Chapter 50: The Spread of the Oracle

Seeing the ball kicked back to Sinuoli, the Dwarfs in the conference room began to ponder.

"I might know something!" Balin spoke up from behind Sinuoli, slightly hesitant. Being the focus of all the Dwarfs' gazes for the first time, he felt a bit nervous.

"Speak up, lad! Be bold!" Sinuoli encouraged his attendant. It seemed his reading hadn't been in vain, Sinuoli nodded inwardly.

Because Sinuoli had not yet formed his own army or taken control of a citadel, Balin had not been able to fulfill his role, essentially running errands for him as a personal secretary.

"In the ancient texts, the ancestors of the Golden Age used Rock Sheep as sacrifices to worship the Mother Goddess!" Hearing this, the Dwarfs all nodded.

"Rock Sheep, that's not too hard to get. Are there any other requirements?" the Ranger Captain asked.

"It is best if they are healthy, complete lambs without any disabilities," Balin continued.

"In the era of the ancestors, Rock Sheep were a relatively easy-to-obtain and delicious meat, and the meat of lambs was the most tender. Offering the best food to the Mother Goddess represents our respect," he explained.

Hearing this, the Dwarfs present nodded one after another; putting themselves in that position, who doesn't love eating lamb?

"However, there are also extended interpretations," Balin continued his explanation: "Some priests believe that the helpless, fragile lambs are to us as we are to the Mother Goddess, so sacrificing lambs can also represent our willingness to offer everything we have to the Mother Goddess!"

Although many Dwarfs did not understand this part, they still kept expressing their agreement; since it was a ritual that could be self-justified, no one wanted to look for trouble.

Seeing that none of the Dwarfs present had any objections, Big Brother Grom issued an order. "Take your men to the mountains and catch a few lambs! Be gentle, don't hurt them! These are offerings for the Mother Goddess; what a great honor!"

Grom exclaimed, "If I weren't so slow at running, I would definitely lead the men myself!"

"Big Brother, do you remember what we said on the way here?" Sinuoli whispered to remind Grom.

"Oh, oh, right, catch an adult Rock Sheep as well, one that is sturdy enough, and smarter is better!" Grom added to the Ranger Captain.

"As you wish, Prince." Although he didn't quite understand why there were such requirements, the Ranger Captain decided to execute Grom's order to the letter.

"Everyone else, tidy up the outpost and decorate it! Once this news spreads, I'm afraid many of our kin will come to observe the ceremony; don't let our nest look tattered and embarrassing!" After issuing the orders, Grom announced the end of the meeting.

Watching the kin busy cleaning up, Sinuoli, while satisfied, directed some craftsmen to build a simple altar for him in front of the gate of Mountain Lake Fortress.

One day later, while the Sinuoli brothers were busy tidying up their small outpost, Thorgrim Grudgebearer at Karaz-a-Karak received the letter.

The Dwarf King became happier the more he read. Since his succession, he had been oppressed by the dense entries of Grudges in the Great Book of Grudges. But in these short few days, he had smiled more than he had in the past year.

"Copy the contents of the letter to every Clan and guild, and send some people to the squares and taverns to spread the word! I want as many of our kin as possible to know that the Mother Goddess will bestow divine grace!" Thorgrim issued the order.

The scene shifts to the throne room of Jiliuguan. It is not as magnificent as the Great Throne Room of Karaz-a-Karak, but as a city of Engineers, the throne room of Zhufuba has its own unique features.

It has a more famous name—Echo Hall. It is renowned for its stunningly ingenious acoustic design, featuring a low, circular dome that can evenly reflect sound to every corner of the hall, allowing a large number of Dwarfs to converse easily without raising their voices.

Sitting on the main seat was an elderly Dwarf with an almost entirely white beard; he was slightly older than Thorgrim. This was King Thorgin of Zhufuba.

After listening to the report from Prince Balin below, he nodded. "You mean that Sinuoli of the Dekkaz-Klad Clan smashed the head of the rat leader?" His voice was not as full of wisdom as his beard, but instead sounded rather rough and reckless.

"Then it seems he is not a coward favored by the Mother Goddess, but a warrior!" King Thorgin nodded.

"Do you think that Grom can hold Mountain Lake Fortress?" a middle-aged Dwarf sitting on King Thorgin's left asked. This was the Clan Chief of the second-largest Clan in Zhufuba, currently serving as the citadel's Internal Affairs Officer.

"Mountain Lake Fortress, our control over her has been intermittent over the years. I hope this Little Beard doesn't run back to the Everpeak in a few years, making us happy for nothing!" This Dwarf gave his opinion.

"I can answer that for Balin!" The one who spoke was an extremely sturdy Dwarf named Henlide-Tulongzhe, currently serving as the Gatekeeper of Zhufuba. He was a warrior who could hold his own against ten thousand.

"I have met that lad Grom! He protected a caravan here a few years ago and asked me for pointers when he saw me; he does have some skills!"

Hearing Henlide's praise, the Dwarfs in the Echo Hall began to discuss in whispers. Henlide was hailed as a warrior comparable to the ancestors and had once killed a real Dragon with a team while traveling the Old World as an adventurer!

"I think so too!" King Thorgin nodded. "I received news a few days ago that the Little Beard is getting married! Speaking of which, Balin, you must strive for me! If..."

Just as King Thorgin was continuing, a Hammer Guard at the door ran in to report. "Everyone, there is a messenger from Karak-Varn."

"That must be to inform us of the news of reclaiming Shanbao! We already know that." King Thorgin shook his beard and said. Balin had cleared out some remaining Skaven in the mines and tunnels on his return journey, thus delaying him for half a day.

"Arrange food and lodging for our kin who have come from afar! Don't let them say behind our backs that we don't understand etiquette!" the Internal Affairs Officer sitting below King Thorgin added.

"An Eternal Hammer Guard has also come along! They say the content is very important!" the Hammer Guard added. "Present it!" King Thorgin issued the order.

"Greetings to you! King Thorgin of Zhufuba!" The Eternal Hammer Guard walked in, struck his chest, and saluted. "Master Sinuoli has conveyed the oracle of the Mother Goddess; She will bestow divine grace at Karak-Varn in three days!"

"By the Ancestor Gods!" The Dwarfs in the Echo Hall exclaimed in unison. Under the effect of the acoustic design, it was almost deafening.

Thanks to Xiaobai Liuxing, all who remember to call me, and the book friends for their monthly tickets. There will be an extra update tonight.

Thanks to Vast Expanse North of the Dog for the tip and monthly ticket. I will work hard to add another chapter at noon.