Episode 163 42. The War of Gold and veins (1)
After the Cataclysm, a huge gold vein was discovered in the Montefeltro estate, and the rumor spread across the continent.
There was a race that reacted most sensitively to the news.
They were the dwarves, the masters of the Montefeltro estate in the past and the race that loved gold and beer the most.
When the Dwarves heard that a huge gold vein was suddenly found in the land they had abandoned, they did not like it, and several words began to come out from within.
If it had been a land that was lost to the Empire, or if it had been handed over favorably, it would not have made such a fuss now, but it was a land that they had left behind because they were too cumbersome to manage.
In other words, abandoned land.
It was such a land, but one day, people from the Empire came to us, and they set up their own flags, didn’t they?
At that time, the dwarves, who had been in turmoil due to the conflict between the three kingdoms, could not afford to take care of the land they had neglected.
If Geummaek was still alive, he would have taken it somehow.
But it wasn’t that kind of land, so I left it alone anyway.
They are in a rush to fight each other right now, but who cares about a land that lacks such nutritional value?
Then the years passed now.
The Empire was taking effective control of the land, and from the Dwarf’s point of view, the land was arbitrarily occupied by the Empire.
Thunder Mountain.
From time to time, thunder strikes, and one of the three kingdoms of the dwarves is located.
At the royal castle located there, the Gold King, Grom Stark, was very angry when he heard the news about the Montefeltro estate.
“Did you say that gold veins came from there?”
The dwarf soldier who reported the news bowed his head with one knee bent at him.
“Yes, I do.”
“It used to be our land… … .”
Grom Stark wrinkled his expression as he gripped his long, drooping beard, and his subordinate, who was nearby, spoke up.
He was Grom Stark’s loyal subordinate, Orin, who had entered the Empire’s lands to obtain beer on his behalf in the Totem Wars in the past.
“The real domination is currently in the hands of the Empire. After all, we never handed over the land.”
Grom Stark said with a wrinkled expression.
“Why did the gold veins come from there? Wasn’t it already dead land?”
“After the Cataclysm, there has been a major change in the terrain, and it seems that the hidden gold veins have been exposed to the outside.”
“This is a headache.”
The land they called Azrak Goldmine was now effectively controlled by the Empire.
I could go and have a fight, but unlike the noble elves, humans are a race that likes gold as much as they do, so it didn’t seem like things would be easy.
“Why don’t you just ask for it and give it to me?”
At those words, Orin shook her head.
“It will be difficult. Our opponents are humans, and they love gold as much as we do.”
“… … .”
Grom Stark thought for a moment with a crumpled expression on his face, then spoke up.
“But you don’t think you can give it to me like this? It used to be our land.”
“What is certain is that we never gave the land to humans. Humans took the land that was left unattended.”
They were as fascinated by gold as humans.
“no. I can’t give it to you. If it was just a land of nothing, it wouldn’t matter what it was. This is not it.”
Orin also sympathized with the king’s words, but it didn’t seem like humans would easily back down.
“It should be… … I don’t think humans will give it up easily.”
Grom Stark.
He was the dwarf’s gold king, and he was a thunderstorm.
As his mana vibrated the surrounding atmosphere, a huge lightning bolt struck the top of the royal castle.
The thunder that followed shook the inside of the castle, and Grom Stark, with his sparkling eyes, rose from his throne and made a voice.
“Go and tell the Emperor of the Empire. If we don’t give back the land that belonged to us in the past. Our long-standing alliance will be shaken now.”
a few days later.
Orin, who visited the Empire as a representative of the delegation, visited Christian Constantine, who was recently crowned as the new emperor of the Empire.
Orin, who was polite and polite when meeting him, delivered the words of the owner of Storm Mountains.
Then, a number of nobles, including the emperor, began to shout loudly.
Asking them to hand over the territory of Montefeltro, which might become the empire’s money stream in the future, to the dwarves again, they were thrilled.
While everyone was murmuring, the emperor raised his voice to the representative of the delegation who had come to visit.
“That’s not okay. The land has already been under effective control for a long time. You may have been the owner of the land in the past. Now it is truly an empire land. But you want the land back.”
Orin did not back down and fought back.
“Our dwarves have never given that land to humans. If that is the case, it would be the same as saying that humans are taking over our land.”
At the words of the delegation representative, the nobles began to murmur again.
It seemed that the Dwarves had come with a purpose.
The Emperor hesitated, not knowing what to say to convince them, and Rockefeller, who was watching, stepped out.
“You come and talk nonsense.”
At those words, everyone’s attention was focused on him.
Of course, Orin didn’t know him either.
He remembered buying a beer from him in the past.
“Uh, you… … .”
“Long time no see.”
“Why are you here? Originally there… … .”
“It was then. He is now the Prime Minister of the Imperial Monetary and Finance Ministry.”
