She Who Became Immortal

The dwarf was a sturdy, strong little man – think of your typical dwarf from Earth stories, you know?

He was about my height, but seemed to weigh three times as much.

His name was Dubil Ganon.

"Milady Serena. And... two demons, and a human...?"

Boldly stepping into the forge, Dubil first addressed the fox, Serena, then glanced at Junos, Jainos, and finally at me.

"Hi there, nice to meet you. I'm Euphemia Grimwood. Behind me are Junos and Jainos. You must be Dubil Ganon, right?"

"What brings you here? You seem to know Lady Serena..."

Frowning deeply, Dubil crossed his arms, showing caution. But he was probably willing to talk because of Serena.

But just being 'Serena's acquaintances' wasn't enough.

"We're here for the blacksmith. No other reason. Serena mentioned knowing a blacksmith, so she brought us here to meet you. What do you say, old dwarf? Will you craft for us?"

"What? Lady Serena, what is this human girl talking about?"

He seemed really uncomfortable.

But I didn't really care. If I worried about every little thing, I wouldn't belong here.

"Regardless of what she said, there's no hidden meaning. Hard to believe, but she means exactly what she says."

"You want me to forge?"

"You're a blacksmith, right, old dwarf?"

I said with a smile.

"Living quite well, aren't you? I can provide fur, meat, logs – whatever you need. Even if you had money, what do you think?"

"I won't be anyone's slave."

"I'm not asking for a slave. I want a respected neighbor."

"..."

Dubil stared at me intensely, but I had no reason to back down, so I kept smiling.

Silence... maybe about ten seconds.

Then, a deep sigh, and Dubil reached out his thick hand to me like a handshake.

So, I shook his hand almost instinctively.

Even though we were close in height, my small hand and the dwarf's thick hand felt completely different.

"No, show me the axe of that demon man over there. His axe on his waist seems like demon sword quality. No need to reforge it. But your axe seems clumsy."

"You can tell just like that, huh? Well, we cleared about four hundred trees for the settlement. It might have taken a beating."

"Using a battle axe for logging?"

"I even used swords. The demon race's strength comes in handy for this."

"...I see. Indeed, it looks like a blacksmith is needed. I'll forge axes or anything else you need. Especially for logging."

Dubil muttered with a mix of surprise and annoyance.

I couldn't tell exactly what he was feeling, but as I kept my hand on his, I smiled again.

And then, having secured the blacksmith, we returned to the wilderness settlement to reward Dubil. We handed over monster furs from our journey, some smoked meats we had prepared, and promised to provide wood and assistance as needed.

Dubil's output included five axes, several knives, and various kitchen items like pots, pans, and skewers. Since gathering everything at once wasn't feasible, we planned to collect items whenever we brought supplies to the forge.

"This marks our first step towards civilized living," I said cheerfully, though no one seemed to share my sentiment.

"So, Euphemia, what are your plans exactly?" Serena asked, looking like she was recovering from a hangover.

But I didn't have many concrete answers.

"I just want to enjoy life. No schemes, evil thoughts, or ambitions."

In reality, pioneering in the wilderness was surprisingly enjoyable. Using demons' strength to fell trees, building houses, and living a primitive life in a magical world felt easier than I expected. Pioneering on easy mode was almost like playing a game.

I wanted more elaborate forms of entertainment. That's why we needed a blacksmith, and I craved salt. There were other desires too, although whether I truly needed them was debatable.

"You're so directionless and random... It's frustrating," Serena remarked.

"What a harsh thing to say, fox."

"You've been roasted by me fifty times, and yet, you're still the same. You say you have no goals. Essentially, you're adrift. What else can I call it but frustrating?"

"Hmph. I know what to call the actions of a charming girl like me."

"And what's that?"

"Wonderful, isn't it?"

"No, it's 'awful'."

With a furrowed brow, Serena's lips curved slightly.

Three days later, a pig-like orc man arrived at the settlement with news that Serena and Kirina had been captured by a werewolf tribe.