Shimuin was the country with the largest population of dwarves on the continent. The expert artisans of the race were skilled and meticulous in their craft, and they despised living in bustling human cities like any other race.

Thus, the Shimuin royal family gifted an entire island to the dwarves as a dominion. In reality, it was to prevent other countries from snatching away the dwarves and to ensure the dwarves stayed in Shimuin. Whatever the reasons, the decision ended up satisfying both parties.

The Hammer Island, a paradise exclusively developed for dwarves, was an island chosen by the dwarves themselves and had been tailored to their preferences for centuries.

Every month, vast amounts of resources, such as beer, minerals, and blueprints for commissioned equipment, were transported to Hammer Island. The skilled dwarves on the island crafted the requested equipment to perfection and sent them back on the transport ships.

Normally, trade with dwarves happened in such a fashion. However, in rare, truly important cases, dwarves themselves boarded the ships and came to the mainland.

A fortnight ago, the finest dwarven artisans, those who could be considered master craftsmen, boarded a ship departing from Hammer Island to Shedor Island.

The Violent Tide Knights, representing Shimuin, led by Ortus Hyman, were all equipped with top-grade Exids. Exids boasted excellent performance and abilities, but they also required regular maintenance.

“Ten dwarven artisans and ten apprentices were aboard the transport ship. Only a total of twenty, but they could be considered the essence of all the techniques on Hammer Island. Also, umm, various goods crafted by the dwarves were on board as well,” said Ciel as she explained the situation.

The journey from Hammer Island to Shedor Island required a four-day voyage. However, they had lost communication with the transport ship two days after departure, and the ship had not arrived yet.

The value of even a single dwarf artisan was priceless and couldn’t be measured in terms of money. Dwarves with extraordinary skills were indeed like geese laying golden eggs.

With ten such dwarves and apprentices, along with the various products from Hammer Island, the ship had been thoroughly protected. A unit of the Violent Tide Knights had been present, along with their commander, who was ranked fourth in Shimuin, as well as dozens of high-ranking wizards, including those of the Sixth Circle, and hundreds of ordinary soldiers.

In the first place, the presence of a ship bearing the national flag of Shimuin alone should have deterred any pirate ships.

“The Empress has really crossed the line,” Carmen said while opening and closing the lighter’s lid.

“With the involvement of the dwarf race, Shimuin can no longer tolerate the Empress’ raids. The royal family was pretty desperate for the dwarves to stay in Shimuin, enough to give them an entire island under their own control.”

“Dwarves are a cost-effective race,” Sienna muttered.

Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. She just smirked in response.

“Why do you all look at me like that? Oh, do young folks these days not know much about dwarves?” she asked, half-surprised.

“No… we do know.”

“Look, dwarves, in essence, are a bunch of ugly landlubbers who prefer not to roam the world. Their faces are covered in dirt, and their bodies reek of sweat and stale beer mixed with the smell of tobacco. Their beards are tangled and unkempt. Home to all sorts of bugs.”

Sienna sighed and pinched her nose as if she were imagining the stench.

She continued, “But their craftsmanship is unquestionably impressive. Half-baked dwarven goods can rival those meticulously crafted by master human artisans. Moreover, dwarves have little materialistic desire. They are reluctant to sell their skills for money. They live carefreely, either feasting on endless beer or creating masterpieces if given materials that excite them. That’s why dwarves are a cost-effective race.” .𝒎

“Um… umm.”

“In other words, this kingdom is making the most out of dwarves. They gifted them a small, distant island as a dominion? It might be a beautiful vacation spot with clear skies and picturesque seas. But it wouldn’t be an enormous loss for the kingdom, as the clients would provide the materials for the production requests. Moreover, they could charge hefty commissions. As I said, dwarves are not money-hungry, so Shimuin could take a huge cut of the commission in exchange for things like barrels of beer or whatever….”

Sienna continued with her remarks about dwarves. Her words were laced with disdain. Everyone stared at her, their mouths agape. It couldn’t be helped. Although Sienna was human, she grew up among elves, and elves and dwarves were two completely opposite races with a long history of discord.

“Who did you hear those words from, Lady Sienna?”

“Huh? My older brother told me. Also, I did see dwarves a couple of times three hundred years ago. What I said wasn’t entirely wrong, you know? I still remember. I requested a few daggers from them, and they complained about why a lousy wizard would be swinging a sword….”

Sienna recalled distant memories. Her face expressed a nostalgic sentiment. Of course, Hamel was by her side back then, and Eugene knew the whole story very well.

In the end, the dwarf took a solid beating from Sienna, who had not used her magic and begrudgingly endured the inconvenience to craft her a set of daggers. He had received three barrels of beer as payment.

