Chapter 93 The Dwarf's Farewell "You brat, when you see this..."
"You brat, by the time you see this iron plate, I'll already be gone."
"Don't you dare send anyone to find me, and don't make a scene. Dwarves always mean what they say. I have things I need to take care of back home, and I'll be back when I'm done."
"All that junk at home is yours to manage. Those good-for-nothing apprentices at the blacksmith's shop may be a bit slow-witted, but they're hardworking enough. Keep an eye on them and make sure they don't blow up the furnace I worked so hard to build. I left the blueprints for that water-powered forging hammer under the anvil for you. I've clearly marked all the key structures. The rest is up to your own brain."
"And that Silent Whisperer kid named Norm is a good prospect. He has a talent for mechanics and materials, so we should nurture him more. Don't just let him manage toilets and mud all day long; that's a waste."
"Remember to check the bearings of the waterwheels in the fields regularly and add some animal oil for lubrication. Although I made those things, you clumsy guys use them haphazardly every day, they can't withstand any more wear and tear."
"I made that knife on the table when I was bored. I was going to yell at you before giving it to you, but now you can have it for free. The little gadgets hidden inside are enough to save your life in the wild. And that packet of seeds, I traded it for hops from a passing merchant. You decide what to do with it."
"Finally, don't forget my wine. When I come back, if I don't see that golden, bubbling stuff, I'll tear down your Hope No. 1 store and burn it for firewood."
"That's enough nonsense. Remember, don't embarrass the dwarves."
"—Shi Quan Liu"
When Lin Yue, Gray, and Xiao Fen stood together in the exceptionally tidy and empty room that Stone Fist had cleaned up, looking at the message crookedly carved with a chisel on the huge steel plate that had been used as a letter paper, Lin Yue felt his mind go blank.
Just half an hour ago, he was enthusiastically asking Mia to prepare an extra portion of corn porridge with double the amount of smoked minced meat, planning to have a long-overdue breakfast meeting for the "Lin's Restaurant" elders, along with Gray and Stonefist.
After all, since returning from Blackrock City, he had been busy fighting the drought and building waterwheels, and as the town mayor, he hadn't had a proper chat with his original partners in a long time.
When he excitedly led Gray and Little Finn to the door of Stonefist's room, they were greeted by a desolate scene.
"Uncle Stone Fist, get up! If you don't get up soon, Xiao Fen will steal all the good food!" Lin Yue shouted twice.
No one responded.
He went up and knocked on the door again, but there was still no response.
"That's strange. Doesn't this guy usually get up earlier than the chickens?" Lin Yue muttered to himself, a bad feeling flashing through his mind.
He and Gray exchanged a glance, then slowly pushed open the unlocked wooden door.
The room was empty.
The animal hide bedding on the bed was folded neatly, like blocks of tofu. The floor was spotless. The various mineral samples and tool sketches that he usually tossed around were now neatly arranged on the wooden shelf in the corner.
The room was so clean that it didn't seem like the residence of a grumpy, rough-living dwarf master.
Another unusual element was the message board on the oak table in the center of the room, its cold metallic sheen gleaming.
Beside the iron plate lay a meticulously crafted multi-tool knife. The handle was made of polished ironwood and some unknown animal horn, offering an excellent grip. Inside the blade, a highly sophisticated structure cleverly housed the main blade, a small saw, a can opener, and even a small screwdriver with a Phillips head. This was the very blade Lin Yue had casually mentioned, but Shi Quan had sternly rejected, declaring it "flashy and impractical; I don't have time for such trinket."
Unexpectedly, although he said no, his actions betrayed him. In private, he used the best materials and techniques to perfectly create it.
On the other side of the utility knife was a small cloth bag wrapped in fine linen, containing some shriveled plant seeds that looked like small green pine cones.
Lin Yue and Gray stood there quietly, staring at the message on the iron plate, each word seemingly carrying the thunderous roar of a stone fist, speechless for a long time.
Xiao Fen circled around Shi Quan's room and table, pressing her nose against the bed he had slept in and the tools he had used, carefully sniffing the familiar metallic scent lingering in her senses, trying to find something.
When it realized that no matter how hard it searched, the grumpy old man who always grumbled but would secretly stuff it with jerky when no one was around was really gone, it let out a few low whimpers filled with confusion and loss.
Lin Yue squatted down and hugged Xiao Fen's fluffy wolf head tightly in his arms, gently comforting her, "Xiao Fen, don't be sad. Uncle Shi Quan just went on a long trip. He promised us that he would come back after he finished his business."
Xiao Fen understood, stopped sobbing, and simply buried her head in Lin Yue's arms, squatting quietly in silence.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Norm, Iron Bull, and the others rushed in, panting, their faces filled with anxiety and unease.
"Mayor, Brother Gray," Tie Niu said anxiously as soon as he saw Lin Yue and the others, "Uncle Stone Fist... Uncle Stone Fist, he..."
When he saw the huge metal plaque with messages on the table, he couldn't say anything more.
“We…we went to the blacksmith’s shop this morning, but we didn’t see the old man.” Norm’s voice trembled slightly. “We thought he was still resting, so we went to his workshop. And…and found all his most prized tools neatly arranged on the tool rack, polished to a gleaming shine. Next to them…and there were several iron plates engraved with…engraved with his accumulated knowledge of core techniques for controlling quenching temperatures and differentiating the properties of different iron materials…”
As he spoke, he pulled out several thin pieces of sheet metal from his pocket, which were also covered with crooked but exceptionally clear characters and pictures.
