Chapter 739: Party A's Father

Lei En suddenly realized that Thorgrin wanted to use this opportunity to kick Kestajin out of Zhigao Shan.

As king, Thorgrin's every move is watched by all the dwarves; everyone knows his apprehension toward Kestajin and also understands the great significance of the Iron Must clan to the dwarves, so even if Thorgrin has many thoughts, he can only endure and dare not act against Kestajin.

Moreover, Kestajin is a King of the Hills and a rune lord, enjoying great support among the dwarves.

Eliminating this remnant of the former dynasty physically is far too difficult.

Furthermore, Thorgrin must also safeguard Kestajin's safety; if anything happens to him on Zhigao Shan, everyone will deem the king the murderer, an accusation impossible to clear.

"Besides announcing a change of surname to Iron Must, is this Kestajin doing anything else?" Lei En asked.

"No," Zuo Ertan replied. "However, after the Kestajin lord changed his surname, many dwarves returned to the Iron Must clan. In recent years, the five dwarf kingdoms have seen many Iron Must dwarves; the population has swelled by dozens of times, reportedly reaching three to four thousand."

Lei En, pondering, suddenly asked, "How many years has His Majesty Thorgrin reigned?"

The Soul Eye hadn't examined Thorgrin's age closely earlier; it roughly judged him to be over two thousand years old, already in his twilight years, with the soul showing slight signs of decline.

Upon hearing the question, Zuo Ertan's expression shifted slightly.

He hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "His Majesty Thorgrin ascended the throne in New Era Calendar year 856. Before his accession, the promotion to King of the Hills had already existed for more than five hundred years, and it is said he was born during the Dark Millennium."

Lei En clicked his tongue in amazement; another old fellow who had lived over two thousand five hundred years.

Thorgrin's age is actually comparable to Augulevi Master's.

Dwarves lack the Blood Soul Curse; Saint Rank strong ones live longer than Holy Soul wizards, up to about three thousand years.

By this measure, Thorgrin has only a few hundred years left, perhaps even less.

"The Shattered Star clan has no other King of the Hills?" Lei En asked softly.

Zuo Ertan shook his head: "No."

Lei En was not surprised; even though dwarves possess a racial talent far stronger than humans, the chance of a King of the Hills being born remains extremely low. Within a clan, having one King of the Hills is already a blessing; having two is essentially impossible.

Thorgrin is the chieftain of the Shattered Star clan; as long as he sits on the throne, the Shattered Star clan is the royal family of Zhigao Shan, its status unshakable.

However, once Thorgrin dies, the situation changes.

Dwarves also revere the strong; most successive kings have been Kings of the Hills. Even if they were not at accession, after ruling for years and receiving the dwarven deities' blessings, along with the wealth and power of kingship, they will eventually be promoted to King of the Hills.

There must be more than one King of the Hills in the Zhigao Shan kingdom, perhaps all eyeing the king's throne.

Yet the threat from other Kings of the Hills pales in comparison to Kestajin.

Even after millennia, the Iron Must clan still wields great influence; after Thorgrin's death, if Kestajin raises his voice, the Shattered Star clan has no King of the Hills to contest, and the crown of Zhigao Shan will inevitably return to the Iron Must clan.

Having such a time bomb left in Zhigao Shan will likely keep Thorgrin awake at night.

Thus he devised this move: sending Kestajin off to the New Continent.

In the Zhigao Shan kingdom, Kestajin would never encounter mishaps, but the perilous New Continent is different. If Kestajin were to die there, this great worry would be eliminated, and, taking a step back, it would also be easier to act against him on the New Continent.

Incidentally, it could also solve the dwarf kingdoms' population crisis; if all goes well, the three great kingdoms could use Gotham City as a springboard toward revival.

That can be called a one‑stone‑three‑birds scheme.

That three‑thousand‑strong dwarf legion is the bait the other side cast, luring us to bite.

Lei En hummed to himself, thinking it was a beautiful plan.

The bait released by the dwarves may be highly attractive to others; a single elite dwarf legion can sweep across a small nation, and almost no human noble can resist such temptation.

But for us, the dwarf legion is merely icing on the cake.

Of course, the three dwarf kings allowed me to contact Zuo Ertan, clearly knowing those conditions were too harsh for me to accept. This is their negotiation tactic: sky‑high demands, and then it's my turn to foot the bill.

