Chapter 6 Chapter 4 The Loyalty That Clashes

As the number of people gathered in the room and the noise continued to increase, the dwarf councilor, Agranth Heavy Hammer, moved unnaturally on the chair. Except for him, the room was full of human beings. "Perhaps you should see him," said Santilla Xingyao, the city's council consul.Santilla's bright blue eyes flickered as she spoke, and she tossed her head, as she always did, parting her long dark hair.Her hair has always been the talk of town women.Although Santilla was in her late thirties and had lived in the deserted and dusty climate of Mirabar for a long time, her hair always made the disciples think that she was a little girl half her age.

No matter how you look at it, this female archon is indeed a stunner, tall and elegant, yet subconsciously sensitive.Although on the surface, Santilla Xingyao always shows a feminine side, she also has the same perseverance as the men of Mirabar. The fat man, the Marquis of Mirabar, sat on the cushioned throne, waved his hand in a disgusting way, and smirked at her: "I have always had more needs than those unknown visitors." There are more important things to deal with," the Marquis said, looking at Agranth Hammer's face, "even if that person is the king of Mithril Hall. Besides, shouldn't he bargain on the transaction agreement? Is it your duty?"

"King Bruno didn't come here for that purpose, judging from the current situation." Santilla retorted against the marquis's fat swaying hand. Erastu shook his head, then looked at the four "Hammerhead Guards" standing behind him, his main entourage, battle-tested veterans. "Actually, she should be allowed to meet Bruno." Dejava, the leader of the four "Hammerhead Guards", suggested.He nudged the Marquis on the shoulder with his elbow, "Santilla may have a trick or two that can soften even dwarves!" The other three warrior staff and Marquis Erastu couldn't help giggling.Santilla Xingyao narrowed her blue eyes, looked nonchalant, and folded her arms across her chest.

And here, Agranther changed his crossed legs.He knew that Santilla would control her emotions very well, just like all those Mirabar people who worked around Erastu, they had long been accustomed to those vulgar "hammerhead guards" and the Marquis himself. Developed transaction agreement.The status of Marquis is hereditary, unlike members of parliament or consuls of parliament, who are elected. "It is you, the Marquis, he is asking to see, not me or the Council," Santilla reminded coldly, interrupting their titters. "What can I say to a fellow like Bruenor Warhammer?" Erastus replied. "Enter him? Entertain him, and tell him calmly that you're going to be worthless right away?"

Santilla looked at Agranther sadly, and the dwarf cleared his throat, attracting the Marquis' attention. "You're not doing yourself any favors by underestimating Bruno," suggested Agranther. "He's got his way." "It's useless," Erastus repeated, leaning back comfortably in his chair. "That inquisitive Gundaron is dead. May the stones grind his bones. Bruenor has only inherited a fallen kingdom." Santilla took another look at Agrantha, this time with a wry smile of doubt, because both she and Agrantha knew what awaited them next. "More than two dozen metallurgists and alchemists," Erastu boasted, "I've treated them well, and we'll have results soon!"

When the Marquis went on to describe the promises made to him by the guys he had hired, Agranther lowered his eyes, not wanting Esratu to see his skeptical expression.A few years ago, Esratu hired some "metallurgists" to strengthen the metals from the Mirabar mines.Since that day, they have been promising to combine the strength and softness of metal to a level that no one can match.But Agranther believed that all this was mere nonsense. Agranther had not worked in a mine for more than a hundred years, before he turned to the teachings of Dumathoin.Dumathoin's followers believed that he was in charge of all the secrets beneath the mountains, and as cleric of the dwarven deity, Agranther was convinced that the braggadocio of alchemists and metallurgists was not part of those secrets.If magics to strengthen metal were not among the secrets guarded by Dumathoin, they did not exist to Agranther at all.

These employers are very good at performance.As far as Aglanthor knew, their work had always fascinated the Marquis so much that he kept spending money on them.Mirabar announced to the public that the number of dwarves is only half of that of Mithral Hall, which is more than 2,000 people.Among them, hundreds of dwarf warriors served in the Mirabar Ax Guard, constantly cleaning up the monsters in the mine.The remaining more than a thousand dwarves are working in the existing veins, and they can only cope with the tasks assigned by the Yaoshi Council every year. It is impossible for them to explore the lower veins.There's a lot of danger out there, but of course the danger also means a real reward—better ore of better quality.

Obviously, Mirabar does not have enough ability to stop work to find better ore veins, so the Marquis would rather believe the nonsense of these fake experts.None of them were dwarves, yet they claimed to know more about metal than dwarves.Beyond that, Aglanthur argues, if the methods the Marquis believed in existed, why weren't they put into practice hundreds of years ago? Why didn't these "alchemists" and "metallurgists" replace the dwarves of Mithral Hall, and even the dwarves of the whole world, and instead let them do the rough work of producing raw materials?If the weapons, armor, and other metalwork they speak of would put Bruenor's work to shame, and if they knew the secret recipe, or really had it, why didn't there exist legendary weapons made this way?

