Chapter 6: Guild Review

Hearing Thorgrim mention the guild review, Sinuoli had also heard a thing or two about it.

After all, it was impossible for just any Dwarf to become a Rune Master simply by obtaining a Master-class Rune through some channel; there had to be an examination process.

But he had no confidence in his heart as to whether he could pass smoothly.

Talent for Rune Magic was already considered rare among Dwarfs, and among those, the ones who could successfully master a Master-class Rune were even fewer.

As a novice who had just become an official Rune Smith, Sinuoli had not yet learned about the format of the Master review.

"Um, Father, I am not sure either, but I can guarantee that this Rune was forged by my own hands."

Sinuoli thought for a moment and still did not make any rash promises; he believed that although Thorgrim had not mastered the power of Runes, having served as High King for decades, he must have a deep understanding of this only supernatural power of the Dwarfs, and perhaps he could get some hints from his father.

Thorgrim stroked his grizzled beard on his chest and spoke.

"You are an apprentice of Krag the Grim; you know his style without me saying it. Hmph, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrongly named people!"

Speaking of this, Thorgrim gave a dark chuckle:

"Ever since he became the president of the Rune Smith Guild four hundred years ago, the number of official Rune Smiths and Rune Masters who have passed the review in the entire Mountain Kingdom has dropped by half compared to the past, and even the number of apprentices successfully entering the guild has been drastically reduced!

Although there is the factor of the total decrease in our clansmen, he himself can be considered to have made a 'great contribution'! If it weren't for him..."

As Thorgrim spoke, he gradually went off-topic, and Sinuoli took the opportunity to start searching his memory for Krag the Grim.

Yes, in Sinuoli's memory, his master's expression was always filled with sternness and dissatisfaction; as the oldest living Dwarf and also the most ancient and powerful Rune Smith, Krag the Grim was already over a thousand years old.

Under normal circumstances, a Dwarf's lifespan is five times that of a Human; Dwarfs over five hundred years old, which is the equivalent of a Human's centenarian age, are already very rare. They are called "Living Ancestors" because of their extensive knowledge and experience and are highly respected.

As strength increases, a Dwarf's lifespan also grows, but reaching a thousand years is almost impossible.

Currently, Thorgrim-Grudgebearer is 252 years old, considered to be at the end of his prime; Sinuoli himself is under one hundred, just reaching adulthood by Dwarf standards. Brother Gulu is 130, in the prime of his youth.

Krag had once met the Ancestor Gods and had personally experienced the glory and darkness of the Dwarfs.

Dwarfs are a stubborn, conservative group that respects tradition.

Rune Smiths are the group among Dwarfs that respects tradition the most, because their power comes from the Runes of the ancestors.

And Krag, as the strongest Rune Smith, can be said to be the most stubborn and conservative Dwarf.

He believes that current Dwarfs are rash, crude, not smart enough, and do not respect tradition enough, and are not worthy of inheriting the exquisite techniques of their ancestors.

"Don't be in such a hurry to go to the guild hall for the review," Thorgrim vented his dissatisfaction with Krag before taking a hearty gulp of beer and returning to the main topic.

"I will go and invite the Iron Chisel Master later; he is my cousin, the biological younger brother of His Majesty Orikson, which makes him your grand-uncle. Go back to your room quietly first; later, the Iron Chisel Master should come to discuss things with you.

He has been a Rune Master for a full 200 years and is also one of the only two vice-presidents of the current Rune Smith Guild; his experience will surely be of some help to your assessment!"

Sinuoli nodded upon hearing this, "Clan nepotism is truly great; one can even get leaked questions for exams!" He was very satisfied with this arrangement and bowed before exiting the room.

Thorgrim-Grudgebearer was not the son of the previous Dwarf High King Orikson, but his nephew.

In the year 6825 of the Dwarf calendar, in order to resist the Chaos invasion, the then High King Orikson led a massive Dwarf army north to support Kislev.

This campaign was exceptionally tragic; all of Orikson's sons died heroically, and he himself was severely wounded.

Realizing that his time was running out, he gathered more than a dozen Dwarf lords qualified to succeed as High King, gave them one year to establish merit, and declared that whoever had the greatest merit after one year and was most convincing to everyone would be the next High King.

A year later, when the candidates gathered again at Karaz-a-Karak, there were already a few missing from their ranks. Just as they were arguing endlessly about whose merit was greater, Thorgrim, who had been separated from the main force during the anti-Chaos campaign, returned.

As the nephew of the High King, in the situation where the High King had lost all his heirs, Thorgrim obviously possessed the qualifications to contend for the throne.

During this year, he had traveled to Dulongcheng, the capital of the Norscan Dwarfs, who had lost contact with the Old World Dwarfs since the Age of Disaster.

Through his wisdom and strength, Thorgrim not only gained the help of the then Norscan Dwarf High King to return to his homeland smoothly but also signed an agreement of mutual exchange with the other party; such an outstanding contribution made him stand out and become the High King.

On the way back to his room, Sinuoli met many of his kin. Regarding their kind concern, Sinuoli, who had things on his mind, just laughed it off and dealt with them casually.

Pushing open the door, he saw Balin bending over, tidying up books, scrolls, and other items scattered all over the floor.

Sinuoli couldn't help but hesitate as to why his trip to see the High King had taken a full two hours including the return, yet the room was still in a mess just like before he left.

Just as he was about to ask Balin, he suddenly felt something was wrong, "How did I get in? I pushed the door open, but wasn't the door just smashed by the Ironbreakers?"

He looked up again and saw that the big hole in the roof had actually been rebuilt, only the mortar filling the brick gaps had not yet dried.

Balin dusted off his body and stood up.

"Cousin, people from the Craftsman Association were just here; the door and the ceiling have been repaired. You don't need to worry about the labor costs; they said to put it on your clan's account."

"As expected of the race best at engineering and construction in the entire Old World; the work efficiency of Dwarfs is beyond reproach!" Sinuoli marveled in his heart.

Suddenly, he heard a rumbling sound, and he and Balin smiled at each other. Yes, after a day of tossing and turning, it was already evening without realizing it.

"Go to the kitchen and get me a roasted Rock Sheep, and two more barrels of ale; we must celebrate properly for such a great piece of good news today!"

"Alright!" Balin responded excitedly. The young Dwarf had been quite frightened today and needed good food and wine to soothe his soul.

You must know that Rock Sheep live among cliffs and steep walls; their fur color is similar to mountain rocks, and they are good at hiding. Even if they are accidentally discovered, they can easily evade the pursuit of Dwarfs with their agile skills. Only experienced Hunters can capture them by setting traps.

Dwarfs do not have the habit of animal husbandry. Before establishing diplomatic relations with Humans and purchasing large quantities of meat, Rock Sheep were one of the few sources of meat. Because their meat is firm and delicious, they were once only eaten on important holidays. Even though they are not as scarce now, they are not something one can just eat casually.