Chapter 138 Three-Party Stamping: Duke Kaslan and Ryan kneel before...

Duke Kaslan and Ryan knelt in the center of the hall, behind them a full squad of fully armed guards. The hall was solemn, with only the royal banners hanging on the walls rustling slightly in the breeze.

The king sat on his high throne, holding the draft agreement already signed by the three representatives, carefully reviewing it. The only sound in the hall was the rustling of parchment pages.

"Mineral mining rights, trade route rights, technological exchanges..." The king's voice echoed in the hall, "Kaslan, this agreement concerns the very foundation of the kingdom."

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Duke Kaslan said respectfully, “therefore I dare not act on my own initiative and have specially submitted the agreement to Your Majesty for a decision.”

The king set down the agreement and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, making a "tap-tap" sound.

“I’m not unaware of anything you’ve been negotiating in the North all this time,” the king said with a hint of amusement. “The dwarves want food, the elves want technology, and the humans want minerals. It seems like a good deal where everyone gets what they need.”

"Your Majesty is wise," the Duke said, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“But,” the king suddenly changed the subject, “what benefit would this deal bring to the royal family?”

"Your Majesty..." the Duke said, somewhat flustered.

The prime minister then spoke up: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, although the Duke's move is bold, upon closer examination, it is not entirely without merit."

"Oh?" The king looked at the prime minister. "Explain in detail."

The prime minister stepped forward, took the agreement, and read it through again. Then he said, "Your Majesty, on the surface, this agreement does indeed transfer the trade routes and mining rights in the northern border to the Caslan family and that merchant named Lin Yue."

“However,” he paused, “the right to operate is not the same as ownership. The minerals still belong to the kingdom, and the trade routes still belong to the kingdom. Moreover, according to the agreement, all trade must pay taxes to the royal family.”

"Taxes?" the king sneered. "What I want is control, not a few copper coins in taxes."

“Your Majesty, please calm down,” the prime minister said unhurriedly. “What I mean is that rather than letting the south fall into endless war and deplete the nation’s strength, we should seek to gain benefits in another way.”

“The longer the war goes on, the emptier the treasury will become, and the more the people’s resentment will boil over,” the prime minister continued. “Who will benefit in the end? Not the royal family, but those restless nobles.”

That's a strong statement, but it's also very realistic.

The king was silent for a moment, then looked at the duke: "Is that what you think too?"

“I…I am indeed thinking of the kingdom,” the Duke said through gritted teeth, “but I dare not say I have no selfish motives. The Kaslan family has been operating in the North for many years, and this peace talk has indeed benefited the family.”

“At least you’re honest,” the king said, his tone softening.

He picked up the agreement again and read it clause by clause. Mineral resource sharing, food supply, opening of trade routes, construction of trading posts...

"What does this Lin Yue want?" the king suddenly asked.

“He…” Ryan then began, “He wants markets and trade routes, he wants his trading company to be able to trade freely in the North.”

“Quite ambitious,” the king raised an eyebrow. “A mere merchant who wants to control the entire trade routes of the North.”

“But that is precisely why Your Majesty can control him more easily,” the prime minister said. “What a merchant needs is stability and order. As long as the royal family is in power, he will not dare to act recklessly.”

The king suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! Well said!"

He stood up and stepped down from the throne: "Kaslan, I ask you, can you guarantee that this agreement will bring real benefits to the kingdom?"

“I swear on the honor of the Kaslan family,” the Duke raised his head and looked directly at the King, “that within three years, taxes in the North will increase by fifty percent.”

"Alright!" The king patted the duke on the shoulder. "I'll trust you this time."

"Prime Minister, draft the decree."

"Your Majesty wishes to...?"

"Granted," the king said calmly. "This agreement shall be carried out. Also, the original lords of the three viscount territories on the border all died in the war, so they shall be granted to the Caslan family."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Duke Kaslan was overjoyed.

But the prime minister saw the deeper meaning behind it. The three viscountry territories were all impoverished areas near the dwarven border, plagued by poverty and rampant banditry. On the surface, it was a reward, but in reality, it was a way of binding the more pressing border issue to the Caslan family.

“Lyan,” the king said, looking at the young man who had been keeping his head down, “raise your head.”

Ryan looked up and met the king's eyes.

