Chapter 738: Iron Whisker Reappears

Zuo Ertan's residence is on the second level of Rongyanbao.

The trek from the fourth level down to the second was not short; climbing all the way, Lei En and the Extreme Warrior became the dwarves' focus. After finally reaching Zuo Ertan's home, he shut the door, keeping the neighbors' eyes outside, and Zuo Ertan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lei En looked around; Zuo Ertan's quarters were spacious, more than enough for dwarves, but after twenty‑four Extreme Warriors poured in, it felt a bit crowded.

"Wait outside," Lei En instructed.

He followed Zuo Ertan inside; the room's layout resembled Longshande's Basil Inn—plain yet sturdy. The huge house housed only Zuo Ertan, with an alchemy lab on one side and a workshop on the other, all tidily arranged.

It reminded Lei En of the days spent years ago at the Basil Inn, stirring a sudden nostalgia.

"Come sit,"

Zuo Ertan greeted with a smile.

Inside the room was a counter, similar in style to the Basil Inn, and behind it the wall was stacked with tall wooden barrels.

The All-Seeing Eye pierced the barrels, revealing they were filled with liquor.

"These are all your own brews?" Lei En asked in surprise.

"Of course," Zuo Ertan said, opening a barrel valve and deftly pouring two large cups, pushing one toward Lei En with a grin: "This is the purest Rongyanbao stout, brewed from the finest black rye. Try it."

Lei En smiled knowingly.

On his first day at the Basil Inn, he had bought a beer from Zuo Ertan with a copper coin, asking if it was real, and received only a dry chuckle.

The two raised their glasses, clinked lightly, then gulped a big mouthful.

After a few gulps, Lei En's cup was empty. He set it down, let out a satisfied belch, and praised, "No wonder it's the best stout in the world, far better than the fake one you sold me before."

"Hahaha..."

Zuo Ertan burst out laughing, splattering foam from his beard, and cheerfully asked, "Another round?"

"No need," Lei En shook his head. "Now's not the time for drinking freely."

The dwarves, seeing his solemn expression, also set their cups down.

Lei En voluntarily recounted the discussion he had just had with three Dwarf Kings. Those matters are known only to the highest echelons of the Dwarf Kingdom; Zuo Ertan, newly arrived at the legend, lacks sufficient standing, and without his friendship with Lei En he wouldn't even be eligible to partake.

Nevertheless, as a dwarf, Zuo Ertan surely knows more than outsiders; perhaps useful information can be gleaned from him.

Thus Lei En did not decide immediately.

"Zuo Ertan," Lei En, noting the dwarves' emotional shifts, said softly, "We're friends; we won't put you in a bind nor ask you to betray the Rongyanbao Kingdom. If some matters can't be spoken, you may remain silent."

Zuo Ertan nodded, then shook his head.

"I originally couldn't access the kingdom's top‑secret information, so there's nothing to be shy about. If you're afraid I'll leak, His Majesty Magnus wouldn't permit you to meet me privately," the dwarf said, shaking his head, his fiery red crest swaying side to side, looking a bit comical. "I'm still pondering the conditions the three kings presented."

"Any conclusions?" Lei En asked.

"None yet," Zuo Ertan shrugged, then curiously asked, "Would you accept establishing a dwarf district in Gotham City?"

Lei En shook his head: "If dwarves wish to become lawful residents, I won't refuse, but I will never allow them powers beyond the law; there's no room for negotiation on that."

Think not of extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Once that precedent is set, retracting it will be hard.

What if elves also demand it? If elves and dwarves clash, fighting openly in the city and breaking the law, how should it be handled?

It can be foreseen that Gotham City's future populace will be predominantly human; how will humans view dwarf privileges? The seed of racial division is sown from the start, and the city cannot go far. Hence it must be crushed at its bud.

In short, Gotham City will not tolerate such a powerful extraterritorial jurisdiction!

The whole city can have only one voice, one Willpower.

That is my voice, my Willpower!

"I knew it; with your temperament you wouldn't agree," Zuo Ertan sighed, "If you reject this condition, it will be hard to reach an accord with the three kings."

"Why?" Lei En's eyes flashed.

