Inside the treasury of the Eight Peaks Mountain, Belegar finally found a black box, about a meter wide and sixty centimeters long, resting on a large golden platter within one of the tombs. Slowly, the King of the Eight Peaks opened it.
"Heh, Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds—an entire box full of them," Belegar smirked. As he opened the box, a radiant array of dazzling lights immediately burst out. The brilliant colors and powerful magical energy overflowed into the ancient, hollow tomb, enlivening the nearby stone walls and pillars with a mystical glow. "The pointy-ears came for these! All for these Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds."
"Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds?" Ryan, along with Veronica and Olica, appeared beside Belegar. The White Dwarf, who had been watching nearby, chimed in. This aged dwarf, whose origins were a mystery, took out a pipe and sat down to puff smoke lazily. "Aye, Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds. King Belegar, young Ryan, and those pointy-eared witch and elf behind you, care for a story about these diamonds?"
Naturally, no one objected, and they all paused to listen.
The story began with the legendary hero, Aenarion the Defender, the first Phoenix King. This tale, well-known to all present, was not repeated here. What mattered was that with the blessings of Asuryan, the Phoenix God, Aenarion fought off the daemons of Chaos pouring from the northern portals. The first Phoenix King, handsome and powerful, led the elven armies to victory against every Chaos force ravaging Ulthuan, slaying each Chaos champion and daemon. Peace briefly returned to Ulthuan. During this time, Aenarion met the Everqueen, Astarielle, in her palace in Avelorn. The beautiful Everqueen fell for the valiant king, and they were happily wed, producing a son and a daughter.
However, the peace did not last long. Chaos forces soon returned, and though Aenarion was a mighty warrior, he was but one person. During one of his campaigns away from Avelorn, Chaos daemons invaded the land. The Everqueen begged the ancient treeman Durthu, who was visiting Avelorn at the time, to take her children to safety in Athel Loren. She herself stayed behind to face her fate. Elves refuse to speak of her ultimate fate, but her children survived, growing up in Athel Loren and escaping the Curse of Khaine. After Aenarion's death, they were returned to Ulthuan. The daughter, Yvraine, became the new Everqueen. These children were acknowledged by the wood elves as their ancestors, and among the most cherished relics they left behind were the Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds, sacred treasures created to honor the fallen Everqueen with countless hours of labor and devotion.
However, the elves never got to use them, as the War of the Beard erupted. In the end, most of the Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds were confiscated by the dwarves during the war.
(Some were lost when Malekith's fiancée, on a voyage to Naggaroth to reconcile with the Witch King, was caught in a storm and sank with the ship. Incidentally, the storm had been summoned by Morathi, Malekith's mother.)
Both the high elves and wood elves have long been fixated on retrieving the Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds. However, after the fall of the Eight Peaks, these sacred relics were buried deep underground, making it impossible for the elves to assist the dwarves in reclaiming the mountain. Thus, the treasure remained lost until now.
"The forest pointy-ears sent their forces here just to claim these!" The White Dwarf casually picked up a handful of elven diamonds and tossed them into the sea of gold. The shimmering gems scattered across the golden waves. "Well, now it's their turn to beg us."
"Are you not planning to honor your agreement?" Ryan asked curiously.
"Who said we're not?" Belegar scoffed, pulling out a particular piece of jewelry from the pile of Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds.
It was the Eternal Radiance Crown.
The crown, crafted from hundreds of Greenleaf Platinum Diamonds, bore the blessings of Isha and Kurnous. It was originally intended to be given to the Everqueen, but it had instead fallen into the hands of the dwarves.
Olica and Veronica's eyes were immediately drawn to the crown.
Ryan couldn't help but imagine how beautiful the crown would look on Lilith or Sulia. As for the wood elves? He didn't care much—Alaroth would probably just give it to Lilith anyway.
"Considering the pointy-ears did contribute a little to this war—just a little." Belegar grabbed a small bag and filled it with a handful of elven diamonds. "We'll give them this much for now. As for the rest, well, I bet they have no idea just how much we have."
"Giving them a portion first, I see," Ryan nodded slightly, understanding the dwarves' reasoning.
For the wood elves, and indeed all elves, contract adherence was somewhat flexible. High elves, at least, held a bit more respect for contracts, while dark elves often twisted the wording to their advantage. Wood elves, however… well, they only honored agreements when it was necessary or when the opposing side was strong—like Ryan, who fit both criteria. That was why the wood elves maintained good relations with him.
"As for this crown, I believe young Ryan here will know exactly where to send it, am I right?" The White Dwarf, clearly not fond of the elves, handed the Eternal Radiance Crown to Ryan. "You'll know what to do with it."
"How do you know I'll know what to do with it?" Ryan thought to himself, suspecting that the White Dwarf knew Lilith was the Lady of the Lake.
"You know I know that you know where it belongs," the White Dwarf nodded seriously. His expression then turned grave. "But don't rely on her too much. You need to have your own judgment, young man."
"I will," Ryan nodded.
After a few hours of cataloging the wealth, everyone exited the treasury. It would take the dwarves around two weeks to separate out Ryan's portion, which included one million dwarven gold coins, along with Belegar settling his debts with an additional 150,000 gold coins.
Though the Eight Peaks had been reclaimed, smaller battles continued. Over the next week, Ryan and Belegar led small elite forces to clean up nearby greenskin tribes and minor Skaven clans, ensuring the Eight Peaks would not face significant threats for the foreseeable future.
Strangely, the wood elf forces participated in the sweeps as well, but Alaroth was nowhere to be seen for several days. When asked, his subordinates merely said he had left for personal reasons.
Ryan wondered what Alaroth was up to this time.
Perhaps it would be best to ask Lilith about it when he had the chance.
