Viscount Helson stepped forward and bowed slightly. "I am Helson. I have come at the command of Marquis Paul Greiman of the Auldo Kingdom, hoping to meet with your clan chief in person."
"Father is unwell." The dwarf waved a hand. "I am Balash, the Young Chieftain of the Iron Hammer Clan. What do you want to say? You can tell me now."
Helson looked at the young dwarf noble before him, who had a loud voice and a straightforward expression. He was somewhat surprised, but quickly composed himself and nodded.
"Then, please allow me to explain the purpose of my visit."
"Wait!" Balash raised a hand. "That Marquis Greiman—you just said you came at his command, not as your own representative?"
"Exactly!" Helson nodded.
"So you're here on a political mission?" Balash's voice suddenly rose, reverberating through the hall. "My Iron Hammer Clan has never wanted to contact human rulers!"
He slammed a hand onto the stone table. "If you had truly come to seek help for yourself, perhaps I might have given you a gift for the sake of the token in your hand. But now, it seems..."
Helson took half a step back, yet continued looking straight into the other man's eyes. "Young Chieftain, please hear me out." He raised the hand gripping the Bone Flute. "I had to use every means available to arrange this meeting between us. My ultimate goal is to prevent an even greater crisis."
"An even greater crisis?" Balash sneered. "Humans are constantly tearing themselves apart, yet you come here to tell me about an 'even greater crisis'?"
Helson was surprised. It seemed the dwarves' knowledge of the outside world was not as limited as he had previously imagined.
He looked at the red-faced, loud-voiced Young Chieftain before him and knew he