Chapter 890
At least once in their lives, ordinary men who were not on the taller side would dream and think, ‘I’m 177 centimeters tall. If I can only grow three centimeters more...’ or ‘I’m only 170 centimeters tall. I wish I could grow three centimeters taller!’
Like these ordinary men, the Black Hammer Dwarves also had the same dream. Black Hammer Dwarves were the offspring born from the union of an ordinary dwarf and a Black Dwarf. They were skilled blacksmiths who were powerful and talented enough to create armored weapons easily. And Vernon, the one leading them, had this grand dream.
‘I’m 137 centimeters tall. If I grow three centimeters taller, I will become 140 centimeters tall.’
If that happened, he would be the tallest among all the Black Hammer Dwarves. More importantly, if he became 140 centimeters tall, he could breathe new life into whatever clothes he wanted to wear, just like how those humans looked good while wearing the coats they liked or the armor they would wear to go to the battlefield. In the first place, dwarves were short beings. So, it was only natural that they would harbor an inferiority complex and be insecure about their heights.
However, the most crucial takeaway here was that Vernon was a master craftsman who had talent that did not lag behind the Black Hammer Dwarves who helped build Bless back in the day. He also had some of Bless's blueprints in his hands, although a bit damaged.
“I don’t want much. I just want to grow three centimeters taller!!!”
‘N- No... You’re saying you don’t want much when asking for the impossible?!’ Locke felt like he was going to be crazy.
When he looked around him, he saw the shining eyes of all of the dwarves present. All he could do was gulp dryly and bite the bullet.
“...I- I will try my best.”
Locke hurriedly sent a whisper to Minhyuk.
***
After finishing what he had to deal with, Minhyuk hurriedly checked what Locke had sent him via whisper.
‘They want to grow taller...’
Minhyuk did not mock or laugh at their wishes. No matter what race they belonged to, everyone had a complex that they were very insecure about. And apparently, dwarves had a severe inferiority complex about their heights.
Thankfully, their dreams were not necessarily impossible for Minhyuk.
(Beef Shank of Growth)
Ingredient Grade: God
Special Abilities:
•This is a God’s Ingredient that will help you grow whatever you want.
•It has the power to allow hair to grow to someone who does not have hair or to allow someone who wants to grow tall to grow taller.
•Unlike ordinary beef shanks, this can be boiled and made into a soup dozens of times.
•Many would be able to receive the effects by sharing the well-boiled and flavorful beef shank soup.
Description: The Beef Shank of Growth may help resolve someone’s inferiority complex. The well-boiled soup boiled from this beef shank will allow one to grow whatever they want to grow fast.
Minhyuk harvested this ingredient from the Field of the Gods. When he first got his hands on it, he wondered if he would ever have the chance to use it. However, now that it was in his hands, he unexpectedly met a situation where its worth would shine the brightest.
But then, Minhyuk thought, ‘Black Hammer Dwarven King Vernon... was what he wanted just that? Growing taller?’
Minhyuk could not help but doubt. Of course, it was completely understandable that the dwarf wanted to overcome his inferiority complex. However, he could not help but think there was something else besides getting taller.
‘We will forge a deal with Black Hammer Dwarven King Vernon. However, I want to turn this relationship into a deeper and more solid one,’ Minhyuk thought as he finally made a move.
***
Black Hammer Dwarven King Vernon was, in all honesty, an arrogant and prideful man. Of course, he had the qualifications to be one. After all, he was a master craftsman who could produce the world’s most potent armored weapons and create the greatest siege weapons. The gods even visited him several times because of that.
So, when Vernon looked at Minhyuk, standing politely before him, he thought, ‘Anyway, we just have a strictly business relationship.’
They only had to get what they wanted to get from each other.
“Is it possible?” King Vernon asked. Hearing this question, the other dwarves turned to look at the Beyond the Heavens’ Emperor Minhyuk, eyes shining with desperation.
The dwarves’ inferiority complex concerning their heights had existed for as long as they could remember. However, no one had been able to help them solve this problem.
“I will do my best.”
And Minhyuk did his best. He stood in front of the cauldron of the tricky Beef Shank of Growth, an ingredient that needed to be boiled for several days in a row and did not leave it at all even though he was sweating buckets.
“Kihyaa! Pocarist is yummy!”
He would smile like an innocent boy while gulping down some unknown drink.
[Your favor with Rubanan has increased.]
[Your favor with Cord has increased.]
[Your favor with Aegedo has increased.]
They could see that Minhyuk was doing his best. So, the dwarves, moved deeply by his dedication and determination, grabbed a ladder and climbed up to wipe the sweat off his head.
“Thank you,” Minhyuk responded with a small smile.
The dwarves, who were ignored by the other races because of their square faces and bulky and rugged bodies, realized after watching Minhyuk for a few days that what he was doing was not just a pretense. As a race that had only known blacksmithing, they had always been under threat because of their abilities. That was why they could tell that Beyond the Heavens’ Emperor Minhyuk respected them and was doing their best for them.
‘He’s an excellent emperor.’
Just when the dwarves thought like that, they saw Minhyuk sigh of relief. It seemed like the few days of hard work in boiling the beef shank had finally ended.
“It’s only at legendary grade, but I believe this should be more than enough,” Minhyuk said, looking at the dwarves with his entire body drenched in sweat.
“What’s this noodle?”
“Beef noodle soup. Noodles taste delicious, but even more so when eaten with beef shank soup. Wouldn’t it taste more delicious if you mix two delicious things?”
