Around the circular stone platform in Forge Ash City’s central plaza, dwarf residents who’d heard the news packed in from all sides, with a few human figures occasionally mixed among them.
However, these humans either stood at the very edges or squatted among the crowd. No choice—standing straight and blocking the view of dwarves behind led to disputes.
The people below discussed spiritedly.
“How could young master Badri be dueling a… Puchi?” A young dwarf craftsman craned his neck, muttering in confusion.
“That’s no ordinary Puchi,” a dwarf dressed like an adventurer nearby said with mysterious tone. “That’s the ‘Mushroom Tribe’ the humans created—looks like a Puchi but has brains and fights fiercely too!”
“What Mushroom Tribe? Isn’t it still a Puchi!”
“Having brains can block young master Badri’s axe?”
Clearly, not many on the dwarf side would favor a Puchi.
Suddenly someone asked: “How did this duel come about? Why would the young master have it out with a mushroom?”
Several versions immediately emerged from the crowd.
“I heard the young master took a fancy to that human young lady in the delegation—the pink-haired one, quite beautiful! But she ignored him, so the young master got angry and won’t let the delegation leave!”
“Young Badri is that kind of person?”
“No no, my cousin is on duty at the city gate. He says there are demon spies hidden in the delegation. The young master wanted to inspect but they wouldn’t let him!”
“Bah, what spies! I think it’s just an excuse! Humans are cunning—they definitely started trouble first!”
“But if they started trouble, why send out a Puchi to die?”
Opinions varied.
The honor duel was arranged too hastily. The truth hadn’t spread yet. Among dwarves, there was no shortage of those who loved embellishing tales at taverns and forges. Various bizarre speculations emerged one after another.
On the stone platform, young Badri wore precision steel-forged plate armor and gripped his heavy battle axe, yet his expression grew increasingly dark.
Those fragmentary words drifting into his ears made his eye twitch.
What did they mean he sought love unsuccessfully and became angry from shame?
He couldn’t let such foolish talk spread further!
He suddenly stepped forward. His battle axe struck the ground with a dull massive boom, drowning out the noise below.
“Silence!” His voice like drumbeats, he glared across the crowd, finally pointing toward Inanna at the delegation’s front. “Children of Forge Ash City! I’m not making trouble without cause! This human delegation passes through my city. According to wartime rules, I should inspect their party to prevent demon spies from infiltrating! This is the responsibility of guarding the mountains’ safety!”
“But they repeatedly evaded and refused cooperation! They even claimed our Forge Ash City deliberately made difficulties and actually proposed an honor duel!” He sneered coldly, whirling his massive battle axe in one hand in a circle, pointing at Inanna and the Sword Saint Puchi below the platform. “You want battle? Then battle! But I truly didn’t expect cowardly humans would only dare send a Puchi to its death!”
These words were forceful, instantly reversing opinion.
“So it was to prevent spies!”
“Isn’t inspection proper? Why won’t humans cooperate?”
“Master Badri said it right—going personally is a real man!”
In dwarf concepts, personally entering honor duels was a manifestation of courage, naturally superior to finding substitutes—let alone sending a Puchi in what seemed like a death mission.
Amid deafening shouts and cheers, young Badri took a deep breath, his gaze provocatively fixed on Inanna.
Old Badri, serving as witness and referee, nodded silently, fairly satisfied with his son’s pre-battle speech.
On the other side—
“How dare they look down on us! Let me go! I’ll bomb them to death!”
Inanna tightly hugged No. 4 whose tentacles flailed wildly. Her fingertips skillfully probed beneath its mushroom cap rim for a light tickle. No. 4 instantly deflated like a punctured ball, only a few mycelia still swaying unwillingly.
No choice—if she really let it out, the situation would probably become unmanageable.
After soothing the little one in her arms, Inanna’s hand movements didn’t stop. Her gaze worriedly turned toward the Sword Saint Puchi:
“Little Fourteen… is there really no problem?”
Traveling together all this way, though she knew No. 14’s strength was considerable, she’d never personally witnessed the Sword Saint Puchi fighting with full force.
Each time, No. 14 independently chased cultist traces alone. Upon return, it only blandly mentioned resolving a few. Specific processes and enemy strengths—she knew nothing.
