Chapter 139: Traces of the Skaven (Thanks to the monthly ticket rewards for the extra update)

"I can tell you clearly, my dear Human friend, Skaven are everywhere; they have existed since the very beginning of your Empire!" Sinuoli said in a low tone.

"Between the mountains, in the tunnels you have ignored, my kin have fought bloody battles against them for several millennia! Although they are the latest enemies to appear, in the Great Book of Grudges kept by my father, the entries regarding them are not a single bit less than those of any other race!"

Sinuoli's words were like a heavy hammer, striking Viscount Thompson's heart blow by blow. He knew the Dwarf Prince before him would not and had no need to lie to him, but it was difficult to suddenly accept that stories he had always treated as urban legends and mere entertainment were actually reality.

"Then what should I do?" Seeing that the caravan had already finished passing and Sinuoli had also mounted his Rock Sheep to enter the city with the caravan, Viscount Thompson quickened his speech.

"Check your sewers properly! Make those sewer cleaners raise their vigilance and report the situation to you every day!" Sinuoli gave his advice calmly.

After eradicating the rat infestation in the Empire, the Rat-Slayer Mandred knew that the Skaven could return at any time, so he established a unit specifically responsible for sewer patrols to prevent emergencies.

Although this Emperor was assassinated, the unit he formed remained, but it later gradually developed into the sewer cleaners.

This job could be called the lowliest and most nauseating of all jobs in the Old World; if one had a choice, working as a pimp in a brothel might even be better.

Sinuoli had learned about this profession from the stories of that most failed Slayer, Gotrek; sewer cleaners needed to crawl along narrow walkways in the dark, and if their feet slipped even once, they would fall into foul-smelling sewage filled with feces and trash.

Besides these "natural" threats, it was foreseeable that almost all unspeakable evil deeds would choose to occur in the filthy sewers.

Encountering some deformed, corrupted mutant monsters, witnessing the rituals of some strange cult, or being blocked by giant rats walking upright were all things that could happen at any time. These made sewer cleaning an even higher-risk job.

"To be honest, although my kin are experts at underground warfare, I think you might not be able to afford the price to have them clean the sewers! You know, just getting the smell out of our beards is a huge expense!"

Seeing that Viscount Thompson still wanted to say something, Sinuoli blocked his mouth in advance. Honestly, he did not want to clean sewers himself, and by empathy, he did not want to force his kin to do it either; his title of "Generous One" had not even warmed up yet!

Sinuoli nudged the Rock Sheep beneath him and caught up with the caravan; they would head directly to the Dwarf settlement here.

Outside the mountains, Dwarfs generally live in the form of clans, but these clans are not bound by specific guilds. The Clan Chief and elders are responsible for the daily operations of the entire clan.

When more than one clan resides in the same Empire settlement, they form a Council of Elders to manage this Empire Dwarf community. This is actually similar to the management style of strongholds in the mountains.

In fact, in Sinuoli's view, the structure of Dwarf communities in the Empire of Man was not much different from a stronghold.

Before him was a "city within a city" in the literal sense. It was a cluster of circular, compact buildings made of stone, no taller than two stories by Human standards. To enter the building complex, one could only pass through the thick, heavy gate at the front.

The outer buildings were like real city walls; there were no small doors facing outward, but they were equipped with small windows facing the exterior area for potential trade communication. Of course, Sinuoli knew that once the situation became critical, these small windows could transform into reliable firing ports.

Ever since the first Human Emperor Sigmar, every successive Human Emperor who sought help from the Dwarfs would be asked to grant certain privileges to the resident Dwarfs in the Empire.

Over time, the laws of the Empire of Man recognized the power of Dwarf communities to self-defend and self-regulate, and local administrative and law enforcement departments had no right to intervene in these matters.

Even if truly pushed to a dead end, many in the local government hoped that when the town was invaded by Greenskins or Undead again, the Dwarfs could let them in to take refuge; after all, this city within a city could undoubtedly hold out for a few more days.

At the moment, the gate of this settlement was not closed, and a small group of Dwarfs was waiting at the entrance. Seeing the caravan gradually approaching, the white-bearded elder at the head stepped forward and cupped his hands.

"Is the visitor the Chosen of the Ancestor Goddess, son of the High King of the Mountains, Master Generous Snuori?" The old Dwarf's voice carried a liveliness inconsistent with his age, which was very rare among the Longbeards in the mountains.

"Good afternoon, respected Elder!" Sinuoli jumped off the back of the Rock Sheep and returned the salute.

"Please come in! Kin from the mountains, you may call me Stonemason. I am a Master-class stonemason!" The old Dwarf introduced himself while leading the caravan into the settlement.

Following the entry of the caravan, although the sun had not yet set, the kin were already bustling. Accompanied by the managers of the settlement, Sinuoli arrived at the center of this place.

Undoubtedly, the center of life in any Dwarf district is the tavern. Larger Dwarf settlements have as many as ten or more taverns, but even the smallest settlements have at least one.

The tavern before him was not inferior to any one in a stronghold. "This is my son's business; that Little Beard thinks being a stonemason doesn't earn as much as this! But I think traditional craftsmanship still needs to be passed down, don't you agree?" Elder Stonemason said to Sinuoli.

To almost every kin meeting him for the first time, Sinuoli, shrouded in layers of halos, was undoubtedly expected to be a loyal defender of tradition. For this reason, Sinuoli always needed to spend some effort to correct inherent preconceptions.

"That is natural, but I am also happy to embrace new things, as long as they are helpful to the development of the Mountain Kingdom."

The group chatted as they walked to the second floor of the tavern; the second floor had some independent compartments, which could be used as private rooms or as meeting places.

"Welcome! With you and your Hammer Guard here, we wanderers far from home finally have a backbone!" After everyone was seated, Master Stonemason stood up to toast the first cup of wine.

Sinuoli knew what he meant. Because Dieter IV's act of betrayal was recorded in the Great Book of Grudges by Thorgrim Grudgebearer, and that foolish Emperor had moved the capital to Altdorf, the capital of Reikland, these kin who had lived in Reikland for a long time were in an awkward position.