Chapter 99: Stone Hammer Tribe? Cooperation with dwarves!

A few days later, the alert level in the northwest mining area of Vanguard Valley was raised to the highest.

Dozens of Storm Knights took turns on duty, bringing an area of tens of miles into strict monitoring.

At the same time, a team composed of craftsmen and soldiers also entered the mining area and began preliminary exploration and mining preparation work.

Digging tunnels, building work sheds, building simple roads...

The entire mining area presented a busy scene.

And Martina began to prepare for the contact with the dwarf race.

She consulted a large amount of information about the dwarf race, understanding their customs, preferences, and taboos.

At the same time, she also mobilized the best brewers in the territory to try brewing various strong liquors with different flavors.

Roko devoted more energy to the affairs within the territory.

Trade relations with the Red Leaf Forest Territory also needed to be further expanded and deepened.

Newly recruited soldiers needed to be trained urgently to cope with various challenges that might appear in the future.

Time passed quietly in busyness.

This day, Roko was reviewing the training results of the new recruits at the training ground.

Fula followed him as always, her silver-gray cat ears twitching from time to time, vigilant against any movement around her.

Suddenly, a scout ran over with a panicked expression.

"Lord Territory Master! It's not good!"

Roko's brow furrowed slightly.

"What's the panic? Speak slowly."

The scout took a few heavy breaths before barely calming down.

"The mining area, something happened at the mining area!"

"Dwarves! It's dwarves!"

"They, they have come!"

Roko's eyes condensed.

"How many people came? What did they do?"

The scout's face carried terror.

"A lot came! At least a hundred!"

"They are holding hammers and axes, looking aggressive!"

"Captain Bake has already confronted them with his men!"

"But, but there are too many of them, I'm afraid we can't hold them off!"

Roko's face sank.

"Immediately assemble the Storm Knights and follow me to the mining area!"

"Fula, you come with me too."

"Yes! Master!"

Fula's voice was cold and firm.

Roko mounted his horse, took Fula and the quickly assembled Storm Knights, and galloped toward the northwest mining area.

He knew clearly in his heart that this first contact with the dwarf race would probably not be so smooth.

These dwarves seemed to have come with ill intent.

When Roko and his party arrived at the mining area, the atmosphere at the scene was already tense.

Over a hundred dwarves holding war hammers and giant axes, wearing heavy armor, surrounded Bake and the dozens of soldiers he led.

Although these dwarves were not tall, they were unusually sturdy, and their knotted muscles were full of explosive power.

Their beards were thick, braided into various small braids, with metal decorative rings hanging on them.

Every dwarf had an unkind expression on his face, and their eyes looking at the human soldiers were full of vigilance and hostility.

Leading them was a dwarf who looked quite old; his beard was already gray, but his eyes were still sharp.

He held a huge rune war hammer in his hand, which flickered with a faint magical light.

Clearly, this was a dwarf warrior with not-so-weak strength.

Bake and his soldiers, although in a disadvantageous position in terms of numbers, still straightened their backs, gripping their weapons tightly, without the slightest intention of backing down.

It was just that, facing these dwarves who were like iron towers, fine beads of sweat still seeped from their foreheads. "You humans! Who allowed you to dig holes here!"

The elderly dwarf roared in a muffled voice.

"This mountain range is the territory of our dwarf race!"

"You are stealing the wealth that belongs to us!"

Bake responded in a deep voice.

"This is the territory of Vanguard Valley!"

"We are mining resources on our own land; how can it be called stealing?"

"Fart!"

Another young and vigorous dwarf roared, the axe in his hand pointing at Bake.

"What is Vanguard Valley? I've never heard of it!"

"This mountain range has belonged to our Stone Hammer Tribe since ancient times!"

"If you are sensible, get out! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"

The dwarves raised the weapons in their hands one after another, letting out earth-shaking roars.

The atmosphere was on the verge of breaking out.

Just then, Roko arrived with the Storm Knights.

"Stop!"

Roko's voice was not loud but full of majesty.

The originally noisy scene quieted down instantly.

Everyone's gaze was cast toward this young noble who appeared suddenly.

Seeing Roko and the well-equipped, imposing Storm Knights behind him, the expressions on the dwarves' faces also became solemn.

