Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Having decided to stay in Shield City for the time being, Lin Gui planned to bring Eve, who was still outside, in.

To his surprise, the dwarf leader Grom also came out.

"I'll open the door for you!" Grom said loudly, his reasoning sound.

But those shrewd eyes would occasionally sweep over Lin Gui.

They seemed afraid that the children would run away in the blink of an eye.

Lin Gui was unaware of this subtle worry.

Back beside the hovering raft, Eve stood quietly on it.

Grom hadn't seen it clearly from the distance on the iron gate.

At this moment, I saw Eve's face, which had a touch of holiness, up close.

His thick eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he spoke in a gruff voice.

"Little human girl, haven't I... seen you somewhere before?"

Eve lowered her eyes slightly, revealing a gentle yet distant smile.

"You're probably mistaken, Mr. Dwarf."

"Really?" Grom muttered suspiciously, scratching his beard vigorously.

Grom would occasionally leave Shield City with the transport caravans.

For some reason, he felt as if he had seen the other person in some human city-state.

He didn't ask any further questions, turned around and waved his hand dismissively.

"Let's go! I'll show you the 'enthusiasm' of our Shield City!"

He led Lin Gui, Shia, and Eve across the massive doorway once more.

Instead of heading to the expected hotel or accommodation, they plunged headlong into...

A bustling passage carved into the mountainside.

After walking a few steps, a huge portico supported by a rough iron frame came into view.

Above the porch hangs a wooden plaque blackened by smoke.

Four large characters were branded on it with a hot soldering iron.

Thunder Tavern!

Before even entering, a deafening roar of sound assaulted my senses.

Rough, maniacal laughter; the sharp, clattering sound of glasses clashing violently.

The dwarven singing, tinged with drunkenness, and the sounds of tables and chairs being slammed and banged...

Various noises mingled with the strong smell of beer and barbecue.

It almost formed a substantial shock wave.

Lin Gui's lips twitched slightly as he looked at Grom:

"Shouldn't you first take us to our accommodation and help us settle our luggage?"

Grom slammed his fist against his chainmail-covered chest, making a clanging sound.

He then looked up at the smoke-filled upper floors of the tavern.

He roared loudly in the dwarven language.

A voice that sounded younger responded from above.

Soon, a dwarf, equally robust but appearing slightly younger, appeared.

He climbed down the metal ladder next to him with a "huffing and puffing" sound.

Grom pointed to the raft belonging to the Forest Spirits and gave instructions to the young dwarf.

"Baggins! Take all the luggage of our distinguished guests to Parliament Hill!"

"Yes! That's it! The most luxurious residence in Shield City!"

A young dwarf named Baggins.

He looked at the two humans and the elf with a strange expression.

But he didn't ask any more questions, he just nodded and then whistled a sharp whistle.

Several equally short and stocky figures rushed over upon hearing the noise.

They effortlessly hoisted the heavy raft and left with steady steps.

Lin Gui's heart skipped a beat as he watched the raft being carried away along with his belongings.

There weren't many valuables inside, but there was a reply he needed to send back after this trip.

I hope... nothing will be lost.

After all, these are dwarves known for their integrity and stubbornness.

Not those hyenas with dirty hands and feet.

Before he could think it through, Grom had already warmly put his arm around his shoulder.

They reluctantly led him into the incredibly noisy tavern.

"Don't worry about those little things! Come on, let's have a drink!"

"This is the highest form of hospitality we at Shield City offer to our friends!"

The moment Grom half-embraced and pushed him into the tavern.

The roaring sound, which had been like a volcanic eruption, came to an abrupt halt.

All sounds—laughter, singing, clinking glasses, arguing—have vanished.

It was as if someone had suddenly grabbed all the dwarves by the throat.

Dozens, even hundreds, of eyes were fixed on us from every corner shrouded in smoke.

His gaze was like a tangible nail, fixed firmly on Lin Gui and Eve, these two "humans".

His eyes were filled with undisguised vigilance, scrutiny, and even intense hostility.

The air in the entire tavern seemed to freeze.

It was so heavy it made it hard to breathe.

But when their gaze fell upon Grom, who was affectionately embracing Lin Gui.

Those angry looks instantly turned into disbelief.

"Chief Grom!"

A dwarf with a flushed face and a beard that bristled like a steel brush suddenly stood up.

His thick fingers pointed at Lin Gui, his voice trembling with anger.

"You! Why are you putting your arm around these shameless humans who drove away our heroes?!"

This roar was like a boulder thrown into a still lake.

It instantly shattered the oppressive silence.

"That's right!"

