So, yeah, even though the whole thing felt a little morally questionable, Aiden didn't carry much guilt about it. "So, Mr. Nighthale, what should we do next?" Thor asked. His tone was far more respectful than before. In his eyes now, the young man standing there no longer spoke for himself. He represented the will of Hephaestus. "Easy." Aiden, the great 'Envoy of Hephaestus,' smiled as he gave his first instruction. "You stay in Leafport and keep doing what your people have always done best." "What our people have always done?" Thor's cheeks turned red. He scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "Uh… doing that out in public might not be appropriate." Aiden frowned. "I told you to make equipment. What is inappropriate about that?" "Make equipment? Oh…" Thor dragged out the sound in realization. "You meant that. I thought you meant…" "Thought I meant what?" Aiden asked."I thought you were talking about making…" Thor coughed a couple of times and avoided eye contact. "You know. Pots and pans." Aiden was suddenly at a loss for words. So what do they even do when they're bored out in the woods? No wonder there aren't many of them. "Forget it. Anyway, you get what I mean now, right?" Aiden said with a hint of helplessness. "Of course, Mr. Nighthale. We'll carry out your will to the letter. I'll go inform the others right away," Thor replied solemnly. Playtime was one thing, but when it came to the old divine, he didn't joke around. There was no room for half measures on this. "Go ahead." Aiden waved him off. Humming a cheerful little tune, Thor practically bounced out the door. Aiden paused for a moment, then decided he should head over to the duke's estate. The importance of the Dwarves was obvious. He needed to talk things over with Sienna. After all, the Lord of Westhand was still a member of this royal family. Plus, knowing the duke and the exact boundaries of his lands was key to figuring out where the Dwarves would settle.… Bang! Bang! Bang! No sooner had the two of them stepped out than a heavy pounding came at the door. By now, Alan had ditched the carefully crafted rice outfit he had worn earlier. In its place was a full-on pancake outfit. I keep thinking it over and realize I might've been looking at this the wrong way. The Dwarves used to be all about rice because resources were scarce. But after hanging around the city for a while, their tastes naturally got a little fancier. This time, I went full-on pancake mode. There's no way they won't notice! I'm full of confidence. Even if this doesn't work, I have a few top-tier tailors who've made other outfits. I can go all out in one go… no, there's always something the Dwarves will like. But… why the hell has no one answered after banging on the door forever? Even if the Dwarves weren't exactly fans of me, with their temper, they'd have been smashing down on me by now. Something's off… "Mic." Alan gave the guard a skeptical look. "What about Thor and the others?" "Just so you know, Mr. Thor apparently left together with Mr. Nighthale," Mic said respectfully. "Left?" Alan went pale with shock. "Where did they go? Did they say anything? Are they planning to leave Leafport?" I pulled out all my tricks, and now they just take off like that? Feels like all my effort was for nothing. "Not really." Mic shook his head. "They're still in town." "Good." Alan finally let out a breath. "There's still a chance." Mic hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mr. Dankworth, I hope this doesn't come off rude, but honestly, I think you should just let it go." "Why's that?" Alan shot him a glance. "You think I won't pull it off? Have you ever heard the saying, where there's a will, there's a way? If I stick with it…" "It's not that." Mic interrupted gently. "It's just that Mr. Nighthale came by earlier, and Mr. Thor already agreed to stay in Leafport." Alan hadn't even finished speaking when Mic laid out the situation clearly. "What?" Alan froze. "Say that again." "I said Mr. Nighthale came by earlier, and the Dwarves already agreed to stay." Mic repeated. "No… no way," Alan stammered, feeling completely off. "I've been hustling for days with nothing to show, and Nighthale just shows up. What, a few minutes? That's it. You don't make a story like this up. And you're telling me they just worked it out that fast?" "It's true, Mr. Dankworth," Mic said firmly. "The only reason they left was to discuss how the Dwarves settle in. So… you really don't need to stress over it anymore." He glanced at Alan's face, squashed and wrinkled in that pancake outfit, and chose his words carefully. "After all, you are the City Lord of Leafport. Wearing that… well, it's a little…" Mic trailed off. Both of them knew exactly what he meant. Alan looked ridiculous. Alan wanted to argue back, but the pancake outfit was twisting and sagging in the wind, pressing against his head so hard that all words felt useless. He went quiet for a long moment before asking, "How did he do it?"