While Charlotte and the Earls of the round table "intimidated" the dwarf emissary, the black haired wizard took the silver helmet mountain dwarves who followed him to the autonomous territory promised to them.
After the battle of the silver helmet mountain and the Centaur raid, these dwarves who followed him were not one in ten, and most of them were strong and healthy - injured and weak, starved to death and tired on the road.
Byrne''s army was originally attacking and fighting. They didn''t even have enough food. When they returned to Qianzhang City, they had to take the remaining Boyi Army... There were tens of thousands of dwarves when they left silver helmet mountain, and now there are less than 20000 left.
To some extent, this is also inevitable... Although it is a bumper harvest year, it means that Byrne has to exhaust all his reserves by supplying more than 100000 dwarves with food and clothing for one to two years at a time, and Byrne has no spare strength to raise troops in five years.
That''s why 20000... Just right.
As for the dominion, it''s not a problem. The area of red blood castle is three to four times that of the other earls, the cultivated land and forest land are six to seven times that of them, and the population is nearly ten times... Without this information, the Turin family can''t control the whole Boyi, so that Charlotte can get absolute respect in a country that doesn''t give preferential treatment to women.
It''s not easy to find a small area for dwarves to be dominions.
The territory carefully selected by Loren for the silver helmet mountain dwarves is a broken wall remnant Huan called "Star Castle".
It is not a remote barren forest, on the contrary, it is also a hub of commercial road; There are manors, villages and towns, forts with knights and troops stationed around. The dwarves can easily get supplies and help, and even establish their own trading stations to do business with the surrounding areas.
But in turn, they are locked in the most concentrated gathering place of the red blood fort, and there is no room for development wind sways grass.
The possibility of rebellion, collusion with bandits, bandits and other forces is infinitely close to zero.
Therefore, the silver helmet mountain dwarfs who got a "new territory" began to build their new homes with great enthusiasm and unimaginable speed.
The grain continuously transported from the red blood castle was stored in the first repaired granary, and then more than 20000 dwarves were divided into more than 100 teams, which began to operate like an army; The supplies distributed to them were not regarded as relief, but like "military funds". Only when each team completed its work on time could it get a day''s rations.
Even in a shanty camp and ruins, they set up a so-called "monitoring station" to monitor the progress of each dwarf''s work; Three tents form the "governor''s house". The open space in the center of the ruins is the "Parliament hall". Several ditches divide each "street", and the "upper and lower classes" are distinguished by the number of potatoes in the dinner plate.
Occupation, type of work, class, region and system... All these seem to be integrated into their blood and become an inherent tradition, which is almost instinctively implemented by all dwarves from top to bottom.
This is a race left to live in the "Legion". Parents are not family members, but commanders and supervisors; Orders need to be obeyed unconditionally, and systems need to be obeyed unconditionally; Collectivism has been brought into full play in them.
Such a race, the only thing that can limit them is the low fertility rate, rigid and inflexible system, and extreme xenophobia... Even these, Loren was full of jealousy when he thought of them.
Make the system a tradition, take ethnic groups as parts, bureaucrats as lubricants, and laws as consoles
"It can be called... A race like a machine."
With a trace of emotion, the black haired wizard concluded in a low voice.
"Thanks for your praise."
Sisa mikhailo, the leader of the silver helmet mountain dwarves, stood on the lookout platform just completed by several dwarves with Loren with his hands on his back, monitoring the construction progress of the whole autonomous territory.
"I''m just making an objective evaluation... That''s a compliment?"
"For the people of Yunling, there will be no higher praise than this." mikhailo nodded with a rigid face: "not to mention that now you are my Lord and I am one of your vassals."
"Under the monarchy system of this generation, flattering and flattering their Lord is also one of the tasks of vassal, whether it is the benefactor or the people of Yunling."
He said it methodically and seriously, as if he could really turn flattery into a "type of work", so that Loren didn''t know what to say.
"Can the most High King force you to flatter him?"
"Of course, in Yunling Kingdom, flattering the supreme king is one of the important administrative tasks of every fortress leader." mikhailo nodded naturally: "write at least one hymn of the supreme king every month and give it to the current grand ceremonial officer, and then his majesty will personally give instructions and set the tone and policy for the next month."
"Excellent hymns will be distributed to various fortresses for reference and promotion, so that everyone can learn; the most failed one needs to be punished, and the relevant person in charge needs to be dismissed and fined; if it is not a noble, it will go to jail."
"..." Loren Turin.
"But I believe, Duke, what you need is not our flattery." the dwarf mikhailo said: "what you need is the metallurgical technology, refining technology and mining technology of various ores from yinhelmet mountain."
Loren shrugged: "the steel forged by Yunling Kingdom... I think no lord in the world is greedy."
"Yes, but they are not as deep as you desire." dwarf mikhailo added: "I heard before coming. The whole Bain is preparing for war and needs a lot of sophisticated weapons to arm your soldiers and knights."
"Human metallurgical technology can''t arm an army of more than 100000 people in such a short time; without us, you can only have a local armed force that can''t even unify the specifications of shields and spears and fight for a long time."
The dark haired wizard finally recognized that he was bargaining.
"Lord mikheilo, what exactly do you want to say?"
"What I want to say is that you didn''t fully abide by the original agreement and gave us an autonomous territory similar to the silver helmet mountain." the dwarf mikhailo said in a deep voice:
"You just threw us an abandoned castle and exchanged an abandoned land for our loyalty... Because we have no choice."
