Chapter 110: Deep cooperation with dwarves! The actions of the Temple of Light!

"This is a batch of 【Obsidian Gold】 equipment we just finished rushing to produce."

Bagelumu picked up an 【Obsidian Gold】 breastplate and said proudly.

"The quality is absolutely better than the last batch!"

"Our Stone Hammer Tribe's forging skills have made new breakthroughs!"

A look of surprise flashed in Roko's eyes.

He had already deeply experienced the power of 【Obsidian Gold】 equipment.

The Storm Knights were able to win against the few with the many, repeatedly defeating enemies several times their size, and the 【Obsidian Gold】 equipment was indispensable.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, you are truly too polite."

Roko stepped forward, carefully examining those pieces of equipment, and exclaimed in admiration.

"These pieces of equipment are truly too important for our Vanguard Valley."

Bagelumu chuckled, a hint of craftiness appearing on his rugged face.

"Baron Roko, good things, we naturally brought them."

"However, we came this time, and we also have a request for you."

Roko understood in his heart; dwarves never do anything without profit, which he was clear about.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, please speak your mind."

"As long as it is something I can do, I will certainly try my best."

Bagelumu rubbed his hands and said somewhat embarrassedly: "It's still about the spirits."

"The kind of spirits you provided us last time was simply too delicious!"

"Those old guys in our tribe, after drinking it once, could never forget it."

"Every day they nagged and pestered me to come find you and get more back."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat serious.

"And, not to hide it from you, our Stone Hammer Tribe's demand for this kind of spirit far exceeds our expectations."

"Even, because of this kind of spirit, some subtle changes have occurred in the relationships within our tribe and with some other dwarf tribes."

"Some traditional dwarf tribes are feeling very... well, envious of the fact that we can stably obtain this kind of spirit."

"..."

Roko listened, his heart moving slightly.

He knew about the dwarves' love for spirits.

But he didn't expect that the spirits specially supplied by Vanguard Valley would cause such a big reaction among the dwarf tribes.

Among this, there seemed to be no small opportunity hidden.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, do you mean you hope Vanguard Valley can increase the supply of spirits to the Stone Hammer Tribe?"

Roko asked.

"That's right!"

Bagelumu nodded forcefully.

"The more, the better!"

"Of course, our Stone Hammer Tribe will absolutely not let you suffer a loss, Baron Roko."

"As long as you can guarantee a stable supply of spirits, we can provide more technical support in mining."

"We can also provide more and higher-quality 【Obsidian Gold】 weapons and equipment!"

The conditions offered by the Dwarf Patriarch were not ungenerous.

Roko pondered for a moment.

The cost of brewing spirits was not very high.

The key lay in the stable supply of raw materials and the production capacity of the brewery.

If he could exchange spirits for the full support of the dwarf race in mining and weapon forging, that was absolutely a cost-effective deal for Vanguard Valley.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, I am very interested in your proposal."

Roko said.

"Increasing the supply of spirits is no problem."

"However, as you know, brewing spirits requires a large amount of food as raw material."

"Our Vanguard Valley currently has a surging population, and the food pressure is also very high."

"And, to expand the scale of brewing, more manpower and space are also needed."

Bagelumu heard this, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Baron Roko, what do you mean?"

"I mean, we can sign a more detailed cooperation agreement."

Roko's mouth curled into a confident arc.

"Vanguard Valley can guarantee to provide the Stone Hammer Tribe with a sufficient amount of high-quality spirits every month."

"In exchange, the Stone Hammer Tribe needs to provide us with more high-quality ores, especially those rare ores."

"At the same time, I hope the Stone Hammer Tribe can send a team of skilled craftsmen to assist us in building new brewing workshops and forging workshops, and teach us the relevant techniques."

"Of course, we will also pay corresponding rewards for this."

Bagelumu fell into deep thought after hearing Roko's conditions.

The requirements Roko proposed were not excessive.

It could even be said that they were quite reasonable.

Exchanging ores and techniques for a stable supply of spirits—for dwarves who love spirits more than life, the temptation was simply too great.

"Good!"

Bagelumu slapped his thigh violently.

