His head light, thoughts running wild whenever he forgot to reign them in. How many mugs full of ale he had drunk, he didn't know. He was like a farmer lost in the sea of storms, swept away by the current no matter how hard he tried to resist.
Letting out a long breath with a lingering taste of alcohol, Ludwig's eyes landed on a familiar dwarf he had shared countless nights and fights with. He looked like he didn't have any care in the world, truly something a patriarch of a clan shouldn't have.
But then again, he was well aware of the reason why Thrain handed his position to his father. Prestige.
Bromnir was someone Ludwig could say cutted from the same clothes as him. Even though their reason for joining the party was different, their feelings towards all the glory and fame they got throughout the journey was the same.
It was more of a pain in the ass than anything.
"Sir Ludwig." A low voice approached him at that moment.
"Thrain." Ludwig said as soon as he shifted his gaze to the side. "What can I do for you?"
"I heard from my daughter that you came here to buy some of our brew." Thrain said. "I thought it was the best time to talk about it."
Ludwig's face went blank for a second, then he chuckled. "That's not something you should personally handle, isn't it? What's on your mind?"
"Sir." Thrain's face became rigid, his body also became taut. "Have you heard anything about your comrades?"
Ludwig hummed before he raised the mug in his hand to his lips. After he wet his throat with the ale, he opened his mouth. "I haven't. I don't want to know, to be honest. But from how serious you are, I think I could guess. It's Imelda, Isn't it?"
Thrain's face turned dark, his eyes went sharper than the best blade dwarf ever forged. "It is. She had started gathering support to become the next Empress of Arcanoth."
"That's not surprising at all." Ludwig shrugged. "Your dad and I knew for a long time that was something she would do as soon as the Demon King was slain."
Thrain let out a long sigh. "If it's just that, I wouldn't even use my father's fame and put him in the patriarch seat, Sir."
"Huh?" Ludwig hummed. "It's worse than that? What kind of thing did that hag do now?"
"She sent letters to the Dwarven king, Sir. And from what we gathered, she also sent it to many places."
Ludwig's eyes went sharp as soon as he heard those words. Gathering support in the Arcanoth was one thing, but she even looked for support in another nation?
"Now that is unexpected. Was it some kind of veiled threat?"
"Indeed." Thrain nodded. "It's veiled as a request for support. But between the lines, it's either we support her or stand against her. There's nothing in between."
Now Ludwig finally could connect the dots on why Thrain was approaching him for a mere business talk. "So you want to use my name also to deter her?"
"Not directly, Sir." Thrain answered. "If you permit us to do so, the whole dwarven kingdom will sign a trade agreement with you."
"And you will let the information reach her ears?"
"Yes, and many more ears."
Ludwig chuckled. To be honest, it was nothing to hate about. Exclusive trade agreements with the dwarves were something only a handful of people had. With just that piece of paper, he could practically get his hands on anything that the dwarves ever made. Of course as long as he had the gold to pay for it.
However, one thing nagged at the back of his mind. Why did Imelda act so brazenly? Even if it's not him or Bromnir or his other colleagues, there's still Satoshi. That guy was a perfect template of a hero. Self-sacrificing to the fault and always caring for the lives of people.
He bet all the gold he had that he wouldn't let Imelda do whatever plans she wanted to do.
"I'm really curious. You are talking like Imelda is really someone who can't be stopped. But there's still Satoshi, right? Last I heard he would marry to the Valtherion royal family. Wouldn't he be a perfect counterbalance for Imelda?"
Thrain looked at him deeply at that moment. "You really haven't heard anything, aren't you Sir?"
"Told you that before." Ludwig shrugged. At the same time, he picked up something wrong with Thrain's tone. "What happened to Satoshi?"
"Sir Satoshi has disappeared, Sir."
"Dissappear? What do you mean?"
Thrain let out a long sigh. "The official statement from Valtherion Empire is that he went back to his world."
"Impossible." Ludwig's tone dipped low. "I have researched the summoning ritual that Valtherion used to summon him. It's a one way ticket. He won't be able to come home. Even if they made a change, it would need so much energy that would make the Heart of Demon King feel like a drop in an ocean."
"My father also told the king about that." Thrain answered calmly. "However… There's an unofficial statement, words that could only be heard behind the closed door."
"And that is?"
"The Crimson Shade assassinated him."
Ludwig's mana burst to every corner of the room, putting weight on everyone's shoulder. The room rumbled, the runic lamps flickered in and out the present, and chatter stopped. Sprawling dwarves stood back into their feet, eyes clear as crystal.
"Have they gone mad?" Ludwig's voice slithered around the room, coiling around every dwarf present in the room, rooting them on their feet. "Varcus have saved our ass more than dozens of times throughout the years. He is part of the party. They dare to accuse him?"
"Lud, peace." A calm voice cut through the overbearing atmosphere. "We all know it's just a lie."
"Yet they dare to utter such lies, Bromnir." Ludwig's voice boomed around once again as he whipped his head towards the dwarf who was walking at him with hands behind his back. "You know as well as me just how dangerous the vampires are. If they took offense at what Valtherion said, it would be a bloodbath."
"I know." Bromnir put his hand on Ludwig's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. "That's why Thrain came to you. My name alone is not enough to make them rethink their plans. But with your name added to the equation, everything will change."
