bookrebus Chapter 726 The Supreme King
Chapter 726 The Supreme King
Before the procession even approached the city wall, several chariots appeared on the road ahead. Pulling the chariots were unidentified monsters with long horns. The monsters' hooves pounded the ground with dull thuds. The chariots were filled with fully armed dwarf soldiers, their bodies taut and their weapons always pointed forward, maintaining a vigilant posture.
The chariots slowly drove towards the formation, their wheels leaving consistent ruts on the ground, until they came to a stop right in front of the formation.
The dwarf soldiers on the chariot did not move immediately. They first scanned the entire group with their eyes to make sure that no one was making any unusual movements. Then, a dwarf standing at the front of the chariot stepped down and stood in front of everyone.
"Who are you, and why are you in the capital of the Supreme King?"
Hafdan immediately stepped forward and, without the slightest hesitation, recounted the entire story of what had happened along the way to the dwarf soldier before him. From the unexpected incidents encountered on the journey to the entire process of escorting his kinsmen to this place, he explained every detail clearly without omitting a single thing.
After hearing Hafdan's words, the dwarf soldier raised his hand to stroke his beard, his fingertips tracing the direction of the beard, and remained silent for a moment, seemingly judging the truth of the words.
"I cannot make this decision myself; I must consult the Supreme King. You all wait here."
After saying this, he turned to the other soldiers on the chariot and gestured. Several dwarves immediately jumped off the chariot and walked to the other dwarves besides Hafdan, making an escorting gesture to lead them towards the city wall. He then turned around and raised his hand to Hafdan and the others.
"Come with me."
Hafdan nodded and followed. The group walked towards the vicinity of the city wall and soon arrived at a large house built of stone. The walls of the house were made of whole pieces of bluestone, with tight gaps, making it look exceptionally sturdy.
The dwarf soldier pushed open the heavy stone door and led Hafdancord and the others into the house. Inside, there were several long stone tables and chairs, but no other items. He gestured for Hafdan to sit down, then turned and walked out of the house, closing the stone door behind him to ask for instructions.
Kod sat on the stone chair, pondering the next developments. He hoped that the High King would grant his request, but he was also worried that the purpose of his trip might change. He could only wait quietly and dared not make any unnecessary moves.
Footsteps came and went outside, but he remained seated, maintaining a proper posture.
No more than an hour after everyone sat down in the stone house, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside, growing louder as it approached, and soon stopped at the door of the stone house.
Immediately afterwards, dozens of dwarves carried a dozen or so large wooden planks into the house. On each plank was a roasted suckling pig. The pig's skin was roasted until firm, and an apple was stuffed inside. The fat dripped down the edges of the pig and accumulated in shallow pools on the planks.
Following closely behind these dwarves were a dozen or so others who worked together to carry several huge wooden barrels. The barrels had smooth outer walls, clearly vessels used to hold wine year-round.
Several other dwarves walked to the long table in the center of the room and laid out the wooden cups one by one. The cups were thick and the arrangement was neat and uniform, without any tilting.
After the wooden cups were arranged, the dwarf carrying the bucket stepped forward, lifted the cork of the bucket, and slowly poured the wine from the bucket into the wooden cups. The sound of the wine pouring into the bottom of the cups was clear, and soon each wooden cup was filled. The aroma of wine spread throughout the room, but it was not pungent or strong.
Kod looked at the dwarf pouring wine, raised his hand to signal him to stop, and stated his position.
"We are soldiers, we cannot drink alcohol."
The dwarf paused, his hand holding the wine barrel momentarily stunned. Then, a look of realization dawned on him. He put down the barrel, picked up a wooden cup, brought it to his lips, took a sip, swallowed the wine with a gurgling sound, and relaxed. He no longer urged the others to drink, but simply savored the wine in his cup.
The group sat around the long table, taking roast suckling pig from their plates. The fatigue from their journey was slowly soothed by the warm food. Meanwhile, the dwarves began to drink heartily, filling the room with various noises. Kod slowly chewed his food, thinking about his words for the upcoming meeting with the High King. He needed to convey the sincerity of the Kingdom of Hilderan's request while maintaining the dignity of the kingdom's soldiers. He carefully considered every word in his mind.
Not long after the hearty meal ended, the stone door of the stone house was pushed open again, and a dwarf wearing a tall and ornate hat walked into the house. His steps were steady, and he stopped in the center of the house, his gaze sweeping over everyone present without any unnecessary pleasantries.
