Trash Prince and Ice Queen 10th Re - Life

The atmosphere in the room turned a bit tense as everyone went silent. Ard and Eva kept thinking, weighing the decision they had to make, because no matter what they chose, there would certainly be pros and cons. Irina remained quiet in the middle without saying a word, while Hardim simply waited calmly, sitting in front of them with his legs swaying slightly as he sipped his drink. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

After nearly an hour, Ard and Eva finally turned to look at one another. They nodded to each other and turned to face Hardim together. Irina waited for what Ard and Eva were about to say; she looked at Ard, then looked at Eva.

"If we were to help, what would we have to do?" Ard asked.

"Are you willing to help us? The dwarven race?" Hardim asked.

"Answer my question first," Ard replied.

"Very well. First of all, we go to the Kingdom of Grimgrath and meet with King Murmic II Goldshield to discuss their plans. I will personally escort you there," Hardim said.

"Hmm... I see how it is," Ard muttered.

The room fell silent once more. Ard and Eva went back into thought, but this time it was clear they had made up their minds. They looked back at Hardim.

"Alright, we agree to help because we’re also tasked with securing the Githiess egg—orders from the Dragon God. When do we leave?" Ard asked.

"Oh, one more thing. Me, Ard, and Irina aren’t alone. There are ten others with us," Eva added.

"That’s not a problem. But are you sure your friends won’t have an issue helping us?" Hardim asked.

"Hmm... we’ll talk to them after this. But please, don’t treat them like those curious humans who wander into the Kingdom of Grimgrath and aren’t allowed to leave. They are all with us, and we can guarantee they aren’t looking for trouble," Eva answered.

"That’s right. Please, give us your word on that first. We don’t want to be stuck there forever; we still have matters to settle out here," Ard added.

Hardim thought for a moment while studying the faces of Ard and Eva, who looked serious and certain in their intent to help, even though they were ultimately just carrying out a mission. Then, he raised his hand to stroke his beard, staring blankly at the table as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. A moment later, Hardim looked back at Ard and Eva with a sharp gaze.

"Fine, I will help discuss this with King Murmic II. No need to worry. But I need to remind you—the dwarven race has lived underground for a long time and never interacts with the outside world. So please, tell your friends not to be shocked if we are very friendly... by which I mean picking fights, talking trash, and maybe mocking your physical appearance," Hardim said bluntly.

"Oh... I see," Ard and Eva muttered.

"Correct. Especially the women—don’t you dare mention their beards, because it’s a very sensitive subject. Even we men don’t dare discuss their beards unless it’s to offer a compliment," Hardim replied while stroking his own long beard.

"Hmm... really? But most of our friends are girls. Won’t the dwarven men hit on them?" Ard asked.

"Do your lady friends have beards?" Hardim asked.

"Of course not. You know that human girls couldn’t possibly have beards... like this," Ard answered while pointing to the faces of Eva and Irina beside him.

"Hmm," Hardim studied Eva and Irina’s faces. He examined their features, their smooth skin, their hair, and in Irina’s case, her unique horns. Then he leaned back, his face clearly showing that he wasn’t interested at all, even though Eva and Irina were exceptionally beautiful.

"Well... don’t worry. As long as there’s no beard, you’re safe. Besides, whether it’s a girl from the human race, elf, dark elf, vampire, or even a demon, they won’t make a dwarf like me feel any lust. To us, they’ll never grow up; they’ll always be children because they lack facial hair," Hardim said bluntly.

Ard sounded incredibly relieved, but Eva and Irina clenched their fists on their knees. Though they were smiling, it was the kind of smile that made people uncomfortable; they felt insulted at being told they lacked facial hair and would always be like children who never grew up, even if, deep down, they also felt a small sense of grateful relief.

"Oh... but there aren’t any elves or dark elves among you, right? Personally, I don’t mind, but not all dwarves can accept them. Back in the day, we dwarves fought wars against them, and even now, there are those who just can’t let it go," Hardim said.

Ard and Eva immediately turned to look at each other. Of course, there was an elf among them—Pyria. But then they suddenly remembered that Pyria could disguise herself as a human and used the name Patricia. They turned their attention back to Hardim.

