My Players Are So Fierce

1500: 505.

Burning Gold, Monopoly and Profit: The Path to the Rise of an Otherworldly Tycoon_2

1500: 505.

Burning Gold, Monopoly and Profit: The Path to the Rise of an Otherworldly Tycoon_2

“Hmph.”

Master Irich knew this cunning Old Chen was trying to lighten the mood, but he didn’t care.

He was very confident in his ability to keep secrets, convinced that such petty tricks were useless against him!

What, just a sugar-coated cannonball?

Scoff, watch as this Priest eats away the sugar coating and hurls your malicious cannonball right back!

Thinking thus, Master Irich reached for the wine but didn’t drink it immediately.

Instead, like the finest wine connoisseur, he began by smelling it under his nose to assess the drink’s quality from its aroma.

The fragrance derived from the grain made his mouth water, and he tipped back his head and downed the cup in one go.

Upon entry, the drink was smooth, cool, and free of any off-taste.

At first, there was no special sensation, but as the liquid slid down his throat, the spicy flavor made the dwarf take a deep breath.

Then the aftertaste made him squint with delight.

“Ha!”

The dwarf slammed the cup down on the table and, giving Old Chen a thumbs up, said:

“Not bad, it has a unique flavor.

Although it cannot compare to our Earthbrew or Frostfort’s Winterfire Wine, it’s still distinct and could become a new series of fine liquors if it continues to be developed.

Hey, this fine wine has really lifted my spirits.”

“Then have another cup.”

Professor Chen laughed heartily as he poured another cup for the dwarf, and the Witch Hunter guards brought over a few appetizers to whet the appetite.

The two elders kept passing the cup back and forth, and the atmosphere quickly became more convivial.

Old Chen didn’t rush to inquire.

After all, he was a professor, and he knew the etiquette of the drinking scene very well.

He patiently kept the dwarf company until they had reached the fifth bottle.

Once he noticed the other party started to talk more and even began to boast about his past accomplishments, Professor Chen knew the time was ripe.

He repeated his earlier spiel, emphasizing that it was merely the curiosity of a Scholar and made a solemn vow in the name of knowledge to never reveal any of this, and only then did Irich finally open up.

“Alright alright, I can tell you a little, just because you’ve treated me to such good wine.”

By now, the dwarf was blowing into the bottle.

He gulped down a hearty swig with a ton-ton-ton, exhaled with satisfaction, and slapped the table while saying boldly:

“But you’ll have to accept Gaia Temple’s invitation!

I know you’re about to face the Black Disaster, so I’m not in a rush to have you visit Silver Fort.

But after the war is over, you must come back with me.

If you can pass the architects’ examination at the temple, if you can become a Priest of Mother Earth, then sharing this information wouldn’t be considered a leak.

After all, we also have the duty to explore mines for the Brass Dwarves across the Continent.

If you are one of us, then there is no knowledge that cannot be shared.

You must promise me, Old Chen, this is the basis for all our subsequent conversations.”

“If Gaia Temple is the leading and only large architecture guild on the Continent, then without your invitation, my dear Irich, I would surely visit and exchange expertise and experiences with the finest architects of this land.

Working in isolation is not advisable.

Knowledge only sparks more inspiration when it flows, and that kind of inspiration is the driving force that propels all knowledge to greater depths.

Truth!

That is the direction towards which all wisdom ultimately gravitates.”

Old Chen was also slightly tipsy, but the alcohol tolerance he had cultivated beneath his scholarly appearance was formidable.

He made a structured promise, and then the Old Dwarf opened up:

“What you’ve dug up is indeed raw Burning Gold Ores, that haven’t undergone any processing.

This isn’t that big of a deal, because raw ore and real Burning Gold products have to go through six processing steps, two of which even we Silver Dwarfs don’t quite understand – they are secret techniques held closely by the Brass Dwarves.

Sigh, over the past few centuries, various Brass Dwarf mining companies have united to accumulate a fortune through monopoly control of Burning Gold distribution.

Their wealth is so vast it has induced a deep jealousy in us and the Frost Dwarves.

You know, we dwarves aren’t as money-grubbing as others mock us to be, but we naturally hold great affection for the treasures beneath the earth.

Gold is one of those treasures.

But those guys do know how to behave.

Every year, the Brass Fortress shares profits with the other two dwarf domains, inviting us to help them discover more Burngold Mines across the Continent.

However, to this day, the largest veins are still within the vast expanse of the Dark Mountain Range.

I’m not saying there’s none elsewhere on the Continent, but the reserves are so meager that the Brass Dwarves don’t see the need to bother.

They only need to send out a small mining team and dig for a few months in a locale to deplete all the raw Burning Gold Ores there.

The amount of raw ores they’ve stored over the past several hundred years is genuinely astronomical, enough to last the entire Continent for a long time.

I don’t know the size of the Burngold Veins on your side, but I guess even if the news gets out, the Brass Dwarves won’t care too much.

They’re currently occupied with fortifying the fortress against the Wolf People.

Sigh, amassing so much wealth naturally comes with a hefty price.

If the Brass Dwarves wish to retain their mines, they must stand at the front line against the Wolf People.

Fate!

Mother Earth teaches us, fate is fair!

What you gain, you must give.”

While talking, the Old Dwarf took out a specially made magnifying glass from his pocket and picked up the ore fragment Old Chen had placed on the table, closely inspecting the veins of the crystals.