An ancient legend has been passed down in the land of the dwarves, the short folk who make their homes midway up the Sky Mountains.

『In ages long past, there lived a great dwarf through whose veins flowed the blood of steel.』

It was an old legend known even to dwarf children.

『Beloved by iron, the great dwarf could devour the souls dwelling within it and take them into his body. In his age, none dared belittle us dwarves as mere short folk. Even giants could not look down upon us.』

Though countless dwarves knew it, they dismissed the legend as a fanciful tale passed from mouth to mouth.

『We must not forget that glorious age. And we must remember this.』

But some dwarves knew.

『When the master of steel returns, we shall stand tall once more. Our humiliation beneath the heavens shall end, and we shall no longer have to live in fear of the masters of the sky.』

It was no fabricated tale. It was history that had truly taken place.

『Do not forget, dwarves, that the Age of Steel has been forgotten.』

For reasons unknown, it had vanished from the continent's history, but the 「Age of Steel」 had undeniably existed. The continent's inhabitants had forgotten it, and every record had disappeared as though excised with a blade. Yet that glorious age had existed. That was the truth.

And now...

“So the Caravans truly did survive.”

The dwarf clad in black iron armor, Dwight the Iron Man, was one of the few who knew that truth.

“I never imagined I would meet one in my lifetime, descendant of steel.”

The moment Dwight discerned the identity of the person before him, he withdrew all his killing intent. Instead, he behaved with the utmost courtesy. First, he removed the helmet concealing his face. A luxuriant beard spilled out, revealing his bare face. Then he extended a hand as thick as a cauldron lid.

“It is an honor.”

Dwight gave a manly smile.

“From here on, I shall escort you.”

* * *

The dwarf in pitch-black armor introduced himself as Dwight, then lifted us out of the trap and led us away. Once we were safely aboveground, the other dwarves' attention swung toward us. Questions filled their eyes, and they did not leave those questions unspoken.

“Why are you letting them out of the trap? Without even taking their identification tags?”

Dwight's answer was simple.

“I shall handle this.”

Amazingly, the other dwarves accepted that answer despite its complete lack of explanation. They neither complained nor asked further questions, merely nodding and saying, “Understood,” before withdrawing. It was remarkable. At the sight, Liam spoke.

「He is probably a general. Even among dwarves, only a general could cover his entire body in black iron.」

“...”

「You were lucky.」

A general.

Even I, who knew little of military ranks, knew that word. I did not know exactly how high it was, but I knew it was so far above me that I would not dare even look up at it.

But that did not matter now. What difference did it make whether that dwarf was a common soldier or a general?

At that moment, my Suspicion spawned countless questions.

Why had this oh-so-illustrious dwarf general suddenly become so friendly merely because I had revealed myself as a Caravan? Was it remotely reasonable that being a Caravan alone could get me out of this crisis in an instant? What on earth was happening...?

As though he had read those unspoken questions, Liam said,

「Do not trouble yourself with needless worries, young descendant.」

“...”

「It is because you do not know.」

“What don't I know?”

I asked in a whisper, and the answer came at once.

「What the name Caravan means to dwarves.」

That still fell short of properly answering my questions. But whether I harbored doubts or not, events were moving swiftly.

“This should do.”

Dwight, who had been leading the way and telling us to follow, stopped upon reaching an isolated part of the forest. There were no dwarf fighters here, nor any of the other races battling frantically. Only the three of us remained. Dwight turned and looked at us in silence.

As the silence lingered, Seolyun spoke in my place.

“Are you going to kill us? You'd better not. The orcs act like lunatics anyway, but if you did that, you'd earn the 「Arena」's ire. If the Arena found out you'd broken convention when you could have let us go alive, the dwarves would suffer greatly too. As you know, the Arena consumes a considerable share of the steel city's weapons. If it set its mind to it, even dwarven weapons...”

Seolyun spoke with a serious expression.

But...

“Pwahaha! This human girl says the funniest things. Why would I kill a descendant of steel? Do not say such things, even in jest.”

Dwight burst into loud laughter, as though he had heard an amusing joke. Wiping away the tears that had escaped his eyes, he said,

“A dwarf killing a descendant of steel. The mere thought is horrifying.”

“...?”

“If I did that, the Land of Swords would claim my soul after I died. I would rather not even think about it. Better to go to Hell, hehehe.”

“Then why did you bring us all the way out here...?”

Seolyun looked baffled as she spoke.

In truth, I shared her question. Why had Dwight gone to the trouble of bringing us here while fierce fighting raged? He soon answered the question on both our minds.

“I wanted to speak somewhere beyond the reach of others' ears.”

“Speak about...?”

“Ah, it is not the human girl I wish to speak with. So please keep quiet for a moment.”

With that, Dwight turned his head sharply to look at me.

“Descendant of steel, for what purpose did you enter the 「Racial Duels」?”

His eyes sparkled.

“Speak honestly. There is no need to deceive me. I ask because I wish to help.”

“You wish to help...?”