“Young man, well done,” the king said, his tone softening, “but you must remember one thing.”

He walked up to Ryan and looked down at him: "No matter how prosperous the trade routes are, they are still within the kingdom's territory. The glory of the Caslan family is built on loyalty to the royal family, understand?"

“Your subject… understands,” Ryan said, cold sweat beading on his forehead once more.

“Good that you understand,” the king said, turning back to his throne and picking up the royal seal. “Then let it be.”

He pressed the seal heavily onto the agreement.

"Thump—"

The heavy seal fell with a dull thud. The golden royal coat of arms, imprinted on the parchment, marked the official approval of the human kingdom.

"Step down."

"Your subject takes his leave."

The father and son left the main hall. Only after they had walked a long way did Duke Caslan finally let out a long sigh of relief.

“Father,” Ryan whispered, “His Majesty is…”

“They gave us a sweet treat, but they also hit us hard,” the Duke said with a wry smile. “Well, at least the agreement was passed.”

He looked south, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Now we'll see if we can get things done."

After they left, "Your Majesty," the prime minister stepped forward, "are you just going to let them go like this?"

"Otherwise what?" the king said calmly. "The Kaslan family is deeply entrenched in the North. A direct confrontation would only result in mutual destruction. Besides, the agreement itself... is actually not bad."

“However,” his tone turned cold, “these benefits cannot all fall into the pockets of the Kaslan family.”

“I understand,” the prime minister bowed, “I will make the arrangements immediately.”

“And that Lin Yue,” the king said, “have someone investigate his background.”

"Yes, ma'am."

Outside the main hall, a messenger took the stamped copy of the agreement, mounted his horse, and rode off.

"Fast horse, south."

The sound of hooves rang out, and a fast horse bearing the royal banner galloped out of the capital, heading south.

The hall of the Dwarven Kingdom, Deepholm Heart, was bustling with activity.

The dwarves whispered among themselves, discussing the important announcement that was about to be made.

"I heard it's about a peace treaty?"

Has it been approved by the humans?

"It should have been approved, otherwise they wouldn't have held a clan meeting..."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A messenger rushed in, his armor still dusty, clearly from a long journey. He reached the center of the hall, knelt on one knee, and held aloft a scroll of parchment:

"Your Majesty, the approval for the human kingdom has arrived!"

The dwarf king rose and took the parchment from the herald. He slowly unfurled it and examined it closely. The golden royal seal gleamed in the light of the runic crystal.

"The human kingdom... has approved," the dwarf king's voice echoed in the hall.

A moment of silence.

Then--

"Approved!"

"Humanity has approved it!"

"Very good!"

The dwarf king raised his hands, signaling for silence. The hall immediately fell silent.

"My people! I have gathered you all here today to announce a historic moment! From this day forward, my people will join hands with humans and elves to begin a new chapter of peaceful coexistence among the three races!"

He began to read out the main contents of the agreement:

"We will have a stable food supply, 5,000 bags of high-quality grain per month, at prices far below market prices. We will no longer have to worry about going hungry, and we will no longer have to scrimp and save for a piece of black bread."

Cheers erupted again.

"We will learn new planting techniques, and humans will send technical teams to teach us how to grow food on barren land. The plan is to achieve basic food self-sufficiency within two years. Our descendants will no longer depend on the charity of others."

An even louder cheer ensued.

"Our mineral resources will be exchanged for real wealth, no longer exploited by human merchants, but through fair trade and mutual benefit. Our hard work will be rewarded accordingly,"

The dwarves were so excited that their faces turned red.

"Trade routes will open, and our artisans can go to human cities to learn new technologies. Our merchants can trade freely without restrictions. Our people can leave the mountains and see the outside world."

"Most importantly—peace! True peace! Our children will no longer have to go to their deaths at the border, no longer have to worry about the shadow of war, and can work, live, and look forward to the future with peace of mind."

The dwarf king's voice deepened:

"This agreement is not perfect. It has many areas that need improvement and requires continuous refinement in its implementation. But it represents hope, it represents the future, and it represents the first step for our dwarf race towards a new era!"

He held the agreement high:

"Now, in the name of the Dwarf King, I ask all the people present: are you willing to approve this agreement?"

"willing!"

"willing!!"

"willing!!!"

