章 178: Chapter 178 - Suggestions For The Future
The polite applause faded as the young candidate stepped down from the podium. His polished smile faltered slightly as he returned to his seat. All eyes shifted to the edge of the room, where Lunt Senior began his deliberate walk toward the dais.
The atmosphere shifted palpably as the older dwarf approached the podium, his stride steady and his expression resolute. Unlike the practiced performers who had spoken before, Lunt carried no rehearsed charm, no polished veneer. He was an outsider among the political elite in this hall, and that alone made them wary.
He represented a voice of pragmatism in a chamber accustomed to polished rhetoric—a reminder of the struggles beyond their wealth and influence.
The room leaned in collectively, anticipation and apprehension hanging in the air.
Vell straightened in his seat, his wandering thoughts snapping back to the present.
When Lunt spoke, his voice rumbled through the hall like grinding stone.
"Tradition is the backbone of our people," he began, his tone steady and deliberate. "But tradition alone cannot sustain us when the mountain starts to crack beneath our feet."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, the weight of his opening statement hitting its mark.
"The mines have always been our lifeblood," Lunt continued, his weathered hands gripping the edges of the podium as if anchoring himself to the truth. "But they won't last forever. It's a cascading effect. When the mines dry up, the people will also. The merchants will leave, and so will the farmers."
The murmurs grew louder, a nervous tension sparking between the seated dwarves. Lunt allowed it to linger for a moment before raising his hand, commanding silence.
"Then we'll tend to them ourselves," came a voice from the crowd. The speaker, an older dwarf, sat upright with an expression of defiance.
Lunt turned his steady gaze toward the man, his face unreadable but unflinching. "And how long do you think that will last? We won't have enough people to do so." His words were calm but firm, as solid and unyielding as the stone beneath their feet. "The truth is this: our numbers are already dwindling. Every year, more of our young leave the mountains, seeking easier lives in the cities beyond. The merchants who once traded with us now look elsewhere, and even our farmers are struggling to keep their livelihoods intact. These problems will not solve themselves."
The room fell silent again, the weight of his words settling heavily over the crowd. No one seemed willing to offer a rebuttal.
Lunt's tone softened slightly, though his resolve remained evident. "We cannot turn a blind eye to these changes, nor can we cling to tradition so tightly that we choke ourselves with it. Yes, we are a people of the mountains, but if we are to survive, we must adapt. That doesn't mean abandoning who we are—it means preserving it by being smart, by being bold, and by recognizing that sometimes, the old ways need new hands to hold them."
Vell's gaze swept over the crowd as Lunt spoke. The older dwarf's words resonated deeply, but the room remained still. No cheers erupted, and there were no visible signs of approval or dissent.
Some dwarves avoided Lunt's gaze, while others leaned toward their neighbors, exchanging quiet whispers.
"No future comes without sacrifice," Lunt said, his voice cutting through the stillness. "It will only come with hard work."
He paused, his eyes scanning the room, meeting each gaze as if daring them to challenge him. "We've faced worse before. We've carved our lives out of stone with our own hands. If the mines dry up, then we will find new ways to thrive. We are bleeding out, and we need to stitch up our wounds. But nothing will get better unless we are willing to face the truth and act—not tomorrow, not next year—today."
Vell leaned back in his seat. He wanted to smile, but his expression remained as impassive as the rest of the crowd.
Lunt's speech was both a rallying cry and a challenge. It was a stark contrast to the empty platitudes of the younger candidate.
The words were powerful, but he wondered how much weight they would carry when the council deliberated. The forces that shaped this mountain were more complex than any speech, no matter how stirring.
Vell knew all too well that even the most honest leaders could be undermined by unseen forces that worked in the dark.
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