So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

Rozena has an outgoing personality.

"...And so I nominate Dunkel as my successor."

When she said this, the other dwarves started murmuring.

Dunkel's image in the Red Anvil Mine had changed dramatically over the past few days.

But still, there were opposing opinions.

"He's still young and inexperienced."

"That's something I can teach. The masters will nurture his qualities as a mine lord."

"Surely there are other talented individuals who could become mine lord?"

"Who are you talking about? Raise your hand if you want to challenge for the mine lord position."

No one raised their hand.

Not because they were afraid of Rozena, but because there were actually very few dwarves who wanted to become mine lord.

Why would they take on that troublesome position that only increases their workload enormously, and sometimes requires them to move across continents and handle diplomacy?

Unlike humans, dwarves don't have much desire for power.

Dunkel stood there with his hood pulled down low.

Some viewed his withdrawn appearance even more negatively.

Finally, the criticism Dunkel had worried about came out.

"Doesn't he look a bit off! He has no beard and no hair."

There was a reason for this.

"The mine lord is our mine's representative, and he'll eventually attend the Twelve Anvil Council. Won't they look down on and treat Dunkel carelessly because he has no beard or hair!"

That was a painful point.

But then Rozena suddenly started giggling.

"Don't worry, Dunkel has grown a beard."

"...Pardon?"

"Come out Dunkel, show them!"

Dunkel was just clutching his hood.

So Rozena slapped Dunkel's back, and the snake hit his calf with its tail.

Dunkel finally took off his hood hesitantly and showed his face.

And a brief silence due to shock.

Soon, laughter burst out from everyone.

"Wahahahaha!"

"He really has grown a beard!"

A beard had grown on Dunkel's face.

It was with the help of the chimera snake, no, Isil.

"Is this okay now?"

"Uahahahaha!"

The mud smeared on his face.

From it, thin green grass that might be moss or sprouts had grown abundantly.

It was certainly a lush beard.

"Dunkel, don't be shy, everyone likes it."

It was as Rozena said.

All the dwarves seemed to be enjoying it.

Dunkel with a beard made of plants.

And then someone shouted:

"Green Beard, it's a Green Beard!"

Green Beard Dunkel.

It was the moment Dunkel's new title was born.

Cheers erupted from the dwarves.

Dunkel awkwardly held out his fist to the snake.

The snake bumped the fist.

Isil also held out its leaf.

"Thanks, guys."

'I'm grateful too, Dunkel.'

Green Beard.

It was a parting gift from the snake and the vine grass to Dunkel before leaving.

==

Goodbye is not forever, right?

Leaving the hell we went through together as memories now.

We have to part ways to find our own paths.

That melody keeps playing in my head.

Still, I didn't shed moist tears when leaving the mine.

Of course, Dunkel shed a few tears.

What a weakling, it's not like we're parting forever.

How can someone who might become the mine lord be so weak-hearted?

On the day of the successor nomination.

I had a big drinking party with the dwarves.

Frighteningly, we finished dozens of barrels of new beer from Calea City in just one night.

I'm now heading deep into the magic realm mountains, so in a way, it could be called a farewell party.

I ate so much ham and drank so much beer that I still have a headache from the hangover.

"Chew on this."

The one who handed me a strange herb saying that was Helmut.

I headed towards the mountain range with old Helmut.

There was a separate reason for this unexpected companionship.

The top swordsmith of the Red Anvil Mine was none other than Helmut.

If we're making a sword with star iron, of course it should be made by the master of swords, right?

Then it would have been fine to make the sword at the Red Anvil Mine and bring it out, but that became difficult.

Proper facilities are needed to handle star iron properly.

But that fire lizard caused havoc and destroyed most of the facilities.

The facilities for melting and refining star iron were also destroyed because of that.

"Gray Hammer Village will appear soon."

So the choice was to visit the neighboring dwarf village.

Rozena wrote a letter, and Helmut, who accompanied me, is a craftsman respected by dwarves in other villages as well.

If we ask to borrow their facilities and tools, they won't refuse.

"If you're tired, climb on the bag. I can carry something your size."

'I'm fine.'

"My eyes are blurry, I can't see well. I told you to write bigger letters."

'I said I'm fine!!!'

That's how the awkward journey with Helmut began.

Although he was a gruff dwarf craftsman, Helmut was still a kinder person than Pelerian.

"Sigh..."

Unlike me, who was expecting a lot from the star iron sword, Pelerian seemed to have complicated feelings.

After making the star iron sword in Gray Hammer Village, we'll go deeper.

There's one of Pelerian's dungeons in an area called Delfram inside the mountain range.

When Pelerian tracked his location in the great forest last time, that signal headed towards the dungeon in Delfram.

Maybe Pelerian's skeleton is waiting there.

A journey to confirm his own corpse.

That's quite heartbreaking...

"It's Gray Hammer Village."

'Wow! We've finally arrived!'

I quickly climbed onto Helmut's shoulder.

Since it's the first time meeting these dwarves, they might be wary of me.

Still, I should maintain the attitude of a kind snake.

But that resolve became meaningless.

"Why is there no one here..."

There was no one in Gray Hammer Village.

It's eerily quiet.

'Did they move away?'

"It seems so... but they left in a hurry."

Things that would have been taken if they had moved properly were still there.

Especially the tools in the smithy.

If Helmut had been human, he might have been greatly shocked by the desolate appearance of the village.

He might have tried to figure out what happened to this village first.

"Well, we can look into what happened later."

But Helmut, being an excellent craftsman, entered the empty smithy.

And he started preparing for work, taking out the celestium bucket and hammers.

"Shall we try making one right away?"

"Saak!"

I was also happy that the star iron sword production was finally starting.

But things were about to go a bit wrong.

"Oh no..."

To heat the forge fire as much as needed, very high-quality charcoal was necessary.

"The charcoal has become damp."

Helmut scratched his head and looked at the charcoal regretfully.

"This won't produce enough heat. I'll have to find a kiln and make charcoal first."

Just as things were about to get complicated.

I tapped Helmut's ankle.

"What? You want me to move aside?"

I approached the furnace.

And I showed him what I wrote in my notebook.

'Wouldn't this much fire be enough? Take a look.'

And I asked the chimera snake, no, Isil.

Isil stood in front of the furnace.

I quickly retreated along with Helmut.

We need to move back quite far.

"Such a fuss..."

Helmut's face, which was smirking.

Froze the moment the chimera snake breathed fire.

Whoooosh!

Purple flames shot into the furnace.

And the resulting heat wave.

Feeling a heat that could peel the skin off his face, Helmut shuddered.

"Yes, that's enough... more than enough."

'Then let's start right away!'

Whether the charcoal was damp or not was irrelevant in the face of hellfire.