“Um… well, it’s not to that extent for the dwarves these days,” Ciel said tentatively, trying to shake off her shock. She could not believe she had heard such a strong racial prejudice from the Wise Sienna. “Most dwarves do live on Hammer Island, but that doesn’t mean there are no dwarves on Shedor Island.”

There was a Dwarf Guild on Shedor Island. They were responsible for the primary inspection of requests heading to Hammer Island. Unlike the dwarves on Hammer Island, these were young dwarves who had somewhat accepted the city life.

“The elders of their race were abducted en masse, so the Dwarf Guild is naturally up in arms. They have already declared a strike against all orders from the royal family. If the royal family doesn’t rescue the artisans, they’ll continue the strike against all customer requests and hold protests,” Ciel explained the dwarves’ current situation.

The threat of Iris’ raids had already grown beyond salvageable measures. The fault lay with Shimuin. The kingdom had relinquished its chance to restrain Iris.

“In other words, Eugene, if you intend to kill the Empress, now is the opportune moment,” Ciel said while turning to look at Carmen. “In any case, Sir Ortus has been requesting help from Lady Carmen recently.”

“Help?” asked Eugene.

“It’s quite obvious. He’s asking Lady Carmen to join the expeditionary force against the Empress. Though she may be a foreigner, she is still considered one of the strongest on the continent,” said Ciel.

“I haven’t given my answer yet,” Carmen commented with a shrug, placing the cigar back into her mouth.

Unlike Eugene, who acted as he pleased, Carmen surprisingly had such social norms ingrained in her. She knew the significance of her existence in the Lionheart family. If she were to face a formidable dark elf like Iris, Carmen had to risk her life, so naturally, she needed to consult with the family before committing to such a battle.

If not for meeting Eugene today, Carmen would have already written a letter to her younger brother and the Chief Elder of the family, Klein, and the head of the Lionheart family, Gilead, to discuss participating in the expedition. She might have even left behind a will for Ciel, just in case.

“I thought it wasn’t something I could decide on my own, even though I had enough justification. However… you could be called the great founder’s successor. You, the Hero, the Blood Lion, the Dragon Slayer—”

“Isn’t one or two titles enough?” Eugene asked.

“All three describe you, Eugene Lionheart — the successor of the Great Vermouth. If you truly desire the Empress’ death, the Lionheart clan will unconditionally follow your will,” Carmen declared firmly.

The Great Vermouth, the legendary Hero from three hundred years ago, was the founder of the Lionheart family.

If Eugene Lionheart, the Hero comparable to the great Vermouth, wanted Iris’ demise, then the Lionheart clan would undoubtedly comply with his wishes.

“Well then, Eugene Lionheart. I will arrange a meeting with Ortus as you wish. According to my sources, Ortus is not… entirely clean, but he is not someone who would ally with the Empress,” said Carmen.

“Hmm….”

Eugene pondered for a moment.

Initially, he planned to approach Iris under the guise of a merchant or trade vessel. However, Iris had openly threatened the kingdom’s authority, and the expeditionary force was soon to set sail.

“No. In that case, there seems to be no need for me to meet with Sir Ortus,” said Eugene.

Eugene made his decision.

Why did Iris’ attitude suddenly change?

Three hundred years ago, after the fall of the Demon King of Fury, Iris had become fixated on one goal. The dark elf was one who could truly be considered the epitome of a deep-seated delusion.

Father.

Her goal was the resurrection of the Demon King of Fury. Despite not sharing a single drop of blood, Iris sincerely regarded the Demon King of Fury as her father.

What was ludicrous was that the Demon King of Fury had been the same. The Demon King of Fury had four children. Despite committing terrible atrocities, the Demon King of Fury had loved his children, including Iris. And his children loved him back. Even Eugene couldn’t understand why it happened at the time.

Among the children of Fury, Kamash, the chief of giants, and Sein, the vampire lord, had fallen in the war for their father’s cause.

The remaining two children, Oberon, chief of the beastfolk, and Iris, princess of the dark elves, had been headed for the same fate. Yet, their father, the Demon King of Fury, had sacrificed himself to allow their escape. The inexplicable act had bestowed madness upon Iris’ heart.

Three hundred years passed in a peaceful era without wars, a time when the Demon Kings no longer ravaged the lands.

However, in the depths of Iris’ mind, the dream of Fury being reborn lingered. Since it was impossible to resurrect her father, she sought to become the new Demon King of Fury.

The conflict with Noir Giabella had been driven by such ambitions. But after being defeated and stripped of everything, she found solace in this vast sea, longing for a realm she could rule with her feet firmly planted.

Iris had likely judged that she had gathered sufficient power, meaning she was seeking territory, land on which she could stand and rule.

What else did she require to achieve her goal?

