I’m Not an Earthworm, I’m an Earth Dragon

The one called the Forgemaster was smaller and meaner than the others. The metal scraps in his beard were so old that some had clumped together to form small beads.

It was a pain to hold back from running away as that miserable sack of shit was yelling and throwing a fit.

“So… you want us to find the culprit who keeps stealing your ore?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m saying! Ever since we settled here, someone has been picking out the good quality ore and taking it! I ask who took it, but no one comes forward. I search their houses and personal belongings, but there’s nothing! It’s driving me crazy, dammit! What was it, adventurer, you said you were going to fix your companion’s arm and bow?! Just find them! I’ll fix them for free!”

“…I’m not an adventurer but… Yes. We’ll do that.”

Myungho explained what we had to do. The sack of shit said that someone kept stealing ore, but he had no idea who. So he asked us to find out.

“Then he’ll fix Yuna’s arm and bow for free. What do you think?”

“Do we have to do such a bothersome thing? We have a lot of money, let’s just pay and fix it then leave.”

“I want to help. They seem like people from my hometown… like a foster father. Myungho, let’s help them. We’re not that financially well-off either.”

“One to one… Altera. I want to help. First of all, we can get it fixed for free, and I can’t just ignore people in trouble. What about you?”

Myungho asked for my opinion again. I didn’t want to help these sacks of shit… but I didn’t want to pay to fix that arm and bow either.

I have no money to give them. It’s mine. Even if they are party members, I’m still reluctant to give up my things for them. Myungho?

He’s the only one who understands me. He’s a bit different.

“…Let’s help them. Let’s get it over with quickly. No matter how well they hide, they can’t hide from me.”

I didn’t want to help them, but it was better than giving my money. Seeing Myungho say that it was decided, only Akash’s expression soured.

I could empathize with him this time. It would be nice if he would stop helping everyone so much.

The Forgemaster waddled on his short legs and pointed to a hole that was just barely big enough to enter.

“There! Everywhere else is fine, but the ore keeps disappearing from this tunnel! It’s not just once or twice! This is where the best quality ore comes from, and it’s driving me crazy that it keeps disappearing!”

So. It’s disappearing from here. It might be a spacious area for those sacks of shit, but it was a bit narrow for me. My horns kept scraping against the wall, and I was already getting annoyed.

“Ah, yes. Then we’ll go in! Altera, you have to come with me!”

He wouldn’t be of much help even if he was there. He wouldn’t even notice if a grain of sand was secretly put in his hair, so what was he going to find in this narrow, dark place?

I pressed my ear against the wall. There were no miners inside, and I felt nothing but the vibrations of my party members walking behind me.

The deeper I went into the tunnel, the more I was convinced that there was really nothing. I thought maybe a beast digging nearby was taking it, but that wasn’t it either.

“Altera. Your goal was to… cut off your father’s head, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll leave only his head. The rest will be crushed beyond recognition. Just like that bastard did to my mother. That’s what I’ll do.”

I answered Myungho’s question, breathing in the hot, dusty air unique to coal mines. No matter how much I looked around, if they were stealing from here, they would definitely be caught.

I tapped the wall and felt for the location of the ore with my magic, but there was no secret space where they could hide the stolen goods.

Yuna didn’t follow. She said she knew a little bit of the dwarves’ language and was going to gather information from the miners and other dwarves.

“Then do you know where your father is? Or his name. We need information to find him.”

“I don’t know where he is now. But my mother used to call him Calfy when she called him.”

My mother used to have a strange expression when she called my father. It was like she loved him, but also hated him. It was an expression I couldn’t understand as a child.

“Calfy… Calfy. Hmm. I’ve never heard of it either. Akash?”

“If the child doesn’t know, who else would? No one knows a dragon’s name. That lizard’s name, Altera, is probably a fake name too. There’s nothing you can do with a fake name. We can narrow down what race her father is based on her appearance and abilities, though.”

Why is he calling my name?

“Sorry. Akash doesn’t know either.”

We had been walking for a while, and the end of the tunnel was within my detection range. I stomped my foot hard to send out vibrations, but it was the same as the surroundings.

We struck out completely.

“I didn’t expect anyone to know in the first place. That’s why I followed you guys. To look around the world and find some clues.”

“I see… Um. Altera. Is your name a fake name?”

It’s not… a fake name, right? But it’s not my real name either.

“…Think about it with your head. Let’s go back. There’s nothing here. No secret space, no metal-eating beasts… It’s probably the dwarves’ doing.”

Metal-eating. I flinched at this part. The mountain I used to live on was right above this place. And judging from what I saw while passing through this tunnel, the village we saved was also above.

…No way. I denied the thought that popped into my head and turned towards the exit, careful not to let my tail brush against anything.

“I guess so… Let’s go back then. If your abilities can’t find them, then it must be a human’s doing.”

…It can’t be.

