The situation reached a stalemate. So much time had passed; the female Orcs couldn't have been unaware of the message. She might already be there, lurking in the shadows. Unas called out towards the cave entrance, "Chief Keira, is this how you treat your guests?"
Sure enough, a group of people emerged from the opposite cave entrance. They were all female Orcs, each wielding a weapon. It seemed that the female Orcs of the Tigerfang Clan held a relatively high status. Leading them was naturally the petite Keira. She stopped in the center of the Cave and said, "I heard that you are the new Paladin who annihilated the Smolderthorn Trolls. This small invitation is just to test whether the rumors are true."
So what's your conclusion?
"You are qualified to be my guest," Keira beckoned to him, "Put down your weapons and come over, we will not attack you again."
Unas stepped out of the passageway, but did not put away his shield. "Tell all your men to retreat to the opposite entrance, or I will not take another step."
"Weren't you so brave in battle just now? How come you've turned into a coward now?" Keira mocked. "We Orcs are different from you humans; we don't go back on our word."
Unas remained unmoved. He was now alone in the enemy ranks and could not entrust his safety to the enemy's so-called credibility.
The female Orcs waved helplessly, and the peons besieging Unas and the female Warriors behind her all retreated into the opposite tunnel, leaving only a few female Orcs standing guard at the cave entrance.
Unas felt a little relieved, put away his weapon, and slowly walked to the center of the Cave. He stopped when he was only three meters away from the female chieftain. He tried hard to suppress the urge to smash her with his hammer. The opponent was very agile, and the probability of hitting her was less than 30%.
"Have those female Orcs retreat inside too; our conversation must not be overheard."
Keira sheathed the dagger in her hand and said, "Cowardly humans, they are my most loyal subordinates. I can share any secret with them."
Seeing that she remained unmoved, Unas didn't insist any further. "Actually, I'd wanted to collaborate with you before; there's absolutely no need for us to be so tense."
"Looking for a collaboration?"
"You're the only one who escaped up there and came back alive. Your experience is very useful to my plans. Could you tell me about it? I want to know the Dark Iron Dwarves' defenses up there on trading day."
"I haven't told anyone about this information. What are you going to offer in exchange?"
"Freedom!" Unas proclaimed, "Do you still want to stay in this dark and hopeless hell? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Cooperate with me and bring your sisters to freedom!"
"Why should I believe you, you cunning human?" Keira was clearly tempted, but her wariness of humans didn't cloud her judgment.
"Alright then, I won't ask you for the crystal anymore. That way, you'll have control over my communications with the outside world, and all my plans will be completely transparent to you. By the way, where's my crystal?"
"Don't worry, it's hidden somewhere only I know, it's very safe."
"That won't do! What if someone outside contacts me? You need to carry it with you at all times!"
"Hey! I haven't agreed to cooperate with you yet, so it's none of your business what I do!"
"Your thinking is extremely dangerous. Without cooperation, all that's left is war."
"Heh heh heh, when have we Orcs ever been afraid of war!"
The female Orcs arched her back and hunched her waist, like an angry little tiger. Unas was equally unyielding, clenching his fists and glaring at her.
Just as another battle seemed imminent, a robust figure emerged from among the female Orcs remaining at the opposite cave entrance. She drew two hand axes from her waist and called out loudly, "Chieftain?"
"It's alright, you can leave now," Keira ordered without turning her head.
The tension between the two eased somewhat. Unas said, "I'll give you some time to think it over. We'll meet in the Central District at this time tomorrow. Whether to fight or cooperate is up to you."
Keira watched Unas retreat without saying a word, while her sisters surrounded her, bombarding her with questions about the secret they had vaguely overheard.
Unas retreated to the Dark Iron Dwarves' territory, met up with Frank who was waiting there, and then headed towards the East District.
It will likely take several more days for Erigor to complete all preparations for the rescue. During this time, they must reclaim the crystal. If the female Orcs refuse to cooperate, they will have no choice but to launch a direct assault. However, the expedition to the South District will be quite difficult, making this a truly troublesome problem.
"You seem to have a good relationship with that Dark Iron Dwarves. Could you get him to persuade the Dwarf leader to grant our guard passage?" Unas asked Frank.
"Does the lord intend to wage war against the Tigerfang Clan?" Frank immediately became worried. "If we need passage, we'll not only have to negotiate with the Dark Iron Dwarves, but also with several smaller territories afterwards. This is too difficult."
"This is just a backup plan; war is far off, and negotiations are not over yet."
"Sir, what exactly is going on? I'm still completely confused..."
"What Keira did before, I want to do now," Unas hinted, "If I succeed, I'll definitely take you all with me."
Frank had suspected it, but he was still surprised to hear it confirmed. "This matter can't be rushed, and it's best not to make a big fuss about it. If word gets out..."
"Can news from inside the Black Furnace really get up there? Wasn't it supposed to be completely cut off from any communication with the outside world?"
"The four major mine owners are the true masters of the Black Furnace. How could they be completely unaware of what's happening below? They must have all sent spies down to monitor the situation here, which is why no major uprisings have ever succeeded."
Unas can communicate with the outside world using the Communication Crystal, and others can do so in other ways as well. Frank's conjecture is entirely plausible. Could his entanglement with Keira today have already been observed by someone with ulterior motives? And are those female Orcs as reliable as Keira claims?
Being so suspicious and paranoid will prevent you from getting anything done. Unas calmed down and decided to face whatever comes his way, but he did need to be more cautious in his actions.
"I understand. I hope things will turn out well tomorrow, otherwise we'll have to prepare for the worst."
"That Dark Iron Dwarves is an old friend I met before I came down here. If you really want to start a war, I will do my best to persuade you," Frank said, expressing his support.
The two returned to human territory. According to the timer, it was already midnight. Apart from a few guards on duty, most people were resting.
"Tomorrow, have those Gnolls start mining. Free up some manpower for Luther's military training," Unas ordered. "I know how Gnolls can be, so don't hold back. Prepare a few extra whips."
Frank nodded, and the two talked nothing more. Unas, who had been traveling all day, was also a little tired and quickly fell asleep after returning to his room.