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75. Three Answers

「And their behavior was so bad that even if you tripled their reputation it wouldn’t be enough to offset it.」

「……Huh?」

「They get angry because they drink alcohol, they get angry because the quality of the ore is bad, they get angry because the ore is good, they get angry because the sky is blue, they get angry because that’s how they felt when they woke up in the morning.」

「It’s amazing that you managed to coexist in the forest.」

「The werewolves had the power to suppress them so they fared better, but the forest elves who were more susceptible to damage recorded that–」

「[Space Jump], activate.」

Since the story seemed like it would drive a fissure between the relationship between the werewolves and the dwarves, I sent Shizuku’s voice into the sky.

But it seemed like no dwarves were paying attention to us, which made me feel relieved. We would have gotten into trouble if they accused us of being rude.

「Even the dwarves used to say that the werewolves were “dogs who grew to wield the sword with their hands instead of their mouths”.」

「Haha, seems like your two were on really good terms, but that was a long time ago. There’s no way they would still say something like that.」

After saying that, I realized something.

The dwarves weren’t paying any attention to us before despite all the fuss we were making. Isn’t it strange that they don’t even look at us when we are talking about them?

The reason why I brought Shizuku along despite the risk was not only because of her own wishes, but also because I thought that it would be easier to approach the dwarves if another demi-human was present. However, the only people who looked at us with curiosity were the human passersby. The dwarves just concentrated on themselves and didn’t seem interested at all.

「Koe-san, could I ask you a favor?」

「Yes, master.」

Feeling confused, I asked Koe-san to call out to the nearest dwarf. He was flipping through a book about astrology or something on a bench.

「Excuse me, sir, may I have a moment?」

「Yes, what is it?」

A calm and rational response.

「We are travelers. We are touring and learning the customs of the demi-humans to compile them in a book.」

「Well, well.」

「From what I can see, it seems like your life is quite different from the traditional dwarf life. I wonder if you have any confusion or dissatisfaction.」

I thought it might be a difficult question to answer, but the answer came surprisingly quickly.

「Not at all. I am living an incredibly civilized and fulfilling life. I have no complaints.」

「Is that so? Sorry to interrupt your reading. Have a nice day.」

「Yes, have a nice day.」

I asked Koe-san what she thought of the conversation as soon as she returned, and she said that she didn’t find anything particularly unnatural about it. Angelina, who had been watching the exchange intently, tilted her head as she adjusted the collar of her coat.

「He’s a lot more of a gentleman than the higher-ups at the Academy. It’s almost creepy.」

Creepy… It’s unusual for Angelina to use such abstract expressions, and I myself actually felt something a bit out of place. I don’t know if it has anything to do with our main purpose, but I felt like it shouldn’t be overlooked.

「Everyone, spread out as widely as possible and ask the dwarves in the city the same thing. Record their reactions word for word and bring them back. Shizuku, you go with me, just in case.」

We split up in the morning.

The information was brought back in the afternoon. Shizuku and I brought information from 18 people, Koe-san was 45 people, and Angelina was 2 people. After tallying up the responses from 65 dwarves, one fact emerged.

「There are only three answers.」

The answer to the question of whether you are dissatisfied with your new life.

『Not at all. I am living an incredibly civilized and fulfilling life. I have no complaints.』

『That is not true. I am satisfied with my civilized life.』

『No, I am grateful for being granted a civilized life.』

The answers from a total 65 people were only these three. Word for word.

「When Geli tried to call out to them, nobody even noticed. But this is abnormal…」

It seems that Angelina had a difficult time catching their attention because she was easily mistaken for a dwarf. A tall dwarf woman is described to be close to Angelina in terms of body frame.

In any case, what Angelina said was right. This was obviously abnormal.

「There must be a reason or cause to it.」

「So what could be the cause?」

Speech control or education? There are several possibilities, but it’s still too early to decide.

There is some kind of secret surrounding the dwarves of this city. It might have something to do with the dwarf girl who is supposedly being held prisoner somewhere here. We have to gather more information. As I was about to share my thoughts, a voice called out from behind.

「Is there a problem, traveler?」

The man’s voice was gentle but piercing.

Since there was a large amount of information in this town, I toned down my sensing skills to the bare minimum. Still, it shouldn’t be so easy to get behind me without me noticing. As I turned around, I found a warrior donning an armor.

「…!!」

All of us fell silent.

A strangely shaped full body armor which doesn’t cover the head. At his waist was an ostentatious long sword. We know of the organization with these characteristics.