“We dwarves did not come here to win, in any case. We came to make up the numbers, as convention requires, and to advertise our new weapons while we were at it. There is no better place than these 「Racial Duels」 to unveil a new weapon.”

“...”

“So speak freely. If victory is what the descendant of steel desires, I shall personally send the short folk under my command to find the other races' kings. Then I shall hand over the dwarves' number 444 identification tag as well. If you cannot trust me, I can swear an oath. An Oath of Flame, pledging the souls of my mother and my sons and daughters to the goddess Sergen.”

He had gone so far as to offer an oath invoking a goddess's name.

The instant I heard it, I knew.

Dwight was speaking the truth. No people on this continent were mad enough to pledge their families to a goddess in a false oath. Were dwarves not especially renowned for their devout faith in Sergen, goddess of flame? His words could not be lies.

I considered it for a moment, then spoke honestly. Truth ought to be answered with truth, after all.

“I came in search of trials.”

Dwight stroked his beard at my answer.

“Trials. I see! The legends say that descendants of steel are like heated blades. They possess the nature of steel, growing harder and stronger the more they are hammered...”

“That is correct.”

“From what I can see, you have not been wielding a sword for very long. It appears you have yet to form even a pair of wings.”

Dwight had judged my level precisely.

“Once a sword has been placed in the furnace and begun to heat, it must be hammered without rest. Its quality depends upon how carefully it is forged. It seems you are in much the same position, descendant of steel.”

“...”

“Hoho, I am not belittling you, so please take no offense. I know full well that the blood of steel grows very slowly, unlike the bloodlines of the other 「Great Families」. While descendants of those other families can reach 「sword runner」 simply by breathing, those who inherit the blood of steel can gain strength only after grueling trials that grind them to the bone.”

I listened silently to Dwight. But one phrase caught my attention.

Families whose members could reach 「sword runner」 simply by breathing?

I had never even heard of such a thing. What kind of monstrous...?

「He means the continent's Five Great Families. In the past, Caravan was one of the five, but after we vanished from history, they threw in some riffraff to make up the numbers.」

“...”

「Do not look at me like that. Do you not know how meaningless accomplishments gained without effort are? Granted, we have to struggle like fucking mad compared to those bastards who get everything for nothing... but when we reach the end, those fuckers cannot hold a candle to Caravan.」

For some reason, Liam sounded as though he were making excuses. I listened to him with a sidelong look.

Master never lied about swords, so it must have been true. Even so, I could not help being sick with envy. Didn't that mean they could grow strong in no time simply by breathing, without dangling from cliffs drenched in sweat, training until their hearts nearly burst, or fighting an endless succession of life-or-death duels...?

“Haha. Judging by your expression, you did not know of the blessing flowing through the blood of the five families. But there is no need to envy them too much.”

“...”

“No matter how easily and swiftly they grew stronger, the Age of Steel always came in the end. There was always only one at the pinnacle, descendant of steel.”

Dwight smiled brightly. With a chuckle, he added,

“I have rambled on about trivialities. Then there is only one thing you need me to do? Ensure that you can undergo your trials in these 「Racial Duels」 to the fullest?”

“I would be grateful.”

“Aha, so that is why you revealed your identity. Being eliminated after a fierce battle is one thing, but falling to a dwarf trap would be such a waste of time...”

“Yes.”

“I can certainly help with that. I shall tell you how to avoid our traps, then guard you until you reach a safe place so that you are not eliminated for nothing. I believe that will be just enough. Too much help from us would make your trials far too easy.”

“That will be enough.”

Dwight smiled and nodded at my answer. Then he said,

“You must find this situation strange, descendant of steel.”

“Pardon?”

“A dwarf you have never met hears your family's name and immediately offers such devoted help. You might even worry that I am deceiving you.”

“...”

“But you need not worry. Whatever may be true of other races, we dwarves have a duty to do this. Yes, we dwarves, at least...”

For some reason, Dwight's expression turned bitter.

“Descendant of steel.”

“Yes.”

“When your wings sprout, come to the Land of Steel midway up the Sky Mountains. The sword you wield now is certainly excellent, but it will be somewhat lacking once you reach 「sword runner」.”

“Thank you.”

“And...”

After accepting my thanks, Dwight opened his mouth to say something. But his expression soon hardened, and he shook his head and closed his mouth.

“... No. Never mind.”

“Weren't you about to say something?”

“It was unnecessary. Not something to bring up now.”

“You can tell me.”

“On reflection, it is far too early. Later. Once you have become sufficiently hardened, descendant of steel, I shall broach it carefully. Hoho.”

Dwight smiled wryly. An odd atmosphere hung between us as he spoke again.

“Descendant of steel.”

“Yes.”

“There is one thing I am curious about. May I ask?”

I nodded. Then he asked,

“... How old are you?”

“Pardon? Why do you—”

“Are you past eighteen?”

He had said something I could not simply brush aside.

“... There is something troubling me.”

Something troubling him.

It was not hard to guess what.

