Chapter 22: Preparing for the Banquet

"There is no time to lose; I shall go to the Clan to announce this news right away! I must personally vet the people; if another incident like the last one happens, I might as well take a trip to Karak-Kadrin!" Uncle Longchui said, preparing to rise from his seat.

"Although time is as precious as gold in the treasury, you need not be in such a rush!" Master Iron Chisel stopped him.

"First, take half of my Anvil Guard to help Sinuoli out! What would it look like for a dignified Chosen of the Goddess to go out with only one attendant?

Besides, I have no plans to go exploring anytime soon, and the guards are just idling in the Shanbao with me anyway! My heart bleeds watching them gather together to drink on the clock every day."

"Well, all three matters have been discussed, let us adjourn! The ale yesterday left me with a splitting headache," Thorgrim said, looking at the notebook in front of him.

"Hey, child, you forgot one important thing! What about the banquet?" Yushou Popo reminded him.

"Look at my memory! It is all the fault of those bastards; even if it is free, one cannot squander it recklessly! Do they not know that frugality itself is a treasure passed down by the Ancestor Gods?"

Taking a sip of the water brought by a guard, Thorgrim straightened his expression and sat up straight. "Everyone, I intend to hold this banquet in my capacity as High King; what do you think?"

Thorgrim-Grudgebearer currently holds four titles—head of his own family, Clan Chief of the Drazkrad Clan, Lord of the fortress Karaz-a-Karak, and High King of the Mountain Kingdom.

"I think it is a good idea!" Dolson was the first to express his approval.

"Since the Dark Age, the Ancestor Gods have not manifested any miracles. In my old age, I sometimes doubt whether the ancestors have truly abandoned us, let alone the young Little Beards! They all lack respect for the ancestors! Now that Sinuoli, this Chosen of the Goddess, has appeared to bear witness, it will surely improve the cohesion of our race!"

Speaking such a long passage was a bit of a burden for a Dwarf of Dolson's age; he rested for a moment before continuing, "If you ask me, this is even more important than being the youngest Rune Master!"

"Hmm, I agree as well," Longchui's voice rang out.

"Forgive my bluntness, but since you ascended to the throne, brother, although many Grudges have been settled, many new ones have been added! The satisfaction of the clansmen still needs improvement; I am tired of listening to the nagging of some Longbeards! It is rare to have such an inspiring event, I think it is worth doing on a grand scale!"

"It should be done on a grand scale!" Yushou Popo nodded.

"In the great war a hundred years ago, our Clan suffered heavy losses. Although you, Thorgrim, returned in time to inherit the throne and the Clan has been flourishing in recent years, there are still some blind fellows who question our current status!

It is high time to use a grand banquet to tell them that the younger generation of our Clan has grown up, and the Drazkrad Clan is still the king that has ruled the Eternal Peak for thousands of years!"

The last to speak was Aunt Sonia, who was in charge of production.

"Since you have all said so much, I cannot be the villain! But do not blame me for not warning you, brother: that fat Goblin, its Waaagh has impacted trade and production, and many goods are out of stock in the market. The cost of the banquet will not be small.

It was easy for you to be generous last night, but I was shocked by the bill when I got up this morning! One would think an entire tribe of Trolls had entered the tavern!"

Although the cost of a banquet is not even a drop in the bucket compared to the endless wealth the Clan has accumulated since the era of the ancestors, the Dwarves' innate love for wealth will not change because of this.

The time for the banquet was set for the following evening. Taking advantage of this free time, Sinuoli decided to tidy up his new residence. Since becoming a Rune Master, he no longer had to live in the room belonging to a Prince, and the Clan had arranged for him an empty courtyard with a Forging Room in the residential area.

The courtyard had three sections: the outermost was the guards' quarters, the middle was the residence for him and his personal attendants, and the deepest part was the Forging Room connected to the earth fire.

Upon reaching the entrance, he found a team of "iron cans" already standing there, though they looked a bit unsteady.

Seeing Sinuoli approach, the leading Longbeard warrior, who looked full of vigor, stepped forward and saluted.

"Good afternoon, respected Chosen of the Goddess! I am Qiangsen-Jian Dun, deputy Captain of the Anvil Guard."

Seeing Sinuoli's poor expression and then turning back to see his teammates, who were still swaying while supporting each other, a shadow crossed his face as well.

"Attention!"

Qiangsen roared at the other Dwarves; his massive voice was like thunder, startling even Sinuoli, and the Dwarves in the surrounding residences poked their heads out one after another. Sinuoli secretly thought that this warrior must have leveled up the Bagpipe Lung Capacity skill.

The groggy team was startled and managed to pull themselves together.

"My deepest apologies, respected Chosen of the Goddess, for letting you see such a sight. Thanks to you and the generosity of His Majesty the High King, these fellows spent the night in the tavern yesterday. Under normal circumstances, we are a strong enough team; the axes and shields of my brothers can handle any enemy!"

Given that these forty men were a team borrowed from Master Iron Chisel, Sinuoli could not say anything harsh. He nodded: "Hmm, it is good to rest when there is nothing to do, but you must be on your toes when there is an actual mission."

However, he secretly made a note of the loud-voiced Captain Qiangsen in his heart; this Dwarf looked reliable and useful!

After arranging quarters for the Anvil Guard, Sinuoli and Balin decorated their own rooms together.

Afterward, Sinuoli took the ring gifted by Master Iron Chisel and his own Master-class Flight Rune into the Forging Room. After spending some time successfully transferring the rune onto the ring face, Sinuoli looked at the heavy ring on his left middle finger, with the W-shaped character faintly visible, and revealed a satisfied smile.

This was the first piece of Exquisite Quality equipment he had obtained since transmigrating. Out of gratitude to Master Iron Chisel, he decided to name it the "Iron Chisel Ring."

Wearing the ring, he entered dreamland. The next morning, Sinuoli was woken up by Balin. Walking into the living room, he found Aunt Sonia with her legs crossed, sipping an unknown beverage.

"Good morning, Aunt. Why are you up so early?" Sonia smiled and raised the cup in her hand. "Thanks to this! Our Human friends call it coffee. With this, it is hard to even fall asleep! I used to drink ale while staying up late to do accounts, and the more I did, the more confused I got. Now my work efficiency has improved quite a bit! You do not like alcohol much, do you? I brought some for you to try!"

Having Balin brew the coffee, Sinuoli chatted with Aunt Sonia while drinking it.

"I came here for a serious matter!" Sonia did not waste words and got straight to the point. "Yesterday, Aoruimu did a count and found that we are still short a few sets of Meteorite Armor. I am going to the Blacksmith Guild to purchase some. Do you not need to commission a hammer? Let us go together; we can pay the bill all at once!"

Thanks to Tadashii, the book friend's monthly ticket, and the many recommendation tickets from multiple readers! There will be an extra update tonight.

Continuing to ask for tickets and collections!