Chapter 457: I, the Dwarf Prince, Play Money

Chapter 457: I, Dwarf Prince, Playing for Money

Stanford’s return caused a modest stir in Lakewood, and he was the first fleet commander of the three fleets to return.

Just after arriving at the lord’s mansion, someone had spied the news, and people of all colors who had been granted access to the lord’s mansion came to the door to see the very famous adventurer, but instead of seeing the adventurer himself right away, they were introduced to the parlor by the attendants and waited.

The adventurer himself was currently in another small parlor next to the lord’s office, in a separate and detailed conversation with Paul Greiman.

The lord was generally informed of the experience of the Northern Exploration Fleet.

“So, most of your party remains in the native tribes to the north?”

“Yes, Lord Gleeman, I intend to organize another fleet to the north soon to retrieve them, please be sure to support me, they are all heroes who have made indelible contributions to the Northwestern Gulf and to the cause of geographic exploration in Aldo, we absolutely cannot abandon them.”

Stanford pleaded fervently and sincerely with Paul.

Paul answered him gravely, “Captain Stanford, the word ‘abandon’ is not in my vocabulary! I assure you that you will soon be given a brand new fleet, carrying plenty of supplies, with fully loaded sailors, under your command to pick up the heroes and bring them home.”

Paul continued to reassure him, “Allow me to offer my deepest condolences to those brave men who have fallen, whose names will be engraved in the Martyrs’ Memorial to be remembered and honored by future generations, and whose families will be properly housed from hunger and cold.”

Stanford stood up and bowed deeply to Paul, “I thank you on behalf of those fallen comrades.”

Martyrs’ Memorial, he also went in to visit and venerate, those names engraved on the marble were all warriors of Arda who had died in all the wars, the Battle of the Pirate Eradication, the Battle of the Baildin Pacification, and the War of the Troglodytes …… Now, there would be a group of additional names of people outside the army there, although they didn’t die in the wars, they were honorable all the same.

Perhaps …… one’s own name will appear there someday, too, if one’s adventurous career continues.

“Stanford! Stanford!”

“Huh? Yes, Lord Graiman.”

The Earl’s soft call pulled his thoughts back from a momentary reverie.

“The men you brought back, are they in good spirits?”

From the conversation just now, Paul knew that the group that came back first had crossed the Rocky Mountains with a will to die, and had no intention of coming back alive in the first place, merely wanting to keep their burial place a little closer to home.

“In the forest near the town of Northwatch, when it was surmised that they were on the edge of Arda, the big group went crazy with joy, and every man wept for joy. But for the moment they’ve all stabilized and are just hell-bent on getting home to their families.”

“It will be, they’ll see their families soon enough.”

After Stanford resumed his seat, he suggested to Paul, “Lord Gryman, you might be able to establish a few trading posts with permanent personnel along the coastline over there, there are vast forests and grasslands to the north of the Rocky Mountains, which is by no means the barbaric land that people imagine it to be, the ground is littered with precious trees that are hard for humans to see, and there are valuable minerals buried beneath the ground that cannot be dug up endlessly, and the The animals in the forest, their furs can definitely drive the noblewomen of the entire Aldo crazy, in short, a huge treasure trove lies before us.”

Paul nodded to him, “I will give your suggestion serious consideration, and the Council of State will soon organize a staff of experts to carefully study the logs and mapping data you brought back, and then select a site. If possible, not just a trading post, I would even like to expand the territory there.”

He smiled as if mocking himself, “Haha, what lord wouldn’t want more land under his rule?” “But!”

Paul’s words changed, “If we wade in there, will we clash with the local natives?”

“That one is highly likely and even inevitable.” Stanford admitted, “However, if you are able to give them more, the conflict might be resolved within a manageable range. The local natives live a primitive life, in conditions far more horrible than those of Arda a few years ago, and their concept of territory is not the same as ours, and even if it is the same as ours, they do not value the land more than they do the more urgently needed things. A few hundred pounds of iron ingots, a few large sacks of salt, a few chests of cloth, oh, and china might be enough to get them to recognize your dominion over a large tract of land.”

“If so, that would be wonderful.”

Paul wanted his influence to extend farther, but he wasn’t inclined to resort to violence. As a traveler, he preferred in his bones to say, “If people from afar do not obey, then cultivate WenDe to come”, of course, this “WenDe” was not that of the literary type, but rather, through the advanced productive forces and advanced relations of production, to generate a strong suction force, like a magnet to attract the the iron filings around us.

If you refuse to change, refuse to integrate, well, then I do not bother, you in their own acres and thirds of land to entertain themselves, slowly watching other people’s lives are getting better and better, sooner or later, one day, you will take the initiative to seek change.

“But I must remind you of this.”

Stanford’s tone became a little more serious.

“Based on my observations, the orcs in the grasslands seem to have a great deal of influence over this area.”

“Grassland Orcs?” Paul was startled.

“Yes, it may even have a worse situation, the dwarves in the Rocky Mountains may also have connections with these guys.”

Dwarves, Paul had heard of this race in Stanford’s previous narrative, and it was through the dwarves’ territory that they had crossed the Rocky Mountains.

Originally Paul had wanted to have Stanford specifically talk about the dwarves in detail after a while, now the adventurer took the initiative to mention the dwarves again.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors as well.” Stamford’s expression grew more and more grave, “In the northeastern area of the kingdom, small groups of orcs would occasionally appear to attack human villages, and then quickly and mysteriously disappear. That corresponds to the very eastern section of the Rocky Mountains, and as far as I know, there are dwarves living up there as well.”

Paul stared at him, “Are you saying that those orcs were released by the dwarves?”

“Just a guess, because based on our experience of going over the mountains, the inside of the Rocky Mountains is very treacherous. The dwarves, with hundreds …… or perhaps thousands of years, have shaped the mountains, which are filled with dwarven labyrinths, traps, and passes, so that without their permission and guidance, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for an outsider to pass through. However, it is not unlikely that the orcs have found a path that is naturally formed and unknown to the dwarves, after all, the Rocky Mountains are so vast. But if it is the former speculation that holds true ……”

Paul’s brow furrowed.

If it was Stanford’s former guess that held true, then Arda was also in danger of being attacked.

The Rocky Mountains …… would no longer be an effective barrier.

(End of chapter)