Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 376 Prodigal Son Returns? You dare to turn back?
The bowstring is taut, and the arrowhead gleams with a cold light.

An ordinary intruder, seeing this display of strength, would have to carefully consider whether their teeth were strong enough to crack this hard nut in front of them, but...

This type of crossbow is okay for hitting ground targets, but to deal with air units, especially large monsters like wyverns, it doesn't require skill or talent, but rather the favor of the Tamora, and it has to be a free gift.

But the dwarves also had their own difficulties. Living in a hilly area, ballistae were not practical, and their main enemies were trolls or goblin bandits, who rarely had experience in aerial combat.

You're saying we need to pull out a dragon-hunting ballista right now? Where are we supposed to get one? Even if we made one on the spot, there wouldn't be enough time!

The dwarves' threat was ignored by the mage, and their wary and warning attitude only provoked the undead dragon's hostility.

The undead dragon, capable of long-range breath attacks and summoning minions, led the chariot at the very front, accompanied by two mercenaries. Its mouth and nostrils were filled with cold mist swirling with negative energy as it glared menacingly at the tin can ahead. The gargoyle-shaped mercenaries bared their fangs and claws, looking utterly malevolent.

The nearby Netherworld Wyverns and Fairy Dragons, among other laborer dragons, also turned their attention to this area.

Crash, ping-pong~
The dwarven guards were well-trained and had been through battle and bloodshed. Although they were tense and uneasy, they quieted down after a commotion accompanied by the friction and collision of weapons and armor, and stood silently.

"Wait, don't fire! They're on our side!"

"It's me, it's Kegan/Bard!"

The two short creatures struggled to jump off the cloud chariot with their short legs and ran towards their people, waving their hands.

No response!

The shield formation ahead remained silent, as cold and hard as black iron.

Whether it was the mage's imagination or not, he felt that when his two short fellows announced their names, the other side's wariness actually increased a bit...

Damn it, how unpopular are those two bastards back in their hometown?!

Fortunately, the other side did not make any further moves. Just as Kegan and the Bud brothers got closer and were about to reach the front of the formation, the shields that were erected moved horizontally from the center to the sides, revealing a gap.

An old dwarf with completely white hair and beard, and at least five braids, dressed in heavy armor, slowly walked out.

"Kagan, you damned little bastard, what's wrong? You've been secretly abandoning the clan and running away for so many years, who gave you the guts to come back? Was it that bird pulling the cotton cart behind you, or has your skill improved?"

"Elder, that looks like a magic chariot pulled by a dragon, but no..."

A dwarf warrior nearby whispered a reminder.

boom!
The old dwarf, caught up in his excitement, wouldn't listen to anything else. He slammed his warhammer on the ground and pointed at Bard beside him:
"And you, Bard, what did you say back then? To personally capture the disgrace of the family? To defend the honor of the clan? Bah!"

"Now it seems that you two were conspiring together all along! Huh?"

“Elder Clauren, I swear in the name of my beard that I left the clan for Sword Bay to capture that bastard Kegan.”

Faced with the questioning, Bard, eager to defend himself, grabbed his cousin's beard and dragged him over despite his screams. For every dwarf, their proud beard was as precious as their lifeline; anyone who dared to touch it would be met with bloodshed.

But at this moment, he was in the wrong, and moreover, Kegan clearly felt the mage's gaze on him, so his attempt to resist froze.

What followed was the old dwarf's roar, a torrent of slang and profanity, which sprayed the two brothers with spittle all over their faces, interspersed with Bard's explanations and Kegan's mutterings.

"Don't think that things have passed. Perhaps the frivolous ways of human society make you think that ten years is enough to erase everything, but every rock in the family tells the story of what happened that day."

Leaving aside the two unfortunate brothers who were being scolded by their collars, even the mages watching the commotion from a distance felt somewhat helpless.

What a mess!

At first, I thought these two had done something heinous back in their hometown and had finally walked right into my trap, but it turned out to be nothing more than trivial matters.

Thanks to Elder Clauren's repeated and tireless emphasis on their "crimes" back then, Master Zhang finally understood the gist of the matter.

It's nothing more than that Kegan back then might have listened to some bard's nonsense, or perhaps he was just naturally unconventional. In a suitable opportunity, this guy looted a few suits of armor and weapons, and then casually stole some—literally, real sheep!
The special breed of goats developed by the dwarfs are quite agile and fast, with good endurance, strong load-bearing capacity, and excellent climbing ability, making them particularly suitable for running and maneuvering in hilly areas.

Of course, the most crucial factor is its low chassis and low center of gravity; otherwise, these short-legged tigers would have difficulty climbing onto its back, let alone riding it.

In short, Kegan, full of dreams, absconded with a sum of public funds and headed towards the outside world he longed for.

In reality, the dwarven clan only lost a small amount of resources and a certain restless troublemaker, but the conservative dwarves could hardly accept this departure without notice, which they saw as abandoning the clan.

At that time, Bard, a member of the garrison, stepped forward and solemnly assured the long-bearded elders of the Elders' Hall that he would bring his cousin to justice, and the result was self-evident.

Later, after inquiring with traders and learning that these two "talents" from the mountains had actually made a name for themselves in the Baldur's Gate region of Sword Coast, the dwarves were at a loss as to what to do.

A large-scale operation is not worthwhile. Not only would it risk clashing with the massive Flame Fist organization, but the real problem is the vulnerability of our home base.

Let's send a few people over. What if they get captivated by the allure of human society again, just like before? That would be a waste of our resources.

In the end, even with the dwarves' bad temper, they had no choice but to accept reality, only adding a few more lines of carved text to the stone pages of their clan history.

"You two scoundrels who have no regard for family honor, have you come back to collect the debt you owed?"

Old Klaus suddenly raised his warhammer, seemingly finally bringing to a close this impassioned, roaring trial, pointing the hammerhead at the two clowns before him, who were drenched in spittle:
"Otherwise, get out of the Sweet Fermented Rice Clan's territory. Ever since you betrayed your clan, this surname has had little to do with you anymore."

Bard and Kegan, like chickens that had been sickened with disease, turned around dejectedly and rolled back onto the mage's cloud chariot.

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(End of this chapter)