Chapter 5: Suspicion and Explanation

"Rune Power? A Master Rune?" The old Dwarf repeated Sinuoli's words with a tone of doubt.

He attempted to judge based on experience, but this exceeded his understanding; after a brief silence, the old Dwarf waved his right hand holding an axe, and four or five Ironbreakers charged in from behind him.

They held a type of Rune Detector and quickly inspected Sinuoli's room, while at the same time, the Ironbreakers who had charged in first formed a circular formation with their shields, protecting Sinuoli, Balin, and the old Dwarf in the center.

A few minutes later, the Ironbreakers responsible for the inspection finished their work; finding nothing unusual, they each gave two hand signals to the old Dwarf to indicate safety, and the tense atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed.

"I am Ironbreaker Captain Dane Ironfoot, Prince Sinuoli, er, Master? You can just call me Dane." The old Dwarf pushed up the visor of his helmet and spoke with slight uncertainty.

Sinuoli noticed a scar on his face that made the corner of his mouth crooked; needless to say, this was a battle-hardened veteran, but what was happening before him now exceeded his common sense.

"Apologies for the intrusion, but this is our duty! What should we do now? Uh, I mean, originally I should take you to the City Defense Commander to explain the situation, but if you have more important matters, such as meeting His Majesty the High King, then my men and I can escort you there." The old Dwarf couldn't help but use honorifics for a young junior.

"Of course I'm going to see my father; such great news must be told to him!"

Hearing this, Dane gestured for him to proceed, and the Ironbreakers quickly changed formation, surrounding Sinuoli as they walked out of the room.

"Balin! Balin!" As he walked out the door, Sinuoli did not forget to turn back and call to his advisor, who was still stunned by the massive shock, "Help me tidy up the room, and clean up upstairs too!"

Walking along the corridor he had run back and forth through less than an hour ago, Sinuoli felt many emotions; beyond the joy, he couldn't help but want to slap himself twice.

"Sigh, all that reading of transmigration novels in my past life went to waste; I couldn't even keep my cool over such a small bit of Qi. Even if I'm not going to be a 'hidden expert,' I shouldn't be cheating so blatantly. If I can't explain it later, I'll just have to push it all onto feudal superstition..."

Sinuoli kept simulating various possibilities in his mind, to the point that he ignored Dane's attempts at conversation; the poor old Dwarf began to worry that "Master Sinuoli is angry because he was disturbed by my reckless behavior."

The two had their own concerns, but their feet did not stop, and soon, the familiar room was reached.

Sinuoli took a deep breath and pushed open the door under the strange gazes of the Hammer Guard at the entrance; for Dwarfs, who have long lifespans and a slow pace of life, less than an hour was almost in the blink of an eye.

Thorgrim, in front of the desk, looked up at the sound, "What is it, my dear son? Was the Oath Gold from earlier not enough?"

Following the plan he had conceived on the way, Sinuoli waved his arms theatrically, "Father, I have mastered a Master Rune! I am now a Rune Master!! Wahahaha!"

Like Dane before him, Thorgrim's expression went from shock to disbelief.

"Sinuoli, why are you drunk in broad daylight? I know, almost losing your life on your first time in battle was very hard on you, and I understand your desire to become stronger, but relying on hallucinations brought on by alcohol won't do! If you go on like this, how are you any different from those fellows who wallow in the glory of the past?"

Thorgrim's voice was full of anger and grew increasingly high-pitched; it pained him greatly that his youngest son, in whom he had placed such high hopes, had become like this.

"I am serious, Father, I am willing to swear by the name of our ancestors!" Sinuoli hammered his chest and quickly took out the scroll engraved with the Master-class Flight Rune.

"Your Majesty, my men and I both saw it; Prince Sinuoli blasted a hole in the ceiling of his chamber that was thicker than my waist!" Dane also chimed in from the side.

Thorgrim squinted his eyes, scanning the two Dwarfs standing across from his desk.

He knew Dane Ironfoot; he was a loyal veteran, and he also knew his youngest son Sinuoli was a steady person who would never desecrate the honor of his ancestors in ordinary times.

"Gelunsen! Go notify the City Defense Army and tell them to change the patrol squad immediately!" Thorgrim shouted to the guard outside the door.

After hearing the sound of iron boots stomping on the ground outside, he turned back to the Dwarf warrior in front of him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Dane. Take your men to the room next door to rest; there is plenty of Bugman's Brewery dark beer there! You understand, let's not spread this news for now."

Hearing this, Dane saluted and retreated with a solemn expression.

"That child of the Grezman Clan (Sinuoli's advisor Balin's clan name is Grezman) should be tight-lipped; he knows his mouth should be like a beer bottle cap right now," Thorgrim muttered to himself.

"Now, let's talk about your matter!" Thorgrim glared at Sinuoli and said.

Knowing well that facts speak louder than words, Sinuoli stepped forward and handed the Rune Scroll into Thorgrim's hands.

Although he had not mastered Rune Power, as the High King, he had handled countless weapons and equipment engraved with Master-class Runes.

While feeling the surging power contained within the W-shaped rune on the scroll and comparing it with other runes he had seen, Thorgrim soon confirmed that this was a genuine Master Rune. What shocked him even more was that he had never seen this rune before; there was not a single item in the treasury of Karaz-a-Karak inlaid with it! This meant it was a lost rune.

"Er... did you really engrave this yourself?" Thorgrim pondered for a moment, trying to organize his words to ask more tactfully, but he ultimately decided to get straight to the point.

"Yes, Father, I forged it myself! While saving me, the Ancestor Goddess also taught me the method for creating this rune. According to her, it possesses the powerful strength to shatter armor and was used by our ancestors to attack our enemies at the dawn of the world."

Thorgrim's eyes scanned back and forth between the scroll and Sinuoli's face. After a moment of thought, he spoke.

"I will believe you for now, but you must know that whether this is truly a Master Rune, whether you can become a Rune Master, and such matters are not for me to decide; it depends on the Rune Smith Guild. Are you confident you can pass the guild's audit?"

In Dwarf society, professional guilds and clans are the two most important organizational structures; in terms of relationship, one could say they are intertwined.

Some guilds are controlled by clans with relevant talents, while other clans are formed by families from the same guild through marriage and alliance.

The entry threshold for most guilds is not high, but wanting to become one of the Masters who lead the guild is often not easy.

Generally, guild organizations are divided into three levels: Apprentice-Journeyman-Master. For the Rune Smith Guild, this means Rune Apprentice-Rune Smith-Rune Master. Of course, for guilds with a larger membership base, such as the Warrior Guild and the Miner Guild, the grading is more detailed, adding titles like "Senior" or "Intermediate."

Guilds are usually located in a certain fortress, but members are spread everywhere. As the capital of the Dwarf Kingdom, Karaz-a-Karak houses the halls of many Dwarf guilds, including the Rune Smith Guild.