“A terrifying wave of bloodshed is sweeping the Iron Kingdom. I hear that at its center stands the Iron Prince's executioner. The most powerful swordmaster in all of history, the indomitable sentinel who guards the Iron Kingdom...”

Swordmaster Carlos.

“I can roughly discern when you first took up the sword, descendant of steel. And strangely enough, it seems to coincide with the beginning of that bloodshed in the Iron Kingdom.”

My sworn enemy.

“... Descendant of steel, did the Iron Prince's executioner visit 「Caravan」?”

I answered his cautious question immediately.

“Does that matter?”

There was anger in my tone.

“It matters somewhat.”

“May I ask why?”

“I intended to return to the dwarves' land as soon as the Racial Duels ended and marshal everything at our disposal to help you. Our arms, our resources, our connections—whatever we had, so that you could grow even a little faster.”

“...”

“But if the Iron Prince's executioner has visited Caravan, if that monster has his eye on you... we cannot offer you our full support. We will only be able to give you very modest assistance. That is why I ask. I am sorry.”

Dwight looked genuinely apologetic.

I looked at him and said,

“An entire race fears a single individual?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

A brief silence passed. Then came the answer.

“Because he is a swordmaster.”

And once again, I heard that tiresome sentence etched deep into my heart.

“Because only a swordmaster can kill a swordmaster...”

* * *

「Do not take it too hard, young descendant. It is only natural.」

“...”

「That swordmaster Carlos is the strange one to begin with. Swordmasters ordinarily do not involve themselves in worldly affairs. He is the bizarre one, swinging his sword at the kingdom's bidding like a soldier in its army.」

“...”

「The dwarves have shown great courage in doing even this much. You do not yet know what a swordmaster is. You do not know what they can do, or the meaning carried by that name.」

Master was right. There was still far too much I did not know.

“Little Gladiator.”

“...”

“There was a lot in that conversation I didn't understand. But I won't ask. You have your own circumstances, and I've decided to understand your story through your sword rather than hear it from your lips.”

“...”

“I'll watch your sword to the very end. At your side.”

Even Seolyun's words barely reached me.

Was it because the dwarf, who had seemed ready to bestow something tremendous upon Caravan, had suddenly changed his tune? No. Nothing had changed. If anything, they had helped me without asking for anything in return. I ought to be grateful.

So this anger was not caused by the dwarves.

It was simply... simply anger at myself.

Despite all my efforts, I still could not stand against Swordmaster Carlos. The man who had taken everything from me still reigned as the terror of the continent. Though he lived spreading violence, he continued to prosper without punishment. Everyone feared him. Yet the world passed no judgment upon him.

I could not accept the logic of this world gone wrong.

“You will be safe if you leave that way. Be careful not to take a wrong turn and run into the orcs. One misstep could mean a violent death...”

A great deal of time had passed since that day.

“Take care—”

“General! We have a crisis!”

My once-scrawny body had grown sturdy. I had gained a second heart containing the power of steel, and a strong, unbending 「path」. Even the soul of an ancestor more dependable than anyone was helping me.

“The orcs! Those crazy green bastards are charging toward the outskirts of the forest!”

“What? Why would they—”

“I don't know! They've got the advantage just holding the center, so I have no idea why they're pulling this f***ing shit!”

My face had lost some of its boyishness. My body, which could once have been mistaken for a woman's at a glance, now looked like a young man's.

But it seemed I had not grown at all. I still had not escaped being Arhan the boy. The boyhood I had thought was over was still continuing.

“The fortress! Defend the fortress!”

“It's not just the orcs! Demonkin, elves, Beastfolk—they're all mixed up in the fighting...”

“Fucking—”

The reason was simple. Since that day, time had not moved forward for me at all. My body had grown and I had gained strength, but I had not grown up.

The boy had not grown.

“You fucking bastards!”

I had not changed at all.

The mere fact that I was breathing in the same world as him was still unbearable. I could not accept that the devilish bastard lived amid praise. I could not stand idly by and watch this world go wrong. No matter how I thought about it, I could not accept it.

“Descendant of steel, get out of here at once. It is too dangerous.”

“Little Gladiator, we need to go now. If we run into the orcs, we won't survive.”

There were far too many things I could not accept. That was why, back then, I had reached a clear conclusion.

I had broken the last promise and oath I made to my mother.

“No.”

I slowly turned around. Beyond the darkness, a deafening clamor rang out. I heard screams and saw red blood and flesh scattered through the air. There was struggle there. Unending struggle.

And Master had told me that Caravans grew through struggle.

“I will fight.”

“That is reckless. If you die—”

“I might. But if I don't, I will grow stronger. Incomparably stronger than I am now. The blood of steel hardens the more it is hammered.”

Then I must not avoid struggle.

Everyone I loved had told me that only a swordmaster could kill a swordmaster.

So I had decided to become one.

“Did you say you would stay with me to the end? Then let's go together, Seolyun.”

The road to becoming a swordmaster was far too long. I did not have much time. So I had to hammer my soul harder still.

“We must fight.”

I had to become stronger.

「... That is right.」