Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might
Chapter 209 - 208 Gray Dwarf City

Chapter 209: Chapter 208 Gray Dwarf City

The Cloud Giant thought Leon was of a Chaotic Neutral alignment, which was quite peculiar for a Red Dragon. However, Leon insisted he was quite Lawful, always keeping his promises and never making empty promises or going back on his word.

Since they had found the Gray Dwarf city, Leon kept his word and released the Drow, though out of the four members of the patrol, only one had survived.

"Such a massive Gray Dwarf city..." Leon didn’t hurry forward. "Do you have confidence?"

Cecilia clutched the hem of her dress with both hands, remaining silent.

Originally, her plan had been to locate a small Gray Dwarf settlement, perhaps one with dozens or up to a hundred Gray Dwarves, with only 20 or 30 Gray Dwarf warriors at most. Such a task would’ve been easy to handle. But now, confronted with a colossal Gray Dwarf city, she doubted she had the courage. One would need at least an adult Red Dragon to contend with such a place.

"With my master supporting me, I’m not afraid," Cecilia finally spoke.

"You should handle your affairs yourself. Self-reliance brings abundance," Leon said confidently. He was sure he could take down the Gray Dwarf city, but he had no interest in doing so. After all, his base was in Watchtower Port, and even if he seized this Gray Dwarf city, he wouldn’t rule it.

Ruling? Absolutely not. But such a vast Gray Dwarf city must have plenty of refined gold and mithril—perhaps it was worth a quick raid. These Gray Dwarves, evil and cruel enslavers, wouldn’t weigh on his conscience if he plundered them. As these thoughts spun in his mind, Leon began to feel a little tempted.

Cecilia, hearing Leon’s words but oblivious to his train of thought, pouted and muttered to herself. "If Tassera had something to ask of him, someone would definitely rush to agree," she thought. Then, as if by reflex, she glanced down at her shoes and said softly, "Fine, I’ll handle it myself... Just a bunch of Gray Dwarves. I have my own ways."

"What ways?" Leon asked.

"Master is so clever, surely you can guess." Cecilia tilted her head playfully. "Let’s go in."

Leon shrugged and followed Cecilia.

As they approached the Gray Dwarf city, the gates immediately creaked open, and six heavily armored Gray Dwarves emerged. Two carried swords and shields, while the other four wielded heavy crossbows that were already loaded.

"State your name and purpose for visiting!" barked the thickest-built Gray Dwarf in Dwarf Language.

The surface world used Universal Language, while the Dark Territory used Undercommon. Leon didn’t know Undercommon, but he happened to know Dwarf Language. So, on the spot, he fabricated a purpose using Dwarf Language.

Leon had expected some trouble, but to his surprise, the Gray Dwarves believed him right away and parted to allow them entry into the city.

Numerous massive stalagmites and stalactites had been hollowed out into rooms used as forging workshops. Amid the clanging of smelting work, the city was suffused with oppressive heat and thick smoke.

"When did you learn Dwarf Language?" Cecilia was clearly surprised that Leon knew it.

"Not only do I know Dwarf Language, but I also know Elf Language and Purgatory Language," Leon said proudly. He thought to himself that he’d picked up Elf Language from Tassera and learned Purgatory Language from his Tiefling maids.

Now he had mastered several languages—at least to the extent of basic daily conversation—something he couldn’t have imagined in the past. He had to credit his Red Dragon lineage for his excellent memory.

"Let’s communicate in Dragon Language as much as possible," Leon suggested, noticing that invisible Gray Dwarves were everywhere, not to mention the two Gray Dwarf guards who had been following them at a fixed distance.

He assumed many Gray Dwarves knew Universal Language, but very few, if any, would know Dragon Language.

"Fine," Cecilia replied with a hissing sound.

Leon nodded, his gaze wandering over the forging workshops emanating a hellish red glow. He thought about the lack of an industrial district in Watchtower Port, feeling a bit envious. For a moment, he even considered abducting all the Gray Dwarves to solve this issue—but then remembered their sensitivity to sunlight. In the end, it would be more practical to recruit traditional Dwarves from the Lost Plateau for industrial efforts.

"What’s that smaller-than-usual Dwarf?" Cecilia was intrigued by a short Dwarf with bluish-gray skin, straight white hair, and pale, pupil-less eyes, devoid of both irises and sclera. "Are they just tiny Gray Dwarves, or an entirely different kind? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them before."

A baby dragon inherits a vast library of practical knowledge from its progenitor, knowledge buried deep in its memory until needed. As a Green Dragon, Cecilia naturally knew everything related to forests. But in other areas, her knowledge was only on par with that of an average adventurer.

"That’s a Delor Dwarf," Leon explained. He hadn’t inherited a wealth of practical parental knowledge; instead, he had to piece together information from setting books and hours spent perusing Tassera’s library. "Like Gray Dwarves, they were originally Dwarves. But as a slave race of the Mind Flayers, they were transformed into their current state."

