Chapter 96: Visiting the City Walls

Early the next morning, Sinuoli arrived at the walls of Huangwu Bao as promised. Unlike typical Dwarf strongholds, the configuration of this Karak-Norn was very strange.

Its main gates opened on the east and west sides. The gate on the east side was the direction from which Sinuoli and the caravan had arrived, connecting to Winter-Tooth Pass. The gate on the west side connected to the Earth Vein Network leading to Karaka-Wuwei Fort, which would be Sinuoli's next stop.

The small gate on the north side led to the Human settlement at the foot of the mountain; Human merchants who came to sell agricultural products and purchase ironware, handicrafts, and other daily goods would enter and exit through this gate.

The walls and gates on these three sides were unremarkable. The most symbolic part of Huangwu Bao was its tall western wall. This side faced Aisuoluolun Senlin directly and was equipped with countless defensive installations; this was precisely where Lord Borok was going to take Sinuoli for a tour.

Sinuoli examined the wall before him. It was essentially a part of the Grey Mountains themselves, with the Dwarfs having hollowed out countless firing ports and hidden doors that could only be opened from the inside.

"Respected Chosen of the Goddess, let us go this way!" Lord Borok said, beckoning with his several Hammer Guard.

The two of them each made a gesture of invitation and walked side-by-side onto a narrow staircase. This staircase was exceptionally low; Sinuoli was slightly taller than his kin, and he had to lower his head to avoid having his hairstyle messed up by the rock wall above.

"What, what is going on here?" Sinuoli asked while shielding his forehead with his hand. Dwarf buildings were generally extremely tall; such a low and narrow one was very rare.

"Hahaha!" Lord Borok also bent over slightly. "Think about it, even we Sons of the Mountains have to lower our heads. If those pointy-ears from the forest were to charge in to die, they would have to be careful not to bump their heads while hunched over, so how could they fight us? Spears wouldn't be able to be wielded at all, let alone drawing bows to shoot arrows!" He was very proud of this targeted design.

The two of them reached the top of the wall. Emerging from the oppressive environment, Sinuoli felt a sudden sense of openness.

Sinuoli discovered before him an endless sea of trees—literally, an ocean of trees. Although it was already late autumn and the forest lacked the magnificence of midsummer, it still shocked Sinuoli, who had lived in a concrete jungle in his previous life.

"Aisuoluolun Senlin, in the language of the pointy-ears, it means the Sea of Trees of the Genesis Dawn," Lord Borok's voice drifted over just as Sinuoli was gazing into the distance.

"For thousands of years, this forest has been uniquely favored by the Winds of Magic. Every blade of grass and every tree in the forest thrives while bathed in this energy. Today's Aisuoluolun can generate magic energy on its own even without relying on the Winds of Magic."

"Is that the Oak of Ages?" Sinuoli asked, pointing into the distance at a tall tree in the forest that seemed to pierce through heaven and earth.

"Yes, legend says that tree has its own consciousness, and its lifespan is equal to that of this forest. The pointy-ears treat it as their holy relic, but if you ask me, cutting it down to build furniture would probably be enough for the entire Mountain Kingdom!" Lord Borok explained.

"The two Demigods of the Wood Elf, Aolai'en and Ariel, both stay under that tree."

"Aolai'en, the avatar of the god of the hunt Kurnous in the Mortal World?" Sinuoli thought of that giant man from the game with antlers on his head and a bare chest. "His Wild Hunt hasn't harassed our Shanbao little, has it?"

"Cough, my ancestors and I have been fighting Him for thousands of years! A few years ago, I even had a face-to-face encounter with that fellow myself. He and His wild riders are not hindered by the forest; their impact in the woodlands is even stronger than our Human friends from Bretonnia!" Lord Borok said, resting his hands on the battlements.

"I see this wall is managed by you to be impregnable, so I suppose the impact is not significant!" Sinuoli said, eyeing the ballistae and Cannon placed on the wall. The number of Artillery displayed at Huangwu Bao was the highest he had seen on this journey.

"Hahaha, that is indeed the case, especially last time. The treasures I bought from Jiliuguan really taught those stubborn, arrogant fellows a harsh lesson!" As he spoke, Lord Borok led Sinuoli into a concealed gun emplacement.

"Flame Cannon?" Sinuoli blurted out as he looked at the familiar object before him. "You actually have this thing! As far as I know, our Karaz-a-Karak hasn't even equipped them yet!"

"Hahaha, last time at the Grudge Council, I signed some agreements with Selending Wang of Jiliuguan and the then-head of the Engineer guild." Lord Borok seemed very satisfied with Sinuoli's shocked expression.

"This thing, it isn't cheap, is it?" Sinuoli asked tentatively.

"That is indeed the case. To tell you the truth, I only had the means to make the purchase thanks to the support of my wife's family. No matter how good the relationship is, they couldn't give me too much of a discount." Lord Borok answered Sinuoli's question.

Sinuoli secretly sized up the thin, dark-skinned Dwarf before him. He was unsure how to respond to this lord who had proactively mentioned receiving help from his wife.

"Last night..." Sinuoli gritted his teeth and forced himself to break the silence.

"Did Great-Uncle Handi say a lot of nasty things about me and my better half?" Lord Borok's tone revealed a sense of being accustomed to such things.

"I had no choice! On one hand, given the strength of Huangwu Bao at the time and my family's financial resources, it was indeed very difficult for me to marry a wife of equal status."

"Yes, besides the Skaven and Greenskins in the Earth Vein Network, our Karak-Norn also suffers from the harassment of the Wood Elf, and the underground mineral deposits are not that rich either!" Sinuoli echoed, knowing the hardships of the kin living here.

"Mother Goddess above! It is truly great that you can understand me. If there is an opportunity, please explain a thing or two to the Mother Goddess on my behalf during your prayers!" Lord Borok invoked a divine name; it was clear he had been under immense pressure because of this.

"On the other hand, in my view, the core task of a lord is to seek welfare for his people. If it is of some help to the lives of my fellow kin, I am willing to bear some scolding!" In the dim gun emplacement, a glow appeared on his dark face.

"So that is how it is. Reaching some more in-depth agreements with Tongshanbao must be a great help to the development here!" Sinuoli nodded; this explained his previous strange feeling.

"Do you really have no opinion on such unorthodox behavior of mine?" Lord Borok asked curiously, hearing Sinuoli's calm tone.

"In my view, the rules of the ancestors should be used to defend the kingdom created by the ancestors. But if adhering to tradition causes our Shanbao to fall one after another, then why not make some changes?"

Judging from the large amount of new firearms in Huangwu Bao and Borok's words and actions, Sinuoli determined that he was an enlightened lord aiming for reform, and he spoke these words when there was no one else around.

"A hundred years from now, if there is an opportunity, you will have the support of Huangwu Bao!"

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