At this time, Santilla Xingyao interjected: "Even if your experts can fulfill their promises, we still cannot ignore King Bruno and his Mithral Hall. Their output is two to three times more than ours." .Agranther was glad she had made a good start. "Anyway, I have nothing to say about Bruno Warhammer. Why did he come here? Who invited him? Who asked..." The Marquis waved her hand and ended his speech in a mocking tone. "Probably we shouldn't have let him into town," Santilla added. Agranther looked at Erastu, and he guessed the Marquis' mind.The Marquis wanted to take all his grievances on Santilla.When the news came that King Bruno had arrived at the gates of Mirabar, it was Esratu who decided to let Bruno and the others in.However, he did not inform the Council or the Archons until the Warhammer dwarves wheeled their wagons into the streets of Mirabar.

"Yes, maybe my loyalty to my subjects is regarded as a donkey's liver and lungs," the Marquis retorted: "I wanted to let King Bruno feel more embarrassing than being rejected; I wanted to let the subjects of Mirabar know clearly , they don't have to worry about these unexpected guests." Alanthe knew that most of these sharp words were aimed at him. Agranther glanced at the Marquis, and the Marquis was staring at him and talking.After all, no humans other than dwarves would do business with the Warhammer Horde.And Agranther is the dwarf with the highest social status in the city, the uncrowned king of the city, and the spokesperson of the two thousand dwarves of Mirabar.

