Chapter 492 – An Enticing Offer

As the older dwarf man approached Truvi and thus also Asterios and Noir, albeit unaware of the latter just yet, he frowned deeply and scrutinized the person standing before him.

“Is that really you, Truvi? What are you doing here?” He tilted his head in disbelief.

The first thing that came to Ast’s mind was the fact that this elder didn’t speak with the same or even similar accent as his assumed granddaughter. It was somewhat surprising, to say the least. Asterios had thought all the members of the previous generations of the clan were still speaking traditionally. In the end, Truvi’s father did share that peculiarity with his daughter.

Perhaps there was a reason for this, but investigating the matter could wait until more important topics were exhausted.

“What do ya mean what am I doin’ here, Gramps? Do I need permission to come home now?” Truvi frowned back at the man, pretty much confirming their relationship.

Unless she had simply used a term of endearment.

“But, according to what you wrote the last time, you were supposed to be at that remote village somewhere deep in the human lands, were you not?” her grandpa replied. “I explicitly remember sending a response to your letter saying how bad such an idea is. Have you finally realized the truth behind my advice? The family is always ready to welcome you back. Gods know our clan could use every set of capable hands in the current age. You are wasting your talents outside the forge.”

“What? Not in da million years, ya old boot!” She spat to the side. “Yer lack of comprehension for da unmatched potential behind Dragon Valley does not concern me! No, I’m not here to crawl back to yer blind arses but to check if those are still attached after da accident!”

“How do you know about that?” A grandmotherly woman joined in. “It’s an extremely recent occurrence. There’s no way the news has already traveled that far. Not to mention someone traveling to Wintercrown from there in such a short amount of time no matter the method of transport.”

“Mah Lord was kind enough to let me know after his intelligence agents picked up on da incident,” Truvi answered. “He was also da one who brought me here even though we are in da middle of preparation for a grand celebration.”

“That barely adolescent human adventurer who thinks he can run a nation?” Her grandfather rolled his eyes. “Please, you could at least make it believable if you want to keep things to yourself. How is he supposed to have set up an information network spanning so far after only like a few months since his election? And somehow transfer you over continents shortly after receiving a report about the attack? What else? Is he maybe in this room with us?”

Noir couldn’t hold back her snort at the eerily accurate statement which had definitely been made in a sarcastic manner. In the silent hall with more than decent acoustics, there was no doubt no one missed it, and a few people started to glance around.

Truvi cleared her throat, sneaking a few peeks at Asterios slightly to her side. “I would advise ya to watch yer words, Gramps. Ya have no idea what he might be able to hear.”

“You are too much, Truvi.” The man waved her off. “His human hearing is worse than an aged mutt’s. He couldn’t tell a difference between iron and steel while striking it with his own hammer.”

“Ya are bein’ too much! Perhaps if ya stopped listenin’ to those expired rules made by da old racists from our first emergence, ya would be able to see past the tip of yer nose!” She stomped her foot angrily. “This is da reason why da clan is in such a state! Nay! Da whole Wintercrown! Two decades! Those bastards are colluding with an outsider to stay a step ahead of da competition and no one else is willin’ to try somethin’ different, followin’ that idiotic code to da letter like lambs for slaughter!”

“Colluding with an outsider?” A different old bearded male inhaled sharply. “That’s a serious accusation. You shouldn’t throw such heavy words this lightly.”

“It’s a fact!” Truvi fired back. “And there’s nothin’ light about collaboratin’ with a damned True Dragon!”

Her statement evoked a chorus of murmurs from the gathered elders. The nature of such an accusation was certainly a serious one. That part wasn’t much of a shock. Dwarves and Dragons had never seen eye to eye. Even now, the former rejected any reference to the Lesser Dragons that had been of actual help to the realm in the past, which could be learned from the way of the elves.

“And how do you know that?” Her grandpa crossed his arms over his chest.

“Mah Lord told me!” She spread her hands to the sides like it was something utterly obvious by this point.

