Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

Rionne subtly nudged Riraum as Enok lunged to smash the dwarf’s head.

It was a hint for him to clean up the mess he made.

“R-run away…! The witch has appeared…!”

“C’mon, old man! Quit babbling!”

“W-what…! You said she was the Millennium Swordmaster!”

“Uh, that part is true.”

“Gyaaaaaah…!!”

In the end, it took about 20 minutes to calm the dwarf down.

The old man was panting, catching his breath from all the chaos.

Riraum patted the old man’s back.

“No, old man. What kind of rumors did you hear? Even if she’s strange, it’s not worth causing all this fuss.”

“If she’s the Millennium Swordmaster, isn’t she a dwarf slayer?!”

“I don’t know about slayer, but ‘hater’ is definitely a term!”

The old man shot a grim look at Rionne.

Of course, Enok was glaring at the old man as if he could tear him apart.

“Anyway, old man. I think we’re screwed.”

“What? Why the sudden panic!”

“I think you just created a future dwarf slayer.”

The old man glanced at Enok.

Then he chuckled.

“Ha! Dwarf slayer, my foot. It’d be a miracle if that kid’s head doesn’t get smashed!”

Riraum thought that he probably wouldn’t have many more days to see the old man, so he changed the subject.

“Anyway, he wants to go on a field trip.”

“Huh? Who?”

“Who else? Those kids. Show this little one how badass dwarves are, okay?”

“No way… I’m busy, damn brat!”

“Busy, my ass! Hurry up! Quit whining at me!”

After a brief scuffle, the old man finally surrendered.

“Fine, fine! Ugh, here I am, making an old man work.”

The old man grumbled as he approached Rionne and Enok.

He still seemed a bit tense around Rionne but laughed heartily as he swung open the workshop door.

“Okay, follow me! Let’s show you the essence of dwarves!”

*

Their first stop was a tavern.

It was astonishing to find a tavern near a volcano, and it was packed with dwarves.

“Oh, is the old man here?”

“Shut up, you brat!”

In the raucous tavern, Riraum revealed Rionne’s identity,

“Gyaaaaaah…!”

“A-witch…!!”

After a commotion that now felt routine settled down, they continued their conversation.

“So, you want to learn about dwarves?”

“Is there really anything special? Here, have a drink!”

The drunk dwarves offered beer to Rionne and Enok.

After a moment’s hesitation, Rionne reluctantly nodded.

“Well, Enok should be okay with just some beer. Here, drink up. Dwarven beer is the most famous, you know.”

A beer mug the size of a human head.

Enok hesitated for a moment, looking uneasy, but took a big gulp at Rionne’s urging.

“Guh….?”

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

Rionne chuckled as she took a sip of her beer.

Foamy white bubbles clung to her mouth like a mustache.

Then, her red tongue casually wiped the foam away.

“Oh….”

Beer is quite good.

Enok continued to drink, using Rionne as a snack.

“Oh, for a little brat, you drink well, huh?”

“Shut it, dwarf.”

“Oh ho! The kid’s got some flair! Quite the dwarf spirit!”

Enok briefly pondered if the term ‘dwarf spirit’ was an insult, but before he knew it, he was immersed in the atmosphere.

The sun, painting the sky red, sank behind the mountains, illuminating the volcano’s night with the lava’s glow.

The tavern’s door swung open with a bang.

“Huh…?”

Feeling a bit tipsy, Enok looked up from Rionne’s arms.

“You guys! Stop drinkin’ and grab your tools!”

“Aw hell, did it blow up again?!”

“It always goes chaotic right when things are good!”

The dwarves, red-faced from drink, began gathering their tools.

Most were hammers, with the occasional flail or iron club.

“Hey! Come on! This is the real deal!”

Excited, Riraum picked up a hammer and charged out.

Enok was confused about what was happening for a moment.

Then suddenly, he was lifted off the ground.

Rionne had picked him up, cradling him close.

“Shall we go see?”

“Yeah.”

“Wrap your arms around my neck. Good.”

Rionne, holding Enok tightly, walked out of the tavern.

The sky, dark as ink, and the lava glowed a fiery red.

The sound of bells clanging and dwarves yelling echoed.

As they strolled like it was a walk in the park, they spotted a throng of dwarves that looked to be heading somewhere.

“Let’s go, lads!”

“Woo!!!”

The hammer-wielding dwarves surged forward.

Their destination was the volcano.

From it came a strange sound, followed by—

KABOOM──────!!

The volcano erupted.

