Dorglin, the leader of this Dwarf Ranger troupe, looks extremely strong. He's wearing a green linen garment, with muscles bulging on his arms, holding a war axe that is exceptionally large for a dwarf.

Just standing there, he gives off a massive oppressive aura, like a beast poised to pounce at any moment.

This is the natural majesty accumulated from slaying countless monsters. As the leader of the Ranger squad, he possesses elite level strength! That's why he can lead a dozen rangers through monster-infested mountains.

For this dwarf who embodies both strength and courage, Su Li maintains a respectful attitude, saying, "The Hesse Territory welcomes our dwarf friends."

Dorglin grunted, "Our big allies, the Redbeard Tribe Dwarves, pay respect to you. We visit your territory to strengthen our steadfast friendship."

Outside, the rain poured; with nothing else to do, Su Li said to the dwarves, "With allies visiting, we must of course warmly welcome you. The castle has prepared a hotpot to entertain you; we can eat and talk at the same time."

"Hotpot? Lamb slices?" The dwarves' eyes opened wide, the sound of excited swallowing filling the castle.

This is the famous delicacy of the Half-Elves!

Half-Elves are adept at culinary delights, and the aroma of a whole roasted lamb once mediated a battle between two armies.

And hotpot is their most famous dish. With the castle bringing out such a feast to entertain them, how could the dwarves contain their excitement and cravings?

Dorglin flushed with excitement, said, "Thank you so much for your hospitality, this trip is truly worthwhile for us."

Soon, the Half-Elves brought in four hotpots, filling the long wooden dining table in the castle hall with a spread of food—thick-cut beef, hand-sliced lamb rolls, pig brains, tripe, honeycomb beef tripe, bamboo shoots, lotus slices, greens, and endive—all delivered in food baskets.

The moment this food was presented, the dwarves were already swallowing excitedly. Living deep in the mountains and underground, dwarves, though possessing strong heavy industrial and engineering capabilities, are very underdeveloped in agriculture and light industry. Clothing and culinary delights are their shortcomings. Most dwarves wear coarse linen garments that feel like needles against the skin, only tolerable due to the dwarves' rough skin.

Usually, dwarves eat stone bread, a mix of wheat flour and crushed stones that, while tasteless, sustains the body.

Only when the King holds a royal banquet in the King's hall for honored kin are there large quantities of barley beer, beef, and venison, exchanged with human empires below for their metal crafts.

Most Dwarf Fortresses cannot produce food and rely on terraced farming in the mountains, fishing from aboveground rivers or underground streams, grazing goats in the mountains, and Dwarf Rangers hunting mountain animals to maintain their food supply.

Thus, upon entering the Hesse Territory and finding such a bounty, the Rangers were overjoyed as these were delicacies they couldn't enjoy even during festivals.

Dorglin Redbeard couldn't help but sigh, "It would be perfect if we had a cup of barley beer. Unfortunately, I drank my supply dry three days ago fighting the Horned Beast group, or I would have let you taste our Dwarven craft."

Su Li said with a smile, "We don't have barley beer in our territory, but we have plenty of Giant Brew in my castle. Let's open a barrel today and drink freely."

"What? Giant Brew!"

"Giant Brew!? Ancestors above, did I hear correctly?"

"I swear by the Book of Blood, I just heard this big friend mention Giant Brew!"

The dwarves' loud, vibrant voices nearly lifted the roof.

When the Half-Elves pushed a large barrel of Giant Brew into the room, the dwarves couldn't sit still. They leaned over the table, sniffing heavily with their red noses to savor the aroma.

"Ancestors above, it truly is Giant Brew! I can smell its unparalleled fragrance!"

"Oh, blessed by the Ancestors! We've indeed come to the right place! This is the perfect ally for our Redbeard Clan."

"Praise be to the master of Hesse Territory, the great Knight Su Li. The dwarves will remember your friendship and virtue. From now on, we are comrades to the last breath."

Dorglin looked at his compatriots lying on the table, feeling quite embarrassed, though he too couldn't resist breathing in the seductive aroma of the Giant Brew. This exquisite drink was like a wanton courtesan, stripping bare and seductively beckoning him. How could he resist?

He could only swallow hard, staring intently at the slowly approaching Giant Brew, saying to Su Li, "My friend, please forgive the dwarves' impropriety. You know, no dwarf can resist such a top-tier brew's temptation."

