Chapter 316 166. Loyalty
"The people are the foundation of the country! The Kauchen Plain stretches thousands of miles, but our population is less than one million. If we kill all those humans, who will help us cultivate land and provide food for the expedition?!" Darkus said loudly. He said, his voice echoing in the ears of the Druchi dignitaries in the tent.
Sure enough, things went as Darkus expected. Some dignitaries did not understand why the Druchi soldiers were also ordered to sit together.
As we all know, dark elves are very good at doing bad things. If they are not strictly monitored, there is no way to prevent the unpreventable bad things that Druchi will do to Darkus, such as exploitation, abuse, wanton slaughter and so on.
The king of hell is easy to deal with, but cruel officials are difficult to deal with.
To use an analogy or another concept, labor dispatch is like cattle, and Druch soldiers are cowboys who herd cattle. The labor dispatchers are serfs, and the Druchi soldiers are powerful lords. The cow died? What do cowboys eat? Was it to be killed for meat, or was it to be played to death? What is the meaning of existence for a master without serfs? Why don't we die together?
What Darkus is best at is planned economy, making data models, just like salt production, calculating output and labor standards, and preparing the loss range of natural disasters. Then through this set of models, we adopt the strategy of adding oil. If there is too much water, add noodles; if there is too much noodles, add water.
If this start is not taken off, the entire Baojia system will be ruined within a few years, and the administrative bureaucracy of the Kauchen Plain will no longer be necessary. We might as well have a governor and a tax collector. It is conceivable that the next It's been a mess since then, with uprisings, rebellions, corruption and embezzlement rampant. Many empires and systems have collapsed in this way, and the richest ones are the powerful and ambitious.
It won't be long before the Kauchen Plains will turn into the second Naggaroth, and won't Dacus be bald? What's he doing here? What about his authority in Druchi society? What do the Slann priests in lizardfolk society think of him? Doesn't he want to lose face? When Malekith is alive and everything is stable in Ulthuan, this is where he will retire in the future.
"This salt field?"
The powerful people actually don't care about the soldiers below, they are more concerned about their interests.
"I know that everyone wants to get their own benefits from it. This is normal and completely okay!" Darkus said calmly. After he finished speaking, he paused and then said, "Everything in Kauchen Plain will be invested. Although There is no management right, but there is dividend right. As for how to invest in shares..."
Darkus did not say it directly, but turned his head to look at Malekith who was sitting there.
Malekith's Druchi-style political performance began again, but he did not take the baton immediately. Instead, he used his orange eyes to scan the dignitaries, including the servants standing in the corner and the children of various families. them.
Darkus took out his pipe, stood up and lit the tobacco with the candlestick in front of him, and then began to lean on the back of the chair and smoke by himself with his head raised.
The tent became eerily quiet, and the atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. Except for the sound of Darkus puffing away the smoke, which was the crackling sound of candles burning, there was not even the sound of the dignitaries swallowing their saliva.
"Loyalty! Absolute loyalty! Loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal!" After a long time, Malekith said slowly.
This sentence was what Darkus once said to Malekith. Having lived for a long time, he believed that this sentence was wrong and illogical. He believed that everything was contradictory and could be divided into two, not to mention the Druchis in front of him. He knew very well what these Druchies who were shaped by him were thinking.
But it cannot be denied that this sentence is very good, great! It's so good that it's tailor-made for Malekith and Druch!
However, Malekith believed that Dacus was not within the scope of this sentence from beginning to end. He always believed that Dacus had been separated from the original desires in his body. What generosity and kindness were just what Dacus created for himself. In his character, material, power, and wealth are worthless in the eyes of Darkus, who is only loyal to his feelings and established goals.
Although Darkus looks like the reincarnation of Alandrian, Darkus and Alandrian are still the same. Malekith and Darkus may be regarded as monarchs and subjects by the outside world. But Darkus never saw it that way, and he didn't see it that way. He and Darkus are friends in the true sense. Darkus understands him, knows what he is thinking, needs, and fears. Darkus is his reliable ally and comrade-in-arms. Dacus will help him get what he wants, but he also knows that in turn, after he gets what he needs, he will give back to Dacus and help Dacus achieve his set goal, and this The goal is also good for him.
