Section 5: Summons

"It's finally time for the most critical step. Ashruphat stood in front of the mirror and muttered to himself softly.

In the mirror is a standard dwarf rich man - wearing a robe, a turban, and a scarf to hide his beard in order to hide his chin and beard. This is exactly what Ashrufat is like on a daily basis.

He took off his robe, took off his scarf, and changed into the uniform of the Society of Engineers as fast as he could—in fact, the Society of Engineers did not have any uniforms, but the demands of the work would make them naturally prefer certain types of clothing - long sleeves, low necklines, long plackets, long pants underneath, and iron boots on their feet. Wearing this kind of clothing can make people move flexibly, which is not only suitable for writing and drawing, but also convenient for doing something by yourself at any time, plus it is resistant to dirt and wear. This kind of clothing gradually became the most common clothing for engineers, and was unconsciously accepted by all dwarves and became the uniform of engineers.

But he still didn't think the outfit fitd. So he took it off and dressed as a dwarven soldier. He wears simple and heavy armor, an armed belt around his waist, and an iron helmet on his head.

"Master, what are you doing here? In her mind, Carrie asked lazily.

"I want to choose the most suitable outfit to meet the High King. Ashrufat replied. "This is our most critical step. ”

It's been almost a year since he came to the realm of the dwarves. Although he and Carrie had made all kinds of preparations, it turned out that most of them were unnecessary. No one ever doubted his identity. Even if he was different from the dwarves in some detail, the dwarves didn't care. Occasionally, when someone asked him where he had gone after slaying the dragon, Ashrufat would simply reply, "Recuperate in the Anthropocene." This simple answer was enough to satisfy the curiosity of all the dwarves, and so far, Ashrufat had not encountered any dwarves who asked him further.

In this way, Ashrufat successfully infiltrated the realm of the dwarves and arrived at their capital, Karaz, Karak. Carrie has created several liquor recipes that are more suited to the taste of the dwarves. Since the Silverfish Chamber of Commerce had established a stable trade with the Dwarves, it was easy for him to mobilize funds, establish a brewery, and quickly become a wealthy man among the Dwarves.

To be honest, even Carrie had no idea that her new beer and special ale would be so popular that she amassed a considerable fortune in a short period of time. Not only did he establish his own chamber of commerce in Karaz-Karak, but he also expanded his trade with the silverfish chamber of commerce. With such a wealthy dwarven merchant as an intermediary, the trade between the silverfish chamber and the dwarves expanded day by day, creating a steady stream of wealth, especially a large amount of precious metals such as gold and silver flowing to Sivania.

To put it mildly, if he had come here for the purpose of making a fortune, he would have been happy by now.

However, when it comes to commerce, dwarves and humans are quite similar. Although the businessmen were rich, their social status was not very high. If you want to say that you can meet the High King as a great wine merchant, you can naturally do it, but don't expect the High King to promise you anything.

So Ashrufat joined the selection of the Great Foundry. Of course, to win this selection, you rely on the design drawings of the "Dragon Terminator" left behind by the real "Ashrufat". However, this was not a big problem, and Carrie easily improved it, using concepts that were completely new to the dwarves (and certainly for Ashrufat) using a new concept for the dwarves (and certainly for Ashrufat himself), transforming the Dragon Terminator from a "relatively new and unique" ballista into a masterpiece that would be captivated by all engineers.

"In my opinion, this is the easiest step. Carrie pointed out unceremoniously. "It's all about our preparation, not the last step. Hosts, honestly, whatever you wear, it won't have any effect on our actions. ”

That's right. Looks...... It's that I'm a little nervous. Ashrufat said to himself in his heart.

"Hosts, you don't have to be nervous at all. You know, our trip is really worth the money. Now, you don't have any worries at all. Carrie said. "You have become a big wine merchant of the dwarves, and you have established a chamber of commerce for yourself, and thus completely completed the business docking with the silverfish chamber of commerce. Now, the Silverfish Chamber of Commerce and the Dwarves trade more closely than any other powerful force. For most of the year, we calculated our expenses and income, and we also made a lot of money. You've found a trusty group of dwarves to help you take care of your business, and this will turn into another river of gold for us. ”

"That's right. Ashrufat replied. He was now familiar with Carrie's principles. Carrie's philosophy is very different from that of ordinary people: she wants to occupy a high position, but she must not allow herself to be bound by it. This is true of Sivania, the Silverfish Chamber of Commerce, and now the "Mountain" Chamber of Commerce of the Dwarven Race. Carrie can't allow herself to be fixed in a certain position, but pursues the freedom to leave at any time - of course, leaving is not the same as giving up the position and the benefits.

"Master Ashrufat?" a voice came from outside the door. "Are you home?"

"I'm here. He replied aloud. As required by dwarven etiquette, he walked over briskly and opened the door. Outside the door was a strange armed soldier. In particular, when the dwarven soldier saw Ashrufaat dressed in military uniform and armor, he showed a very clear expression of surprise.