"Who are you?"

The elderly dwarf narrowed his eyes and sized up Roko.

Roko dismounted and walked slowly to the front of the formation.

Fula followed closely behind, her heterochromatic pupils of deep blue and shattered gold scanning every dwarf coldly.

"I am the Lord of Vanguard Valley, Roko Raymond."

Roko's voice was calm and confident.

"This is my territory."

A hint of surprise flashed in the elderly dwarf's eyes; clearly, he hadn't expected this person who looked so young to be a member of the Raymond family, and also the lord of a territory.

"A kid of the Raymond family?"

His tone softened a bit, but it still carried a bit of arrogance.

"Even if you are from the Raymond family, you cannot occupy the land of our dwarf race at will."

"This mineral vein was discovered by our Stone Hammer Tribe first."

Roko smiled faintly.

"Discovered first?"

"As far as I know, this area has always been the territory of our Black Kingdom, just not yet developed."

"Your dwarf race doesn't seem to have established any permanent strongholds here, right?"

"Do we need to report to you humans when and where we establish strongholds?"

The young dwarf couldn't help but jump out again.

The elderly dwarf glared at him, signaling him to shut up.

Then, he looked at Roko and said in a deep voice.

"Kid, we don't want to be enemies with your Raymond family."

"But our Stone Hammer Tribe is determined to get this mineral vein."

"If you are sensible and retreat now, we can pretend nothing happened."

"Otherwise..."

He raised the rune war hammer in his hand, and the threat was self-evident.

The smile on Roko's face remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold.

"Otherwise what?"

"Do you want to use force on my territory?"

The Storm Knights behind him drew the longswords at their waists in unison.

The cold sword light flickered in the sun, and a murderous aura permeated the air.

The dwarves did not show weakness either, raising their weapons one after another, confronting the Storm Knights from a distance.

The strength of the two sides was not much different, but the equipment of the Storm Knights was clearly more sophisticated, and they were well-trained, not losing the momentum at all.

Fula's hand was already on the hilt of her sword; as long as Roko gave the order, she would be the first to rush up.

The elderly dwarf's face became a bit ugly.

He hadn't expected this young member of the Raymond family to be so tough.

If they really fought, although the Stone Hammer Tribe was not afraid, they would inevitably pay a considerable price.

Moreover, offending the Raymond family would also be very unfavorable for the future development of their tribe.

"Kid, do you really want to go to war with our Stone Hammer Tribe for this godforsaken mineral vein?"

The elderly dwarf tried to make a final effort.

Roko shook his head.

"I don't want to go to war with anyone, especially the dwarf race, which is famous for forging."

"I hope more that we can sit down and have a good talk."

"Talk?"

The elderly dwarf seemed a bit surprised.

"Talk about what?"

Roko curled the corners of his mouth.

"Talk about cooperation."

"Since both sides have taken a fancy to this mineral vein, why not develop it together and share the benefits?"

"How about it?"

The elderly dwarf was stunned.

The dwarves behind him also looked at each other, clearly not expecting Roko to make such a suggestion.

In their concept, most human nobles were greedy and cunning, only wanting to swallow the benefits alone; how could they take the initiative to propose cooperation and sharing?

"Cooperation?"

The elderly dwarf's brow furrowed, and a suspicious light flickered in his eyes.

"How do you want to cooperate?"

Roko reached out and made a gesture of invitation.

"This is not a place to talk."

"Why not go to my Lord's Mansion for a chat."

"I have prepared fine wine for everyone; we can drink while we talk."

"Fine wine?"

Hearing these two words, the eyes of many dwarves lit up.

Their resistance to fine wine was almost zero.

The elderly dwarf pondered for a moment, looked at the Storm Knights who were eyeing them covetously behind Roko, and then looked at the tribesmen of his own tribe who were eager to try.

He knew that it was probably impossible to take this mineral vein without bloodshed today.

Since the other side took the initiative to propose negotiations and also promised fine wine, it was better to go and see the situation first.

"Good!"

The elderly dwarf finally nodded.

"We will go with you!"

"However, I warn you, kid."

"If you dare to play any tricks, the war hammers of our Stone Hammer Tribe are not for show!"