Being melancholy, entangled and trapped in painful memories is a waste of precious time. Malekith knows that he can't be like before. He has to get active and keep finding things to do for himself to avoid falling into painful memories. That would only make him more vulnerable and in more pain! After getting the vision that revealed the future and the past, he felt the changes in himself in just two months. Darkus was right, he couldn't delay it any longer. Maybe he wouldn't be able to hold on to that day, but Druchi still wasn't ready for his next attack on Ulthuan.
It's time to make some changes!
Upon hearing these heart-wrenching words, the dignitaries sitting there cheered, stood up from their chairs, pulled out of their chairs, and bowed their heads to Malekith in a sign of submission.
"I know that one of you conveyed the information about me obtaining the Sun Sword to Naggaroth, which makes me very unhappy! I don't think this is a sign of absolute loyalty! That's right! After thousands of years of searching, I I finally got a clue. I personally obtained the sword of my father, the first Phoenix King Aenarion, from a ruins in Lustria! This proves that I am a worthy and undisputed successor! And... next , I want to take back everything that belongs to me with my own hands!" Malekith stood up from the chair, drew the Yang Yan Sword from his waist and wandered around the dignitaries, saying uncertainly as he walked. With.
Dulias, who was also standing there, glanced at his nephew who was still sitting there smoking with his peripheral vision. He found that his nephew was more... more mysterious than he thought? Ernst, who was standing at the edge of the tent, was doing relatively well. He did not face the pressure of His Majesty the Witch King, but the big octopus lying on him curled up and hid behind him.
The reason why this Ochital octopus appears here is because the sorceress on board the Hellscourge family made a ring for it that can be worn on the tentacles. It is smart that it can use the little tricks on the ring to activate Aegir's wind rehydrates it.
Malekith walked to the side of the Admiral of the Black Ark Eternal Fear Fortress and stopped. His iron hand that was not holding the Sun Flame Sword pressed on the Admiral's shoulder, and then he leaned his head against the Admiral who was already sweating. Beside the face.
"I'm not happy!" Malekith said, still uncertain.
The body of the Admiral of the Dread Fortress could no longer hold up, and cold sweat on his forehead kept flowing from the tip of his nose, but His Majesty the Witch King's iron hand grasped his shoulders to prevent him from falling. He knew that His Majesty the Witch King was warning him, and he knew that His Majesty the Witch King was ready to establish his authority. The credit for this pioneering effort seemed great, but it was not worth mentioning in front of His Majesty the Witch King, who was in charge of the power of life and death. But His Majesty the Witch King The next sentence brought me back to reality.
"But I don't want to kill anyone now! Because I am happy for my right-hand man, because my right-hand man has opened up a fertile land for Druch!"
After speaking, Malekith let go of his iron hand and said calmly. One sentence.
"Thank you for the mercy of the Witch King's hand!"
Just as Darkus and Malekith were performing political performances on the Sotigo Ridge in the south, a falcon ship appeared on the horizon of Chapeiuto under the cover of darkness. .
When Druch's fleet first appeared in the southern part of the Serpent Islands, it was discovered by a falcon ship patrolling there to guard against the vampire fleet. After receiving the information, Admiral Sigelin of the Twilight Fortress ordered the falcon ship to go north. reconnaissance, but as soon as the falcon ship arrived, it discovered the lights of Chapeiuto.
"Is that a city? A group of lighthouses?" the first mate said with some uncertainty. He vaguely saw the outline of Chapeuto through the telescope. He often patrolled this sea area and had never seen this city before. Maybe it was theirs. Cousin Druchi built it overnight?
"It's a lighthouse, and there are five black arks parked next to the lighthouse." The captain said solemnly. Not only did he see the outline of Chapeuto and the lighthouse, but based on his experience, he also judged the top of the five black arks next to the lighthouse. The ever-shining guidance tower.
