Chapter 54: Etiquette and Trade Routes

"Your geography is not bad!" Thorgrim nodded.

"Damn... my beloved Ancestor Goddess!" Sinuoli swallowed the words back down his throat.

Karak-Breeze Fort is located at the westernmost end of the Grey Mountains, almost at the seaside. This trip can be described as a long journey.

Thorgrim briefly explained the Dwarf traditions of wedding processions to Sinuoli.

In Dwarf society, because females are scarce, marriage is a very important matter. To prove that the groom's family has enough wealth to provide the female with a comfortable life, the groom's family must pay a huge amount of wealth to the bride's Clan.

And this amount of wealth is determined by the bride's weight; for this, the Dwarfs even have a special ritual called the "Wedding Scales".

Dwarf society considers plumpness to be beautiful; the clansmen generally believe that full-figured females are easier to bear children with and are therefore more popular, and marrying them requires a larger dowry.

As for what kind of counterweights are placed on the scales, it varies according to the status of the bride's Clan, ranging from partially gold to entirely gold, and even adding jewelry, among other things.

In addition to demonstrating sufficient financial strength, the groom also needs to prove to the bride's maternal clan that he has the strength to provide Protection Rune for their precious female clansman; specifically, the groom needs to undergo tests from the bride's family.

In this phase, besides the bride's own relatives, her other suitors also have the right to challenge the groom. Once a challenge is successful and the bride herself agrees, the original marriage contract is voided.

Such traditions were adjusted after breaking up quite a few arranged marriages.

The person going to the wedding procession and undergoing the tests from the bride's family changed from the groom himself to a male clansman younger than the groom, so that even if he were defeated in the assessment, he could use

"Winning against me does not make one a hero; my elder brother's wisdom and strength are ten times mine!"

Such face-saving words could get him through it; it might be embarrassing, but it allows the wedding to proceed normally.

Of course, the closer this substitute is in blood to the groom, the more it represents respect for the bride's family. It is usually done by a younger brother; if there is truly no one of age, then a sufficiently close cousin can also do it.

Sinuoli thought about it, and this trip would greatly increase his experience and understanding of this world, and it could also spread his name throughout the western part of the Mountain Kingdom.

"Understood, Father. When do I set off?" Sinuoli nodded in agreement.

"No rush. Next month, you will go with the year-end caravan. By then, your Warhammer should be forged, right? It will inevitably be somewhat unsettled along the way!" Thorgrim replied.

Thorgrim Grudgebearer is a wise High King who deeply understands the importance of trade. In addition to the traditional trade routes to Karak-Kadrin, Jiliuguan, Barak Varr, and the Empire's Nuln,

Thorgrim first opened a trade route through diplomatic means that spanned the Empire and reached straight to Errengrad located at the Claw Sea. This trade route, besides restoring communication with the Norscan Dwarf, also greatly reduced the layers of price hikes and exploitation that Dwarf goods faced when sold within the Empire.

By reducing the price difference taken by middlemen, the Dwarfs' trade income has been greatly improved.

Thorgrim then supervised the Dwarf army to clear out the Greenskin through military means, opening up the trade route to Karak-Azul, which is Black Kelage—the only remaining southern stronghold still under Dwarf control.

Since Karak Eight Peaks, the key stronghold connecting the north and south of the World's Edge Mountains, has fallen, the risks and rewards of this trade route are equally huge.

Finally, Thorgrim renovated the Earth Vein Network, cleared out the Goblin and Skaven entrenched within it, and opened up the trade route along the Black Mountains all the way to Karak-Breeze Fort at the end of the Grey Mountains.

Along this stretch, there are a large number of Dwarf strongholds of modest size; before this, they only had commercial dealings with their nearest neighbors.

Wanting to purchase something from Everpeak had to rely on merchants from different strongholds passing it along layer by layer, which was time-consuming, laborious, and unsafe.

With Thorgrim's full support, every year there is an armed caravan departing from Everpeak that goes straight to Weifengbao,

It stops at every stronghold along the way. Due to the troops arranged by the High King for protection, the team's safety is very high, and caravans along the way will also join in, which in turn strengthens the caravan's power.

Also because of this excellent safety, many activities involving valuable items and important letters are also timed to be carried out with the caravan.

For example, many orders for the Master are sent with the deposit and requirements when the caravan returns the previous year, and then the disciples deliver the goods and collect the balance with the caravan this year.

Such caravans, in addition to promoting the economy of the entire Mountain Kingdom, also strengthened the influence of the High King Thorgrim.

"The envoy from Weifengbao who agreed to the marriage just arrived a few days ago. Originally, that Granite Hand didn't really want his daughter to marry far away! It was the celebration banquet held by the Rune Master that made the envoy, who was granted the final decision-making power, make up his mind!" Thorgrim continued.

"Then our Clan will need some time to prepare the gifts, right?" Sinuoli replied, "I also promised Balunding that I would visit Zhufbar!"

"Balunding? That can be considered your cousin. Come to think of it, you are actually willing to go to Jiliuguan?" Thorgrim was also surprised.

"Don't you Rune Smith all get along poorly with the Engineer?" the High King asked.

"Well, I am different from them," Sinuoli thought for a moment and still told his thoughts truthfully.

"Whether it is new technology or old tradition, as long as it can strengthen our Dwarf race and help us revitalize the Mountain Kingdom, it is good stuff worth learning!" Sinuoli repeated what he had said to Balunding.

"Hahaha!" Thorgrim laughed loudly, "Truly worthy of being my son! If only Krag Master could figure this out! I fear that even if Mogelimu descended to the Mortal World, he wouldn't be able to persuade him!"

"Speaking of which, why is Krag Master's attitude toward me and the people of our Clan so poor?" Sinuoli asked the question that had been in his heart all along.

"Whose attitude is he not poor to?" Thorgrim muttered. "This has to start from a thousand years ago; I only know the general idea myself." Thorgrim took a sip of beer and began to recount.

"I don't know if it was the High King at the time developing technology that angered Krag, or if Krag reducing the Rune Smith's support for the war forced the High King to develop technology. Anyway, the more we developed technology, the less support we got from him, which in turn forced us to further develop technology, and in the end, it became a dead end."

"Then why did he take me as a disciple?" Sinuoli continued to ask.

"Ha, originally you were supposed to be apprenticed to the Iron Chisel Master, but Krag snatched you away. I thought he had changed his nature at the time, so I just went with the flow and agreed."

Thanks to the two book friends "Reality is Cruel Ideal" and "Vitamin" for their monthly tickets.

Continuing to ask for tickets, collections, and tips!