Chapter 334: The Alliance of Three Hammers

Theoretically, as the host, Belegar Ironhammer had some qualifications to sit in the middle, but he was well aware that aside from being the host, he had no other competitive edge; being able to have a foothold was entirely due to the full support of his two sponsors!

After several rounds of deferring and mutual toasts, the graying beard eventually gave way to divine grace and merit. Sinuoli sat in the middle of the long table, with the two kings sitting on his left and right, followed by the administrators of the three Dwarf forces taking their seats in turn behind their respective kings.

"Everyone, today, we can finally announce that Karak-Azul, the most resilient member among the realms, has returned to the embrace of the Mountain Kingdom!" After praising the Ancestor Gods as per custom, Sinuoli loudly summarized the achievements of this joint military operation.

After applause and clinking glasses, King Kazador expressed the joy of all the Tiefengbao Dwarfs for reconnecting with their kin, while Belegar thanked his two allies for their strong support and the tireless struggle of the warriors.

Ever since the day Belegar began his campaign for Keladeluomen, connecting the Southlands and Tiefengbao had been placed on the agenda. It took over two years of preparation and waiting to finally get his wish; even with the long lifespan of a Dwarf, King Kazador had been somewhat impatient.

Following this were several days of meetings and consultations, where the three forces reached a series of agreements regarding military, trade, personnel movement, and infrastructure construction; the hard-won fruits of victory required the joint protection of all three parties.

At the suggestion of King Kazador, to commemorate the reaching of the agreement, the three kings stood in a triangle and held their hammers high to touch them together. The Tiefengbao painter recorded this moment, and a Master-class stonemason would later erect a statue at the meeting point in front of the fortress gate.

Compared to the Hammer of the Angrund Clan, famous throughout the mountains, and the heirloom treasure of Tiefengbao, the Hammer of Fury, the forging hammer in Sinuoli's hand, crafted by the Master of the Anvil and engraved only with a Master-level Throwing Rune, was undoubtedly much inferior in quality.

However, the resounding fame of the "Storm Hammer" had echoed throughout the Old World along with Sinuoli's campaigns in the south and north. Relying on this hammer, he had defeated many powerful figures who had carved out their own paths, the most recent being the Dreadfleet Admiral, Count Nuotekelasi. To outsiders, when it touched the two supreme treasures, it did not lose out in terms of presence at all.

Apart from the various Human forces, thanks to the promotion by the High Archmage Teclis, even the arrogant pointed-ears of Ulthuan had heard of such a battle-hardened Dwarf King.

A few years later, the Master of the Anvil led a team by sea to Red Cloud Mountain and then turned north to Tiefengbao to exchange forging techniques lost over the past thousands of years. Passing by Keladeluomen, the Master came across the grand statue group known as the "Alliance of Three Hammers."

Seeing his own work touching the two legendary HolyHammers, the Master blacksmith was filled with emotion. He recounted the conversation he had with Sinuoli in the workshop back then, and after receiving permission, he added his own emblem to the corresponding position on the stone statue, which later became a celebrated story.

After finishing the affairs of the alliance, Sinuoli returned with his army. Passing by Jieshishan again, the planned outposts had already begun construction. The road for this journey still needed to be consolidated, but he was not in a hurry; it could serve as a long-term project to provide jobs.

Boarding the return train from Red Cloud Mountain, this Dwarf King finally had the time to appreciate his achievements. In the operation of the railway, he applied methods from his past life, dividing the carriages into seating, sleeping, and high-end suites, and of course, he also prepared some freight carriages for emergencies.

Sitting in a luxuriously decorated suite, enjoying fine Bugman's Brew and specialty meals purchased from stations along the way, Sinuoli found inspecting his territory in such a leisurely manner very satisfying; this was the treatment one should have when becoming a king in another world.

To maximize the value of the railway and ensure this massive project could be fully utilized, Sinuoli set the starting price for tickets very low. A few copper coins could allow a villager to reach the nearest town, and the price to a neighboring large city was no more than one silver coin.

Without extra reminders, the immigrants naturally discovered the immense convenience brought by the railway. Villages along the railway line became increasingly prosperous, and low transportation costs also promoted the development of various economic activities.

With the arrival of the Sigmar Cult, disputes between religious faiths unfolded as the transmigrator had wished. Although the bald ones arrived later and lost the initiative, the Council of Elders in each city naturally leaned toward them when coordinating conflicts without needing Sinuoli's instruction.

The Lady of the Lake was naturally dissatisfied with this practice of taking sides. Her Prophetess stationed in the Southlands requested to see the King of the Southlands many times over three years, but Balin blocked her away each time under the pretext that Sinuoli was in seclusion.

At present, the development dividends of the Southlands had allowed everyone from knights to farmers to taste the benefits, and there were sufficient numbers of both Dwarfs and Empire Humans, so the Lady of the Lake chose to increase her investment to compete with the bald ones.

According to Andemuge's report, that Lady had not only transferred a batch of clergy from Bretonnia but also selected and trained them locally. On the Day of Mystery last year, the holiest day in the Bretonnian calendar, she even appeared in the Mortal World in person.

The Day of Mystery was to commemorate the Lady of the Lake's first manifestation before Jilesi. People believed that on this day, the barrier between the Mortal World and the God Realm of the Lady of the Lake would become thin, and believers would gather in the Grail Chapel to pray to her.

Sir Fuluoduo, who had participated in Sinuoli's expedition and performed excellently in developing and governing his territory, was praying in the chapel within his own domain that day when the Lady of the Lake emerged from the Divine Statue holding the Grail, granting this Grail seeker the opportunity to sip from the Grail.

Every town Sinuoli passed through had a decent-sized chapel, and every village had a Shenkan; the clergy in the towns would visit once a week in a rotating manner to spread the gospel to the villagers.

Besides Sigmar and the Lady of the Lake, the faiths of other order gods of the Old World were also introduced along with the immigrants. However, these were still in the brewing stage, and their believers often chose to gather in private.

With suitable spiritual sustenance, the immigrants were naturally less likely to go astray. The believers of these order gods were also very sensitive to Chaos, and through multi-party cooperation, the Chaos corruption in the Southlands was cleared away.

Sinuoli stayed in Tumobao for a few more days; this newly built fortress was now completely finished. Located in the center of the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai, its role was pivotal.

The main body of Tumobao was located on the surface, and many of its designers and builders came from human settlements, so in style, it resembled a human city more than a Dwarf Shanbao.

Compared to the damp and darkness underground, the upper-class immigrants and merchants were more willing to live here. The core chapels of the two major sects in the Southlands were also built here; it could be said that this was the center of the humans in the Southlands.