"The Stoneheart tribe was driven away by them!"

"Humans are all the same!"

A torrent of insults and questions came crashing down on Grom.

Grom remained completely calm in the face of the overwhelming crowd.

He released Lin Gui, raised his hands, and pressed them down.

"Quiet down!"

His loud voice drowned out the noise.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes.

He nimbly flipped over and landed steadily on a heavy wooden table next to him.

He surveyed the entire scene from his elevated position.

He pulled the letter from the border region from the inside pocket of his dirty leather armor.

He held the letter high and waved it vigorously, the paper rustling in the air.

"Look carefully, everyone!"

"Open your eyes wide and see clearly what this is!"

His voice was like thunder, echoing loudly in the silent tavern.

The dwarf who was closest squinted and leaned forward to examine it closely.

"It's a letter!" he shouted gruffly.

"It seems to be... a letter from Copper Hammer Stoneheart to Ors!"

"It also contains information about that bastard Orsgan."

"That's right!" Grom stomped his foot on the table, making the wine glasses rattle.

"That's Ors, the guy who secretly filmed a dwarf's wife's butt and got chased and beaten up for three blocks by her husband!"

"This is a letter from that guy, Copper Hammer!"

Before he finished speaking, a dwarf suddenly squeezed out from the crowd.

He jumped up, his face flushed, and snatched the letter from Grom's hand.

The dwarves around immediately gathered around, curiously peering inside.

Ors quickly scanned the letter, then gave a strange look.

"That's right, it's the tone of that gambler, Copper Hammer."

"But why haven't we heard from him for years? Why is he suddenly writing to me? Does he even have the money?"

"Chief, is this from the transport team?"

"But isn't the North Wind caravan still half a month away?"

"No!" Grom waved his hand, pointing at the Forest Ghost.

"It was personally delivered by this human friend with the copper hammer!"

He surveyed the entire room, his voice booming:

"Not just letters from Copper Hammer! But also letters from our other Stone Heart brothers scattered across the frontier!"

"It was all thanks to this friend who braved hardships and traveled thousands of miles to deliver it here!"

A collective gasp filled the tavern.

All the dwarves stared at the Forest Ghost in shock.

With their keen senses, they can make a clear judgment.

This human mage only possesses the strength of a mid-high-level mage.

It's incredible that someone at this level could traverse a perilous wilderness alone.

The two girls beside him were only of the lower level of the extraordinary realm.

With this level of strength, one can barely traverse some relatively safe wilderness areas.

As a member of the Shield City, he was well aware of the horror of the desolate wilderness surrounding his home.

To the north lies the Wall of Sighs, and to the west and south, the Sea of ​​Silence.

Giant's Canyon to the east, while not a forbidden area, is not a place that extraordinary beings can cross at will.

How did they manage to survive with such a weak lineup?

Lin Gui stepped forward at the opportune moment and calmly corrected him:

"To be precise, it was a letter from the dwarves of New Testament City, Caran City, and the capital of Caran."

"Letters not only from the Stoneheart tribe, but also from other tribes."

Lin Gui had seen the covers of those letters, including some from people who weren't Stoneheart Dwarves.

Lin Gui was absolutely certain of this.

He looked around at the surprised faces, his voice clear:

"My name is Lin Gui, and I am a messenger."

"If any of you need to send letters to other city-states, you may entrust them to me."

"If it's a city-state within my delivery route, I'll deliver it there."

"Each letter costs only 7 copper coins."

After Lin Gui finished speaking, he took out a stack of posters from his bag.

This is not the discriminatory propaganda leaflet from the Carter capital.

It was the version he designed himself when he was in Caran.

He began distributing posters to the dwarves around him.

It is believed that this was due to the dwarves' fondness for spreading information.

The post office's reputation will soon spread throughout Shield City.

Although you won't receive many letters in the end.

After all, the number of dwarves in the border regions is limited.

But for Lin Gui, even a mosquito's leg is meat.

The dwarves curiously accepted the poster.

When they saw the reward of 7 copper coins marked on it.

And the mail delivery routes that traversed the entire border region.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their faces showing disbelief.

Even Grom, who was mentally prepared, was not.

After carefully reading the poster's contents, I fell into a long silence.

His thick fingers holding the poster trembled slightly.

Would someone really... risk their life to deliver a message across the wilderness at such a low price, practically giving it away for free?

Moreover, he knew all too well from Copper Hammer's letter.

The human mage before me was not just spouting empty words.

He really did it.

Gasps of breath rose and fell throughout the tavern.

The dwarves looked at each other, speechless with shock at the incredible price and promise.