Chapter 549.5: Tri-Party Cooperation
Broken bodies littered the battlements, and blood flowed into the drainage channels below.
Swinging their weapons, they severed the planks connecting the siege tower to the walls.
Jifan glanced into the siege tower and, noting the stunned gray dwarf soldiers, issued another order to John:
"Start the fires and prepare ten large pots!"
Billowing white smoke rose from the walls.
The rich, sweet aroma wafted down, reaching the slave warrior army just as they prepared to regroup and attack.
Overcome with hunger, the slave warriors plunged into a new frenzy.
Another riot seemed inevitable.
Sensing the imminent crisis, the drow commander quickly ordered suppression and instructed the rear ranks to retreat.
After considerable effort, dozens of slaves were put down, and the resentment among the rest was subdued.
Watching the smoke rise from the walls and noting the wind deliberately blowing it downward, the drow commander gritted her teeth and issued a full retreat.
If the hungry slaves weren't sated, no matter how hard they pushed the attack, this seemingly trivial aroma would break their resolve.
Whoosh!
Fire oil was poured onto the siege tower.
Roaring flames engulfed it in an instant.
Along with countless corpses, everything was incinerated.
Many farmer-turned-soldiers muttered regretfully:
"If it were purified, this lot would make excellent fertilizer…"
Ignoring their grim humor, Jifan ordered the troops to stand down and rest.
He also instructed Manhammer to inspect all cannons promptly, making any necessary repairs or adjustments.
Manhammer took great interest in the improving weapons.
He never expected that simply changing the alchemical gunpowder would significantly enhance the cannons' power without altering the barrels or shells.
Although puzzled, Manhammer said nothing, instead swiftly leading the crew to check and maintain the artillery.
Jifan ordered the rotation of ten injured Blade Corps soldiers to rest and recover.
With the help of healing potions, surgery, and healing spells, the soldiers received top-notch treatment and were expected to be back in fighting shape within hours.
After one more review of the wall's defenses and confirming there were no vulnerabilities, Jifan turned his attention to the three gray dwarf shield-bearers who had been rescued.
Initially, the dwarves put on a show of feigned misery.
But after enduring a few punches from Grayash, who then acted as though he had no intention of taking their lives, they finally revealed some crucial information.
"I've discovered several key points. One of them is certainly significant."
"The former gray dwarf king is dead—he perished in a terrible ritual."
"The gray dwarf kingdom has fractured into several factions, one of which, led by the third prince, has approached the drow seeking an alliance."
"Additionally, the King's Shield members previously chosen by the former king were sent here as burdens."
"It's possible they don't know, and many others are still in the dark…"
This explosive revelation set Jifan into action.
He needed to rethink his defensive arrangements to address the potential impact of a large-scale gray dwarf involvement.
Soon, after further investigation and verification, the intelligence reached Matthew's hands.
With little knowledge of the Underdark's politics, Matthew wasn't aware of when the gray dwarf king had died.
But he knew the king's death represented a massive opportunity for the Bay Territory.
Without hesitation, he promptly relayed the news to the dwarven kingdom.
The dwarves, upon receiving the message, immediately responded with gratitude.
This information was simply too shocking.
It had immense implications for the current state of the war.
Whether the gray dwarves allied with the drow,
or whether the drow exploited the situation to invade gray dwarf territory and enslave many of their people,
it was bad news for the dwarven kingdom.
"It seems the dwarves will soon be requesting additional troops."
Hearing this, Steward Ralph quickly grasped the gravity of the situation.
After a moment of hesitation, weighing the pros and cons, he continued:
"We must increase our support for the dwarven kingdom. If the drow grow too powerful, it will only become more dangerous for us."
Steward Ralph didn't say what was on his mind.
If the alliance between the drow and the gray dwarves couldn't be disrupted, then the dwarven kingdom would have to hold out much longer.
Whether it meant exhausting as many of the drow and gray dwarves' forces as possible, or deepening the cooperation between the dwarven kingdom and the Bay Territory, it would be a significant event shaping the Bay Territory's future development.
Matthew didn't immediately express an opinion. He thoughtfully stroked his chin, recalling his previous thoughts, and suddenly said to Steward Ralph:
"Inform Manhammer and Annie to come to the office."
Steward Ralph silently nodded and quickly made the arrangements.
Manhammer, who had just returned to the Bay Territory, hadn't even had time to sit down before he learned of Matthew's summons.
The Bay Territory was no longer just a minor support partner for the dwarven kingdom.
The formidable combat strength of the tens of thousands of Bay Territory soldiers during the defense had stabilized the situation on this front.
This gave the dwarves some breathing room to train more dwarven soldiers and warriors.
Moreover, the Bay Territory soldiers' combat methods were greatly inspiring for the dwarven army.
The innovative uses of dwarven cannons and firearms, as well as the new applications for large-scale ranged weapons, offered significant insights to the dwarves.
On his way back, the dwarven king had instructed Manhammer.
"Do everything possible to secure more strategic supplies from the Bay Territory. We need more crossbows and bolts…"
So Manhammer downed two quick sips of ale before hurrying to the lord's office.
Before Manhammer could even step inside, he heard clear voices talking from within.
He instinctively paused and was about to turn around and leave to avoid being mistaken for eavesdropping by the lord.
But the moment those voices reached his ears, his feet refused to move.
"The new batch of upgraded enchanted crossbows is indeed impressive. We'll need to order 50,000 more units."
Fifty thousand?
The entire dwarven kingdom only had a total of 100,000!
"No, we need more. We can't let others beat us to it!"
Steeling his nerves, Manhammer decided to step inside. This wasn't the time to worry about saving face.
As soon as Manhammer entered the office, he noticed the elf-eared Annie and froze on the spot.
An elf?
What elf would need 50,000 enchanted crossbows?