Lei En suddenly laughed, "Zuo Ertan, in His Majesty Thorgrin's eyes, which is more important: eliminating Kestajin's hidden threat or alleviating the population pressure?"

Zuo Ertan thought for a long while, then gave a wry smile, "I don't know."

"What about Majesty Magnus and Majesty Dan En? For the same two issues, which is more important?" Lei En asked again.

Zuo Ertan answered immediately, "Naturally, solving the dwarves' population pressure."

"Hehe…" Lei En wore a look of confidence.

This divergence among the three dwarf kings can be put to good use.

He did not continue the discussion, shifting the topic to other matters, bringing up his previous encounter with Luo Jue in Zhu Bile Mountain City.

"Luo Jue, that fellow…"

Zuo Ertan sighed, "I received the letter he asked his clan to send to Rongyanbao. Having known him for so long, I thought he'd keep wandering, but this time he lived in Zhu Bile Mountain City for several years and even owns an estate; that's not the style of a demon hunter."

The dwarves' faces were full of joy for an old friend.

"Master Luo Jue deserves a wonderful home," Lei En also often receives letters from Luo Jue; although the letters contain only brief greetings and a few lines about his life, between the lines there is a trace of calm and leisure, and he is very satisfied with his current days.

Of course, there is also mention of card games.

Luo Jue proudly announced that he had become the top Ten‑Thousand‑Spirit card player in Zhu Bile Mountain City, winning the city championship multiple times.

When Lei En told this news to Zuo Ertan, the dwarves immediately could not sit still.

"What?"

Zuo Ertan sprang to his feet, muttered a few words, and immediately decided, "Lei En, after your negotiations with His Majesty the king are finished, I will go straight to Zhu Bile Mountain City to find Luo Jue, knock down his arrogant aura, and let him know who the truly formidable card player in the world is."

"Uh…" Lei En was dumbfounded, "Are card games really that important?"

"Lei En, are you coming?" Zuo Ertan reverted to his demeanor from a few years ago at the Rosemary Inn, saying with anticipation, "When I defeat Luo Jue, I hope you can be there to witness it in person."

"If I have time, I will go," Lei En smiled.

As the two best friends he has in this world, he would not refuse the request; even if he cannot leave, he can send a proxy. Teleporting from Mo Du to Zhu Bile Mountain City is still very convenient, taking only half an hour.

Hearing Lei En's acceptance, Zuo Ertan was overjoyed.

Lei En lingered at his house for half a day, drinking away a small half‑barrel of Rongyanbao stout, then stood and said, "That's all for today; I must go meet the three majesties."

"Fine."

Zuo Ertan let out a satisfied belch, his face showing hesitation.

Lei En had long sensed his thoughts, smiling, "Ask whatever you want."

The dwarf wiped the foam from his beard, glanced around instinctively twice, then whispered, "That thing in the Iron Must fortress… have you ever gone back in after that?"

Lei En gave a gentle nod.

"Three years ago, I already obtained it."

"Ah? Moradin above!" Zuo Ertan instantly snapped out of his half‑drunk stupor, his eyes bulging, "You've already gotten Thunder God's Hammer? Where did you hide it?" His gaze searched around Lei En, but found nothing.

"I left it at home, I didn't bring it," Lei En replied.

Zuo Ertan couldn't help but show disappointment, then a hint of loss, sighing, "I knew you could get it, but I didn't expect it so quickly…"

Lei En could understand his feelings.

A Legend Grade war hammer, and a Dwarf clan treasure, Zuo Ertan could not have been without thoughts. Even though he knew he lacked the strength to obtain Thunder God's Hammer, he wouldn't voluntarily give up, so he didn't tell other dwarves about it.

"But that's fine; you're the most suitable master," Zuo Ertan quickly set aside his conflict, "Thunder God's Hammer can unleash its greatest power in your hands, and I have no regrets."

Lei En patted his old friend's shoulder, "Thank you."

Without Zuo Ertan, he could not have obtained Thunder God's Hammer.

Zuo Ertan shook his head slightly, whispering, "You were right not to bring Thunder God's Hammer to Rongyanbao. The Iron Must clan's power waned before, but now there is Lord Kestajin, who has been searching for this hammer for years."