“Then how does he know that?” He continued on.

“Because he is—” His granddaughter was quick to reply, but she held back before reaching the end of her sentence, assuming a rather troubled expression. “Because he is special…”

The family head sighed tiredly and placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing his forehead with the other. “Listen here, my dear. I understand your infatuation with him. I’ve been young and rebellious too, like most of our kin. It’s in our blood. But, just because you caught the fancy of someone with a little bit of power who lets you live in that receptionist fantasy of yours, it doesn’t mean their every word is an unquestionable truth. I tell you, he is only abusing your fascination to exploit you and you haven’t fully realized it yet. Remember. From what you told us about him, and from what the rumors say, he is a massive womanizer. No race is safe from his interest.”

Truvi groaned and threw her arms into the air with resignation this time. She turned around and faced the invisible pair, staring right at Asterios, capable of locating him through their connection.

“I can’t do this anymore. No one was hurt, that much is clear. Da brain damage is unfortunately hereditary.” The bold receptionist girl chuckled to herself ruefully. “Feel free to smack some sense into their skulls if ya want. It most likely won’t work, but it might be entertaining to watch. We can go back at any moment. There’s much to do back at home.”

“What are you talking abou—”

The poor grandpa didn’t get to finish his sentence as Asterios suddenly dropped his camouflage and materialized right in front of them, making many people jump in fright. Chairs fell with a thud and at least one or two councillors went with them. Their leader showed a bit more fortitude, taking just a step back to shove his hand into one of the satchels attached to his hip.

“Who are you?!” he shouted in alarm.

“Asterios Hestizo, or perhaps more commonly known around here as the ruler of Dragon Valley, sir…” Asterios gave him a small nod, careful not to use too big motions.

Unfortunately, that was when Noir followed suit, popping into view next to him.

“There’s more of you?!” The man tensed, looking between the two of them.

Asterios gestured at his companion. “That’s—”

“Bodyguard.” Noir beat him to the punch, bringing out her ominous greatsword and setting it atop her shoulder. “You better pull that hand away if you want to keep it attached to the rest of your arm. Flame-based explosives won’t even tickle, trust me.”

This wasn’t anywhere close to how he had planned to introduce her, but it also wasn’t that bad of a thing. It certainly would be more believable if he was traveling with an elite personal escort, and if his draconic friend didn’t mind taking up that role, she was free to do so. Her fierce beauty and unrelenting aura worked rather well for her in that regard.

And her intimidating presence was already doing its job just fine as the bearded man retracted his limb slowly, throwing a look of disbelief at his granddaughter. “Who did you lead into our home, you silly girl?”

Truvi shook her head, putting her fists on her hips. “Da only person who can save yer asses before ya lose them in some unexpected insurgency accident that will reduce Wintercrown to dust. Ya would do well to listen closely to what he has to say as Mah Lord knows a lot about change and that’s exactly what y’all need right now.”

Meeting her resolute gaze for a while, he exhaled deeply. “You think we don’t know? This shit out there is getting dangerous, too dangerous I say. The tensions have been rising constantly over the past few years but we might be reaching the culmination point. Even bystanders are starting to get hurt. This is exactly why we are meeting here, to discuss this delicate matter. It requires caution, lots of it, or we might paint ourselves as traitors and get branded as insurgents too. Everyone is a suspect at this point. But, someone has to do something before it’s too late. So, we’ve been debating who might be a good pick. Either to pacify this resistance or finally beat those bastards in power and dethrone them once and for good.”

“Can’t you do it yourselves?” Asterios stroked his chin.

“Pah!” The dwarf waved him off. “It’s humiliating to admit, but our tiny family has no chance of ever going toe to toe with geniuses like those in the big houses.”

“Is there anything stopping you from trying other than pride, though?” Asterios pressed on. “Are there some kind of prerequisites that a clan has to meet to compete?”

