Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"I'll strengthen the militia north of the Wes Lake and inform the other lords to be on high alert."
After making this decision, Paul and Stanford didn't delve too much further into the issue of the dwarves in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains.
Stanford inquired about the other two exploration fleets.
"The last news from the southern fleet was received last month. A letter came through several trading caravans, passed along by various hands. According to the letter, it was sent from a kingdom called Naro, located in the southern region of the Holy Church—who knows what kind of place that is. They said they sent multiple copies of the same letter through different merchants and adventurers, but only one reached me—which is already fortunate. In short, the fleet is doing well and plans to continue sailing east."
Paul furrowed his brows.
"As for the fleet heading deep into the western ocean, I'm sorry to say that since their departure, we've received no news. Let's continue to pray that the Lord of Light watches over them."
Stanford felt a vague sense of unease in his heart after hearing Paul's words, and he could tell that the lord shared a similarly pessimistic feeling about the western exploration fleet.
"By the way!" Paul changed his tone to a lighter one.
"I heard that you brought back a dwarf this time?"
Stanford nodded in confirmation, "Yes, Lord Grayman. His name is Imar, and he was our guide when we crossed the Rocky Mountains."
"I want to meet him immediately."
…
Imar was led into the hall with a face full of anxiety.
Though he tried his best to appear calm, he simply couldn't.
When he first entered the castle, the human guards searched him thoroughly.
The inspection reminded him of an unpleasant experience when he first entered human territory.
They had made him bathe, and at first, he thought this was a unique custom in the Northwest Bay. But after the bath, things took a turn for the worse—he was completely naked and held down by two burly men in white coats who inspected him thoroughly, even… well, no part of him was spared.
Fortunately, he didn't have to go through that ordeal again when entering the lord's manor.
A man who introduced himself as Butler Philip entered, served him a cup of honey tea, glanced curiously at him, and then left.
Imar curiously began to study the furnishings of the room. In one corner of the reception hall, a giant porcelain vase caught his eye. By the hammer, that vase was enormous, nearly as tall as him. The little vase Stanford had gifted him instantly paled in comparison.
He stretched out his thick fingers, caressing the surface of the vase with fascination.
"Lord Grayman has arrived!" A sudden voice startled him from behind.
Imar quickly pulled his hand back.
Turning around, he saw a young human standing at the exit of the corridor, looking at him.
Standing just behind him was Stanford, who had just spoken.
So this young man must be the lord of this land, Paul Grayman, the person Stanford had spoken of.
"Greetings, King of the Humans!" Imar stepped forward and extended his hand.
But to his confusion, the human lord didn't move, merely stared at him intently, his eyes tracking Imar as he approached.
What was this? Even if it was his first time seeing a dwarf, this reaction seemed a bit over the top.
"Too… too…"
Too what? Both Imar and Stanford were puzzled.
"Too incredible!"
"A real, live dwarf is standing right in front of me."
It took a long while for the human lord to finally complete a full sentence.
Both Imar and Stanford had underestimated the impact a dwarf's appearance would have on Paul.
In his previous life, Paul had been a casual fan of Western fantasy, often dreaming of elves, dragons, and mages—terms that floated around in his mind from famous fantasy works like The Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons.
Since arriving in this world, he'd already encountered mages, a staple of any fantasy world—like Ladia Setia and Sevya Asitini, both witches, or perhaps more accurately, sorceresses.
But they were still human—at least in appearance and form, and very attractive humans at that.
He'd never encountered a non-human race before.
Oh, and goblins didn't count. Those brutish creatures, barely capable of speech, were more like beasts.
Paul stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the dwarf's thick, bushy beard. But halfway there, he realized it might be rude, so he pulled back, only to immediately extend his hand again to shake the dwarf's outstretched one.
This caused a bit of irritation in the short guest.
"Lord Grayman, this is our guide, Imar Stoneworker," Stanford finally broke the silence.
"Oh! Welcome, welcome, please have a seat, Mr. Dwarf."
Paul grasped the dwarf's hand firmly—aha, the dwarf had quite a strong grip—and invited him to sit down.
"Human ruler!" As soon as he sat down, the dwarf eagerly declared, "I have something to say to you in private."
Paul glanced at Stanford, "Not even he can be present?"
Imar replied, "That's right."
He turned to Stanford, "I'm sorry, my friend, but what I have to say is rather inconvenient."
Stanford nodded in understanding and excused himself from the hall.
"And those men?" Imar gestured toward the guards at the door.
Paul waved his hand dismissively, "Haha, you don't need to worry about them. They are loyal to me. If they ever let out even a word, it would only be because I ordered them to."
The dwarf continued, "Very well, human lord, first, I need to reveal my identity. In human terms, I would be considered a 'prince' of sorts."
"Is that so?" Paul was surprised, "Then I must apologize for any disrespect, 'Your Highness'."
Imar stared at Paul. "I have a rather profitable deal for you. Are you interested?"
"Then… please, tell me the details."
The dwarf cleared his throat and lowered his voice.
"I come from a certain dwarven clan on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. I am the son of the clan chief, but due to the scheming of a villain, my foolish and incompetent father exiled me from the clan."
"Now, if you can provide me with an army, and sponsor me with a large sum of money—preferably in gold and silver, or even that porcelain stuff you humans have—I can reclaim my position as clan chief."
"And once I take over as the chief, I will repay your help many times over. The Rocky Mountains are full of endless mineral wealth, and my people are all top-tier blacksmiths."
After saying all this in one breath, the dwarf's eyes were already starting to redden.
Paul was shocked!
Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this dwarf he had just met to say something like that.
Wait a minute, why did this sound so familiar?
(End of the Chapter)
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