"Have you guessed the identity of that mysterious 'King Without a Land'?"
As we left the Sinful Dwarves' mine, Murphy asked quietly. The Lord Paramount nodded, then shook his head and said:
"I witnessed Lord Hadlan's choice with my own eyes. The mine overseer of a thousand years ago truly went astray. I won't try to whitewash his actions, but at the very last moment, he found his way back to his original purpose. He admitted his mistake and made amends for it with decisive resolve.
"Although the Mother Goddess had already stopped answering the Brass Dwarves' prayers by then, I'm certain that Lord Hadlan remained a devout believer in her until his final moment. When the Brass Fortress collapsed, Gaia's wrath overturned half of the Hungry Plains.
"That also meant the Mother Goddess lost a follower and a friend.
"The gods witnessed his death.
"So, no matter where that 'King Without a Land' came from, I don't believe he's my old friend Hadlan."
"That way of telling them apart seems a little too subjective. But I suspect his appearance has something to do with the Goddess of Wealth. Perhaps it was another transaction that had to be fulfilled—or even the first transaction after Dutena's birth."
Murphy shared his guess, but the Lord Paramount didn't want to discuss the matter, so Murphy turned to him and said:
"The original plan remains unchanged. In two days, we'll launch an assault on Abyss City and announce the start of the 'Gray Expedition.' Once the warriors from another world have taken the city, we'll set out for the Gray Desert.
"You'll command the Lightchaser and go ahead to assess the situation near Sinful Fortress. If possible, help the Sinful Dwarves take back the city first.
"I'm interested in the creation machines beneath it.