After dealing with the nearby threats, Ryan and the others were greeted by an envoy from the Everpeak. The High King had sent an Eternal Guard as a messenger to the Eight Peaks. Upon seeing the reclaimed stronghold with his own eyes, the envoy finally believed it. "Belegar Ironhammer! The High King has a decree!"
"The rightful King of the Eight Peaks, Belegar Ironhammer, and the warriors of the Angrund Clan, hear the words of King Thorgrim," Belegar said solemnly, bowing. All the dwarven leaders, rune-smiths, and engineers were present, though the knights were absent. Only the White Dwarf remained seated, observing, for he needed to bow to no one.
"King Thorgrim commends you and your knightly allies for reclaiming the Eight Peaks," the envoy began gruffly. "In these dark times, your deeds have demonstrated the strength and honor of the dwarves. His Majesty is pleased but reminds you that the greenskins and Skaven will not let this stand. They will return."
"Hah, what good does it do for Thorgrim to play nice now?" Belegar shouted defiantly, rising to his feet. "Does he think I don't know? Reclaiming the Eight Peaks was hard, and holding it will be even harder! Does Thorgrim take me for a fool? I don't need his reminders. I'll hold this place with my people, no matter how difficult! The real question is, what help can the Everpeak offer?"
"I bring with me a squadron of gyrocopters and an engineering team," the envoy said, clearly displeased. "The High King's forces are stretched thin. While reclaiming the Eight Peaks is a victory, the north remains embroiled in war. Everpeak is preparing a campaign to retake Karak Grombad from the night goblins, and there are no extra forces to spare for you."
"Help me?" Belegar scoffed, growing angrier. He hefted his Angrund Sacred Hammer and waved it around, grumbling loudly. Then, he uttered a phrase that would later become famous in dwarven history: "Before you came, we were already the liberators of the Eight Peaks!"
"What do you mean by that, Belegar?" The High King's envoy immediately gripped his warhammer, his face flushed with anger beneath his helm. His long beard trembled with his rage. "Don't forget, it was the High King's aid that kept your people from starving!"
"Oh? Is that so? And where was Thorgrim when we fought the battle at Ironrock, defended Valaya's Gate, and fought the final stand at Titan's Gate with our knightly
allies? Nowhere! That's what I mean!" Belegar snapped.
Tensions rose quickly. The High King's envoy squad gripped their weapons, and Belegar's dwarves responded in kind.
A full-blown conflict seemed imminent until a booming voice cut through the tension: "Enough!"
"Lord White Dwarf!" The Everpeak envoy trembled, his knees buckling as he lowered his weapon.
"Belegar means that he is grateful for King Thorgrim's aid and commendation," the White Dwarf glared at Belegar, who lowered his head in embarrassment and signaled his men to sheath their weapons. "But now, the dwarves of the Eight Peaks must rely on their own strength to survive."
Once both sides had lowered their arms, the White Dwarf puffed on his pipe and spoke slowly. "According to the laws of our ancestors, even the High King has no authority to interfere in the affairs of other dwarven kingdoms during peacetime. Am I wrong?"
"No, you're correct," the envoy admitted reluctantly.
"So, what's there to argue about? Since the High King sent a gyrocopter squad to assist you, it's a gesture of care and unity. Belegar, accept it. Having a gyrocopter squad will be beneficial to the Eight Peaks." The White Dwarf's stern voice left little room for debate. "As for the internal affairs of the Eight Peaks, the High King should not meddle excessively. We must trust that Belegar and his people can hold the Eight Peaks and restore the Angrund Clan to greatness, correct?"
"Yes," both Belegar and the envoy relented. With the White Dwarf mediating, the tension dissipated. After further discussions, the two sides agreed on how to coordinate their efforts. With the Eight Peaks reclaimed, Everpeak, Karak Izor, Iron Peak Fortress, and the Eight Peaks were now united. The dwarves could finally stand together rather than fight in isolation.
"Well, my work here is done, and it's time for me to leave," the White Dwarf nodded.
"Lord Grimbulindel!" Belegar and the others, surprisingly reluctant to see him go, stood to bid him farewell. The King of the Eight Peaks personally tried to persuade him to stay. "We will never forget your help. You should stay and share in this great victory with us."
"No need, hahaha~ I've already witnessed this great victory and settled many old grudges. There's nothing more satisfying than that." The White Dwarf gathered his belongings, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "I'm just an old dwarf passing through. Don't forget that."
With that, the White Dwarf packed up and left the Eight Peaks without looking back. Like a god walking among mortals, he left behind countless legends but never lingered in any one place for long. Yet whenever there was a dwarven battle or a grudge to settle, he would return.
After the situation with Belegar was resolved, the envoy from Everpeak emerged from the Ancestral Hall. Clearly in a bad mood, he turned to his subordinates and said, "Have you found out where this so-called Knight-King, Ryan Malcador, is?"
"The Knight-King is currently stationed at Valley Town, below Crescent Peak and Silverhorn Peak," the accompanying dwarven ranger answered.
"Good, we'll go meet him now." The envoy stroked his white beard and sneered. "Hmph, the High King knew Belegar would be too stubborn to listen to reason. But how can his sparsely populated clan possibly defend such a massive fortress as the Eight Peaks?"
"So… what does the High King intend?" the dwarven ranger asked cautiously.
"The hope of holding the Eight Peaks lies with the humans. Unlike most dwarven strongholds, this one has large surface towns and fortresses, much like Karak Azgal. The plateau has farmland and grazing pastures. Humans can live here." The envoy nodded. "Thus, holding the Eight Peaks will require the help of humans."
"And how much help we get from the humans depends on our negotiations with this Knight-King." The envoy sighed. "The High King is offering quite generous terms."
"The High King sure has gone through a lot of trouble for Belegar and the Eight Peaks."
"Indeed."
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