Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 397, Section 6: The Dark Iron Dwarves Can Only Win Battles When Led by Foreigners and Women - Bonus Chapter [75]

(Bonus chapter for the "Taoshuke" brothers [2/5])
"What the hell! You even said this is the most powerful treasure in your Thorium Brotherhood's possession, but to me it's clearly just trash, okay?"

In a corner of the Black Iron Bar, Irelia stood with her hands on her hips, placing the heavy warhammer she was holding on the table.

The moment she got her hands on it, Irelia, a veteran of countless wars and wielding all sorts of weapons, knew it was an absolute divine weapon. But she adopted a disdainful expression, coldly refuting Old Gani's earlier words:

"You say this thing was forged to fight against the Fire Demon King, but to make it a true divine artifact, it needs to use the Fire Demon King's essence."

Listen to what you're saying, isn't that insane?

"I've already obtained the essence of the Firelord, what do I need this warhammer for?"

The little girl rolled her eyes and said:
"I've heard that your Thorium Brotherhood are the most skilled blacksmiths among the Dark Iron Dwarves, and this is what you all came up with when you got together?"
"Let me tell you, with your design approach, you'd get a zero in the Blacksmithing Academy of the Eredar's Mystic Palace, understand?"

"Ahem, even if you say that, it doesn't change the fact that this warhammer is very valuable!"

The Thorium Brotherhood's quartermaster blushed, but still stubbornly maintained his stance.

Fortunately, the Dark Iron dwarves were all as black as charcoal, otherwise Yrel would have really noticed his lack of confidence. He muttered:
"I admit that there are some problems with this design concept, but it's not a big deal. You know, in order to forge this warhammer, we sent people to the heart of Molten Core to mine precious ores."

And you were the one who said you wanted to buy it!

"We can't lower the price."

"I may be rich, but I'm not a sucker!"

Irelia stared wide-eyed, slammed her hand on the table, and said:
"Your thing is clearly useless, so why are you charging me such an expensive labor fee?"

Oh, so I have to spend a lot of money just because it uses precious materials?

You can forge a trash can with the most luxurious materials, and no matter how beautifully you decorate it, it doesn't change the fact that it's meant to hold trash. At least a trash can has some use, but what can you do with this warhammer?
If it were really as valuable as you say, you wouldn't be selling it, right?
I've heard that this thing has been sitting here for decades and nobody's bought it.

Look, everyone here knows what's good; nobody's going to pay a high price for junk. So I'll only pay you the cost price. Just tell me if you want to sell or not!

The Dark Iron dwarf looked helpless in the face of Yrel's haggling.

In the past, such customers would have been kicked out long ago. Given the idiotic nature of the Dark Iron dwarves, who are known for their "buy or leave" attitude, there have been many instances of them "beating customers without cause," which even forced the Dark Iron bar owner, Prag, to write a sign on the bar wall that read "No beating customers."

But they couldn't afford to mess with this blue-skinned hoofed man in front of them.

They came to help drive away the Flame Demon King, and they are indeed powerful. Even the rats in the Black Iron Tavern know the name of the famous Vigilant Saint.

So, after some discussion, the Dark Iron dwarves finally agreed to the cost price offered by Yrel.

The main problem is that this unfortunate warhammer has been a laughing stock in the Black Iron Bar for almost thirty years since it was built. If this "dark history" isn't dealt with soon, the Thorium Brotherhood will truly be infamous for eternity.

Horse riding!
Next time those master blacksmiths are designing weapons, we can't let them drink anymore! Look at the garbage these bastards come up with when they're drunk!
Irelia snorted and tossed out several gems of very high quality.

This is her Lightforged allowance for the past few months; the Holy Light Legion's salary is quite generous.

However, after happily putting away the warhammer, Yrel glanced at the various weapons that the Black Iron quartermaster had laid out behind him.

You won't believe it until you see it; it's a real surprise!

These Dark Iron dwarves, relying on the fire resistance granted by Ragnaros, are the only blacksmiths capable of forging weapons in lava. The quality of the weapons and armor they create is as high as the Dark Iron dwarves' reputation for deception and fraud.

This is about the level of weaponry that the light-casting craftsmen can produce.

The main reason is that the Eredar people focus all their skill points on jewelry making; forging is indeed not their area of ​​expertise.

"I'm going to do a big deal!"

Yrel said to the members of the Thorium Brotherhood:

"We'll be operating in Azeroth for a long time afterward, and our weapons and armor will wear out. We can provide the blueprints so you can craft weapons suitable for Lightforged. The price is negotiable, but the main thing is to complete it on time."

