Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

However, the four brothers always understood each other's thoughts.

Each time they call out to each other, they use phrases like "hey" or "um," and the responses are just snippets of language like "um" or "oh," which hardly constitute a conversation. In severe cases (or even more severe ones?), they can communicate with each other without exchanging a single word all day. They take on commissions from dwarf masters and live a life of quietly producing specific goods.

It's only natural that excellent craftsmen will gradually become famous.

The name "Jialiba" was once very popular in the border city.

Therefore, thinking positively—they attracted "destiny" to their door through their own efforts.

"Did you make this jewelry?"

One day, a goddess visited the cave studio.

She happened to see the master craftsman's (Jariba) work and became interested in the exquisite craftsmanship, so she sent people to find out where the four brothers known as "Dream" lived.

The four brothers were utterly dumbfounded. This was no metaphor; after all, a goddess of unparalleled beauty, unlike any they had ever seen in their lives, had suddenly appeared in this filthy studio-cum-residence. So, like puppets, they awkwardly served her tea. Upon seeing this, the goddess couldn't help but chuckle softly.

After the four brothers sat down in the chairs, completely mesmerized, the goddess began to explain.

The goddess actually resides in the labyrinth city, and this journey was undertaken in search of an "encounter"—though the four brothers later learned that the so-called "encounter" involved seeking out talents not found within the labyrinth city, to find the "soul" worthy of being called a valiant warrior (Einheriar). The goddess, during her travels, happened to discover the items crafted by the Jariba brothers, and, intrigued by their exquisite appearance, sought them out. Receiving the title of "Goddess of Beauty" was an unparalleled honor, and the four brothers were overjoyed, unsure whether to dance with glee or be at a loss for words. Seeing how a wavering heart among one of them would affect the other three—a tacit understanding even in moments like these—the goddess smiled elegantly, her eyes narrowing.

It seemed to warmly welcome the radiance of the "soul" before them.

"Aren't you interested in the outside world?"

Faced with the goddess's question, the four brothers looked at each other in surprise before answering:

"We are naturally interested and have considered traveling abroad."

"However, we are a race of little people, artisans who were adopted and raised from childhood."

"If I leave without permission, I will be letting down the master who helped me get the job."

"I don't believe our dwarf master will agree to let us leave."

In fact, the dwarf master who adopted them was not a kind person.

After recognizing the talents of the four Jariba brothers, he kept them hidden within his sphere of influence and treated them unfairly because they were of the Lilliputian race. Perhaps it was the Lilliputian's inferiority complex that caused this misfortune, coupled with the Jariba brothers' narrow-minded world, that prevented them from realizing they had been constantly bullied.

After hearing their answers, the goddess slowly smiled.

"I'd like to buy a piece of jewelry. Could you please make one for me?"

The four brothers were overjoyed and agreed without hesitation.

When asked when they could finish, they initially estimated five days, but immediately changed their mind and said four days would be enough.

After the goddess left, the four brothers held hands, formed a circle, and began to dance.

I feel needed by others!

People appreciate your skills!

And the other party is such a beautiful goddess!

I never imagined I would encounter such a wonderful event!

The little people are not greedy, but rather have a pure and simple heart.

So naive that he would even die just to receive the praise of a goddess.

Therefore, they have never realized that they have been "exploited" by greedy people all along. This is true now, and it will be true in the future.

If left unattended, the dwarfs, who might continue jumping off the cliff indefinitely, immediately began making jewelry at the eldest son's command. They even used their treasured gold to cast it, carefully devising ingenious designs, vowing to create their masterpiece, and deciding to name it "Bringar."

Four days later—

The one who visited the studio was not a goddess, but an overjoyed dwarf master.

"You may leave now."

Looking at the four brothers, who were full of question marks, the dwarf revealed a lewd smile.

"That goddess, according to your numbers, let me enjoy herself for four nights in a row. Hahaha, I can die without regrets."

The goddess proposed a negotiation with the dwarves.

The hope is that the four brothers can be freed.

The greedy dwarf demanded not money or fame, but the goddess herself.

Upon hearing this, all four Jaliba brothers felt as if their internal organs had instantly frozen.

