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

The first to fly into a rage was the tavern owner. Looking at him, enraged by the destruction of the tavern's fury, the dwarf sighed.

"...We attacked first. We admit we were wrong. Let's call it even."

"...!"

"Go back, you guys."

Seeing the dwarf announce this in a low voice, Riveria, her face flushed red, wanted to retort, but her aching body wouldn't allow it. As Loki and Aina returned to the shop, the dwarf man helped his underlings dust themselves off and pull them up.

"No, as expected of Brother Grace! Those arrogant fairies are no match for him!"

"You damned Yuger! You're banned from the store because of you! Reflect on your actions!"

"It hurts!?"

After an iron fist descended upon the young dwarf who was arguing with Riveria, the man called Grace prepared to leave.

Finn stood up and spoke to his retreating figure.

"Please wait a moment!"

"……how?"

"...We also made mistakes, so we'd like to apologize. Could you please tell us about your [Family]?"

After explaining this to the dwarf who had turned around, the dwarf seemed uninterested and scoffed.

"I didn't join any [Family], you little dwarf."

Half of what he said was in line with what Finn had predicted.

However, Finn couldn't suppress the smile that appeared on his face in response.

Although the dwarf raised an eyebrow at the laughing little boy with a suspicious look, he still left with his underlings.

"Lady Riveria, are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing... Thank you for your help."

"What a formidable dwarf. Is he injured, Finn, Riveria?"

Finn spoke as Riveria clutched her chest and was helped up by Aina.

"Let's lure that dwarf over."

"Huh!?"

Riveria and the others suddenly let out strange screams because of that explosive statement.

"Don't be ridiculous, why would you try to seduce such a savage dwarf!"

"I also think that if I were to have a companion, a cute girl would be better—! I wouldn't be happy if it wasn't a cute girl—!"

"Rivia, if we're going to call others barbaric, then your actions just now were undeniably reckless."

"Gurgle...!?"

"Loki, I won't interfere with your preferences, but you won't be allowed to hinder my ambitions. Is that the condition?"

"Ugh...!?"

Finn easily shut down Riveria and Loki's rebuttals.

"You all witnessed that incredible strength, didn't you? There's no doubt he's very powerful!"

"Isn't it because he's a dwarf?"

"No, although I fought against dwarves when I was a disciple of a monk, their power wasn't that unreasonable."

"Look," he said, rolling up his sleeves. The slender arm of the little man, bearing a distinct black mole, was still twitching. Riveria, Aina, and Loki all stared wide-eyed.

"And that dwarf... I intended to stop short of causing serious harm. Although it was my forceful intervention that led to this outcome, the power he wielded was undeniable. Truly terrifying."

What's even more terrifying is that he was still in a state where he had not yet received 'grace' from God. He was truly a pure 'warrior' with innate talent.

"The skill with which he stopped the long staff was astonishing. I want it."

The little people, speaking of their own aspirations and ambitions without any restraint, declared as if their eyes were shining with the light of a heroic tale. Although Riveria and her companions continued to bicker afterward and received many annoyed glances from the tavern's patrons, no one could disobey the captain's firm resolve.

"Gris the Dwarf, huh...?"

A smile crept onto his lips as he recalled Finn's name.

Finn obtained information from the people in the tavern and found out where the group of dwarves lived.

North of the post town of Karuna lies a great mountain, at the foot of which lies an underground settlement of dwarves.

The village called "Lensa" was their stronghold.

"Oh my god!? It's full of dwarves!"

"While it might not be called an underground city... it certainly doesn't fit the description of a settlement. Wow, this is truly remarkable."

After passing through a long, exposed tunnel, the view that stretched out before them astounded not only Riveria and Aina, who had reluctantly followed, but also Loki and Finn.

The vast underground space is large enough to completely house a town. With an overhead height of over 10 meters, it doesn't feel the suffocating feeling often associated with underground environments. All the buildings are constructed from special rock, evoking images of a fairy-tale forest, or even a fairy village.

Among the crowds coming and going, there were groups of housewives carrying laundry baskets, men with beards who looked like craftsmen, and lively children running around, and there were only dwarves.

Despite the atmosphere of poverty, everyone's expressions were bright and full of energy.

"Although the settlement itself doesn't seem wealthy... they seem to be living a resilient life."

There were indeed many people with dirty clothes. However, they were either repairing tools and spare parts or making shoes with whatever materials they had on hand, all along the well-connected roads. The dwarves, who were rumored to have many artisans, seemed to embody self-sufficiency as their name suggested.

The magic stone lamp, attached to the towering rock ceiling, is undoubtedly the most valuable item in the settlement, and must have been purchased at a great price. Craftsmen are currently repairing it, lowered from the ceiling by ropes, indicating it has been carefully used since long ago.

A community of dwarves surrounded by earth and rock. This atmosphere, unlike that of elves and dwarves, that should be called the race of the earth, brought a smile to Finn's face, while Riveria twitched her long, thin ears slightly.

"Hey...brothers!" "Brothers—"

"Um?"

"A traveler?" "A person—?"

While busy housewives and childcare workers had no time to pay attention to Finn and his friends wandering around, it was a different story for the children.

Slightly shorter than Finn, the chubby, clean-cut, and petite dwarf sisters tilted their heads to speak to him. Their small stature and acorn-like shapes made them incredibly adorable.

"This...this kind of cuteness, like playing with a hamster...!? To be honest, I've always found it a little hard to accept dwarves, even girls. My will is about to waver...! The lower realm is truly a terrifying place!"

