Sea Dragon's Breath Tavern, late at night, inside the king's suite.
The suite was filled with silence. The storm had ended, and the curtains were drawn tight. The carpet imported from Araby was laid on the floor, and the room was lit with high-quality ambergris.
Laing was wearing a bathrobe, leaning against the headboard with a soft pillow on his head. Olica was lying in Laing's arms with her eyes closed, while Veronica's face was flushed. After taking a shower, she changed into a white bathrobe and propped up the pillow like Laing. Then she leaned against the pillow and enjoyed the languid feeling of leaning against Laing's shoulder. "Honey?"
"Hmm?" Laing tightened his grip on Olica. "What's wrong?"
"There's something …" It was rare for Veronica to hesitate.
"What is it?" Clayon stroked his chin. He had a habit of spending some time to think about and review his recent policies and policies after the event. He would also take the time to sort out his interpersonal relationships. It was at this time that his mind was the most active. He couldn't help it. After all, he was a man.
"… It's nothing. I just feel that … ever since the Dawn Sorcerer Tower was built, from the witches in the council to my apprentices, everyone seems to think that I took a shortcut." Veronica sighed softly. She kicked the quilt with her foot, which was wrapped in nude stockings. "Damn it, I feel like someone is deliberately targeting me. Can't they see that I was in dire straits and that I put all my chips in one go? Isn't this what I deserve? "
"Isn't that normal? People are always forgetful." Laing put an arm around Veronica's shoulder and said gently, "People always want to pick up ready-made things, and it's human nature to pursue success. It's nothing. You're right, this is what you deserve. As for those who don't have enough resources, there are naturally ways to grow without resources. There are only so many resources, and naturally, those who come first get it."
Veronica pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly. Just as Leon had said, it required a lot of resources to cultivate a wizard. That was why so many wizards were fighting for the position of the chief wizard of the imperial family, and why every witch in the witch group had their eyes on Leon. That was the reason why so many wizards were fighting for the position of the chief wizard of the imperial family.
However, there were naturally ways to survive without resources. It wasn't that wizards couldn't train without money and resources. There were only so many resources to begin with. As the king of Brittany, Laing's palace had already raised several Saint-level spellcasters.
As for why wizards didn't earn their own money but relied on the nobles … It was a laughable question. It was like asking why archers weren't good at close combat, or why dwarves weren't good at speed. Wizards devoted almost all their energy to the pursuit and research of arcane magic. How could they have so much energy to think of ways to manage their territory and gain wealth? Veronica knew that many Gallan witches were forced to the point of being penniless and in debt before they started selling potions, making scrolls, and going out on missions to earn money.
Seeing that Laing didn't continue, Veronica was a little unhappy. She asked tentatively, "Say, dear, could this be something that mother and daughter did? Like deliberately spreading rumors and slandering me?"
"You mean Aurora, right? Is there a problem with that? "Laing rolled his eyes at Veronica." Aren't you the same? Secretly spreading rumors that Aurora lost her power and shamelessly came to Brittany because of Teresa's relationship with me. "
"Heh heh heh … You know?" Veronica's little trick was seen through.
"How could I not know my first lady of the court?" Laing complained. He suddenly laughed. "Right? Olica? "
"Find out who spread the rumors and demote them to slaves. As for Lady Veronica and Lady Aurora who spread the rumors, lock them up in my Ashen Court!" Olica raised her head from Laing's arms and smiled evilly. "Master, leave it to me. I'm good at this. I promise they won't have any ability to resist in the future."
"That won't do. I like the original Veronica, not the Veronica who has lost herself." Laing immediately refused. Veronica said fiercely, "Lady Olica, there is no deep hatred between us, right? Why are you always targeting me? "
"Master's thoughts are the benchmark. Nothing else matters." Olica smiled evilly. "Don't fall into my hands, Lady Veronica."
The three of them joked a little, and the matter was over. In fact, Laing did not expect Teresa, Aurora, and Veronica to get along well. In fact, it was good for both sides to fight like this. It was beneficial for Laing to control the situation and allocate resources. For example, in this great expedition, Veronica and her wizard group came. In the future, Laing's resources would definitely be tilted to Veronica.