The sounds rose in waves, eventually coalescing into a deafening roar. The entire Great Hall of the Deepholm trembled, and dust was shaken from the dome.

The moderate elders were moved to tears. They had dedicated half their lives to the cause of peace, and today they finally saw hope.

The people's representatives waved their fists excitedly, and many young dwarves had tears in their eyes.

But not everyone was cheering.

In a corner of the hall, several pro-war nobles and elders stood together, their faces grim. They exchanged glances, their hands tightly gripping the stone talisman representing traditional mining rights.

“Give the minerals to humankind…” an old nobleman said in a low voice.

“But the die is cast,” another sighed. “What can we do?”

Their discontent hasn't disappeared; it's merely been temporarily suppressed. But at this moment, even the greatest discontent can't change anything. The will of the people is there, and the tide has turned.

The Dwarf King placed the agreement on an ancient stone table. It was a stone table that had been passed down for thousands of years, and all the important documents in the history of the Dwarfs had been signed on this table.

He took out the most sacred seal of the dwarf kingdom. Unlike the seal of the Round Table, which belonged to the dwarf king and represented his personal royal power, this was the official royal seal of the mountain kingdom.

"In the glory of our ancestors," the Dwarf King solemnly declared, "I, Ironbeard VIII, on behalf of the Mountain Kingdom, hereby approve this peace treaty!"

He pressed the seal heavily onto the agreement.

"Thump—"

"Approved!"

"The agreement has been approved!"

Long live peace!

The cheers erupted again, this time even more enthusiastically and for a longer duration. The dwarves embraced each other, the old wept, the young sang, and the children ran joyfully through the crowd.

Looking at the excited crowd below, Sorek was filled with mixed emotions, and a rare smile appeared on his face: "Father, perhaps... change really isn't a bad thing."

“Change is never a bad thing,” the dwarf king patted his son on the shoulder. “What’s terrible is not knowing how to change.”

He looked towards the exit of the hall: "It's time to inform the elves."

...

“Your Majesty, the humans and dwarves have already approved the agreement. Now we await your decision.” Elendil stood in the center of the hall, bowing respectfully.

The Queen accepted the agreement, her slender fingers gently tracing the words on the parchment. The hall was so quiet that the rustling of leaves could be heard.

After a long silence, she put down the agreement and looked down: "Elders, what do you think?"

An elderly elder with white hair and beard spoke first: "Your Majesty, I believe this agreement is beneficial to our people. We have opened up trade routes and gained the right to trade in technology and medicinal herbs. This is a good deal."

Another female elder said, "Moreover, peace is more in line with our elf ideals than war. We protect the forest not to fight, but to survive."

“However,” the third elder expressed his concern, “that human merchant named Lin Yue has great ambitions. We must be careful.”

“Indeed,” the fourth elder agreed, “a merchant who can get both dwarves and humans to cooperate is no ordinary person.”

The Queen smiled slightly: "Therefore, we should cooperate with him rather than be his enemy."

"What does Her Majesty mean?"

“What a merchant needs is a stable market and unimpeded trade routes,” the Queen said. “As long as we control a part of the trade routes, we can restrain him. Moreover, a shrewd merchant is a better partner than an aggressive king.”

The elders all nodded in agreement.

Just then, a bird shimmering with pale blue magical light flew in through the window and landed on Ilandil's shoulder. It was the elf's magical messenger.

Elendil closed his eyes, then opened them a moment later and reported to the Queen: "Your Majesty, the latest news confirms that the Dwarven Kingdom has just held a general assembly and has officially approved the agreement. The people are overjoyed, and the entire Forge Court is celebrating."

“Very well,” the Queen stood up, “then my decision is—to approve.”

The elven holy seal was lightly pressed onto the agreement, leaving a silver mark.

"From this day forward, the Silvermoon Forest will formally establish peaceful trade routes with humans and dwarves," the Queen announced.

Applause rang out in the hall, though not as enthusiastic as the dwarves', but more elegant and lasting.

The Queen sat back on her throne and looked at Elendil: "However, Elendil, I need you to do one thing."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders."

"I want Lin Yuzhe to pay close attention to this Mr. Lin Yue. I need to know his every move better than he does himself."

"Yes, ma'am."

“And,” the Queen paused, “remember not to get too close to that strange black cat next to him.”

