order.”

“Have you decided where you’ll stay today?”

“We have taken an inn for now.”

“Cancel it and come to my house. I’ll entertain you as thanks.”

“I have my wife with me. Is it all right if she comes too?”

At my words, the large man glanced at Liricia.

“The healing mage? Of course I don’t mind. I hear she is a first-rate healing mage. The clerk I put in charge of the treatment team was impressed.”

“Of course. Liricia is amazing.”

“Then follow me—Everyone, today’s work is over. We’re going home!”

“Yessir.”

“Understood.”

“Ahh, I made it back alive.”

Together with the exhausted people, we walked in a group and returned to the upper town by elevator.

The midday sunlight falling from directly overhead illuminated Mürnberg, both a mining town and territorial capital.

We were guided to the lord’s manor on the highest layer of the outer town.

It was a solid three-story building made of white stone.

The large man, tall for a dwarf, thrust out his thick chest and pointed to it with his hand.

“This is my house.”

“It’s big. As expected of a duke’s house.”

At my words, the dwarf man opened his eyes wide.

“You knew? —How boring. That’s right, I am Gustav. Gustav Edelstahl von Dwarf. I am the duke entrusted with this Dwarf Duke Territory.”

“Huh!”

“You are the duke himself!?”

Liricia and I raised voices of surprise.

Then Gustav answered with a stern smile.

“So you did not realize I was the duke himself. How amusing.”

“No, normally you wouldn’t expect the duke to come to the accident site.”

At my words, Liricia also nodded, making her silver hair sway.

“Yes, I completely thought you were the duke’s son. From what we heard, your son was the guild master.”

“Mm. That is indeed true. My son is the guild master. However, unless I sometimes go out to the site and see the state of my people, I cannot make policies. Especially because this dwarf territory is unusual.”

“Hm, you seem like a good lord. I’m Alec, and right now… I wonder what I am? I work as an adventurer while running a potion shop in the Royal Capital. This is my wife, Liricia.”

“I am Liricia, Your Grace.”

Liricia pinched the hem of her nun’s habit and gave an elegant bow.

Gustav nodded deeply.

“So you came to sell your wares. —Mm. Standing around talking in a place like this is dull. Come inside.”

Gustav began walking with large strides.

Following him, we passed through the large gate, crossed the garden, and entered the mansion.