Roko smiled faintly.

"Please rest assured, I, Roko Raymond, have always treated people with sincerity."

A tense conflict was thus dramatically calmed down for the time being.

Roko breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

However, this was just the first step.

Next, how to reach a real cooperation agreement with these dwarves with strange personalities and violent tempers was the real test.

Inside the banquet hall of the Lord's Mansion, the long dining table was filled with rich food and barrels of freshly brewed strong liquor.

The rich aroma of wine permeated the air, making those dwarves who were just aggressive swallow their saliva a few times.

Roko sat in the main seat, and Martina sat at his lower hand.

Fula stood behind Roko as always, watching every dwarf vigilantly.

The elderly dwarf, that is, the patriarch of the Stone Hammer Tribe, named Bagelumu, sat opposite Roko, with several of the strongest warriors in the tribe standing behind him.

The other dwarves sat at the dining table at will, their eyes attracted by the wine barrels.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, please."

Roko raised his wine glass to signal.

Bagelumu picked up a thick wooden cup and poured himself a full cup of deep red strong liquor.

He first smelled it, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he drank it in one gulp.

"Ha!"

Bagelumu let out a satisfied sigh, his beard stained with wine.

"Good wine!"

"I didn't expect you humans to be able to brew such powerful wine!"

Seeing this, the other dwarves also picked up their wine glasses and tasted it impatiently.

Inside the banquet hall, there was a sound of drinking and satisfied exclamations.

Martina looked at the dwarves drinking heavily, and a hint of imperceptible smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.

It seemed that the strong liquor she prepared was just to the dwarves' taste.

Roko also picked up his wine glass and tasted it lightly.

This kind of strong liquor was specially formulated by the brewer he asked; the taste was spicy and had a long aftertaste, which was exactly the favorite of the dwarf race.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, since the wine has been drunk, can we talk about business now?"

Roko put down his wine glass and opened his mouth.

Bagelumu poured another big gulp of wine and wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth.

"Kid, you are very much to my taste."

"Unlike those dawdling human nobles."

"Tell me, how do you want to cooperate?"

His tone was significantly friendlier than when he was in the mining area before.

Clearly, the effect of the fine wine had begun to appear.

Roko smiled slightly.

"Very simple."

"Let's develop this iron ore vein together."

"Your dwarf race provides advanced mining and smelting technology, and Vanguard Valley provides manpower and security guarantees. As for the mined ore, we can divide it according to a certain proportion."

Bagelumu touched his thick and hard beard, and a thoughtful light flickered in his eyes.

"Sounds pretty good."

"However, why should we believe you?"

"What if you humans go back on your word or swallow most of the ore?"

A young dwarf behind him also echoed.

"That's right! You humans are the most cunning!"

Roko was not angry and still maintained a calm smile.

"We can sign a formal contract."

"Swear in the name of both tribes and families."

"And, to show my sincerity, I can first divide a part of the mineral vein area to your Stone Hammer Tribe for you to mine and manage independently."

"How about it?"

This condition made Bagelumu a bit excited.

If they could possess an independent mining area belonging to their own tribe, it would undoubtedly be a great thing for the Stone Hammer Tribe.

This...

Bagelumu pondered, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Martina opened her mouth at the right time.

"Patriarch Bagelumu, cooperating with Vanguard Valley is absolutely beneficial and harmless to your Stone Hammer Tribe. We can not only provide a stable source of ore but also provide you with a safe trading partner."

"Although Vanguard Valley was established not long ago, it has huge development potential."

"We possess vast land and sufficient population, and in the future, we can provide you with various materials you need."

"For example, grain, cloth, and even more fine wine."

Martina shook the wine glass in her hand, and a cunning light flickered in her white eyes.

"More fine wine?"

Bagelumu's eyes lit up instantly, even more excited than seeing gold.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course."

Martina smiled confidently.

"As long as we cooperate happily, fine wine is enough."

"And, we can also brew special strong liquor for you according to your taste."

This temptation was really too great for the dwarves who were addicted to alcohol.

Bagelumu's breathing became a bit heavy.

He looked at the tribesmen behind him, and the dwarves also showed eager expressions.