"This is not an abandoned wasteland. It is an important transportation hub of red blood castle. Once rebuilt, the land under your feet will appreciate ten times in an instant." Loren smiled and said relaxed:
"Besides, the biggest mines in Byrne are in the south. I can''t let my earls cede land - even the star castle is what I asked from Charlotte... This account still has to be paid."
"So, in theory, you, Duke Byrne... Have no territory except your own court?"
"No, nothing. The court is borrowed. It''s the palace of the count of red blood castle." the joking black haired wizard raised his mouth: "I''m sorry, but the Duke you are loyal to is just a seemingly poor man!"
"..." mikheilo.
"A piece of land enough for your ethnic group to live, food rations within one to two years, various material assistance and political protection... This is the biggest condition I can get."
With another chuckle, Loren looked at the dwarf meaningfully: "and I also believe that no one can offer a higher price than me - they will never let 20000 people of the cloudy mountains live in the same land, and will definitely tear you up and settle you in case of accidents."
"They will only regard you as useful slave workers, servants and consumables on the battlefield; let you work day and night in mines and workshops, and stand in the front line on the battlefield as dead ghosts... Because you are not my race."
This time, the dwarf mikheilo didn''t refute anything. He knew that Loren didn''t lie... Because the dwarf did the same.
"But I''m different. I won''t let you separate. I even allow you to govern... Because I know you." Loren said word by word:
"I regard you as one of my vassals and those outside Bain''s thirteen leaders. I will never betray my subordinates and regard you as my own people... Even if you don''t think so at all!"
It was like a joke, but Lauren''s face looked very dignified.
"Then, your highness."
The expressionless dwarf Mikhail put his right hand behind his back and bowed respectfully to the waist that may not exist: "as your vassal, what price do we pay for this wasteland with only ruins, which is not enough to supply 20000 ethnic groups, and your political protection for us?"
The irony is so strong that it can be clearly seen.
"Don''t need too much, just fulfill the obligations of a vassal... It''s all your own." Loren smiled like a child, as if he didn''t understand what he said: "pay taxes on time, provide sufficient troops, and establish workshops enough to maintain the supply of weapons for 100000 troops... The last one is what you said, and I didn''t force you!"
The expressionless dwarf mikheilo still carried his hands behind him, as if he was restraining his extremely strong impulse to punch him in the face.
"There''s another task, I hope you can do it next." the black haired wizard, who didn''t realize that he was almost "hacked up", continued:
"It''s no big deal. It''s just a very ordinary project."
"Very ordinary project?" the dwarf mikheilo narrowed his eyes into a seam, and almost pointed out "I don''t believe it".
"Yes, my wizard Consultant... To be more accurate, my mentor is preparing to build a wizard college in red blood castle, which requires a lot of manpower and equipment - more importantly, he has strict requirements on the quality of the project."
Mikheilo''s eyes looked into the distance. Little Yod, the president of the United Chamber of Commerce and in charge of dwarf material assistance, was coming this way.
"Duke, we are loyal to you, but I hope you can be honest with us," mikheilo said slowly and solemnly in an old man''s usual tone:
"This'' wizard College ''should not be as simple as it looks, right? What you want is not only our assistance in construction, but also the application of various mechanical technologies of silver helmet mountain?"
"Don''t ask me these technical questions. I''m only responsible for asking you to promise to help build the college; the general director of the project is ayin Rand, and the inspector is my mentor. As long as they are satisfied, I can do anything on my side."
Lauren waved his hand and smiled like a disgraced Prince: "only one thing... This matter must be absolutely confidential. That''s why I asked you to take over the project; in the next three years, this will be the most important event for Bain. I want both quality and speed, and I can''t make do with anything."
The dwarf mikheilo raised his eyebrows and snorted coldly.
"Yes, Duke... When the infrastructure on this side of the territory is completed, I''ll take someone to your mentor and Ayn Rand to report. I''m sure I''m our best architect!"
Then he turned and left, passing little Joad who had just climbed up the watchtower.
"Everything seems to be going well?"
Little Joad''s expression always seemed to ridicule: "the great and just Duke Byrne has convinced the dwarfs of silver helmets to kiss your boots in front of you?"
"How''s the round table?" Loren ignored his sarcasm.
"What else can we do? Everything is going well." little Joad raised his eyebrows and smiled cunningly like a businessman: "the elegant and arrogant Countess of red blood Castle threatened and comforted, so that the messenger of the supreme king could recognize the reality."
"After all, when a bluff person encounters another person''s bluff, he always suspects that the other person is bluffing; but when his bluff is seen through, he doesn''t know whether the bluff opposite is a bluff or just thinks that the other person is bluffing."
A passage like a tongue twister explained in detail the situation in the round table Parliament.
"It''s really an outline. It''s refreshing... Thank you." Loren pulled a corner of his mouth.
"You''re welcome. This is what your humble servant should do." little Joad accepted impolitely: "on your side, is everything going well?"
"Ayn Rand has begun to discuss the design scheme with Isaac. When the silver helmet mountain dwarves are ready, they can go there and start work secretly in almost a month."
Loren sighed: "crown prince Conrad will soon receive such information that Duke Byrne is privately building a floating city combining wizard tower and dwarf technology. At that time, the spies of the whole empire will focus on... Er, what''s your expression?"
"Oh, nothing!" little Joad was suddenly surprised, and his meaningful smile did not hide: "just suddenly thought of a word to describe your perfect tacit understanding and seamless cooperation with the noble Countess Charlotte."
"... is not a good word?"
"My Duke, you really have a pair of eyes!"