Furthermore, I have a group of Lightforged Dragons under my command that need armor.

The armor they want is very unusual. Can you make it?

"Tch, there's nothing in this world that we Dark Iron Dwarves can't make! Give me the blueprints, let me take a look."

The other party confidently agreed to the deal.

A moment later, Captain Faria, who had drunk enough and was reciting holy scriptures to sober up, was called over. After a conversation, the Lightforged Chapter found its logistical support in Azeroth, and Yrel, who acted as the middleman, also received a broker's fee.

She suddenly realized that she really had a talent for doing business.

The great-uncle, who was on duty outside the tavern and never drank, soon received a gift. He looked at Iriel in surprise, then at the exquisitely crafted warhammer in his hand.

He didn't refuse; he did need to replace his warhammer.

My great-uncle smiled and said:

"Thank you."

"You take good care of me, it's only right."

Irele, reeking of alcohol, laughed and said:
“Let’s continue to cooperate in the future, my dear company commander. Oh, those dwarves say that using the essence of the Balrog King can turn this warhammer into a divine weapon that can control flames. Don’t rush to put the Naaru fragment in; wait until it’s upgraded before doing so.”

Anyway, we're going with Commander Diakum to defeat the Balrog King, so this is just something we do along the way.

After saying that, Irelia yawned, waved, and went back to the Black Iron Bar to rest.

After she left, Nuboton strolled over leisurely with a glass of wine in his hand, looked Marad up and down, took a sip of the wine, and said in a strange tone:
“You come from a prominent family with very strict rules. Iriel’s status is probably a bit lacking, isn’t it? I’ve heard that even in the upper echelons of Eredar during the Second Co-governance era, social standing is important when it comes to marriage.”

“That was more than 20,000 years ago. No matter how glorious it was, my family is now down to just me and Lyran.”

My great-uncle shook his head and said:

"For us, the only identity that matters is that of a Holy Light Walker!"

"Hmph, aren't you going to say anything in response?"

Nubotton complained:

"Yrel isn't even an adult yet. You better suppress your restless heart, or your Uncle Dick will break your legs. Look, Prince Kael'thas is here, and he's all mysteriously disguising himself."

These elves are so pretentious.

------

"Are you crazy? Thaurissan, listen to what you're saying!"

In the Hall of the Seven Sages in Darkhearth, the Dark Iron dwarf lords who had been summoned were all horrified. In this Dark Iron royal cemetery, Dagran Thaurissan, dressed in royal robes but unable to hide his disheveled state, had just uttered a terrifying command with his back to them.

"You want us to rebel against Ragnaros?"

Gerstahn, the "inquisitor" who presided over the laws of Darkhearth, shouted:

"You want us to rebel against the master of the Black Iron? I think you've lost your mind. How could we, mere mortals, possibly be a match for the Fire Demon King?"

"Yes, you should keep this nonsense to yourself."

The warden of Darkhearth, "The Dog Tamer" Grebmar, said somewhat timidly in a low voice:
"If those fire demon sages find out about this, we'll all be in deep trouble."

"you."

Emperor Soresen sighed.

He looked at the seven coffins placed in the hall before him. These were the tombs of seven leaders who had made great contributions to the civilization of the Dark Iron Dwarves and were respected and worshipped by all the Dark Iron Dwarves.

This hall is the only place in Darkhearth City that truly has "faith".

He turned around and looked at the lords under his command, and said:
"Where is your courage? You all know what will happen to everyone once the Fire Demon King enters the material world! It is not the only elemental monarch in this world. Its relationship with the other three monarchs is so bad. These things are recorded in the troll and elf books."

Ragnaros will definitely start an elemental war, and we'll just be cannon fodder!
I started from the well-being of the Dark Iron dwarves, and that's why...

"Bullshit welfare!"

Styrkis, the "Warden" who presided over the arena of order, interrupted Sorison's earnest words.

The black iron fire mage rebuked:
"For the good of the Dark Iron dwarves, tell us where you've been for the past month or so! Thaurissan, how did you survive the Bronzebeard dwarves' imprisonment? How do we know if you kept your head by licking Magni Bronzebeard's ass?"
Most importantly, you've come back and already caused such a huge incident. How can we believe this isn't a conspiracy by the Bronzebeard dwarves to overthrow Darkforge?

"Hmph, let me put it even more bluntly!"