Cecilia made no further comment, her curiosity satisfied.

While Leon focused on the workshops, Cecilia, ever the whimsical observer, was more interested in watching two Gray Dwarf guards beat a red-nosed Hobgoblin merchant or a quarrel between a pair of Gray Dwarf spouses...

"You haven’t forgotten our mission, have you?" Leon said, catching Cecilia’s wandering gaze. "You’re here to explore psychic power and awaken your own, not to gawk at people’s domestic drama."

"I get it, I get it," Cecilia coughed. "It’s just... I’ve noticed how industrious these Gray Dwarves are. Unlike the goblins in my employ, who are always slacking off unless whipped mercilessly. The only time they’re truly motivated is when they’re eating."

"If they’re not enthusiastic about eating, they’ve got serious issues," Leon quipped.

"What?" Cecilia didn’t catch the joke.

"Nothing," Leon said, not bothering to explain.

"Gray Dwarves were once Dwarves, and in many ways, they’re still similar," Leon began sharing his knowledge again. "They are generally dutiful and embrace their social roles, whether as individuals, families, or members of a clan. They rarely resort to scheming against competitors, preferring instead to roll up their sleeves and increase their prestige through hard work."

"The way you describe them, they almost seem endearing," Cecilia remarked with a smile.

"But what if I told you their virtues are reserved exclusively for their kind?" Leon added. "Gray Dwarves display honor and integrity toward fellow Gray Dwarves, but never toward outsiders. When dealing with merchants of other races, they’ll constantly tweak contracts to gain an advantage. They try every trick to enslave visitors they deem weak enough... Are you still listening?"

"Hey, look at that bald Gray Dwarf with the nail head hammer. Do you think he’s a psychic master?" Cecilia asked, her attention now shifted to something relevant to their mission.

Since Cecilia’s distraction was mission-related, Leon decided to forgive her lapse in focus. "I’m not sure. The rumors I’ve heard suggest Gray Dwarf psychic masters often work as spies, operating both inside and outside their cities."

"Go ask him," Cecilia urged, her excitement renewed.

"What are you plotting?" Leon knew Cecilia was up to something.

Cecilia laid out her entire plan and asked, "What do you think?"

"No issues," Leon said. "You’re quite the schemer, my little strategist."

Leon quickly caught up to the bald Gray Dwarf carrying the nail head hammer and greeted him, "Hello."

The Bald Gray Dwarf stopped in his tracks, scanning Leon from head to toe. While Leon exuded charm, he didn’t appear particularly strong. "Surface-dweller, why are you stopping me? If it’s nothing important, don’t blame me for being rude."

"If you’re truly strong, then it is something important," Leon replied. "Do you know psychic power?"

"Of course I do." The Bald Gray Dwarf raised his arms and flexed his biceps proudly. "I’m a mighty Spiritual Power Priest."

"I need some warriors—strong ones who can use psychic powers—to escort us to a location," Leon said. "As long as you’re strong enough, I have plenty of gold to offer."

"What are you planning to do with so many psychic warriors?" the Bald Gray Dwarf asked. "You’re not planning to pass through those terrifying Mind Flayer colonies, are you?"

"We are, indeed, passing through the Mind Flayer colonies," Leon replied, going along with it. "Is that a problem?"

"No problem at all. As long as you can afford it." The Bald Gray Dwarf rubbed his head. "But our rates are very high."

"As long as you can get us there safely," Leon said. "Name your price."

The Bald Gray Dwarf quoted a price that was truly astronomical.

To make himself appear more earnest, Leon pretended to deliberate before cutting the price in half.

"Deal," said the Bald Gray Dwarf. "But you’ll have to pay a deposit first."

"Ten gold coins," Leon said, fishing ten coins from his pouch. "This should suffice for a deposit."

The Bald Gray Dwarf took the coins, tossing them in his hand as if weighing them, before saying, "Meet me tomorrow at the brewery entrance. One more thing—I must warn you surface-dwellers: you are only permitted to move around the market district. You must not go anywhere else. There are hidden guards monitoring everywhere, so don’t try anything funny."

"Also, you all look weak and scrawny," the Bald Gray Dwarf continued. "If someone provokes you, be cautious in your response and avoid giving them any excuse to call the guards. Here, even the smallest mistake can result in an immediate execution. If you’re ever in trouble, mention my name. I’m Benhard."

After rambling on for a bit, the Bald Gray Dwarf left.

"How did it go?" Cecilia asked, already resolving to study more languages in the future. Traveling as a monolingual adventurer was proving far too inconvenient.

Leon summarized his conversation with the Bald Gray Dwarf.

"Do you trust him?" Cecilia asked.

Leon merely smiled. He was no longer a naive baby dragon, gullible at every turn. Nowadays, only the most seasoned of con artists could hope to deceive him.