Chapter 49: Divine Oracle

Early the next morning, Balin woke Sinuoli up on time; having not participated in the battle and instead handled logistics, he was not too tired, and thus completed his mission well.

Sinuoli stretched and stood up. The physical and mental exhaustion of the previous day had caused him to fall into a deep sleep before he could think too much, but fortunately, as long as the first step was taken well, the initiative of time remained in his hands.

He washed up and tidied his appearance briefly, then strode out the door. To wait for news of him and the pursuit force, the Dwarfs in the outpost had not celebrated the victory with fine wine and feasts, but had instead remained on alert until his return.

Only after the threat of the fleeing Goblins was lifted did the Dwarfs relax and rest, so they were all sleeping soundly. And because of Sinuoli's deliberate early rising, almost all his kin were still in their dreams.

Seeing this scene, Sinuoli nodded with relief. He walked slowly up to the watchtower, knowing there was a Rune megaphone for warnings at the top.

Responsible for guard duty on the tower were two wounded soldiers. They were the poor fellows who had been shot in the back by friendly fire during that charge. Because their wounds had not yet healed, they found it inconvenient to sit, and leaning against the wall was also uncomfortable, so they could only rest by lying on the railing.

Seeing Sinuoli walk up the tower, they greeted him enthusiastically.

"You are up so early! Respected Chosen of the Goddess!"

"Praise your courage and Strength! May the Ancestor Goddess bless us!"

After a brief exchange with them, Sinuoli picked up the Rune megaphone on the tower. Although it was a bit strange, the two Dwarfs did not stop him.

"Kin!" Sinuoli cleared his throat and spoke into the megaphone:

"I have an important announcement to make!"

Listening to his own voice spread throughout the entire outpost, Sinuoli paused and waited.

Soon, the Dwarfs who had been woken up walked out, grumbling and cursing.

"Which Goblin-raised brat is yelling so early in the morning!?"

"Are the rats here? Where are they? Shall I smash their rat heads?"

"I'm going to kick the ass of this bastard who's shouting!"

Seeing that it was Sinuoli, the Chosen of the Goddess, holding the microphone, the Dwarfs' cursing stopped, but the Longbeard elders were still grumbling.

Gold Seeker coughed and stood out: "Sinuoli! You child, our kin have worked so hard for so long, is there anything that couldn't wait until everyone had a good rest?" His words voiced the inner thoughts of many Dwarfs.

"If you're up early, go carve some Runes!"

"If we finish early, we can move into the Shanbao sooner! I'm sick of staying in this outpost!"

The Dwarfs started shouting again.

"There is no need for me to carve Runes to clear the corruption anymore!" Sinuoli's voice, aided by the megaphone, suppressed the Dwarfs' clamor.

"Last night, the Ancestor Goddess descended a divine oracle to me. She praised the efforts we all made to reclaim Karak-Varn, and to encourage us, She will descend divine grace in three days to purify the entire Mountain Lake Fortress!"

Sinuoli's speaking speed was not fast, and his tone was calm, but these simple words turned the megaphone in his hand into a silencer. The entire outpost fell into a deathly silence.

Every Dwarf was digesting the information contained in this sentence. What had troubled Sinuoli yesterday was the timing of the "Mother Goddess descending divine grace."

He knew that from Mountain Lake Fortress to the three nearest Dwarf Karaks—Jiliuguan, Everpeak, and Kalake-Duomaer—it was a full day's journey. It would take a day for a messenger to rush there, another day for the Dwarfs there to rush over, and leaving at least one day for this explosive news to spread widely was also essential.

He had originally considered reserving a few more days to let the news of the Mother Goddess bestowing grace spread further and attract more Dwarfs to witness the ceremony.

But on one hand, he hoped his elder brother and kin could move into the Karak and start production and life sooner; on the other hand, he felt that if it took seven or ten days to prepare for the Goddess to descend grace, it might cause some kin to become suspicious.

After a long while, Gold Seeker muttered: "Is what you say true? Can every one of us witness this miracle with our own eyes?"

"That is natural! The Mother Goddess told me so Herself!" After saying this, Sinuoli firmly put down the microphone and walked down the watchtower.

Sinuoli understood that for such matters, the simplest language could achieve the best effect; his composure left all the Dwarfs with no doubt. As he walked down the tower, the Dwarfs erupted into intense discussion and cheers.

"My god! The Ancestor Goddess is truly watching over us!"

"Praise the respected Chosen of the Goddess! Coming to Mountain Lake Fortress this time was the right choice!"

Gelunsen reacted quickly, "Quick! Quickly send messengers back to Karaz-a-Karak to report this news! Zhufuba and Kalake-Duomaer must also be informed! The Mother Goddess bestowing grace is a rare event!" Gelunsen shouted excitedly!

"Don't be impatient, young man!" Gold Seeker's mind turned as he spoke.

"The messengers' words might be believed by your father Thorgrim, but the lords of the other two Karaks might not! We had better write a letter!"

As he spoke, two attendants brought paper and pen. They briefly wrote down the battle process on the paper, stated the fact that victory had been achieved, and finally emphasized that Sinuoli claimed the Ancestor Goddess would descend divine grace in three days.

"I will arrange for a few brothers to protect the messengers!" The Captain of the Eternal Hammer Guard, Gelunsen, stepped forward; it was clear that this elder was also very excited.

Soon, three Rangers, under the protection of the Eternal Hammer Guard, set off quickly; they were to deliver this shocking news to the lords.

The Dwarfs in the outpost were reluctant to disperse for a long time, gathering together to express their views. The Dwarf leaders gathered in the conference room once again; this time, they were to discuss the sacrificial matters.

"I am a young man and do not understand many rules. May I ask if there are any procedures for sacrificing to the Ancestor Gods?"

This time, Sinuoli was invited to the main seat, with Gold Seeker and Gelunsen sitting on his left and right.

Hearing this, the Dwarfs present all lowered their heads sheepishly. Because the Ancestor Gods had not shown divine grace for too long, for these pragmatic Dwarfs who had always been struggling outside, either fighting or mining, the names of the gods were almost just hanging on their lips.

The gazes of the middle-aged and young Dwarfs quickly gathered on the eldest, Gold Seeker, and the old uncle's face became increasingly embarrassed. One must know that he had been busy prospecting for minerals everywhere all these years and had not participated in a sacrificial ceremony inside a Karak for who knows how long!

"Hmm, Grungni above!"

Seeing that he had to speak, the old Dwarf temporarily held the Ancestor's feet and proclaimed a divine name.

"Did the great Ancestor Goddess not tell you how we should express our respect to Her?" He kicked the ball back to Sinuoli.

"The Mother Goddess loves her children, teaches us skills, bestows blessings upon us, and calls all who believe in Her to have a place in the halls of the Ancestors. She asks nothing of us, but we cannot be ungrateful!" Sinuoli said with a solemn face.

Thanks to "Bi Shu Zi Zai Ren Xin", "Yi Jiao Zhi Ben Ju Hua", "Wen Jiu Bu Hui", "International Room Management Bureau", for the monthly tickets, and "Mo Wen Tai Duo Chou" for the tip. There will be an extra update tomorrow night.