“Oooh! That’s great. It’s better to eat something more delicious!” Black Hammer Dwarven King Vernon smiled without realizing it as he looked at Minhyuk. However, Vernon’s face turned stiff again after catching Minhyuk’s eye.
“Please give it to me! Hurry!”
Vernon was in a hurry. He wanted to eat the dish right away and grow taller. However, Minhyuk shook his head and said, “No. Shall we talk?”
Vernon looked at Minhyuk in confusion. What in the world did they have to talk about? Couldn’t this emperor see that he was in a hurry and wanted to down that beef noodle soup right away?! However, Vernon had no other choice but to keep it all in. He still had to be polite in front of others.
***
Vernon, who sent everyone out, listened to the commotion outside. And Minhyuk? He was looking at the dwarven king while standing a few meters away.
“You will grow taller slowly. It needs a step-by-step process and would take two weeks.”
“It would be good if what you said is true,” Vernon said. At the same time, he wondered why the man wanted to talk with him even though he had already finished what he had to do.
However, the Beyond the Heavens’ Emperor stared at Vernon for a while. Only after a few minutes had passed did he open his mouth. “Black Hammer Dwarven King.”
“???” Vernon looked at the man in confusion.
“Did you ask for this just because you wanted to grow taller?”
Vernon felt it to be quite strange. The man’s gentle voice and faint smile seemed to melt Vernon’s tough and cold heart.
“Us dwarves are born short. Because of that...” Vernon started. However, he soon sighed. He felt like telling this story was not really that necessary. “There’s someone that I love.”
It was just like what Minhyuk expected. It was not about just wanting to grow taller. There was something that Vernon believed he would only be able to do if he grew taller.
“She’s a very beautiful High Elf.”
Minhyuk had seen who Vernon talked about a few times while making the beef shank noodle soup. Even so, the story of a high elf and a dwarf falling in love still sounded surreal, just like a fairy tale. However, fate was just like that. No one could know when their future and destinies would start to intertwine.
“Unlike me, she’s tall and beautiful.”
That should certainly be the case. After all, high elves were born slim, tall, and very beautiful.
“I want to propose to her. But look at me. I’m twenty centimeters shorter than her.” Vernon resented his short stature.
Suppose he could just be a bit taller, just a tad bit taller. This was how people with complexes were. They would care and think more about things that others might not care about.
“I also know that I can’t grow anymore. However, if I can just grow three centimeters taller, then I’m sure that she will be able to accept my proposal!”
The worst part? Their complex would constantly gnaw and tear away at their self-esteem. More often than not, it would also force them to run away.
Minhyuk, who stood there facing Vernon, smiled faintly. “Your Majesty, please eat this beef shank noodle soup a bit later.”
“...Wh- what?!” Vernon’s expression grew ugly, his face growing redder by the second.
Was Minhyuk playing with him?! Did he not hear what he just said?! He said she would accept his proposal if he grew three centimeters taller! But here Minhyuk was, telling Vernon to eat this dish that would allow him to grow taller a bit later?!
Minhyuk said, “Your Majesty, why do you love that high elf? Is it because she’s beautiful?”
“...” After a few moments of reflection, Vernon said, “At first, it was because she was beautiful. But as we grew closer and spent more time together, I fell in love with her beautiful and kind heart. She is someone that loves me and cares for me deeply. It wouldn’t matter how she looks; I will still love her even if she’s no longer beautiful.”
“Then, let me ask you a different question. Why do you think she loves you, Your Majesty?”
“...!”
Unlike her, Vernon did not look handsome or tall. He was stubby, bulky, rugged, and ugly. However, she still loved him with all her heart. His inferiority complex prevented him from seeing why she loved him. Perhaps his complex about his short height had made him into a coward.
The Black Hammer Dwarven King, who ruled over all of the Black Hammer Dwarves and the master craftsman who could make the best-armored weapon in the world, began to cry.
“Your Majesty, she had also fallen in love with you, not your short stature, bulky body, or rugged face. Like how you have fallen in love with her beautiful heart, she must have also definitely fallen in love with your unchanging and unyielding heart. It wouldn’t matter what you looked like. From what I saw these past few days, she is also madly and deeply in love with you.”
“You’re right... You are absolutely right... Everything you said is right...” Vernon, with tears dripping down his face, finally realized the truth. He laughed and cried after learning he had run away because of his complex. And finally, Vernon gathered his courage and took a step forward.
“I’ll be waiting for you here.”
However, Vernon no longer heard Minhyuk’s words. Vernon ran out with the bouquet and the ring he had prepared for his proposal once he grew three centimeters taller. He ran with his short and stubby legs and dashed across the place filled with hot steam until he found her figure.
“Allei!” Vernon shouted at the top of his lungs as he knelt before her.
However, he suddenly felt afraid. He felt like running away again even though he had already knelt before her. It seemed like his complex was about to rear its head again and force the turtle back into its shell again.
But Vernon persevered. He gathered all the courage he could muster and said, “Will you allow me to stay by your side for all eternity?!”
The scene where a stubby, bulky, and rugged dwarf kneeling and proposing in front of a beautiful, slim, and tall high elf might look like a joke to some. Vernon also knew that it was a laughable scene. That was why he also felt a bit scared.
However, there was no need for him to fear. The high elf Allei smiled brightly as she bent down and hugged Vernon tightly. “I have been waiting. I have always... always been waiting for you to say those words.”
“I love you. I am madly and deeply in love with you. You are the only one that owns my heart,” Vernon said, smiling brightly. He was the happiest man in the world as long as he was in the arms of his beloved Allei.
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