Chapter 70: It Looks Ancient

For many generations, the elves’ hamlet always had someone who served as their shaman.

These shamans had a Gift called [Prayer]. This Gift allowed the shamans to give the other elves the rite of blessing. In other words, [Prayer] served the same function as the humans’ [Oracle].

Thanks to the shaman, all the elves from the hamlet had been blessed.

Out of the 238 elves, about 20 turned out to have Gifts.

Even counting the children who couldn’t be blessed yet, those who had a Gift was still only about 10% of the total population. That number was slightly lower than the one for the humans of our village.

And perhaps it was a peculiarity of their race, but there were quite many of them who had the Gifts [Bow Techniques], [White Magic], and [Green Magic].

A shining example was Philia-san who had both [Bow Techniques] and [Green Magic].

Yes, much like Selen, she was also a Double Gift.

As for the Dwarves, they didn’t seem to have anyone who served like a priest. For that reason, none of them had Gifts.

“I wonder if [Oracle] will work on them.”

“Why don’t we simply give it a try?”

Like that, we gathered some dwarves so that Millia could use her [Oracle] to bless them.

I wonder if it’ll work even though they’re not human…

“Everything seems to have gone alright. Ten of them can now use their Gifts.”

Later on, we found out that the elves’ [Prayer] could also bless anyone regardless of race.

The sample size was quite low, but the Gifts [Smithing], [Mining], and [Yellow Magic]—a ground and soil related magic—were the predominant Gifts among the dwarves.

So, I guess races do have peculiarities when it comes to Gifts.

Among the dwarves, someone caught my attention. She was just 11 years old, so she couldn’t be blessed yet.

Name: Dona

Age: 11 years old

Village Bond Level: Low

Suitable Occupation: Craftsman

Gift: (Weapons Craftsman)

Now that’s an ominous Gift.

Unlike the adult dwarves who pretty much confined themselves in the underground tunnel, she would often come out and marvel at the buildings in the village. She was likely a child brimming with curiosity.

And when I would use Facility Customization to make equipment, she would almost always come to observe. She was a shy kid though, so she would just sit down and say nothing.

“Do you like weapons?”

I asked so while working.

Height difference aside, male dwarves had broader shoulders than a human male, while the female dwarves were a bit more rotund than a female human.

For the children though, they were pretty indistinguishable from human ones. That said, dwarf children looked younger for their age. In addition to dwarves living longer than humans—though not as long as the elves—they also apparently have a longer childhood period than us.

Because of that, even though Dona was 11-years old already, she looked like a 5- or 6-year-old human. Unfortunately, due to her appearance, I tended to talk to her as though she was a child.

“…”

Dona remained silent, but she nodded her head. As soon as she did, she showed me what she was hiding behind her.

“…is that a stone tablet? It looks ancient…”

It was a worn-out stone tablet that had some kind of characters written on it.

“Hmm, I can’t read any of it? Can you?”

“…”

Dona shook her head left to right.

“In our cavern…from ancient times. Maybe, from old dwarf.”

“An old dwarf? You’re saying this might be left behind by an ancestor or something?”

“…here.”

She pointed to the edge of the stone tablet.

There was some kind of drawing there.

It looked like a person, but its head was incredibly big for its body; its arms were long, but its feet were short; and it was short but stout.

“What is it? A golem?”

“…weapon.”

“A weapon?”

“Mhm. Ancient, weapon…dwarves made. Unlike golems…inside, you can ride them. Here.”

I looked closer when she said so and there was indeed some kind of window in the center of its head, and in that window, a face of person was drawn.

“So, it’s a weapon one rides and fights in?”

Can this be the weapon Philia-san mentioned? The powerful weapon that the dwarves used to conquer the world?

If people were able to move and maneuver it, it must have used a lot of long-lost technology.

Making one now should be difficult, if not impossible.

“Ah, but we can at least make its form.”

“?”

I suddenly thought of something and then made a stone wall.