Ilandil was taken aback: "A black cat?"

An elderly female elder spoke up, her voice aged yet wise: "I've seen that cat. It was with Lin Yue when he came to the Moon Goddess Temple seeking help. That cat... is no ordinary cat."

"How extraordinary is it?" another elder asked.

“Its eyes,” the female elder recalled, “when I saw them, I felt… I felt it was looking into my soul. It wasn’t the look of an ordinary beast, not even like any magical beast.”

What is it?

“I don’t know,” the elder shook his head, “but my intuition tells me that the cat is dangerous. Or rather… special.”

The Queen said thoughtfully, "The people of the Forest Whisperer should observe from a distance and not approach the cat."

"clear."

The Queen stood up: "Issue the order: the Northern Peace Trade Route Agreement is now officially in effect. From today onwards, the ancient road at the edge of Silvermoon Forest will be open to caravans."

"Yes, sir!"

In the far south, another celebration is underway...

As evening approached, it was peak dining time at Hope Restaurant. The restaurant was packed with people, with almost every table occupied. The kitchen was also bustling with activity.

"Balge! Mapo tofu for table number 5!"

"Right away!" Balger carried three plates as he weaved through the crowd, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Confirmed! We're running out of tofu again!"

"I know! I'm cutting!" Shi Chui waved the cleaver, his hands almost cramping as he looked at the mountain of tofu and potatoes in front of him.

"Teacher Xiaoshan! There are still twenty tables waiting to be served!" Ajin shouted anxiously.

Xiao Shan stared at the densely packed orders on the order board, her forehead veins throbbing.

“No, this will lead to collapse,” he said decisively. “Take away the stir-fry, Balger, and hang up the new sign.”

"Huh?" Balger was stunned. "Remove the dishes? What about the guests..."

"Change the menu, hurry up!"

Barger rushed to the shop entrance and hung up a new sign:

[New Arrival - Hope Mala Tang] [Mushroom and Bone Broth/Intense Spicy] [Choose your own ingredients, freshly cooked and served] [Starting from 3 copper coins per bowl]

"Malatang? What's that?" The dwarves waiting for their food gathered around curiously.

"Simply put, it's about cooking various ingredients in soup and then eating them with dipping sauce," Xiaoshan explained. "It's quick, delicious, and you can choose your favorite ingredients. It's much faster than stir-frying!"

"That sounds good!"

"Give it a try!"

Soon, the first group of customers started ordering mala tang (spicy hot pot). Xiao Shan set up two large pots in the kitchen. One pot contained a clear broth made with mushrooms and bones, which was fresh and rich. The other pot contained a lot of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, with the red oil bubbling and the aroma wafting through the air.

The ingredients are also plentiful—tofu, vermicelli, vegetables, sliced ​​meat, mushrooms… guests can choose for themselves.

"I want it spicy and numbing! Extra meat!" a young miner shouted.

"Give me mushroom and bone broth, I can't eat spicy food..." an old miner said.

The first batch of mala tang was quickly cooked and served.

The young miner, who had ordered the fiery spicy meat, eagerly picked up a slice of meat and took a bite—

"hiss--!"

He gasped, tears welling in his eyes from the spiciness. But then, his eyes lit up:

"Awesome! So awesome!"

He grabbed the beer next to him, took a big gulp, and then continued eating.

"This goes perfectly with ale...it's absolutely amazing!"

This discovery immediately triggered a chain reaction.

"Boss! I'll have a fiery spicy one too! And a big glass of ale!"

"I want one too!"

Count me in!

The dwarves already loved drinking, and now with such delicious snacks to accompany their drinks, they were even more unrestrained. Soon, the atmosphere in the shop became even more lively. The dwarves even started bringing their own ale, eating spicy hot pot and drinking to their hearts' content.

"Hahaha! That's great!"

"This is what dwarves should eat!"

"Boss, another bowl, please!"

Xiaoshan and Balge were incredibly busy, but their faces were beaming with smiles. Ajin at the checkout counter was grinning from ear to ear. Today's sales were sure to break records again.

Just when the store was at its busiest, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

A dwarf customer rushed into the store, his face flushed with excitement: "It's approved! The royal court's agreement has been approved!"

"What?"

"real?"

"The agreement has been approved?"

