Chapter 116: The Dwarves Keep Multiplying (Sob)
“Geo-kun! You’ve come again!”
Before I even reached the door, Io-san came bounding out of the house, her energy practically radiating around her. She always seems to know when I’m coming. How does she do that?
“Yes… um, actually, there’s a guest—”
“Io-sama!”
Before I could even finish explaining, the beastmen, unable to contain themselves, barged in.
“! You guys…!? Why are you here!?”
“We followed Io-sama’s scent! We’re so glad you’re safe!”
“And you’ve made it here in one piece too…”
They embraced each other, tears shining in their eyes. I didn’t know the full story, but the emotion of this reunion was clear—heartwarming, touching.
…I shouldn’t ruin the moment.
I decided it would be better to ask the details another time. Quietly, I slipped away, leaving them to their reunion.
“Hmm… looks like a few monsters have started coming back.”
Resuming my method for leveling up my automated garden, I continued to defeat monsters one after another.
But there’s a catch: in order for this to work, part of the barrier must remain open. That means someone could accidentally wander in. Earlier it was fine, since it was someone Io-san knew, but I’ll have to think about precautions for the future.
…Then again, this is right next to a monster-infested area.
Such encounters are rare, and worrying too much probably isn’t useful—
“What the—!? This place!?”
“A farm? But why in a place like this!?”
Right on cue, someone else had wandered in!
This time, it was dwarves.
Could they be acquaintances of Wide-san? I hoped not…
“Um… hello. I’ve been growing a personal garden here for certain reasons. And you are…?”
“As you can see, we are traveling dwarves. We are searching for someone exiled from our village.”
“Exiled…?”
“Yes. Despite having exceptional blacksmithing skills, they angered the village elder due to their… rather eccentric ways.”
I’d heard that story somewhere before. No mistaking it—this had to be Wide-san…
“And we are those who revere him. We are traveling in pursuit, hoping to persuade him to return to the village.”
Searching for an exile whose location was completely unknown… that takes more courage than most could muster.
To think there were people who admired that eccentric so deeply… Wide-san’s skill must truly be top-tier.
…What a pity, really.
But perhaps, if these people can convince him, Wide-san might reconsider his ways.
I allowed myself that hope as I spoke to the dwarves in front of me.
“I think I might know who you mean. Is the person called Wide-san?”
“!? You know him!?”
“Yes. Actually, he’s here, in this garden.”
And so, I decided to guide them to Wide-san.
“““Th-this…!”””
The dwarves froze in stunned silence.
…Wide-san had gone and made even more strange things.
Around his heavily modified home, mysterious objects sprouted like a forest. The place felt as if I had stepped into another world entirely.
Hmm… I thought that maybe his own kind could convince him to change, but looking at this, it seems almost impossible. Maybe me casually providing materials had only accelerated Wide-san’s rampage…
“Uh… he should be somewhere around here…”
Feeling a pang of guilt at the dwarves’ stunned expressions, I spoke gently. Their bodies were trembling from shock…
“““Su…”””
“Su?”
“““Sublimeeee!”””
“…Huh!?”
I almost couldn’t believe my ears at their sudden exclamations.
Sublime? What? How…?
“What marvelous creations these are!”
“So this… this is what Wide-sama has been striving for… art!”
“Now I finally understand… the meaning of him abandoning blacksmithing for the pursuit of art!”
“Wide-sama is indeed a genius! No, a grand genius!”
Wait, what!? Why are these dwarves so… inspired?
Calling it ‘art’—but none of this even makes sense! How can they see anything good in this!?
Just then, as if responding to their shouts, Wide-san’s face popped out from the mouth of a frog-like mysterious object.
…Wait, you can go inside that thing?
“Hmph? You all… what is your purpose? Surely you haven’t come to drag me back? This is my heaven—I have no intention of leaving.”
Wide-san’s sharp perception anticipated their goal, and he preemptively rejected it.
But one of the dwarves shook his head vehemently.
“I left the village with that intention—but I’ve just abandoned that thought! Wide-sama! I wish to pursue the path of art alongside you!”
No, no, no! You definitely shouldn’t do that! For your own good, stop!
My silent pleas went unheeded. One by one, the dwarves declared their intentions.
“I feel the same! After seeing such magnificent works, there’s no way I could resist!”
“Ah, I want to strike my former self, who mocked art!”
Wide-san, suddenly surrounded by such glowing praise from his own kind, now wore a full, triumphant grin.
“Ah! So now you finally understand the value of my art! Very well! You too shall pursue art here, if you wish!”
Don’t just decide that yourself! This is my personal garden!
“But know this: I can teach you almost nothing! Art is the explosion of one’s own soul! It cannot be done at the command of another!”
“““Yes, Wide-sama!”””