[A Few Days Ago...]

"Now then... shall we begin the meeting?"

A group of short, human-looking men gathered together in a large room. They had seats that circle around a table, and their stern faces as they went through the process of standing, and then seating in order to commence the discourse showed just how serious this was.

This was the gathering of The Senate-leaders of the Dwarven Republic-and all of the burly, well-built men were representatives of the people of their civilization.

As such, engaging in sessions like this was imperative.

The council hall of the Dwarven Leaders was a grand chamber that stood at the very top of the Senate Tower; a testament to the skill and artistry of Dwarven craftsmanship.

The walls, smooth and cold to the touch, were adorned with intricate carvings. Each carving was a masterpiece, painstakingly chiseled to perfection, and seemed to come alive in the flickering light of the braziers that lined the hall.

Massive stone pillars, their surfaces etched with glowing runes of power and protection, rose majestically to support a vaulted ceiling. This ceiling was a marvel in itself, encrusted with glittering gems-sapphires, rubies, emeralds-that reflected the warm light, casting a mesmerizing array of colors across the room.

The gems had been placed with such precision that they formed constellations.

-An impressive artistic choice.

In the center of the hall stood the long, polished granite table, its surface so smooth it appeared almost liquid. Around this table, the Dwarves present were now seated in their respective high-backed chairs crafted from dark oak, inlaid with silver and gold.

Each chair was unique, representing the lineage and office of its occupant.

They weren't the only unique sights, though.

Each of the Dwarven Leaders were dressed differently, and they looked different too. The twelve men were different in everything, except their height.

All of them were no more than four feet tall.

While one of the Dwarven Leaders was clad in what appeared to be rich furs, another was donning a finely wrought armor. Another hardly had anything on, save for his singlets and trousers, and one was dressed in modern wear.

Each had their quirks, but they were all bearded old men who had slight potbellies and muscular builds-a feature that was peculiar to their race along with the short height they were known for.

"Distinguished ones, I will be leading today's proceedings, per the Roster." One of the Dwarves rose to his feet once everyone was settled and waiting in silence.

He was dressed rather expensively, exuded an air of authority and luxury. His beard, long and meticulously braided, bore beads and rings signifying his status and deeds.

This was Councilman Finn, one of the long-lasting members of the Senate.

Thanks to occupying this position for over a hundred years, he had amassed quite a sizeable amount of wealth for himself and his family-keeping his belly ever so full, while his other companions could not compare to his fat and healthy appearance.

Many suspected he was guilty of some kind of corruption, but none of them could bring forth any evidence to back up this claim. In the end, they all had to assume he was very good at playing the game of politics and getting the votes of the Dwarves that kept supporting him. None of that mattered now, though.

At the present moment, the topic for discussion was one that involved a more straightforward analysis of both themselves and the opposition that they recognized.

This was about Warfare.

"Councilman Kaje, can you tell us how things are faring in the Northwestern Battlefront? That's the sector you're in charge of, correct?"

No one understood why he asked for confirmation, despite everyone in the room already recognizing it, but they all ignored it.

Every member of the Senate had a 'Sector' that they governed, which made everything that happened there their responsibility. Of course, they could always request aid in their respective areas if there was a need for it.

However, since sufficient resources would already be given to each Sector-per the agreed- upon budget-this rarely happened.

Still, since they were a council, all of them had to gather together to discuss the pertinent issues affecting each Sector... particularly the ones dealing with Warfare..

"The war is currently at a stalemate. We could bring out the big guns and go on even harsher offensive, but that would either force them to be more desperate in their attacks or request reinforcements—both of which will be problematic for us."

"Can I assume this is the same for the others?" Councilman Finn turned to two other Dwarves —both of whom were in charge of the Northeastern and North Central Battlefront respectively.

They responded affirmatively.

"I see, then. I suppose this is a wise choice, considering the current situation of the Republic."

Once Councilman Finn said this, there was a brief moment of silence among the Dwarven Leaders. They understood what he meant, and it had to do with the scarcity crisis that they were dealing with at the moment

Due to the strain of war, there had been excessive mining and extraction of their land's natural resources, which ultimately led to a great reduction in their stockpile.

"Even the Grand Mine Reserves have nearly been depleted..." A rather rugged-looking Dwarf muttered with a sad sigh.

At the current rate they were living, the Dwarven Republic would be in serious trouble if they couldn't find another Mine or find a solution to their energy problem.

"If only I could finish developing the Philosopher's Stone. We could have Sustainable Energy... but... haaa... we've hit a roadblock."

Everyone knew the same old story that was always given by the Leader of the Scientific and Technological Advancement Sector-a Dwarf who constantly wore a lab coat and thick

goggles.

In the end, they couldn't deny the issue at hand.

"We can't keep fighting like this. Sooner or later, we'll-"

~DRRRRRIINNNGGG!~

A loud siren suddenly echoed within the hall, with red lights flickering within the sanctified

space.

All the Dwarven Leaders instantly ceased their complaints, all of their faces showing shock as they listened to the blaring alarm with confusion.

"W-what?!"

"Why now? I don't understand..."

"What could be causing this? T-this is...!"

Everyone in the room understood what the siren stood for, and beads of sweat fell from their

faces the instant they heard the sound.

It meant a state of emergency!

"Why a state of emergency? I thought the war with the Dragons was stable!" One rather

frantic Dwarf yelled, turning towards the Dwarves who were mainly responsible for keeping

the Dragons at bay.

"It is! Even if things were escalating, I would have received an alarm by now."

"The tide of battle also takes a long time to fully shift to the other side. It couldn't have

happened so suddenly!"

"Not that you would know anything about that... Frank!"

Despite their worries and palpable confusion, the three Leaders didn't forget to hammer scoff

at the complaining Councilman.

Unlike them, he had the simple task of handling the West Battlefront Sector-a job that was

so easy that he usually spent most of his time engaging in leisurely activities in his office.

It involved dealing with the occasional attacks of the Giants.

~VWUSH!~

Only a few seconds after the alarm blared, a Dwarf appeared before the council-his body looking far slimmer and more muscular than the Leaders who were staring at each other with

panicky expressions.

Once this Dwarf appeared, they all turned to him, frantic for answers.

"What the hell is going on, Captain Servos?"

"Y-yeah! This state of emergency... what exactly caused it?"

"Are the Dragons...?!"

The Dwarf shook his head to all of these, raising his head as he stared at them with a

frightened expression outlined all over his pale face.

"The Giants... they've gone past the walls!"

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Thanks for reading!

Apologies for the info dump. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!