Chapter 571, page 570: The Dwarf's War Hero
The political structure of dwarves is very different from that of humans.
Human nations, centered around duchies, formed a united kingdom through an alliance.
Dwarves, on the other hand, are rooted in a closer bloodline—the clan.
On the surface, the lords in various regions hold the power to govern their territories and command their military forces, wielding considerable authority. However, the real power to determine the fate of the mountains has always been firmly held by the leaders and elders of the major clans, with individual lords being merely a part of their respective clans.
Today, there are four main clans of dwarves who control the lifeline of the mountains:
The Deep Furnace Clan possesses numerous forging secrets and some ancient war puppet techniques.
The inheritors of the God of War's bloodline, the sharpest battle axe in the mountains, the Firebeard Clan.
The Blacksteel Clan controls nearly half of the kingdom's rare mineral veins and can even arm their entire clan's second-line troops from head to toe, making them the best-equipped clan among the dwarves.
And the Zafa clan, the inheritors of magical arts and wisdom.
Of course, there are more than just these four clans in the mountains, but compared to these major clans, their presence is much weaker.
The Forging Capital, the heartland of the Deep Furnace Clan's settlement area.
In a grand mansion built on black rock and decorated with bronze, a fire quietly burns in the study, casting an illuminating glow on the ancient battle axe and forging blueprints hanging on the wall.
Vimark Deep Furnace stood in front of his desk, stroking a piece of letter paper with slightly curled edges and somewhat messy ink.
"Are you looking at that letter that the craftsmen handed in again?" came the clan chief's voice from behind.
Vermark carefully folded the letter, tucked it into his pocket, turned around, and faced the somewhat hunched but still dignified figure at the doorway:
“Father, this is the only clue we’ve received since Torin went missing. I’ve compared the handwriting repeatedly, and it is indeed his. I plan to send a reliable team to investigate the location mentioned in the letter.”
"What else is there to investigate? They have simply fallen into the hands of the demons and become bait, using such a clumsy and laughable method to try to trick our craftsmen into walking into their trap."
The chieftain took a few steps closer, the firelight illuminating his deeply furrowed skin.
"As for that good-for-nothing Torin... last time he fell into the hands of humans, he already brought shame to the clan. This time he fell into the hands of demons and helped them harm their own kind. Let's just assume he's already dead in the dungeon."
Vermark was silent for a moment, but still said, "After all, he is my brother, your child. This elemental riot is not Torin's fault. Let me give it a try."
"Suit yourself," the chieftain snorted, "but don't let this interfere with important matters. Negotiations with the human delegation must be the top priority."
He turned around and got down to business:
"According to the news from Duvalin, the human named Inanna has extremely special abilities, which may help us reclaim the Molten Dungeon more quickly."
"Since the Dungeon Elemental Uprising, this resource has been lacking. The clan has to supply a large amount of equipment needed for the front-line battles while also maintaining its own consumption. The stockpiled magic crystals, ores, and rare materials are constantly being consumed. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by. We must persuade her!"
“Yes, Father.” Vermark nodded slightly. “However, regarding escorting her into the dungeon, how many troops do we plan to send? After all, we'll be facing that fire elemental lord head-on; what if a fight breaks out deep inside…”
“Duvalin’s legion will ensure her safety along the way. As for her personal guards… that Inanna, she’s revered as a ‘war hero’ among the humans, isn’t she?” The chieftain picked up a bronze goblet from the table and took a sip of its strong liquid. “Coincidentally, we also have a ‘war hero’ here. Heroes protecting heroes, it couldn’t be more fitting.”
"That guy..."
...
When the knight returned, Lin Jun discovered that the dwarves had treated the delegation with a high level of hospitality, even bringing out their prized magical puppets to serve Inanna tea and water and guide her.
However, in Lin Jun's opinion, the technical content of this thing is rather embarrassing.
The puppet's movements were stiff and rigid, each action requiring a dwarf manipulator beside it to issue commands through a command board to complete.
It's less like a magic puppet and more like a slightly complex remote-controlled toy.
Although Lin Jun could not directly see the attribute panel of the inanimate object, judging from its slow movements and the slightly sluggish flow of magic power inside, the combat attributes of this magic puppet probably could not even reach the most basic bronze level, and its practicality was quite limited.
Not to mention compared to those two high-end S-grade items at the entrance of the Puji Dungeon core, even compared to the battle puppets dug out from the Northern Ruins, they are more than a level below.
In terms of practicality, Lin Jun believes it's probably not as convenient as having a Puji master directly control an ordinary Puji.
At least Puji possesses basic intelligence, capable of understanding and executing relatively complex instructions, unlike the one before them, which requires the operator to concentrate fully and remotely control every individual action. As a result, the dwarf operator, who was trying to maintain his composure, already had beads of sweat on his forehead, revealing his exhaustion.
