PS: I've thought about it carefully. There is indeed something wrong with the pace recently. I was too eager to write about the Battle of Bafeng Mountain, but this great expedition is not made up of one or two battles. I was a bit too anxious.
Inside the chest was the head of the Green Barbarian Warlord Zanak – Tribulation Tooth. This Green Barbarian Warlord who had caused so much trouble and pain to Sea Gate Pass had been beheaded. His face still had the expression of despair and fear from when he was on the verge of death. One of his two fangs had been cut off, and he just stared straight ahead.
"I accept this gift!" King Bernov nodded with satisfaction. He could now erase a page from his book of hatred. "But I think I have to remind you, Knight King Lai … Lai …"
"Laing, Laing Makado," Laing immediately added.
"Your Majesty Laing, I forgive your rudeness and accept your kindness, but I think I have to remind you that in the future, it's better to let the dwarves do it themselves. You just need to inform us. Although it's good to cut off the head and send it over, it doesn't respect our tradition enough." King Bernov signaled his men to put away the box. "I understand that this is your first offense, and you may not know the rules of the Sea Gate. I'll let it go this time. That damn green warlord was killed so easily. Our hatred shouldn't end so easily."
Before Laing could say anything, King Bernov stood up and slowly walked down from the high platform. "Knight King, Belega, I'm sorry I can't stay any longer. I still have things to do. If you want, we can have a drink now. If there's nothing else, you can leave now. May Granny's Hammer bless you."
"Cheers." Three large dwarven beer cups were placed on the table, and the rich Bargmann beer was poured into the cups. The three kings each drank a cup, and then it was over. The Hammer Warriors signaled Laing and Belega to leave.
Laing and Belega came out of the throne room. Laing shook his head. "It's so hard to talk to."
"King Bernov has always been like this." Belega said hesitantly. "And back then, something happened between me and him … It made him have some opinions about me. I'm sorry to have involved you, brother Laing."
Laing understood. Belega must have borrowed soldiers from Bernov, and the result was that they were all lost.
In order to reclaim the Eight Peaks Mountain, this king had almost given up everything he had.
After walking out of the throne room, Laing noticed that the door of the throne room was full of exquisite dwarven runes and the faces of their ancestors. The faces of the past kings of Sea Gate were engraved on it. It was an ancient rune stone, which was said to be the strongest stone in the dwarven fortress. Laing knew that Belega had killed his way back to the ancestral hall when he attacked Eight Peaks Mountain for the second time. He had taken back a rune stone from the ancestral hall. After that, no matter how difficult the situation was, he would take this rune stone with him because it represented the history and glory of the dwarves.
The two left the throne room along the short and narrow walkway, and the streets of Sea Gate City were exposed in front of them. The maze-like tunnels and paths led in all directions, and there was a lantern every ten steps, illuminating the path. The walls of Sea Gate City were dozens of meters high, and there were dwarven crossbowmen, thunder gunners, and artillerymen on duty. More than a thousand cannons of various colors were placed on the walls, ready to welcome the powerful enemies from the Evil Land at any time. When Laing stood in the corridor outside the throne room and looked down, he could see the city's canteen, engineers' association, docks, commercial streets, residential areas, as well as the armories and forging halls.
"Let's stand here for a while, brother Laing." Belega came near a pool, turned on the tap, and washed his hands with water. He motioned for Laing to stop for a while. "I can see that you must have some questions to ask me. It's about Solgreen, right?"
"In the second expedition to Eight Peaks Mountain, you received the help of the Supreme King and ten thousand dwarves." Laing nodded. He also washed his hands and face with water. "But why …"
"Why did you betray Solgreen and his army and choose to fight alone? Why did you retreat in the end? " Belega's expression was serious. "Do you think that I made a fatal mistake on this issue?"
"…" Laing did not admit or deny. The light in the corridor was not bright, and the straight walls seemed solid and reliable. The walls were decorated with runes and reliefs, silently telling the story of the dwarven ancestors.
"Because we couldn't win." Belega sighed softly and sat down on the steps. "Even with Solgreen's ten thousand people, we still couldn't win. Even if I went back to support Solgreen, it was only a matter of time before we were defeated by the endless Green Tide and Rat Tide. At that time, Solgreen led his army to stall the main force of the Green Dwarves. After I received the news, I immediately realized that even if I joined forces with Solgreen, it was still impossible to reclaim Eight Peaks Mountain, because there were not only Green Dwarves in Eight Peaks Mountain."