“I am the ceremonial officer sent by the Supreme King, and I have been ordered by the Supreme King to invite you all into the city.”
After speaking, the etiquette officer stepped aside to make way, gesturing to lead the way.
Kod stood up first, followed closely by the others, and walked out of the stone house with the master of ceremonies, heading towards the gate of the city wall.
Upon arriving at the gate, the dwarves responsible for operating it were already in place. As the sound of mechanical components whirring filled the air, the heavy gate slowly rose, revealing a passageway inside the city wall.
As the group stepped into the city, they saw many dwarves standing on both sides of the road, as well as dwarf soldiers standing on both sides to maintain order. The soldiers held weapons, stood tall, and looked at the group with scrutiny.
The group proceeded along the main road in the city. The dwarves on both sides of the road spontaneously retreated to the side of the road. The noisy sounds lingered all around, but did not disrupt the rhythm of the group.
Kod followed the master of ceremonies, his mind still processing the conversation with the High King, afraid of missing any crucial information and delaying the kingdom's request.
After traversing the bustling avenue, the group finally stopped at the entrance of a towering stone fortress. The fortress walls were constructed of massive stone blocks, and the gates slowly opened upon their arrival. The master of ceremonies entered first, followed closely by Kod and his entourage. They passed through the outer high walls and arrived directly at the palace entrance.
The palace gates were guarded by dozens of dwarf soldiers on both sides. When the ceremonial officer arrived, the soldiers near the gate worked together to push open the heavy palace doors, the hinges turning with a dull thud.
The group followed the master of ceremonies into the palace. The palace was not overly decorated, but the space was open and well-organized. On both sides stood many dwarf generals in armor and dwarf officials in gorgeous clothes. Everyone stood still, their eyes fixed on the group that had entered the palace.
Kod composed himself and looked up. On the high platform in the center of the palace stood a dwarf wearing a crown, who must be the High King of the dwarf race.
The Supreme King on the high platform swept his gaze over the crowd, then spoke, his voice steady and resonant, echoing throughout every corner of the palace.
"I am Guren, the High King of all the dwarves here. Welcome to my palace. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have helped my people."
Koder stepped forward and knelt on one knee to pay his respects to Guren on the platform. His movements were precise and swift, without the slightest hesitation.
After getting up, he stood up straight and clearly stated the purpose of his trip.
"I have been sent here by His Majesty King John of the Kingdom of Hilderan to request that you provide dwarven artisans skilled in runes to assist humanity in crafting rune weapons."
Guren stood on the high platform, his gaze fixed on Kod. He remained silent for a moment, seemingly pondering the implications and pros and cons of the matter, without responding immediately.
Kod stood quietly in place, without urging anyone, simply maintaining a respectful posture, awaiting the High King's decision.
After a moment, Guren spoke and gave a response.
"I agree to your request."
With a weight lifted from his heart, Codd remained calm and composed, showing no excessive emotion.
After speaking, Guren turned to a dwarf official beside him and gave instructions.
“Go and invite Master Dongel here.”
The dwarf official accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew. He then turned and left the palace to summon Master Tangl.
Silence returned to the hall, and Guren looked at Kod again, asking a question.
Tell me about the current state of humanity; I want to know the whole story.
Kod nodded and recounted everything he knew about the situation on Earth, from the changes within the territory to the predicament of various forces, and the urgent need to create rune weapons. He described everything concisely and completely, without any redundancy.
Every word he spoke was carefully considered; he neither exaggerated the predicament nor concealed the truth, allowing Guren to clearly assess the human condition.
Guren stood on the high platform, listening quietly, occasionally nodding slightly, taking the information Kod said to heart. Their conversation lasted for a long time, and the soldiers and officials in the hall remained silent throughout, without a single one uttering a sound to disturb them. Between statements, Kod was also calculating in his mind that with the assistance of the dwarven craftsmen, the military equipment of the Kingdom of Hilderan could be improved, and the purpose of this trip could be considered successfully achieved.
Several hours later, the palace doors were gently pushed open, and a white-haired dwarf with muscular arms entered the hall. Dressed in clothing similar to that of a craftsman, he walked steadily to the foot of the high platform, stood still, and waited with his hands at his sides for the next instruction from the High King Guren.