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nBefore Sylvester was a colossal city with towering structures crafted from dark stone. Cascades of lava flowed from its openings like waterfalls, generating a powerful heat that merged with frigid gusts from vents connected to the outside.

nClank!

nBam!

nTing!

nClank!

nAs Sylvester cleared his mind and focused on his surroundings, he noticed the echoes of metalwork emanating from within the city and the massive walls of the cavern, which were also adorned with cave-like structures, their entrances visible all around.

nSylvester murmured, swiftly shutting the door he had come through. Then he lowered himself to crawl and concealed himself from any vigilant gazes. “Chonky, you shall be my eyes and ears from this moment onward. However, under no circumstances are you to soar over the molten lava.”

n“Maxy, why do you fear?” Miraj inquired with confusion. “You easily defeated so many Dragon Snakes before. You are very strong now.”

n“Power is not the point, Chonky. My aim was to secretly kill the Saint Cardinal, but how do we find that man in such a gigantic place? Let alone kill him? A secretive place of such importance is likely to house many powerful guardians as well. After all, we didn’t see any Grand Wizard in the Hundred Castle City above in the past few days.”

nBoth of them gazed at the city, pondering ways to infiltrate it. Sylvester contemplated altering his appearance, but even then, he could not change his height. Sadly, he had not mastered the art of illusion magic either.

n“I will try and place a few elder runes on myself that will suppress all the noise and my presence. But, even then, if someone were to look at me, I’ll be instantly caught. You will need to lead away any prying eyes, Chonky.” Sylvester tried to make a plan.

nMiraj was ready anytime. “Let’s go.”

nThus, Sylvester removed his garments and etched a series of rune circles on his chest using a knife. He bled profusely but allowed the wounds to heal only to the point of a clot.

n“Let’s go.” he urged, aware that time was fleeting as the night waned.

nHe raced towards the largest mountain-like structure with a swiftness matching the air itself. Leaping across small rocks amidst the lava lake, he swiftly arrived at the side of the colossal building.

nSylvester remained close to the wall, ensuring he remained unseen from above. Meanwhile, Miraj advanced to inspect the nearest entrance for any soldiers or sentinels.

n“Maxy, there is no one. I can only hear the sound of a hammer,” Miraj reported.

nWith that, Sylvester wasted no time and entered the dark entrance. It was low in height and featured a curved ceiling, yet to his astonishment, he realized the entire structure was made from a single gargantuan rock, with no visible joints on the walls or ceiling.

nClank!

nClank!

nHe only heard the sound of metalwork ahead, so he made his way slowly and carefully. He kept himself ready to jump and cling to the ceiling, considering the dwarves were short.

n“Chonky, go and check,” Sylvester ordered.

n‘If it’s a dwarf, how will they react to me?’ Sylvester wondered and approached the noise.

n“Argh! Bloody humans!”

nClank!

n“Die!”

nClank!

n“All of you!”

nClank!

nSylvester heard a deep voice growling ahead. But, to his surprise, although the accent was new, the language was the common tongue of Masan. The fact that the Dwarf was cursing in a foreign language presented a significant psychological problem that Sylvester realized.

nWoosh!

n“Maxy, it’s just one person.”

nSylvester gained confidence with that revelation and walked faster. The tunnel-like path soon seemed to come to an end as he saw a bright red light coming from the large opening ahead. He reckoned he was somewhere near the middle of the mountain-like building.

n“At least give us good ale!…Ha!”

nBam!

nSylvester stopped near the edge of the tunnel, from where the larger room started. He assessed the area first and understood it was likely a workshop with a forge that operated through a small canal of lava. The ceiling was at least twice the height of the tunnel, and the hall was as big as his own room in the Royal Castle above.

nThere was only one more door he noticed, and it remained closed with a few metal boxes in front of it, indicating that it wasn’t frequently used. Other than that, there were numerous tools scattered around, along with scraps.

nOnce he felt confident, he peeked and glanced at the man. He only saw the side profile as the Dwarf hammered a blade on the large anvil. He had a muscular build, evident as there was no clothing above the waist. His height was around four and a half feet, and he had pointed ears that grew upwards. He had long white hair and a beard—an old dwarf, clearly.

n‘Let’s see what I can find. Or else I’ll just knock him out.’ Sylvester walked out of the tunnel and approached the Dwarf cautiously.

n“Bastards! Ha!”

nBam!

n“Filthy humans! Ha!”

nBam!

nSylvester voiced just then. “Indeed.”

nWoosh!

nAbruptly, the Dwarf stopped and turned to face him. Instantly, his body began to shiver, and he knelt down while clasping his hands together as if pleading. “F-Forgive me! I didn’t know the inspection was today! I didn’t mean what I said… I was merely motivating myself.”

n‘He thinks I’m one of Masan’s men?’ Sylvester understood and pondered a new strategy. He, of course, wanted to learn more about man and why his species was there, but at the same time, he didn’t want to create long-term trouble for himself.

n‘Since my face is hidden, I should keep it that way.’ He decided.