“Don’t look down on us that much, boy.” Truvi’s grandpa glared at him sharply. “We might not be birthing unrivaled prodigies, but we are more than qualified to represent this community. Many houses are. They just don’t see the point in trying after losing so miserably again and again.”

Asterios hummed to himself. “And is it perhaps too late to register for the upcoming delayed Clash of Forges?”

The family head regarded him with his face clouded by uncertainty and suspicion. “It’s never too late as long as you can convince the jury of representatives that your creation is worthy to compete in the big leagues. Why?”

“As Truvi has mentioned earlier, Rubytongs have gained an unfair advantage from collaborating with a True Dragon, which has considerably boosted their artificing capabilities by a huge margin. In my honest opinion, there’s currently no point in competing on an uneven field as they have shot forward way too far for the rest of you to catch up in the upcoming decades. Therefore, I would like to offer you my assistance in solving this crisis that plagues your people.” Asterios extended his hand in good faith. “If you can’t beat them, join them, right?”

Some whispers arrived from behind the clan leader but he ignored them, staring at Ast’s proffered hand skeptically.

“And how is your assistance supposed to be of help in this situation, My Lord?” His lips twisted in distaste.

“Well…” Asterios snickered lightly. “I’m something of a True Dragon myself.”

With a rolling crimson flame, Ast’s palm turned draconic, covered by durable scales, which surfaced on the sides of his neck and cheeks too. The sharp black horns that sprouted from his head might not have been necessary, but they complimented his image rather well. Just like the thick tail that whipped the air behind him.

This change sent the other participants of the family gathering into a fearful frenzy, everyone but the patriarch escaping as far as the walls allowed them to. Someone screamed something about being too young to die, another person about having lived a fulfilling life, and one or two might have started praying to whatever deities they believed in.

Their reactions might seem over the top, but Asterios understood that plenty of older dwarves could still remember the times when True Dragons had been a nuisance to the people of Kraedorion, having been born during that dark age. Their race was only slightly less long-lived than the elves. If not for all the failed experiments resulting in fatal accidents, there would be so many more of them around.

Truvi took a step forward, moving between him and her grandpa. “Mah Lord isn’t lyin’. This is not a trick. And I certainly hope ya can keep yer mouths shut about this as it’s a fairly guarded secret known only by a select few he can trust. Want to see the wings or Dragon Breath if ya still find it hard to believe?”

“No! No, that won’t be necessary.” The man quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“Oh, by the way, she is one too, just so we are clear on this.” Asterios threw a thumb in Noir’s direction, who let out a quiet but menacing growl. “Thus, you would be getting one over what the competition is packing. Sounds like a decent opportunity, doesn’t it?”

A few beads of sweat rolled down the aged dwarf’s forehead as he did his best to think over every word and action before doing anything.

“And how are you so certain that they are supported by one of your kin, My Lord?” His tone changed noticeably after the reveal, regardless if he fully believed it or not.

It was simply safer to assume the worst.

“It takes a bastard to recognize a bastard, doesn’t it?” Asterios shrugged. “I’m in possession of reliable information that they have struck a deal with an individual from my lineage twenty years ago. Plus, I sensed draconic energy in those mechanical cats walking down the streets with each patrol. There’s barely any doubt by this point.”

“Let’s assume everything said so far is correct.” The man took a big calming breath. “What does all of this mean for our family?”

Asterios tapped his cheek thoughtfully. “Have you ever imagined what’s it like to work with ingredients harvested from a True Dragon?”

For a second or two, an eerie silence descended upon the meeting hall as the gathered fell under a spell. Even Truvi’s grandfather wasn’t spared, his eyes glazing over, his mind wandering away into the clouds and sky far above. Then, just as abruptly, his relatives broke out of their stupor and began shouting questions and requests while rushing forward, their voices merging into unintelligible gibberish. If not for his valiant effort to stop them by extending his limbs in all directions, they might have charged right at Asterios amidst their enthusiasm. And gods knew what the greatsword-wielding bodyguard would do at that.

