Chapter 19: Council of Elders

Arriving at the dais, Sinuoli discovered that sitting in a circle with Thorgrim were two men and two women. Besides Thorgrim, there was one other person he recognized: Uncle Longchui, who had appeared earlier in the story.

Their eyes met, and Longchui laughed heartily at him, stuffing the wine cup in his hand into Sinuoli's.

One must not refuse a gift from an elder, so Sinuoli took the opportunity to take a sip. He was surprised to find that this mouthful of beer refreshed his spirit. Looking at the shimmering luster of the runes on the cup, he realized this cup was no ordinary object!

"Add a chair?" Thorgrim asked in an inquiring tone.

"That goes without saying!" the oldest male among the five said decisively.

"Ever since the Ancestor Gods reshaped this world, there has never been a reason for a Rune Master to stand during a meeting!"

Soon, a chair was delivered by the hall guards. Sinuoli sat in the position directly facing Thorgrim, and the meeting officially began.

"Sinuoli, this is your first time sitting in on this meeting. Let me introduce you to the elders of our Clan!" Thorgrim, acting as Clan Chief, spoke up.

He first looked at the elderly male sitting to his left, whose beard hung all the way to the floor.

"This is Grandpa Duorsen—you should call him Great-Grandpa Sinuoli. He is the oldest member of our Clan, currently keeping our Clan's Book of Grudges and also serving as the head of the school."

Every Dwarf Clan has its own Book of Grudges, and some families even have their own little notebooks. The Book of Grudges is generally kept by the Clan Chief, but if the Clan Chief has a more important Book of Grudges to keep, this task is handed over to the oldest male Dwarf.

The old Dwarf revealed a kind smile to Sinuoli:

"Truly wonderful, child. I have watched the snow on the Everpeak melt and freeze five hundred and twenty-three times, but in these five hundred and twenty-three years, I have never seen the Gods manifest their divine grace."

He paused as Thorgrim handed him a wine cup. "Now, knowing that they have not yet abandoned their children, I can go to the Ancestor Hall with peace of mind!"

"Don't say that! Grandpa (Uncle)!" the other few Dwarfs cried out upon hearing this.

Duorsen reached out to press his hand down. "Rest assured! I still want to watch our Clan and even the entire Dwarf race restore its former glory! Surely Grungni isn't in such a hurry to claim an old Miner like me, is he?" The old Dwarf laughed very happily, his beard and eyebrows shaking together.

In Dwarf society, age is the most respected virtue. There is a saying: "A Dwarf's wisdom is measured by his beard."

Duorsen originally did not have a high status in the Clan, and he didn't even have a particularly impressive nickname, but as he became the oldest member, he joined the Council of Elders.

Thorgrim then looked at the elderly female to his right. "This is Yushou Popo, the wife of the late King Orikson!"

Hearing this, Sinuoli could not help but look up and down at this elderly woman. She had smooth, silver hair styled in a Bohemian fashion belonging to a Greek goddess. Although time had left its mark on her face, one could tell she was a beauty in her youth.

"She currently serves as the High Priestess of the Walayashenmiao and is also responsible for managing the women and children of our Clan. Sinuoli, you and your siblings were all delivered by her!"

The centers of worship for the three Dwarf Ancestor Gods were originally established in the three most important fortresses of the Mountain Kingdom.

In the northern stronghold of Karak-Kadrin lies the largest Slayer Shenkan in the entire Mountain Kingdom, which is why it is also known as Slayer Keep.

The last time the God of War, God of War Gelunmuni'er, appeared before entering the Chaos Wastes during the Ancestor Age was here. His followers followed in his footsteps to this place, built Karak-Kadrin, and eventually developed it into the center of the God of War faith and a holy land for Dwarf Slayers. The vast majority of Dwarf Slayers complete their shaving ritual here before embarking on the path of seeking a death filled with honor.

The Everpeak, Karaz-a-Karak, is the center of worship for the main god, Grungni. This was the first fortress built after the Ancestor Gods arrived in the Old World from Lustria. The god of mining and smithing, Grungni, personally laid its foundation and led his sons to build its main body. It is currently the capital of the Mountain Kingdom, and the headquarters of the Miner Guild and the Blacksmith Guild are also located here.

The center of worship for the Ancestor Goddess Valaya was originally in Karak Eight Peaks, the Queen of the Silver Abyss. This was a vital stronghold connecting the north and south of the World's Edge Mountains, possessing the most developed underground network and the richest mineral deposits. In the Golden Age, its prosperity was enough to rival Karaz-a-Karak. The Ancestor Goddess loved this place so much that she laid the foundation for the fortress and engraved her own emblem on the fortress gate.

However, in the Dark Age, it fell under the pincer attack of Greenskins and Skaven, and the former Valaya's Gate became the present Walayashangxindi. As the royal family of Eight Peaks moved to Karaz-a-Karak for refuge, the center of the Valaya faith also shifted here. Generally speaking, the most esteemed woman serves as the High Priestess of the Ancestor Goddess temple.

Yushou Popo was exceptionally affectionate toward Sinuoli, the "Chosen of the Goddess," pulling him aside to ask this and that. One must know that although she had been a priestess of the Goddess for hundreds of years, she had never received a response from the Goddess; every ceremony was just going through the motions.

The third person Thorgrim introduced was Longchui: "This is my cousin. He currently serves as the commander of our Clan's army and is also the Clan's most heroic warrior!"

Longchui stroked his beard, speaking humble words while smiling very happily.

"Back then, when Sinuoli charged straight at that fat and stupid Goblin, it was a bit like my style back in the day. Why, back then, that blind Star Dragon actually dared to invade our Everpeak. Hmph, I was the first to charge up..."

"Charged up only to be swatted away by a claw and have your beard burned off by a breath of dragon fire?" the last, relatively young female Dwarf interrupted with a laugh.

"By Grungni, Kelimu, you really should learn from the bards on the Human side. You've told this same story over and over; even the rats in the gutter could recite it!"

Only then did Sinuoli realize why his graying beard only grew to his chest. He couldn't help but express his admiration for Uncle Kelimu's courage.

Amidst their bickering, Thorgrim began to introduce the last female Dwarf: "Sonia the Eloquent, my own younger sister. She loved you the most when you were little!"

"Poor child," Sonia touched Sinuoli's head. "My poor sister-in-law in the Ancestor Hall must be proud of your achievements!" Her words made the cheerful atmosphere heavy.

"She currently manages the production within our Clan—pastures, brine, spices, dyes, and so on are all under her responsibility. If you are lacking anything, just look for her!" Thorgrim frowned and continued.

"The other elders have other urgent matters and couldn't get away. Let's start the meeting now and discuss what the Clan should reward Master Sinuoli with." Thorgrim said immediately after introducing the four elders.

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