"So, using this will remotely detonate the explosive stones in the sewers?" Mohg looked at the fist-sized crystal, his expression skeptical.
"Yes. You need only shatter it. The resonance will cause the sub-crystals to heat up and explode, triggering the surrounding explosive stones," the old miner explained. "This is a mining technique passed down from the Carian Kingdom. It is far safer than the traditional method of using fuses."
Mohg gave a noncommittal grunt. He closed all the windows in the wooden shack and stood guard at the door, clutching his harpoon while scanning the surroundings.
"Comrade Makhno has already arranged guards in the area. You don't need to be this tense," the old miner said helplessly.
"Raven said there are spies lurking in Deeproot. We cannot afford to be careless." Mohg glanced at the crowd outside. "How about I keep the crystal for now?"
"Better to let it stay right where it is," the old miner replied. "You're too high-strung; I'm worried you'll accidentally crush it. Makhno and the others are still outside. We must wait for them to return before we can begin the demolition. Sigh, I hope nothing has happened to them."
"They were staying at Raven's estate; they must have received the news and are on their way back. Besides, my brother went to fetch them. There won't be any problems."
Just as Mohg finished speaking, a commotion broke out outside.
"Big Brother Morgott is back!"
Seeing Morgott appear, a crowd rushed forward to ask for news.
"Big Brother Morgott, what's the situation outside? Is the Golden Dynasty really coming to attack—Comrade Makhno is injured! Quick, go call Miss Tricia!"
"Where are the others? Are there no others behind you?"
"He lost too much blood and has passed out for the moment." Morgott's thick tail supported Makhno's back as he carefully set him down. "I have already used an incantation to stop the bleeding; he should be fine. Everyone who went with him has been killed. He told me this before losing consciousness."
"The Golden Dynasty has indeed made their move. We must prepare for battle!" someone shouted angrily. "We'll fight them to the end!"
"Everyone, there is no need to worry," the old miner called out as he hurried over. "We have already planted explosives in the sewers. We can collapse the tunnels right now."
"Explosives? What explosives?"
The crowd erupted in questions. Makhno's internal security had been excellent; the engineering team tasked with drilling the blasting holes had been carefully selected and isolated from the others after the explosives were set. Consequently, the vast majority of the people knew nothing of the explosive stones.
Morgott suddenly pushed through the crowd and walked toward the wooden shack where the crystal was kept.
"Big Brother Morgott, did Comrade Makhno give you instructions?" a guard asked. "Are we to detonate it now?"
Morgott didn't answer, simply ducking his head as he entered the shack. The guards suspected nothing, assuming Makhno had told Morgott to handle the detonation. No one tried to stop him; they simply followed him inside.
Finding Mohg inside, Morgott looked slightly surprised. "Mohg? Why are you here? Did Makhno ask you to stand guard?"
"No, he didn't tell me about the explosive stones. Raven gave me this task—to watch out for traitors in Deeproot."
Morgott nodded, strode to the table, and gripped the crystal in his hand.
"Just crush it," Mohg said, only to see Morgott open his mouth and swallow the crystal whole. "Brother, what are you doing?"
"This crystal will be kept by me," Morgott said, the crystal now held within his throat pouch.
"Were those Makhno's orders? To hold off on the demolition?" a Deeproot warrior asked.
"No. Before Makhno lost consciousness, he told me about the explosive stones and asked me to return and detonate them," Morgott said in a heavy voice. "But I do not intend to do so. This is my decision."
The Deeproot warriors immediately broke out in an uproar.
"Then what? Are you going to lead us in a direct confrontation with the Golden Dynasty?"
"I will go and speak with the Golden Dynasty," Morgott said.
"You can't negotiate with that!" the old miner finally squeezed his way in, speaking urgently. "During negotiations, they only need to stall for time to remove the explosive stones we planted. We must detonate them directly. Using this as a threat is useless."
"I do not intend to use the explosive stones as a threat," Morgott said. "I will use other means to prevent them from using force against Deeproot. Isolationism does not solve the problem. Eventually, we will need to interact with the outside world. Besides, even if we collapse the sewers, we cannot stop them from digging new tunnels to enter Deeproot."
"While they dig tunnels, we can train an army," a Deeproot warrior argued. "There are over a hundred thousand people in Deeproot, most of whom are in their prime. If we can buy two or three years, it won't be hard to train tens of thousands of warriors—enough to defend Deeproot's independence."
"We have been in Deeproot for three years. In three years, we have not trained a single army."
"That—that is because we lacked a sense of urgency," the warrior defended. "It's different now. No one will harbor any more delusions. After the tunnels are blown, we will put everything into war preparations. We won't be as lax as before."
"No. We have no army because we don't want an army," Morgott said, shaking his head. "Aside from us Omen-born who have lived in the sewers, I know that all who come to Deeproot do so because they were suffocated by the exorbitant taxes and labor of the nobility. They fled their homes for this.
"No taxes, no forced labor, no lords. Everyone is equal, living independently and freely. It is for this dream that people gathered in Deeproot. But if Deeproot must maintain a massive standing army, that dream will cease to exist."
"That's different!" the warrior roared. "Big Brother Morgott, you're twisting the concept! People will volunteer for the army! They will willingly donate supplies! There won't be any need for tax collectors with whips, because we know exactly what we are fighting for!"
"Do not test human nature," Morgott said. "If victory were a goal visible on the horizon, if this state of war had a clear expiration date, I believe people could maintain their passion and see it through. But we cannot truly defeat the Golden Dynasty. This war will be endless. No matter how great the passion, it will eventually be ground down to nothing.
"Eventually, some will donate less, or stop entirely. Those who donate more will feel it is unfair and accuse the others of selfishness. People will attack one another until we are forced to set standards, mandate minimum donations, and send people to oversee the collection.
"The hierarchy of the military will create privilege. The warriors who are provided for will grow distant from the common folk. Families with soldiers will look down on those without... In the end, Deeproot will either surrender or become no different from the surface world."
The Deeproot warrior's face shifted between green and white. Just as he was about to speak again, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"Comrade Makhno." The warrior quickly supported him.
"It seems you truly have read all those books I gave you," Makhno said weakly. "But, is that really the only reason you refuse to fight the Golden Dynasty, Morgott?"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(174 Chapter - Ongoing)
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