Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

By the eve of the second day, Vahn had done a cursory exploration of three of the Undercities, gaining a decent understanding of their social structure. Most of the wealthiest Dwarves, many of which belonged to the eight most influential houses, were located towards the heart of the Undercities. Surrounding these tall stone structures, it was possible to find numerous [Master Smith], [Master Craftsman], and even [Master Metalwright]s. In total, Vahn had discovered more than forty workshops belonging to such capable individuals, validating the claim that the Dwarves were the most 'skilled' artisans in the world. Even in Orario, excluding gods, there were only seven [Master Smith]s, two [Master Crafsman], and zero [Master Metalwright]s. Since the disparity in their population was massive, with Orario having several million residents compared to the Iron Hills only having around four-hundred thousand Dwarves, it really put things into perspective.Vahn's purpose for investigating these shops, other than getting a better understanding of the critical infrastructure of the Undercities, was in an effort to find Tsubaki's father. Though she had long since claimed it no longer mattered, Vahn still wanted to seek answers on her behalf. He didn't believe the Sakuya, a proud warrior and [Master Smith], was a foolish woman who would have opened her heart to a truly cruel man, even bestowing Tsubaki his last name after coming she was born. This showed there was a deeper connection between the two and, given Tsubaki's nature, Vahn knew she must have realized her understanding of events was lacking. It was perhaps her fear that there 'was' a reason behind his leaving that she was truly afraid to learn...especially after having harbored resentment toward him for decades in her youth.Unfortunately, even after poring over several documents and exploring three Undercities, Vahn was unable to find any trace of Tsubaki's father, or anyone named Collbrande for that matter. Since he couldn't exactly come out and ask questions openly, Vahn was left having to wait until he dealt with the Elder Council before pursuing the matter further. Presently, he was coming up on the eve of the second day so it was time to seek them out for their response before he had to teach them an even harsher lesson. Fortunately, things should be settled if he dealt with them directly, even if there were great instabilities introduced in the Iron Hills as a result...Instead of returning to the surface, Vahn decided to cut to the chase and head directly for the Ironheart residence. Most of the Patriarchs of the eight families had been staying there since the first day, with only the Stormhammers sending out men to search the premise of their Undercity for a bomb. In truth, Vahn didn't have nearly enough time to make a second Sub-Space orb to use as a weapon, meaning he would have to take matters into his own hand if the Dwarves didn't acquiesce. This would also allow him to avoid greater casualties to the slave population, so Vahn didn't mind getting his hands dirty.With that mindset, Vahn arrived on the stone steps of the fortress-like residence belonging to the Ironhearts before unequipping his [Shadow Visor Mk. 2]. There were quite a number of guards patrolling the residence while shiny gold and white ballistae were interspaced atop the stone ramparts. When they saw him appear, there was an immediate response from these troops who, upon realizing exactly who had just shown up within their defensive line, became slightly pale as a series of commands echoed about. Vahn was a little surprised that none of them outright attacked him, showing commendable discipline and bearing instead of inviting destruction unto themselves...After a few minutes, instead of a slave coming to guide him, there was a rather tall Dwarf, 166cm, who came out to 'greet' him. He was wearing ornamental golden armor, as Dwarves, in general, had a habit of wearing ornate and powerful equipment to show off their status. With his dark beard, filled with lines of grey, Vahn knew he had to be either a Patriarch or something like a Captain of the Guard. His power was around the peak of Level 4 while a resolute light glowed in his eyes, even though he didn't make any motion to attack. Instead, after approaching within twenty meters, the man stopped and said, "Vahn Mason, can't say you're welcome within my home, but I don't exactly have a choice this time...hmph...!"Without showing any change in his expression, Vahn simply asked, "Are you Kanav...?" Leaving out the full name and title of a person, especially in a diplomatic situation, was considered an extreme gaff. However, as Kanav had failed to mention his titles, Vahn knocked him down a peg by not even mentioning the man's full name. This caused the proud Dwarf to inhale deeply, a fierce look in his eyes as he stroked his own beard in a self-calming gesture. Then, in a voice that sounded like it escaped the very earth below, Kanav rumbled, "I am indeed Kanav Mun Ironheart, Patriarch of the Great Ironheart Noble Family and Ruler of this majestic Ironheart Undercity...!"Understanding the 'game' Kanav was trying to play, Vahn adopted a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes as he raised his chin slightly and said, "Very well, Kanav Mun Ironheart, I, Vahn Mason, Sage Aldrnari, Captain of the Hestia Familia, Supreme Commander of the Alliance, and future destroyer of the majestic Ironheart Undercity greet you, with all due respects..." Following his words, Vahn gave a theatrical bow without breaking eye contact with Kanav for even a moment. If the old man wanted to play politics with him, Vahn didn't mind 'reminding' him about the reality of the situation. He wasn't here to play games, nor were they going to be negotiating...Upon hearing the words 'future destroyer of the majestic Ironheart Undercity', Kanav had become statuesque for several