CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 154: A WONDERFUL, YET NOT-SO-WONDERFUL REUNION

Torun’s heart was pounding as he watched his wary comrades, terrified they might lose their temper and start a fight.

If that happened, his entire plan would be ruined!

Thinking quickly, he added, "Relax your guard. Every people has bad apples—not every Sein is out to cheat you in business!"

This was his third lie of the day, aimed mainly at Charles and Bruno. He wanted them to believe that his kin’s wariness was because they’d been wronged by Seins in trade, not because of some deep-seated historical grudge, nor because the Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers was out for revenge against Liberl Port.

He meant to sell the illusion that, if Charles showed himself trustworthy, Torun’s warriors would reciprocate and be friendly as well.

To help, he even stepped in front of Charles, shielding his white hair from his kin, creating a buffer between the two sides.

"But..." The minotaur Torun stopped, named Henry, gritted his teeth, his chest heaving. From childhood, he’d been taught that the Seins—those white-haired beings—were devils who wrought endless disasters for the mountains and their people.

Raised on that belief, he and the other adventurers who entered the mountains had clashed countless times with Seins, showing them no mercy; many of his own relatives had died by their hands.

How could he let go of such bloody vengeance? At the mere sight of this white-haired man, he wanted to raise his weapon and fight to the death.

Torun, however, spoke gravely: "You must see the big picture."

He prided himself on his strategic vision. He knew the main purpose of coming to the Tide Caverns was to win the favor of the Mountain Dwarves, to recruit them as allies, not to go hunting Sein heads.

So at this moment, he had to suppress his tribesmen’s hostility before Bruno and maintain the Alliance’s noble image. For the greater good, the lesser goal must be sacrificed.

So, Henry fell silent, lowering his head, his rage and hatred kept barely in check. The other minotaurs, not quite sure what their leader was doing, also lowered their weapons, though their eyes still scrutinized Charles with intense suspicion.

Charles frowned slightly, thinking these minotaurs were decidedly odd. After counting their number, he made his decision: better to avoid conflict until they left the cave.

With that, he stepped forward, moving past the shielding Torun, and approached Henry with a bright and friendly smile. "Hello, I’m Nigel Charles, a priest of the Church of the Goddess of Life. I came here to help purge the undead from the Tide Caverns."

"I hope we can cooperate smoothly in the battles ahead and join forces against the enemies of the living. To a happy alliance!"

He offered his hand in greeting. Henry looked down at him with obvious reluctance, but under Torun’s glare, he gruffly lifted one rough, callused hand and shook Charles’s. "I am Henry Highmountain, a common warrior of the Highmountain tribes. May we cooperate well."

His calluses scraped Charles’s skin, but Henry neither squeezed hard nor tried to show any dominance—he simply shook, then let go.

Honest enough.

Charles took in the subtle shifts in the minotaur’s face, but gave nothing away. He moved on to the next warrior. "Let’s work together, mighty minotaur warrior!"

He shook hands with the rest. They were all reluctant, but the gesture took the edge off their hostility.

At the end, Charles found an old minotaur carrying a banner, his face and chest painted white, clearly elderly—probably a priest, and a spellcaster, though how powerful, Charles couldn’t guess.

He was about to offer his hand when the old bull reached out first, greeting him with a kindly smile. "Samit Highmountain. May this be the start of our friendship, Priest Charles."

Charles paused, not having expected a true friend among the minotaurs—let alone an elder, possibly someone who’d actually experienced the wars with the Empire of Sein.

He replied warmly, "May this be the start of our friendship," feeling more hopeful that they would be able to leave the cavern in peace.

After all, his goal here was rescue; he still needed to protect several wounded, so he naturally wasn’t looking for a new fight.

If Torun wanted to maintain the peace, Charles was happy to play along.

Torun, too, breathed easier—he now felt the mission was on solid ground. He’d managed to present a friendly exterior and gain major favor with the dwarves; inviting them to join the Alliance of the Mountain Purifiers would be much easier now.

Overjoyed, he declared, "In the face of the greater good, private grudges must be set aside. The undead are our top priority!"

Bruno also let out a relieved laugh. "That’s right! Every society has its share of scoundrels, but we cannot let the misdeeds of a few poison our hearts against an entire people!"

