Chapter 474: The Grand Festival

6876.4.11, the day of the decisive battle! The white-bearded ancestor led a brave strike force to destroy Clan Mors with a water attack, while the turning point on the main battlefield was Snorri Thorsson leading the Greater Daemon of Khorne to crush the Greenskin defensive line.

We have initially secured the main body of the fortress, but it is not yet time to celebrate. Clearing every corner and pursuing the fleeing enemy to the maximum extent is a more important task.

6876.4.12, Belegar—now he should be honored as the King of Eight Peaks—smashed the head of Yibulite-Sharenkuang, and the Evil Moon Greenskins who had usurped the fortress for a thousand years turned to dust.

6876.4.15, Snorri Thorsson decided not to organize a victory banquet immediately, but those clansmen without guard duties drinking a little on their own is beyond reproach. I took the initiative to open the reserves; every grudge settled is worth a good drink!

Pointy-ears, well, I provided them with supplies too. The griffons and longbows played a minor role in the campaign, and the ancestors should not blame me for this.

6876.4.19, the pointy-ears left silently; compared to those lunatics in the forest, these ones from the islands can at least understand human speech. I heard their current Phoenix King has some brains, perhaps...

6876.4.20, the pursuit troops have all returned, and the tallying of war merits and registration of spoils for the three parties is nearing completion. A large number of rat minions were drowned by the lake water; Belegar should steal three cups of wine for this.

The Little Beard below told me an outrageous rumor: there might not be enough spoils to go around! By the Ancestor Gods, such nonsense is only something human whelps would believe after drinking a whole barrel of the horse piss they brew.

6876.4.21, the Duke leading the Bretonnia forces requested an audience with Snorri Thorsson, but the great protector of Eight Peaks has important matters to attend to. He went on to pressure Belegar to make the list of spoils public; I don't know what he is thinking—is a dignified Duke really so impatient?

6876.4.23, Snorri Thorsson has returned, and the legend is true! The Mother Goddess resides at Valaya's Gate on the outskirts of Eight Peaks!

She has awakened, and Snorri Thorsson naturally went to pay his respects. King Kazador and Master Ironbrow had the honor of being summoned into Her hall together; this is a glory sufficient to have a separate relief carved in the main hall of Tiefengbao!

King Kazador swore by the honor of the Thunderhorn Clan that the Ancestor Goddess is even more beautiful, kind, and wise than in the legends. All the words used to describe the wonderful qualities of a Lady still pale in comparison when applied to Her.

All those in the great army who knew masonry were gathered, and under the leadership of Master Sitelinge, they were to reshape the divine statue in front of the main gate of the fortress as quickly as possible. The ceremony was set for three days later, and the Rune Colossus was set in motion to carry out the preliminary cutting.

6876.4.24, Snorri Thorsson summoned me, and he likely summoned every general before or after. He proposed something called "Gold Yuan Notes" and hoped to gain the support of myself and Haojiaobao.

To be honest, this is a heretical idea; no matter how beautifully printed a piece of paper is, it cannot replace heavy gold coins! Moreover, from what he said, the right to issue these so-called Gold Yuan Notes is controlled by him, but the costs are shared by the entire Qunshan.

Yet sitting across from him, even with a smile on his face and a tone of consultation in his mouth, I felt as if my neck were being pressed by meteorite iron and my mouth filled with mithril juice; I could not utter a single word of rebuttal and could only nod in agreement.

He is the Ancestor Chosen Demigod who, in thirty years, has almost single-handedly brought the lost fortresses south of the Silver Road back into the embrace of the Qunshan. He has leveraged a great change for our race that has not been seen in thousands of years; supporting his decisions is the right thing to do.

6876.4.25, I communicated with Alike and other elders of the fortress via rune telegraphy. Perhaps because I was an actual participant in the campaign, I still underestimated the shock that the recovery of Eight Peaks has caused to the Old World.

The more times the Angrund Clan failed, the more Snorri Thorsson's greatness was revealed. The vast majority of clansmen believe that the Qunshan will restart a Golden Age under his leadership; every decision he makes is correct and should be firmly supported.

6876.4.26, the grand festival is about to begin, and many Little Beards are braving the night frost and morning dew to stay up all night in the square to secure a good spot. Fortunately, I can get a chair in the front row, allowing me to calmly record this grand event.

When the sun peeked out from the Zilifen Yan in the east, amidst the hymns of the choir, Snorri Thorsson strode out from the main gate of the fortress. He was dressed in a gray robe sewn with gold thread, his black beard bound with a Beard Ring, wearing a crown and holding the Great Book of Grudges.

Behind him to the sides were the other two members of the Alliance of Three Hammers—King Belegar and King Kazador. They were also dressed in ceremonial robes, each holding a box in their hands, with the Eternal Hammer Guard following behind them carrying offerings as an honor guard.

Standing on the altar at the foot of the Mother Goddess statue, Snorri Thorsson opened the Great Book of Grudges, bit his index finger, and held it high to signal to everyone. Every addition and crossing out of a grudge must be completed with the blood of the King; this has been passed down from the Father God Grungni.

"In the year 4013, the team of Delama-Hammerfist fought the rats of Clan Mors under Yingjiaoyan for ten days and nights until their ammunition was completely exhausted. A total of 1,200 clansmen led by him gave their lives."

"In the year 6846, Duomujia-Tiechui led an Expeditionary Force deep into the interior of the fortress. During the retreat, facing dozens of times their number of Greenskin pursuers, he and his guards fought heroically to the last man."

The low voice, aided by the mountain wind, poured into the ears of everyone present. There are already so many recorded in the Drazkrad, and who knows how many more grudges related to each fortress and clan there are.

"This day, I—Snorri Thorsson of the Drazkrad Clan, on behalf of the High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer, declare that all grudges related to Eight Peaks have been settled! Let the heads of the leaders of Clan Mors and the Evil Moon Tribe be the proof!"

Snorri Thorsson crossed out the entries with his index finger while reciting. When he spoke the last sentence, the two kings opened the boxes to show everyone the two preserved heads.

"Next, let us sacrifice to the Ancestor Gods together, thanking them for their protection and guidance, and also report this good news to them!"

At his command, the Eternal Hammer Guard moved quickly. Although the Ancestor Goddess was the main deity of the sacrifice, the offerings for the others could not be lacking. By rights, the followers of the Lady of the Lake among the Humans and the priests of Sigmar should have avoided this, but for some reason, they all remained.

"Praise the great..."

As each offering was presented, the atmosphere in the square became increasingly solemn. Everyone held their breath, fearing they might miss even the slightest sign.

"You have done well, my children!"

Suddenly, Snorri Thorsson's chanting was interrupted by a low, magnetic female voice. A green vortex suddenly appeared on the unpolished face of the divine statue, and a golden-haired goddess appeared from within. She hovered in mid-air, looking down at this place that had received the most of Her favor.