Su Li waved his hand with a smile, saying, "No problem. When you leave, each of you can take a jug as a gift from a friend."

In Su Li's possession wasn't just one or two barrels; he had a full four barrels donated by the dwarves!

After a battle with the Broken Toe Tribe, Su Li acquired a large number of fresh Giant corpses over several days.

The dwarves brewed a large amount of Giant Brew with the blood of those giants. Anyway, Su Li didn't drink this stuff, he usually gave it as gifts or rewards to the dwarves.

Half a barrel was enough for each dwarf to get a pot.

As soon as Su Li's generous words fell, the castle instantly echoed with the cheers of the dwarves!

"Praise you, our generous giant friend."

"Now your enemies are our mortal enemies."

"Indeed, as long as you need, call upon us, no matter how far the distance, how perilous the journey, or how formidable the enemy, the dwarves will arrive on time to help you fight against your enemies."

Hearing the dwarves' promises, Su Li couldn't help but smile. This was a big gain, equivalent to gaining the friendship of a Champion Level Ranger and twelve Elite Level Rangers!

You can summon them in any battle, even against a mighty Green Dragon, they will fearlessly arrive on time.

Because for dwarves, integrity is the most important value in their culture.

The dwarves have a famous saying: "No amount of gold can buy back lost reputation, and no craftsmanship can repair a ruined honor."

Reputation and prestige are everything to a dwarf. Wealth can come and go, but honor must last forever.

The friendship with a band of dwarves is a lifetime fortune for Su Li.

Later, Su Li warmly entertained these dwarves; outside the castle, the rain poured down fiercely, while inside the hall, the hotpot was boiling, and everyone was drinking with high spirits.

The dwarves ate large mouthfuls of succulent beef and lamb, with rich soup and juices bursting in their mouths, dispelling the chill brought by the heavy rain, and soon they stripped to their waists, cheering in the rising steam.

All the dwarves praised Su Li highly and said they would surely ask the fortress for a trade alliance with the Black Forest.

This was also the reason Su Li was so concerned about the whereabouts of this band of Dwarf Rangers; his territory was too isolated and needed alliances with surrounding forces to exchange resources.

After three rounds of drinks and five varieties of dishes, most of the dwarves had reddened noses, filled with drunkenness.

Dorglin drank a bit too much, and after hearing that Su Li liked beautiful women, he drunkenly patted his chest and vowed, "My friend, trust me, when I return to the Redbeard Fortress, I will surely find you a dwarf beauty with huge breasts, big hips, and a sturdy waist. I will arrange a feast to fatten her up a month before bringing her to you."

"But my generous friend, you should keep a sexy beard. We dwarves have a traditional beauty custom of waist-binding. You must wrap your beard around a dwarf beauty's waist to prove you are worthy of respect and possess wisdom and good upbringing."

Su Li quickly said, "Huge breasts and big hips are enough, I don't have a beard long enough for a sturdy waist!"

Dorglin excitedly slapped the table and said, "My friend, you agree with our dwarf aesthetics, right? That means you are incredibly wise, as a great giant! And you even agree to my suggestion of growing a beard. You truly value our friendship."

The other dwarves immediately shouted excitedly, "For friendship, cheers!"

"This toast, to friendship."

Growing a beard was something Su Li naturally didn't mind. Sometimes, you need a bit of masculinity to suppress the archaic elegance of a long robe.

Besides, not only dwarves, even human knights value beards as beauty.

The Military Commander Knight Oerstein in the territory had a manly brown beard, proudly displayed outside his helmet.

So Su Li smiled, raised his glass, and said, "For friendship, drink to the full."

He drank Hundred Flowers Honey Wine, which was somewhat like champagne, so he didn't feel much intoxication.

Listening to Dorglin's excited promise, to surely find him a beauty with huge breasts, big hips, and a slender waist for waist-binding, he casually smiled and then turned back to the main topic, "How is your Redbeard Clan currently?"

Dorglin proudly said, "Our Redbeard Fortress stands on Ashen Peak in the Gray Mountain Range. It's the site of a volcanic relic, where we carved out a massive fortress atop barren, steep peaks, tasked with guarding the monster-infested mountain pass."

"Our tribe has a large number of Mountain Shield Array Dwarf Warriors, each member exceptionally brave, and proud to ensure the safety and smoothness of the pass. Thus, it has never fallen."

"Also, our population is numerous, with over three thousand dwarves. This trip down the mountain is to find a territory of the Empire for mutual trade."

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