Chapter 114: Meeting

As Theodore and her companions drew closer to the beam of light, they could clearly see several people busily constructing houses.

“Are they humans?”

The group had recovered from their initial excitement and shock, and their gazes were now filled with caution.

“Nonsense, isn’t the Light Church human?”

Theodore couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Barak’s moronic statement.

‘Of course they are.’

“Alright, they’re just ordinary people. There’s no need to be so nervous.”

Barak wanted to snap back, but he couldn’t find the words.

He simply lowered his head and kept quiet.

However, the group did relax their guard slightly.

Just as Theodore and the others spotted the people in the stronghold, several knights noticed them as well.

“Stop! Who goes there!”

One of the knights shouted sternly.

“Dwarves?”

Another knight asked, his voice filled with doubt.

“Yes, we are from the Watcan Tribe,” Fagreim said calmly.

He then turned his gaze toward Theodore, signaling for her to handle the communication.

Theodore gave a sheepish grin and shrank back.

‘What should I do? It looks like I led them the wrong way! This seems to be a small outpost, not the large one where Sage Luther is!’

Theodore was deathly embarrassed.

‘The people here might not even recognize me. How am I supposed to talk to them…?’

Watching Theodore act this way, Fagreim sighed and covered his forehead in frustration before looking back at the two knights.

“We wish to conduct some trade with the Church.”

“Trade?”

Looking at the dwarves who were a head shorter than them yet carried massive shields, the knights clearly didn’t believe they were there for trade.

With that kind of equipment, were they sure they weren’t here for a fight?

Furthermore, they had heard that the Dwarf Tribe was exceptionally brave and skilled in combat.

“We mean no ill will,” Fagreim said in a deep voice, seeing the knights tense up.

The strength of these humans was negligible, but Fagreim knew they weren’t there to start a war.

The Church wouldn’t be able to carve out a pure land shrouded in light like this without high-end combat power.

However, he was not a man of many words.

In this situation, he didn’t know what else to say.

This was supposed to be Theodore’s responsibility.

But…

Theodore was currently hiding behind Marcus, afraid to show her face.

‘I don’t know what to do either!’

Fagreim’s brow furrowed, while Marcus and Barak prepared themselves to run.

That was right—they were ready to bolt.

It was true they yearned for the light, but now that they had actually found it and the other party was showing hostility, their first instinct was to flee, even if their opponents were weak.

This was a stark contrast to how they acted when facing The Strange.

“Let them in.”

An unexpected voice drifted over.

The knights were stunned for a moment before bowing respectfully and stepping aside.

Fagreim looked at the man, constantly evaluating him, and then turned his gaze toward Theodore.

The man wasn’t very strong, but Fagreim could sense a lingering danger from him.

Theodore blinked and looked at the man as well.

She didn’t recognize him, but she keenly noticed that one of the man’s hands had only four fingers.

Memories of the Mage Tower surfaced, and Theodore remembered that four-fingered hand—it was one of the features she remembered most clearly.

After thinking it over, Theodore plucked up her courage and stepped forward.

“Is that… Uncle Buzhaqi?”

Hearing Theodore’s words, it was Buzhaqi’s turn to be stunned.

He had spent the entire night cleaning up after Beikeze and was exhausted.

He was currently forcing himself to stay awake to handle a shipment of supplies.

Encountering the Dwarf Tribe was surprising enough, but he hadn’t expected someone to recognize him.

“Yes, I am. And you are?”

Buzhaqi studied Theodore with interest.

‘Could this be the dwarf girl Gelifende mentioned?’

“I am Theodore…”

Hearing Theodore’s timid voice, Buzhaqi raised an eyebrow.

‘Well, what do you know. It really is her.’

“You must be looking for Sage Luther, right?”

“Yes…”

After stammering for a long time, Theodore finally spoke, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

‘I accidentally led them the wrong way!!!’

Without even needing to think, Buzhaqi guessed what had happened.

He looked at Theodore, Fagreim, and the others with an amused expression.

Then, Buzhaqi waved his hand to call Naar over and whispered a few words in her ear.

“This is a small outpost. Sage Luther isn’t here. If you want to find him, you can come with me to the large stronghold.”

This outpost had just been established and was considered the fifth outpost.

However, since one small outpost had already been merged into the large stronghold, it was theoretically the fourth small outpost.

Having just been established, there was essentially nothing here.

Aside from the alert knights and the people building watchtowers, there was only the pillar of light standing firm within the Black Mist.

Fagreim scanned Buzhaqi once more.

His wariness finally eased after Theodore gave him a nod.

Since Theodore knew the man, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Moreover, the atmosphere here felt very warm…

It was no longer the malicious chill of the Black Mist.

That warmth was much like being held in the arms of an elder as a child.

It provided a total sense of security, causing Fagreim to unconsciously relax his guard.

Seeing Master Buzhaqi take the initiative to invite the dwarves, the knights immediately moved out of the way, allowing Theodore and the three others to follow him.

“This feels amazing…”

Outside the pillar of light, the feeling hadn’t been this distinct.

Now that he was inside, Marcus felt his pores open up, and he let out a sigh of wonder.

“Theodore, next time there’s something this good, tell us sooner!”

Barak felt the warmth of the light and smelled the sweetness in the air.

He leaned in toward Theodore with a look of pure enjoyment.

“And who was it that didn’t believe me at first? Who kept saying I ate hallucinogenic mushrooms and was seeing things!”

Theodore rolled her eyes.

Her tone was annoyed, but she felt a sense of triumph in her heart.

‘Hmph! That’s what you get for not believing me!’

“I was wrong… Big Sis…”

Barak knew when to yield.

Theodore had personally chosen the candidates for this mission, and she would likely choose the next ones as well.

It was clear how much the Great Artisan God doted on her.

To ensure he could return here, Barak no longer cared about his dignity.

One had to realize that Barak had once been the most obsessed with the pursuit of light, even suffering several serious injuries and nearly losing his life for it.

“Not enough. Say it again!”

“Big Sis~”

Hearing Barak’s complete lack of shame, Fagreim couldn’t help but cover his forehead.

‘There are outsiders here. Isn’t this throwing away the dignity of the Dwarf Tribe?’

Walking in front of them, Buzhaqi heard the conversation behind him, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Joining the Church and placing his faith in the Goddess was the best decision he had ever made in his life.