Chapter 337: Suojiade's Diary

Years later, when all had returned to tranquility, the diary of Suojiade-Keluomsen, Great Lord of the Norscan Dwarfs and Master of Dulongcheng, written during his travels across the Old World, was unexpectedly discovered. Many of his kin wished to see what exactly transpired during this journey that prompted the Northern Four Cities to return to the embrace of the mountains.

September 1st

On the first day of the Brewing Month, I set out, though it is a pity I could not stay for this year's new brew. If all goes well, we shall arrive at Karaz-a-Karak before the winter solstice. It is said that from there to the south of the world is only half a month's journey, so we shall arrive just in time for the year-end Ancestor rites at Kalake-Zuen.

September 3rd

The party has arrived at Siqiaotelaken. Praise be to the ancestors who discovered and constructed the An gun he passage! Relying on it, one can easily avoid the mad savages of the wilderness and enter the Claw Sea directly.

September 5th

This is already my third time traveling this route, yet my younger brother Suoli asks questions incessantly. Even a Living Ancestor with a beard hanging to his feet could not grumble as much as he does! Uncle Ha de la says I was the same way on my first trip; how could that possibly be?

Alas, if not for the fact that my future brother-in-law Snorri Thorsson claims to have slain Demigods and banished Greater Daemons, I certainly would not be his match in a fight, so why would I need to bring him along!

September 7th

Entering the Claw Sea, the wind, waves, and tossing are still as unbearable as ever! If there were a choice, the Sons of the Mountains should never leave the land.

September 12th

We have finally arrived in Kislev. Aside from trade goods, this fleet also carries my massive dowry. The longships of the Northmen are hounding our fleet! But fortunately, the wind direction and the terrifying waves of the Claw Sea have helped us.

Er lun ge le is indeed prosperous; perhaps the population of Ka la ke de la ke and the other three fortresses combined does not equal the number of people here. The Lin si ke he divides it into northern and southern parts, and in the multi-ethnic district on the south side, one can find almost every race of the Old World.

Relying merely on thin, crude city walls and inferior brass gates, the people of Kislev can hardly be the so-called Shield of the Mortal World to hold back the northern Chaos armies; they must still rely on the protection of their own gods.

The city is filled with temples: Sa li ya he, the goddess of healing and comfort; Ursun, the god of bears and the guide and guardian deity of Kislev; Daz, the god of fire and the sun; and Tuo er, the god of thunder and lightning.

Besides these four major gods who receive widespread devotion, other Human deities also have a place in this prosperous city. Thanks to Tuo Sinuoli, the Ancestor Gods have also awakened; life will only get better!

September 16th

The party has split up. A portion of our kin is heading toward Praag and the Bing xue wang ting in the city of Kislev; this land only has these three great cities. The other portion is heading south to trade near Middenheim.

His Majesty the High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer's men have arrived. Uncle Ha de la says he saw me when he visited Dulongcheng years ago, but unfortunately, I was too young then to remember it clearly.

Leading the team is a Longbeard elder named Gelunsen. The Eternal Hammer Guard, whose organization has been preserved since ancient times, is truly extraordinary! He says he once fought alongside Snorri Thorsson for a long time; I can chat with him more on the road to gather some intelligence.

September 18th

After separating from our compatriots, our military strength is not very sufficient. Considering the wealth we are carrying, we have joined forces with a merchant caravan to set out. Captain Gelunsen only brought forty men.

He explains that this is firstly because there are many more newborns and a lack of manpower in all aspects, and secondly because the five newly developed fortresses in the south have relocated a large amount of the population. Among them, four belong to my brother-in-law Snorri, and the other belongs to the Angrund Clan.

Karak Eight Peaks, the Queen of the Silver Abyss, that prosperous city described with such emphasis in history books, has actually fallen! I hope that one day she may once again bathe in the radiance of the Mother Goddess.

September 19th

I chatted with the merchants on the road, and they said that Marienburg in the Empire and Bordeleaux in Bretonnia further south are even three parts more prosperous than Er lun ge le! And these two great metropolises are both deeply entangled with Snorri! What kind of person is he exactly?

September 24th

The caravan has entered the borders of the Empire of Man. A great merchant named Tomi has come to welcome us. His mother is the younger sister of His Majesty Thorgrim; he is the cousin of Princess Nina, and will be mine in the future as well.

The Human merchants hold Tomi in high regard; he is the number one trade representative of the Southlands. Snorri has opened up trade channels with Zhendan—the legendary Eastern Empire—and Tomi is distributing things like silk and tea, and quite a bit of trade from the Everpeak also passes through his hands.

He seems to have very broad connections as well; after entering the city, he obtained a squad of guards from the Human nobility. Hmm, he is inviting me to go drinking.

September 25th

This Tomi is truly a stand-up fellow!

September 27th

I seem to have drunk too much. The wine of our southern kin is not strong enough, and their tolerance is not great either, but there are certainly plenty of them! In my haze, I promised that I would let Tomi handle a portion of our family's trade in the future. This shouldn't have any impact; he is family and is very capable!

To tell the truth, the Northern Four Cities are no less wealthy than the south, but in terms of enjoyment, they are far behind! The Humans here have low wages and good service! I'm continuing to drink tonight!

September 29th

We continue on our way. After passing through Stirland, we reach Talabecland. This Elector Count province has the largest area and is located in the center of the Empire, bordering more provinces than any other.

It has therefore become a major trade route, with land and river transport intersecting at the capital, Ke li ge li ci, which is naturally a prosperous city as well.

October 2nd

Although most of the land is covered by great forests, it is still much safer here than in Kislev. There are three major mountain ranges within the province; the one to the west is more mysterious and dangerous, so we chose a relatively safe route.

October 5th

We encountered Greenskins, a group of physically strong but savage and stupid creatures. They are one of the main enemies of our southern kin, and the other kind is the big rats that walk on two legs—how big can those little fellows who only know how to steal grain grow?

This group of Green Mushroom was easily dealt with, but Captain Gelunsen says they are difficult to eradicate completely, and if things go poorly, they will grow back next year. Once their numbers are large enough to form a Waaagh!, it will be a disaster for the surrounding creatures. Snorri once rescued a fortress that was besieged by them.

October 8th

Arrived at Ke li ge li ci for a few days of rest. The accompanying merchants went to trade, and Tomi called me to go drinking again!

October 13th

Setting off again, we are heading to Stirland. Tomi packed a lot of food, saying that the place is a backwater and the locals have a bunch of problems. Besides that, this territory also includes Sylvania, where it is rumored that evil forces that desecrate the dead are entrenched.

October 19th

This place is indeed not very good; the wine is inferior, and the mutton we eat is very gamey! I hear that if one passes through here, it would be a good place to find a cook!