seconds without even breathing. Part of him wanted to call Vahn's 'bluff' but, considering what was at stake, there were no benefits in doing so. The man before him possessed an unfathomable amount of power and, even if his nature wasn't the type to indiscriminately kill, he did indeed possess the power to destroy an Undercity. In a way, though they could hold their large slave population 'hostage', Vahn was already holding their entire nation hostage...if they truly set him off, there would be no coming back from the destruction that he could rain down upon them.By the time Kanav had started breathing again, he reminded himself of why he had been the one to come out and 'greet' Vahn. Thus, after a slight bow, he said in a slightly uneasy tone, "Well, let us hope things do not reach that point. I'm certain we can come to some form of agreement that will benefit both parties..." To this, Vahn gave a small nod before saying, "So long as the Elder Council is willing to acquiesce, I'm certain such a travesty can be avoided. It ultimately depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice in exchange for keeping a pretense of pride..." Without even waiting for Kanav to lead the way, Vahn began walking forward, passing the middle-aged Dwarf as he made his way to the interior of the residence.Resisting the urge to try and cut Vahn down, Kanav gnashed his teeth before falling into pace and 'guiding' Vahn to where the other Patriarchs were gathering. Things were beginning to play out in a similar way as to when he dealt with the Nobles of Orario, though Vahn knew there would be greater resistance since he was in a foreign country. They would likely believe themselves to possess some form of leverage against him but, regardless of their demands, Vahn had already hardened his heart to do what it takes to make sure future generations are not born into slavery. Even if the Dwarves tried to hold the lives of their slaves hostage, Vahn would simply go around slaughtering every Dwarf with a dark aura until they surrendered, starting with the Elder Council.After passing through various corridors, Vahn found himself in a room with seven individuals, each around Level 4 in strength, while several powerful forces remained hidden nearby. Vahn gave them each a cursory glance, noting that each of these aged Dwarves had stern and cold expressions on their face, sculpted through decades of looking down on others. The most 'neutral' aura amongst them was a very dark grey, intermixed with furious reds and avaricious oranges. As for those who were on the criminal list Vahn had issued out previously, their auras were pitch black, a strong desire for Vahn's death deeply rooted in their hearts and minds.The moment everyone was in the room, Vahn brought his domain to bear upon each of them in an instant as he tilted his head upward and said, "I have shown you leniency in allowing you to discuss the matter, but that doesn't mean I have come here to negotiate. The moment you declared War or Orario and had the audacity to target my home, the place where my children are, you lost any right to negotiate with me. I have grown weary of your games and will accept nothing short of absolute surrender. You will acquiesce to my demands and begin to implement my reformations or, without any exception, each of you will die...!"At the end of his words, Vahn gestured towards the Dwarf with the blackest aura, the Patriarch of the Deepsbane Noble Family. In the distant past, they had been the family to pioneer the slave trade within the Iron Hills, leading to the suffering of countless millions over millennia. As a result, the Deepsbane family had become the fourth most influential of the Eight Noble Houses. Vahn had intended to bring the man to trial and execute him for his heinous crimes but, wanting to punctuate the severity of his words, his life would serve as an example to the rest.Unable to resist the force moving his body through the air, Ashram Tru Deepsbane found himself before Vahn as a powerful pressure began to press in on his body from all directions. He had several S-Rank equipment to serve as protection but, as if they served no purpose at all, Ashram found his joints twisted as a bloodcurdling howl escaped his hoarse throat. Then, after his arms and legs were shattered, Ashram found his body supported by several black spears that had pierced through his body. Most of his vitals had been avoided, leaving him to bleed out slowly while Vahn exchanged gazes with the other Patriarchs within the room...Adding to his previous statement, Vahn's cold voice sounded throughout the room, "I'm certain everyone here should have a basic understanding of my character. In general, I am not a cruel man and acts like this bring me absolutely no satisfaction..." As he spoke, Vahn had a genuine expression of disgust as he pulled out his [Mercy] and finished off Ashram. After stowing the nondescript black blade into his Inventory, Vahn continued, saying, "You will publically announce your surrender and immediately begin taking action to follow my previous demands. All slaves, without any exception, will be liberated from the cruel lifestyle you have forced upon them. In the future, the institution of slavery outside of criminal context will be banned within the Iron Hills. The Eight Noble Houses will be stripped of their titles and authority while a representative will be assigned to govern in your stead. Henceforth, you will become a vassal nation under the rule of the City-State of Orario..."There was a long list of terms that the Dwarves would have to acquiesce to, many of which would take several years to fully implement. However, they didn't have a choice in the matter as, unlike most countries, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills had established a system that was corrupt from the very roots. They didn't even have a general labor class within their society, entrusting farming and the