And young Badri’s background had been investigated as thoroughly as Ronan could manage: diamond-level warrior, and among diamond levels, also outstanding.
Add to that the precision heavy armor and battle axe gleaming with enchanted luster…
Inanna truly couldn’t feel at ease.
However, before the Sword Saint could answer, No. 4 slumped in her arms dully spoke first: “Relax… Fourteen is even a bit better than me. Dealing with that tin can definitely no problem. Besides, even if it dies, it’s not a big deal.”
Hearing this, Inanna nodded with a slightly strange expression. Though she knew the Mushroom Tribe could revive, she still hadn’t completely adapted to their nearly casual view of life and death.
At this moment, the Sword Saint Puchi, under all gazes’ observation, slowly walked to the stone platform’s edge.
It looked at those steps requiring a split to climb, hesitated briefly, then lightly leaped onto the platform surface.
Seeing this, old Badri serving as referee was about to speak when he saw that Puchi turn and jump back down.
The Sword Saint Puchi’s tentacles contracted, putting down all four swords it carried on its back.
“Those swords are just decoration?” Young Badri sneered. He knew these Mushroom Tribe could understand speech. “Or did you just now remember to be afraid and want to surrender?”
And Airaven currently just felt stifled!
Before, he’d never lost at verbal sparring. Now he could only listen to the other side blabbering while unable to retort—such great injustice!
The Puchi body had deficiencies after all!
Airaven was very displeased, so he put down those four skill weapons and changed to… a dagger.
An ordinary dagger forged from precision iron, bearing no special effects whatsoever.
Gripping it, he leaped back onto the platform. His mycelial wrist lightly turned, the blade edge carving an arc through the air.
Watching the Sword Saint Puchi play with the dagger as it walked back, young Badri could clearly see the other was mocking him!
“A dagger? Seeking death—I’ll grant it!”
However, old Badri frowned, quietly reminding: “Calm down and fight steadily. Don’t get provoked and let the opponent find openings!”
Old Badri, as a warrior who’d been on battlefields in earlier years with considerable combat experience, had seen too many examples of those who, due to emotions like anger, fear, panic, were ultimately counter-killed by enemies far inferior in strength.
Under his warning, young Badri took two deep breaths, forcibly suppressing boiling fury. His battle axe slowly raised as he properly assumed a starting stance.
Both duel parties stood on the stone platform. Seeing this, old Badri stood between them.
“Witnessed by mountain stone and ancestral forge fire!” Old Badri’s voice was deep, echoing across the plaza. “This is an honor duel, sacred and inviolable. The victor wins glory and claims. The defeated pays price and dignity.”
He paused slightly, ensuring every word could clearly reach the crowd below.
“Challenger, human delegation leader Inanna Saint-Clair—claim: Demand Forge Ash City apologize and grant passage according to propriety without further obstruction.”
“Respondent, Forge Ash City defender young Badri Deepforge—claim: Defend inspection rights, expel Inanna, never again permit entry to the mountains.”
His gaze swept across both duel parties one final time: “Until one side surrenders, falls unable to continue fighting, or falls off the platform—only then does battle cease. If injury or death occurs due to honor duel, no future recourse permitted. Do both sides object?”
Young Badri heavily struck his battle axe once to show no objection.
The Sword Saint Puchi merely tilted its mushroom cap slightly.
“Good!”
Old Badri retreated several steps to the platform edge, then took a deep breath. His arm fell.
“Duel—begin!”
Young Badri stepped forward. His battle axe was about to swing!
However, in his vision—the enemy’s figure had disappeared?!
Simultaneously, a “puchi” sound came from behind.
Immediately after, his hand suddenly lightened.
He looked down in shock to see the battle axe severed from the handle. The front half heavily struck the stone platform with a “clang” thud.
This wasn’t finished yet.
A series of metal disintegration, buckle breakage, and armor plate falling sounds, like a pushed-over blacksmith’s shelf, simultaneously erupted across his body!
The heavy metal protective gear all over his body clattered off completely, crashing at his feet.
Mountain wind brushed young Badri’s exposed skin, making him feel a trace of coolness.
In just one instant, young Badri’s entire body was left with only shorts and half an axe handle.
“Huh?”
(End of Chapter)
