A shared identity and similar experiences caused the atmosphere between Theia and the dwarf to soften considerably, and they were no longer at each other's throats as they had been initially.
Perhaps it was also because of Lin Gui’s “good reputation,” which had spread because of his letter deliveries in Caran.
The dwarf seemed willing to believe that anyone traveling with a good person like Lin Gui was most likely a “righteous” descendant of the Demon King, just like himself.
At least, that was what he claimed.
Looking around, the dilapidated shack in this junkyard was filled with the sour stench of waste and garbage from the outside.
However, the interior of the dwarf's residence was unexpectedly organized.
Tools, materials, and daily necessities were all sorted into categories.
Although it was simple, it possessed a uniquely dwarven obsession with order and cleanliness.
Currently, the three of them sat around a low table nailed together from discarded wooden crates.
To entertain these rare guests who could know his secret, the dwarf solemnly crawled under his bed and carefully pulled out a wooden barrel that looked quite aged.
He produced several cups that had been wiped clean and looked like they had been modified from some kind of metal parts.
He poured Lin Gui and Theia each a turbid liquid that gave off a strong scent of grain.
He filled a cup for himself as well.
Only then did he use his thick fingers to clumsily cover the top of his cup, as if performing some kind of ritual.
“Ahem!” The dwarf cleared his throat, a proud red glow appearing on his face as he began to formally introduce himself.
“Listen well! I am Copperhammer Stoneheart, the seventy-ninth child of the Fifth Demon King, His Majesty Marbas, the ‘Machine Master’!”
“I am also a certified master smith of Shield City! The runner-up of the 37th ‘Fire and Hammer’ forging competition!”
“And... the bronze medalist of the 45th Shield City Ale Festival drinking contest!”
He went on and on, listing a string of titles and honors as if enumerating family treasures.
As he grew excited, he turned around and pulled out shiny medals and insignias wrapped carefully in soft cloth from his precious tin chest.
He picked up a badge engraved with an anvil and a warhammer.
With spit flying, he recounted the legendary experience of battling an old rival for three days and three nights to win it.
Then he held up a small copper plate shaped like a beer mug, vividly describing how he had drunk every single one of his burly opponents under the table at that Ale Festival.
Finally, he reached the “tragic” tale of his narrow defeat by a mere half-cup...
It wasn't hard to see that those days in Shield City were the happiest and most glorious moments of his life.
He seemed like he hadn't been able to speak so freely with anyone in a long time.
He poured out everything at once until his throat was parched. Then, he suddenly grabbed the cup of turbid ale in front of him, downed it in one gulp, and slammed the cup heavily onto the table.
“Ha!” He let out a long breath. Looking at the listening Lin Gui and Theia, he belatedly scratched his messy beard.
“Uh, did I talk too much? Also, I don't even know your names yet?”
Lin Gui and Theia exchanged a look.
In the end, Theia imitated the dwarf’s solemn tone, cleared her throat, and introduced herself.
“I am Theia Windrunner! My mother was the Captain of the Elven Forest Ranger Corps! My father... was a Demon King, but I don't know which Pillar.”
Then, she also began to rack her brain to add “honors” to her name.
“I am... a regular on the Caran City wanted list! With a bounty as high as 5,000 gold coins!”
“A survivor of the demonic riot in the Whispering Forest!”
“And... and I once shot an arrow through the protective qi of a Legendary archer!”
She even pulled out a crumpled wanted poster from her bosom and slapped it on the table.
This bizarre “list of honors” caused the corner of Lin Gui’s mouth to twitch imperceptibly.
Finally, both of their gazes landed on Lin Gui.
Facing those two pairs of eyes filled with expectation and a strange sort of excitement, Lin Gui silently picked up the metal cup.
He took a sip of the bitter, unpleasant liquid inside and swallowed it without a change in expression.
He set the cup down and introduced himself calmly.
“Lin Gui. A former street urchin. Well... I'm just a messenger mage.”
“...”
The shack fell into a brief silence.
Lin Gui timely changed the subject, looking at the dwarf, Copperhammer.
“By the way, Copperhammer, you seem to love your hometown, Shield City, very much.”
Those words were like flipping a switch.
Copperhammer’s eyes instantly lit up as he excitedly began to describe the extraordinariness of Shield City.
Through his narration—at times impassioned, at times low—the ancient battle songs and the heroic sound of clinking glasses sang in Shield City seemed to echo in Lin Gui and Theia’s minds.
They seemed to hear the deafening roar of magic crystal cannons firing and the heart-wrenching long wails of city defense alarms.
They seemed to smell the unique scent of sulfur, blood, and ale permeating the air.
They seemed to see scenes of sacrifice, hymns, and glory woven together...
A massive and solid fortress of a city built into a hollowed-out mountain, relying on natural defenses.
A city-state forged in the fires of war to resist the deep-sea cursed demons.
It was as if it had traveled through time and space to appear before their eyes.
Both Lin Gui and Theia were engrossed.
Finally, Theia couldn't help but ask, “Then... why did you leave that place?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Theia regretted it and covered her own mouth.