collection of resources to slaves. Their privileged lifestyles would become a cancerous existence that would make true reform impossible unless it was addressed immediately. In the future, there may very well be members of other races working on their farms and within their mines, but it certainly wouldn't be as slaves. They would be actual farmers and miners, paid well for the work they had done by selling their produce and ores, instead of having them seized. The fact that farmers in the Iron Hills would have their teeth pulled out if they were caught 'stealing' some of the produce they themselves had cultivated was ridiculous...For nearly a full hour, without easing up his pressure at all, Vahn listed out his ultimatum before allowing the six surviving Patriarchs to fall to the ground. Then, without waiting for their response, Vahn turned his back and said, "I have numerous forces within the Undercities to observe if you have taken my words seriously. Your first action should be to announce that slavery is no longer a legal institution within the Iron Hills. Everyone, without exception, must absolve their slave contracts while all slaves will be required to congregate near the central plaza of each Undercity. Transportation to Orario will be granted to them while my teams investigate criminal activities and other forms of dissidence. Those that attempt to harbor slaves, or unjustly claim the lives of their servants out of spite, will suffer the same fate. Even if I have to put half the Dwarven population to the blade to ensure that future generations are not corrupt at the very foundation of society, I will do so..."During his exploration of the Undercities, Vahn noticed that more than a few of the more successful Dwarves had grey or black auras. Their pride caused them to flaunt their power and authority at any opportunity, often at the expense of less reputable Dwarves and slaves. Though things got markedly better at the lower rungs of society, the treatment of Slaves was still terrible. Because of the way they were treated by the more affluent members of the Dwarven community, those from smaller houses had a tendency to take it out on the slave population. Even women and children weren't exempt from this behavior as Vahn had seen examples of Dwarven youths stoning slaves while laughing in glee, all while the adults that should have been correcting their behavior simply watched in amusement...By removing the slave population entirely, the Dwarves would be left in a closed community with only each other to exploit. Though laws would be implemented to regulate things and introduce reforms, there would undoubtedly be a number of hiccups along the way. They would have to delegate part of their population to agriculture and mining operations just to maintain their businesses while their merchant caravans would have to pass through customs before being allowed to leave the Iron Hills to conduct trade. Because of this, Vahn fully expected that many Dwarves, especially those that would be 'selected' to become farmers, would likely try to migrate to other Cities with their ill-gotten wealth. This, however, would become completely illegal in accordance with the terms forced upon the Dwarves during their surrender. Vahn didn't want them to simply escape the repercussions of their actions by trying to flee to other countries...no, the Dwarves now had to face their comeuppance, one way or another...(A/N: I honestly have no idea how many chapters will come out and when over the next few days. There are a lot of things going on and, until my real world commitments have been dealt with, I don't have that much time to sit at a computer. To be fair, I generally write upwards of 10-12 hours a day, making my work weeks between 70-84 hours at times. That is time I typically need to allocate well if I want to avoid becoming too stressed out, making it very difficult to write when I have other things going on. Don't worry as, even when I go away for work in a few weeks, there will ALWAYS be a least one chapter a day. Thank you for your patience and understanding.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Seeking Tsubaki's Father...','When the Emperor Speaks, Everyone Else Listens','It is going to be a rough transition...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Before the dawning of the third day, loud gongs resonated throughout the vast Undercities, disregarding those that would be trying to sleep at such times. Even so, there were many who had been awake, drinking their stress away within the various taverns and bars. This caused a crowd to quickly gather as the surviving members of the Elder Council announced the surrender of the Iron Hills in the war against Orario. Though there was more than a little dissent, especially when the decree freeing all slaves was made, it wasn't too surprising to most that they had surrendered. After all, there was simply no way they could fight against an enemy that could blow away half a mountain in an instant.The ninety hours following the surrender, every former slave was slowly rounded up and transported to the outskirts of Orario. It was fortunate that the first batch of refugees had been moved earlier, as they were able to expand the encampment to create space for the remaining groups that would follow. Though this caused the eastern side of Orario to be surrounded by an ocean of tents, it was a temporary measure that they were steadying working towards a solution for. The city had the capacity to accommodate all of the refugees but, out of consideration for public order and to bolster future infrastructure, several large groups would move to create towns and villages in the surrounding areas.Many would end up moving to the hidden fortresses that had previously been occupied by the Dwarves, bolstering the population and allowing for quicker construction and growth. So that they would have goods for trade, each of the villages