Chapter 262: Good Deeds

"This solves a big problem!" Sinuoli praised. His rock body after the Avatar of the Gods could ignore most conventional strikes, but this was a high-magic world with all kinds of behemoths, powerhouses, high-powered long-range firearms, or spells. Going into battle shirtless against them would not end well.

"What else do you need? A weapon? In theory, I could give you my own hammer, but forging that set of armor still requires its help."

"This..." Sinuoli was stunned upon hearing this. The hammer Master Krag spoke of was his signature work, the "Hammer of the Grimm," and in Dwarf society, such an object named after one's own name or title usually represented one's mantle.

"It should be so! Forget it, I will give this thing to you. I can't come all this way and give nothing while taking the Rune Tongs back." Master Krag pointed to the bead on the table.

"This little gadget is called the Chenshi Bili. It was lost during the War of the Beard and later recovered by me. It was originally used to complement the junk produced by those fellows in Zhufuba. It is engraved with Master-class concealment Runes, combined with silence Runes and Speed Runes. Once activated, it can create an area to hide in, which is also very effective for keeping important conversations and work confidential."

"Can it, really, be used to stop the prying of the Chaos Gods?" Sinuoli looked at this object made by Dwarfs and did not quite believe in its effect.

"Not being able to see the answer at a glance is very different from not being able to do it! The information the ancestors obtained from the Slann shows that the worlds under this starry sky are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. How could the Chaos powers have so much time to care about a Little Beard like you!"

Master Krag took a puff of his pipe. He knew Sinuoli's worries, and he did not exaggerate the effects for such a life-and-death matter.

"Speaking of which, when I go back, I will claim that you have received the favor of Thurni and, together with your father, suppressed the rumors regarding the chosen ones of the Old Ones. Although those powers are busy with ten thousand matters a day, if someone calls their names and the names of their rivals every day, then it is entirely possible that they will cast more glances."

Sinuoli expressed strong support for this. In Zhuwangshan, the Old One Taiboke had already warned him. However, there were Amazons in the Expeditionary Force, a group of fanatical believers of the Old Ones, and he had not been able to put the brakes on them very well here. If there were conditions in the Old World, it must be strictly controlled.

"Then shall I set off and head back now?" Master Krag fiddled with the Rune Tongs, feeling somewhat impatient.

"Master, you cannot leave a mess for me to deal with alone!" Sinuoli hurriedly stopped him. Having detained the High Elf spy here, Liming Yaosai would inevitably take action. He did not fear Prince Afazeer, but if the Taishi Xiongdi, the Yingwang, or the jailers came, he would not dare to meet them head-on.

"In the face of the challenges from the pointy-ears, the ancestors were never afraid!" Master Krag lectured him for a moment, but ultimately agreed to stay and watch. Leaving his master to compare and study the Rune guards, Sinuoli called for Guildmaster Buluoke to be invited in.

"Old brother, is this credit enough for Buluokesen to wash away his past mistakes?" Sinuoli did not talk about business first, turning instead to small talk.

"It shouldn't be a problem. Before I left, those old stubborn ones were already meeting to discuss it. It won't be long before he can go back to see his mother."

"Family reunion, that is truly wonderful, but I cannot do without him in many aspects here! In the future, the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai needs to develop, and the talent gap is also huge!" Sinuoli poured a glass of wine for Guildmaster Buluoke. He generally did not look for wine to drink himself, but having a little when discussing business was a tradition.

"Hehe! Our guild has plenty of middle-aged talents, and they also have extraordinary respect for your foresight and wisdom. If you, Lord Sinuoli, are interested, I would be very happy to act as a go-between."

Sinuoli knew that Guildmaster Buluoke was also a smart man; even if he couldn't "hear the string song and know the elegant meaning," he was not far off. He had likely guessed his thoughts, and not responding directly was also to see how much of a price he could offer.

"I heard from my elders that a lord and his Rune Master should be each other's right-hand men. At present, I hold both positions, and it is inevitable that I lack people to consult with. If you ask me, our colleagues in the Engineers Guild are also a very good choice, but sometimes, hehe." Sinuoli gave a sly laugh and stopped mid-sentence.

"Hmm, I think you didn't invite me over from thousands of miles away just for this one thing, right?" Guildmaster Buluoke pondered for a moment, deciding to hear the price first.

"This trip must have been very hard, right? I want to build a railway from here to Red Cloud Mountain and then to Quata, and in the future, it might be connected to Tiefengbao."

"Hiss!" Buluoke gasped upon hearing this. He was shocked by Sinuoli's grand gesture. "Of course we have this technology. In the Old World, there are still citadels that have built railways. But they are all short-distance lines built to connect mines and facilitate the transport of mined ore."

"I know, but building on the ground would make the difficulty and workload much smaller, wouldn't it?" That kind of mine railway existed in Karaz-a-Karak; it was built by widening and reinforcing the original mine tunnels.

"That may be so, but the cost of building over such a long distance would be an astronomical figure regardless! Sleepers and rails require a large amount of raw materials, and leveling the roadbed and ballast also requires countless labor!"

Guildmaster Buluoke warned excitedly. "Think twice, Sinuoli. I dare say that all the gains from this expedition would not be enough to fill it! Transporting raw materials from Haimenguan..."

"I will, of course, produce the sleepers and rails in the Southlands! There is plenty of timber around, and the fortresses along the way all have iron mines. The development of the Southlands requires a large population, and the railway project can provide job opportunities and get the economic system here running."

"Ancestor Gods above, the clansmen can only see your grand gestures on the surface, so calling you the Generous One is truly an understatement. With such foresight and vision, the revitalization of the Mountain Kingdom belongs to no one but you!"

After listening to Sinuoli's introduction of the theory of "work-for-relief," Guildmaster Buluoke exclaimed repeatedly. Among Dwarfs, who generally value wealth to the point of being penny-pinching, this approach of investing in infrastructure was unprecedented.

"Swearing in the name of Mogelimu, I will do my best to cooperate with you, in every aspect!" Guildmaster Buluoke's prosthetic limb slammed the stone table, causing it to shake. He was won over by Sinuoli. In his initial understanding, Sinuoli holding power should be good for the Engineers Guild, but now it was a benefit for the entire Mountain Kingdom.

"His Majesty is becoming more muddled as he ages—I mean Selending Wang. After I go back, I will try my best to mediate and strive for it; I should be able to help you get this done." Buluoke promised.

"Your Majesty Sinuoli! The pointy-ears have come to demand people!" Just at this moment, the voice of Geluoyin came from outside the door.