Chapter 345: Obtaining the Warship

Upon hearing that he needed to communicate, Sinuoli only felt secret joy; he feigned returning to his room to rest, but secretly took out the Chenshi Bili and snuck back. This item, originally meant for saving his life when he couldn't win a fight, was perfectly suited for eavesdropping and launching sneak attacks.

This War Gear was like a chicken rib in his own hands, but it still had quite a bit of utility in a city like Haimenguan.

To say nothing else, the Ironclads made extensive use of gear transmission systems, and on the way here, Sinuoli had quietly tested it; once its divine power was triggered, it was enough to make a warship feel as if it had taken stimulants.

It also represented the direct orthodoxy of the God of Engineers, Mogelimu, and among the Dwarf Realms, the engineering strength of Jiliuguan and Haimenguan was particularly formidable. The engineers of Haimenguan, in order not to be outdone by Jiliuguan, had specifically separated to form the "Haiyang Engineer Hanghui".

Considering that shipping already relied on Haimenguan, and also considering his good relationship with President Buluoke and his son, the ordnance procurement orders for the Southlands and the railway that shook the Old World had all fallen to Jiliuguan, which undoubtedly allowed their reputation and strength to surpass Haimenguan for the past decade.

Admittedly, the massive demand from the Southlands made Haimenguan infinitely prosperous in commerce, but as an ambitious large-scale fortress, the power-holders here knew that shipping trade was not their foundation for survival.

Under such considerations, the railway to the Everpeak began construction; besides its practical effects, it was also aimed at telling the entire Old World that what Jiliuguan can do, I, Haimenguan, can also do!

Compared to the five Dreadnoughts that could still be built, this Artifact Gear, which had significant practical value and even greater symbolic meaning, was undoubtedly more attractive.

Relying on eavesdropping, Sinuoli learned the concerns of the Haimenguan leaders—that was the value of the fortress. Although he was a Vice President, Sinuoli was an outlier among Rune Smiths, willing to embrace technology, and he had an outstanding Engineering Master like Buluokesen by his side.

If Sinuoli were to obtain a Dreadnought, the engineers under his command would not take long to conquer the core technology. Once they built a few more and achieved self-sufficiency in shipping, that would be no dream, and in that case, Haimenguan would be losing more than they gained.

"We certainly wish to recover the relic of the Venerable God, but the teachings of our ancestors are equally important. Perhaps you could change the conditions? Balake-Wa'er has been passed down since the age of the ancestors."

Sinuoli already understood Lord Panuosi's words; he reached out and pressed down to signal the old king not to be anxious.

"I suppose you all are worried that once I have a Dreadnought, I will no longer need Haimenguan's fleet?"

The King of the Southlands revealed a smile; he had never intended to snatch Haimenguan's shipping business anyway. The location of this fortress was uniquely advantageous, and it had always had a close relationship with the High King's Court; kicking them aside to build a new port would only be a lose-lose situation.

The elders began to smile and talk about other things, feeling inevitably embarrassed at having their thoughts laid bare. Sinuoli's reputation in the Mountain Kingdom was unmatched, and going against his wishes brought significant pressure.

"If that is truly the case, you can rest assured; I can swear in the name of the Ancestor Gods that it will not be deployed on the shipping route from Quata to Haimenguan." Sinuoli's next words left them completely shocked.

"Then where will it be placed?"

"Could it be the Cathay?"

"Ancestors above! It must be Aosuan! Send those pointy-ears away."

These old men were quick to understand; although Haimenguan basically only let warships cruise within the range of Blackwater Bay and the Strait of Bandits, the seas of this world were larger than the land area, and there were plenty of places to use ships!

Not to mention the human factions from long ago, just a few days ago, the Prince of Dulongcheng, the brother-in-law of the young man opposite them, Suojiade, had also come to request a lease on his return journey, and the Council of Elders still hadn't argued out a result!

"Let's put aside the matter of attacking Aosuan to settle grudges for now. I also intend to arrange it on the east coast of the Southlands, to be used for exchanges with Cathay and other eastern factions."

Sinuoli didn't intend to hide it; after all, nonsense like going on an expedition to Lustria to fight toads or going to Naggarond to compete for the position of stepfather to the Witch King was something he wouldn't even believe himself, and honesty was the most important virtue of a Dwarf.

"If, and I mean if, what about other ships you produce?" The president of the Haiyang Engineer Hanghui was the first to ask.

"I currently have no such plan, and if I do, they will not be deployed on this route, unless there are extremely special circumstances." Sinuoli made another promise. "You can discuss it further, though I think President Buluoke and Selending Wang will also like it."

"A rare commodity to be hoarded!" Lord Panuosi muttered, "I think if I let this artifact slip through my fingers, I would be scolded by the former kings when I go to the halls of the Ancestor Gods!"

The old king set the tone, and the elders began to negotiate in a flurry. Considering that Sinuoli had made such a large concession, Haimenguan agreed to add three more Ironclads in the final agreement.

"Where the oath goes, it is as firm as a rock!"

After repeatedly confirming the restrictive clauses added to the contract, both sides signed their names on the scroll.

"I need the fleet to act now; they must sail around the Southlands to reach the port of the Baigu!" Sinuoli was not polite either, pointing at the nautical chart hanging on the wall to start making demands.

"No problem, after all, this treasure is easy to hand over. Pass my order, fill Valaya's Gift with fuel!" Panuosi agreed readily; after the ships arrived, the old sailors would also take on the task of training Southland crews.

"I believe you all can make the War Gear of the Venerable God Mogelimu reappear in its former glory! By the way, the origin of this thing cannot be said to be a gift from me; hmm, just say it was originally in Haimenguan, and was repaired with my help!"

Before leaving, Sinuoli gave another instruction; considering he had been collecting cultural relics first, and Haimenguan had produced an artifact while the Southlands had no movement, interested parties would certainly think of him, so unifying the story in advance was very necessary.

Leaving Haimenguan, Sinuoli hurried home, seeing the railway under construction along the way. Compared to the one in the Southlands, its distance was much shorter, and the power was also conventional steam drive. If everything went smoothly, he could take this railway back after the wedding.

Karaz-a-Karak was once again decorated with lanterns and streamers; the Dwarfs seemed to have grown accustomed to one happy event after another. Due to various considerations, the scale of this wedding far exceeded the norm, and the lineup of guests was about the same as the Grudge Council from a few years ago.

Sinuoli naturally still had the task of being the master of ceremonies, but after so many years, he was already familiar with the process and there was no need for much rehearsal.

After showing his face in the Clan, he headed straight for the underground guild hall. Krag Master had sent him a Runic Telegraph a few days ago; his armor had already been crafted!