Chapter 162: A Long Talk Between Sister-in-law and Brother-in-law

Snorri knew he needed to proceed step by step. Once Princess Pamila accepted that Rune Masters generally possess longer lifespans, he began to elaborate further.

"But there is something I am ashamed to speak of: my peers often prefer to hide their skills within their anvils and Forging Hammers. They do not pass them on to their disciples until the right moment—usually when they foresee themselves stepping into the halls of the ancestors."

Snorri took a sip of the tea on the table; this was a specialty beverage of the Kingdom of Bretonnia.

"My teacher has not given me any special guidance to this day, and such behavior has led to many precious Runes being lost to the passage of time. But I believe that under the current circumstances of facing intense external threats, if the opportunity arises, I would be willing to change that."

Snorri did not spell it out completely; he trusted that the wisdom his sister-in-law had displayed would allow her to understand his meaning. In Pamila's view, Snorri's "opportunity" meant becoming the leader of the Rune Smith Guild.

This was not difficult for him; after all, Snorri was the disciple of the current Guild Master, the guild's headquarters were at Everpeak, and the Drazkrad Clan had ruled there for generations.

"Fine, when I have time, I will go speak to my father about it," Princess Pamila relented.

"I am truly grateful to you. I have brought a considerable amount of Oath Gold; I will not make things difficult for you," Snorri struck while the iron was hot and made a guarantee.

After chatting a bit more, Snorri took his leave and departed his sister-in-law's chambers; he needed to adjust his state to cope with the challenges of the evening.

By twilight, Snorri was led by several Hammer Guards to the fortress's great hall. Compared to lunch, it had clearly been decorated and carried a somewhat festive atmosphere.

"Welcome, esteemed Chosen of the Goddess, Master Generous Snuori!" Lord Luoleike was in high spirits. He had no reason not to be; the New Year was only a few days away, and his daughter's marriage would be officially finalized today.

"I won't waste words; those of you who are well-informed have likely already heard!" The middle-aged Dwarf stroked his Longbeard with one hand and held a beer mug in the other.

He looked at the packed hall below with great satisfaction. This highlighted the powerful influence he and Kalake-Zifulin held in the surrounding region, making him feel very prestigious in front of merchants from all over.

"Hahaha!"

"Congratulations!"

The Dwarfs on and off the stage cheered. Even if they were dissatisfied with the Princess marrying far away, they would not express it to Lord Luoleike at this juncture. Wasn't the representative of the culprit—Snorri—sitting right at his lower left?

"My daughter, Pamila, is to marry into the Drazkrad Clan of Karaz-a-Karak, to the eldest son of His Majesty the King of the Mountains Thorgrim, Gnom-Thorson!" Lord Luoleike raised his volume, his voice echoing throughout the entire hall.

"Hurrah!"

"Congratulations!"

The clansmen present grew increasingly enthusiastic. Following the Lord's lead, everyone drank a toast together. After he gave a few more polite remarks, he sat down, signaling that it was Snorri's turn to speak.

Snorri tugged at his lapel and stood up. "Heh, everyone, I am Snorri Thorsson. I am new to these parts; please forgive any lack of etiquette!"

Snorri did not list his string of titles, not even the most classic and widely sung "Chosen of the Goddess." After all, his current status was that of the groom Gnom's younger brother.

Snorri's humble attitude won him the favor of many in the audience.

"Welcome, esteemed Chosen of the Goddess!"

"Praise your skills and generosity!"

Many Dwarfs in the audience cheered. Although it was a grand banquet in the evening and the attendees were not just the local leadership from lunch, the Dwarfs who could sit here all held some status.

Most of them were elders of the various clans of Weifengbao, managers of merchant guilds, and so on; in short, the middle-level managers had all come.

Given the social tradition of Dwarfs respecting age and experience, it was not hard to infer that they were all clansmen of the Longbeard level. Beyond making them respect Snorri, the Chosen of the Goddess, more, their advanced age also meant most were already married. Even those who were not had presumably exited the ranks of those vying for Princess Pamila's heart.

The noise from the few "Little Beards" who had gained the right to attend because their ancestors or fathers were part of the leadership within Weifengbao's sphere of influence was drowned out by the loud voices of the elders around them.

"Everyone also knows why I have come here!" Snorri generally did not like to shout; it was somewhat hard on the throat. So far, Snorri had not discovered any "Golden Throat" lozenges for sale in this world.

The Dwarf custom of excessive drinking already irritated the mucous membranes of the throat, and combined with speaking loudly, many older clansmen had somewhat hoarse voices. But for now, he tried his best to raise his volume to appear more imposing.

"My eldest brother, Prince Gnom, has entered into a betrothal with Princess Pamila. I shall stand in his stead to accept the trials of our elders and kinsmen here, to prove that my brother, our family, and the clan I hail from have the ability to protect the Princess of Kalake-Zifulin well!"

Snorri's spirited declaration once again drew a round of applause and cheers, but it would not be time for the challengers to make their move until the meal was mostly finished.

As the banquet neared its end, Snorri saw seven or eight young Little Beards stand up simultaneously. Judging by their physical features, several of them were the ones his sister-in-law had highlighted that afternoon.

"I am of the Golden Hammer Clan..."

"I am from the Le-Angulang settlement..."

After a chaotic round of self-introductions and interruptions, they converged their demands into a single sentence.

"I challenge you!"

Looking at these Little Beards before him, Snorri smiled very calmly. He believed this group posed no great threat. In terms of strength, he had the invincible Storm Hammer; in terms of skill, his title of Rune Master was enough to overwhelm them.

Just as Snorri was secretly loosening his knees and wrists, preparing to teach these Little Beards the ways of a Dwarf one by one, two Hammer Guards suddenly ran in from outside the hall.

They waved at Lord Luoleike from the doorway, and Snorri noticed the middle-aged Dwarf furrow his brows tightly. Clearly, he was very dissatisfied with his good time being interrupted, especially with such a hall full of guests.

The Lord waved his hand to signal that the two guards should not disturb him unless it was a matter of utmost importance, but the situation was clearly serious; the two Dwarfs pushed aside the rowdy, cheering clansmen and squeezed to the front of the stage.

Lord Luoleike had no choice; he had to hand over the hosting duties of the wedding challenge to his cousin, Master Haleke, and then turned to step off the stage to handle the emergency.

Thanks to book friends: Thinking About Life Through Reading, the second comrade from the left "Yumi", Undead Tianzai 20, Luoshui Fuchen, Liu Shuaibi, Star of Destruction, and Cangyun Bomu for the monthly tickets.