Chapter 279: Chapter 250 – Entrance to the Underworld

"Rather than segregation or racism, which outsiders usually were quick to presume, the main reason the society in the Kingdom Down Under was split into two was a much simpler case of preference.

 

Most races find it unpleasant to live underground for extended periods of time, and thus they lived on the topside of the kingdom, above ground where the sun shines.

 

The dwarves themselves mostly favored the dark underground however, and it was estimated that at least nine out of every ten dwarves in the Kingdom Down Under mostly spent their lives below ground." - Garth Wainwrought, Professor of Socioeconomy at the Levain Institute for Higher Learning, circa 641 FP.

From the farms and orchards, it took Cal and her group another day's travel before they reached the nearest entrance to the underground kingdom proper. While the region aboveground were part of the Kingdom Down Under's territory, most people associated the name with the sprawling underground kingdom beneath the ground.

 

Unlike the Hassid Caliphate in Ur-Teros, which was more aboveground than underground, and Knallzog to the west, which was closer to half above and half below, the bulk of the Kingdom Down Under was their underground territories.

 

The region itself had many natural subterranean caverns, which the dwarves had long made into their homes. Over the centuries and millennia these caverns were expanded, man-hewn caverns built alongside the natural caverns, then connected to one another.

 

By now, the result was a massive, sprawling multi-tiered underground metropolis that spanned almost the entire south eastern region of Alcidea, which was still expanding even further, as construction never truly ceased down under.

 

They reached the nearest entrance, a natural cavern on a hillside, around the evening. There was a highly secured checkpoint by the entrance, manned by dwarves whose faces were entirely hidden by their helmets, other than piercing eyes.

 

Cal's group had not faced much trouble getting in, though they heard a small ruckus when a merchant on another line failed to produce permits for the goods he carried. Cal's sharp hearing caught how the merchant tried to offer a bribe to the guard accosting him to let him through.

 

They all also witnessed how the guard instead arrested the merchant and escorted him along with his wagon away from the premises, despite his mounting protestations.

 

Once past the checkpoint, they were ushered to a wide road headed that sloped gently downwards. The road was divided into two, with a quarter of its width on the outside reserved for foot traffic, and the rest for wagon and carriages. Right across a divider, a second, identical road was present on the other side, this one meant for traffic headed topside.

 

It was a rather long walk down the sloped road, at least an hour's walk by Cal's best guess. The road was well-lit despite it being underground, as enchanted lanterns lined the sides and the top of the road, illuminating the whole area.

 

After the long walk, they finally reached the undercity, or rather, the outermost eastern parts of the undercity. Even that part alone proved to be a grand sight for those who had never seen it before, as most of Cal's party gawked at the sight before them.

 

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The massive cavern - tall enough to easily fit in the towers and castles visible far in the distance - was brightly lit with enchanted lighting, the place as bright as day despite the late hour and its underground location.

 

Despite the location, the air was fresh, and they could feel a breeze, signs of excellent ventilation work by the dwarves that built the place.

 

The city itself was packed. Most buildings came in square or rectangular shapes, and were built inside pillars that reached the roof of the cavern. Only a few, like the towers and the one castle at the distance, had not reached the cavern's roof.

 

Open market areas, eateries, drink halls, and other businesses dominated the lower floors of the buildings, many of them built with few walls other than the support pillars of the building itself. The upper floors were mostly reserved for residential areas or working spaces.

 

Strong scents of foods and alcohol drifted in the air from the many breweries and eateries nearby, coupled with the shouts of merchants hawking their wares, and blacksmiths at work. It was a riotous cacophony, something that took a while for newcomers to get used to.

 

Cal and her group were not in a hurry. By their itinerary, they had months to explore the Kingdom Down Under, and there was no reason not to enjoy themselves while they're at it.

 

After they looked around, they quickly spotted a large inn which seemed to occupy an entire building, and seated themselves around a large table in the eatery at the ground floor. The table and seats were a little low for them, but that was expected, and it was not so low that it became uncomfortable.

 

A dwarven waiter quickly came over to take their orders, and placed a bowl filled with roasted peas and nuts for them to snack on. They were lightly salted and spiced, which gave a salty, spicy hit to their natural nutty flavor.

 

Said waiter returned moments later as he balanced a large tray full of tankards in one hand, and a large platter on the other. The tankards were full of strong dwarven ale, with a bittersweet, yet crisp refreshing flavor that made most of the group drain their tankards in one go.

 

The waiter took the empty tankards to fetch them more ale, as he left a platter of food on their table. The food itself took the form of thick, fat, juicy grilled sausages the size of a baby's arm, coupled with around a dozen eggs, fried until the whites set and started to crisp while the yolks remained fluid.

 

A basket of breads the size of an adult's head was also placed on the table, and they helped themselves as they stuffed some sausage and egg in the slit open bread and doused it with some of the strong mustard brought to accompany the meat.

 

The combination of the juicy, spiced sausage, rich egg, strong pungent acidity from the mustard, all on a canvas of the fluffy, chewy bread, made for a flavorful bite that filled one's stomach well. Just perfect to be washed down with even more ale.

 

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