It looked like dwarves were still dwarves deep down in their hearts.

Taking a while to calm down the rowdy crowd, the clan head fixed his uniform and faced the other party again. “I admit, the offer sounds more than just enticing, but you should understand how questionable it appears to be. You help us, we somehow manage to win in the Clash of Forges, and then what, the entire nation becomes your secret vassal state with a puppet leader, our people practically ending up as your slaves? That’s not something any dwarf should be happy to agree to with sheer spirit, don’t you think?”

Judging by the furious gazes he seemed to collect from his brethren, they most likely didn’t think that.

“You may rest easy. I already have my hands full with just three rulers trying to push the issues of their nations onto me. I don’t need any more of that.” Asterios clicked his tongue, causing the man to blink at him confusedly.

“What’s in it for you, then?” The elder pondered out loud. “Surely, there has to be something motivating this supposed goodwill. Nothing ever comes for free.”

“I would like to say that I’m simply returning the kindness I received from a certain friendly dwarf receptionist back when I was starting my life’s journey from quite a low point.” Asterios smiled fondly at Truvi, who looked away bashfully, unused to being praised this much in front of her family. “But, you are right that there’s an end goal. I simply have a few questions that need answering. And it just so happens that a certain undefeated clan is my best shot at achieving that. Therefore, all I need is an opportunity to sit down for a good talk with as many of their elders as possible. It should be easier to set up after someone favorable to me is in power, isn’t that right?”

“Not a problem!” Some woman jumped up and down at the back of the excited mob.

“We’ll deliver them to you in chains if that’s what it takes!” Another man tried squeezing himself closer.

“Consider it done for the most insignificant payment of just a single tiny scale!” A different guy outsmarted the rest and crawled between their legs, arriving at Ast’s feet, looking up at him while batting his lashes prettily.

Receiving that kind of cute attention from one of the girls was always quite nice, but seeing an old fully-bearded dwarf do that was truly something else.

“Get a grip, you idiots!” Truvi’s grandpa showed no mercy in shoving everyone back and kicking his prone brethren away. “You’ll instantly give us away if you act like this!”

Properly chastised, the almost zealous bunch retreated to a safe distance.

Safe for Asterios, of course.

“Alright.” The patriarch wiped off his forehead, turning back to the others. “I hope you’ll allow us to discuss this amongst ourselves without any distractions present. It’s a big decision with serious consequences. We promise to deliver a response promptly. Time is scarce anyway with how audacious the resistance is becoming.”

“Regarding that, can’t we get in touch with them or something? Perhaps they would halt their more risky operations for the time being, maybe even support our cause as it should align with theirs at least partially.” Asterios raised a curious brow at the short folk.

“Unfortunately, we aren’t part of this movement.” The man grunted dismissively. “They are extremely elusive and it’s not surprising. After their recent stunt, Rubytongs whipped out the big cannons and started cracking into this insurgency even more. It might be impossible to locate one of their members, not to mention gaining their trust.”

“Want me to find them for you?” Noir asked nonchalantly, earning herself the attention of everyone in the room.

Asterios glanced at his capable partner, finding her playing with the tip of her blade casually. “Aren’t you already busy looking for that guy controlling the noctis, though?”

“It’s not like I’m scouring the realm personally from dawn to dusk in search of the bastard or anything. I’ve set up a scrying ritual and sent out Slaves to check any potential response locations.” She sniffed haughtily, then paused, sneaking a side glance at him. “Unless you wanted me to?”

“No. That’s okay. The means don’t really matter.” he reassured her. “Do you think you can discover their den without being noticed by either side?”

“Don’t forget who I am just because all we’ve been doing recently is getting into fights.” The proud Dragon girl lifted her nose into the air. “Subterfuge is what I excel at. I’ll bring them to you before you start getting bored.”

And just like that, she disappeared into the ground, merging with her shadow.

Asterios just hoped they would still be in one piece when she presented them to him.

Or of sound mind.