"By the way, I'm going to the Sea Gate Engineer Association tomorrow. Who wants to go?" Laing asked casually. "If you don't want to go, you are free to do whatever you want."
"Master, why are you going to the Sea Gate Engineer Association?" Olica hugged Laing's neck and buried her little head in Laing's chest. Her long black hair almost covered Laing's body. "Do you think those dwarves will be willing to share their technology with you? You're thinking too much, Master. Let me tell you, even Bellegar Ironhammer, whom you have high hopes for, wouldn't ask you for help if he wasn't forced into a corner. Dwarves are always like this. Conservative, stubborn, rigid, and extremely traditional. "
"You sound like you know a lot about dwarves." Laing smiled. He hugged Olica and said softly, "I'm going to order an ironclad warship from the Sea Gate Engineer Association. Olica, Veronica, did you see the ironclad warship in the Sea Gate Engineer Association today? I want one too. Bordero's fleet is indeed powerful, but we can't always rely on other people's fleets, right? You need to have some capital too. "
Before Veronica could say anything, Olica said disdainfully, "Ironclad warship? That iron shell is just an empty frame. How can it compare to our Duruqi's Black Ark? If you haven't seen our Duruqi's Black Ark, you will never know what a real Marine is. "
"Olica, you will never know what a real navy is without seeing the Queen of Glory class battleship," Laing complained, "The Black Ark may be powerful, but we can't get it!"
"It's not difficult to get the Black Ark. We just need to find a way to get one." Olica shook her head. The dark elf thought for a moment and said, "But we will have to fight the entire Duruzi pirate fleet on the Black Ark. Master, since you have already thought about it, I have no other opinion. But I won't go. Duruzi are not popular among dwarves, and even more so for those serious and old-fashioned engineers."
"Then I won't go either, my dear." Veronica shook her head.
"Okay, then I'll go find Kalad and Fedmond." Laing could only shake his head.
… I'm the Black Ark, the world's number one dividing line …
Early the next morning, Laing, Kalad, and Fedmond set off to the dwarven engineers' association in Seimen Pass.
They were led to a forge powered by waterwheels. These waterwheels had been turning slowly for thousands of years without stopping. The flames in the furnace were also burning fiercely. The engineers' association in Seimen Pass was second only to those in Eternity Peak and Riptide Pass. The place was filled with benches and all kinds of machines, from the most sophisticated watchmaking machines to cranes used to assemble the best cannons. Even at this time, the workshop was still bustling with activity. The clanging of hammers, fierce debates, and the buzzing of grinding stones and lathes could be heard one after another.
"The engineers are having a meeting." The Hammer Warrior, who led Laing and the others, said to the Knight King, "Please come back in the afternoon."
Laing and the others were helpless. The dwarven meetings were always long. "Can you tell me the reason for the meeting?"
"Previously, there was a great engineer in Seimen Pass called Jarek Grimm. He went against the tradition of the dwarves and tried to develop a new kind of ironclad. As a result, he was permanently expelled from the engineers' association. As a result, Jarek, together with his family and the engineers who supported him, publicly announced that he was leaving the association. It was said that he planned to go to Luscia to find a special 'Omnite Stone' to support his great invention. A few months later, the engineers found out that he was missing. Now they are having a meeting to discuss how to solve this problem." The Hammer Warrior was still the same Glenn Silverbeard from yesterday. He liked Laing's style and his fluent dwarven language, so he was happy to say a few more words. "Judging by the intensity of their discussion and the extent of their consumption of beer, you should come back in the afternoon."
"Well, what a bunch of strange guys … Err, I mean the engineers' association," Kalad said. But he soon realized that he was wrong, so he immediately added, "Normally, new inventions should be encouraged, right?"
"Yes, they should be encouraged, but only if Jarek didn't blow up Granny's Furnace." Glenn Silverbeard muttered, "Jarek's invention blew up two furnaces and an entire dock! He still believes that he's right! "
Laing could only shake his head helplessly. He soon noticed the dock next to the engineers' association, where a huge ironclad was being built. The Knight King soon became interested. "Can we visit the dock?"