Their minds went blank, completely dominated by a single "will".

Without exchanging words or glances, they swiftly dragged the man into their doghouse and proceeded to "torture and kill" him.

The four killing intents merged into one, with the sole purpose of executing the shallow, despicable bastard who had defiled that beautiful goddess on the spot.

It's unclear how the four brothers managed to produce such a voice. They roared fiercely and slashed wildly at the dwarf, whose strength should have been greater than theirs. They picked up hammers and other tools and kept beating him, ignoring the piercing screams, and completely venting their rage.

The little people are indeed detached from worldly desires.

However, it is by no means a harmless entity.

They all possess the "qualifications" that only a goddess could perceive, and that a warrior should have.

"Stop! Alfred!"

"How far do you intend to dismember the body?!"

Even our family members (us) are scared away by you and want to stay far away!!

"Shut up! I absolutely won't let this bastard get away with this! Watch me slaughter him until his soul is scattered, how can I let him go?! You bunch of stupid little brothers! Aa ...

"I'm so sorry."

Among them, the eldest son's (Alfred's) rage was unstoppable by anyone.

The younger brothers, who were always inseparable, only realized then that the one they absolutely couldn't afford to mess with was him. Even though their master had long since turned to dust, Alfred insisted on continuing to mutilate the body. From that day on, the younger brothers secretly vowed never to truly anger their usually kind-hearted older brother.

"Did you kill him?"

After the whole affair was declared over, and the four brothers had vented their anger—

The goddess who visited the studio was deeply saddened to see the cave stained crimson.

"As long as I can get you, spending one night with that boring man is a bargain."

The goddess smiled at the dejected Alfred and the others.

"The jewelry I really want... is actually you."

The four brothers burst into tears on the spot.

She burst into tears like a child.

Because they finally received the "love" they hadn't had since losing their parents.

The goddess's "love" was given equally to the four brothers, even at the cost of soiling her own body.

So the four Jaliba brothers swore allegiance to her.

For their sake, the goddess endured four nights with that disgusting filth. In response to the goddess's divine will, the four decided to join her kin.

The four brothers didn't want anything.

It was just a longing to be pampered that arose.

The once ascetic dwarfs became greedy and harbored a single wish.

That's all there is to it.

3

Hegni was an incompetent king.

To be precise, he was a dark elf who was only good at fighting.

In the age of gods, dark elves were a rather rare race.

In the ancient times when monsters entered and exited the surface through the "Great Hole," the Dark Elves fought to protect their sacred mountain, the "Orb Mountains," but were ravaged by countless alien creatures, resulting in a drastic reduction in their numbers. In contrast, the White Elves—a race of the modern-day common white (Lios) elves—the royal family (High Elves) of that time believed that the lives of their people could not be disregarded, so in order to save their own lives, they led their people away from the "Orb Mountains."

So the dark elves cursed the white elves with words like "coward" and "shameless".

Once upon a time, the Black Clan decided to reclaim their former glory. They began to enthrone the Black High Elf, who were said to still be alive, fantasizing that they would one day return to lead their people.

Therefore, they—a small group of stubborn dark elves who lived in seclusion in the forest—began to plot to eradicate the increasingly powerful white elf race. Regardless of the differences between the two sides in "magic" and "power," they were, after all, compatriots whose only difference was their skin color.

Hegni was not a member of the royal family (high elf), yet he was hailed as the "War King" by the people of the dark elf city of Sendu (the capital).

He wasn't good at getting along with people, or more accurately, he was afraid of his compatriots who constantly spouted grand principles about mission and forced glory and perseverance upon him. Hegny's personality was actually quite delicate and easily hurt, and he should have been easily bullied by his own people.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Hegny had a great talent for fighting.

His swordsmanship was beyond imagination. The elves, known as the "Forest Archers," could not defeat him with bows or magic. The white elves who fought him were terrified of him, while the dark elves who supported him were overjoyed.

Therefore, Hegni was often forced to wage war in the north and south.

His tribe was constantly at war with the White Elves, who had established another kingdom in the same forest. Whenever a battle broke out, he was forced to lead the charge, and he would be scolded if he killed too few enemies. Hegni was well aware of the villagers' slander against him behind his back. Coupled with his innate personality, the gaze of others had, at some point, become his deepest fear.