had been given partial ownership of resources coming out of the mines. Those that entered the Alliance-controlled mines would have to pay taxes on the unprocessed minerals while a select few within the town would be specialized in processing the materials for additional fees. As a mining town, the wealth of its citizens would slowly increase with the passage of time until, after a decade or so, they would be flourishing in a home of their own creation.There were more than a few 'hiccups' during the migration of refugees between the Iron Hills and Orario, primarily from prominent slave owners and merchants. When these same people were captured and promptly executed, however, this trend died down relatively quickly. Though some still tried to get away with ordering their slaves to move elsewhere until the incident had passed, they were quickly identified and snuffed out after a very short investigation. Since the possession of slaves was treated as a capital offense under the surrender agreement, those that attempted to resist the change out of greed and arrogance were quickly put to the blade.By the end of this event, which would later become known as the Fifteen Day War, the number of Dwarves that had lost their lives totaled 24,197, more than six percent of their entire population. As for the number of slaves to have died, however, they numbered more than 73,000, with an accurate account being impossible at the time. Those that had been liberated during the Fifteen Day War totaled precisely 811,471 freed peoples, many belonging to the Pallum and various Beast Tribes. For these individuals, instead of calling it the Fifteen Day War, it became a historical event that was celebrated in their various towns, known as Independence Day. Vahn became the 'true' Hero of the Pallum peoples while, amongst the Beast People tribes, Vahn, and various iterations of his name, became a very popular name for baby boys in the years that followed...Without a large slave population, the Dwarves entered into a phase of civil strife and general unrest, as everyone fought amongst themselves to seize power and benefits. As expected, many tried to flee the Iron Hills to take up residence in other countries but the usual outcome for such attempts primarily resulted in their stockpiled wealth being seized before they were imprisoned for desertion. Though some exceptions were made, generally related to women and children, this was only if the persons in question were cleared of any crimes that they may have perpetrated in the past. Even then, they were put into a very long and arduous queue that required them to go through several investigations before they were processed as proper citizens...The previous Eight Noble Houses no longer existed after the surrender, at least not in the same capacity as before. Many were tried for acts of cruelty, resulting in the majority of Patriarchs to take the fall to ensure their families future survival. At the same time, the Iron Hills was required to pay massive reparations towards the former slaves, bankrupting many smaller families while even the former Eight Noble Houses had to dig deep into their treasury to make the cut. For those that were unable to pay, they would have their assets seized while having to shoulder a heavy debt. In these cases, they were given the chance to work off their debt by entering into contracts to either become farmers or miners, a stop-gap measure to ensure the economy of the Iron Hills wasn't entirely crippled.In the end, the abundant wealth of the Iron Hills had taken a significant blow while the country was forced into an era of introspection and internal growth. Since it was 'illegal' for them to try and flee their country, they were forced to set aside their pride and start working together for the benefit of the community. For too long, the Dwarves had exploited others for benefits while promoting an individualistic mentality that compromised their entire social structure. Now that they didn't have slaves to keep their society functioning, they were 'forced' to learn that people needed to work together in order to survive...Fortunately, there were many Dwarves that had made their home outside of Orario, having long ago escaped their country after disagreeing with how their society worked. Now that their people were 'suffering', however, many Dwarves returned to their homeland to help rebuild. Since the country was now 'open' to external migrants, some brought along large caravans full of supplies. Though there were some amongst these groups who sought to build their own power and influence in the restructuring society, the ideals they had built outside of the Iron Hills would be necessary for the country's future survival...---Following the migration of the refugees to the outskirts of Orario, Vahn hadn't immediately returned to the City himself. Instead, he had been the spearhead for investigations into criminal acts while also seeking out any information on Tsubaki's father. Within the Undercities, there were only two families with the surname Collbrande, both belonging to the same lineage. If a family were able to produce a Master of any form of craft, they would have the privilege of becoming a Lesser Noble family. As a result, there was a Collbrande Main Family and, serving as the business extension of the Main Family, there was also a Collbrande Branch Family. Vahn knew he would be able to get the information he sought relatively quickly, even though there were no public figures within the family that matched Tsubaki's father's name...Jorfaic Collbrande.Determined to get the answers he sought, Vahn made his presence known at the Collbrande Main Family's workshop and residence. Even as Lesser Nobles, they hadn't lived a lavish and outgoing lifestyle and, honoring their craft, spent much of their wealth on accumulating resources to create more masterworks, few of which they actually sold. As a result, there were several