"I understand," Lei En nodded.

Before leaving Zuo Ertan's house, he recalled something and asked, "Zuo Ertan, do you know Bulaimit Copper Ring?"

"He's Magnus's youngest brother; I've met him a few times," Zuo Ertan replied, "But it's said he has some important archaeological find and hasn't returned to Rongyanbao for two or three years. How do you know Bulaimit?"

"No wonder…" Lei En stroked his chin.

Back then, Bulaimit left in a hurry, thinking he could be seen at Rongyanbao this time, but it turned out he was out elsewhere.

"He's also my friend; earlier on the Seain Plateau, Bulaimit helped me with something," Lei En explained briefly.

"If I meet Bulaimit, I'll pass the message," Zuo Ertan said without further questioning.

Zuo Ertan escorted Lei En to the doorway; outside, a royal guard squad cleared the way for Lei En and the Extreme Warrior, returning to the throne palace on the fourth level of the fortress.

Lei En waited a moment in the council hall, and the three kings arrived.

"Count," Magnus sat at the head of the table and immediately asked, "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes," Lei En nodded lightly.

Thorgrin and Dan En involuntarily leaned their upper bodies forward, staring at Lei En. Under their gaze, Lei En calmly said, "I have decided to withdraw the cooperation proposal with Rongyanbao."

The three Dwarf Kings' expressions all stiffened.

They had expected Lei En to put forward his own demands, with both sides tugging back and forth, after a round of debate and negotiation, finally reaching a compromise that satisfied both parties.

They never expected Lei En to go live, flip the table, and quit!

The blunt‑tempered Dan En instantly grew anxious, threatening, "If you intend to cooperate with the dwarves of Mithril Palace and Nine Peak Valley, I advise you to abandon the idea. Without the consent of the three great kingdoms, no dwarf is allowed to leave Shi Jie Shan Mai."

"Your Majesty Dan En, you're overthinking," Lei En shrugged, "I'm planning to find a construction crew in the Empire."

Now the other two kings could no longer sit still.

"There are no better craftsmen in the world than dwarves," Thorgrin said gravely, "The Oriense Empire is powerful, but in construction it lags far behind us dwarves."

Lei En was unmoved, replying, "Your Majesty, times have changed."

Four hundred years ago, the Empire's construction industry was indeed far inferior to the dwarves', with a gap of more than eight streets in skill and experience. But after the Steam and Machinery Guild was founded, the entire human race, especially the Empire, saw a meteoric rise in productivity.

These four hundred plus years of progress and development surpass the combined achievements of the previous several thousand years.

Steam power combined with magic has spurred the Empire's construction sector into a flourishing bloom, incorporating the strengths of elves, dwarves, and other ancient races, and now it is no longer inferior to its predecessors.

Perhaps the building quality is not as durable as dwarven work, and construction speed still lags.

But in other aspects, the Empire's builders are not lacking at all, and can better exploit the advantages of machinery and magic, fitting their city‑building needs.

This is why Lei En chose to cooperate with the dwarves.

First, he valued the dwarves' experience and lower labor costs.

Second, he did not want the Empire's influence involved in the construction of Gotham City, which would avoid many troubles.

If the dwarves think they've got him cornered and the lion makes a big demand, they've miscalculated.

He would rather spend more money than sow hidden risks for the future Gotham City.

All three Dwarf Kings were taken off guard.

They never expected Lei En to refuse; a elite dwarf legion of three thousand seemed to hold no appeal for Lei En.

Lei En rose abruptly, "Your Majesties, I take my leave."

"Hold on!" Thorgrin called out.

Magnus also stood, pleading, "Count, please stay," while Dan En stared blankly, still not having recovered.

Lei En's gaze fell on Magnus's face, and in a calm tone he asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything else?"

Magnus looked at Lei En deeply, seeing that Lei En did not seem to be feigning retreat but truly unwilling to cooperate, finally yielding, and said, "Count, please do not act so impulsively; Rongyanbao has great sincerity for this project and hopes to be given another chance."

"Sorry, I see no sincerity," Lei En's stance remained firm.

He had already figured out the dwarves' true nature; they thought there was room for negotiation, but in his view there was nothing worth discussing.

"This is my project, my city, my investment; I am the client!"

"What right do you have to set conditions with me?"

(End of Chapter)