"Good!"

Bagelumu slapped the table hard, making the cups and plates rattle.

"Kid! I agree to cooperate with you!"

"However, the specific division ratio and other terms must be discussed carefully!"

Roko was overjoyed in his heart.

It's done!

"No problem."

Roko nodded.

"We can talk slowly until both sides are satisfied."

In the next few hours, both sides launched an intense "discussion" on the wine table about the details of the cooperation.

Calling it a discussion was actually more like bargaining.

Although the dwarves were generous, they were also very shrewd when it came to their own interests.

Martina fully exerted her wisdom, arguing with Bagelumu with sharp tongues.

Roko spoke a few words from time to time, grasping the rhythm of the negotiations.

Fula was like a loyal shadow, guarding Roko quietly.

Her existence itself was a form of invisible deterrence.

Finally, after drinking a dozen barrels of strong liquor and breaking countless wine glasses, both sides finally reached a preliminary cooperation agreement.

The agreement stipulated that Vanguard Valley and the Stone Hammer Tribe would jointly develop the newly discovered iron ore vein.

The Stone Hammer Tribe would provide mining and smelting technical support and send some craftsmen to assist Vanguard Valley in establishing a forging workshop.

Vanguard Valley would be responsible for the infrastructure of the mining area, security guarantees, and most of the manpower input.

For the mined iron ore, Vanguard Valley would take 70%, and the Stone Hammer Tribe would take 30%.

At the same time, Vanguard Valley promised to provide a certain amount of high-quality strong liquor to the Stone Hammer Tribe every month at a favorable price.

In return, the Stone Hammer Tribe agreed to sell some of the fine weapons and equipment they forged to Vanguard Valley at internal prices.

This agreement was an acceptable result for both sides.

Vanguard Valley obtained the urgently needed mining and smelting technology and the source of high-quality weapons.

The Stone Hammer Tribe obtained a stable ore supply point and a continuous supply of fine wine.

"Kid, I hope you don't disappoint me."

Bagelumu stretched out his thick palm, which was covered with calluses.

Roko also reached out and gripped it tightly with him.

"Happy cooperation, Patriarch Bagelumu."

Two hands of vastly different sizes gripped together, symbolizing the formal start of a brand-new cooperation between two different races.

The harvest this time far exceeded his expectations.

Not only was the ownership of the mineral vein resolved, but they also unexpectedly obtained the advanced technology of the dwarves.

This was simply like adding wings to a tiger for the future development of Vanguard Valley.

"Come! For our new friendship! Cheers!"

Bagelumu raised his wine glass and roared loudly.

"Cheers!"

Inside the banquet hall, deafening cheers and clinking glasses sounded again.

The drunk dwarves had completely regarded Roko as a friend.

Roko looked at the enthusiastic scene before him, feeling a thousand emotions in his heart.

Another hour later.

After sending off the satisfied Bagelumu and his tribesmen, the Lord's Mansion finally returned to peace.

Martina rubbed her slightly swollen temples, her face carrying a hint of exhaustion.

"These dwarves can really drink."

"They almost drank me under the table."

Roko smiled and handed her a cup of clear tea.

"You've worked hard, Martina."

"You deserve the greatest credit for this negotiation."

Martina took the teacup, took a sip, and a hint of pride flashed in her white eyes.

"That's natural."

"Don't look at who I am."

She put down the teacup, and her expression became serious.

"Roko, although we have reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with the Stone Hammer Tribe."

"But there are still many follow-up matters."

"The construction of the mining area, the recruitment of craftsmen, and the establishment of the forging workshop all need to be put on the agenda as soon as possible."

Roko nodded.

"I understand."

"I will arrange these matters as soon as possible."

"With the technical support of the dwarves, I believe the level of weapons and equipment in Vanguard Valley will soon be upgraded by a notch."

"By then, whether it is to deal with the threat of the Temple of Light or to guard against the invasion of the orcs, we will have more confidence."

Martina's eyes were also full of expectation.

"That's right."

"Only when we possess powerful military strength can we truly grasp our own destiny in this chaotic world."

Fula listened quietly to the conversation between the two, her silver-gray cat ears twitching slightly. ===== CHAPTER 100 =====