display cases that were covered in powerful runes to prevent theft. This was one of the first times Vahn had seen so many S-Rank and A-Rank items on display together, outside of Hephaestus' workshop.At the front of the Workshop, there were two Dwarves present, each having powerful builds that could easily be noted as a result of their high exposure. The first was a man, standing around 161cm tall with a stocky yet muscular build, muscles so developed it seemed they were trying to break out of their fleshy restraints. As for his companion, she was a female Dwarf with a height of 174cm, as was often the case amongst Dwarves. They were one of the few races where females were 'much' larger than their male counterparts, with some even reaching upwards of 190cm tall while the tallest male Dwarf Vahn had seen was around 168cm.Like their male counterparts, female Dwarves were usually burly and muscular, though they weren't nearly as stout and stocky in comparison. At the same time, they could be very beautiful, as there was a certain appeal to muscular women with a 'natural' quality to them, while most male Dwarves seemed strangely 'old', even when young. Since Dwarves would begin growing beards as early as eight years old, while already developing muscular builds, many young male Dwarves had a similar appearance to middle-aged men once they had reached adulthood. It was a strange contrast, as female Dwarves looked relatively normal, even though their limbs were a little thicker than the average human.Having noticed the presence of someone in their workshop, the man and woman both turned their attention to Vahn. For a brief moment, their brains didn't seem able to process what they were witnessing as their expressions slowly paled. Vahn understood there were many reasons behind such a reaction but still gave a casual smile as he said, "Sorry for disturbing you. I know things are a little chaotic right now, but I had a few questions I'd like to ask. If possible, I'd like to speak with your clan's Matriarch..." Unlike the Patriarch, who usually ran the business and work-related tasks within the family, the Matriarch generally made sure the internal affairs of the family were running smoothly. There could be a lot of infighting between even kin so it was necessary to have someone to act as a mediator at such times, often making the Matriarch one of the most influential members of the entire family...The man sent a nod to the woman, causing her to give a quick bow before she ran into the back of the workshop, likely to deliver Vahn's message. As for the man, he had a very wary expression on his face as he asked in a polite tone, "Might I ask why you have come here...Sir?" It was obvious he didn't know exactly how to address Vahn so the latter just gestured to relax as he explained, "As I stated previously, I've come here seeking information. Don't worry, your Collbrande family only had a few slaves and I don't believe you had hidden any away during the migration. I'm here for personal reasons this time around so you can relax..." What Vahn didn't say was that, if the info he got was negative in nature, he couldn't exactly guarantee he wouldn't seek some trouble with them.As could be expected in such circumstances, Vahn's presence within the Workshop had drawn a great deal of attention from the Collbrande family members. Not only the Matriarch, but the Patriarch and other influential members of the family showed up very quickly to 'greet' Vahn. There were several wearing the attire of [Blacksmith]s while the Patriarch and another middle-aged man had seals carved onto their gloves that denoted them as [Mastersmith]s. As for the Matriarch, she stood at 170cm tall, even while hunched over with greyish-white hair and milky eyes, having long lost their light due to age. Even so, Vahn could sense she had strength similar to a peak Level 3 while her aura was aged to the point that she should be around 250 years old, at the least...Since he had asked to speak with the Matriarch, even the two [Mastersmith]s didn't step into the conversation as the elderly woman walked forward with the assistance of another female Dwarf. Vahn felt more than a little awkward having such an old woman move about on his behalf so he held up his hand and said, "Please, you don't have to go to such lengths for me." At least for the time being, he could afford to be polite, given the circumstances. Though there were a few with greyish auras, it wasn't nearly as bad as some other families Vahn had seen during his cursory investigations. As a result, he set out a comfortable sofa for the Matriarch to sit on before pulling out tea and snacks out of habit...Though she couldn't see what was going on, the Matriarch's other senses were still very sharp. She understood what was happening and gave a wrinkled smile after sitting down, remarking, "You're a very polite boy, Vahn Mason. With current events ongoing, it is rather peculiar to learn this fact...haaaa...this is why we Matriarchs have always cautioned our juniors about acting without consideration for others. We have truly wrought this fate upon ourselves..." Because of their importance within the Dwarven community, most female Dwarves never left the borders of the Iron Hills. They would often become somewhat 'jaded' with reality, especially in their later years, after watching centuries of pointless infighting and selfish antics.After glancing around the room for a brief moment, Vahn's smile became somewhat melancholic as he stated, "My dream is to make a world where people can be happy while working to reach their potential. The institution of slavery is flawed from the start and, though it will be a hard lesson, the Dwarven people will become stronger after overcoming this trial. There are great changes coming to the world in the near future, many of which have already been set in motion. Even if the Iron Hills had never declared war on Orario..." Given the reaction