LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 91 - Episode 91: Recruiting the Stubborn Dwarves
Episode 91: Recruiting the Stubborn Dwarves
Stasa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is showcasing all the good points of the Demon Duke’s territory.
“Under Lord Zaus’ umbrella, you’ll enjoy so many benefits…”
It’s a smooth presentation.
The dwarf village chief, Woodkirring, seems somewhat interested. It’s starting to feel like a suspicious recruitment pitch.
At this point, it’s crucial to present not only the positives but also the potential drawbacks.
“Now then, Woodkirring. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“W-What!?”
“I am a ruler of evil!”
“Hmph!?”
“Don’t assume that joining me will mean continuous good treatment.”
“What!?”
“Ah, Z-Zaus-sama. Y-Your tone seems a bit different now…”
No, this needs to be clearly stated.
After all, they’re going to be under my rule.
“Hehehe. I’ll make sure you all work hard. For my benefit.”
“Grr… Is that your true nature?”
“Hehehe. Of course. Providing benefits to my territory is a given condition. However, don’t forget that it’s a condition based on your side having value to me.”
“W-What’s your purpose?”
“Dwarf technology. Construction and engineering skills related to forestry, ironworking techniques, and extensive knowledge of herbs. Those are what I aim to acquire by taking over the industries created by the dwarves.”
“Grr… No matter how much you threaten us, as the village chief, I have a responsibility to protect this village. Regardless of being under anyone’s control, I want to preserve the way of life for this dwarven tribe.”
Hmmm…
Come to think of it, the dwarven tribes in the Demon King’s territory haven’t undergone demon awakening from Idream Dal or been attacked by the emerging monsters of Waitedale.
It seems to be related to the village chief’s thoughts.
“Why did you come under attack from the Metal Bear? Waitedale’s monsters shouldn’t attack allies of the Demon King, right?”
“Because I refused Idream Dal’s demon awakening.”
“I see.”
As expected.
Seems like all the villagers are weak for this reason.
“Demon awakening is an unrelenting reinforcement that even targets women, children, and the elderly. It’s all for the sake of fighting against Zaus’ army. However, we don’t seek to fight.”
“Hmm. So you want to remain non-combatants?”
“That’s right. We don’t favor fighting. We just want to live quietly, cutting wood, making iron, and gathering herbs.”
“Then, you should. I’ll ensure that lifestyle continues forever.”
“W-What!? But, isn’t it a war against the Demon King’s army now? If we join, you’ll surely use our military strength.”
“Oh dear. Relying on the meager power of dwarves for that, the battle would be a definite loss.”
“W-What did you say!?”
“That’s why I said, even if you resist, it won’t be very effective. In my territory, it’s about the right person for the right job. Belligerent races fight, and races that want to till the fields do agriculture.”
“W-What!? A-Are you letting living monsters do agriculture!?”
“That’s right. Among goblins and orcs, there are those who dislike fighting and are interested in agriculture. In my territory, I have those fellows producing crops.”
“What!? M-Monsters doing agriculture!?”
“Everything in its right place. It’s more efficient that way.”
“Hmm… Unbelievable.”
“Eliminating waste is my nature.”
The village chief pondered for a while.
Then,
“Tell me… Can we defeat the Demon King’s army?”
“If it’s a losing battle, I won’t engage from the start.”
“Hmm.”
“But, I can’t guarantee victory.”
“What!?”
“Did you see the strength of the Metal Bear? The recent increase in the power of the emerging monster, Waitedale, is considerable. The demon awakening applied to the living monster, Okeradatte, also resulted in a tremendous power-up. In such circumstances, it’s challenging to ensure a definite victory.”
“…B-But. Your power was incredible. You defeated the Metal Bear in one blow.”
“Such power is only natural.”
“A-As expected…”
“The emerging monster, Waitedale, grows stronger with the Demon King’s protection. In other words, the Demon King, as the master, should be even stronger than the Metal Bear. It’s presumptuous to claim victory against such a being.”
“Hmm…”
“That’s why I’m currently seeking ways to ensure victory.”
“S-So, using our strength could lead to an advantage?”
“That’s right. I need the power of the dwarves at all costs. With their technology, I can enhance my own strength.”
“I see! You’re planning to have us create powerful weapons, aren’t you!?”
“No, it’s a cage. Made of adamantine.”
“W-What!? Such a strong cage. What could possibly be the purpose?”
“To capture the Super King Metal Hitoden alive.”
“W-What!?”
“To conduct magical research into summoning a large number of Super King Metal Hitoden.”
The village chief was sweating profusely.