"The High King has summoned you, Master Ashrufat. The soldier replied.

"So fast?" Ashruphat hesitated. Something seemed to be beyond his plan...... It should have been him who took the initiative to ask to see ...... But it seems that it is not bad to push the boat with the current.

"Your Majesty's order is to let you go at once. The soldier who gave the order emphasized the word "immediately."

"I got it. Ashruphat looked at the full set of armor and equipment on his body. Forget it, Carrie also said anyway, it's just a matter of details, and it's not bad for him to wear this outfit to see the High King. "Let's go. ”

Speaking of which, he had been to Karaz for quite a short time, but it was the first time he had been to the palace. The palace of the dwarves is quite different from the palace of humans or elves. This is not a difference in craftsmanship - in fact, the delicate use of the dwarves and the non-reliance on magic are more in line with Eshurufat's appetite in terms of pure architectural craftsmanship - but rather a difference in design philosophy. It should be said that humans and elves pursue "luxury" in terms of palaces, while dwarves pursue "exquisiteness". Sometimes, these two pursuits are completely mixed, but other times, they are separate. In the palace of the High King, for example, there were no ornaments such as tapestries, brocades, fine sand curtains, and few paintings, but instead there were all kinds of beautiful reliefs, ornaments, and sculptures.

With the soldier leading the way, Ashruphat was not subjected to any interrogation or examination at all. It should be said that he came to the main hall of the palace unimpeded. It was a room with a circular dome and a variety of loot displayed around it. In the middle of the room was a stone throne, surrounded by an entire team of elite dwarven guards, the Hammer Warriors.

On the edge of the stone throne sat an old dwarf. He wore no crown, and the silver-white beard on his chin was braided and coiled around his knees, but the ends still hung down to the ground. Even by dwarven standards, such a long beard is rare.

According to the deep-seated prejudice of the dwarven clan – the longer the beard means the wiser the mind – the High King was truly a wise man in the truest sense of the word.

Ashrufat knew that he should bow as a sign of respect, but he didn't know for a moment which etiquette he should choose. At this time, the High King spoke.

"Master Ashrufat, it's a pleasure to meet you. Ah, you really are a young master. ”

The High King was right. In front of him was a young dwarf, slightly taller and slightly thinner (of course, this slightly taller and slightly thinner is by dwarf standards), with a beard not growing long on his chin. Like all fashionable young dwarves, this unlong beard is trimmed into a mighty wavy shape. Moreover, he was not dressed in everyday civilian clothes at the moment, nor in the uniform of the Society of Engineers, but in full armor, like a soldier who was about to go to battle.

Hearing his words, the young master knelt down on one knee and behaved like a warrior. "Thank you for summoning you, Your Majesty. I don't know what you're looking for me. ”

The High King nodded. "Master, I've heard about you. I know that Lu Dao is trying to figure out how to give the Society of Engineers a city of its own, right?"

"Yes. Ashruphat did not hide it, and his frank attitude pleased the High King. "That's exactly what I want. All of my colleagues agree with me, and I believe that this is the ideal of all of them. ”

"Very well said, young master. The High King asked. "Tell me, then, that you have already figured out how to accomplish your ideals, and is there any king who intends to allow you to build a new city?"

"No, the Most High King. Ashrufat replied. "We never thought about that. Even if a king allows us to build a new city on his land, we don't want to trouble them, we don't want to accept any handouts and we don't want to owe anyone a favor. We will forge our own path. In the near future, we will be making preparations to try to regain a lost land of our ancestors. In those tragic days, many of our homes were occupied by despicable enemies, and many of the tunnels connecting the dwarven cities between the mountains had been destroyed. There are a lot of targets out there that we can choose from. My colleagues and I have vowed to once again take back the lost lands of our ancestors from the enemy. ”

"Well said, Master Ashrufat. Once again I see in you the true strength of the dwarves, which does not come from strong arms or sharp tomahawks - although they are also important - but determination and will are the source of the true strength of our race. The High King sighed. "Since the news of the defeat of Okat came back, few people have mentioned these ambitions to me. ”

"It was a great attempt. Although it ended in failure, that didn't detract from its greatness. Ashrufat was cautious in his wording. It's almost time, and it's time to mention the most crucial part. His eyes looked at the High King and noticed that there was a shelf next to his throne on which a somewhat chic looking book was placed. That must be the legendary "Book of Great Hatred". If the legend is correct, his name is written on it.

Suddenly, his heart was amused by his words. It is important to know that the cause of Okat's defeat and death was himself, both directly and indirectly. Now he says that. Hey, that's what you can't help yourself.

"This is just the beginning. High King, we will learn from this defeat, and sooner or later, we will prove to everyone that our people have enough power to restore the glory of our ancestors. ”

"Well said. Whether the High King took this as a flattery or as a sincere one, at least he accepted it. "Young Master, I am in awe of your courage and will. If you need any help with this operation, I will do my best to provide it to you. ”

This topic seems to end here, and Ashruphat understands that the most critical moment has come.