nSylvester made up his mind and suddenly spoke in a language he never thought he’d have to use. “Hakra koji jiuo sing ouh kalnika hiwari motan heki imlea!”

nThud!

nThe Dwarf fell on his buttocks in shock and wiped his face clean from the sweat. He stammered after that but spoke with a hint of deep reverence and hope. “B-Believer of Rimira? My elven friend, did you come here to rescue that child?”

n‘What child?’ It was Sylvester’s turn to be dumbfounded. But he played along.

n“And more.” He replied. “I came here to kill Saint Cardinal. We and the Dragons have launched an attack on the East. But this time, we wish to bring down the West as well. I did not know of your existence, my dwarven friend.”

nThe Dwarf’s eyes widened, and he crawled to Sylvester’s feet. He still shivered and held Sylvester’s feet so tightly as if he was scared of being left behind and losing the last hope of freedom. “Save us, I beg you. We do not wish to remain enslaved here… We want freedom!”

nSylvester patted the man’s shoulder after confirming he wasn’t lying through his emotional scents. “Everything changes with this, my friend. But first, tell me about yourself, and who was the child you spoke of?”

nThe Dwarf stood up on his short legs and dragged a chair for Sylvester and himself. “I am Elrog, and I bear no family name, for it was forgotten in history. I am nearly two hundred years old, and I’ve seen nothing but this forge all my life. A thousand years ago, when the Great War had barely begun, our ancestors were captured by Masan’s raiding party and brought here. There were only a hundred of them, but forced to breed and work, we carved this city of our own enslavement. There are eight thousand of us now, and most don’t even know the dwarven language anymore.”

nSylvester smelled an extreme amount of fear, sadness, anxiety, and some suicidal tendencies. The dwarven man was utterly broken. It was clear.

n“No outsider has entered this palace since the city’s inception. My friend, I don’t know your name, but please help us. If you can’t save us, at least inform the Dwarf King of our existence—I beg you for this alone.” Elrog knelt down again and lowered his head to Sylvester’s feet. 𝙚𝙙𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙚𝙡.𝙤𝙧𝒈

n‘A thousand years of generational slavery. No wonder Masan has remained strong despite losing its political strength. With dwarven weapons, nothing can defeat their army.’ Sylvester understood the terrifying secret behind Masan’s power.

nIt was all the more reason to bring them down now and divide the Empire. Otherwise, it was only a matter of time before the Holy Land also fell under Masan’s subjugation.

n“What about the child?” He questioned.

n“The child! Yes! A hundred years ago, an elven child was brought to this city and imprisoned in dark cells. We know not who he is or why he is kept here, but he must be important to be kept alive for this long.” Elrog said, adding more. “I will help you! I will show you where the elven boy is.”

n‘An important elven boy?’ Sylvester pondered deeply. ‘Is this why Masan is so confident about attacking the East to take over the region instead of fighting the Beastaria invasion? Could this be a bargaining chip they hope to use to stop the invasion and emerge as rulers of the entire Sol continent in the end?’

n“No, first you must lead me to where Saint Cardinal is. His death will bring chaos to Masan that is necessary to weaken the entire human Empire and create the perfect opportunity for our forces to attack it,” Sylvester bluffed with a few lies and a few truths. “Once I kill him, I will take the elven boy with me.”

nThe Dwarf shook his head firmly. “How will you do it? His lair is at the bottom of this mountain forge. His army of experimented slaves guards it, and they are incredibly powerful. To kill him is impossible.”

nSylvester resolutely looked into the Dwarf’s eyes. “Elrog, I infiltrated this far. Do you think I can’t handle a single formidable wizard? Just tell me the way.”

nElrog looked down, averting his gaze. After years of slavery, it had become a habit to avoid looking into eyes, lest he may end up offending someone and receive punishment.

n“Understood. I will draw it for you.” Elrog walked to his work desk and drew on some rough paper using charcoal. “The path is simple, but once you enter the lair, it’s madness. I’ve only seen it once, and I pray to the Iron Gods to never see it again.”

nSylvester took the paper, memorized it quickly, and then burned it right away. “I’ll be back, Elrog.”

nHowever, just as Sylvester was leaving, the old Dwarf muttered in response in a low voice while watching Sylvester’s fleeting back. His heart pounding, and his eyes hopeful.

n“It’s fine if you don’t—Just get the word out—We’re here, we’re alive, and we want freedom… someday.”

nSylvester abruptly paused to look back as he heard the man.

n“We may be from a different species, Elrog, but our hatred for this establishment is the same. So worry not, I shall get you out soon. Spread the word to your closest, most trusted friends—it’s time to prepare.”

nElrog lowered his head in gratitude. “We will be in your debt forever!”

n‘I know, for I will need you to bring a new era of peace between the two realms.’

nOf course, those words were not spoken aloud. For his schemes were not always worth feeling proud.

n‘Once I become the Pope…all of you shall be a chess piece to win my eternal peace.’

nThank you for reading. GT votes are much appreciated.

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