"Skaven Rat Men." Laing sat next to Belega.
"So my plan was to destroy the statue of the Green Dwarves in the ancestral hall of Eight Peaks Mountain and see if I could open a nearby treasury and take out the weapons inside." Belega nodded. Bellegar nodded and continued, "I obtained the full set of rune equipment from the Sworn Guards of Angran back then, including my rune stone. Unfortunately, Sol Green couldn't hold on for long. I ordered a retreat before the Green Dwarfs came back. Believe me, Brother Lane, my decision back then wasn't a foolish one. It was just … a little heartless. But that's the nature of the dwarves. If we abandon our hatred, what do we have left?"
"Freedom." Laing turned his gaze to the dome of Haimen Pass. As it was a city built on a mountain, the entire city was covered in a dome. Sunlight could only be seen for two to three hours every day.
"Ancestors, bloodline, and hatred. These are the reasons for the glory of the dwarves. They are also the reason why we believe in the revival of the dwarves. If we lose these, we will no longer be dwarves. Our race has always relied on these things to survive," Belega said slowly. "Brother Laing, do you see that?"
Laing looked in the direction Belega pointed and saw a huge warehouse. "Yes."
"That's the treasury of Balak Haimen Pass. It's estimated to contain more than … 500 thousand crowns, or even more. The wealth inside far surpasses your duke's treasury, the Empire's emperor's treasury, and the one His Majesty the Savior built in Nur," Belega said slowly, "But do you know how many treasures there are in Eight Peaks Mountain?"
"The treasures in Eight Peaks Mountain are at least ten times more than all the treasures in Haimen Pass." Belega's eyes seemed to be in a trance. He seemed to be recalling something. "The ancestral armory has more than ten thousand sets of runic armor, thousands of runic warhammers, and thousands of runic axes. They are hung all over the mountain's cliffs. There are also starmetal shields engraved with the ancestral coat of arms, beast-horned winged helmets, and countless treasures in the treasury. Back then, we did our best to fend off the attacks of the green dwarves, but the lowly ratmen controlled a strange machine to release lethal poison and viruses into the area where the dwarves were defending. After sensing the impending doom, the ancestral king of Loen ordered the treasury and the armory to be sealed. He also helped the people escape from the encirclement and evacuated Eight Peaks Mountain. Until now, I've never been to the ancestral shrine. At most, I've only opened up some small armory in the mines and excavated some sealed treasures. If I could …"
At that point, Belega couldn't continue. Tears welled up in his eyes. "If I could …"
"I'll help you, Brother Belega. I promised," Laing said warmly. "That's why we're here."
"Don't think of this war as too easy, Brother Laing. Don't be blinded by the success in front of you." Belega's voice contained some unusual emotions. "You and your army haven't fought against Skarnik and Headhunter Quirk. Can you understand that feeling? Day after day, year after year. My people and I have been fighting for hundreds of years, eroding our bodies and souls. Victory can no longer bring us any joy, only a little comfort. We have paid an incomparably heavy price. The reconstruction over the years is just an occasional rest in the long campaign. Endless blood and pain accompanied by a small respite. This is the life of all the dwarves of the Angran clan for the past 3000 years. "
"The glorious era of the past is long gone. The history of the dwarves' rule over the mountains is over. Now, my people and I can only rely on each other and grasp the last glimmer of hope, the hope of reclaiming the Eight Peaks Mountain. I know that Skarnik and his endless green army are everywhere in the ancestral hall. The spirits of the ancestors are silently wandering in the gallery, mourning the past." Belega whispered. "This is the last chance, Brother Laing. It's the last chance. I'm very tired, really."
"I understand. I understand." Laing lowered his head. He could feel Belega's fatigue. The desire to reclaim the Eight Peaks Mountain used to be like a fire burning in Belega's chest. But now, it was about to be extinguished. Belega's dream of reclaiming the Eight Peaks Mountain, avenging his father, and leading his people to glory was gradually fading away. "Let us make an oath."
The fist of the human and the dwarf clenched tightly together.
"An oath of gold and iron!"
"As solid as a rock!"