"Lei En, walking from the royal palace to my house, what was the most intense feeling along the way?"

Lei En thought and replied, "Crowded."

The sheer number of dwarves made Rongyanbao extremely crowded.

The underground fortress typically has ten levels; the top five are residential, each composed of numerous massive caverns, constantly being expanded, yet still insufficient. Every cavern, every street, every stone house is packed with dwarves.

Especially the third and second levels, where the population density was so great it reminded Lei En of a bustling city train station in his past life.

When he and the Extreme Warrior passed, the watching dwarves clogged the street to a standstill.

Had King Magnus not dispatched a guard detail to clear the way, they might have only made it halfway, or been forced to turn back.

Lei En had earlier heard of this situation from Bulaimite.

Seeing it with his own eyes today, the fortress's capacity for dwarves had reached its limit. Ordinary dwarves live up to four hundred years, intensifying population pressure; without outward expansion and territorial resources, a terrible disaster is inevitable.

"You indeed saw it,"

Zuo Ertan let out a long sigh, his face clouded with worry, and said gravely, "Rongyanbao's population has already exceeded six hundred thousand, surpassing the peak of the Third Epoch, and it grows daily."

"Since over a hundred years ago, many newly born clan members lack full training and weapons. These non‑combatants, no matter how numerous, are of little use and become a burden."

"The worst part is, in a few years there may not even be enough food."

"The four lower levels of Rongyanbao keep expanding, all planted with mushrooms and black rye, yet they still can't keep pace with population growth; too many dwarves need feeding."

"Zhigao Shan and Lone Peak face similar situations."

"Several monarchs once suggested relocating some clan members to the Mithril Palace and Nine Peak Valley, but those two underground fortresses are inherently small, far smaller than the three great kingdoms, unable to accommodate many dwarves. Moreover, those two kings are cautious and unwilling to take in too many..."

"Without a solution, the three great dwarf kingdoms may collapse."

"That's the current biggest headache of the three kings, yet the dwarves live too comfortably, with no crisis, constantly bearing children, sigh..."

Zuo Ertan, his face full of worry, gulped half a cup of stout in one breath.

He was about to continue speaking, but seeing Lei En's hesitant expression, asked, "What were you going to say?"

You need a planned birth policy.

Lei En answered in his mind, but said nothing.

Family planning is clearly unworkable among dwarves; the Dwarf King lacks the resolve and determination, and also lacks the capability to enforce it. Considering that popular resistance could threaten the stability of his rule, the kings would never adopt it.

Moreover, the dwarves' crisis may be their own opportunity, so there's no need to give them advice.

"It's nothing," Lei En shook his head.

Zuo Ertan set aside his doubt and continued: "The solution to overpopulation is actually simple; the ancestors did it this way—by leaving the fortress, acquiring more territory, and being able to feed more clan members."

"But it's no longer the Third Epoch; back then dragons and giants were in decline, and most of the Old Continent was wilderness."

"Now, humans are the masters of the Old Continent."

Lei En thought to himself, "Indeed," having guessed correctly, and said aloud, "So the three kings are preparing to explore the New Continent?"

"It's not exploration, it's reclamation," Zuo Ertan corrected, "Half of the New Continent originally belonged to the dwarves—from the western coast to the foot of the Qikelos Mountains, all was dwarf territory."

"Hehe…"

Lei En gave a noncommittal smile and said, "Take that argument to the Abyss."

"Those aren't my words, but the original words of some dwarves. They've never left the underground fortress in their lives, immersed in their ancestors' glory, knowing little of the world above and already detached from reality," Zuo Ertan hurried to distance himself from that view.

"Even if the western New Continent belongs to the dwarves, Shield Island is on the eastern coast and has nothing to do with the dwarves, right?" Lei En pointed out a logical flaw.

Zuo Ertan gave a wry smile, unable to answer.

"Do the three Dwarf Kings also share this view?" Lei En asked again.

"Probably not," Zuo Ertan said, uncertain. "I have more contact with His Majesty Magnus; he is a wise and pragmatic king, you can be assured of that. As for the other two kings, I can't guarantee it."

Lei En already understood clearly.