"Baron Roko, let's do as you say!"

"Our Stone Hammer Tribe agrees to your conditions!"

"Hahaha, from now on, we will have endless fine wine to drink!"

The dwarf warriors behind him also burst into cheers.

Roko revealed a satisfied smile.

"Then, Patriarch Bagelumu, shall we go to the council hall and discuss the specific details of the cooperation agreement?"

"No problem!"

Bagelumu waved his hand.

"Martina."

Roko called out.

"What is it, Roko?"

Martina walked out of the council hall, her snow-white long hair swaying slightly.

She had already heard the conversation outside just now.

"You are responsible for drafting a new cooperation agreement."

Roko instructed.

"Write everything we just discussed into it."

"The terms should be as detailed as possible, clarifying the rights and obligations of both parties."

Martina nodded, a hint of shrewdness flashing in her white eyes.

"Don't worry, Roko."

"I guarantee they will be satisfied."

She glanced at those high-spirited dwarves, the corners of her mouth curling upward.

These dwarves were truly easy to deal with.

As long as there were enough spirits, it seemed everything was negotiable.

Soon, a detailed cooperation agreement was freshly baked under Martina's direction.

Roko and Bagelumu, representing Vanguard Valley and the Stone Hammer Tribe respectively, solemnly signed their names on the agreement.

Looking at the terms on the agreement, Roko was in a very good mood.

This deepening of cooperation with the Stone Hammer Tribe not only solved the problem of upgrading the territory's weapons and equipment but also obtained valuable forging technical support.

More importantly, through the bond of spirits, the interests of the Stone Hammer Tribe and Vanguard Valley were more tightly bound together.

Bagelumu held the signed agreement, the smile on his face never fading.

"Baron Roko, happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation, Patriarch Bagelumu."

Roko reached out and shook Bagelumu's rough and powerful hand tightly.

"To celebrate our new cooperation, tonight, I have prepared a sumptuous banquet for everyone, as well as the top-grade spirits newly brewed in our Vanguard Valley!"

Roko said with a smile.

"Oh?"

Bagelumu's eyes lit up instantly, and he was almost drooling.

"Then we must have a good taste!"

The atmosphere of the banquet was warm and joyful.

The dwarves drank to their hearts' content and talked and laughed loudly.

Roko also toasted Bagelumu frequently, discussing more possibilities for future cooperation.

He keenly sensed some information that Bagelumu had inadvertently revealed while tipsy.

Within the Stone Hammer Tribe, the distribution of spirits seemed to be unbalanced.

Some old dwarves who held power occupied the majority of the share.

And this imbalance had already caused dissatisfaction among some young dwarves.

At the same time, other dwarf tribes that did not have a stable source of spirits also had many complaints about the Stone Hammer Tribe being able to exclusively enjoy such fine wine.

Even some small-scale frictions and conflicts had arisen because of this.

"It seems this spirit is not only a delicious drink but also a double-edged sword."

Roko thought to himself.

If used properly, it would become an important bargaining chip for Vanguard Valley to control the dwarf race and even influence the pattern of the entire Dwarf Mountains; but if handled improperly, it could also lead to self-immolation.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, I have a small suggestion regarding the supply of spirits."

Roko put down his wine glass and said.

"Oh? Baron Roko, please speak."

Bagelumu hiccuped and looked at Roko with interest.

"I heard that within the dwarf race, there seem to be quite a few tribes that are very interested in the spirits of our Vanguard Valley."

Roko said slowly.

"If our Vanguard Valley could provide this kind of spirit to more dwarf tribes."

"Of course, the price might be slightly higher than what is supplied to the Stone Hammer Tribe."

"Do you think this would be helpful in easing the conflicts between tribes and enhancing the Stone Hammer Tribe's reputation among the entire dwarf race?"

"..."

Bagelumu heard this, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the drunkenness on his face seemed to dissipate quite a bit.

He looked deeply at Roko, was silent for a moment, and then burst into loud laughter.

"Baron Roko, you are truly a born merchant!"

"This proposal is excellent!"

"If those guys could also taste this kind of fine wine, perhaps they wouldn't be staring at our Stone Hammer Tribe every day."