The excited expression on Copperhammer’s face was instantly replaced by a deep loneliness.
He spoke in a low voice.
“My Demon King father, Marbas, is the second-ranked nameless hero on the Shield Monument of Heroic Spirits in Shield City.”
“Back then, to save his beloved city-state, he perished along with five Epic Rank demons from the deep sea that carried terrifying curses.”
“I am proud of him, and I have always been honored to be his child.”
“But... he was ultimately a member of the ‘Demon Race.’”
“To allow Shield City to continue using the City-State Alliance’s transport network and receive aid from the Dwarven Royal City and other human Central City-States... all of his achievements were covered up.”
“The great deeds he performed were only known to the Fortress Lord at the time, some administrators, and the heroic dwarves.”
“About ten years ago, the audit committee of the City-State Alliance sent people to Shield City.”
“They would never allow a ‘half-demon’ to exist in Shield City. The position of that fortress is too important.”
“If Shield City falls, those demons carrying the deep-sea curse will surge through a natural canyon corridor that leads directly into the heart of the Central City-States...”
Copperhammer dipped his short, thick finger in some ale and drew a winding line on the table.
“They would spread that terrible deep-sea curse into the Central City-States.”
“The destruction caused would be no less than a split branch of the Dark Tide.”
Theia asked softly, “So... the dwarves of Shield City drove you out?”
Copperhammer paused for a moment, took a gulp of ale, and shook his head.
“No. The soldiers at the time wanted to hide us in the Root Tunnels that only dwarves know about.”
“But the Alliance’s inspector had already infiltrated Shield City. We didn't know who the inspector was, and it was only a matter of time before we were discovered.”
“At that time, it would have completely ignited the conflict between Shield City and the City-State Alliance.”
Lin Gui asked thoughtfully.
“Why not use the abandonment of the city as a threat to force the human Central City-States to compromise?”
“You are dwarves. Do you really care about the lives of tens of millions of humans?”
Copperhammer was stunned and gave Lin Gui a surprised look.
“Human boy, that thought is very ‘demonic,’ but I like it!”
He then gave a bitter smile. “Indeed, what does the death of tens of millions of humans have to do with us dwarves? But if we really did that, the most likely outcome would be the disaster being diverted toward us.”
“The power that the Central City-States can mobilize together is not much weaker than the demon tides we resist.”
“If ten ‘Title Rank’ experts who can change the geography joined forces, it would not be impossible for them to forcibly alter the terrain.”
“They could make the flood of cursed demons turn toward our own core dwarven territories...”
Lin Gui fell silent.
He understood that if it were a true “Dark Tide,” such methods would naturally be useless.
In the face of the Dark Tide, any man-made geographical changes would be trampled over.
But what Shield City defended against was ultimately the remaining, relatively limited demon forces left over from the Dark Tide that had triggered the “Great Evacuation” of the borderlands years ago.
After the main wave passed, the remnants were still formidable.
Their numbers were still terrifying, but they hadn't reached the point of utter despair.
And in this era.
Although racial concepts had been largely destroyed by the descent of the Demon God, the main major races still retained their most basic concepts of group interests.
The dwarf race, for instance, had suffered extremely heavy losses when the “blood rain” fell.
Their strength was not what it used to be.
They truly did not have enough confidence to directly challenge the human-led City-State Alliance.
The elven race at least had the High Elves protected by the World Tree.
They retained part of their heritage from the Golden Age and were able to deal with the humans, who had a massive population base.
With a sigh, Lin Gui looked at Copperhammer and asked another crucial question.
“Then how did you cross the Silent Sea to get here? Your strength... doesn't seem sufficient to support you in crossing a Forbidden Zone.”
Lin Gui could sense Copperhammer’s strength.
He was one small stage higher than Lin Gui, around High-tier High Rank, but he was still a distance away from the Transcendent rank, let alone crossing a dangerous Forbidden Zone.
Copperhammer answered, “The Fortress Lord personally escorted us. He is an Epic Rank expert with the title ‘Heart of the Mountain.’”
“Six years ago, he secretly sent dozens of us brothers and sisters to the vicinity of the Carter Royal Capital in the borderlands.”
“Afterward, the other brothers and sisters left the Royal Capital one after another.”
“They each hid in those relatively closed city-states in the borderlands that hadn't yet completely integrated into the Alliance network.”
“Like New Covenant City, or Caran City... those city-states are weak, and the inspections are not strict.”
“They might be the last few places that can barely accept half-demons in hiding.”
“And it's very difficult for them to see through the concealment magic we dwarves use on our eyes.”
Lin Gui’s expression became somewhat strange.
So, that dwarf “Bronzebeard” who had written to him in New Covenant City was likely Copperhammer’s brother?
He hadn't expected that such a small place like New Covenant City would also be hiding a descendant of the Demon King.
And it was because of that “Bronzebeard” brother’s letter that he had eventually been led to Copperhammer.
This causal link was truly unexpected.
At the same time, the time Copperhammer mentioned was “six years ago,” which didn't match the time Roger had left the Royal Capital.