“James? If you are the prime minister, you have a high position here, right?”
“you’re right. This is a high position. That’s pretty high too. He is also your only financial adviser.”
“Financial advisor?”
Orin tried to remember his name.
‘Yes, that’s right!’
“Rockefeller Ross Medici! Yes, that was the name.”
Rockefeller gave Orin a deep smile, who remembered my name clearly.
“You still remember my name.”
“I will never forget that name. How could I possibly forget you, who was particularly enamored with money?”
“First of all, I want to say thank you. Maybe it was just a passing relationship, but you still remember my name without forgetting it.”
Orin, who faced Rockefeller, wrinkled his face at first glance.
Obviously, there was nothing good about being entangled with him back then.
‘This is another trick to do.’
“Yeah, you would know better if you were there too. That is the land of our dwarves. This is the land your humans are occupying without permission.”
Rockefeller shook his head openly.
“It is not. The opposite. It’s definitely the Empire’s land, and you guys come to us and flirt.”
Rockefeller asked.
“Let me ask you. If there was nothing on the land. Do you think you have come all the way here?”
“It’s not.”
“Then why are you now claiming the land? Wasn’t it an abandoned land anyway?”
“that… … .”
The aristocrats watching began to roar again.
Rockefeller was right.
“It’s abandoned land, so why are you making a fuss now? Dwarves are a bit weird. We were taking good care of the land they abandoned, but now that gold is coming out of that land, are you asking me to give it up?”
“It used to be our land.”
“Then ask me again. Are we sick?”
Orin was also at a loss for words at the direct question.
He’s a Dwarf himself, so there’s nothing he can’t say here.
That guy was worse than him.
“What?”
“What you said is true. What kind of idiots are we? lose what you have It is also the land where gold comes from.”
“Okay… … .”
Orin can’t say anything.
The dwarves who had followed him began to whisper in their ears to help.
“If you step back from here, it will be war. The king will surely do so.”
“I think we should scare people a little.”
“Let’s go strong. We have nothing to kneel, do we? Whatever they say, the land belongs to us.”
Orin, who had gained strength again, raised her voice.
“greatness! However, the fact that you have occupied land that you have never given up without permission remains the same.”
“Are you trespassing? We were just taking land that had no owner.”
“Because we never gave up?”
“That’s what you dwarves think. We never think so. And the most important effective control is ours, if you take over the land. I consider it a challenge to the Empire.”
The emperor didn’t say anything, but the prime minister was doing everything he had to say without even blinking an eye.
So Orin, who lost his wit, found the emperor.
“Your Majesty do you think the same? The prime minister keeps talking next to me, isn’t this country meant to be your majesty anyway?”
However, the emperor was not much different from Rockefeller in his views.
‘I can’t give up such good land in this way.’
Even if the Los Medici are the real owners of the land.
As long as it was originally an imperial land, the imperial family would benefit from just collecting taxes.
Moreover, since it is a land where gold comes from, the tax alone from it will be huge.
The Emperor was as unwilling to back down as Rockefeller.
“The land cannot be given. My will is the same as the Prime Minister over there, so go and tell your master. The Empire will never succumb to the threat of the Dwarves.”
In response, Rockefeller smiled lightly.
‘It’s strange to just give up such a bonanza. If the imperial family also thinks about the taxes that will come out of it, the owner is there, so you can’t pay it unconditionally.’
I knew it anyway
Rockefeller could have been more certain here.
War with the dwarves.
It is an unavoidable inevitability.
‘Come if you come. ‘Cause I’ve got everything ready anyway.’
“You even say that to your Majesty. Do you have anything more to say?”
Orin made a poopy expression.
Although he put out a bit of slander, these humans were not afraid.
‘Looks like our dwarves are very easygoing. Hagisa Have you ever had a big disagreement with us?’
They were the ones who played an active part in the Totem Wars.
‘It will be as painful as the orcs.’
“If that’s your Majesty’s will. I will go and tell our king. But you’ll have to keep that in mind. We, Dwarves, never make concessions when it comes to gold.”
Although Rockefeller had already spoken to him, the emperor could sense that his relationship with the Dwarf was going to go wrong.
I can’t give up the land easily just like that.
At this point, what the emperor was thinking was his resolve.
‘It’s not going to go wrong with a dwarf like this.’
What’s his gold?
‘No. Gold is important to us too.’
“The Empire will never succumb to any threat. When you have confirmed our will, go and tell your king. The Empire has no intention of withdrawing from its land.”
When the emperor said that, Orin had no choice but to leave empty-handed.
Orin, who returned to the Thunder Mountains, passed on what he had heard from the Imperial Emperor to his king, Grom Stark.
Then, Grom Stark rose from the throne with a loud sound of thunder, and started looking for the other two Dwarf kings.
“Go and tell the King of the Two Mountains! Ours has been taken from humans. The time has come to bring it back.”