The three kings, to solve the population crisis, set their sights on the New Continent. Perhaps they already had the idea, but lacked the means; Lei En's city-building plan on Shield Island showed them an opportunity.

If they can "reclaim" the New Continent, not only will the population crisis be solved, but the ancestors' glory can be revived.

But with the dwarves' own strength, it is certainly impossible.

All the dwarves in the Shi Jie Shan Mai total less than three million; a few hundred thousand at most, and attempting to conquer the New Continent is like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Even Lei En himself, for now, only intends to build a single city.

How to further develop the New Continent, he has no concrete plan yet, but in any case it cannot be done without the Empire's support. Without the entire Oriense Empire behind him, Gotham City's influence is limited to Shield Island and the Aibolaken region, making large territorial expansion impossible.

The Dwarf King's intention is clear: use Gotham City as a springboard, first secure a foothold on the New Continent, then gradually roll out the "reclamation" plan.

Of course, it would be best to directly possess a portion of Gotham City's authority.

Lei En, of course, would not let the dwarves have their way.

He would never allow the dwarves to become the masters; the city he poured countless funds and effort into building would ultimately cheapen the dwarves. Moreover, he harbors greater ambitions on the New Continent, and agreeing to the dwarves' terms would be nurturing a powerful rival.

Lei En pondered for a while, drawing a bottom line in his mind.

Then he asked, "What's the situation with that King of the Hills?"

"I guess the commander assigned by the three kings is Kesi Takin," Zuo Ertan replied, "Kesi Takin was originally one of the dwarves' strongest warriors and also a rune lord with exceptionally high forging skill, his status comparable to a king."

"Two years ago, Kesi Takin just ascended to King of the Hills; his promotion also has some relevance to us."

A hint of surprise appeared on Lei En's face.

He had never heard of this King of the Hills' name, how could it be linked?

"Four years ago, we entered the Iron Must Fortress together and retrieved the Third Epoch rune knowledge. I shared it with the clan's rune craftsmen, and Kesi Takin also obtained it. Inspired by that knowledge, his forging skill advanced, and he broke through while crafting an epic battle axe, ascending to King of the Hills," Zuo Ertan lowered his voice to explain.

"What a coincidence!" Lei En felt a sense of destiny.

A King of the Hills who is also a rune lord holds a status equal to a king among dwarves; such a powerful figure deserves respect. Why would Thorgrin harbor dislike for him?

He would even go as far as sending Kesi Takin to the New Continent.

Any rune lord is the dwarves' most precious asset; they would never readily risk a rune lord, and could simply dispatch another King of the Hills.

"Kesi Takin isn't favored by the king?" Lei En asked directly.

"Yes," Zuo Ertan's expression turned odd. "Lord Kesi Takin lives in the Zhigao Shan Kingdom, originally a member of the Longmust Clan, but after ascending to King of the Hills he declared his departure from the Longmust Clan and changed his surname to Ironmust."

Ironmust Clan!

Lei En was astonished; this was the greatest clan in dwarf history, having produced several Supreme Kings and forged the tribal treasure Thunder God's Hammer, yet now it is nearing extinction. Zuo Ertan had previously said that only a few dozen members of the Ironmust Clan remain, attached to the Copper Ring Clan of Rongyanbao.

Dwarves place great emphasis on bloodline continuation and cannot arbitrarily change surnames.

Lei En asked curiously, "Why can Kesi Takin change his surname?"

"Because the Ironmust blood runs in his veins," Zuo Ertan sighed. "He inherited the Ironmust Clan's Vengeance Book, which records the ancestors over the past ten thousand years; his grandmother was also from the Ironmust Clan."

The dwarves' Vengeance Book is equivalent to a genealogical record; Kesi Takin presenting it is sufficient proof of his identity.

However, this move clearly has another deeper meaning.

The Ironmust Clan ruled the Zhigao Shan Kingdom throughout the Third Epoch for a full 5,400 years, governing the entire dwarf race for most of that epoch; had it not declined, it would be considered the greatest dwarf clan, a royal lineage among royals.

Kesi Takin intends to revive the Ironmust Clan, and to the current Zhigao Shan king Thorgrin, he is a remnant of the previous dynasty, a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh, whose removal would bring satisfaction!

(End of Chapter)