"Have you talked to Hammer?" "What would you like me to convey to him for you?" asked Aglanthe. He heard from the human leader that Bruno and his party were welcomed, which had never happened among the Mirabar dwarves. "I wanted you to remind Hammerhammer where his allegiances lie," the Marquis countered. "Or which side is his allegiance?" Agranther tried hard not to look angry.The loyalty of Torg Danzo Hammerbeater is unquestionable, an old and staunch warrior who has served three courts of Mirabar.In this city, no human being, or their ancestors, can tell the history of his service to the Marquis family.In the Upper Underdark, Togg once led soldiers to charge into battle in the tunnels.The ferocious monsters he faced were probably beyond the imagination of the Marquis' subordinates. The "Hammerhead Guard"—those so-called elite staff members were only selected based on their seniority based on their untrue glory.One hundred and seventeen years ago, the orc tribe stormed Mirabar, Togg only led a small group of dwarves to defend the east wall, and blocked the orc attack.At that time, most of the Mirabar soldiers were firmly surrounded by the main force of the orcs at the Western Wall.With his blood-stained robe, numerous wounds, and this beautiful victory, the soldiers of the Mirabar Axe Guards all look forward to Togg Danzo Hammerbeater. But even so, there were still some facts in the Marquis' words that reminded him.It is not the questioning of Torgue's loyalty that Agranther is worried about, but a situation inferred from this: Torgue and his followers do not understand that their contacts with Mithril Hall are the same as their trade. Competition, how much implicated. With such concerns, Agranthe and Santilla left the restless Marquis.Side by side they walked straight down the palace's corridors, into the unwarming afternoon sun.A cold wind blows, reminding the two men that winter in Mirabar is not far away. "Will you be gentler than Esratu when you go to see Torg?" Santilla asked the dwarf with a smile. As a female consul, Santilla participated in the signing of trade treaties.The resurgence of Mithral Hall has hit her hard, at least her work will no longer be smooth.However, in terms of attitude towards this matter, Santilla Xingyao is more calm than most people in this city, including many dwarves.For her, the way to defeat Mithral Hall is to increase production and find better ores.The rise of competitors will spur Mirabar out of the slump. "I'll try my best to persuade Togg and his men. But you know the guy, it's no use talking to him." "He was loyal to Mirabar," Santilla said.Although Alanthe kept nodding, there was a not-so-sure look on his face. Santilla Xingyao noticed this.She stopped, and patted Alanthe on the shoulder, motioning him to stop too. "Is he loyal to the city or to his race?" she asked. "Who does he think is the real leader? The Marquis or King Bruenor of Mithril Hall?" "Son, long before your parents were born, Togg was serving the marquises of all generations." Agranther reminded. Santilla nodded, but like Aglanthe just now, she didn't look very convinced. "They shouldn't be trading and drinking with those uninvited guests." Santilla continued.She hastily wrapped the cloak around her and walked on. "Those are really very tempting. Good deals, good food and drink, and good stories. Do you think my people won't want to hear the story of the Battle of Guardian's Canyon? You think the bloody drow captured the secret Would the world be a better place if Silver Hall?" "Yeah, if possible, before they are driven away, these dark elves should do more sabotage work..." Santilla replied.Agranther glared at her suddenly, but quickly backed away.Because the woman was grinning mischievously at him, even when she said that. "Hmph!" Agranther complained. "So according to you, they defeated the dark elves, and Mirabar should owe them a favor?" Santilla asked. Agranther paused for a moment, thinking about this sentence carefully.Finally, he shrugged, not wanting to make any answer. Santilla nodded and continued to laugh.Obviously, the dwarf's heart gave her an answer.And his stubborn head, the head loyal to Marquis Esratu and Mirabar, provided another answer.Actually this is not a funny thing.An important member of the Yaoshi Council, Aglanthe, has always had complicated feelings for the Mithril Hall, which made the Consul Santilla feel a little apprehensive.In the Council, Agranther had been one of Mithral Hall's most vocal opponents, usually in connection with the rhetoric of his dwarven constituencies.These people have always wanted to deal with the Warhammer Horde.At one point, Aglanthor also proposed a plan to infiltrate the neighbors: cool the charcoal and sneak it into the storage room of Mithral Hall, impairing their ability to smelt and forge.In the Council, Alanthe Heavyhammer had to criticize Mithral Hall many times, but in private, she had contact with them face to face, and she gradually understood the real decision made by him and his people . "Agranthe, is that drow also traveling with King Bruno's caravan?" "Drizzt Dolden? Yes, he was with them, but Torgg didn't let him into town." Santilla looked at him curiously.When the drow army was attacking Mithral Hall, Drizzt and his kind were on fire.But before that, he was already famous in the Northland.He was, by all accounts, a hero. "The Mirabar Ax Guards won't let a damned dark elf walk the streets, whoever he is," Agrantha said firmly, "but he's right outside the door, watching Mirabar. Torgg And the others saw him with a human girl, and another boy, whom Bruenor called his own." "Is he as handsome as the legend says?" Santilla asked. Agranther glared back at her angrily, slightly suspiciously. "He's a drow, you fool." Santilla smiled faintly, and Aglanthe shook his hairy head. They stopped again, and they had already reached the dungeon square while talking.It is an empty place surrounded by three buildings. One of the large separate houses was Santilla's residence.In the middle of the triangular area is a downward staircase.It leads to the most heavily guarded part of Mirabar - the main entrance to the dungeon.Dungeons are where dwarves work. Agranther and his clansmen believed that it was the place that really belonged to the dwarves. Santilla said goodbye to the dwarf and went back to her apartment.Agranthor stood at the top of the stairs, below which was the domain of two thousand Mirabar dwarves.He stood there for a long, long time.Before entering this place, he felt an unprecedented discomfort.It was his solemn mission to bring the Marquis' message to Togg and others.But Agranther knew his people very well, and the Marquis' message would add fuel to the fire and even cause a split among the dwarves.Among the dwarves, there are all kinds of opinions about Mithril Hall.In the past, many dwarves had proposed confiscating any Mithril Hall caravans from the west of the Warhammer Horde.As we all know, such an action meant that the two city-states would declare war on each other.Others spoke of their ancestors living with King Bruenor's ancestors in Mithral Hall, the happy days all Dwarves dreamed of. With a snort (which he used to say was really "the sigh of the dwarves"), Agranther trudged down the steps.On the upper floors, he brushed shoulders with many human guards.He made his way to the lift, waving his entourage away.He himself maneuvered the heavy rope down to the second level, which was several