Even the Demon King was still a king; to rule, a king needed not just a title but a domain and subjects. In her pursuit, Iris boldly tempted Shimuin to send a crusade against her.

With no more disguises to hide behind, she sought to provoke Shimuin into action, knowing that it could no longer conceal the truth.

However, this remained an issue only within Shimuin’s realm. Despite being called the Empress, Iris was still a pirate. A nation proud of being the “Kingdom of Knights” would hesitate to seek aid against mere pirates.

“Even if you send an expedition, Iris won’t run away. Her confidence lies in the belief that she can annihilate any number of foes,” Carmen said. She understood Iris’ confidence and determination.

She might capture and enslave the expeditionary forces or even turn the tables and invade Shimuin’s main island.

“I do not doubt Sir Ortus’ abilities, but if a full-scale expedition is assembled, the number of participants will be overwhelming. It will be better to enter unnoticed. The situation is permitting it, after all,” explained Eugene.

If the news of Eugene, the Hero, Kristina, the Saint, and the Wise Sienna joining the expedition became public, Iris might alter her attitude and evade any direct confrontation. 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝘮

“I see,” Carmen acknowledged the point.

The full scale of the expedition was still unknown, but it would undoubtedly involve Shimuin’s naval fleet, along with the Violent Tide Knights in full force. Ambitious warriors aspiring for fame in Shimuin and mercenaries drawn by the scent of money would also join the cause.

“I want to go too,” said Ciel, who had been listening quietly. “I am ranked 7th among the gladiators. Surely, you don’t think my qualifications are inadequate?”

“Ciel,” Carmen called out.

“Lady Carmen, you told me that some things can only be experienced and understood in real combat. Honestly, the battles in this coliseum are more like shows than actual battles. I wondered if things would be different at a higher level, but it seems not,” Ciel interjected.

Ciel was determined not to fall behind.

“Moreover, my brother… he fought in a war with Eugene, didn’t he?” Ciel questioned.

“You silly girl, that was in the forest, and this time, it’s the sea,” Eugene retorted.

“What’s the difference?” Ciel gazed at Eugene with bewilderment.

“Cyan accompanied me in the fight. So what? Cyan’s done it, so does that mean you have to as well?” Eugene asked.

“So I can’t?” Ciel answered with a question of her own.

“N—” Eugene was about to answer but was stopped by Ciel’s determined gaze. It was much like the icy gaze he had seen from her in the northern snowfields. Although not as tearful as back then, her resolute eyes remained just as fierce.

“Sir Eugene,” a voice spoke from the side.

It was Anise. She tilted her head slightly towards Eugene and said, “It’s Ciel’s choice.”

“Hmm….”

“Well, what’s the problem? Hardships are part of life and to be taken when young,” Sienna chimed in, patting Eugene’s back with a chuckle. “This brings back old memories. Ciel, right? You said you’re twenty-one years old?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see, you’ll turn twenty-two in a month, right? Well, I set sail across the sea at your age. That’s right, at your age, I ventured into Helmuth, and oh boy, how much suffering I endured….”

Sienna shivered as she recalled those terrible times. “But those days made me the Wise Sienna I am now. Ah, don’t worry too much. You’re Vermouth’s descendant and the sibling of my successor, Eugene Lionheart. I may not care about others, but I’ll look out for you.”

Despite almost losing her life to Vermouth, Sienna still trusted and considered him a friend. As a result, she found the young descendants, especially the twins who were not yet fully mature, incredibly endearing. She wanted to feed and care for them.

However, Cyan found Sienna’s attention and care burdensome and elusive, often leading him to run away. On the other hand, Ciel had a different temperament. She smiled broadly at Sienna and nodded.

“Yes, thank you, Lady Sienna,” said Ciel.

“No need for such formalities. Get comfortable. Why don’t you call me Sis as well?” responded Sienna.

“No, that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Naturally, Ciel didn’t think she could address Sienna in such a crude manner.

“What do you mean you’ll be looking out for her?” asked Eugene.

“What else, my successor? It means I’ll protect her from that wretched Iris. Don’t tell me you’re jealous, my successor! I’ll make sure to—” said Sienna.

“Geez, we don’t even know if we’ll be able to use magic there. How can you say such things with confidence…?” Eugene interrupted.

“My successor! Even the Demon King of Incarceration couldn’t suppress all my magic. Do you think the Solgalta Sea could, if even he couldn’t do it? Suppress the Wise Sienna? It might be a little inconvenient, but you think it’s possible to take magic away from the Wise Sienna?”

Sienna scoffed and puffed out her chest.

“Remember this well, for this Wise Sienna is magic, and magic is the Wise Sienna,” she proclaimed.

“Heh….”

Eugene could only stammer, shaking his head without finding a suitable response.

𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝑚