Chapter 80: Transactions and the Wanderer

Snorri still wanted to learn more about the situation at Haojiaobao, but the Thundercloud Lord was unwilling to talk much.

Snorri understood this; because Duantiebao was relatively small, it required support from Haojiaobao in many aspects, from military to daily life, so the Thundercloud Lord was unwilling to speak ill of an ally behind their back, even if he had some grievances.

"If you are looking for Artillery, I actually have a suggestion!" Snorri leaned forward and whispered into the Thundercloud Lord's ear.

"It wouldn't be purchasing from Jiliuguan, would it?" the Thundercloud Lord replied in a low voice. "Alike's act of expelling the Engineers greatly offended the kin of Zhufuba; those of us from the Black Mountains are not very welcome there!"

"Naturally not. To be honest, I just acquired a batch of firearms, including brand-new Organ Guns and Iron-drake Handguns!" Snorri said confidently.

"Is the merchandise authentic?" the Thundercloud Lord was somewhat uncertain.

"Guaranteed genuine! Produced by the authentic Zhufuba Engineer Guild headquarters. Have you heard of 'inscribing the craftsman's name on the work'? Everything from the producer's mark to the quality inspector's seal is complete!" Snorri suddenly felt he had a bit of a talent for being a merchant.

"It is definitely not a product of some shoddy, unlicensed workshop!" he added.

"Can I test it to see the effect?" the Thundercloud Lord continued to ask, as purchasing Artillery was, after all, no small expense for the relatively impoverished Duantiebao.

"Of course, that is your right!" Snorri had no objections.

The next morning, on the front wall of Duantiebao, Snuori stood with his three trusted aides, Balin, Bulimu, and Tomi, alongside several high-ranking officials of Duantiebao.

An Organ Gun was placed in front of them, and a red circle had been drawn on the ground about two hundred meters in front of the city gate.

After receiving the nod from Snorri and the Thundercloud Lord, Bulimu adjusted the aiming device on top, slightly corrected the muzzle, and after quickly loading ammunition into all four barrels, Bulimu lit the fuse from the touchhole.

Following four muffled "Bang, bang, bang, bang!" sounds, the ground inside the red circle looked as if it had been plowed.

"Well done!" Snorri patted Bulimu on the shoulder in praise. Compared to other Artillery, the Organ Gun had poorer accuracy, and Bulimu deserved the credit for hitting the bullseye so beautifully.

The group walked down from the city wall, and looking at the effect of the bombardment, the Dwarfs of Duantiebao nodded repeatedly.

"This Organ Gun is much more powerful than a catapult!"

"And unlike a ballista which only deals single-target damage, it should have no trouble dealing with Greenskins and rats!"

The Dwarfs were relatively simple and honest; they did not hide their love for the Artillery. Hearing this, Snorri realized he could make his first sale!

"This is my cousin, and also my plenipotentiary trade representative. You can discuss prices and after-sales service with him!"

Snorri dropped this line and became a hands-off manager. On one hand, it was trust in Aunt Sonia's son, and on the other, Snorri also wanted to test Tomi's abilities.

By dinnertime, Tomi knocked on Snorri's door, carrying a sack of gold coins.

"One Organ Gun plus five Iron-drake Handguns, priced at five thousand gold coins, but that includes a ten-year warranty! If any problems arise, I will go to Jiliuguan to handle them."

Snorri was very satisfied with this price. He counted out one thousand coins as payment for Tomi's previous procurement, which also included potential future maintenance costs.

"What did you call them again?"

"War materiel!"

"Right, war materiel. It really is more profitable to resell war materiel; compared to this, selling handicrafts only earns petty profits!" Tomi had tasted success and was very happy.

"Still young! This stuff can be used for many years after one purchase; how could it be a steady stream of income like daily necessities?" Snorri thought to himself but did not say it out loud. Why dampen his cousin's spirits at a time like this?

There was nothing worth visiting in Kalake-Ankazhaer, and the mineral resources here could not be called rich. The caravan stayed here for two nights, and after absorbing some local Dwarfs, they set off again.

Their target was Haojiaobao; this stretch of road would take about five days, and the caravan would stay there for at least a week.

Snorri was not in a hurry. It was evident that Haojiaobao was powerful; the state of the Earth Vein Network along the route from Duantiebao to Haojiaobao was clearly better than the previous sections, and no sneaky Skaven were discovered.

On the second night of the caravan's advance, Snorri planned to camp in a mined-out cave according to the original route map.

From afar, Snorri, sitting on the back of a Rock Sheep, saw a campfire.

"Go ask and see if it's a patrol from Haojiaobao," he said to the Ranger beside him.

Snorri reached out to stop the caravan. Two Rangers trotted forward and soon returned.

"A wandering kin!" the Rangers reported.

"Let's go. If there's no problem, we'll camp as originally planned!" Snorri issued the order.

Soon, the carriages formed a circle, the Dwarfs lit campfires and set up pots. After a long day of trekking, eating a hot meal and getting a good rest in a safe situation was a very reasonable choice.

Snorri dismounted from the Rock Sheep and handed the reins to Qiangsen, telling him to go feed it some fodder.

Suddenly, Snorri's body stiffened. He felt a power from that hooded, dust-covered Wanderer that was the same as his own—Rune Power—and the intensity of this power was not much weaker than his own.

"How is this possible! A formal Rune Smith would be treated with courtesy in any mountain fortress; how could one be reduced to wandering about?" Snorri thought to himself. He did not make a scene but gripped his Warhammer with his right hand and latched onto his Iron Chisel Ring with his left.

Snorri gave a gesture behind his back. Captain Gelunsen, who had already sensed something was wrong, acted upon seeing the signal. He and the other Eternal Hammer Guards quietly surrounded the Wanderer.

"My dear kin, I am Rune Master Snorri Thorsson, Chosen of the Goddess of the Ancestors. You must be tired after walking all day? Why not come over and dine together? I have some of Bergman's fine brew here!" Snorri announced his identity and extended an invitation.

"So it is you! The biting cold winds in the Qunshan have carried your name to the ears of a recluse like me." The Dwarf stood up as he replied.

"No need to be nervous, kin. I have no ill intent. It is my honor to dine with the Chosen of the Goddess." He took off the hood of his cloak, revealing a weather-beaten face; he was a Dwarf in his prime.

He sat down by Snorri's campfire. "My name is Kalade-Fengbao Xingzhe. As you can see, I am a Wanderer, and of course, a self-proclaimed Rune Smith and Engineer."

The Dwarf's tone was flat, as if he were speaking of a very ordinary matter, but even the well-traveled Eternal Hammer Guards had their mouths open wide enough to fit a Goblin.

Thanks to book friends 1997, DAWN76, yyjcxpjf, Misticul for the monthly tickets and the vast number of book friends for their recommendation votes. The fan ranking has exceeded one hundred people; I will add a chapter tonight.

This is another character provided by a book friend, hahaha.