A month later, in one of the Dwarf race's mining zones—
"Did I hear that right?"
A Dwarf mine master, clad in heavy magical armor, looked at the messenger on the light screen with astonishment, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
This was the southernmost mining zone under the formal control of the Dwarf race.
Since most of the battles between the Dwarfs and the Forest Elves took place in the north, the outposts and cities in the south were quite peaceful. Apart from occasional attacks by the brainless Demonoids, there were almost no disturbances.
The main responsibility of this mining zone was simply to supply the front lines with high-quality ores, which were used to produce more magical devices, war machines, and battleships. Moreover, because it was located deep in the rear, it didn't have much military force.
But "not much" was only in comparison to the frontlines.
If they were to encounter any attack, the three Dwarf warships, one hundred sets of magical armor, and over a thousand magical devices here were not to be underestimated.
Yet just now, the Dwarf in charge of managing this mining zone received some utterly incomprehensible news.
"Mine Master, the D12 mine has fallen," the messenger repeated the earlier report grimly. "According to radar scans, a force of more than ten thousand suddenly appeared within our territory. They launched a surprise attack on the D12 mine and took control of it."
"Over ten thousand?!"
The mine master was shocked, then furiously questioned, "How did a major Forest Elf army appear here of all places? What the hell are the guys at the front doing?!"
The Forest Elves didn't have large populations.
First, their reproduction rate was low, and they had long lifespans, so they didn't actively propagate. Second, they required forests to live in, and due to the Dwarfs' constant deforestation, most of the large and medium forests on the continent of Lucia had already vanished.
A Forest Elf army numbering ten thousand would undoubtedly be considered a main force.
"No, we weren't attacked by Forest Elves. The front lines are heavily guarded—an army of ten thousand couldn't possibly sneak into the rear unnoticed," the messenger shook his head. "This force came from the south."
"The south?" The mine master asked in confusion. "Aren't there just a few primitive beastman tribes down there?"
"Yes," the messenger replied. "And in that army of ten thousand, the majority are Werebeast."
"Is the commander in charge of the D12 mine a complete failure? To be defeated by a bunch of Werebeast? What a disgrace!"
The mine master roared in anger. "Summon all the guards and warships! I want those ignorant beasts completely wiped out!"
The relationship between the Dwarfs and the Werebeast couldn't be called an alliance, but they also didn't go to war with each other.
Because within the Werebeast race, there were some extremely powerful "Blood Break" individuals. Although they were incredibly rare, the Dwarfs had no reason to provoke them.
The Werebeast also knew that just two or three Blood Break individuals weren't enough to fight against the Dwarfs' fleets, so they refrained from poking the tiger's whiskers.
For thousands of years, both races had maintained a tacit peace.
But if anyone was considered the peacekeeper, it would obviously be the Dwarfs.
If they truly wanted to exterminate the Werebeast, they could do so at some cost—but it was entirely possible.
That's why the mine master was so furious upon hearing that the Werebeast had dared to strike first.
"Mine Master, we don't know the full situation yet. The Werebeast must have their reasons and confidence to launch an attack," the messenger quickly explained. "If the southern clans' Blood Break individuals united, then with the equipment we have here, we might be able to hold them off at best—but wiping them out would be unrealistic."
"…You… you're right."
After his initial outburst of anger, the mine master calmed down somewhat and ordered, "You'll represent this mining zone to negotiate with those people. I'll request reinforcements from the main city. Before the support arrives, do your best to hold them off. Whether they want food or other resources, just give it to them."
"Yes, sir…"
Just as the messenger nodded and turned to leave, the communication light screen in front of the mine master suddenly distorted.
It was as if some external force had disrupted the communication spell—the messenger's figure twisted and flickered.
Soon, another figure appeared in the light screen.
"Greetings, person in charge of the Dwarf's central mining zone."
With Schwi's help, Origami Tobiichi had hacked into the communication spell. She now stared at the visibly grim mine master and calmly said, "I am the initiator of this assault. I am here to offer you a proposal that benefits both parties."
"What kind of proposal?"
"Surrender your resistance, hand over all military forces, and we can guarantee your life will not be harmed."
"You Werebeast really are out of your minds, huh?"
Hearing such an absurd proposal, the mine master couldn't help but laugh mockingly. "You captured a single mine and think you have the strength to go to war with the Dwarf race? Let me give you a word of advice—quit while you're ahead. Otherwise, when the Dwarf fleet appears above your heads, I guarantee every Beastman will be turned into ash."
"For the record, I'm not a Beastman, but an Spirit," Origami said with an unchanged expression. "Also, the main force behind this assault is not the Werebeast—but the Humans."
"Do you take me for a three-year-old?"
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But if you choose to resist, we will eliminate all opposing forces."
"Then bring it on!"
Origami attitude completely enraged the mine master. He no longer had any intention of stalling. Slamming the table, he stood up and shouted, "I'd like to see just what kind of tricks you have up your sleeve!"
"As you wish."
The next moment, Origami cut the transmission.
Inside the command tent, she turned her gaze to the three others. "You all heard the conversation just now, right?"
"Of course," Riku nodded nervously. "That Dwarf didn't seem like the type to stay calm under pressure. He'll definitely mobilize all the warships and troops in this area to retaliate."
"The Dwarfs' combat power in this zone is limited. They have three warships and roughly one thousand ground troops," Schwi reported. "Our greater concern should be the reinforcements that may follow."
"Hmph. Just a few mole rats. Under the power of my newly developed abilities, they're no threat at all." Jibril snorted arrogantly. "If they really become too much to handle, I'll just take care of them myself."
"If you or I step in, it will deviate from the original intent of this war. Our goal is to empower our believers through faith, not just to kill enemies," Origami glanced at her and said flatly.
"Have the Corpse Hunterss and the accompanying Werebeast prepare themselves," she continued. "What's coming next is the real battle against the Dwarfs."