Clearly, what the Yellow Book said about the dwarven war puppet technology being lost is true.
Just as the delegation, led by dwarf officials, was preparing to head to the council hall for a new round of talks, a loud and hearty laugh came from afar.
"Hahahaha! Let me see, let me see! Is this the human war hero? She's actually a woman!"
With heavy footsteps, a figure blocked the delegation's path like a mobile fortress, or more accurately, stood in front of Inanna.
He was more robust and imposing than the average dwarf, his muscles straining against his mithril chainmail. A massive hammer, longer than himself, was slung across his back. His thick, crimson beard was braided into several stiff plaits, and his bronze face was filled with undisguised curiosity and scrutiny toward Inanna.
"Lady Inanna, right? It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Bardot completely ignored the slightly embarrassed look on the faces of the delegation officials beside him, and stretched out his large hand covered with gauntlets as if to pat Inanna's shoulder to show friendliness, but at the last moment he seemed to remember that she was a woman and instead pressed the air as if to pat her.
"I am Bardo Firebeard. On this side of the mountains, people usually call me 'The Crusher' or 'The Demon Slayer,' hahaha! I heard you've had a few impressive battles with the demons over there? Good! I love dealing with real warriors!"
The dwarf official leading the way cleared his throat and tactfully reminded him, "Lord Bardot, the delegation still has to attend negotiations, perhaps..."
"A meeting? What's the rush for such a formal affair!" Bardo waved his hand dismissively. "It'll only take a few words! I'll get to know our human heroes first!"
He turned enthusiastically to Inanna, speaking in a familiar tone, "Let me tell you, Lady Inanna, those demon bastards, they look fierce but they're actually quite fragile! Just last time at Blackrock Pass, I led my lads and with one charge, we tore apart their three hundred-man squads' defenses! I personally chopped down their arrogant commander, that guy riding that ugly abyssal lizard, I smashed him and his mount into a pulp with one hammer blow..."
He described the details of the battle at length, his spittle almost spraying the faces of those nearby, his eyes gleaming with pride in his achievements.
Lin Jun didn't know if what he said was true or false, but the panel did indeed show the strength of a LV70 lord.
Judging from his still very shiny beard, he is probably no older than forty.
"Speaking of which, I've heard the wars on your human side are quite intense. How were your results in the great battle at Dragonroar Valley?" He leaned forward slightly, finally asking the question he had been eagerly awaiting, "How many demon bastards did you kill? And how many significant officers did you personally slaughter?"
Everyone present could sense his undisguised competitive spirit.
Inanna paused slightly, then thought back carefully.
In the Battle of Dragonroar Valley... she unleashed a crucial illumination spell, then spent most of her time hiding inside the heavy armored puffy, and finally handed the Sunstone over to the leader.
If we're talking about personally killing enemies... the magic I unleashed might have taken down one or two ordinary demon soldiers thanks to the elemental spirits' automatic tracking...
She answered honestly, "Probably one or two."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bardot's expectation quickly turned into an undisguised disappointment, and even... contempt.
“Oh, I see.” He drawled, nodding, the enthusiasm in his voice gone. “I get it. It’s the kind of person… who directs others to fight from behind while hiding in a safe place, and then takes all the credit for themselves, right?”
He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an almost mocking expression, as if all the previous enthusiasm and friendliness had never existed.
"Tch," he turned around, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "I thought he was someone who could lift a hammer."
The sword saint's tentacles slowly coiled around the sword hilt—he wanted a duel for honor.
The sudden surge of fighting spirit behind him delighted Bardo, and he quickly focused his attention on Sword Saint Puji, without underestimating him because of his appearance.
“I heard that Little Badley was brutally humiliated by a mushroom tribe member with a dagger. I suppose that was you? You seem to have some skill!” he said, placing his hand on the hammer handle behind him.
Just when it seemed like a fight was about to break out.
“Gentlemen,” Vimark Deepforge appeared between Puji and Bardo at some point, “I don’t think you two would want to start fighting in the core area of the Forging City, would you?”
He looked at the dwarf hero: "Lord Bardot, the clan council has not yet finalized the punishment for your 'instruction' of Master Mark in the public forging area last week, which resulted in him being bedridden for three days. At this juncture, I think you'd better... rein in your excessive energy for now and avoid causing any more trouble."
Bardot's excitement was immediately dampened. He pursed his lips and muttered in a voice only those nearby could hear, "Tch... that old guy asked for it."
However, he was clearly wary of the "punishment by the clan council" mentioned by Vermark, and in the end could only turn away disappointed.
Vimark watched him leave before turning to Inanna and the rest of the delegation, a polite smile on his face: "Please excuse my rudeness. Lord Bardot is rather straightforward, so please don't take offense. The talks are ready, please follow me."
(End of this chapter)
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