Chapter 251

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Chapter 251: Journey to the High Mountains of Khaz Modan

After classes that morning, Jesse and Greed went to the Pig and Whistle Tavern and sat in a corner.

Greed said, "Why did you have another drink before leaving? Are you starting to appreciate the charm of alcohol?"

"I never said anything bad about alcohol," Jesse replied. "I was just worried that we might not get a good meal after arriving there, so I wanted to have a nice meal before leaving."

"Let’s go straight to Lakeshire for food," Greed licked his lips and said, "I’m still thinking about Roast Raptor, the food here is not very interesting in comparison."

"I’m also thinking about it," Jesse said, "But the person I’m looking for may not be in Lakeshire, so I don’t plan to stay there and waste time. I will try to hurry back, hopefully before next Tuesday."

"Are you going to Stonewatch Keep again?"

"Not really," Jesse looked at the sommelier across the table and said, "Sir, I would like to order!"

"A light beer, half a piece of roasted sweet bread, The Feast of Winter Veil roasted meat, and then a mushroom soup, black mushroom soup."

"I’ll have a dark one, for the meat, just a plate of blood sausage will do, I hope it tastes like the flavors of Thrallmar," the dwarf said.

"Alright," the sommelier nodded and left. Greed took out a wallet from his pocket, placed it on the table, and said, "This is the money from selling those Orc gold coins last time, Jesse, you take it first."

"Sold so quickly?" Jesse counted the money and asked.

"There are still some left. I’ll give you your share first, and then slowly sell the rest," Greed stroked his beard and said.

Jesse looked at him, nodded, then counted the money. There were about sixty silver coins in the bag, which was close to what the dwarf had estimated for splitting evenly.

Greed stared at his face and said, "There’s something I’m not sure whether to mention or not…"

Jesse tucked the bag into his arms and said, "Usually, when things start like this, it’s not good news. I’m about to leave for a long journey, so please say what needs to be said, nicely."

"I’m just giving you a friendly warning," Greed said. "I just feel like there’s something strange about you."

Jesse felt a sudden pang of anxiety. Had Greed smelled or noticed something?

He wasn’t wearing his green robe, just a regular wool coat he wore when strolling outside. It was clean, and he couldn’t smell anything off about himself.

Jesse nervously touched his face and asked, "What’s strange about me?"

Greed shook his finger and said, "It’s not something on your face, it’s the way you are. You’ve changed in the past couple of days. I’m just being honest with you, as an experienced amateur beast hunter, former Gryphon Rider from Hinterlands, and apprentice Sage, my perception is sharp."

"Do you have one official title amidst all these messy titles?" Jesse interrupted.

"This doesn’t affect my intuition," Greed said, "Anyway, nothing happened to you these two days, right? Really not saying anything? Since you can’t make it to Redridge today, why not have a chat now?"

"So what exactly did it turn into?" Jesse asked cautiously.

Greed put down his cup and said, "Let me put it this way, I feel like you’re more positive, more confident, you know that feeling, like you’ve won a battle."

Jesse stared at Greed in shock, wondering if this guy’s perception wasn’t working well.

Can he get any darker now?

Hanging out with a succubus every day?

It’s like going from dark to darker, and yet this dwarf says he’s more positive?

But he didn’t show it, just said, "Alright, you guessed right, I figured out how to ignite Shadow Power with fire and created a powerful flame magic, Greed. On this trip to Redridge, I plan to teach a lesson to whoever dares to challenge me, using this."

"Not bad," the dwarf nodded and said, "Actually, I have something important to tell you today."

"What?" Jesse blinked, sensing that this was no ordinary matter.

"Remember when I told you I wanted to become the Mountain King?" Greed picked up a piece of jerky, taking a bite out of it as he spoke, "I wasn’t just talking. I’ve been waiting in the human city all this time, unable to walk this path."

"I thought Mountain King was just a title of honor," Jesse said, "Do you mean there are specific requirements for it too?"

"Mountain King is indeed a title of honor now," Greed explained, "but it also comes with requirements. As the protector of Khaz Modan, I must constantly battle and train to meet the standards set by our ancestors for the Mountain King. But for now, I am not satisfied with my strength."

"Even though I defeated Hogger, he… as I said, if he were to fight me one-on-one, he would not stand a chance. He only managed to persist against me for so long because of those cunning little pups."

"So defeating him is not much of an achievement, and I saw my limitations in that wooded area, so I must train and strengthen myself further."

"How do you plan to do that?" Jesse asked.

Greed cleared his throat and said, "I am going to Ironforge to seek the path of transformation."

"Transformation?"

"Wow, there’s a more exaggerated saying in your hometown — ‘the gods walk among us.’"

"Gods…gods…" Jesse’s bones fell into the mushroom soup from his mouth.

"Exactly," Greed nodded and said, "Dwarves inherit the bloodline of ancient spirits. This is not just empty words. This bloodline has not disappeared over thousands of years of passing down. We still carry the blood of those spirits within us. The Wildhammer tribe’s tradition may not emphasize this, but that doesn’t mean it’s false. It just means we prefer to rely on present power for victory, rather than boasting in the name of our ancestors."

As Greed spoke, it seemed like he was reciting something from memory, but his tone and manner of speaking were a bit off.

However, Jesse knew this indicated Greed’s seriousness about the matter, not just putting on a show here.

"Are you going to be away for a long time?" Jesse asked.

"Not necessarily," Greed replied. "I am going to Ironforge to find a way to embark on this path. Even though I don’t know much about this path, I understand it’s a long and arduous journey."

"Once I figure out what to do, I will come back. If everything goes smoothly, it might take around a month, or even three months. I can’t say for sure. Have you heard about King Bronzebeard discussing with Gnomish engineers about building a railway between Stormwind and Ironforge?"

"A railway?"

Jesse didn’t dare to imagine that the subway could really be built here.

"It’s like the track in a mine, have you seen it before? I heard it from someone else," Greed said. "I don’t know how long it will take to build. If it’s completed, we could get there much faster. We can’t enjoy it now."

"Okay," Jesse nodded. "When do you plan to leave?"

"Do you need my help with anything else?"

"Probably not."

"After finishing this meal, I will start packing," Greed said. "By the time you come back from Redridge, I might be close to arriving at Menethil Harbor."

Jesse looked at this dwarf and thought he was already sixty or seventy years old. If you convert the age of a Dwarf Wildhammer into human years, he would be close to his thirties.

If the "Path of the Earth God Descending" is truly a "difficult and arduous path" for dwarfs, then he should start planning as soon as possible.

A few days ago, during a meal, listening to Greed boasting, he thought the so-called Mountain King was something far away, something he couldn’t even see. But now, Greed is already preparing to head towards this path.

"I support you," Jesse said. "I hope when you come back, you’ll have figured out your direction. If there’s anything I can help with, feel free to ask."

"Good buddy," Greed said.

They clinked glasses, Jesse glanced at the tavern entrance, feeling that it had become much harder to leave.