“T-The Super King Metal Hitoden is a legendary magical beast. Much stronger than the Metal Bear…”
“Huh? W-Well, maybe.”
“Gathering such a large number of the emerging monster, Waitedale… I see. Got it! You plan to create an army of Super King Metal Hitoden to fight against the Demon King’s army, don’t you!?”
“Hahaha. That’s absurd. If the Demon King could be defeated with such a small army, there wouldn’t be much of a struggle.”
“T-That’s all it is!? The Super King Metal Hitoden is just that!?”
“Yeah. It can be defeated in one blow.”
“W-What!?”
“After all, the level of the Super King Metal Hitoden is only around 10,000. Even my subordinate Gobtarou could defeat it easily.However, capturing it alive is difficult. I can’t keep it restrained forever.”
“A-And… what about the neighboring demon tribes when you add us to your ranks?”
“Neighboring tribes?”
“To the east, there’s the Tanuki Tribe, Pom Pokuru, and to the west, there’s the Fox Tribe, Konkoon. If we betray the Demon King’s army, we’ll likely be attacked by these two neighboring tribes. That would result in casualties for our village.”
“Ah. In that case, it’s fine.”
“D-Did you do something?”
“I put them to sleep.”
“W-What!?”
“All ten adjacent districts.”
I’ve cast the Deep Sleep spell on them, so they won’t wake up for a while.
“I intend to subjugate the areas around Kikori Village one by one.”
As I explained the details, the village chief’s jaw dropped open as if it had come unhinged.
“T-That’s absurd… S-So, what about adamantine? It takes decades just to gather such a precious metal, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, for that, we’ll use drop items. Fragments of adamantine dropped by the Super King Metal Hitoden encountered in the Katay Mines.”
With that said, I took out a large number of adamantine fragments from the interdimensional storage box item box. They flowed out like a landslide from the gaps in the interdimensional space.
“A-Amazing… Such a large amount of adamantine… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Huh? Is there a problem?”
“…Well…”
“If you have any other questions, let me know. I’ll resolve them all.”
“…”
In the end, the village chief was somehow convinced.
And so, Kikori Village officially joined under my rule.
That night, a feast of friendship was held.
“W-What’s this!?”
Woodkirring was sweating.
Oh, goodness. He’s overreacting to my actions.
“I brought some ale made in Zaus Town. You’re going to work hard for me, so consider this ale as a down payment. Today, drink up as much as you want.”
The dwarves were delighted with the ale. Men formed circles and danced, while women sang.
During the feast, many dwarf families bowed their heads in front of me.
“Lord Zaus, thank you very much for helping our master.”
It seemed to be the families of the men who were trying to subdue the Metal Bear.
Such families came to me in place of their masters.
Dwarves have many children. It seems normal for one family to have around seven members.
The little children were smiling at me.
Ah, yes.
Only adults are cunning.
“I’ve brought pineapple juice for the children. Those who can’t drink alcohol can have this. Also, there was a large surplus of sweets in the warehouse of the Demon Duke Castle. It’s a shame to let them go bad, so I brought them. Feel free to eat them if you like.”
The village chief was gaping in amazement as he watched the delighted children.
“It’s… it’s too good to be true…”
No, that’s not it.
The purpose is to have them make a high-quality adamantine cage. It’s an advance payment. And distributing sweets to children is an investment for the future. When they grow up, they’ll work like workhorses. According to Woodkirring, it takes at least three months to make an adamantine cage. After all, it’s a huge cage to trap the Super King Metal Hitoden, which is over 20 meters tall. That’s understandable.
And three weeks later, I was summoned by Woodkirring.
“Lord Zaus. It’s done.”
In front of me stood a huge cage.
Already!?
“Isn’t it fast?”
“The residents of Kikori Village all worked together to make it.”
I heard that even women, children, and the elderly lent a hand in making the cage.
“I’ve asked a lot of them.”
“No, no. I’m also surprised.”
“Surprised?”
“I never thought the dwarf women would help with cage making.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Steel-making is men’s work. However, the women took the lead in participating. If the villagers all work together to make the cage, it will be much easier. Kikori Village worked on the cage around the clock.”
Ah, so that’s why it was completed so quickly.
“For the villagers to work together like this is unprecedented in dwarf history. Everyone’s lively faces. Hehe. I wanted to show you too, Lord Zaus. It seems that working for you is giving us a sense of purpose. It’s like… enjoying ourselves is justice, isn’t it? There’s probably never been a time when dwarves have achieved something like this for other races. It’s something that wouldn’t have been imaginable in the Demon King’s domain. Hehehe.”
Hmm. Well, if they enjoyed it, then it’s fine.
Now I can catch the Super King Metal Hitoden alive.