Chapter 30: Recruiting Soldiers

Brother Grom pushed hard through the crowded throng to reach the table, where he saw the few attendants he had put in charge of recruitment were overwhelmed.

"Why only Ironbreakers? I've got plenty of strength; I'm no worse than them when it comes to hacking up rats!"

"I don't have the gear on me, but I've got a full suit of meteorite Plate Armor—will that do?"

"How many days will the fighting last? If it drags on, I'm going to miss the deadline for my project!"

"What exactly is the situation over at Heishui Hu? Have you figured out how many rats are underground?" All sorts of questions flew in from every direction.

"Ah, brothers, I only want Ironbreakers, only Ironbreakers! You must bring your own full set of standard-issue equipment! Those who don't meet the requirements, please disperse first!

This is our era of reckoning! The Book of Grudges is full of grudges waiting to be settled! There are plenty of opportunities for battle! No need to rush, this isn't the only chance!" Grom jumped onto the table and shouted at the top of his lungs.

Hearing this, the gathered crowd slowly dispersed. Grom looked at the few names on the crumpled registration sheet on the table and shook his head.

"There are already few clansmen who can afford a set of Ironbreaker equipment, and after just having gone through a great war, it's a time when we need to recuperate and restore production. It's expected that we wouldn't recruit many. How are things over at the Clan?" Grom's attendant asked.

"Well, the Clan is busy forming the Anvil Guard for my brother, Master Sinuoli, so they can only support a few Irondrake gunners. It's not a big problem, though progress will be slower when clearing out the underground mines..."

"Master Sinuoli? That Chosen of the Goddess? Will he be going to Shanbao too?" Hearing Grom's muttering, one of the Dwarfs who was preparing to leave asked.

"Uh..." Before Brother Grom could answer, Sinuoli spoke up first:

"I am Sinuoli-Suorsen, and I promise that I will head to the front lines of Karak-Varn to contribute my own strength to the reclamation of the lost Shanbao!"

Looking at Sinuoli's young face, the short black beard on his chest, and the badge of a Rune Master, the surrounding Dwarfs let out gasps one after another.

"Valaya be praised! He really is this young!"

"Thanks to you, that free ale the other day really got me high!"

"With Master Sinuoli there, this trip is sure to go smoothly! My cousin has seen his Master-class Rune; that fireball was bigger than a person! No Greenskin could take a hit like that!"

"He is the Chosen of the Goddess; if we fight by his side, wouldn't we be lucky enough to receive the Goddess's attention too?"

A few Dwarfs who had initially chosen not to respond to the recruitment returned to sign their names on the paper, while other clansmen who did not meet the standards quickly spread the news that Sinuoli would be accompanying the army to Shanbao.

Dwarfs came in an endless stream upon hearing the news, and by noon, Grom had recruited a full squad of eighty Ironbreakers and twenty Irondrake gunners. With the personnel recruited, Grom's attendant removed the table, and the Dwarfs who failed to secure a spot could only leave in disappointment.

Irondrake gunners, like Ironbreakers, wore full suits of meteorite Plate Armor, only they did not carry axes and shields in their hands, but Irondrakes—a type of flamethrower invented by Dwarf Engineers.

This weapon allowed the Dwarfs to fight against superior numbers in narrow mine tunnels, quickly clearing out strong enemies that could tear through the Ironbreaker lines, such as Rat Ogres, Poison Wind Globadiers, and Night Goblin Fanatics. The intense fire and light could also cause panic in the enemy ranks, causing many cowardly foes to flee without a fight.

Their most distinct feature was the beard armor they wore to protect the Dwarfs' precious beards from the high heat of the Irondrakes. Due to the high cost and complex craftsmanship of the Irondrakes, their numbers were even scarcer than the Ironbreakers, who were already an elite Dwarf unit.

By lunchtime, the Sinuoli brothers did not return to the Clan to eat, but found a restaurant near the square. Looking at the grilled meat chops and roast chicken on the table, the brothers clinked their mugs!

"As the old saying goes! Dragon-slaying relies on father and son, going into battle relies on brothers! I didn't expect us two brothers to be able to fight side-by-side so soon! You're a Rune Master, and I'm not bad either! In all these years of dueling, no one my age has been my match!" Brother Grom sucked down a chicken leg in one go, wiped his hands, and continued,

"Father has sworn to settle all the grudges of our Mountain Kingdom. This is a grand ambition, and there will be no shortage of battles to fight. Following Father, we two brothers will surely become part of the epic, and have our own place in the halls of the Ancestors!"

"That goes without saying! I have made a vow before the Goddess to reclaim the lost Shanbao, recover the lost Artifacts, and restore the glory of the Mountain Kingdom!" Sinuoli took a large gulp of beer, repeating his initial vow.

He had accepted his identity and integrated into this group. Just as the brothers were clinking glasses, a familiar voice rang out.

"You're good at hiding! You made me search for a while!" Sinuoli looked up and discovered it was Uncle Longchui.

"Have you eaten lunch? Want to join us for a bit?" Grom asked enthusiastically, and Longchui did not stand on ceremony, tearing off a pork chop and gnawing on it.

"You're quite capable; one moment of inattention and you've recruited your own family! How many days ago was it that Sinuoli was wounded?"

"Didn't the Ancestors teach us that the sooner a Grudge is settled, the better? Shanbao has Greenskins that can..."

"Forget it! Don't give me that; it was my brother who sent me to find you. Save your energy to explain it to him!" After saying this, Longchui sat down and began to devour the food on the table like a whirlwind, seemingly wanting to make the brothers set off as soon as possible.

After the meal, Grom paid the bill, and the group took the lift to the upper level of the fortress.

Entering the office where they first met Thorgrim again, this time Sinuoli felt the tactile sensation from the badge on his chest; he knew that he was different now!

"How is the situation at Karak-Varn?" Seeing the three walk into the room, Thorgrim looked up and asked.

"Not bad, Father. I already seized the opportunity to wound that leading Orc Warboss. If it weren't for the worry about potential rats, I should have broken in the day before yesterday!"

"To lead an army alone for the first time and achieve this much is not bad at all!" Thorgrim nodded and offered a word of praise.

"Not being reckless is a good thing; a commander must be responsible for the life of every clansman. I heard your recruitment of the underground combat unit went quite smoothly?"

"Relying on the banner of Sinuoli, Chosen of the Goddess, we recruited enough very quickly!"

"Hmm, according to intelligence, the main force of the Greenskins has already charged into the Empire of Man; Shanbao is at most a rearguard detachment.

That pig Dieter IV is paying the price for his own stupidity! But this Grudge will never be erased because of that!"

Dieter IV was the current Emperor of the Empire, who had refused to send troops to fight alongside the Dwarfs against Grom the Paunch's Waaagh, choosing instead to move the capital to avoid the Greenskins.

Got some better recommendation slots this week, continuing to ask for votes, collections, and tips, haha.

Thanks to the readers for their suggestions. I've summarized them and plan to adopt a mode of offering sacrifices to the Ancestor Gods, gaining points through various acts of reviving the Mountain Kingdom, then offering sacrifices to Valaya for fertility, and to Thurni for teaching Rune engraving methods, etc. If you think there need to be other functions, feel free to keep leaving comments.