Without giving him a chance to argue, the dwarven leader grabbed Lin Gui and dragged him inside.
A wave of scorching air rolled over them, thick with the smell of metal and coal smoke.
“I am Grom Stonehammer!”
He spoke in a booming voice, slapping his breastplate.
“The current Captain of the West Gate Guards of Shield City!”
“That old rascal Copperhammer and I are brothers who grew up wearing the same pair of pants!”
He slapped Lin Gui hard on the back, the force of it nearly making him stumble.
“Since he asked me to look after you in his letter, I, Grom Stonehammer, will keep my word!”
“Everything you need in Shield City is on me!”
Lin Gui, still tucked under his arm, tried to wriggle free.
“Thank you for your kindness, but we really have urgent business and must head to the Wall of Sighs as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing this, Grom's bushy eyebrows immediately knit together into a frown.
“Aiya! I say, you little mage, what's the big rush!”
He stopped in his tracks and spun around to face Lin Gui, his thick finger nearly poking Lin Gui's nose.
“Do you even know what the situation is inside the Wall of Sighs?”
“Do you know which path to take to survive a couple of days longer?”
“Do you know which creepy things to avoid, or which shadows to steer clear of?”
He fired off the questions like a machine gun, then waved his massive hand dismissively.
“You know absolutely nothing! And yet you're rushing in blindly with nothing but reckless enthusiasm?”
“That's not bravery, that's seeking death!”
He tucked Lin Gui under his arm once more, half-shoving, half-guiding him deeper into the city.
“Listen to me, stay in the city first!”
“Get some proper rest, gather some information, and restock on essentials.”
“Once you're fully prepared, I'll find a few veterans who know the routes to point you in the right direction.”
“I guarantee it'll be a hundred times better than rushing in blindly like you are now!”
Clutched under the dwarf's arm, Lin Gui gazed at the bustling, massive city carved into the mountain's interior.
The clanking sound of hammering echoed from all directions, and massive gears turned slowly overhead.
He remained silent for a moment, and in the end, let out a soft sigh.
In truth, Lin Gui wanted to rest and recuperate in Shield City more than anyone.
Aside from easing the exhaustion of their long journey, establishing a new post office outpost, and gathering information about the Wall of Sighs, there was another important matter that could only be completed in Shield City.
That was upgrading his raft.
He had witnessed the Wheelless Train accelerated by Legendary magic, which crossed the Black Reef Sea in a single day at an inhuman speed. Lin Gui also wanted to boost the speed of his own vehicle.
Although he was not yet capable of casting a Legendary wind-element spell like Freya's to accelerate vehicles, he knew very well that the dwarves possessed unique craftsmanship. They could manufacture devices that converted mana into stable wind power. If he could install such equipment, the speed and stability of his raft would receive a qualitative leap.
The reasons to stay in Shield City were indeed very compelling.
However, a key factor made him hesitate.
That was Theia.
She was a genuine member of the Demon Race who could channel demon energy.
Lin Gui was not sure if there were still inspectors from the City-State Alliance lurking in this seemingly pure dwarven city-state.
Theia's Mask of a Thousand Illusions could fool the Mid-tier Legendary Freya, but it might not necessarily hide her from inspectors who specialized in detection.
This was not a matter of raw strength, but rather of professional specialization.
Take Lin Gui himself as an example.
He belonged to the type who walked a single path to its very end.
He had abandoned almost all other areas of magical cultivation to specialize solely in concealment.
While this forged his formidable stealth abilities, it also made him the weakest mage of his rank.
And in the City-State Alliance, people like Lin Gui were not uncommon.
Even if they could not reach his level of mastery, it was still highly possible for them to see through Theia's disguise.
He looked at Theia beside him.
She was looking around curiously, her emerald eyes shining with wonder, filled with a sense of novelty toward this magnificent underground city.
Lin Gui made up his mind. With Avalon just ahead, they could not afford any more mishaps. He had to have her leave as soon as possible.
Slowing his pace, he whispered to Theia:
“You and Eve head down the road to settle in first. Watch over our raft and luggage.”
“I'll handle some matters in the city and then head out to meet up with you.”
He planned to have Theia and Eve leave first to rest in the wilderness. Since the dwarves regularly cleared out demons around Shield City, there was not much of a threat nearby. Even without Lin Gui around, he believed Theia could protect Eve well.
Hearing their conversation, a flicker of confusion crossed Grom Stonehammer's rugged face.
Then, as if suddenly understanding, he slapped his head and burst into booming laughter.
“Hahaha! I get it! Kid, is that what you're worried about?”
He slapped Lin Gui hard on the back, lowering his voice slightly, but speaking with absolute certainty.
“Rest assured! Right now, there isn't a single inspector in Shield City!”
“Everyone inside is one of our own dwarven brothers!”
“So, this long-eared girl of the Demon Race is perfectly safe here!”
The words “Demon Race” struck like a sudden clap of thunder.
Lin Gui's eyelids twitched violently.
Theia's shoulders tensed in fright, her hand instinctively clutching the quiver at her waist.
The two exchanged shocked glances, seeing the same astonishment reflected in each other's eyes.
Lin Gui lowered his voice, his tone laced with disbelief:
“Did Copperhammer... did that fellow sell us out in his letter?”
A flash of embarrassment crossed Grom's face, and he scratched his thick, braided beard.
“Well... cough... Copperhammer only did it so you could enter the city smoothly...”
“After all, because of what happened a few years ago, we haven't had much of a liking for humans.”
“And the only reason we're letting you in is because you are Copperhammer's friends.”
He quickly changed the subject, waving his massive hand:
“In short! You don't have to worry about that at all!”
Theia hesitated for a moment, but still could not help but press further:
“But... what if an inspector disguised themselves as a dwarf and snuck in?”
“Just like me, I'm currently using an item to change my appearance.”
Hearing this, Grom burst into even louder laughter, as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world.
He puffed out his stocky chest and stamped his foot hard.
“Hahaha! Little girl, you're overthinking it!”
“Those weaklings with spindly arms and legs, trying to disguise themselves as dwarves?”
“Unless they chop off half their legs and stuff their clothes full of solid muscle!”
“Otherwise, they'd expose themselves the moment they took a step!”
His exaggerated description and confident attitude made Theia let out a soft giggle.
She looked at Grom's height, which barely reached her waist, and then at his bulging muscles that threatened to burst through his leather armor, feeling that his words were indeed highly convincing.
Appearance could be disguised with magic, but body shape and fine details indeed could not be faked.
She turned her head, looking at Lin Gui to ask for his opinion.
Lin Gui stared silently at Grom for a moment.
Grom added with a smile:
“Don't worry. With the Fortress Lord here, even if there is an inspector hiding in some rat hole inside and they discover this long-eared girl's true identity, at most, they would just expel you, rather than execute you on the spot.”
Lin Gui sighed, then nodded to Theia.
The last trace of tension on Theia's face finally dissolved, and she smiled happily, like sunlight dispersing the final gloom.
She was not happy because she could enter this majestic city-state built inside the mountain.
Rather, she was happy because of the dwarven leader's attitude.
This was the first city-state that still accepted her even after her identity was exposed.
If only the Elven Forest were like Shield City, how wonderful that would be.
Rate on N.U.
