The dwarf in charge hesitated for a moment, but in that brief span, two caravan guards had already carried the barrel of Mahakam spirits over and set it before him.
The aroma drifting from the barrel nearly had the dwarves drooling.
He stopped insisting. "All right, then. Thank you."
The caravan set off again.
They passed several more checkpoints after that.
With the Mahakam badge clearing the way, every checkpoint let them through.
Istredd returned the favor.
Without exception, he gave each one a barrel of Mahakam spirits free of charge.
As barrel after barrel of Mahakam spirits was given away, the change in the dwarves' attitude was plain to see.
Geralt rode up beside Lynn and spoke quietly enough that only the two of them could hear. "Lynn, do you know why Istredd is doing this?"
Lynn nodded.
"Though the fine weapons the dwarves produce have filled Mahakam's treasury with wealth, ordinary dwarves don't actually live very well, contrary to what most people think."
"The money earned from every transaction goes straight into the great elder's hands."
"Or, more precisely, into the vaults in the deepest reaches of Carbon Mountain."
"The dwarves receive their daily necessities from their clans: clothes, food, tools..."
"Any dwarf who wants more than that won't last long in Mahakam."
Geralt spoke with a sigh.
"Just as you said, ordinary dwarves in Mahakam can't keep their own wealth. So they don't even get to drink their homeland's famous liquor very often."
Lynn raised his eyebrows. "That does sound miserable."
Geralt gave no definite answer. "Perhaps. It's also why some dwarves choose to leave Mahakam, but some humans envy that kind of life."
"Envy?" Lynn gave Geralt a puzzled look.
He could not help wondering whether he had misheard.
Geralt smiled.
"Hard to believe, isn't it? Though most of the wealth these ordinary dwarves create is handed over to the great elder, ordinary dwarves living in Mahakam don't have to worry about tomorrow or the future. Their clans arrange everything for them."
"The clans teach them to read and how to become proper dwarves. Even dwarves who truly don't know how to swing a hammer are assigned suitable jobs by their clans."
"When a clan thinks someone is suited to being a father, it even helps find him a partner."
"Once they have children, the clan helps raise them so they can go out to work during the day."
"When they grow old and can no longer move about, the clan takes care of them in their old age, too."
"So, while ordinary dwarves generally never have much wealth throughout their lives, they don't have to worry about tomorrow or the future, either."
"That's what some humans envy about them."
When they passed the final checkpoint, the mountains suddenly opened up.
Green fields, blue skies, and snow-capped peaks came into view one after another.
An immense valley stretched before them, all the way to the mist-shrouded east.
At that moment, the valley was bathed in sunlight.
Sheltered by mountains on every side, the valley held mines, foundries, forges, and armories of every size.
Looking down from the mountaintop, they could see the dwarves below, as densely packed and busy as ants.
Just then, thirty dwarven soldiers approached. Their captain spoke politely, but with a measure of reserve.
"Master Istredd, the great elder sent me to guide you and your people."
"Sorry for the trouble."
The dwarven captain waved a hand.
His men split into two groups.
One group led the way.
The other circled around to the rear of the caravan.
When they were a third of the way down the mountain, the dwarven captain suddenly came over to Lynn.
Compared with when he had spoken to Istredd, the dwarven captain was even more courteous now.
"Are you two witchers?"
Though puzzled as to why the captain had approached him, Lynn nodded.
"That's right."
The dwarven captain immediately took on an expression that said, "I knew it."
"Once we reach Carbon Mountain, please come with me. The great elder has a commission he happens to need witchers for."
Lynn and Geralt exchanged a glance.
"Captain, may I ask what the great elder needs us to do?"
The dwarven captain quickly shook his head. "Sorry, you'll have to ask the great elder himself about the details when you meet him. I don't know, either. I'm only responsible for passing on the message."
Geralt mouthed to Lynn, "No harm in taking a look first."
So Lynn said to the dwarven captain,
"Then, sorry for the trouble of showing us the way."
The journey from the mountaintop to the valley took a full two hours.
By the time the slope beneath their horses' hooves began to level out, it was already evening.
The narrow mountain road also began to grow wider and straighter.
Before they parted ways, Lynn sought out Istredd and told him that the great elder wanted to see them.
Though surprised, Istredd thought for a moment before saying,
"We may stay in Mahakam for three to five days. If you're still tied up by then, how about we discuss what to do going forward at that point?"
With their employer being so understanding, how could Lynn refuse?
So, after reaching the valley, Istredd and the rest of the caravan found an inn and settled in.
Lynn and Geralt, meanwhile, followed the dwarven squad farther into the valley.
By the time they reached the sturdy castle deep in the valley, night had fallen completely.
Torches blazed along the battlements.
Light also spilled from the windows behind the gatehouse.
Lynn could not help asking, "Are we here?"
The dwarven captain smiled instead and pointed upward.
"No, master witcher. Please look up."
Up?
Puzzled, Lynn raised his head and looked up.
Then his gaze climbed higher, higher, and higher still.
At first, he saw only rocks and trees, and the towering mountains beneath the cover of night.
But then he noticed faint lights high above.
They belonged to a castle tower built into a sheer, precipitous cliff.
The lights shining in the tower gazed down upon the earth like orange eyes.
Above it stood another tower, higher and farther away.
And above that stood another.
Finally, at a tremendous height where eagles soared, a scattering of starlight dotted the night sky.
But a closer look revealed that it was not starlight, but individual lights.
"Carbon Mountain, the capital of Mahakam."
Lynn heard Geralt say beside him.