The sinister sorcerer said in a cold voice:

"Have you surrendered? Do you still have the right to sit on the Iron Throne?"

The atmosphere in the Hall of Seven Sages instantly turned icy.

The several Furnace Generals responsible for security exchanged glances. After the mysterious death of their leader, General Angford, these men seemed to have chosen a new lord to pledge allegiance amidst the chaos.

Agmanchi, the other military commander of Darkhearth and also a Dark Iron Lord, remained strangely silent at this moment, as if he were an outsider.

"Heh, I'll tell you how you convinced those weak councilors to agree to summon the Fire Demon King!"

Soresen shouted, "Well, the treacherous minister has come out of nowhere! Styrkis, do you want to sit on this throne that only members of the Soresen family can sit on?"

"Don't be silly, Thaurissan. After your grandparents lost the war in a humiliating defeat, the Thaurissan family has no right to lead the Dark Iron dwarves."

Listen to me clearly!

"You are still qualified to be king not because you are of Anvimar's blood, but simply because your family was appointed by Ragnaros as the leader of the Dark Iron dwarves."

The warden pointed at Thaurissan's nose and cursed without any politeness:

"The Balrog King doesn't care about the dwarves' lineage. He can appoint you just as he can appoint others. To him, it doesn't matter who sits on that throne; they're all just leaders of his slaves."

You've really become proud of being a slave leader!

I do not wish to be king, and the order to summon the Fire Demon King was not issued by us. No one here has betrayed you.

But no one truly obeys you.

"Stop acting like a king in front of us. Explain yourself first."

“Yes, Thaurissan, it was those fire demons who asked us to summon the Balrog King.”

The dog trainer whispered:

“An ‘ambassador’ from the Firelands announced the order in the King’s Hall. Ragnaros sensed the fragility of the Elemental Realms and longed to enter the material world. In fact, if we hadn’t instructed the councilors to stall for time with discussions, the ceremony would probably have taken place a week ago.”

We were relieved to learn that the Thorium Brotherhood had interrupted the ritual.

It's not that we don't want to resist; fools can't survive in the treacherous Dark Furnace City. Everyone knows that once the Fire Demon King descends, life won't be easy for anyone.

But the problem is
You need to come up with a solution!

You can't just talk about rebelling; you have to give everyone a set of rules.

"What other rules do you need?"

Sorisson sighed and said:

"Open the rift to the Firelands, everyone rush in and kill the Firelord! As long as it lives, our curse will never be lifted, and the Dark Iron Dwarves will be unable to hold their heads high on the continent because of this curse!"

Bronzebeard and Wildhammer are making a fool of us.

The worst part is that we ourselves have become a laughing stock. What happened to our integrity as dwarves?

Where are the dwarves' signature hard bones?

"They're all gone. Even the women of that Bronzebeard dwarf have more courage than us."

He paused, looked at his lords, and said:
"I won't hide it from you, I invited the Vigilant and his Lightforged warriors, as well as the Flame Druids and Sunwalker Tauren from Kalimdor."

I even went so far as to pull some strings to invite Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider of Quel'Thalas to participate in this rebellion.

Our power has been suppressed by the Balrog, making it difficult for the Dark Iron dwarves to produce truly strong individuals for centuries. The flames have stripped us of our power, but we can find friends to help us resist the dangerous elemental lords.

All we need to do is hold on in the Firelands!
The best part is that we persevered until the moment of victory in the war, and the Balrog King granted us the blessing of fire, which means that we can freely enter and leave the Fire Realm whenever we have the chance.

That place will become the Dark Iron Dwarves' 'backyard'.

But this requires you to be resolute and mobilize your respective forces.”

The Dark Iron lords looked at each other, and apart from Warden Styrkis, who was sneering at the far-fetched plan, the others hesitated and couldn't make up their minds.

A moment later, someone said:

"What about those fire demons? If we want to go to the Fire Source Realm, we need the fire demons to lead the way."

"Ah, no need to worry about them."

Sorison took out his pocket watch and checked the time. Then he gestured to General Furnace, who was guarding the door of the Hall of Seven Sages. The latter hesitated for a moment, glanced at one of the lords, and after receiving permission, he reached out and pushed open the door.

Almost simultaneously, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

As the Dark Iron dwarves watched in astonishment, a cloaked dwarf strode forward, escorted by a large group of fierce, violent green-skinned orc warriors.

General Furnace recognized the short man's identity and tried to stop him, but the next second his head was chopped off by a flying battle axe.