Lava, ash, and giant boulders were sent flying into the sky.

And among them mixed in was….

“Monsters?”

Just as Enok tilted his head in confusion, a THWACK-!

A dwarf’s hammer smashed the head of a monster falling from the sky.

And that was just the beginning.

“Kill them all!”

“Damn these pests!”

Monsters, erupting from the volcano’s crater, swarmed in.

Sometimes caught in the explosions, they plummeted from the sky or floated down in the lava.

Meeting them were the dwarves.

“YEAH!”

“Watch your head!”

“Kyaaaaah…!”

In no time at all, the monsters’ heads were exploded.

It was oddly reminiscent of a small festival parade, making Enok and Rionne stand back a little, watching the show.

“Haha, fun, right?”

“A bit….”

So foolish.

But Rionne seemed to understand and chuckled.

“See? It’s fun. It’s quite entertaining.”

“Yeah.”

“Wherever there are dwarves, it’s always lively like this. Our race tends to have this vibe.”

Of course, every individual has different personalities, but those belonging to the same group often exhibit some common traits.

Naturally, this was true for dwarves as well.

But overly believing in that can lead to prejudices, yet, well, isn’t this okay?

“Ugh—what a nice night.”

Rionne stretched and began walking softly.

The muggy heat mixed with the cool night breeze, creating a strange sensation.

This noisy yet serene and peaceful moment reminded Rionne of a small village festival from long ago.

Then—

BOOM───────!!!

A massive explosion erupted from the volcano.

And alongside it came a colossal monster.

“Uh…?”

“Ugh….”

The dwarves stiffened.

From the monster that had just emerged from the volcano, red lava dripped down.

Its black basalt-like skin was cracked, revealing its lava-like flesh, and its eye, as huge as the volcano, gazed down at the dwarves below.

– KkkKiiiaaaaa──────!!!

A roar.

Panic ensued.

“We’re screwed!”

“Riraum! Where are you!”

“Run, run, run!!”

The short dwarves began to bolt.

But Riraum, the great dwarf warrior, didn’t flee.

“Hey, you guys! Aren’t you ashamed?!”

The booming voice made the fleeing dwarves glance back.

Riraum shouted once more.

“Hey! Rionne! What are you doing?”

Tilting her head, she replied.

“Are you asking for help, you nasty brat?”

That bold call for help made Rionne snicker.

“Acting like you can solve everything by yourself!”

“I’m a blacksmith, not a warrior.”

The great dwarf blacksmith extended his hand.

“Go, Rionne! Show them who’s boss!”

“Sigh….”

Rionne sighed but stepped forward.

Yet a faint smile graced her lips.

“Honestly, it always ends like this.”

With a swoosh, her sword glimmered, reflecting the lava’s bright hue.

The moon in the night sky.

Under that brilliant light, the golden hair of the elf fluttered.

– KkyyIiiIAaaa─────!!

A lizard-like creature, seemingly crafted from black stones, stomped its feet with a roar.

KABOOM-! The volcano erupted, sending a tide of lava rushing towards Rionne.

“How annoying… this is going to be hard to clean up later.”

Rionne spread her slender fingers.

Then, she gently pointed at a point in the air.

Suddenly, the rushing lava defied gravity, rising into the air in droplets.

“Ooo…!”

“That’s the Millennium Swordmaster!”

“What!? The Millennium Swordmaster!? Gyaaaaaah…!”

Ignoring the rowdy dwarves, Rionne slowly moved her fingers.

Carefully and intricately, ensuring her adorable disciple could see better.

“Now.”

Rionne raised her sword high.

Thousands, even tens of thousands of lava droplets hovering in the air.

They, too, shaped like swords, aimed at the monster.

“Watch carefully, Enok. Big monsters like that… we deal with them like this.”

As she slowly drew her sword from above downwards, WHOOSH-! Without warning, the monster was sliced into two.

– KKkrrk!?

The monster attempted to piece itself back together in sheer terror, but—

“Chop ‘em down, and most of them die.”

Right after that, all the countless lava swords in the air swooped down towards the monster.

A majestic sight, like a rain of fire.

But the outcome was anything but gentle.

KUGUGUGUGUGU──────────!!!

With a deafening roar, dark smoke billowed endlessly into the sky.

I bet that the infernal creature standing there was also sent soaring into the heavens, one way or another?

Physically and metaphorically.

While the dwarves mourned the monster that would be no more, Rionne approached Enok, holding her sword.

“How was that? Nothing special, right?”