"Well … I think I have to ask." Glenn Silverbeard thought for a moment and chose to negotiate with the dwarven engineers standing at the door of the dock. Laing could see that the dwarven engineers did not agree at first, but after Glenn Silverbeard's serious negotiation and the order of King Byrnov, the dwarven engineers reluctantly agreed.
As Laing and the others entered the dock, what they saw was a behemoth made of steel.
"The Grimnir's Thunder is 80 meters long, 25 meters wide, and has a draft of 12 meters. It is fully loaded with hundreds of dwarven engineers, including the troll butchers who board the ship with the Iron Crushers and thirst for glory and death in the mouths of the titanic sea monsters. There is also a battleship spaceport that can send the lighter-than-air scout aircraft into the air. The self-loading and pumping Thunder cannons have destructive runes carved on their barrels, and the nearly hundred-centimeter thick star iron armor shell is so durable that even an iceberg cannot crack it." The dwarven engineer proudly introduced, "There's a dwarven rotorcraft landing pad on the deck of the Grimnir's Thunder. The rotorcraft can freely take off and land here, and the detection of the enemy ship will be transmitted back to the mothership through rune signals. No matter the strong wind or the waves, the Grimnir's Thunder will move forward unimpeded on the sea, carrying the hatred of the dwarves. Even though it's slow, it's as inescapable as death. It's our pride. "
"Gosh!" Fedmond, who was the most experienced in warships and naval battles, looked up at the giant iron armor. An indescribable sense of mystery and shock filled the heart of the Grail knight. "How much does it cost?"
"… About 50,000 gold marks without raw materials, and 140,000 gold marks with raw materials," the dwarven engineer proudly said. The dwarf engineer proudly puffed out his belly. "Most of the stariron was obtained from the Blackwater Lake in Carragh-Vane. It's not easy to get stariron from the Blackwater Lake now."
"Can we board the ship for a tour?" Laing wanted to go up and have a look.
"Of course not. I'm already letting you in because of the king. If there's nothing else, please leave!" The dwarven engineer was a little unhappy. "Don't push it, human. This is our ship, not yours!"
In the dwarven kingdom, the king was not the absolute ruler. In fact, the dwarven craftsmen's association, the dwarven engineers' association, and the dwarven chieftain's council all played a role in deciding the specific affairs of the dwarves and the future. Among them, the dwarven craftsmen's association and the dwarven engineers' association had the most power. Laing could see this from Bellegar. After taking over the Blackstone Stronghold, Bellegar wanted to build a dwarven gun factory and a blacksmith factory immediately. However, both the engineers' association and the craftsmen's association decided that the first building would be the dwarven brewery. In the end, Bellegar could not change their minds and simply agreed.
By the way, the rapid recovery of the Duchy of Gisoleiox after Heinrich Kemmler's invasion was due to the cooperation with the dwarves to solve the work and production problems of the large number of unemployed people. The two sides were now close allies. Duke Hagan of Gisoleiox had even visited the Blackstone Stronghold three times and had dinner with Belegar and his queen, Kermanic.
"Mr. Engineer, we would also like to order an ironclad warship," Laing said to the engineer.
"Then you'll have to discuss it with the chief engineer, Master Brook Gunnarsson. Alright, hurry up and leave. I have to continue with the construction." The dwarven engineer said impatiently. "Get out, get out. We have to continue with the construction. Don't disturb us. Human, if you want anything, you can discuss it with the engineers' association. I'm just an engineer in charge of supervising the construction. I'm not even a chief engineer!"
The three Grail Knights were driven out just like that.
"Your Majesty, an ironclad warship?" Kalad stroked his goatee and smiled. "That's a good idea!"
"It's a good idea, but you have to have money!" Laing said with a bitter smile. "Did you hear that? The cost is 140,000 gold marks! And that's the cost price! That's too much! "
"A single Bordro galleon might not be able to compete with an ironclad warship, but that's enough money for us to build three to five galleons," Fedmond said thoughtfully. "Is this the dwarven style? Fighting quantity with quality?"
"Haven't the dwarves always been like this?" Kalad laughed.
"Very good. There's still some time." Laing took out the pocket watch made by the dwarves. It was only ten in the morning. "Let's walk around. I also want to talk to you about something."
"Of course, Your Majesty!"
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