Chapter 3337: Requesting The Dwarfs

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 มี.ค. 2569 18:40

Chapter 3337: Requesting The Dwarfs Satisfied, the dwarfs finally sat in a semicircle opposite Lin Mu’s group. Lin Mu introduced his group one by one, and the dwarfs followed suit. The leader, the red bearded dwarf who had hammered Lin Mu earlier, thumped his chest proudly. "I am Borin Flamebraid." The second dwarf had coal black hair tied with metal bands. "I am Grundar Brightsteel." The third had a burned beard and squinting eyes. "Name is Dorgun Halfsmoke." The fourth dwarf, with a hammer strapped to his back that was nearly thrice as bigger than him, spoke next. "I am Thalgar Ironfuse." The last dwarf, the smallest but sharp eyed and the one who had correctly guessed Lin Mu ate gold earlier, introduced himself. "Rikkan Emberetch." With formalities complete, Borin Flamebraid leaned forward. "Now then, Lin Mu, what business do you have with us?" Lin Mu met his gaze calmly. "We are searching for Mountain Dwarfs or Fireforge Dwarfs. If you know their locations, we would like your guidance." The dwarfs stiffened at once. Grundar Brightsteel scratched his beard. "We do not share the locations of our kin lightly." Thalgar Ironfuse narrowed his eyes. "Why do you seek them?" Dorgun Halfsmoke crossed his arms. "Humans in need of dwarven help is not new, but trust is not cheap." Rikkan Emberetch leaned in, eyes gleaming suspiciously. "What do you intend to do once you find them?" Lin Mu took a slow breath. "I want to forge a weapon. A very specific one. To do that, I need experts who can work with certain materials and techniques. Mountain Dwarfs and Fireforge Dwarfs are most likely the only ones who possess the necessary skills." The dwarfs stared at him for several seconds. Then at the same time, all five of them leaned closer, eyes wide with interest. "A weapon?" Borin Flamebraid asked slowly. "A special one?" Dorgun Halfsmoke pressed. "One requiring dwarven mastery?" Grundar Brightsteel added. Lin Mu nodded. "Yes." The dwarfs exchanged glances. Sparks practically lit between their eyes. Thalgar Ironfuse rubbed his hands together. "What kind of weapon?" Lin Mu smiled faintly. "I can explain that. But first, I need to know if you are willing to tell me about the locations of Mountain Dwarfs or Fireforge Dwarfs." The cavern suddenly felt even hotter as all five dwarfs leaned in, their expressions torn between pride, curiosity, suspicion, and excitement. A forge master’s request had just been placed before them. And dwarves never took such matters lightly. Lin Mu faced the five dwarves calmly, but he already knew that convincing them would require care and tact. Dwarves were loyal to a fault, but also stubborn, prideful, and extremely protective of their kin. They revered their crafts almost as much as their own ancestors, and their trust was earned slowly, not demanded. Lin Mu had read enough about dwarven customs during his travels, especially from older scrolls and books he found in the many places he had travelled. He understood well that forcing the issue or sounding impatient would accomplish nothing. If anything, it would make things harder. He also knew one of the fastest ways into a dwarf’s good graces. A good drink. So he did not immediately press his request. Instead, he raised a hand in a polite gesture. "Before we speak about the weapon or about your kin, I believe it is proper to follow dwarven etiquette. I have brought a gift." All five dwarves perked up. Five pairs of eyes, full of suspicion earlier, now subtly gleamed with interest. "A gift?" Borin Flamebraid asked with cautious curiosity. Lin Mu nodded and took out ten large barrels from his spatial ring. Immortal wood, sealed tight, still gleaming faintly with the residual glow of spiritual fermentation. Lin Mu placed all ten barrels neatly in front of the dwarves. "This is Immortal Sparkling Apple Wine," Lin Mu said with an easy smile. "Personally brewed." Cattaleya’s eyebrow twitched upward in amusement. Daoist Chu smirked knowingly. Elyon, who had tasted it before, folded his arms and waited for the dwarves’ reactions. Little Shrubby sat beside the barrels and flicked his tail proudly. The wine had been a group effort after all. Meng Bai whispered under his breath, "Ten barrels as a greeting gift. What would he give if he needed something serious?" The dwarves stared at the barrels with shock. Not anger. Not suspicion. Pure, sparkling curiosity. Alcohol was their weakness. Lin Mu had struck the correct chord. Borin Flamebraid walked forward with heavy steps, slapped the top of one barrel, and said, "We will judge if this is worthy of dwarven throats." Grundar Brightsteel cracked open the lid with a precise chop of his hand. The rich scent of apples, crisp and sweet with a sparkling edge, drifted out. The dwarves inhaled deeply and their eyes widened. All five dwarves grabbed large metal mugs from their belts. It was clear they never went anywhere without these mug and they were absurdly big, almost the size of Meng Bai’s head. They dipped them into the barrel, filling each one to the brim. Meng Bai watched deadpan. "If this is just tasting, I am afraid to see what actual drinking looks like." Cattaleya laughed. The dwarves raised their mugs and downed the sparkling wine in a single long gulp. Borin Flamebraid’s beard puffed up. Grundar Brightsteel exhaled with a refreshed groan. Thalgar Ironfuse slammed his mug against his chest in satisfaction. Rikkan Emberetch practically sparkled. Dorgun Halfsmoke let out a deep sigh. Then all five dwarves spoke at once. "Sweet but not too sweet." "Refreshing and cool." "The fizz is incredible, almost as good as volcanic ale carbonation." "This would be perfect during work." "The aftertaste is clean, this is good for long forging sessions." Lin Mu relaxed a little. His ’bribe’ had definitely succeeded. The dwarves looked genuinely pleased now. Borin Flamebraid wiped his beard and nodded. "Your offering is accepted. Now speak. What is this weapon you wish to forge? We still cannot reveal the locations of our kin without reason, but we will listen. If your request is worthy of dwarven hands, we shall judge it with the honor of our ancestors."

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