of everyone present, Vahn let his words fade away since it was obvious most Dwarves weren't exactly 'happy' about their recent surrender.The Matriarch of the Collbrande Family, however, gave a sad smile, nodding her head before asking, "Tell me, Vahn, why have you come here seeking this old bag of bones? What can the Collbrande family do for you...?" Typically, anyone coming into their Workshop would request equipment but, given Vahn's status as a [Mastersmith], especially one that cohabitated with Hephaestus, this was unlikely. As proud as their family was in regards to their masterpieces, there was simply no comparison between their creations and the creations of the most prodigious and prolific forging Goddess...Understanding the Matriarch's confusion, Vahn got straight to the point, asking, "What do you know of a man named Jorfaic Collbrande...?" As he asked the question, Vahn noticed that several auras in the room fluctuated, some quite severely. His eyes scanned over the Patriarch and the second [Mastersmith] as a fierce glimmer emerged flashed across his aquamarine irises. When the Matriarch, after several seconds of silence, finally answered, there was a deep solemnity in her voice as she lowered her head and said, "Jorfaic Collbrande...is a man who was exiled from the family more than forty years ago..."(A/N: I have officially completed my move so my schedule is 'relatively' open, at least for the next couple of days~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Historic Moments','Sexual Dimorphism','Revelations...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

True to his words, Vahn cleared up several more areas of the Dwarven underground slave trade, including the small military forces that had started to respond to the ongoing riot, before making his way to the underground lake. Though the Dwarves had access to the sea on the surface, this place was an underground reservoir that served as a source of fresh water for the Dwarves in the Undercities. There were several miles of complex aqueducts redirecting the water to the various Cities, many of which had been damaged or blocked by the malcontent slaves. Vahn frowned upon seeing this, as damage to the key infrastructure of the Iron Hills posed a variety of issues for the future.As cruel and foolish as the Dwarves seemed, Vahn knew they weren't innately evil since he had met a number of kind and honest Dwarves in his time. If anything, they were horribly misguided over several generations, much like the Elves had been before he introduced his reformations. Since their population was already rather low, Vahn fully intended to cripple the very foundation of their society, all while sparing most 'common' Dwarves. It was a simple truth that the Dwarves were the most capable craftsman and merchants on the entire Continent, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Since he was trying to build the basis for an Empire, Vahn knew it would be extremely useful to have the Dwarves around to build infrastructure and promote trade between the various regions of the Empire...The transition for the Dwarves would be rough, especially with the loss of their slave population, but it was an important lesson that they would survive through. Once they were in line with the reforms he intended to introduce, they would become a proud and glorious people, even greater than before. Other races would also come to reside within the Iron Hills one day, next time as citizens, not slaves. With the introduction of various cultures, the mentality of future generations of Dwarves would slowly change to keep up with the times. There would undoubtedly be resistance to the changes that were introduced but, by controlling information and deposing those with power and authority, change was inevitable...With the unconscious figures of several Slave Traders, Breeders, and Wranglers floating behind him, Vahn split the large crowd of Slaves who had been awaiting his arrival. In the mines, the large majority of Slaves, once again, were comprised of Pallum, Cat People, and some more burly slaves like the Kyrie tribe. Liberating the 'stock' at the farms had added a variety of Elves, Dark Elves, Dwarves, and a large number of unique Beast Tribe members into the mix. Now, there were nearly a hundred thousand slaves gathered in the area, kept safe by the existence of Fafnir lurking around in the shadows. Vahn had chosen this area, trusting that the Dwarves wouldn't arbitrarily attack their own source of fresh water without proper consideration...Aja, followed by several other slaves Vahn had entrusted with similar tasks, squeezed out of the crowd, eyes now filled with hope. The last few hours had affected all slaves a great deal but those who had been entrusted various tasks by Vahn felt a sense of empowerment. Instead of being whipped and beaten, they had been able to guide and direct other slaves while waving around weapons and supplies that Vahn had given them to pass out. Most slaves readily assisted each other, especially as the momentum continued to build in their favor. Now, the last step was to help them escape this hellish place, even though it would be very difficult to settle such a large number of people in a short period of time.Fortunately, preparations had been made to establish a refugee camp outside of the City to process this veritable ocean of slaves as proper citizens. Loki had even advised securing some land to the south, building an entirely new nation in close proximity to Orario. This would serve as a throughway for trade in the Southern Sands, making it an important hub for merchants in the future. Vahn would pitch the idea to the refugees after they had gotten comfortable within the encampment outside of the City. Since it would take several weeks to process so many people, it shouldn't be difficult to convince a few thousand to build homes for themselves instead of forcing them to adapt to the ever-changing