… I'm the dividing line of the oath of gold and iron …
Along the long corridor, Laing followed the stairs back to the hotel where he, the Holy Grail Knight, and Veronica's witches were staying. The best hotel in Sea Gate, "Sea Dragon's Breath", was built on the edge of the commercial district, close to the residential area and a cliff. Here, the turbulent water of the Black River flowed in the distance. Dozens of waterwheels were constantly spinning, and the roar of the torrent echoed from the mountainside. The magnificent dwarven fortress was also full of vitality today. The number of dwarves in Sea Gate was different from many other dwarven kingdoms. The dwarf population in Sea Gate had been steadily increasing. Because the economy was always prosperous and the fortress was incomparably sturdy, the dwarves here often lived a rich and safe life. Many dwarves in Sea Gate had more than a dozen brothers and two or three sisters.
At the same time, Laing also saw people from many countries here. Not to mention the Arabians and the Indi people further away, Laing even saw some Aurora people.
The one who led Laing and Bellegar was the hammer warrior Glenn Silverbeard of Byrnov. The hammer warrior was only 150 years old this year, and he was not as quiet as the other white-bearded dwarves. He was obviously very happy with Bellegar and Laing's feat. After Laing's victory, the green dwarves in Blackwater Bay would need at least a decade to make a comeback. "His Majesty Laing, Your Majesty Bellegar, the Sea Dragon's Breath Hotel is just in front."
"Are those Aurora people here to do business?" Laing noticed that a few Aurora people were drinking and singing in an open-air restaurant. Except for Laing, no one could understand what they were singing.
"Gong Jin 'ou, Sky Bearing Tree."
"Folk's Thriving Green Algae."
"Happy Fellow Robe, Qingshi is lucky."
"The sky is high, the sea is surging."
The appearance of this group of Aurora people made Laing feel speechless. He thought of a very famous image in Europe and America in his previous life and a hairstyle called "New Dynasty Elegant Government."
"Yes, that's Mr. Hong Fuchu, Mr. Qishan, and Mr. Jinglu. They are merchants from the Aurora Empire." Glenn Silverbeard said, "It's just that it's very tiring to communicate with them. These people speak a language that we don't understand. There's no one in the Sea Gate who understands the Aurora language, and they're not good at speaking the common language. Naturally, no one would do business with them if they don't understand. It's said that they plan to go to Marlin Castle."
"Okay." Laing was too lazy to say more. He didn't even intend to talk to these Aurora people. After Laing expressed his attitude, the Hammer Warriors in the Sea Gate immediately understood. The few Aurora people could see that Laing was definitely not a simple person from his clothes, but the Hammer Warriors stopped the few Aurora people from getting closer.
In this way, Laing and Belega said goodbye. Belega was staying in another Dwarf Tavern.
The Sea Dragon's Breath Inn was the best inn in the Sea Gate Pass. It was four stories high, and the craftsmanship of the dwarven craftsmen made the entire inn lack the splendor of the human world. Instead, it had a simple and solemn taste. But when Leon pushed open the door of the inn, the sound of chatter and some kind of atmosphere called youthful vitality completely enveloped the hall of the inn.
The witches of Veronica's Witches Guild were enjoying their dinner. They sat at tables of four or five in the spacious hall, and the sounds of chattering and eating could be heard everywhere. After nearly a month of long expedition, the witches could finally enjoy a short break. Sea Gate Pass was a prosperous place, and many of the apprentices were excited about where they would go to play later, where they would go shopping together, and what they would be able to do.
In addition to the witches, more than a dozen Grail Knights, led by Laing and Kalad, also stayed here. Most of them sat together with a few squires. Great nobles like Feldmond and Antelm had their own female courtiers. Black Heart Reppu and his deputy Durant sat in the corner.
Seeing Laing come in, the entire hall on the first floor of the tavern almost immediately quieted down.
"My King!"
"Your Majesty!"
"His Majesty Laing, welcome back!"
Everyone, no matter what they were doing, stood up collectively to welcome Laing's arrival.
"Enjoy tonight, ladies and gentlemen." Laing nodded with a smile. "I declare that tonight is free."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Thank you for His Majesty Laing's generosity and kindness!"
The Grail Knights and witches all nodded and then sat down to enjoy their dinner. Laing's eyes searched the tavern but did not find Veronica. Before he could ask, Witch Garland came down the stairs on the second floor in burgundy high heels. Her thin heels clicked on the solid wooden stairs. "Laing, you're back?"
"Yes, I've met King Bernoff. He agreed to let us stay here." Laing nodded. He held Veronica's hand in front of the envious eyes of all the witches and apprentices. "So, my chief courtier, where is the king's dinner?"
"In your room, my dear. Come with me! You'll love it! "
"I'm looking forward to it."
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