"Why are there five black arks here? Didn't you say two before?" the first mate said with some fear. The five black arks represent a large number of matching plunder ships. This force is by no means only the Twilight of the Falcon Ship. The fortress can withstand it. Unless Ulthuan's dragon ship fleet could arrive in time, he knew this was unrealistic and the Twilight Fortress would not be able to hold on for that long. "If my guess is correct, the vampires entrenched in the northern river mouth should have been destroyed by now." The captain shared his guess with his first mate. The experienced one guessed that he guessed was no different from the route that Druch actually took. .
"Go back and report the situation to Admiral Siegelin." The captain sighed and said. He could vaguely feel that there was a lurking predator ship on the sea ahead. If the Falcon ship moved forward, it would definitely be discovered. , his mission this time is to find the exact location and movements of the Black Ark, not to see if the group of vampires are still there. There is no need for him to make a big circle in the vast ocean.
The Stormweaver Cultist who had been silent beside the captain nodded, returned to her position, and began to control the wind of Aegir to help the ship turn around.
Darkus raised his head and looked at the corrugated reddish peak in the distance. Compared to the entire continuous Sotigo Ridge, this peak was not high, with an average altitude of only five thousand meters.
The Sotigo Ridge is a rocky mountain range, and its main body is composed of a large number of sedimentary rock layers. These sedimentary rocks are piled high, twisted, and occasionally pierced by ancient igneous rocks and volcanic uplifts, resulting in dramatic changes in the terrain. The most famous product here is stone, which was collected here when needed for the construction of temple cities in the entire Lustria continent. There are also some gems, turquoise, nephrite, obsidian, etc. that appear along with it.
Ironically, if Darkus were a geologist, he would have known that the rocks near the reddish peak were not suitable for use as building stones. Although most of the sandstone and limestone were readily available, the material was brittle and eroded by the rivers on the mountainside. The finished pebbles are difficult to process.
The red color of the mountain appears to the outside as weathered rust-colored quartz, which contains extremely high silicon content. Moreover, Darkus will also discover that this is actually a volcanic dome rich in silica. After years of changes and transformations, the interior of the mountain has cracked. Due to the erosion of rich hydrothermal fluids and magma flows from bottom to top, it eventually Evolved into a natural mineral vein.
Some of the veins extend into older rock beds beneath the dome, including fossiliferous tuff, a metal vein that often contains quartz, which is very high in silicon, a disease caused by long-term inhalation of tiny fragments of the pungent, glassy rock. Lung disease will prevent miners from living a normal life span.
In words that everyone can understand, this mountain used to be a volcanic crater, but now the silver ore veins have blocked the crater and turned the crater that should have been concave into a mountain peak.
And what Darkus doesn’t know is that this place is different from Potosi in his previous life. There are countless large composite metal veins crisscrossing the mountain. The large silver veins here will become more open and rich as the mining deepens.
Moreover, you can find dark gray unoxidized ore or sulfide ore deep below the mountain top. But what is disappointing is that sulfide ore cannot be directly used to make steel. The sulfide in the sulfide ore easily reacts with oxides during the reduction process to form Sulfide gases, such as sulfur dioxide, will cause sulfur to be included in the iron, affecting the quality of the steel.
In the modern metallurgical industry, if there are sulfur-containing ores that need to be utilized, other special smelting methods will be adopted, such as pretreatment such as oxidation roasting or flotation of the ore to remove or reduce the sulfide content, and then the ore Used in related metallurgical processes.
Due to faults and crustal uplift activities as well as the humidity during the rainy season, the team can see hot springs distributed when they reach the top of the mountain.
Halfway through the walk, Darkus came to the largest hot spring and took off his gloves. He put his hand into the hot spring and stirred it. Then he nodded with satisfaction. The water temperature is just right, about forty degrees.
And as far as you can see from here, you can see the undulating and fertile Kauchen plain, with canyons passing through it, basalt cliffs towering high, and the vast Salta Salt Flats looming in the distance. Further afield, you can see a large area suitable for planting. Wild quinoa can be seen everywhere, and groups of alpacas are roaming freely. After the team left, groups of pink flamingos returned to the salt marshes and surrounding areas. Lakes, seemingly in search of tasty brine shrimp.
