Chapter 1002: You are a member of the stoneheart horde now

“I will remain here and oversee the realm. I have everything under control.”

With Orion himself managing the horde, Lilith’s last worries evaporated. “I’ll go and make the arrangements at once.”

Orion gave a slight nod, watching her as she left the great hall.

…..

In the south, at the human kingdom’s capital of Soaring Bird City.

The stoneheart horde maintained a magnificent castle within the city, a permanent embassy granted to them by the human kingdom. The grounds were sovereign territory. Not even the city’s own ruler, Princess Ava, had the authority to enter, let alone conduct a search, without express permission. In turn, the human kingdom held a similar palace within the walls of Stoneheart.

At this moment, in the main hall of the embassy, Delilah was playing the part of the perfect hostess for two of the tribe’s Wardens: Aldous and Harbek. She watched with a serene smile as they ate, occasionally signaling for the maidservants to bring them more dishes.

“So, to be clear,” Delilah began, her voice soft but probing, “before Prophet Dain passed, he used the long-standing friendship between dwarves and humans, along with your entire territory, as leverage to get the human kingdom to intervene?”

“That is correct, Your Excellency,” Harbek replied, setting down his goblet. He was exceedingly polite to Delilah, despite being her superior in rank. As the Grand Steward of the stoneheart horde, Delilah held a crucial position, and Harbek, being new to this complex faction, wasn’t yet sure of his own standing. He wisely chose to be humble.

“Harbek,” Delilah said after a thoughtful pause, a gentle, knowing smile playing on her lips, “do you understand why my lord sent you to Soaring Bird City?”

“Was it not to assist Your Excellency with the four-party summit?”

“Oh, Harbek, it’s never that simple.”

As Harbek frowned in confusion, Aldous, who had been eating with a slow, deliberate elegance, finally set down his utensils.

“Your turn, big guy,” he grunted.

The ogre’s second head, whose saliva had been dripping in a thick string, immediately lunged at the leftovers. Aldous glanced at it in disgust as it began to shovel food into its maw. Since taking dominant control of the ogre lord’s body, Aldous’s main head had adopted a refined demeanor, savoring the taste of every bite. The other head, by contrast, could only be described as a gluttonous beast.

“Pathetic creature,” Aldous muttered. “A bottomless pit.” He picked up a crystal glass with one hand, admiring the deep red wine within.

“It is, indeed, not that simple,” he said, echoing Delilah. He was here as her bodyguard, her muscle. But beyond that, he considered Delilah a friend’s wife and felt a sense of loyalty for the excellent food and drink she had provided him during his stay. His words immediately captured the attention of both Delilah and Harbek.

Delilah beamed. She knew Aldous was an exceptionally intelligent creature. Orion himself had said the ogre could easily serve as her advisor, and over the past few days, he had offered several brilliant, constructive suggestions from the sidelines. It was no surprise to her that he understood their lord’s true intentions.

Harbek, however, was still completely lost.

“Cheers!” Aldous declared, raising his goblet high for the dwarf to see. “To my friend, the great Giant-King!” He drained the glass in one go.

“Don’t you see it yet, short stuff?” he said, turning his sharp gaze on Harbek. “My Lord is helping you.”

“Helping me?”

“Yes. He’s helping you secure a new home for the dwarven race. Or do you want your people to live as wanderers, hunted by every other faction with an eye for a good blacksmith?”

The words were like a flash of lightning in Harbek’s mind. His eyes widened, but his brow quickly furrowed again, his thick beard trembling slightly. His emotions were in turmoil.

“Your Excellency,” he said, turning to Delilah, his voice thick with humility. “I would be grateful for your guidance.” Harbek was not a brilliant political mind, nor was he one for scheming. But he knew his own limitations, and he knew how to seek help.

“Warden Harbek, you are too kind,” Delilah replied with a gracious nod. A Warden’s rank and power were above her own, and she showed him the proper deference. “This war began as a human conflict, but the dwarven race was dragged into it as an innocent victim. Even with the prophet’s sacrifice, the surviving dwarves have the right to demand reparations from the human kingdom.”

Her warm smile and clear words resonated deeply with Harbek. It was true. A human civil war had plunged his people into an abyss. If they hadn’t pledged fealty to the stoneheart horde, they would have no leverage to make such a demand. The prophet, seeing this clearly, had never even mentioned the possibility to him.

But now, things were different. As part of the horde, Orion had the right—and the obligation—to demand justice on the dwarves’ behalf. And the instrument of that justice was Delilah, here at this summit.

“Your Excellency… is such a thing truly possible?” Harbek asked, his voice still shaky with uncertainty.

“Idiot,” Aldous grunted, not Delilah. “Is your IQ as short as your stature?”

Harbek glared at the ogre. You could call a dwarf an idiot, but you did not comment on his height.

“You need to understand, short stuff,” Aldous continued, ignoring the glare as he swirled his wine, “you are a member of the stoneheart horde now. The interests of the dwarven race are the interests of the stoneheart horde.”

He took a slow sip. “Whatever you gain for the dwarves at this summit, you are gaining for the horde. Securing those benefits is how you earn merit. And only by earning merit can My Lord grant your people a fiefdom with legitimate cause.”

He looked at Harbek, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “You really couldn’t see that?”

Aldous glanced at the dwarf one last time, then raised his goblet, savoring the wine. “You know… if a wine isn’t ready, I’ll put it away in the cellar. I’ll only bring it out to share with friends once it has matured.”