"Um, Lord Loki looks a bit..."

"It's just like she's having a seizure; you can leave her alone."

Finn ignored Loki, who was panting and trembling, as if it were commonplace. He bent down to meet the sisters' gaze and smiled at Aina, who was embarrassed.

"We want to see a dwarf named Grace. Do you know him?"

"It's the young master!" "Young master—"

"If possible, could you please introduce us to him?"

"Okay, sure!" "Sure—"

With their brown hair tossing, the two sisters excitedly began leading the way for everyone.

The older sister could speak fluently, while the younger sister had difficulty speaking. Their round eyes and chubby faces, combined with the traditional dwarf clothing and the poncho cloak they wore, were truly endearing and lovable.

As she followed that figure, Riveria gazed into the distance.

"Such adorable children, how could they grow up to be such dirty dwarves... The mystery of life... No, what cruel things the gods who burdened them with such cruel fates did..."

"Women don't become men. Not everyone grows a beard!"

Aina, whose role as the bewildered princess had become completely fixed, spoke to her. Then, in the midst of their back-and-forth banter, Finn and his group arrived at their target's location.

"...Who are you?"

The dwarf named Grace was preparing his tools in front of a secluded detached house.

Upon seeing Finn and his party, he widened his earth-colored eyes.

"Hello, I'm so sorry about the other day."

"...What are you doing here? Is it because that fairy over there kept causing trouble, so you've come to get revenge on me?"

"I've come to invite you to join the [Family]. If I say so, what are your plans?"

Finn's words made Grace, who had been about to look back at his hands, raise his head again. He stared intently at the smiling dwarf. Then, he scoffed.

"You foolish little brat, who wants to join? Before you invite me, you should deal with that fairy behind you with that ugly, disgruntled expression. Or rather, that naive princess?"

Whether it was because she learned about the royal high fairy who had embarked on her journey in the post town of Karuna, Riveria, who had been silent, suddenly blushed when faced with the dwarf who had criticized her—she had been insulted in the way she found most offensive—and easily became agitated.

"I don't want to see the faces of those rude and barbaric dwarves! To be honest, I never wanted to come to this dark and dreary village! This wretched place where dwarves, who lack even the most basic manners, live!"

"...In that case, let's get out. This isn't a place for arrogant fairies to run rampant!"

Grace squinted and spat at the young princess who was clearly insulting the village.

Riveria still wanted to retaliate in kind.

"Sister, do you hate...this village?" "The village—?"

"Ah...no, I, I mean..."

But she was gently pulled by the clothes of the two sisters who were looking up at her, and she was speechless.

Just as Loki and Aina were advising her to "forget it," Finn started the conversation again.

"Would you consider it once her problem is resolved?"

"Hmph, no need. I will live for the village, and I will die for the village. That is my resolve."

Grace left with the words "Go back" and went back into the house.

As Rivera, utterly disgusted, cast a sharp glare at her, the door was coldly slammed shut.

"I got dumped. What do I do, Finn?"

"Hmm...it's nothing, it's only just begun. I never thought it would go so smoothly, especially since it was just a one-sided statement of our demands and it was over."

Finn replied to Loki in this way.

"However, this is more difficult to deal with than I imagined..."

Recalling the dwarf's retreating figure that had caused him to be met with indifference, the boy shrugged.

"Wow~, Loki-chan's way of drinking is so hearty! It's so refreshing to watch!"

"Thanks, ma'am!"

The generous dwarf couple runs the only inn in the settlement of Lunsali, known as the "Earth Dragon Pavilion".

The second floor was for accommodation, and the first floor was a tavern, where Loki and his companions stayed temporarily.

Finn and his companions were unexpectedly treated well upon their arrival in the village. This seemed to be because this remote place, nestled at the foot of an insurmountable mountain range, with no paths or proper routes, was rarely visited by anyone other than their own kind. Curious glances were inevitable, and there were also eager attempts to sell them something to make them spend more money, but even disregarding these concerns, the dwarves' hospitality was more than warm and welcoming.

"Has Riveria's impression of this place changed a little? The dwarf uncles and aunties in this village are such nice people!"

"Ah~"

"...I'll admit I'm prejudiced. Sure, there are reasonable people among the dwarves. But couldn't they find a way to deal with that unclean appearance? Even just shaving his beard would make things better...!"

As Loki, already reeking of alcohol, struck a pose, Riveria, her knees occupied by the two sisters, offered a show of understanding while pouring out her grievances. The high-ranking royal fairy's antics amused the girls, who giggled.

"But... today is already the fifth day. That dwarf is really stubborn~"

Loki clasped her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. Just as she had said, so many days had passed since they stayed in the village, and Finn and his group had experienced several failed attempts at persuasion to lure people out.

"Well, now that we've come this far, we're determined to get him into our [Family], that dwarf. Even though he's not a girl, we don't want to keep failing!"

Suddenly, Loki opened his crimson eyes.

That was the divine expression of someone enjoying a beautiful girl conquest game.

As if she were about to unleash her true power against the dwarf's scheme, the goddess smiled fearlessly.

"Then, we need to hold a war council to discuss how to defeat that dwarf."

I object.

"They were all coldly rejected. The second sentence was a foregone conclusion: 'Go back home.' There was absolutely no room for negotiation..."

I object.

"It would be great if we could at least have a heart-to-heart talk. If only I could know what he's thinking."