Hogg Wolfskin, wielding a battle axe, let out a black wolf howl, and one by one, the lurking ghost wolves sprang out from the shadows, letting out low growls at the Dark Iron lords.

Now all the lords realized they had fallen into a trap.

That damn Thaurissan tricked them! This guy had no intention of negotiating with them to resolve the issue.

He was just stalling for time.

"boom"

A fire demon's head was thrown into the Hall of the Seven Sages by Red Blackhand, and the orc warriors behind him continued to throw fire demon heads out, one after another, until they eventually piled up into a small mountain.

The pungent smell of blood made the sacred Hall of the Seven Sages resemble a slaughterhouse.

But not all the fire demons were killed. One was bound with elemental chains and dragged into the hall by Maim like a servant.

This is the fire demon ambassador sent from the Firelands to Darkhearth City. Its tail has been cut off, and its face, covered in scales like the Naga's, is filled with terror.

Ah, even among the creations of the Fire King are cowards.

“I told you, you don’t need to worry about the fire demon.”

Soresen stopped pretending.

He stood on the steps, calling for his true allies to stand beside him, and said to the Dark Iron lords:
"I am the king! I no longer want my people to think that I became king because of Ragnaros's appointment, so I will rebel against it! It was my grandfather and grandmother who brought this disaster, and three hundred years from now, I, Thaurissan, will personally end it."

And you.
You must take your armies and come with me to the Firelands, hold out to the very end. We will either return victorious and wipe away the cowardly shame of the Dark Iron dwarves, or we will all die there together!

Finally, I would like to formally introduce to you my handpicked 'High Chancellor of the Black Iron,' Lady Moira Bronzebeard.

Soresen made a "please" gesture.

Princess Moira hesitated for a moment. Under the gazes of the Dark Iron lords, which were filled with surprise, shock, or anger, she took a deep breath, pulled down her hood, and revealed her face, that of a Bronzebeard dwarf.

She said to them:
"General Angford died by my hand. He was the first Dark Iron dwarf I killed. All the Dark Iron thugs you sent to invade Thelsamar are dead! I gave the order to kill them."

If this counts as a victory, then I've killed over three thousand Dark Iron dwarves. I wouldn't mind killing a few more.
His Majesty Thaurissan was mindful of appearances, and there were some things he couldn't say too bluntly.

I'll speak for him!

You will either become the vanguard of the Black Iron Kingdom or be buried as cowards in the Hall of the Seven Sages. You must make a decision before you can leave this door.

Now that all the fire elementals are dead, even if you want to kneel, think carefully about whether Ragnaros will accept you again!

Moira waved her hand, and the orcs grinned as they picked up the finely crafted battleaxes they had obtained from the Thorium Brotherhood. Red, on the other hand, upgraded his weapon even further, brandishing a cool "Nightfall" battleaxe and staring at the necks of these short men.

He had fought the Dark Iron dwarves with Orgrim, and he knew those guys were a bunch of scoundrels.

Hogg stood in the shadows nearby.

It watched with a "learning" eye how Moira intimidated her opponents and turned them into its own.

Hogg thought this was very useful and that he would definitely need it in the future.

"Then there's only one choice left!"

Styrkis, the interrogator who had just been arguing with Thaurissan, stepped forward, broke his fire mage's staff in half, held it high, and shouted:

"I will obey the 'Iron Chancellor's' orders, and my sorcerers will serve you. Forgive my bluntness."

The guy glanced at Thaurissan and whispered:
“Ms. Moira, you are clearly more suited to be a leader than the weak Thaurissan.”

“I will not become the leader of the Dark Iron Dwarves. I have only gratitude in my heart for His Majesty Thaurissan who took me in.”

Moira immediately refused.

But in her heart, a voice was roaring:

“I was once content to be the Lord of the Burning Canyon under Thaurissan, but now I have greater ambitions and desires. It has been foolish for the three races of dwarves to be isolated for three hundred years.”

I am a descendant of the King of the Mountains!
I will rebuild the dwarven kingdom of the Mountain King and make the land from Eagle's Nest to the Burning Steppes our territory!
You are also descendants of Anvimar, Dark Iron dwarves.

You too should rise up for the glory of your ancestors.

Yes"

Copperbeard clenched her fists, and in her heart she shouted:
“I will become the second King of the Mountains. I will no longer weakly beg my father to take notice of me. I will obtain what I desire with my own hands, just as Marshal Lothar once encouraged me. Ah, so that’s what he meant back then.”

(End of this chapter)