「I’m thinking about looking around the village today,. Freja, come with me」
「Yes」
Leaving the building because Alec invited. Freja, who spent most of her time inside the building, had walked through the village for the first time after the battle. As a shrine maiden, she never had been far from the sun stone, yet it’s still the dwarven village she’s familiar with since birth.
Places ruined by war, houses where vitality has vanished, strangers. The dwarf village that Freja knew no longer exists there. She pretended not to notice while she was confined in the building. But when she moves around like this, she inevitably feels the gap before.
(This is my sin)
The loss was too big. The village she was born and raised and became everything to Freja is broken.
(When I was there…No, even back then, I shouldn’t have been born)
Because Freja’s born with the divine iron attribute, the dwarves decided to rebel against the dragon.
If Freja wasn’t born, the dwarves would still have been living relatively inconveniently, but peacefully under the dragon’s rule.
(My existence brought misfortune to the dwarves… I’m the cursed gold that brought ruin to the dwarf race)
A myth had been passed down the dwarf tribe since the ancient times.
A story about the cursed gold that brings misfortune to its owner.
The greedy dragon Fafnir also obtained the cursed gold also followed the path of destruction, and nobody who aquired the gold ever found happiness.
(I…)
Going up the hill. As she climbs the long slope, she saw the light streaming in from the exit.
The color of blue, clear sky unlike the radiance of the sunstone.
Stepping out of the entrance built in the middle of the mountain, the vast world stretching to the horizon rushes in.
There’s no limit to the height of the sky, and the real sun is so dazzling that it blinds her eyes, as pure white clouds flow by painting a beautiful scene.
The plains spread at the foot of the mountain, and the lakes filled with abundant lush water and the giant castle where many dragons and people live.
All of it are wonderful sights Freja’s never seen before.
She didn’t hesitate to cooperate with the dwarf king because she wanted to see this sight.
「Uh…B-Because of me…」
If Freja hadn’t wanted to see this view, the dwarven village may still be peaceful today.
The guilty conscience wells up, and tears overflow and streamed from Freja’s eyes.
「Freja? What’s wrong? What happened?」
「Ah, Master… It’s all because I was born….Aaaaah!!!」
Alec supports Freja as she’s crying. Clinging to the greedy dragon that fought against the dragon king and killed him. There’s nobody else to cling to but Alec.
Freja confessed everything she had lost and the fact that her birth is a sin as tears flow out.
「That’s wrong, Freja」
「But, but, I…」
Hearing Freja’s plea, Alec listened to her lament and asserted:
「Surut destroyed the dwarves. The king of dwarves was the one who led their race to ruin. It wasn’t you」
Alec’s gaze pierce through Freja, who was trying to argue.
「Don’t twist the king’s judgment and insult him. Why would you let his decision become your sin?」
「Huh?」
Alec was angry at Freja.
■
I don’t know what kind of person Surut was. Our only relation is that we had fought in the battlefield.
But, the Surut I saw was certainly a king. He offers himself for the future of the dwarves, he never regrets anything nor resented anyone until the very last moment. He’s a man who fought for the happiness of the dwarves and died a king.
The man who fought with me is an incredible man.
That person decided to fight the dragon. Decided to resist the dragon’s rule.
Indeed, he provoked the war probably because Freja created a large amount of divine iron. He probably thought that he had a good chance of winning if he used equipment made of divine iron.
However, he was the one who made that decision. It wasn’t because he was dazzled by the divine iron, nor he was incited by Freja, rather, it was the dwarf king surut who made that decision for the future of the dwarves.
Only the king can take responsibility for that action. It would be unacceptable for someone to try and take things by themselves. That’s nothing but an act of insult to the king.
「The dwarf king lost. I killed Surut. The dwarf race is in ruins. However, the responsibility lies on the King. Freja. I won’t allow you to take the convenient excuse of deciding that it’s your fault」
You will not dare insult the end of a great man.
「If you’re crying, then do it to mourn his death. I want you to mourn the death of the dwarf king as a dwarf」
「Ah…」
And so… I want her to mourn that death not as my opponent, but as someone he tried to protect.
「Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!」
The voice of Freja’s sorrow is drawn into the high, clear sky.
The king who protected the dwarf village has died. The dwarf village is destroyed.
I killed the king and destroyed the village.
And so, I’ve become their new ruler.
I vow to protect those who live in this village and on this land.
As the victor who obtained the dwarf’s gold, I’ll proudly claim the name.
The golden protector ー Fafnir.
That is my new name, having become the lord of this land.