The knight quickly returned to Morgan's room, but it was already empty, with everyone gone. He carefully searched around, finding that Zilvra, Soka, Norton, and Heiss had all left, even taking most of the supplies with them. The knight thought for a moment, then also left the small room.
At the moment Macken left, Lynch gave orders to Norton. He wasn't sure his companions could resist Pate's invitation. Especially Soka, whose celestial bloodline would make her submit first; Zilvra might be next. Norton would probably slip away in confusion, and Heiss had only one fate—a fiery end.
Therefore, Lynch ordered Norton to immediately notify everyone to leave and head to the All-Knowing Tower. With a part of Lynch's consciousness linked to it, Norton could enter the tower and even perform simple operations. The mage couldn't think of any other safe place and had to proceed with this plan.
The dwarves mourned the passing of the old dwarf Vit while escorting Lynch to the nearby Dwarf Palace. More residents gradually arrived at this small courtyard, softly calling the deceased's name as they gazed at the pitch-black stone house.
Perhaps only the palace guards could still hold their posts, their expressions solemn as they scrutinized the mage with piercing eyes from behind their helmets. To reduce risks and prevent mishaps, Lynch continuously hid his belongings along the way, including books, magic scrolls, and various casting materials. By the time he stepped into the Dwarf King's palace, even the powerful wand had vanished from his hand. The dwarf commoners escorted him to the entrance, and then the guards guided him inside. At that moment, the mage made his staff disappear.
The entire Dwarf Palace was brightly lit by hundreds of oil lamps burning day and night. The grand buildings were not overly ornate; just two rows of massive supporting stone pillars were enough to command respect. Although Lynch had already seen the full view of the hall from outside and knew its size, he still felt an illusion: this was not an enclosed space, and those pillars seemed to rise from the earth's core, reaching toward the endless sky dome. It was far more spacious and grand than it appeared, as if the dwarven creation had the capacity to embrace all of heaven and earth. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net
Lynch paused before a gigantic metal sculpture, crafted by the dwarves in worship of their deity, Gunt. Bathed in surrounding lights, Gunt was depicted as a craftsman, rolling up sleeves to reveal strong muscles, poised with a fiery hammer to strike upon an ingot; the dwarf sculptors captured Gunt's concentrated and excited expression, mouth open as if shouting a chant of "Hiyohio." In his other hand, he held a pair of pliers gripping a half-finished sword, one end shaped like a venomous serpent—Gunt was both a craftsman and a warrior battling evil. The dwarves commemorated their deity with this image.
Lynch's gaze didn't linger long on the statue before the Dwarf King emerged from a side corridor. Clearly resting, he only wore a loose robe, but beneath the soft fabric was a suit of soft armor. If Lynch was not mistaken, it was a piece of Secret Silver Soft Armor, woven together from precious metal drawn into fine threads. The mithril was woven more tightly at the chest and waist, while some valuable gemstones, such as diamonds or blood red stones known for disease resistance, were sewn into the garments as buttons or adornments.
The Dwarf King looked Lynch up and down, while the mage nodded in greeting: "I offer my sincere greetings, ruler of the Ridge Mountains, keeper of the forge, Barrend, inheritor of the Refined Gold bloodline." After delivering a handful of titles, Lynch said, "Lynch, a mage from the South, salutes you."
Barrend sat on the broad throne and extended his hand, saying, "Welcome to my kingdom, dear mage. I hear you're a friend of Morgan Redbeard, so have you come regarding the imprisoned one?"
"I can't deny it, that is one of my purposes." Lynch sat down, his posture straight: "But there is another regrettable matter I must report to you: the wise old dwarf Weite has passed away. I stayed by his side during his last moments, but couldn't save that noble soul."