Orario.After sharing a few words with the hopeful bunch that had surrounded him, Vahn pulled out the item that Terra had prepared in advance for these types of events. She had been growing rather tired of having to set up teleportation wards every time Vahn needed to move a large number of people. As a result, Terra had made the first SS-Rank artifact Vahn had ever seen, even though she possessed neither the [Master Smith] or the [Mystery] Development Abilities.The artifact took on the form of a simple disc but, once activated, expanded to a size of twenty meters, a complex teleportation ward carved into the surface. The indentations had been filled with several tens of gallons of Terra's own golden blood, serving the purpose of gathering natural energy to power the artifact in most environments. So long as there was a viable power source, such as Vahn with his 'limitless vital energy', it was possible to use Terra's [Path of Salvation] as a portable teleportation ward, an innovation that would even make a stir back in Eva's record...Vahn had the former slaves clear out an adequate amount of space as he explained what they should expect on the opposite end. The Alliance had already set up an organized encampment and was prepared to receive the large group of refugees outside the Eastern Gate of Orario. This put them in the closest proximity to Daedelus Steet and the various crafting districts where they would likely seek employ in the future. It would take some time for them to adapt to the lifestyle of the City but, with a bit of guidance from their kin, Vahn believed the future was much brighter for these individuals with the support of the Alliance.Once explanations were completed, Vahn became the 'battery' powering the teleportation ward and began sending the slaves more than 3700km in the blink of an eye. It was actually a lot easier to teleport this group of people than it was to move in and out of the Dungeon, while his reserves were seemingly limitless in these circumstances. With his main body meditating within the Sub-Space orb, Vahn's reserves were hardly impacted at all, even when moving groups of more than one-hundred people at a time. In the time it took for the opposite end to be cleared out, Vahn's reserves would be completely filled once again, allowing him to send batches every forty seconds, on average.This massive exodus ended up taking more than thirteen hours, during which several large-scale attempts to breach into the massive cavern had occurred. Fafnir easily dealt with thousands of Dwarves who had tried breaking into the area while the slaves patiently awaited the chance to escape to freedom. Vahn had set out several large crates of supplies and blankets for their use, prioritizing the evacuation of women and children while the mature and sturdy slaves protected the perimeter. So they were able to keep the momentum, Fafnir let some of the weaker Dwarves through so that the former-slaves could use the weapons and equipment they had been given. It was a little strange seeing people get so riled up, cheering at the death of each Dwarf slain, but Vahn knew it was a fate they had brought upon themselves...When it was time for the last group to go through, Vahn's main body was already waiting on the other end with several members of the Hermes Familia, including Elilly. She wasn't the only one who had a vendetta against someone from the Iron Hills so he had captured several groups other than Hodin's. He had already talked to them about the 'correct' decision to make, advising them to either bring the group to justice or simply grant them mercy. Vahn was worried they would have a scar on their heart if they treated their vengeance as a cruel affair. If they went the route of torturing their previous oppressors, it would be a dark memory they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. For some, however, their deeply rooted trauma needed an outlet and, fully understanding this, Vahn had left the decision for them to make.Ultimately, Elilly, who already showed signs of slimming down, simply couldn't forgive Hodin and the two women who had been cruel to her during her time as a slave. When a Dwarf became a slave, they were treated much harsher than other slaves, as there was a great deal of scorn forced upon them. Elilly had been born as a slave because her ancestors had become criminal slaves after infighting between two of the Noble Houses more than two-hundred years ago. She was a third generation slave, forced to suffer since before she was even aware of her surroundings. The two women were similar in age to her so, as she grew, the two treated her as a plaything, forcing cruel a sadistic acts upon Elilly for her entire life...When Vahn brought her to a secure location with the three individuals, Elilly had released a great deal of pent up frustrations upon them within the privacy of a soundproof cell. After several hours had passed, she exited the room with long-tried tracks of tears on her face, blood stains covering her hands, face, and clothing. Vahn entrusted her to the care of Lulune and Pot, having them get Elilly cleaned up so she could put the matter behind her. As for the maimed corpses of the three monstrous individuals, Vahn prayed they became better people in their next life before burning them to ashes.Similar scenarios played out between several of the captive Slavers and other members of the Hermes Familia, something that made Vahn feel a strange heartbreak. Since the majority of those in the Hermes Familia had outgoing and vibrant personalities, it was saddening to see that only a few were able to let the past go. They let the Slavers be judged, forced to become criminal slaves themselves, instead of resorting to violence and placing a heavier burden upon themselves. Even so, Vahn didn't hold it against those that sought more 'direct' means to deal with the capture Slavers, many of which were females that had been brutalized