Chapter 92: Setting Out Again

Hearing this, Knight Lailun nodded to show he understood. Having agreed on the time and place for tomorrow's trade, Snuori took his people and left the tavern first.

Having manifested divine grace twice in a row and gained a powerful advocate, his reputation in Karak-Hern had reached its peak; someone could come to visit him at any moment, and it would not be good to be missing for too long.

"Cousin, why do you think so highly of this Human who is not exactly wealthy?" Tomi had been pondering this the whole way and asked just as they were nearing the inn.

For a merchant, knowing how to accurately read and identify people is a very important skill, and he also hoped to learn how to discover potential buyers.

"Hmm, I felt Divinity on him. If I am not mistaken, he is also someone who has received divine grace." Snuori thought for a moment about his cousin Tomi and decided not to fool him with the physiognomy knowledge he knew from his past life, but to tell him honestly.

Upon returning to the inn where they were staying, Snuori indeed found someone waiting for him. The visitor was a Hammer Guard of Lord Alike-Lufusen, who had brought an invitation for a banquet tomorrow evening.

"Why? Is it to celebrate the Mother Goddess bestowing divine grace?" Snuori looked at the invitation with a headache; this meant another long round of vapid speeches and heavy drinking, things he did not like much, whether in his past life or now.

But in truth, whether for the growth of his current Revival Points or for the long-term revitalization of the Mountain Kingdom, he had to go. Not only did he have to go, but he had to be fully focused to cooperate with or even lead the performance.

"Not entirely, honored Chosen of the Goddess!" the Hammer Guard replied respectfully. Hearing this, Snuori found it strange; could something worth celebrating so grandly have happened in just this one day?

"Not entirely? Then what other agenda is there?" Snuori asked.

"To send troops to settle a Grudge!" The Hammer Guard was also a bit confused upon hearing this. In his view, the Wood Elves treated the people of Karak-Hern as nothing; when they ran over to snatch things, cause destruction, and hurt people, was the Chosen of the Goddess before him not also present?

"Don't we only have a dozen or so unfortunate victims? Is Lord Alike going to make such a big fuss over this?" Snuori asked again. This sudden war would have a great impact on the next steps of his plan and the caravan he was protecting.

"Well, you may not know, sir," the Hammer Guard took a mug of beer handed over by Balin and sat down to say. "Our lord's style of conduct is somewhat similar to your father, the High King Thorgrim. Since his succession, he has always said he wants to learn from your father's approach: settle every Grudge, no matter the size!"

"This, my father is not..." Snuori stammered.

"His Majesty the High King is responsible for settling the Grudges of the entire Mountain Kingdom. Lord Alike claims that even if he cannot help the High King for the moment, at least he must settle the Grudges of Haojiaobao himself; not holding them back is the bare minimum!" the Hammer Warrior said proudly, feeling proud of his lord's ambition.

"That, that is indeed a magnificent ambition!" Snuori praised. He realized that he needed to adjust his subconscious way of thinking; he was a Dwarf, and even if the young Wood Elf lady fit his aesthetic from his past life, he had to put aside his fantasies and prepare for battle.

"Alright, I will attend on time!" After agreeing and sending the messenger out the door, Snuori returned to his room to sleep.

The next evening, Snuori received a higher standard of courtesy in the great hall of Karak-Hern. Compared to the hearsay from before, witnessing divine grace twice in a row was undoubtedly more shocking.

Although the Dwarf dignitaries who came to toast him were endless, Snuori still struggled to squeeze his way in front of Lord Alike.

"Your Majesty, please hear me out!" Snuori said in a low voice.

"What is it? Does the Mother Goddess have any oracle regarding my act of vengeance?" Lord Alike attached great importance to Snuori's opinion.

"I heard that you are going to send troops to Aisuoluolun Senlin to settle a Grudge, but may I ask if the departure date can be postponed for a few days?" Snuori had been thinking about how to bring it up the whole way, and in the end, he decided not to stop Alike's act of vengeance.

"Why is that, honored Chosen of the Goddess? The revered god Grimnir taught us that a Grudge that can be settled today should not be dragged out until tomorrow!" Lord Alike was a bit strange.

"It is like this: the caravan I am responsible for protecting still needs to pass through Winter-Tooth Pass all the way to the end of the Grey Mountains. If you start the war now, as long as those pointy-ears in the forest aren't stupid, my team will likely be intercepted!"

Snuori analyzed it. In his view, the Wood Elves had a large air force and could also travel underground through the thick roots of the Shijie Genshu, which would also interfere with the Earth Vein Network that the Dwarfs were so proud of.

If facing a three-dimensional strike from the sky, underground, and the surface, Snuori did not think that with his few men, he could successfully reach the caravan's next stop, Karak-Norn, also known as Huangwu Bao.

"Mother Goddess above! I actually forgot what brought you here!" Lord Alike slapped his forehead.

"Fortunately you reminded me. If the caravan cannot arrive smoothly, the kin over in the Grey Mountains might just add a entry about me in the Book of Grudges!" Lord Alike said.

"Indeed, settling a Grudge is certainly a good thing, but if the act of settling it might bring about more Grudge entries, it is better to think twice." Snuori still advised.

"Then let the pointy-ears' heads hang on their necks for a few more days! Anyway, the colder the weather, the less help they can get from those damn wooden stakes!" Lord Alike shouted, hammering the table.

Every winter solstice, the Wood Elves' god-king Aolai'en willingly lies down on a funeral pyre, falling into an annual cycle of reincarnation, and only on the eve of the spring equinox will a young Prince voluntarily become the next "Aolai'en." And the Forest Spirits like dryads and tree-men will also fall into silence.

Watching his reaction, which clearly had not been taken in, Snuori shook his head secretly. This king, who had not long succeeded to the throne, was eager to establish his authority through a significant victory. Snuori had learned yesterday that everything he had settled before were just trivial, minor Grudges.

Merchants are always the most sensitive to risk; once they smelled the scent of war, they could not wait to prepare for departure.

This was exactly what Snuori wanted. He did not wait for the Human merchants from all over to fully arrive before urging the caravan on. After leaving Haojiaobao, the caravan's personnel underwent a blood transfusion, but in terms of strength, there was no major change overall; it was just that the proportion of Humans increased, and many merchants who wanted to go to Bretonnia also took the opportunity to hitch a ride with the caravan.

Thanks to the tip from "Sand-made Eagle outside the window," and the monthly tickets from "Liu Guanren 123," "Dark Tooth," and "Night Monkey Momo."

Asking for tickets, collections, and tips, ha.