"Moreover, for our Stone Hammer Tribe to act as an intermediary to promote this kind of spirit would indeed greatly enhance our influence!"

He raised his wine glass to Roko and said: "Baron Roko, to our brighter future, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Roko also raised his wine glass.

From this moment on, the cooperation between Vanguard Valley and the Stone Hammer Tribe was no longer just a simple exchange of materials.

Deeper interest binding and joint planning for the future pattern had already quietly unfolded.

And the starting point for all of this was just a barrel of mellow spirits.

The banquet dispersed, and Bagelumu, with a satisfied smile and infinite longing for the future, led his tribesmen away from Vanguard Valley.

They took away several full carts of 【Obsidian Gold】 equipment orders, as well as an endless craving for Vanguard Valley's spirits.

Roko stood at the entrance of the Lord's Mansion, watching the dwarf team go far away, the smile on his face gradually fading.

"Martina."

"I'm here, Roko."

Martina appeared behind him at some point.

"The dwarves' demand for spirits is even greater than we imagined."

Roko said slowly.

"This is both an opportunity and a challenge."

"The production capacity for brewing must be increased as soon as possible."

"The food gap also needs to be filled."

Martina nodded.

"I have already arranged it."

"The new brewing workshop will be given priority in construction."

"As for food, I will find another way to purchase a batch from the surrounding territories at a high price."

"In the short term, it should be manageable."

Roko hummed, not saying anything more.

He knew that Martina's ability was sufficient to handle these matters well.

What he was more worried about now was a threat from another direction.

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding Vanguard Valley.

The study of the Lord's Mansion was brightly lit.

Roko sat behind the desk, his brow furrowed, looking at the stacks of intelligence reports on the table.

These intelligence reports all came from Scout Captain Buck.

The content was all related to the Temple of Light.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A knocking sound rang out.

"Come in."

Roko said without lifting his head.

The door to the study was pushed open, and Scout Captain Buck walked in quickly.

His face carried a hint of solemnity and fatigue.

"Master."

Buck bowed and saluted.

"Buck, sit."

Roko pointed to the chair beside him.

"Has the latest intelligence been summarized?"

"Yes, Master."

Buck took out a letter sealed with fire wax from his bosom and handed it to Roko with both hands.

"This is an emergency intelligence report just sent back from the direction of the Royal Capital."

Roko took the letter, broke the seal, and read it carefully.

The content of the letter made his brow furrow even tighter.

"The activities of the Temple of Light in New Wind Province are becoming more and more frequent."

Roko put down the letter, his voice somewhat low.

"They have not only established new temple strongholds in multiple noble territories."

"They have also dispatched more high-level clergy and Temple Knights."

"Looking at this posture, it doesn't look as simple as pure missionary work."

Buck nodded and added: "Yes, Master."

"According to reports from our spies, among those newly arrived clergy, many are Penitent Order members skilled in combat and experienced Adjudicators."

Buck's voice lowered a few notches as he said this, and a look of worry appeared on his face.

Roko's eyes became somewhat cold.

"It seems that the bunch from the Temple of Light will not give up until they destroy us."

He let out a cold snort.

"The deaths of Father Kelisi and Knight Ka'erluo, they finally suspected us after all."

A look of shame appeared on Buck's face.

"Master, your subordinate is incompetent and failed to clean up the traces completely."

"This is not your fault."

Roko waved his hand.

"The power of the Temple of Light is spread throughout the entire Black Kingdom; their intelligence capability cannot be underestimated."

"Being able to delay for so long is already not easy."

"It seems they are preparing to take action against us."

Roko's eyes became exceptionally sharp.

"I just don't know when they will choose to act and in what way."

He stood up and paced back and forth in the study.

A moment later, he stopped, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Buck, pass my order."

"Immediately summon Fula, Martina, Hart, Falco, and Talos to the council hall for a meeting."

"Yes, Master!"

Buck received his order and left.

Soon, the core members of Vanguard Valley gathered in the council hall.

Everyone's face carried a hint of solemnity.

They had all learned of the latest movements of the Temple of Light from Buck. ===== CHAPTER 111 =====