Returning from his round of handshakes, Charles grinned and joked, "Of course—except for goblins."

Bruno blinked, then burst out laughing. "Right! Except goblins. Those guys are born thieves and tricksters, every last one!"

He began telling goblin jokes: "How does a goblin mother know she’s pregnant?"

"Her tampons go missing," a minotaur answered immediately, "stolen by the little thief growing inside her!"

The rest of the minotaurs exploded with laughter, Charles chuckled too. The prejudiced humor swept away any last bit of hostility, filling the air with camaraderie.

Just then, Charles heard Andny’s voice in his ear: "Master, come to the right-hand cave, my familiar spotted you!"

His expression shifted. Waving to the group, he called, "Everyone, my comrades have contacted me—they’ve rescued others. Let’s rendezvous quickly!"

Bruno’s eyes widened in alarm. "Rescued others? Was there a red-haired woman, a blond young girl, a gnome, and a brass dragonborn?"

"...Yes!" said Charles, already heading in that direction, "They must be your companions? Anyway, my comrades have freed them, they’re just ahead on the right!"

"Everyone, follow me! After we join up, we can go and hunt down that Drider!"

"Excellent!" said Bruno, this time racing ahead on his short legs.

At the rear, Torun frowned in thought. He’d known nothing of a Drider in these mines—he would need these newcomers’ intel.

His minotaurs watched, awaiting his instructions. Once Charles and Bruno were out of earshot, Torun turned, face stern, and said, "Clearly, they possess much more intel—like that Drider they mentioned, whom we knew nothing about. We must gather what information we can, so don’t turn on them—understand?"

"Everyone, we may encounter more Sein soon, but to win the dwarves’ alliance, private emotions must not rule us. Be rational. Think of the bigger picture. Understood?"

He looked to the rear, and added, "Just like Uncle Samit."

The Uncle Samit Torun referred to was the minotaur shaman painted in strange runes. This old man had fought in the war with the Empire of Sein many years ago—both his parents and a son had died at the hands of the Sein.

And yet, just earlier, he’d been the friendliest of all, seeming to have released his old hatred entirely.

To this, the old shaman only offered a gentle smile. "It’s all in the past. I’ve already taken my revenge. One cannot live in hatred forever, can one?"

Torun hesitated for a moment, then quickly nodded and negated his doubt. "Yes, that’s the attitude I want! Everyone, for the sake of forging an alliance with the dwarves, we must endure. Stay composed, do not let personal feelings rule your heart!"

"Once the dwarves join our alliance, every one of you will get steel weapons like mine. Then, when we strike against the Sein, won’t it feel far better than now?"

As he said this, he pointed at his minotaur brothers’ weapons. They glanced at the wooden mallets, stone axes, and rusted greatswords in their hands, instantly swayed, and grew all the more convinced by Torun’s words.

"That’s all I had to say. Everyone, let’s move out!"

With that, Torun himself turned first, striding briskly after Charles.

Up ahead, Charles was walking at speed. A faint tremor ran through the ground, and then—around the corner—came a flicker of light. Several giant spiders crawled slowly toward them, and leading the way was a familiar petite silhouette.

That figure was Andny. Spotting Charles’s shape from afar, the Insect Witch’s voice was brimming with delight: "M—Priest Charles!"

"I’m here!" Charles waved, showing he was safe and sound. "Andny! Hey, Anno!"

His voice jumped an octave, unable to hide his excitement.

"Charles!" Farther back, atop another giant spider, Anno waved at him with all her might. She was again clad in her chainmail and shield, covering her graceful figure. Her golden hair and delicate face were smudged with dirt, but the beauty was undiminished.

Her face glowed with a smile; her eyes saw no one but him.

Andny’s eyes flicked once, and then she controlled the giant spiders to retreat, drawing Nidalee and Bonnie farther back, giving the pair some space and time alone.

Anno’s spider approached Charles directly. The girl leapt from its back, landing lightly on the ground.

She gazed up at her beloved, mouth corners lifted in a smile, blue eyes filled with yearning. "Did you come to rescue me?"

Charles’ heart thundered in his chest. He didn’t answer; only felt his blood surge as he suddenly opened his arms, stepped forward, and swept her into a tight embrace.

"Ah—!"

