Chapter 146: Reunion and Gathering

Dorne and Vulcan turned around and saw a dwarf standing behind them.

Despite his short stature, the dwarf had a handsome face by human standards. His thick beard was neatly groomed, and his loose black hair gave him the appearance of a dwarf chieftain or noble.

"How about we team up?" 

Seeing that Dorne and Vulcan didn't respond, the dwarf raised his hand and pointed at the city gate, continuing to suggest, "I have a way to get a pass, but I'm short on money. How about we work together?"

Dorne glanced around at the unfamiliar environment and people before fixing his gaze on the dwarf, who was about the same height as him—both standing around 1.4 meters tall. With suspicion in his voice, Dorne asked, "There are countless people trying to get into the city, including mercenaries, travelers, and adventurers all in the same predicament as us. So why did you choose to team up with us? Don't tell me it's your gut feeling or some kind of special intuition. I'm not buying it."

As Dorne spoke, Vulcan remained silent but displayed a serious, scrutinizing look, adding pressure to the dwarf with their imposing presence.

Though the two brothers were young and not very sensitive to psychic abilities, they weren't easily fooled. Unlike their elder brother Magnus, they couldn't use mind-reading or psychological suggestions, but they could still see through this obvious attempt at a setup.

"Hah! Ask someone else! I'm done!" 

To their surprise, the dwarf, instead of continuing his pitch, threw up his hands and walked away in frustration.

What's going on?

Before the brothers could react, another figure appeared—a middle-aged man in leather armor, with slicked-back hair and a demeanor that suggested he had served as a professional soldier. He quickly stepped in to stop the dwarf.

Then, a tall woman, draped in a dark gray cloak with flowing golden hair, and standing at an impressive height of 1.9 meters, approached them. She was an elf, and with a straightforward tone, she said, "Apologies, everything that just happened was a misunderstanding. We mean no harm."

Though her words were apologetic, the elf's face was expressionless, as if incapable of showing much emotion.

Seeing this, Dorne withdrew his hands into his cloak, resting them on the holster of his gun at his waist. He tilted his head slightly and said, "Save the apologies for later. First, explain why you were trying to bait us."

Vulcan also became more alert, prepared to fight his way out if this turned out to be a trap.

"We truly mean no harm," the elf repeated, attempting what she considered a friendly expression. "We were following our instincts, waiting here because we were certain you would arrive from the north at some point. The earlier test was simply to better understand who you are."

Upon hearing this, both brothers frowned.

However, Dorne, noticing the awkward smile on the elf's face, realized she wasn't very good with words or social interactions. A glance at the stoic soldier and the stubborn dwarf further reassured him that there was no ambush here.

After all, who would send such a disorganized trio?

Easing his stance slightly, Dorne extended his left hand from his cloak and gestured toward the city gate. "This isn't the place for a conversation. How about we discuss this inside the city?"

"Of course," the elf agreed without hesitation, extending her right hand, palm open.

Seeing that she was still making an effort to show goodwill, Dorne readily shook her hand.

With that, Dorne and Vulcan decided to temporarily cooperate with the group. And, as it turned out, they didn't actually have to pay any entrance fees.

The dwarf, who had earlier stormed off, seemed to have used some smooth talking to charm the guards. After handing over five gold coins, he effortlessly secured passage for the group, allowing them to bypass the inspection and enter the capital without issue.

Walking down the wider, more bustling streets of the capital, with shops and stalls everywhere, Vulcan couldn't help but glance at the dwarf with a look of appreciation.

"You can buy me a few drinks later," the dwarf said with a hint of pride in his voice.

Dorne simply pursed his lips but didn't comment further.

The five of them weaved through various districts of the capital and, before nightfall, found a large inn where they could stay.

Later, they gathered in a suite equipped with a dining table.

At that moment, the elf raised her left hand and gently waved it, releasing a pale green magical glow that quickly spread throughout the room.

After ensuring that no one was eavesdropping, she finally spoke to Dorne and Vulcan, explaining, "My name is Aolai. These two are the dwarf, Thorin Yang, and the human, Pietro Bomir. 

We've been following a prophecy, traveling from the south to the capital, waiting for the Emperor's descendants... which means the two of you."

She paused and then continued, "I can also confirm that you two are not from this world..."

Aolai then began recounting the events of the First Era, the first Emperor, the awakening of Moydo, and the entire prophecy, leaving Dorne and Vulcan somewhat stunned by the revelations.

---

Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in the southern hemisphere, the frontier town of Sandsea.

From a bird's-eye view, Sandsea Town had grown significantly. The walls were higher and thicker, and the number of turrets and arrow towers had multiplied fivefold, especially concentrated in the southern part of the town.

Outside the town, two new military fortresses had been constructed in the desert, complete with simple walls, turrets, and barracks.

These fortresses provided a convenient place for the main forces of the elves and dwarves to rest while also forming a strategic defense in conjunction with Sandsea Town.

Thanks to magical assistance, the dwarves in charge of construction had worked at a pace rivaling that of the Atlas engineering teams.

At this moment, in the southeastern fortress of Sandsea Town, the Elven Queen, wearing a white winter cloak over fitted armor, was conducting an inspection of the southern camp.

Perhaps it was the unusually bright moonlight tonight, or maybe some unknown magic at play, but under the moon, Tinas appeared dreamlike, her figure and waist-length hair seemingly shrouded in a soft glow, radiating an indescribable "mystery."

She paused in her steps, and the ten elven guards following her silently came to a halt as well, without making a sound.

Raising her head slowly, Tinas gazed at the star-filled night sky, and a rare smile of contentment appeared on her face as she softly murmured, "It seems... the children have already met the Emperor's descendants. Will the future really unfold as the prophecy says, Mother?"

Shaking her head slightly, Tinas suppressed her emotions and resumed her inspection.

Soon, she and her guards reached the southern wall.

Staring out into the darkness beyond the wall, her expression returned to its usual coldness, but her eyes revealed a hint of concern.

Six days ago, the timely arrival of the elves and dwarves had forced the Blood General to retreat to the south. 

Since then, the region had remained peaceful for nearly a week, giving the dwarves enough time to strengthen Sandsea Town's defenses.

Reinforcements from various races had also arrived and were stationed in the two major towns north of Sandsea.

However, the empire, due to its chancellor's reluctance, had been slower to mobilize troops, leaving them waiting for orders in the capital.

Though they were making a big show of things, it did nothing to help defend against Moydo's invasion of Terrera.

Tinas understood that the chancellor was trying to use Moydo to weaken the strength of the elves and dwarves, planning to send in the empire's main forces at the right moment to crush any dissenting voices and present themselves as the saviors who dispelled the darkness.

It was a clever plan but ultimately delusional.

Tinas found it laughable. Even if the Emperor's prophesied descendant hadn't appeared, the various races should have united to face the common enemy, instead of letting political games seep into military matters.

It wasn't just her—Dwarven leader Dairne, the less-than-thousand-strong dragon race, and other leaders all saw through the chancellor's schemes.

But unlike the human elite who loved playing political games, they would stand against the darkness, regardless of whether the empire sent troops.

Sighing quietly to herself, Tinas suddenly noticed a flicker of firelight at the southern edge of the horizon.

Her expression immediately hardened.

Raising her right hand and pointing upwards, she instantly released a brilliant silver beam of light that illuminated the entire night sky over Sandsea Town.

At the same time, she glanced back at her guards and issued a command:

"Alert everyone. Moydo's army is assembling."

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