The city tour continued today.
It was time to broaden the world of Asies, which was nothing more than a cramped chunk of ice. I had to teach her a lot, as she lacked almost everything.
Asies’ story takes a different direction from that of the existing slaves.
While Mirabel, Arfia, and Lin focused on the growth of abilities in their stories, Asies centers on the growth of the mind.
She interacts steadily with others and melts the frozen elements. I needed to save the princess, who was cursed and turned into a snowman.
There was a reason Asies’ story takes place in Doomheim. To break the ice walls, there were no dwarves to complain about.
So I thought.
“Where should I go and what should I do?”
An element that can harmonize smoothly with others while bringing out Asies’ characteristics. Naturally, something came to mind.
I took Asies to a mine where the railway installation work had begun. With Asies present, I didn’t need to try to draw attention.
The dwarves, pausing their work, looked over at us. As I scanned their condition, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Are you all feeling hot?”
“What the hell? Are you asking because you don’t know? Can’t you see we’re sweating buckets because our eyes are dark?”
“Did you come here to mock us?”
“Haha, of course not. I merely came to bestow a blessing upon you.”
Ignoring the dwarves glaring at me like they wanted to kill me, I turned my gaze to Asies. Despite the heat of the mine, I felt cold just being next to her.
“Princess, could you show mercy to these poor folks?”
“Why…?”
“Swinging a pickaxe is extremely hard, and it makes you sweat. When you sweat, you feel unpleasant and sticky. You can give them a chill.”
Asies flinched, looking down and muttering.
“Everyone hates being cold…”
It seemed she was concerned about making the plush into something hard or freezing roses.
Currently, Asies’ intellect was akin to that of a child. Children naturally learn to be cautious of their parents. It’s a biological instinct for survival.
I thought I had solved it reasonably, but it seemed insufficient.
“You don’t need to worry. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. Just trust me and give it a try.”
Asies, who had been hesitating, reluctantly nodded her head. She reached out her hand and cast a spell.
Whoosh.
The wind blows.
A chilly wind unique to winter.
Small snowflakes fall from the ceiling.
Winter had come to the mine.
“Oooh! It’s snowing!”
“Damn, what on earth is this wind?! My body… it’s getting colder! Uoooh!”
The dwarves’ sweat quickly cools.
The heat that had filled the mine dissipates.
No worries about catching a cold.
After all, the dwarves produce heat as they cool.
Their bodies were hot while their outsides felt cold. It was like being in summer with an air conditioner on, wrapped in a blanket.
“To be able to work in such coolness! In this environment, I could work for hours!”
“What are you doing? Don’t you thank the princess!”
“Thank you, princess!”
The cheers echoed through the mine. The dwarves resumed digging, laying down tracks.
Their movements, including swinging the pickaxes, were much lighter than before.
“Is everyone feeling good?”
“It’s strange…”
“I won’t deny it.”
Dwarves certainly are a peculiar species.
“But it’s not empty praise; it’s not a lie borne of goodwill either.”
Dwarves are a pure and childlike race. When they see goodwill, they create equipment like tsundere and toss it over as if they found it, yet if they see malice, they crush your head with a hammer.
“Now that I think about it, that’s unfair.”
I brought the daughter who works in labor and got treated like a bad guy, while Asies, who did nothing, was treated like a princess.
What a severe case of appearance-based discrimination.
“Shall we stop by once in a while to cool down some heat?”
Asies nodded after staring at the cheering dwarves.
*
If you come to Doomheim, there’s a must-visit place.
The Drunken Barrel.
It’s the tavern that dwarves visit without fail after finishing their daily work. As dwarves love alcohol, there are many pubs in Doomheim, but the most famous one is certainly The Drunken Barrel.
Due to a lack of space to accommodate everyone, apart from a few private rooms for entertaining distinguished guests, all drinking happens at outdoor tables.
Dwarves have a mindset that if you drink well, you are friends, so in this moment of drinking, everyone is a friend. They drink mingling without any distance between them.
In the midst of that, only Asies and I sat at a table as if we were residents of an isolated world. Asies seemed fascinated by this place, constantly glancing around.
“It’s really loud, isn’t it?”
The Drunken Barrel is not my taste.
As someone who prefers tranquility, the ball of the night is the best.
But I couldn’t avoid coming.
The Drunken Barrel is a hotspot where various events occur since the game.
Asies, who needs to blend into a normal life while interacting with others, had to come without fail.
Despite the noisy and chaotic tavern atmosphere, Asies maintained a serene demeanor. She yawned languidly, displaying her unique sleepy expression.