Could it be for the northern front?
Though these thoughts ran through his mind, Manhammer was at a loss for how to join the conversation. But Matthew waved him over.
"Come take a look—this is our Bay Territory's newly developed enchanted crossbow."
"Compared to the enchanted crossbows currently on the market, it boasts a 30% longer lifespan, 25% increased range, and 33% more firepower."
Hearing such staggering figures, Manhammer put everything else aside and closely inspected the crossbow.
Its size hadn't changed much.
The structure was now more compact and simplified.
However, the enchanting patterns all over it had become even more intricate.
It was clear that these performance boosts were heavily reliant on enchantments.
This wasn't good news for the dwarven kingdom.
While they had rune forging to supplement enchanted weaponry, there were few spellcasters in the dwarven kingdom and even fewer master enchanters.
In peacetime, the dwarven master enchanters could barely meet the kingdom's demands.
But in wartime, the rapid consumption and losses of magical equipment and gear couldn't be repaired quickly.
Out of the vast number of magical weapons and gear bought from the Bay Territory, the dwarves could only maintain their favorites.
The rest were used up like consumables.
This was one of the reasons why the dwarven kingdom's defense was so challenging.
Noticing Manhammer's discomfort, Matthew suddenly and straightforwardly asked:
"Given the current battlefield situation, this war won't be ending anytime soon."
"And the dwarven kingdom's monthly expenses of over 30 million gold must be putting tremendous economic strain on you."
Seeing Matthew's earnest expression, Manhammer didn't glance at Annie's reaction. He quickly reviewed the facts in his mind and responded with a wry smile:
"What choice do we have? Our territory is vast, with too many places to defend."
"Transporting supplies and maintAnnieng production are still fairly dispersed, making it difficult to concentrate manpower and resources."
Manhammer didn't provide a direct answer, and Matthew didn't press him further. Instead, he used this as a lead-in to shift the conversation to the next topic:
"This is perfect. To meet the growing demand for military equipment and to better supply the dwarven kingdom,
we in the Bay Territory plan to collaborate with this elf and her family to establish a tri-partite military supply factory."
Upon hearing this, Manhammer pulled on his beard—a painful reminder that this was no dream.
He could hardly believe the Bay Territory would give up such a large share of the pie and propose a "joint" venture with the dwarves.
If this tripartite military factory was built, even if the dwarves couldn't purchase everything at cost,
they would at least get a significantly discounted rate.
This would save them a considerable amount of money!
Moreover, if the factory expanded production in the future,
as the war wound down, it could become a vital supply source for the dwarves.
The lack of stored materials and the inability to turn stockpiled ores and riches into weapons and gear was why the dwarves struggled so much in the war.
Manhammer had toured the Bay Territory's production facilities more than once.
He had to admit, their military factories were just as capable as the dwarven royal workshops.
In terms of production stability, they might even be slightly better.
Most importantly, the dwarven royal workshops hadn't returned to their peak form in centuries.
For over a thousand years, they had been in decline.
And it wasn't certain whether they would improve in the future.
Partnering with the Bay Territory to build a new production facility,
the dwarves could learn advanced manufacturing techniques and processes.
It would be like having access to the Bay Territory's technical library.
Still, Manhammer suppressed his excitement, resisting the urge to immediately agree, and hesitated as he said:
"But what can the dwarven kingdom bring to the table?"
Annie raised an eyebrow—this seemingly rough-and-tumble dwarf actually had plenty of savvy.
But Matthew remained unconcerned by Manhammer's calculations. Handing over a rough draft of the plan, Matthew calmly continued:
"Our main product will be highly sought-after premium weapons and gear."
"If we make breakthroughs, we could even produce high-tier and superior-grade weapons and equipment."
"The Bay Territory will provide the site, various facilities, and some distribution channels."
"Miss Annie will offer some sales networks, advanced magical artifact crafting techniques, and production know-how."
"The dwarven kingdom can contribute master craftsmen, rare magical materials, and minerals."
"High-tier magical weapons and gear are always in short supply on the market."
"Once we produce them, our three parties alone can absorb a substantial amount…"
When Manhammer heard that the dwarves only needed to provide some master craftsmen and magical materials, he was immediately intrigued.
The dwarven kingdom's internal territory was far from secure, with drow assassination teams actively operating.
Manhammer often heard reports of drow assassins targeting dwarven smiths, commanders, and military facilities.
If they could shift some weapon and equipment production to the Bay Territory, it would greatly alleviate their security and defense burdens.
The dwarven kingdom was already stretched thin. Reducing some pressure could mean increased safety and prolonged resilience.
Noting Manhammer's growing interest, Matthew decisively continued:
"For example, with the advanced weapons and gear we urgently need to counter the drow,"
"we could produce crossbows capable of detecting their hidden movements and shadowy tactics."
Manhammer's eyes widened. He nodded repeatedly, almost instinctively reaching for a notepad.
Annie joined the discussion, suggesting equipment and weapons to counter the drow kingdom.
She kept her statements vague but found it amusing that their approach also targeted the drow's enemies.
For about two hours, they hashed out a basic agreement.
Manhammer hurried back to the dwarven kingdom to report the development to the king.
After a brief consideration, the king agreed.
That same night, a large group of dwarven craftsmen and enchanters, along with rare magical resources and metals, were secretly moved to the Bay Territory.
Similarly, the Silverleaf family, already prepared, dispatched a substantial team to the Bay Territory.
Steward Ralph chaired the tripartite meeting, announcing that the new production factory would be operational in three days.
The other two parties were impressed by the Bay Territory's efficiency and speed, eagerly anticipating the benefits this partnership would bring.
They were certain to make a significant profit, and the Bay Territory would never lose!
Because the Draconic Cataclysm's impact was about to intensify!