The fairy island of Hjaeningavíg is located at the edge of the continent, in the middle of a huge lake, and is lush and green.

It is also a little-known, closed world where dark elves and white elves each have their own kingdoms.

Isolated from its surroundings, it becomes a consequence of rigid self-awareness, leading to a place of endless conflict.

Hegny had no idea where he was in this vast world, but he felt that the great sacred tree and the dense forest with its lush branches that could cover the entire sky were nothing short of a graveyard.

At the same time, he also felt that he was very insignificant because he was unable to make changes, and began to despise himself as an ignorant being.

And so, Hegny gradually grew to love the darkness, where he could see no one else but himself. Darkness was the only thing on his side. What he did every day was sit under a big tree, hugging one leg, letting "Darkness (Dain)" embrace his tormented body.

One day—

Exhausted from a fierce battle, Hegny, when he retreated into the darkness, whether in a dream or a hallucination, encountered a "witch" in the depths of the shadows.

"Look at you, your body and mind, even your soul, have deteriorated to such an extent, yet you still refuse to change?"

Faced with the witch's question, Hegni hugged the leg in his arms even tighter and lowered his eyes to answer:

"I couldn't change anything anyway. Who told me to be such a weak-willed piece of trash? I'm afraid of those disappointed eyes, afraid of being condemned, afraid of being ridiculed. My existence is a disgrace, so... I only want to die on the battlefield with my beloved sword."

Actually, Hegney had someone he cared about.

Another "King" who rules over the rival White Elves.

The other person was unlike himself, possessing both elegance and imposing presence. From her flowing golden hair to her sharp, piercing eyes, she was worlds apart from him, a powerless "king" forced to ascend the throne. The title of "king" had caused Hegni considerable suffering, but this white elf, also a "king," was so dazzling that he couldn't help but feel envious and jealous.

Hegny, seemingly the embodiment of inferiority, genuinely wanted to defeat the man. Even if it meant mutual destruction, he wanted to pierce his opponent with a single sword strike.

After countless battles, this became his only wish.

"Is that so? Then I will free you. Once you are free, go and fulfill your wishes."

The witch seemed to smile before she left.

But when Hegny looked up, she was nowhere to be seen.

He believed it was a daydream or hallucination caused by his excessive fatigue.

The already intense battle between the elves became even more heated from that day onward.

Once the naturally arrogant elves abandoned their reserve, they revealed a side of humanity that was even uglier than that of humans.

Therefore, it is perhaps inevitable that they would be destroyed by the goddess who worships beauty.

Hedin was a young and wise ruler.

He also despises all things, making him arguably the most elven-like white elf.

Despite his rational approach, he is actually quite "extreme" by nature.

Once enraged, he becomes ferocious and transforms into a cold-blooded tyrant who slaughters all dissidents.

Hedin is known as the "King of Reason" in the White Elf city of Sendu (the capital).

In truth, he didn't even possess the status of a high elf, and he knew better than anyone that this was just a group of "country bumpkins" living in the jungle playing a "kingdom game." Even if it was merely an extension of this foolish "game," he still understood perfectly well that if he, who had been placed on the throne, failed to fulfill his duties, these incompetent people would face certain death.

It was not that Hedin was incompetent; rather, it was because he was capable that he did not shirk his responsibilities as a monarch.

If he were to run away, he would be reduced to the worthless person he despised most, and Hedin's pride would never allow him to do that.

His current troubles—or rather, the source of his frustration—were the relentless attacks of the dark elves.

Those were barbarians who lived in the same forest, yet their minds were filled with nothing but the desire to slaughter their own kind. Hedin believed that such actions were utterly inefficient, so he overruled the objections and sent envoys to negotiate peace. However, the dark elves insisted, "We swear to take back the saint (Hilde) at all costs."

In the long history of conflict between the elves, a temporary non-aggression pact was once established due to the exhaustion of both sides. At that time, the dark elves offered up the "Miracle Healer," Saint Hilde, as proof. Hedin was her descendant.