As her cool breath touched me, drowsiness swept over me, causing me to yawn as well.
“Your order of food and two ales has arrived.”
The waitress placed our dishes and two frosty mugs on the table before leaving.
“Asies, have you ever drank before?”
Asies tilted her head, which just barely touched her shoulders. It seemed she had never drunk before.
I felt both concern and curiosity about getting Asies to drink. When people drink, they often reveal sides of themselves that usually remain hidden.
Aren’t you very curious?
What will Asies show?
Imagining Asies being tipsy seems out of the question, but the bigger the reaction, the better.
“Here, let’s toast.”
Not understanding the meaning of a toast, Asies just held up her mug blankly, so I clinked it against mine.
“The first drink should be downed in one go; it’s a rule.”
I boldly gulped down the ale in front of Asies, finishing it without leaving a drop.
“Ahhh~”
I can’t drink well, but the medieval ale isn’t very strong and is sweet enough to be drinkable. Plus, the refreshingness washes away the fatigue built from hard labor.
Of course, I didn’t do any work.
But anyway, that meant it was that refreshing.
Asies, who had been staring at me with her mug cradled in both hands, cautiously began to sip the ale. Her pale throat moved as she swallowed it.
She paused for a moment but ultimately downed it in one go, licking her lips with her tongue.
“Wow, every movement she makes is so precious.”
As the saying goes, extreme denial creates a positive, and when one reaches an extreme, they tend to have the opposite quality.
Asies is a pure white snowflake, unaware of the world’s filth. There are no ulterior motives, no cunning.
For example, if a woman were to tuck her hair behind her ear or press her chest closer to a man, most people would notice that she’s flirting.
However, Asies shows none of that. She harbors no pettiness.
The defenseless actions stemming from her innocence provoke the hearts of men. A base desire to torment her wells up within me.
But I shouldn’t do that.
“How does it taste? Is it good?”
Asies moves her head back and forth like a bobblehead, indicating unfamiliarity with the flavor.
“It seems you don’t feel much yet. Then let’s drink until you do!”
Just as I was about to order again, a dwarf shouted toward our table.
“Oh! Who is it? The princess and the twig, right?”
As the approaching dwarf came closer, I recognized him from the Iron-Blood Conference. He was one of the seven Meisters, the Earth Shield, Rocksar.
“I’m not a twig.”
“Hahaha! Sorry! That fool Hargran’s name stuck with me!”
Hargran that fool.
Whenever something happens in Doomheim, I can bet 99 times out of 100 that he’ll be the culprit.
“What a coincidence; to think I’d see you at The Drunken Barrel.”
“You can’t say you’ve been to Doomheim if you haven’t drunk here.”
“Hahaha! You know something! Exactly, you must come!”
“And that’s why I brought the princess along for a drink.”
“What in the world, a rare brat!!!”
Wham!
Roksar grabbed me by the collar. Though he raised his arms high, thanks to our height difference, my feet still touched the ground.
“W-What are you doing?”
“That’s what I should be asking! You dare feed our princess alcohol?! Are you trying to stain our pure princess with your dirty blackness?!”
“No, dwarves don’t acknowledge those who can’t drink as comrades…”
“Gah!”
Roksar let out a thunderous roar.
Dust swirled around the floor as chairs toppled over.
“I can’t let a loser like you take care of the princess!”
“No, but I brought her here, and she’s my slave….”
How unfair.
Traditionally, dwarves have a tendency to look down on those who can’t drink. Drinking, for them, is a proof of qualification.
But it seems Asies doesn’t fall under that category.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
While the dwarfs supported the princess against the stepmother and the witch, they see me, the one giving her alcohol, as the villain.
Goodness, can’t an adult drink a little?
I’m trying to make her a proper person; I have no intention of raising her as someone who can’t do anything on her own.
“I’ll break your head right now and—”
“Wait a minute. Let’s resolve this like intellectuals through conversation. You always get mad at me, saying I’m just a ground mole who knows nothing but hammering. By the way, I absolutely don’t think that, but an elf once said that.”
“A conversation? What conversation can I have with someone who feeds the princess alcohol?”
“Well, you know? Dwarven conversation methods. Don’t you remember? An elf once said something like that, right?”
Did an elf indeed say that?
I’m not sure, but let’s roll with that today.
Invincible Elf Shield ON.
It would be great if I could get Asies’ help, but she was completely indifferent even while her master was being grabbed. For now, I need to handle the situation with my own strength.
Thus my only viable solution right now.
A Dwarven conversation method.
“Shall we settle this with a drinking contest to see who’s right and wrong?”
