Warhammer Divine Throne

The craftsmen in the kingdom capable of making catapults are all in Leonais or Montfort. Given the strained relationship between Laine and these two dukes, borrowing craftsmen to make catapults is practically impossible.

The time had reached midsummer, and Laine, along with his knight Olivier and Hex, and steward Kasenberg, went to a dwarf workshop by the Xinong River to inspect the latest achievements.

”My Baron, since the dwarves are unwilling to share their technology, how did you manage to persuade them to make cannons for you?” Steward Kasenberg’s bald head reflected brightly under the sun, as he shaved his head once every ten days.

”I couldn’t make the dwarves share their cannon technology with us, but we can hire them.” Laine walked into the workshop with his hands behind his back. ”I reached an agreement with Mr. Delong; he will make cannons for us, and we hire dwarf engineers to operate them.”

”Dwarf mercenaries?” Olivier seemed genuinely interested. As a young knight introduced by Schultz, Duke of Marinburg, fighting alongside dwarves didn’t seem unusual. In the Empire, employing mercenaries was also commonplace.

It was Hex, though, with his stern demeanor, who seemed doubtful. The ranger knight, having been through several battles, appeared increasingly composed, responsible for most of the training in the territory. Currently, the baron’s domain had about fifty soldiers and over three hundred infantry, and Hex had trained them to a certain degree of combat readiness.

Neither Laine’s nor Angerong’s training methods were suitable for training these peasant soldiers, as the conditions were different. Such intensive training was too difficult for peasants who couldn’t guarantee a stable food supply and sufficient nutrition.

”My Baron, Brittania has no tradition of employing dwarves... We’ve only hired Imperial mercenaries, and even that was under the king’s special permission. Is it... something to consider carefully?” Hex hesitated and said.

”I have prayed to the Lady, and she agreed to this request.” Laine stated decisively and without concern, declaring his decision. ”The dwarf brothers are our friends, and we will fight side by side.”

Olivier, Kasenberg, and even Hex had no more objections to this.

If it were another twenty-six-year-old baron speaking such words, the knights might mockingly dismiss it as a lie, a complete falsehood.

But Laine was different. When he said this, the knights, and even their soldiers, believed sincerely. Their lord had performed too many miracles, and the Lady of the Lake manifested miracle after miracle upon him. He was the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady, and also the Lake Fairy’s most beloved knight. If Laine said the Lake Fairy agreed, then it must be so.

The thought of having dwarf giant cannons aiding them in attack excited the knights. Brittania’s knights were already reputed as the best in the Old World, and if they could have the help of cannons...

By the time they arrived at the dwarf workshop, a whole team of dwarf mercenaries was already waiting. The leading dwarf wore a round helmet, with a long beard covering half of his belly, carrying two large long-barreled fire cannons on his back, with a long white bread rolling from his mouth, carrying a strong scent of black powder that could be smelled from afar.

”Hello, Long-bearded One.” Laine identified the length of the dwarf’s beard and the gold and silver ornaments upon it, then respectfully addressed him, ”Welcome to my domain; I am the baron here, Holy Grail Knight Laine Macado.”

”I’ve heard of you, baron, Lady of the Lake’s Divine Chosen Champion, slayer of a string of Green Skins and Chaos Champions.” The dwarf widened his eyes, looking up with arms crossed, ”Delong tells me you could provide work, income, and endless malt beer for my brothers and sisters, so I brought them here. I’m Dugen the Ironman, pleased to meet you.”

”Indeed, my baron, when you mentioned hiring a team of dwarf mercenaries, Dugen immediately came to my mind; he’s an outstanding warrior and an engineering expert,” Delong said as he emerged from the workshop. ”He knows how to craft the cannons you want, heavy cannons, organ cannons... as long as the price is right.”

”Good. How many clansmen do you have?” Laine asked Dugen, nodding repeatedly.

”Approximately more than a hundred, with over sixty being excellent warriors and workers,” Dugen replied, looking up. ”We’ve been wandering in the mountains for too long. Perhaps Delong is right; it’s time to come out and find a job. We can’t let our children starve.”

”I’m willing to accept you and your clansmen, but I hope you follow the rules in my domain, and, endless malt beer must be earned through your labor and work achievements,” Laine extended his hand towards the dwarf.

”A fair decision. We never take advantage of our human brothers, and I’m sure a Holy Grail Knight like yourself will not mistreat us,” Dugen agreed, shaking hands with him. ”And, dwarfs do not fear battle. If there is any war, dwarfs never shy away!”

”Then... Kasenberg, it’s up to you to arrange the community for these dwarves.” Laine instructed his steward, ”Remember, keep them far away from the Sharp Ears. I don’t want the Battle of Longbeard happening again in my domain.”

”Yes, my baron, I will arrange a safe place for them. In fact, baron, your domain seems to be blessed by the Lady herself. Since arriving at Gene Territory, there hasn’t been a single hint of trouble from Green Skins or Beastmen.” Kasenberg nodded enthusiastically, wearing round-rimmed sunglasses, crafted by a dwarf craftsman, which were surprisingly popular, with orders pouring in non-stop.

”Hehe, just assume it really is blessed by the Lady.” Laine chuckled indifferently.

When it came to the Green Skins and Beastmen, Angerong and the Imperial Guard showed no mercy, except for the runaway fugitives who became bandits. In those cases, Angerong and the Imperial Guard turned a blind eye as they were human.

Lops and Olivier mainly handled this; the two knights led the local army to eradicate bandit hideouts nearby, partly as training and partly to make extra earnings, going as far as other duke’s domains.

Dugen didn’t understand what Laine and the others were discussing. Not skilled in the human language, he turned to Delong, ”Is this human really trustworthy?”

”Rest assured, I’ve worked with him for several months; this human is indeed trustworthy and very powerful, and he’s just a younger brother,” Delong said with satisfaction, stroking his own beard. ”Things here are very comprehensive, unlike many nobles in this country who boss us around. He’s willing to give us full control and taxes are lower than in other territories. To me, this is a good place, and I intend to stay.”

”So skilled and he’s just a younger brother?” Dugen said incredulously, admiringly glancing at Delong’s shiny, well-groomed beard.

For dwarves, beards were a symbol of status, age, and identity, requiring regular combing and washing to look beautiful. Delong’s beard was enviably pleasing to Dugen.

”Yes, if you had seen his elder brother, you’d understand how formidable he is, and he seems to know some secret knowledge. Look at this,” Delong took out a rune given by Laine. ”I scoured all the ancient texts and found no record of this rune. I’ve written to the chief rune lord master, Clark the Harsh, at the Eternal Peak, asking him to look into the origin of this rune. Perhaps it will be the most significant discovery for the dwarves in centuries.”

”What a mysterious lord,” Dugen nodded. ”Alright, let’s settle first. After experiencing so much war and wandering, it’s time for the clan to have a home.”

Just as the agreement was reached for the dwarves to settle here, a group of wood elves appeared.

Leading the wood elves was Delina, the Forest Lord whom Laine had met before, ”Hello, Lord Laine, you have finally returned; we’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

”What business does the forest’s friends have with me?”