Chapter 29: City of Steel
The wagon traveled for another five days.
The terrain began to undulate. The greenery of the plains gradually faded, replaced by grayish-brown gravel and low cold-resistant shrubs. The air carried a sharp, bitter smell of iron ore and charcoal fire, as if countless blacksmith shops were operating at full capacity.
Rounding a mountain ridge, Lan Chi caught sight of a magnificent settlement. He instinctively sat up straight and looked up.
He had expected Dwarf architecture to be short, but he never imagined it would be this massive. The cluster of buildings before him seemed almost carved horizontally out of the mountain itself.
Every structure here was like a fortress. The walls were built from unpolished massive rocks stacked together, with dark metal slurry poured into the gaps between them. When sunlight hit, it gave off an intimidating gleam.
The houses were extremely close together, with narrow spacing that an ordinary person could barely pass through. Rectangular windows were cut very small, positioned near the eaves.
Lan Chi's eyes swept over the connections between floors. He noticed that each building had a minimum floor height of five meters. Any structure two stories or higher already reached the height of a defensive wall.
Beside each house stood chimneys nearly ten meters tall, with thick smoke carried up by the mountain wind, soaring into the sky. Inside the buildings, the sounds of forging rose and fell, rolling waves of heat spilling out onto the street.
The wagon moved slowly forward. The number of various races here was noticeably larger than in the Racial Alliance settlement. Dwarves walked past the wagon, their heights ranging from about one meter to one point five meters. Most wore short sleeves, moving between the various shops.
Lan Chi felt a bit hot. The temperature here was at least five degrees higher than at the mountain's base. He took off his coat, looked up at those enormous buildings, and couldn't help asking in his mind: "Are all Dwarf buildings this tall? Aren't they short?"
Nightshade's answer came promptly: "Dwarves usually live in caves. They like to hollow out mines and build their real dwellings inside mine shafts. The outer buildings are mostly for smelting, shops, and receiving outsiders. See that gate ahead?"
Lan Chi looked toward the massive gate ahead, metal brackets fixing it between the mountains.
"The reason the buildings are built so tall is for defense," Nightshade continued. "Once the gate closes, it forms a barrier. In the trial ground, this structure saves time and effort—more practical than building traditional walls. The real Dwarf city is hidden deeper inside the mountain."
He paused, then added: "Also, they build tall so outsiders can experience what it feels like to be a Dwarf for a while."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"I see." Lan Chi pondered. None of the intelligent races here were fools.
The wagon soon reached the city gate. After Nightshade presented their entry documents, they spent five Phosphorus Crystals to hire a local guide. It was a red-haired Dwarf named Balin Ironhammer, who looked quite young and was very talkative.
"There are fifteen Dwarf strongholds open for trade. If you want to buy ore, this is the main city—the most complete selection." Balin introduced. "Old Man Ironhammer's, Steel Smithy, and Giant Hammer Forge are currently the three with the most complete ore varieties and the best smelting purity."
Nightshade nodded. "I need quite a bit of ore. We plan to stay here for a while. Where can we rent a place?"
"Renting means staying outside the city. Let me take you to the rental shop first." Lan Chi moved to the back of the wagon, and Balin climbed onto the driver's seat, pointing the way for Nightshade.
The wagon soon stopped in front of a building built from massive rocks. Lan Chi and Nightshade followed Balin off the wagon, while Kaelen stayed behind to watch their luggage.
The three entered the building. The interior furnishings were simple and clear. Directly ahead was the front desk for handling various matters. To the left were several round tables for guests to rest. To the right, two long lines had formed—people coming to rent or purchase property.
The guide Balin voluntarily joined the queue, while Lan Chi and Nightshade sat at a round table to wait.
"Lots of people here," Lan Chi remarked quietly.
"Naturally. Dwarf goods have always been the best." A hearty voice came from nearby. Lan Chi looked toward the sound and saw a middle-aged Dwarf smiling in greeting. "Young man, first time in Steel City?"
"Yes," Lan Chi replied politely.
"My name is Bolgar Blackforge." Bolgar struck up a conversation. "More and more outsiders have been coming lately. Inns are hard to find. Judging by your setup, planning a long-term rental?"
"Yes, we're traveling merchants. We plan to stay for a while and acquire some goods," Lan Chi replied.
"Have you found a place yet?" Bolgar asked eagerly.
"Not yet." Lan Chi smiled. Bolgar was asking so eagerly—did he have a place to rent?
"Oh, oh, great... oh, I mean, rentals are hard to come by right now. I have a house. Would you be interested?" Bolgar asked.
Lan Chi asked curiously, "What kind of house?"
"Two stories. The location is a bit remote, but I can lower the rent. Five Phosphorus Crystals per day, however long you want to rent." Bolgar seized the opportunity to promote.
Lan Chi and Nightshade exchanged glances. The price was good—much lower than an inn. But what kind of house was so cheap?
"Bolgar, what are you doing here?" Balin, returning from the queue, interrupted their conversation. He spread a simple map on the table.
"I'm about to head down to the mines. I saw these two guests looking to rent, so I came over to ask if they were interested." Bolgar smiled honestly.
"Oh, I see." Balin, accustomed to this, explained to Lan Chi and Nightshade, "People here often go down to the mines and stay there for months at a time, so they rent out their houses. Bolgar's house is on the city edge—the geographical location is rather remote."
He pointed to locations on the simple map. "Here's where Bolgar's house is. These three houses are the rental properties I found according to your requirements. You can see which one you want to rent."
Lan Chi and Nightshade leaned in to examine the map. They noticed that the geographical locations of these several houses were quite good—the three near the commercial street. Bolgar's house, though on the city outskirts and a bit far from the commercial street, had its advantages: few neighbors nearby, and just beyond his house lay the forest.
"How much is the rent for these houses?" Nightshade asked.
Balin pointed to the corresponding locations on the map and gave the prices: "The ones near the commercial street are fifteen Phosphorus Crystals, twelve, and ten respectively."
"Mine's only five," Bolgar interjected.
After hearing the introduction, Lan Chi transmitted to Nightshade in his mind: "I think Bolgar's place could work. Not just the price—the location is good too. It'll make it easier for the hut to hide."
Nightshade nodded and looked at Balin and Bolgar. "We'd like to rent from Mr. Bolgar. What's the procedure?"