Anno cried out in surprise; her heart pounded, for with all these people watching, her shyness was not easy to overcome.

Yet, after a second, she summoned her courage, wrapped her arms around his waist in return, and pressed her cheek to his chest.

Thinking of all those eyes behind her, her cheeks flushed fiercely—but she couldn’t bear to let go, wanting nothing but to savor his arms for a while longer.

Behind them, Bruno ran over on his short legs. Seeing the scene, he quietly circled around, avoiding the couple.

His gaze swept back, spotting the heavily pregnant Bonnie. His eyes rounded, and he hurried over. "Captain, what happened—why are you like this? What did that Drider do to you?!"

Bonnie covered her face. Her fragile composure broke all over again. "Don’t ask, don’t look at me..."

At the rear, the female brass Dragonborn barbarian looked glum. "It’s a long story...Anyway, don’t ask."

Bruno only now realized his blunder. He nodded, apologizing. He scratched his head, scanning the group, uncertain. "Er... is there anything I can help with?"

"For now, no. Just be ready to fight." The female brass Dragonborn spoke impassively. "Though by now, there can’t be many foes left in this cavern."

No sooner had she finished than Torun and his warriors approached. The massive black bull walked in front, glancing about and sighing with relief to see no new Sein appeared.

Then, spotting Nidalee atop her spider, his eyes lit up. "Nidalee!"

Behind, Nidalee rode her spider, watching Charles and Anno embrace and pondering how to get along with the paladin. Suddenly, her body shuddered.

She looked up, almost unable to believe it. There before her stood that large, powerfully built, and wild-furred minotaur barbarian.

Torun.

What was he doing here?!

For a moment, Nidalee’s expression was frozen, disgust welling up inside so strongly she nearly wanted to spear the guy on the spot.

Unlucky, running into him here!

Yet Torun didn’t sense her feelings at all. His face grew eager; he broke away from his group and quickly walked up to her spider. "So you’re on a mission here...Why didn’t you come with us? I could be protecting you!"

As he spoke, he bent lower, turning his broad back to her and signaling for her to step down.

Nidalee’s expression twisted in distaste. "Because I don’t want to go on missions with you, Torun."

"I have my own plans and my own life. I am neither interested nor obliged to be on the move with you."

With that, Nidalee urged her spider forward, widening the gap, not so much as glancing at him.

Torun, head bowed, suddenly straightened in shock. "What?"

He moved his lips uncertainly, in disbelief. "But your father gave his word. He promised you to me..."

"That’s his business!" Nidalee urged her spider on, distancing herself from the minotaur. "If he wants to make that promise so much, let him marry you himself—don’t involve me!"

Torun’s bovine eyes bulged, stunned by the unexpected blow. His gaze held only disbelief. "No... Nidalee, it shouldn’t be like this!"

He strode forward in pursuit. "We are the perfect pair—even your father, wise as he is, thinks so. If you won’t marry me, who could you possibly marry?"

"Nidalee, come down..."

He tried to reason as he reached for her leg, as though he might drag her from the spider by force.

Nearby, Charles—still embracing Anno—looked over in surprise.

Torun was Nidalee’s fiancé?

This...

He felt helpless, but when he saw Torun about to lay hands on Nidalee, he immediately released Anno and—ignoring her look of confusion—stepped forward in a flash to block Torun’s path.

Torun halted, peering down, brows knit tight. "What do you think you’re doing?"

"Sorry, Mr. Torun," Charles looked up, meeting the minotaur’s gaze without fear. "Miss Nidalee has sought refuge with the Church of the Goddess of Life and is now one of their nuns."

"She has vowed never to marry. So, while I don’t know what promises her father once made to you, it is impossible for her to return to the tribe and wed you."

The air turned instantly still. The warmth of reunion had frozen to ice.

Andny held her breath, hastening to signal her mosquito to summon Theresa back;

Nidalee held her breath too, sitting on her spider, eyes full of concern as she gazed at Charles’s figure.

She knew Torun hated Liberl Port and the Sein, and now she worried that, because of her, they would have another foe to face.

Anno’s face was full of anxiety. She knew Charles’s duty as a priest was to protect the monastery’s nuns, but this minotaur clearly wouldn’t give up easily.

So, she too drew her weapon—though exhausted as she was, not even a single Divine Smite remained in her.

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