in the past. There was even one member of the Hermes Familia, an Elven woman named Suicia, who spent nearly a full day torturing her former 'Master' before she was finally content.Suicia was a woman who wore an outfit that covered her entire body, to the point that she even wore a facial mask. In the past, she had been a personal sex slave that was forced to serve as an exotic 'pet' within an influential circle of the Iron Hills. Now, she had a very prominent androphobia that even extended to the men within her own Familia, Hermes being the only exception. She had slowly opened up to Vahn as well but, after reading her file, this was mainly because he kept a proper distance from her and made efforts to ease her burden over time. Now that the source of her suffering was dead, Suicia had come out of the room and, for the first time, removed her mask before bowing low and expressing her sincere gratitude...Most of the slaves who had wanted direct vengeance had been female, as the life of a female slave was inordinately harder than their male counterparts. Not only did they have to perform manual labor, but they were always subject to the whims and licentiousness of their owners. Even worse was the fact that the male slaves, in order to release their stress and tensions, would vent it out on the females' bodies during 'mating'. Since they were expected to produce the next generation of slaves, the life of female slaves within some 'farms' was extremely cruel. Many even forced themselves to have abortions, doing their best to avoid bringing children into the world for the sole purpose of suffering as they had...Vahn could never truly empathize with the suffering they had gone through but, comparing it to his own, he had long since realized he hadn't had it the 'worst'. Ever since arriving in the record of Danmachi, Vahn had numerous reminders that there were infinitely greater tragedies than what he had experienced. Though this didn't make his suffering lesser, Vahn's mentality had matured a great deal since his emergence in this world. Now, he was no longer a victim, but a force that helped to liberate other victims and set them on the path towards the future. He felt a powerful drive to create a future where these people, having survived their tragedy, were able to prosper.By the time things had started to settle down, a celebratory atmosphere had overtaken the massive encampment as nearly 110,000 people celebrated their freedom. There had been some who were still skeptical, all the way up until they had arrived on the outskirts of Orario, but that sentiment no longer existed. As a result, Vahn's domain had broken through the 2km radius threshold, reaching 2,317m. While amongst the mass of former slaves, he felt an incredible amount of power that made it seem like he would even be able to split mountains with the turn of a hand. He knew this wasn't the case but, even so, Vahn celebrated with their freedom alongside them, talking at length about the bright future that awaited those willing to migrate south after the Rakia Kingdom's forces were dealt with...---While celebrating with the liberated slaves, Vahn's avatar was now investigating one of the Undercities, choosing the magnificent Ironheart City as his destination. Enough time had passed that each member of the Elder Council should have gathered to discuss matters. He wanted to get a sense of the tensions within the City, finding a dark atmosphere present amongst the citizenship, who now knew the truth of previous reports. Having their ancestral Mother Mountain 'desecrated' had been a big impact on many Dwarves and, though many wanted vengeance, the reality of the situation wasn't beyond their comprehension.In general, Dwarves were relatively intelligent, allowing most to understand there was simply no way for them to fight against such awesome power. They lacked the means to stage a large invasion and, understanding that Vahn would likely have similar weapons in reserve, any attempt to do so would undoubtedly be met with an unfathomably powerful counterattack. Though they were arrogant and prideful by nature, most Dwarves were also pragmatic to the extreme, the result of growing up in a society that always sought advantages from each other. Now, most pubs and taverns were filled to the brim with Dwarves who understood the futility of the situation, many cursing the Elder Council openly for allowing things to reach this point...What surprised Vahn was that very few people were talking about him directly, almost as if even mentioning his name would turn the ale sour. Those that cursed him did so indirectly, calling him things like 'accursed brat', 'false sage', and 'tyrant', never speaking his name directly. It was a little strange, to the extent that Vahn nearly wanted to reveal himself just to see how they would react to his presence. He avoided this course of action, however, as the 'deadline' he had set still had a little over forty hours before expiring. In that time, he planned to liberate as many of the slaves forced into labor farms as possible, forcing the Elder Council to feel greater pressure as they were powerless to do anything to stop him...(A/N: I'm once again reminded that moving sucks. I'm going to have to walk a series of mattresses like .4km just to save money on truck rentals (=_=);...Also, to those saying that Vahn should 'just kill the Dwarves', that is just senseless. Genocide is never the answer to anything and, if you find yourself believing it is, congrats on rising to the standard of reputed historical figures like Adolf Hitler, Julius Ceasar, and the Spanish Conquistadors xD~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Shatter the Foundation, Leave the Infrastructure','Terra, proof that, if someone sincerely wants to do less work, they can create amazing innovations...','He who shall not be named xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 899: Negotiation? : Ultimatum