"When we saw these, we felt something was wrong, so we quickly ran over to take a look."
Everyone fell silent.
Tie Niu, a burly man standing seven feet tall, now had reddened eyes, his voice choked with sobs, filled with self-blame: "It's...it's all my fault...Uncle...he was acting strangely a few days before he left..."
He recalled haltingly, "He wasn't like before, pointing his finger at us and yelling at us for the slightest mistake. Instead... he became incredibly patient. He would explain every detail to us repeatedly, teaching us how to hold the hammer and how to listen to the sound. I thought... I thought it was just that he was getting older and his temper had improved... How could I... how could I not see that he was... preparing to leave..."
He became more and more upset as he spoke, and finally he couldn't help but squat down on the ground, bury his head in his hands, and sob.
Lin Yue's heart was also heavy. He stepped forward and patted Tie Niu's shoulder heavily: "Don't cry, stand up like a man. Uncle just has things to do. He treated Hope Town as another home and you as his personal disciples, which is why he left us his most precious things. What we need to do now is not to cry here, but to learn and make good use of what he left behind. When he comes back, let him see that none of his disciples are cowards."
In order to find out the specific circumstances of Shi Quan's departure, Lin Yue immediately went to inquire with the guards who were on duty at the lookout post and patrol team last night.
“Mayor, Uncle Stone Fist left before dawn today,” a young guard recalled. “We were wondering where he was going so early. He said that you had arranged for him to go to the Blackrock City branch base, where there was an urgent forging mission that required him to go in person. He also said that this was a secret trip and that he couldn’t alert too many people, so he didn’t go with the transport team.”
Another guard added, "Yes, he was also carrying a rather large suitcase, which was bulging inside, and he really looked like he was going on a long trip. We saw that he looked normal and said it was your order, so we didn't ask any more questions and opened the door for him."
He even imitated Stonefist's tone and expression at the time:
"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a dwarf on a business trip before? This is a secret mission ordered by the mayor. If you ask one more question, believe me, I'll smash your head into an anvil! Open the door now. Can you afford to take responsibility if this delays important matters?"
This incredibly lifelike imitation left everyone present both amused and exasperated, yet their hearts ached even more.
This grumpy dwarf is all bark and no bite.
...
Just as Hope Town was plunged into a state of complex emotions due to Stone Fist's quiet departure.
Hundreds of miles away, Blackrock City.
In the backyard of the Hope Trading Company branch, Amu was sweating profusely as he directed several new workers to move a truckload of freshly transported rock-skinned potatoes and frost-hearted radishes, still smelling of soil, from Hope Town into the newly built cellar.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar and stopped in front of the shop.
Immediately afterward, Ryan's personal guard captain, Renault, strode in with a grave expression.
“Brother Amu,” Renault’s voice was low and urgent, “send someone back to Hope Town immediately and tell Mayor Lin Yue that something terrible has happened.”
...
Meanwhile, deep within the castle of the Duke of Kaslan.
In the spacious but dimly lit hall, the somewhat overweight Duke Caslan sat back on his enormous lord's throne, crafted from black iron and animal bones, listening expressionlessly to the reports from his two sons below.
“Father,” Karl stepped forward, his face showing barely suppressed excitement and cruelty, “I have investigated thoroughly. Although that so-called Hope Town has a few elves backing it up, according to reports from our spies planted on the outskirts of Silvermoon Forest, those elves do not seem to have any intention of intervening in human affairs on a large scale. Their last action was more like a warning than an alliance.”
He turned to the Duke, bowed, and said, “Father, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we can swiftly take Hope Town with overwhelming force and seize control of all their miraculous crops and advanced technologies, we can immediately offer a portion of them as tribute to the royal family. Even if Silvermoon Forest wants to pursue the matter, they will have to restrain themselves under pressure from the royal family. Moreover, once we master those technologies that can significantly increase food production and the quality of military equipment, the strength of our Caslan family will be unprecedented!”
His words were full of gambler's madness and temptation.
The Duke did not speak, but tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers, his eyes, hidden in the shadows, slowly turning to his other son who had remained silent.
“Ryan,” his voice was hoarse, like rusty iron scraping against each other, “and what about you? What’s your opinion? Are you going to stand against the family for that little Hope Town?”
The hall was deathly silent.
Ryan slowly raised his head, met his father's scrutinizing gaze, and calmly replied, "Father, everything I have done has always been for the honor of the Caslan family."
“Very good.” A barely perceptible smile seemed to appear on the Duke’s lips. “Ryan, then I’ll leave this matter to you.”
"I'll give you a month."
"Within a month, I want you to personally go to this so-called Hope Town. In your own way, make them willingly hand over that dwarf blacksmith, as well as all their core technologies in grain cultivation and iron forging, to the Caslan family."
"If you succeed, you can then take charge of the affairs of the Duke's mansion."
“Father!” Karl said, somewhat surprised and anxious.
“I only want people who are useful to the family, whether it’s Karl or you, Ryan.”
“If you can’t do it…” A cold glint flashed in the Duke’s eyes, “then you don’t need to come back.”
Ryan turned and left with a gloomy, pale face.
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