Chapter 297: Brewing Storm

The Norse Dwarfs have built four magnificent fortresses in the Giant Country Mountains: Dulongcheng, Karak Kadrin, Karak Ungor, and Karak Vlag, all of which have been managed for several millennia since the Golden Age.

These four fortresses are located even further north than Kislev, serving as true bridgeheads against Chaos. Their scale is not particularly large, but combined, their volume still exceeds any single Dwarf fortress in the Old World.

"Besides those two, you actually have another choice." Seeing that Sinuoli did not respond immediately but fell into deep thought, Thorgrim stroked his beard and continued.

"Miss Kaixina of the Sons of Grungni Clan."

"Who is that?" Sinuoli was stunned upon hearing this. He searched his memory but could not find any information about this Dwarf noblewoman. How could she be mentioned in the same breath as the Princess of Haojiaobao and the Norse Dwarfs?

"The Sons of Grungni are of the royal bloodline of Silver Peak, a noble clan that also traces its lineage back to the Ancestor Gods. Their strength is decent even now, though it is no longer what it was in its former glory."

Sinuoli recalled the history of Silver Peak; it had fallen more than four thousand years ago. Silver Peak is located in the Wolf Lands east of the Badlands, surrounded by the Grey Mountain and Tuobeishan.

In order to seize that land rich in iron ore, the Greenskins launched the so-called "War of the Silver Road." During those twenty years of war, only one-fifth of the Dwarf caravans connecting Silver Peak to other fortresses could survive the constant Greenskin ambushes in Death Rock Gorge.

"Why?" Sinuoli asked.

"Her mother is the only paternal aunt of Belegar Ironhammer," Thorgrim said this flatly.

"A claim?" Sinuoli narrowed his eyes.

"Karak Eight Peaks, the center of faith for the Ancestor Goddess, once the wealthiest fortress of the Mountain Kingdom. Revitalizing the Mountain Kingdom is your goal; if you want to connect your territory in the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai with the Old World, that place is an indispensable node," Thorgrim said unhurriedly.

"Has this matter really reached this point?" Sinuoli couldn't help but shift his seat to sit up straighter. In his mind, his desire for Eight Peaks had been quite restrained.

"Not quite, but for someone with a sense of the big picture, it is not hard to deduce, is it?" Thorgrim smiled very gently, but Sinuoli felt the pressure. His father was truly a wise monarch, capable of stabilizing the situation under the dire circumstances at the beginning of his election while simultaneously making changes.

"But this is also a weak claim; Belegar is the rightful master of Eight Peaks, he..." Sinuoli said, suddenly thinking of something.

In his past life's game, Belegar could hold out until the End Times by relying on the strong support of the entire Dwarf Realms, but now that he had emerged out of nowhere and taken away a large portion of his resources, everything was moving in a bad direction for Belegar himself.

"The world is full of accidents; who knows what will happen? Dawson of Jiliuguan is an example; it is better to be prepared than sorry," Thorgrim's voice carried a hint of murderous intent under the flickering candlelight.

"But doing that would truly make the heart of Sinuoli known to all the Skaven. I think it cannot be rushed!" Sinuoli shook his head; he needed time to think.

"Hmm, you still have time; Nina's affairs won't be settled until the end of next year anyway. Tell me your thoughts on the Empire of Man."

Thorgrim naturally knew that his youngest son's wings were now hardened and should not be forced, so he changed the subject.

"I need the Empire's population, and I also need the Sigmar Cult," Sinuoli said very frankly. "Humans are different from us; if we don't provide them with a harbor for their souls, they are likely to throw themselves into the embrace of the Chaos gods."

"Not bad. In any case, you must maintain vigilance against the pointy-ears!" Thorgrim was very satisfied with his approach. "But how do you intend to do it? Or rather, what kind of support do you need?"

The sanctions against Dieter IV made the Dwarf Realms very uncomfortable as well, and the High King had made some attempts in the past few years, but with little success. The Karak Dwarfs lacked an understanding of the human political system and could not grasp the main contradictions.

"I have a plan; all I need is our intelligence network in the Empire of Man," Sinuoli grinned. Relying on his grasp of major historical events, he had already drafted a proposal.

"Go ahead and do it, my child. This is a good opportunity to show your other capabilities. If the scheme is blocked, axes and warhammers are also our good helpers."

After obtaining Thorgrim's authorization, Sinuoli left his father's office. He chose the Rune Smith Guild as his temporary office; after all, he was still the vice president of the guild, and with the protection of Krag Master, it was safer.

He had already simulated how to operate this many times before. If he simply accelerated the historical process, it wouldn't be too difficult, but Sinuoli believed that letting Marienburg become independent as it originally did was not in his interest.

First, that would be a weakening of the Empire of Man, and the Empire had proven to be a reliable ally in the fight against Chaos. Secondly, the merchant lords of Marienburg only cared about chasing profits.

Based on his experience from his past life, Sinuoli knew that once Marienburg implemented special economic policies, flexible economic measures, and a special economic management system, its attractiveness and development speed would inevitably accelerate greatly.

And for Sinuoli and even the entire Dwarf race, they were an export-oriented economy, and Dwarf fortresses often served as trade centers. If Marienburg were allowed to grow big and strong, it would be a weakening for him and his people.

"Oh, the storm of the Way of Change is brewing." A guest in the tavern suddenly looked outside. If Sinuoli were there, he would have discovered that this was the Scholar Pukuerte he had seen in the city of Bordeleaux.

"A pity, the power of that old fellow interfered with my vision, but it doesn't matter," Pukuerte muttered to himself.

"Hey, my friend, what are you thinking about?" The tavern owner leaned out from behind the bar. It only took a day for him and the old regulars in his tavern to seem to like this human.

He was as his name suggested, seemingly knowledgeable about everything. Especially the hottest topic right now—His Majesty Sinuoli's expedition in the Southlands—this human spoke about it vividly, as if he had participated in it himself.

"Speaking of the time when the Expeditionary Force fought with the spiders of Zhuwangshan..."

As Sinuoli mobilized the Dwarf network in the Empire of Man, from Middenheim to Beshafen in Ostermark, news spread that Marienburg was going to obtain autonomy by bribing the Emperor.