Chapter 554: Celebration and Abdication

"The auspicious hour has arrived, my Majesty."

"Hmm, let us begin!"

Following Sinuoli's order, the two Rune Colossi, which had been positioned in advance, swung their giant blades and smashed them against the stone wall in front—the seal left behind by the Age of Lamentations collapsed with a boom. As the dust settled, what appeared before the eyes of the Dwarf Coalition was a staircase that was not particularly wide.

"Woo—woo—woo!"

"Toot-toot!"

The stone steps had just been repaired, and the marks of axes and chisels were still fresh. As soon as they stepped onto them, a grand and melodious musical composition rang out. Dwarves have short, thick fingers and are not skilled at string instruments; the lung capacity provided by their thick, sturdy frames is better suited for playing pipe organs and horns.

"Looking back, the road behind is all I have walked for fifty years!"

The end of the staircase was the South Plaza of the Everpeak, where Sinuoli was familiar with every brick and stone. In his childhood memories, Thorgrim would often take his sister and him there to gaze into the distance, reminiscing about the former glory of the Mountain Kingdom and those legendary Grudges.

The staircase leading to the Mad Dog Trail had been sealed by order of the then-High King Luogen-Aoxu after Karak-Drazh fell and was renamed Black Crag, and the Death Pass province had completely fallen under the control of the Greenskins.

Such cowardly behavior meant that the Dwarf Realms of that time had completely abandoned the reclamation of the fortresses in Eight Peaks and the Badlands. But this did not stop the Greenskins from invading the north; Luogen was defeated beneath the Everpeak, suffered humiliation, and died filled with regret.

"Thanks to the protection of the Ancestor Gods!"

"Praise the great Reviver!"

"Cheers for the warriors of the mountains!"

The long-abandoned plaza was crowded with clansmen. To increase capacity, multiple tiers of scaffolding had been erected, leaving only a purple carpet in the middle. At the end of the carpet sat the Throne of Power. Beneath the throne were many familiar faces; in accordance with the High King's decree, the kings and elders from the large Human settlements had come to participate in the grand event.

"Respected elders, I have not failed the mission!"

Sinuoli took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and looked around. Was it necessary to say some formal words? A general's success is built on ten thousand bones; since embarking on the road to welcome the bride, how many living faces had disappeared from his side.

"I, Thorgrim of the Drazkrad Clan, humbly occupy the position of High King! I hereby congratulate the most tenacious warriors: three thousand eight hundred years after the Great Cataclysm, the Sons of the Mountains once again fully control the World's Edge Mountains!"

"FOR THE HIGH KING!"

Sinuoli took the lead in shouting the royal title, and the collective response shook the dangerous peaks. Thorgrim firmly supported all military actions to settle Grudges, coordinated resources to plan strategies, and personally led armies to recover strongholds along the Silver Road; these things made his prestige grow day by day.

"Ancestors protect our King~

May he live for ten thousand years~

Ancestors protect our King~

Always victorious, bathed in glory~

Trusted by the people, heart full of joy~

Governing the nation, the royal fortune prospers~"

Choirs and bards from surrounding fortresses sang anthems from the Golden Age. These uplifting and full-bodied compositions had once been replaced by vulgar music consisting of sad ditties and complaining banter, and had only been rediscovered and practiced in recent years.

Sinuoli walked to the foot of the Throne of Power and stood still. The coalition that had returned triumphantly from this expedition entered the Everpeak in neat formations to accept the review of the kings and the welcome of the crowds lining the path.

"Everyone, this Grudge Council was convened early for the sake of settling the many legendary Grudges in the Dammaz Kron. Let the kings and the Council of Elders bear witness!"

The all-night celebration made Karaz-a-Karak almost recover the grandeur of the Golden Age, and clansmen who had rushed from all over the world filled every ancient hall. At noon the next day, in the Great Throne Room, Thorgrim Grudgebearer opened the Great Book of Grudges.

"The Grudge of Karak-Drazh: Against the Undead, Greenskins, and Beasts that caused the loss of our ancestral capital. Thanks to the determination and perseverance of Snorri Thorsson, the legendary mountain fortress has been rebuilt, and the Ancestor Halls shine once again! Our vengeance has come knocking!"

"The Grudge of Karak Eight Peaks: Against those arch-enemies who defiled and usurped this Silver Abyss Queen. The last bloodline of the Angrund Clan, Belegar Ironhammer, with the assistance of all Dwarves, has retaken this fortress, making the Goblins and Skaven pay the price in blood! The Ancestor Goddess has also returned to the Mortal World because of this."

"The Grudge of the World's Edge Mountains: Against those races who dared to usurp the various lost citadels of the Mountain Kingdom! Several millennia of Chaos invasions, wars, and natural and man-made disasters have caused our race's hegemony in the World's Edge Mountains to wane day by day. Now, the fortresses at the north and south ends are no longer isolated islands surrounded by enemies; everything has been reclaimed!"

The High King did not let the attendees spend too much time cheering; what he was doing now was just completing the process. The first-tier forces had already heard the rumors; they knew that what was to be said next was the real business.

"Everyone, when I took over the Great Book of Grudges from the late King Orikson, I made a vow to open an era of reckoning in the name of the Grudgebearer. Now that the Grudges have been cleared, and the lost fortresses and missing treasures have returned to the embrace of the mountains, my mission is complete."

Thorgrim reminisced about the past and stated his own achievements—regardless of who did the work, the Grudges were eliminated during his tenure. Moreover, Sinuoli, who played a key role in it, was his son.

"Since the Mother Goddess has descended upon Eight Peaks and issued an oracle stating that the Revival Era has begun, in my view, it is time to select another worthy person to be the guide for the new era. Thorgrim is untalented and intends to imitate the ancient kings by performing the act of abdication, yielding the High King position to the Reviver chosen by the Ancestor Gods. I wonder what everyone thinks?"

"Oh my! I am honored by your kindness, but I am still young and my beard is not yet great; I fear I am not capable of such a heavy responsibility."

Humility and generosity are ranked as the scarcest virtues of the Dwarves. Sinuoli's timely display of character naturally drew rounds of praise. In his past life, usurping the throne required "three refusals and three resignations"; counting the private communications before this, it had truly reached the third time.

"Karak-Kadrin and the Dragonbeard Clan agree! A more powerful darkness is gathering in the Chaos Wastes; this was personally conveyed by the god Grimnir. To lead the Mountain Kingdom through the crisis, one must be a person of great power!"

The first to stand up and urge him to accept was Grimm Ironfist. As the only other Demigod of the Dwarf race, the leader of the North World Edge Mountains, and an elder powerhouse who had competed with Thorgrim, his opinion was crucial.

"Eight Peaks and the Angrund Clan agree! We witnessed the Mother Goddess descending and bestowing the Divine Cup. The High King position cannot convince the masses without great merit!"

In terms of merit and strength, Belegar Ironhammer was second; during the peak period of Eight Peaks, it had also housed the Throne of Power. He pushed Sinuoli as the guardian of Eight Peaks and positioned himself as a general under his command, so naturally, he was the second to stand up and urge him to accept.

"The Altdorf settlement agrees; coordinating the Human nations and protecting the clansmen on the plains requires someone of great virtue."

After the North and South World Edge Mountains had expressed their stance, the next to stand up was the elder of the largest settlement. Although the Great Book of Grudges had never circulated to the lands below the mountains, they were still an important part of the mountains.