When we came out, it was still underground, but the air felt a little clearer and more pleasant.

I wasn’t affected much by this dirt and dust, but Myungho, being human, was quite uncomfortable and was taking deep breaths.

Yuna was busy running around and asking the dwarves questions. She sometimes showed them her mechanical arm and smiled, looking like she was having fun.

How can she like these dwarves? It’s strange. I stomped my foot again just in case, but nothing was caught in my detection net.

Whenever I pointed out a place where ore was unusually clustered, Myungho said it was a warehouse or a smithy.

It’s strange. If there are no thieves here either, where did they go?

“I have good news and bad news. The good news is that someone saw the ore disappearing. The bad news is… it’s a testimony I find hard to believe myself.”

“Tell us anyway. We just came back from a wild goose chase, so we’re desperate for any information.”

“Alright then… Yes. A miner said he was mining as usual when suddenly there was a creaking sound, and the vein he was mining shot up with a roar. He said he was afraid the tunnel would collapse, so he ran away immediately.”

“…A rock, shot up? How is that possible…?”

“I know, right? I asked if he was serious, and he got really offended and said it was true. I don’t believe it, but he didn’t seem like he was lying…”

…I think I found the culprit. There was only one being I knew who could do such a thing. They say the culprit always returns to the scene.

I didn’t know that unchanging truth would hold up like this.

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs to the very bottom.

“…I found the culprit.”

“What? Really?! Where, who is it?”

If he gets that excited, I’ll feel too miserable. It would be much faster to show him once than to explain a hundred times, so I reached out towards the mine we just came out of.

And I channeled magic into my horn.

A sound of something collapsing came from the hole, and soon a piece of ore came out of it.

It floated in the air. The ore slowed down as it got closer to my hand and landed gently in my palm as if it belonged there.

I can’t believe the source of the metal I’ve been eating all this time was here.

“…It’s me.”

– – – –

When the culprit of the incident that was about to become an eternal mystery of the village was revealed, the dwarves naturally went into an uproar. Some were furious, some doubted their eyes, and a few were shouting that they were right all along.

It was much louder here than in the middle of the marketplace.

However, no one dared to rush at her. Even the angriest Forgemaster was just stomping his feet.

“…Huh. This is undeniably a Great Worm. Others can do similar things, so I was suspicious. Hey, I don’t know who that lizard woman’s father is, but I found out the race. It’s an Earth Dragon. I wondered why it didn’t have wings, so that’s why.”

However, Akash was calmly observing the scene and reasoning about Altera’s father.

“Earth Dragon… Earthworm?”

“No. The pronunciation is similar, but. It’s Earth Dragon. Well, it crawls in the ground and eats dirt, so it’s not much different from an earthworm. This makes it easier. There aren’t many Great Worms.”

Then he added that there would be no more than 10 of them at most. Earth Dragon… That’s unfamiliar.

“Earth Dragon, Earthworm… Heh, hahaha… Hahahaha! Earthworm… Hahahaha…”

Akash suddenly burst into laughter like a madman. He must have found another piece of trashy wordplay.

How is she an earthworm? Where would you find such a strong and sharp earthworm?

She was eating ore in front of the dwarves who were angry at her. It was hard to believe it was a living creature, but I remembered that we had just caught a spider with a shell harder than a fortress wall.

Even so, eating rocks?

“…Tell those guys straight. If they have a problem, come out and fight.”

Altera bared her sharp, saw-like teeth and glared at the dwarves.

“So… everyone. We found the culprit, and she’s going to leave soon, so the ore won’t disappear anymore. We can say the case is solved, right? Ah, if anyone has anything to say to her, please come this way. She says she’ll clear up any misunderstandings in the most primitive language.”

Altera was stretching with a cracking sound. No one was brave enough to challenge her.

It seems I need to teach her some manners while teaching her language.

“…Forgemaster. We found the culprit, so can you fix my arm and bow now?”

Yuna approached the Forgemaster with a timely smile.

The Forgemaster made a strange sound from behind his mask and entered the smithy with Yuna.

“Altera. Akash found out what race your father is. He said it’s a Great Worm. They also call it an Earth Dragon… Fortunately, there aren’t that many of them. Maybe if we look for them one by one, we can find your dad.”

Altera closed her eyes without a word and clenched her fist tightly.

How much does she hate her father? Every time she talked about him, a dreadful aura overflowed.

It’s natural since he killed the mother she loved…

What a pitiful fate. Maybe even more so than me.

“…Yeah. Thanks. But, why is that jerk laughing to himself?”

“Ah, that. I told you your dad’s race is also called Earth Dragon. But… well. In our language, Earth Dragon and earthworm don’t sound that different. So, a big Earth Dragon is like a big earthworm…”

Altera strode over and grabbed Akash, who was laughing like crazy, by the collar and lifted him up high.

Oh, this is bad. Her anger didn’t stop even after Yuna’s repairs were finished.