"Phew! Finally, that awful sll is gone too!"
On the right side of the calm river, Elina stretched with a cheerful smile.
The stench and gri that had clung to her body were completely gone now. But getting clean hadn’t been easy.
She had used soap and shampoo over and over—dozens of tis—along with the natural perfu she’d brought from the Erald Palace.
Thankfully, they worked. Not even a trace of the disgusting odor remained.
"I swear by the World Tree, I’m never setting foot in a sewer again," Elina muttered inwardly, dead serious.
Once was more than enough. Even if soone offered her hundreds of gold coins, she’d still say no.
"Are you done, Elina?"
Leon’s voice called out from nearby, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned—and froze.
"Y-Young Master?" She stamred, swallowing hard as her heart began to race.
She’d always known Leon was handso—more so than even the most charming elves back ho.
But now... he looked on a whole different level.
His slightly damp black robe clung to him just enough to reveal the faint lines of his chest and abdominal muscles—enough to give any woman a nosebleed, including Elina.
His long black hair, still wet and slightly tousled, only added to his charm.
As droplets slid from his hair and followed the contours of his chiseled jaw, Elina felt a strange, irresistible urge rise within her—to press her lips against his skin.
Leon, noticing the heat in her gaze, looked slightly taken aback. He casually ran his fingers through his hair and asked, "What’s with that look, Elina? Are you feeling sick?"
That simple gesture only made Elina’s desire spike—but she quickly suppressed it and coughed to cover her flustered state.
"Ahem! It’s nothing, Young Master. I was just... a little srized by your good looks," she replied shyly.
Leon paused for a mont, then let out a chuckle and gently patted her head.
"You really are sothing. I didn’t know you were a little nympho," he teased.
Elina imdiately puffed out her cheeks in protest. "I’m not a child! I’m over a hundred years old! I’m even older than you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Elina’s a big girl," Leon replied with a mischievous grin.
Elina: "..."
"Anyway," Leon said, quickly changing the subject, "let’s head into the Golden City. We need to explore the area and find out what happened to the Dwarf King. But we can’t go in looking like this."
He glanced at Elina and asked, "You can use disguise magic, right?"
"Disguise magic?" Elina blinked in surprise, then nodded confidently. "Of course. That’s easy."
"Perfect," Leon said with a satisfied smile. "Then let’s disguise ourselves as dwarves."
He actually had a Hero Technique that allowed him to disguise himself, but it only worked on him—not others.
Plus, the duration was short—just one hour. Then again, considering most Hero Techniques were geared toward offense or defense, that wasn’t surprising.
Elina raised her hand and began chanting in the Elven tongue. Monts later, a green magic circle appeared above their heads.
Two beams of light shot down from the circle, enveloping their bodies.
When the light faded, Leon and Elina had taken on the forms of a male and female dwarf.
Leon looked down at his short, stout, bearded body and let out an amused chuckle.
"Pfft! This form feels so strange," he said with a grin.
"Yeah, it’s really weird! I feel so uncomfortable," Elina added, frowning at her reflection in the surface of the river.
There wasn’t much difference between male and female dwarves. The only clear distinction was that the females had no beards and were slightly shorter.
Aside from that, their round bodies and aged-looking faces made them nearly indistinguishable.
And for Elina—who was used to being beautiful—her current appearance was far from ideal.
"It’s fine," Leon said, giving her shoulder a light pat. "It’s only temporary."
Elina let out a quiet sigh and gave a reluctant nod.
The two then set off toward the Golden City, walking with confidence—just like true dwarves.
***
The city of Valgrund was bustling with life. Although located underground, it was alive with the constant movent of dwarves going about their day.
As a race renowned for their skills in smithing and construction, the dwarves had filled the streets with blacksmith workshops, tool shops, and various other talworking establishnts.
It was a distinctive sight, in stark contrast to human or demon cities where food and clothing vendors typically lined the streets.
That’s not to say Valgrund lacked restaurants or clothing stores; they were present and fairly nurous, but vastly outnumbered by the forging and construction-related businesses.
The city’s architecture was both majestic and ticulously designed. Gold, one of the primary building materials, gave the structures a striking elegance. Every building was neatly arranged, with almost no space left unused.
This level of efficiency was remarkable, yet expected in an underground city where every inch of space needed to be used wisely.
Along the streets, lamps stood at ten-ter intervals. When night fell, they would illuminate the entire city in a warm, golden glow.
"Wow! This city is stunning, Young Master! It might even rival Morvhal—no, in so ways, it might be even more advanced!" Elina exclaid, her eyes sparkling as she took in the city’s breathtaking beauty.
Walking beside her, Leon nodded in agreent. He glanced around with admiration before saying, "You’re right. Even Morvhal feels slightly inferior compared to this place."
Morvhal was the most advanced city in the southern region of the Holy Orthodoxy. Of course, in terms of economy and trade volu, this Golden City couldn’t compare.
But when it ca to architecture, efficient land use, and sheer uniqueness, Valgrund felt far more impressive.
To Leon, the city resembled sothing straight out of the fictional novels he had read in his previous world.
What he once could only imagine was now unfolding right before his eyes.
"Anyway, let’s gather so information about the Dwarf King first. After that, we’ll figure out a way to solve the problems facing the Dwarven race," Leon said as he turned to her.
To earn the trust of the dwarves, he needed to address their struggles—just as he had done with the Elves.
Sure, he could forcibly use the black token, but handling things slowly and systematically would yield better results.
Elina didn’t object and simply gave a small nod.
The two then headed toward a tavern located about fifty ters from where they stood.
For gathering information, a place like that was the most suitable choice.
However, before they could move any farther, dozens of black-armored soldiers suddenly erged from behind.
Their unexpected appearance startled Leon, Elina, and the nearby dwarves.
"Everyone, please gather imdiately!" one of the soldiers shouted loudly.
Seeing this, Leon and Elina exchanged anxious glances.
"Did we get caught?" They wondered simultaneously.
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