"Don’t worry, Guild Master, there are no elves or dark elves among us," Ard said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Very well. How about we head out tomorrow? You should go prepare and let your friends know. After that, please tell me what you all decide," Hardim said.

"Alright, Guild Master, we’ll discuss it with the others first. But I can guarantee they won’t refuse, and we will still help the dwarven race. That is already my decision and hers," Ard replied, pointing toward Eva’s face.

"Thank you for your willingness to help us... the dwarven race, in ending this long war, Hero Ashton and Hero Esmeralda," Hardim muttered respectfully.

"Hey, my name is Ard and she is Eva. We aren’t Ashton and Esmeralda anymore, please remember that," Ard said while pointing at Eva’s face, only for her to swat his finger away.

"Please don’t keep pointing at my face like that... unless you want to die," Eva said, her voice sharp and annoyed.

"Oops... sorry," Ard replied.

After that, they said their goodbyes to Hardim and walked out of the guild to head back to Mirea’s house on the other side of town. Once they arrived, Ard, Eva, and Irina—who now revealed herself and admitted she had followed them at the Dragon God’s request—met with Alicia, Irwin, Mirea, Milia, Patricia, Geoffrey, Claudia, Ainsley, Beatrice, Rosalind, and Adeline. In the living room of Mirea’s house, with the door locked for privacy and secrecy, they immediately shared the results of their discussions with Bhadra and Hardim, while also explaining that Hardim was actually a dwarf.

Naturally, they listened intently from start to finish, but their expressions shifted constantly. They went from relief to tears upon hearing that the curse on Mirea’s family had been lifted, to pure shock regarding the situation in the Kingdom of Grimgrath—a legendary kingdom turned real—and the location of the Githiess egg within the underworld known as Le Rien Infernal.

They were further stunned by what they were expected to do in that kingdom and the task of ending a war that had been raging for 500 years. They also looked quite confused while listening to the description of the dwarves living there, along with Hardim’s specific warnings about his own kind.

"So that’s how it is... I’ll keep being Patricia, you don’t need to worry about me," said Patricia, who was actually Pyria.

"But seriously, do dwarven women actually have beards? Besides, what exactly does a dwarf look like? I’m getting curious," Geoffrey muttered, lost in thought.

"Hey... we were just told not to bring up female dwarven beards and here you are talking about it," Irwin scolded.

"I want to go. If it’s just a matter of coarse language, it’s no problem for me; we barbarians speak coarsely too," Claudia added.

"Yep, exactly. I really want to head down there as soon as possible. We leave tomorrow, right?" Alicia asked enthusiastically.

"Wow... for the first time, I’m proud of my homeland, the Kingdom of Durnhill, for being the gateway to the underworld... truly impressive. Respect to the Prince of Durnhill," Milia said, turning to look at Geoffrey with a wide, mocking grin and a salute.

"Hey... don’t call me prince. I’m not a prince," Geoffrey said, annoyed.

"I’m going to talk to my mom for a moment. I want to tell her I’m leaving tomorrow and that I’ll definitely be back," Mirea said, standing up and walking out without waiting.

"Remember, Princess Beatrice, keep your mouth shut there. You have a habit of being too blunt. If you see a bearded woman, do not laugh... you’d better not cause any trouble," Rosalind warned, pressing her index finger against Beatrice’s forehead.

"Grr... I know. Why are you always like that to me? If anything, I want to see what a dwarven woman looks like," Beatrice said crossly, folding her arms across her chest with a pout.

"I want to see too... let’s look together, Beatrice," Adeline said, holding Beatrice’s hand.

"My warning applies to you as well, Princess Adeline," Rosalind said.

"Yes, Sister Rosalind," Adeline replied.

"We leave tomorrow, Ard, which means we need to get ready now," Ainsley said seriously, adjusting her glasses.

Seeing the attitude of his friends—who seemed enthusiastic, fearful, and curious all at once—Ard turned to Eva, who was also looking at him, and then he questioned his friends.

"Um... you guys are okay with the fact that we might be down there for a long time?" Ard asked.

"Of course it’s not a problem! Quite the opposite—we’re happy to go," Alicia, Milia, Beatrice, Adeline, Rosalind, Claudia, Patricia, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin answered simultaneously. Their eyes sparkled with intense enthusiasm, making Ard and Eva feel truly grateful.