Titan King: Ascension of the Giant-Chapter 333 Dwarf and blood elf

"Lord Jorik, think of the bigger picture. Letting the insectoids lead the way might actually be a good thing."

It was Gareth who spoke up. Lokiviria had badly injured her once, so she certainly had no fondness for him. Right now, the fact that Lokiviria wasn't interested in teaming with Jorik was the best outcome as far as Gareth was concerned.

Seated off to the side, Orion exchanged glances with Centaur Ironhoof, spotting a flicker of understanding in each other's eyes.

Frankly, Jorik's current predicament was precisely what they'd hoped for. If Jorik's faction were too strong, he might eventually swallow up their armies as well and gain total control.

But the stance Lokiviria was taking only confirmed that the farther south you went, the stronger and more arrogant the local lords—but it also meant these southern lords wouldn't simply fall in line under Frostsire.

Meanwhile, Orion had learned a few things from everyone's discussions. Most of the northern-based lords would indeed heed the white dragon Frostsire's call and head south.

However, not all would obey him completely; some would band together to guard against potential subjugation by Frostsire and retain some independence while still forming combined armies.

That was exactly what Orion, Gareth, and Ironhoof had done among themselves: ally up as partners rather than hamper each other. That was surely the kind of arrangement most lords preferred.

"Damn that insectoid! In the eyes of dragonkind, he's just a pathetic bug!"

Lord Jorik spat in frustration, but none of the three other lords spoke. Sometimes, not getting involved was the safest bet.

Fortunately, Jorik wasn't truly reckless. He accepted Gareth's suggestion: let the insectoids march out front and test the strength of those southern lords. And so, they traveled straight through Lokiviria's territory without waging war on the insectoids.

…

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Far to the south, in the Utessar Kingdom.

Two dwarves were strolling through the streets of the human royal capital. The alliance between humans and dwarves was no secret, so nobody paid them much attention. In fact, there was already a dwarf-owned weapons shop in this bustling part of the city, so dwarves weren't exactly an oddity.

"Master Harbek, shouldn't we head back to the lodging arranged by the human diplomats?"

This speaker was another dwarf, addressing Harbek, whose full name was Harbek Bronzebeard. In dwarf society, the Bronzebeards ranked just beneath the ruling Silverbeard clan.

Harbek had come here with the dwarf prophet Dain to negotiate the alliance between humans and dwarves. Truth be told, he was there mainly to protect Prophet Dain, although right now, Dain was occupied in the royal palace and didn't need Harbek tagging along.

With a pair of small hammers dangling from his belt, Harbek made it clear he was also a smith.

As he walked, Harbek kept an eye out for a certain tavern he remembered.

"Tordek, just come with me—and don't get in the way of my fun."

Then he looked at Tordek and went on,

"Tordek, you know something? In a dwarf's life, only the hammer and a good brew cannot be neglected! Wahaha!"

Still talking, Harbek finally found the tavern he'd been searching for in his memory. With a hearty laugh, he strode straight inside.

"Damned rabble, if anyone can beat Master Harbek at arm wrestling today, I'll cover their drinks!"

Harbek roared as he entered, ignoring the stares. Most patrons cast a glance at him, then resumed their own business.

Everyone knew dwarves were short but incredibly strong—their prowess with hammers and forging was widely respected. Nobody jumped in to answer Harbek's challenge. He didn't care. He marched right up to the bar and yelled:

"Gimme the strongest drink you got… Nah, make it a barrel of it!"

Dwarves love their booze. The pretty human waitress smiled and called another server to fetch the barrel from storage.

"Honored dwarven warrior, anything else you'd like?"

Harbek took a big swig of the strong liquor the waitress handed him and exhaled in satisfaction.

"Master Harbek, what about me—and my drink?" came Tordek's voice from right beside him.

Harbek let out a hearty laugh, ran a hand through his beard, and pointed to his young dwarf companion. Read latest stories on novelbuddy

"Fair maiden, get the lad here your stoutest brew as well! Wahaha…"

The bartender nodded, smiling politely at Tordek as she served him a cup of the same fiery liquor.

This tavern was run by the Mercenaries' Guild, so most drinkers here had seen a wide variety of folk and didn't bat an eye at dwarves or elves. But a few sharp-eyed patrons noticed the pair of small copper hammers at Harbek's waist and perked right up.

Sure, dwarves were known for their metalwork, but not every dwarf was a master smith—only recognized experts were permitted to wear hammer ornaments.

Several curious sorts looked as if they wanted to approach and introduce themselves, but just then, a beautiful elf—specifically, a ranger—stepped into the tavern. The elf, Elanor, walked in as if she didn't even notice the human men casting glances at her long, slender legs.

She strolled over to the bar, snapping her fingers.

"I'll have a Sunny Breeze, please."

The bartender looked surprised that an elf ranger would know about a particular sort of off-menu concoction—"Sunny Breeze" was a subtly salty drink and not something they simply handed out at the counter.

"Understood, please wait a moment," the bartender said, then slipped into the back. "Sunny Breeze" had to be decanted and properly mixed, so it wasn't available on the spot.

"Elanor, strong liquor is the best!" Harbek called out. He wasn't the least bit shocked by this blood elf ranger's arrival—he'd come here precisely to see her.

"What dwarves love, elves don't necessarily share," Elanor replied lightly.

Harbek said nothing, just drained his cup in one swig.

"Still, an enemy of the dwarves is bound to be an enemy of the elves, too."

Elanor didn't comment on that. Among the major races living in the far south, dwarves, elves, and humans claimed the best parts of the land. And to defend it, they'd have to take up arms when any invaders from the north marched down.

As for this dwarf, Harbek, he was a friend of the elf ranger Elanor.

Alliances between entire races often came down to friendships between a few individuals—that's how it's been throughout history.