The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 840: Volume 26 Ready to Go - 5 Dwarves_2

Chapter 840: Volume 26 Ready to Go Chapter 5 Dwarves_2

Komer was not surprised by the Half-Beastmen and Barbarians wandering in the streets of Santiago, but rather by the considerable number of dwarfs. In his own territory, the number of dwarfs had always been limited, even in Mattdam, which served as a window for foreign encounters, where the number of dwarfs hovered between two to three hundred. However, what he saw now was contrary; bearded men with unkempt clothes were everywhere to be seen, yet each one was lively, wearing distinctive dwarf short boots and carrying short daggers at their waists—their trademark. A long cloth belt tied around their waist made these fellows look even more rugged. With their bushy eyebrows and faces glinting with shades of black and reddish hue, there was no doubt these were all dwarfs, even though Komer could not yet distinguish whether they were Hill Dwarfs, Mountain Dwarfs, or Forest Dwarfs.

Seeing these dwarfs casually bringing friends along and entering and leaving the taverns on the street, clearly not their first time here but rather familiar with the place, Komer felt utterly amazed. Where had these dwarfs come from? In his memory, even adding all the dwarfs of the Caucasus together, they wouldn’t amount to the number he saw today. What was going on?

The bustling scene in the tavern made Komer feel he hadn’t experienced such a lively atmosphere in a long time. It gave him a unique sense of flavor.

"Kade, over here, why did you just arrive? We have already had quite a few drinks," called a burly dwarf with a beer-stained beard and huge nostrils that actively emitted the smell of alcohol, as he took a swig of beer and wiped his bushy chin.

"Oh, Lumumba, you guys are here too? We just went to check out the Nightingale Bar across the way, wanting to catch any new news; that’s why we just got here," replied the curly-haired burly man, clapping hands in greeting with the standing man in a gesture of friendship, then motioning for his companions to take seats next to them.

"Oh? How is it? Any new updates from the adventurers?" The curly-haired burly man’s words clearly piqued the interest of the big-nosed burly man, making him put down the beer mug he had lifted to his lips.

"No, there have been no adventurers or exploration teams coming back these past few days. They say it’s hard to find the path there; in the past few months, they’ve only found some cave entrances and abandoned caves that were no longer in use. We’ve seen those relics before, and we all know those were discarded," answered the curly-haired man, his gaze on the large mugs of beer brought by the tavern server.

"Damn it, it’s always so frustrating, leaving us all on tenterhooks. I’ve heard rumors about this legend since when I was still in Severo, and yet, they still haven’t found the real entrance. How long will we have to wait?" lamented the big-nosed man, taking another big gulp of his beer and slamming the mug down hard on the table, "We can’t just sit around doing nothing all the time, can we? The little money I brought from home is almost spent, should my family starve to death here?"

Perhaps struck by the big-nosed burly man’s words, several tables of dwarfs in the tavern fell silent, seemingly contemplating what their futures would hold.

Komer, discreetly sipping on his Red Maoshao, let the robust aroma linger, causing the dwarfs at the tables nearby to inhale deeply and turn their gazes toward him. They soon looked away somewhat disappointingly upon realizing Komer was a mortal. Komer found this amusing; this interesting group of dwarfs flooded the tavern, yet only drank the cheapest pale ale. No wonder business was booming yet the tavern owner’s expression was indifferent. This watered-down ale, possibly palatable for mortals, was far too bland for the alcohol-loving dwarfs.

It seemed that these dwarfs were all from the Severo Kingdom, which baffled Komer. He knew that the war with the Mountain People Alliance had caused a significant exodus of dwarfs from Severo, but those dwarfs generally did not favor moving north of the Cordillera Wilderness—preferring the Southern Mediterranean Region instead, which had always disappointed Komer. He wished that these dwarfs would all migrate to the Caucasus. That would be wonderful, but the dwafs were known for their stubbornness, making it hard to change their minds. So, what brought these fellows to the Caucasus, especially to the inland depths of Santiago, without any apparent reason? It seemed that perhaps those exploration teams had discovered something intriguing enough to draw these dwarfs in masses. Could there really be relics of the rumored dwarf civilization in the Volt Mountain Range?

As he swirled the drink in his hand, allowing the rich aroma of Red Maoshao to disperse more effectively, Komer pondered what exactly was happening. He did not realize that his actions had already caused the surrounding dwarfs to sniff the air, intrigued. Red Maoshao, a strong liquor brewed purely from grain, was always one of the most expensive liquids in taverns, kept by some as a prized possession to "show off" the establishment. The tavern owner, noticing a buyer like Komer, wouldn’t have served such a drink casually if it hadn’t been for his mortal appearance and seemingly affluent attire.