Chapter 321: Chapter 216: Forward, Conquer!
However, when David arrived at the scene and saw the so-called forging detail that had traveled thousands of miles from the Eight Peaks Mountain fortress, the Dragon was initially stunned. He soon realized that those damned, stubby Dwarves had exploited a loophole in the alliance agreement he had with the Skanis Dwarves. In David’s view, the more Dwarves packed into the foundry detail for him, the better. After all, the Dwarves’ foundry skills were renowned even in the Prime Material Plane. Even a novice apprentice, with a physique far stronger than a human’s, could save considerable recruitment costs and create significant value if brought to the ’fortress construction site’ as mere manual labor. Who could have imagined that once these seemingly obstinate Dwarves made up their minds, they would commit to such a drastic change? Damn it, had they packed up all the underage Dwarves from the Eight Peaks Mountain fortress and sent them over?
"I must say, your Supreme King is really ’generous’ indeed," David said irritably, looking over the Rune Lord’s head at the ’engineering team’ that comprised at least two or three thousand Dwarves.
"Thank you for your high praise, Your Highness. I will make sure to convey your words to King Temur," Bergin replied, his head held high, seemingly unfazed.
Looking at the group of Dwarves rubbing their hands from the cold—they had endured hunger and hardship over a nearly three-month journey to reach his temporary camp—David opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to tell the ’non-compliant’ Dwarves to turn back. Doing so would almost certainly mean the collapse of their alliance. The obstinate old Dwarf lord would likely take all the Dwarves back to Eight Peaks Mountain without a second thought, even knowing that more than half of them might die along the way.
There was no need for that. After all, to him, Dwarf children could also work. At the very least, they could be apprentices at the construction site for the Dwarf craftsmen. In this world, there weren’t so many pesky human rights standards and moral constraints. In such a chaotic year of divine wars, as long as one could ensure people stayed fed and warm, the refugees might even worship him as a Holy Dragon and build shrines to him. Yes, they would start offering tributes even before he became a god.
"How much food do we have left?" David asked Nifadora, who had also arrived promptly and looked reinvigorated, having regained much of her figure.
Nifadora immediately whispered to him a worryingly low number.
David then dumped out all the food he had brought back from Barto Hell, stored in his Portable Cave, and instructed, "Take it all out. Mix it with half its volume in kaolin to make Dragon Food. Keep enough for us to get to the new continent, and give the rest to them for a full meal. We’ll prepare for three days. We set off before the snow starts to melt."
"Yes, Dragon Lord," Nifadora nodded, accepting the order before departing.
Even though David mentioned adding what was essentially dirt to the food right in front of the Dwarves, Rune Lord Bergin, standing before all his kin, showed no sign of anger. Instead, he sighed with relief.
King Temur had bet correctly... This Red Dragon, with Metal Dragon blood in his veins, was nothing like those of his kind whose brains seemed to be filled with magma. Instead, he was more like a wise and enlightened ruler. To give up all food reserves before a great migration for the sake of another race... blasphemously speaking, perhaps not even the Supreme King himself possessed such courage.
「A few hours later.」
Nearly three thousand Skanis Dwarves, along with hundreds of Chromatic Dragons and draconic creatures, were sitting in the open. They watched as mounds of fragrant Dragon Food, pulled by draconic creatures on small carts, were poured directly in front of them, piling up like small hills. All the Dwarves were dumbfounded... Then, with a collective cheer, they lunged at the freshly made Dragon Food, stuffing it into their mouths.
CRACK. One of the Dwarf children’s front tooth was shattered by a pebble that hadn’t been fully ground out.
But the bewildered child, seeing the rest of the Dwarves still eagerly stuffing their faces, fiercely swallowed his broken tooth along with the food.
Although the texture of the Dragon Food was hard to swallow, as if mixed with sand, they still tasted meat in it!
Even though the Eight Peaks Mountain fortress could produce a fair number of insects, most were supplied in limited quantities to the Dwarven warriors and the injured on the front lines to help them recover strength and health. Pressed hard by the High Elves, who were squeezing their living space, and having lost their pastures and forests, meat had long since become a luxury for them. For those like them, considered burdens capable only of pounding raw ore with hammers, a stew made from bark, dried mushrooms, and plant roots like potatoes was considered a lavish meal on ordinary days.
It didn’t take long for these Dwarves to realize that these giant Dragons, too, looked as if they had been enduring harsh conditions and hadn’t eaten their fill in a long time. However, as soon as these giant Dragons quickly filled their bellies, they began to assemble in groups under the command of the Green Dragon commander. Typically, one or two True Dragons would lead seven or eight draconic creatures. Then, led by the Red Dragon, they would fly off towards the vast plains far from the mountain range. They knew it was for everyone’s survival; the Dragons were heading out to hunt.
As the giant Dragons returned from the hunt, these Dwarves, under the leadership of Barbarians from Rosinde and a group of trolls, resumed their old chores. The Barbarians were responsible for de-hairing and skinning the game, while the Dwarves were tasked with breaking up the stripped bones and the kaolin that needed to be added, using their mining picks. They worked very meticulously, trying their best to pulverize these materials into powder. After all, they too had to eat this food with its many additives. If it wasn’t processed carefully, it wouldn’t bother the Dragons, but the Dwarves were likely to break their own teeth or suffer an upset stomach.
Once these tasks were done, additional work arose: twisting hemp ropes and carpentry for making baskets. It seemed like an endless amount of work. Luckily, food supplies were sufficient these few days, even if mixed with sand. For the time being, nobody complained; after all, in the eyes of most Dwarven children, simply being able to eat their fill nowadays was already quite good.
「Three days later.」
These Dwarves finally found out what all this effort was for—it was to transport them to the new continent! Indeed, these prideful giant Dragons did not allow other races to ride on their backs. Furthermore, the only western port suitable for docking ships had been occupied by the High Elves. Thus, they had to fly directly. As a next-best solution, they devised a plan: hanging baskets under the Dragons’ bellies.
However, just before departure, the Dwarves witnessed an entirely different scene.
A young White Dragon and another Black Dragon started arguing over who had the right to have a Drow sit on their back:
"It was me! I was first! I was clearly the first to arrive! Whether it was for pats or for feeding, it was all me! And I was also the first to accompany Kraidian ’Mommy’. ’Mommy’s’ rear, naturally, should rightfully be on my back, Mofei!"
"Pah! Does something like this really need to be decided by who was first? I am ’Mommy’s’ strongest child! ’Mommy’ should naturally be protected by me, Alfonse!"
"Alright... stop, you two..." Kraidian, the Drow standing nearby, was exasperated, amused yet frustrated, but she didn’t get to finish her words of conciliation.
Just then, the black dragon sister, Viola, descended from the sky and plunked her backside down, seating her older brother Alfonse firmly into the ground. Then, with a flick of her tail, she gave Mofei a lash on his behind, roaring before the astonished Dwarves, "You disgraces to Dragonkind, scram! Kraidian ’Mommy’ will be carried by me, Viola."
Alfonse, climbing out of the pit, wanted to argue further, but his sister turned her head and snorted so fiercely that he immediately tucked his head, not daring to utter another sound.
Viola resolved the farce in one fell swoop, somewhat restoring the dignity of the Chromatic Dragons.
Thus, when David, like a Dragon King, arrived atop The Dark Mountains, overlooking the assembly of Dragons and the solemn group of Dwarves, he didn’t witness such a disgraceful scene. Immediately, like his Red Dragon ancestor Ephelomon facing Sed Ponga and the Githyanki army with their starships, he pointed his tail towards the west:
"Forward, to conquer!"