Chapter 520: Ulric, the White Wolf God of War

"Sigh!"

After the clouds and rain, the two sat on the edge of the bed in silence for a moment; it all seemed to have happened too quickly. Sinuoli sighed and wrapped his arms around the half-elf's slender waist, and she leaned back into the Dwarf's embrace.

"Lie down, let's go again!"

During the subsequent voyage, several sharp-eyed fellows sensed something from Xiwa's frequent entries into Sinuoli's cabin and the strange tacit understanding between the two, but no one dared to speak of it openly.

"Not even taking me?"

"There's no need to make a grand display; I can move more freely on my own."

The warship docked at Fish Valley Port at the mouth of the Salz River in Middenland. Looking past the rolling hills and woodlands, the humans could vaguely see the divine peak covered in snow all year round.

Xiwa tied the cloak around Sinuoli's neck. The Apostle Ximen had brought a message from the great Ulric; practicing on Ranald had increased his understanding of gods and Divine Kingdoms, and it was better to have a firm grasp before attending the meeting.

"Dwarf brother, why not sit by the fire pit!"

"That's right! How are there still new faces heading to Middenheim now? There are plenty enough heading south to join your Revival Era!"

The enthusiasm and friendliness of the Middenland humans were hard for Sinuoli, who had matters on his mind, to handle. Fortunately, it only took half a day to travel upstream along the Demsder River from Fish Valley Port to reach the North Bridge of Middenheim.

"Truly a majestic city; no wonder it is qualified to be the last barrier of order."

Walking on the bridge, the city before his eyes had a distinct Dwarf fortress style, though the proportion of surface structures had been increased. Inside the mountain that served as its base was the largest Dwarf settlement outside the Qunshan, with a peak resident population of three thousand households—a small fortress in every sense.

"Dwarf, no need for inspection, go right in!"

Middenheim was surrounded by the Drakwald Forest, a place that harbored filth and corruption. Therefore, the city's standing forces were quite sufficient, with squads of Ulric priests and Knights of the White Wolf on duty day and night.

"There are still Dwarfs coming here? Don't they have their own?"

"You've heard too? The lower city is spreading it. A scourge to the wicked, a guardian to the good!"

"He is also the embodiment of wealth and generosity! The loans from the Karak Gold Bank are ten times easier to pay off than the black market, and the interest is much lower!"

Sinuoli did not make the settlement his first stop; as the setting sun slanted, he began to climb Fusskrag Peak. The White Wolf believers patrolling the road did not stop him upon seeing his obvious Dwarf features.

"King of the Qunshan, the Demigod whom even the Lord of Skulls cannot kill! I offer you the highest respects of the Winter Wolf; this land will always welcome you and your kin!"

At the entrance of the fortress-like temple, a group of disheveled, burly men stood with their hands at their sides. The wolf skins and wolf tooth ornaments on their shoulders were clearly of a higher grade; the so-called Winter Throne Knights were the Inner Circle of the White Wolf Knights.

"Greetings! I climb this sacred mountain with reverence for the God of War."

Sinuoli returned the salute. The name of the great Yulike-Wokehade resounded through the northern borders of the Old World. Seeing him today, he even thought that if he were to fight Akama to the death as a fellow Warrior Priest, the guy before him would likely win by virtue of his youth.

"Please! Your Storm Hammer makes all of Chaos tremble; perhaps you can give us a few pointers afterward."

Wokehade waved a hand, and the burly men cleared a path. Because of the walls that were over a person's thickness, the interior of the temple was not as large as it appeared. Passing through an assembly room and a training hall, the group soon arrived at their destination.

This was a crude shrine somewhat resembling a fireplace; with a Dwarf's knowledge of the earth, it was not hard to see that its age dated back to the birth of humanity. Above the shrine was a man sitting on a throne, his face obscured by a wolf-head hood, with two giant wolves crouching on either side of him.

"You must have heard the prophecy—as long as His Holy Fire does not go out, Middenheim will never fall."

"In my opinion, it's better to set up fewer of these..."

Everyone's gaze converged on the white, flickering Holy Fire in the fireplace. The White Wolf believers bowed their heads in pious prayer, and Sinuoli also bowed; the God of War was worthy of his respect.

"He is waiting for you inside."

Having been to Ranald's Divine Kingdom, Sinuoli was already familiar with the process. He nodded and stepped into the Holy Fire. Perhaps because Ulric had opened the permissions for him, he appeared in a stretch of ice and permafrost without the slightest obstruction.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad! Come sit. The last Dwarf to come here to drink and eat meat with me was Throm!"

Ulric in the flesh was naturally the same as the statue on the shrine, matching the depictions of Him by northern believers over thousands of years. He leaned against a giant rock that blocked the wind and snow, with a large pot bubbling in front of him.

"That is an honor!"

Sinuoli praised. Throm was the last Dwarf Demigod of the Golden Age; he had once competed with Gaocuike-Suixingzhe for the title of High King, and was forever sung of for slaying an Everchosen candidate who had gone far in the trials of the Four Gods.

"I have heard your story and your propositions from the mouths of believers; taking the initiative rather than blindly defending is excellent. The more the Chaos gods are in a hurry to move against you, the more it shows you are on the right path!"

Their mutual understanding was quite sufficient. Ulric poured a cup for Sinuoli from a wineskin, and after a light clink, they got to the point.

"I fully support the Northern Expedition! The wolf cubs outside will listen to your command! Tell me about Lustria; I have no believers there, and the Geomantic Web can also block my probing."

"That starts from when I first arrived in the Southlands..."

"I dealt with those toads quite a bit back in the day; although they have endless lifespans, they have no freedom! To move them, in my opinion, is difficult, but you... perhaps you have a chance."

A good story always makes the wine go down faster. Sinuoli refilled his cup with Vaul's Divine Cup, and Ulric scratched his mane, recalling the past. He was a creature that existed before the arrival of the Old Ones, a member of the so-called Primordial Ancient Beast.

"What about the old Dragon family in the East?"

"I have dealt with several of the Dragon-Blooded, but I have not yet had the opportunity to see the Dragon Emperor and the Moon Empress."

"Heh heh, the two of them are certainly prolific; they have embarked on a path different from ours, and they know their own joys and sorrows. That explains it; no wonder you have a bit of the scent of their second child on you."

"Biaolong Miaoying?"

Sinuoli sat up straight. It was true that he had been pushed back, but his heart still belonged to the white-haired Longnü.

"It seems that is her name. She has sought me out twice to ask about the traces of the Dragon Ogres. By the way, there is one more thing I brought you here for: in Kislev, your forces have had some conflicts with Ursun?"

"That is true; they were the ones who broke their word first."

"No need to be nervous. It is true that the bear and I are old acquaintances, but we have been bickering for years and have never settled it clearly. But aren't you trying to unite all forces that can be united? He and his cubs have not lagged behind in opposing Chaos."

"What do you mean?"

"If you trust the old wolf, I am willing to act as a mediator."