A few wild alpacas on the hillside were still active before. After seeing the huge team arriving here, they disappeared. Only some tall rabbits that seemed to be a cross between marmots and hares could be seen.
"For a natural open-air hot spring experience, maybe we should build a manor here?"
Bath in the embrace of nature and feel the tranquility and relaxation brought by the hot springs. While enjoying the surrounding natural scenery. Especially at night, when the sky is filled with stars, the bubbles and warm water in the hot springs become a great choice to relax and enjoy the night. Occasionally, Master Ma can be invited to come and talk about big plans while boiling frogs in warm water.
At this moment, Darkus thought about it. As a name-saver, he naturally named this largest hot spring "Eye of Salta"!
The team rested for a while and then set off. It became more and more difficult to walk as they went up, so that the dignitaries riding on the cold lizard had to come down and lead the cold lizard. Fortunately, it was not the rainy season, and there was no scene where the cold lizard's feet were crushing the dignitaries. , the only thing that is not affected is the Disaster Walker chariot with magnetic levitation characteristics.
But there are also gains. Large pieces of pure silver can be seen everywhere on the roadside. At first, the Druchi dignitaries were interested in picking them up, but in the end they simply threw all the pure silver pieces they picked up back on the ground. They understood the purpose of coming here at this moment. Although they were not geologists, there were pure silver nuggets on the roadside. Didn't that mean something? And last night the Witch King's hand made it clear that everything in this plain was about to happen! If His Majesty the Witch King and the Witch King's Hand don't want them to know this place, then why bring them here? Kill them and throw them into the canyon?
Going further up, the Disaster Walker chariot can no longer function. The chariot is fine, but the horse is failing. The horse cannot adapt to this extreme high-altitude climate.
"Tell me, is there any good way?" Darkus took a breath and pointed to the mountain peak that was still a long way away.
At this moment, Darkus wanted Master Ma to float the silver ore vein into the air, and then throw the vein under the mountain. But everything has its pros and cons, and being in the mountains also has its benefits. And it seems that the Slann Demon Priests can’t do it? All that can be done is pure crustal movement to pull up the veins. Or squeeze out the veins through crustal movement and then roll them down the hillside? I don’t know… He decided to ask Master Ma one day.
The Drukhi dignitaries began to talk a lot. Some suggested using local llamas, some suggested using elf packhorses, and some suggested using mules.
Finally, Dulias suggested that donkeys from the southern city-state of Estalia that live in the mountains might be suitable, and he brought a lot of them this time. He also told some interesting things that happened when the Druch pirates went into the mountains to catch donkeys.
Llamas are well adapted as camelids to the harsh altitude conditions and rough forages here, but not to carrying weight. Darkus needs a transportation team that can go back and forth between the mountains to meet the daily needs of the mountains, transport the salt needed for silver refining, forget about Potosi, and transport the cast silver down, as for the ore veins Arriving at the mint, he prepared to arrange mine carts instead of porters and pack teams.
Moreover, Darkus also knew that if alpacas were overgrazed, they would multiply rapidly and be relatively cheap, making them a very good economical animal. In the temple city near Sotek Ridge, the Lizardmen raise alpacas, gather their wool, slaughter them and dry them into dried meat, or use them for sacrifices.
The advantage of mules is that they have a larger workload and can move smoothly on rugged mountain roads, but they are difficult to adapt to the extreme conditions here. They have to be raised on the Kauchen Plain near the vast ocean and then pulled over when the labor force is formed.
Donkeys are hardy and adaptable, even tougher than mules and llamas, but like mules, they appear to be stunted if raised at high altitudes.
horse? Forget about horses... And horses and mules are not like humans. If you are pushed too hard when climbing a mountain with a heavy load, you can really die... The
team walked to the evening and reached a relatively flat mountainside. On the road, Chupa Keke, who had entered his old age, was already exhausted. Finally, four powerful men built a frame and carried him up on their shoulders.
"I'm not leaving, that's it!"
Darkus took off his gloves again and handed them to Genevieve beside him. He bent down and dug his hands into the silver-rich mortar, showing it to the horse who was looking at him. Rekis looked.
"The land of silver that changed the world!"
(End of this chapter)