hundred feet deep.It was also heavily guarded, and the outside was blocked by iron bars and iron gates.The guards here are the toughest of the Mirabar Ax Guards. "You, go and tell all the clansmen inside," Agranther ordered them, "we will meet in the Hall of Fire after sunset today. I want everyone to attend. Everyone! Whether they are in the pit, or on the wall to work." The guard opened a side door for Agranther.He walked in with his head down, still muttering incessantly, thinking hard about a good strategy to control this delicate situation as he walked. Agranther's ability to win such a high title in this human-dominated city is enough to show that he is more shrewd and capable than most dwarves.Even so, he is still a dwarf after all, and foresight is by no means his strong point. Whenever a group of Mirabar dwarves gather in the Halls of Fire, the scene becomes unmanageable.But that night, two thousand dwarves from all over the city were present at this controversial meeting, and the hall was thrown into chaos. "Then you're trying to tell me who I should and shouldn't listen to, are you?" Torg Hammerer yelled at Agranther. Many dwarves shouted in unison.They had all followed Togg to the Great Bazaar of the Icewind Dale Caravan, where they had been entertained by the Warhammer Horde.A few held up beautiful statues.These were bought from Mithral Hall merchants, cheap and well made. One of the guys with the red beard was particularly active.He leaped onto a black furnace, holding aloft his statuette, a figure of a savage female in shape.He showed the statuette for all to see, and exclaimed, "I can sell this to Nesme for ten times as much! And you tell me I can't do that business, don't you, Senator?" !" Agranther was silent for a moment, not surprised at all by these reactions. "I came to convey the words of Marquis Esratu, who sounded the alarm for us. The dwarves of the Warhammer tribe are not friends of Mirabar, they are stealing our business—" "Who here can stand up and say, since Mithril Hall was restored, who's life is better?" Another dwarf interrupted Agranther, "Even with that beautiful statue of yours, your The money bag has never been full, do you have money now?" Many dwarves supported him, cheering loudly for the outraged speaker. "Before the rise of the bloody Warhammers, we had money and a happy life. Who brought them back?" "Ha! You're wasting your time with these idiots!" Togg sneered. "Fuck you, this guy is counting on the councilors to give him a loan," an excited guy replied, "Torg, are you short of money now? Can the story of King Bruno fill your stomach?" Torgg climbed up a raised plateau at the north end of the hall and stood beside Agranther.He paused for a long time, glanced back and forth, and then called everyone's attention to him. "You are all intrigue, I can hear it clearly here," he said calmly, "You talk about the Warhammer Horde as if they have declared war on us. All they have done is to develop something that belongs to them mines, even before Mirabar existed, it was their right to own their home and how it was developed. You're sitting here trying to bring them down when I think we should be trying to make ourselves bigger." "They stole our business!" someone in the crowd yelled, "Have you forgotten those things?" "They are indeed competing with us," Togg pointed out immediately, "but they have dug up better ore. They fight orcs, duergars, and drow that stink for their honor.Who has the right to blame King Bruno and his people for their hard work and fighting! " The noise came from every corner.Some agree, some disagree.There were scuffling crowds everywhere. On the high ground, Togg and Agranther glared at each other. In this incident that happened only a few days ago, neither of them could fully agree with the other, and their respective visions were quite clear. At this time, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "Hey, Senator, are you speaking on the side of human beings, or are you speaking on the side of your own people?" Togg and Agranther looked there at the same time.Many people are also looking in that direction. The whole hall fell silent, and the dwarves stopped their crooked shoving for a while, because the man's words hit the point. For Togg, this time confused him but also made him reflect. Has this matter reached such a point that he has to choose between the clansmen of Mithral Hall and the United City-States of Mirabar? As for Agranther, who led the Yaoshi Council, the choice could not be more clear, if that would enable his people to see the facts clearly.Agranther was loyal to Mirabar, and only to Mirabar.He stared at his partner, and suddenly felt that although the Marquis's comments about Torg Danzo Hammerer were a little outrageous and unreasonable, they were not unreasonable. When the door of the Hall of Flame slowly opened, Agranther's trust in the council was shaken a little.A Mirabar Ax Guard soldier rushed in. They rushed into the chaotic crowd in a wedge formation, and then forcibly pushed the team apart, quickly clearing a triangular area.The Marquis and several arrogant councilors followed the female consul and walked in. "We humans don't want to see such behavior from our fellow dwarves." Esratu scolded. He had wanted to take his words to a higher level, to remind them calmly that there were already enough enemies outside Mirabar, and such a dispute was not worth mentioning at all. "Support Torg Hammer, and the guys who are caught up in Warhammer Horde goods and those lies... well, they are dazzled by their stories, and even changed their positions," Esratu said unceremoniously warned, "Watch out, Hammer, lest you lose your rank in the Army; and you who are still indulging in the mead of Bruenor Warhammer and those false legends... Think of you Where is your allegiance. Don't forget, it is the Warhammer Horde that threatens our city." Esratu looked around slowly, trying to bring them under his commanding gaze.But the people here are all dwarves after all, and few people will be afraid of letting the Marquis influence their thoughts. Many opponents stood upright, staring at the few people standing on the high platform.Agranther really wondered if Togg was going to take off the ax medal and throw it at Esratu's feet. "Disband, I order you!" Marquis Esratu roared, "Go back to your work and sleep in your sleep." The dwarves dispersed at last, and the Marquis and his entourage—including those human soldiers—went back, and only Santilla remained to talk with Agranther. "Well, that's not what a true king should say," Togg muttered.He lowered his head and deliberately kicked the legislator's foot as he passed Aglanthe. "The arrival of the Marquis just now was really a mistake." When Alanthe and Santilla were alone together, he said. "Many of your people forced him to do this in council meetings," Santilla explained, "for fear that King Bruenor's visit would have a bad effect on the dwarven citizens." "It used to be like that," said Aglanthur grimly, "and it's even more so now." Agranther thought about every word just now.He saw the rest of the dwarves come out of the hall, or go back to work in the rows of great furnaces.There was deep resentment in their eyes.Togg's words and deeds undoubtedly drew a rift in the entire tribe, and inserted a wedge in the hearts of the united dwarves. And Alanthal had to admit that the arrival of the Marquis just now had made the crack wider and nailed the wedge more firmly.