"That's what I don't understand." Ludwig closed his eyes shut and reigned all the mana that had burst into the room. "I never told them I'll disappear, I just told them I want to rest. So why did they think like I'm nothing?"
"My friend. Every single kingdom and empire in Eldara have scoured through many places to find you. Not one pebble is left unturned. They even sent people to Shenzora, Avarach, Nothrann, and Ocevara. But they still can't find you. Not like they can catch you or anything, but they wanted proof. A proof that you are still in this world. But with no one seeing you, they thought they could erase one of the pieces that can foil their plans."
"Why do they think I'm not in this world anymore?" Ludwig's forehead creased.
"Becaus of Imelda." The dwarf said calmly. "She said you took the Demon King's heart to experiment on your space ability."
"That bitch!" Ludwig growled. "She knew as well as me that the Heart did not have enough power to let me breach the veil of the world. Yet she still spreads that rumour?"
"You have to understand, Lud. The Demon King's heart is the prize for Demon King subjugation. All the hearts from the past Demon King birthed something extraordinary."
"And dangerous." Ludwig spat.
"I know." Bromnir nodded. "But failing to take the Heart home should be a scratch on Imelda's fame. By telling the world you are the one who takes it, she softened the blow from her failing to get the heart home as well as the blow from her decreasing influence because of your Age Reversal treatment."
Ludwig dunked all the ale inside his mug and swallowed it, burning his innards. "So, how could my name change the game?"
"That…" Bromnir looked at his son.
"We are trying to put pressure on them by using a trade agreement, Sir." Thrain answered. "We have reached out to Miss Kaelith and Sir Gorruk as well. Their response is positive. With you joining the trade agreement, there will be four members of the Hero's Party in it. So, we would have enough deterrent from their violent response when we turned them away by the time they come to our door for weapons."
Ludwig folded his arm in front of his chest. "You guys already have trade agreements with Carindral last time i check. So that makes 4 great nations with the inclusion of Sylvaris, and Gorr-mak. You aren't reaching towards Fenria and Sanctora?"
"We will include Fenria once the trade agreement becomes mutual agreement, not party to party. But Sanctora…"
"They didn't want to join because of Gorr-mak and Fenria, did they?"
"Indeed."
Ludwig raised one of his hands towards his hair and riffled it hard. "Why is the world became even more fucked up after the Demon King is slain?"
"Because the common enemy is defeated." Bromnir looked at him and said solemnly.
"I know that." Ludwig sighed. "Sure, you can use my name. You can even include my Age Reversal treatment to make the agreement more powerful. But… Priced it 3 times the usual price for the members of the trade agreement and 10 times for anyone from the Kingdom and Empire that didn't join. And the place is limited. Only four people a month, 1 per week. Understood?"
If they wanted to play, Ludwig would happily take part. But not with their rules, with his rules. Fuck those people who already thinking about expansion, if he could bleed them through his treatment, he would happily do so.
"T-that's more than what we expect. We just want to use your name, Sir." Thrain stammered.
"It's fine. I know how powerful Age Reversal is. But if they want to live longer, at least I should take their arms so they can't do funny business, shouldn't I?"
"Indeed, Sir." Thrain said. "But how should we contact you if someone wants to use your service?"
Ludwig waved his hands, and from the thin air, a small dark bead descended slowly towards Thrain. "Put your mana into that bead, I'll come here. I prefer you receive all the applications first, so I can just choose which one I want to do whenever I'm here."
"Understood, Sir." Thrain spoke. "Since you are so generous, Sir. The Blackforge will waive the payment for the things you came here to buy. Please treat it as our gratitude."
"Sure, and thank you." Ludwig shrugged.
"Bring Sir Ludwig's order here." Thrain bellowed, and a few dwarves quickly left the room.
Before long, the party went normal. Tankards being clinked around, laughter, and dancing filled the room. But as the door opened once again and the dwarves came back with barrels of their brew that Ludwig offered, Bromnir whispered to him.
"My friend. If you come across Satoshi again, you should help him."
"He just ran away from Valtherion, didn't he?" Ludwig said under his breath, tone serious as he thought about the man. No, not the first half version of the man, but the second half in which he had become a shadow of his former self.
"He is." Bromnir chuckled. "But with how aggressive both Valtherion and Arcanoth are, I can't blame him. No matter which slides he chooses, it would lead to bloodbath."
"Yeah." Ludwig sighed. "But, have you thought about the possibility of him joining the war just to stop Imelda or Valtherion?"
"That's the first thing that came to my mind after I heard he'd disappeared." Bromnir said.
"What will you do when the time comes?" Ludwig asked, but his eyes were not on Bromnir.
"I don't know." Bromnir laughed wryly. "I don't want to get involved in any war anymore If I could help it."
Ludwig sighed and waved his arms, the barrels in front of him disappeared. Then, Thrain walked towards him. In his hands was a crystal bottle sitting in luxurious red clothes. "Sir Ludwig, this is what my father promised you. Our Obsidian Crown."
Taking the weight of the bottle into his hands, he opened his mouth. "Thank you again. I'll cherish it."
"We are the one who should thank you, Sir. Once the King heard about this, I can say you will be rewarded." Thrain said, his tone full of pride.
"Well, tell your king that a bottle of your brew will be much appreciated." Ludwig chuckled.
"I will make sure to tell His Majesty that, Sir." He also chuckled, which was chorused by everyone in the room.
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