It seemed there was indeed no connection between the two. The last trace of hope in Lin Gui’s heart was extinguished.
Theia asked curiously, “Then why didn't you leave the Carter Royal Capital like your brothers and sisters?”
Hearing this, Copperhammer scratched his messy hair awkwardly, his face turning bright red.
“Because... because... I had originally saved up a sum of money and intended to hire a Platinum Rank adventure group to escort me out of here...”
He covered his head in despair and accused, “In the end... I lost it all in the underground casino run by the rebels of the Carter Royal Capital!!”
“Sigh~!” He let out a long sigh.
“Now I can only rely on forging some starter equipment for those rookie adventurers to barely make a living and save up for my travel expenses...”
The corners of Lin Gui and Theia’s mouths twitched simultaneously.
This guy definitely couldn't be the one who had guided Roger. He was far too much of a dwarf.
After confirming once again that the gambling-addicted dwarf before him had no connection to the Roger incident, Lin Gui completely gave up on the idea of gathering clues from him.
He began to chat aimlessly with Copperhammer to learn about their next destination, Shield City.
Upon learning that Lin Gui intended to go to Shield City to deliver letters, Copperhammer’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You, a Mid-tier High Rank mage, intend to cross the Silent Sea? Wait, no... actually, we're all very curious—how exactly did you get here from Caran City?”
“The minimum configuration to cross the wilderness should be a Platinum Rank adventure group with three Transcendent-strength members, but you only have one.”
Lin Gui didn't want to explain too much about the secret of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.
He simply pulled out the insignia of the North Wind caravan.
“I hitched a ride with the North Wind caravan.”
Seeing that North Wind insignia, Copperhammer’s pupils shrank slightly.
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow. “What is it? Is there something wrong with this caravan?”
If the North Wind caravan really had a problem, then traveling with them through a dangerous Forbidden Zone would undoubtedly put him and Theia in extreme danger.
In the wilderness, a backstab from an ally was often the most lethal thing.
Lin Gui himself had used this method to destroy the Lyon Knights, so he knew its dangers well.
Copperhammer’s gaze was serious, and he lowered his voice.
“Kid, you must be careful of that woman named Freya in your transport team!”
Lin Gui felt a chill in his heart. “What’s wrong with her? Does she have some kind of problem?”
Copperhammer nodded heavily, his tone incredibly solemn.
“That woman... once defeated exactly fifteen of our dwarven drinking kings at the Hearth of the Forge tavern in Shield City!”
“She was also the champion of that year’s Lava Ale Cup!”
“So, if you ever compete in drinking with her, be absolutely careful! It will kill a dwarf!!”
Lin Gui: “...”
He rolled his eyes speechlessly, feeling that his previous wariness had been a total waste.
After chatting briefly for a while longer, Lin Gui and Theia stood up to take their leave.
Copperhammer seemed reluctant to see them go.
As a half-demon, and a weak one at that, he didn't dare to easily make contact with others for fear of exposing his identity. He was usually very lonely.
It was rare for him to meet people with whom he could speak his mind.
He really didn't want Lin Gui and Theia to leave just like that.
However, it was late, and it wasn't right for him to force them to stay.
Before they parted, Copperhammer looked at Theia and gave her a serious warning.
“Hey, little Theia girl, remember not to stay long in the Carter Royal Capital!”
“The Holy Church of Light will be here in four days!”
“That group of lunatics has always killed and burned everything related to the Demon Race, regardless of whether it was good or bad!”
“If you don't want to be tied to the gallows, leave quickly!”
“I heard the Saintess leading them this time has mastered Prophecy; it will be very hard to hide.”
“If you're going to leave, find a city-state that isn't part of the City-State Alliance to hide in.”
“The Alliance Council is preparing to drive out all half-demons by the end of the year.”
Theia was stunned. Through Copperhammer’s words, she had learned of the City-State Alliance Council's proposal to expel half-demons.
Her expression became very dejected.
Finally, she asked with concern, “Then what about you?”
Copperhammer snorted and patted his sturdy chest.
“Don't worry about me! I've saved up gold coins for almost five years... it's enough for me to leave the Royal Capital and find a remote place to hide!”
“I plan to set off immediately after selling the last of this equipment!”
“Oh! Right! Lin Gui boy, wait a moment for me!”
After speaking, he turned around and ducked back into his shack.
A moment later, he walked out huffing and puffing, carrying... a large wooden crate filled to the brim.
Lin Gui stared at that crate full of letters, dumbstruck.
Copperhammer scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.
“Sorry about that. I have quite a few brothers and drinking buddies in Shield City...”
Lin Gui didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he took the heavy crate.
At the same time, he waited silently in his heart.
He waited for a while, but no system notification sounded.
Lin Gui couldn't help but complain in his mind.
'System, this person’s background is so "substantial," shouldn't his letters trigger a "Special Commission: Letters from a Demon King's Household"?'
The system gave no reaction.
Lin Gui sighed helplessly and accepted Copperhammer’s letters anyway.
He also took the large bag of copper coins that the dwarf had forced upon him as the postage fee.
Rate on N.U.