"Yes!" the dwarf exclaimed. "His Majesty personally announced it at the tribal assembly just now. Humans, dwarves, and elves have all approved it. From today onwards, official grain stores will begin selling grain at low prices!"

The news spread like wildfire.

It passed!

"We're saved!"

"I won't go hungry anymore!"

Some dwarfs jumped up in excitement, some hugged each other, and some old people shed tears.

"Finally... finally this day has come..."

“My son is serving in the army on the border, now he can come home…”

"With low grain prices, we can finally afford to buy food!"

People no longer talked about the expensive black bread, but about "we'll have a good meal tonight," "how much grain we need to buy at the grain store tomorrow," and "finally we won't go hungry anymore"...

Lin Yue stood at the shop entrance, watching this scene, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He noticed that an elderly miner at the next table, whose face was somewhat ashen, let out a long burp after devouring a bowl of spicy hot pot. Then, a healthy blush, unseen for a long time, appeared on his previously bloodless face.

The old miner paused for a moment, touched his face, and then whispered to his companion, "Strange... the food at this shop, and the newly arrived grain... seems to make me feel better. I've even coughed less these past two days."

"Really?" His companion was also surprised. "Me too! I used to always feel weak all over, but after eating these things these past few days, I feel like my strength has come back!"

Hearing this conversation, Lin Yue had a sudden thought. He just wanted to tell them that most of their problems were caused by salt deficiency. However, their deterioration... was indeed improving.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the kitchen.

Several dwarf craftsmen who had just finished eating stood at the kitchen door, looking at the scene inside with furrowed brows.

"This efficiency is too low!" the lead craftsman couldn't help but exclaim.

Balg was struggling to peel the mountain of potatoes. Although he was strong as a dwarf and peeling potatoes wasn't difficult for him, the problem was that there were just too many potatoes. One person couldn't possibly peel enough to meet the kitchen's needs.

"How long will it take you to finish carving all by yourself?" the foreman shouted. "This efficiency is making me anxious!"

He turned to his companion and said, "Same as always, let's lend a hand!"

Several dwarf craftsmen squatted at the shop entrance, taking out various tools from their tool bags by the firelight, along with a piece of scrap iron they had taken from a construction site.

"Add a whirlwind rune here... the blade angle should be like this... yes, add an acceleration rune too..."

They actually started designing a peeling machine on the spot.

"What are you doing...?" Balg stared in disbelief.

“Make an automatic peeler,” the foreman of craftsmen said matter-of-factly. “You’re short-handed, this machine will help. And,” his eyes gleamed, “I’ve always wanted to try using the Whirlwind Rune on cutting. This is a great opportunity!”

The other craftsmen nodded in agreement and began working enthusiastically.

The dwarfs passing by gathered around to watch.

"What are they doing?"

"Make a peeler!"

"A peeler? What's that?"

"It's a machine that can peel automatically!"

A clanging sound rang out, and sparks flew. In less than an hour, a simple but functional peeler was ready.

The foreman picked up a potato, put it into the machine, and activated the rune—

"Buzz—"

The whirlwind rune activated, the blade spun rapidly, and in less than three seconds, a peeled potato rolled out.

"It's a success!"

"Hahaha! I knew it would work!"

The artisans clapped and celebrated excitedly.

Looking at the peeler, Barger was so moved he didn't know what to say: "Thank you... thank you all..."

"Don't be shy," the foreman patted him on the shoulder. "Use it well. By the way, if you encounter any problems while using it, come to our workshop and we'll continue to improve it."

Gray was also moved: "These dwarves... are so kind."

“Yes,” Lin Yue smiled, “so we must do our jobs even better and not let them down.”

As night fell, the restaurant finally closed.

Xiaoshan, Shichui, Ajin, and Balge were so tired that they slumped into their chairs, but their faces were full of satisfied smiles.

Ah Jin excitedly flipped through the ledger, his finger tracing the numbers: "Today we sold over six hundred servings of mala tang alone, and with other dishes included, our income more than doubled compared to yesterday!"

"Really?" Shi Chui rubbed his sore wrist, his fatigue mixed with surprise. "Then we'll have to prepare more ingredients tomorrow."

“And,” Akin added, “those dwarfs said they’d come back tomorrow. They said they can’t live without our spicy hot pot.”

"Hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter.