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“We greet the White King.”

Repenhardt smiled gently and welcomed them.

“Please, come in.”

These dwarves had been slaves under Viscount Gelpein. Repenhardt sought not only the territory of Gelpein but ownership of everything the viscount possessed, including these dwarves.

The elder dwarf looked up at Repenhardt and continued.

“The warriors of the Grand Forge have already spoken. They say the White King is our savior…”

“That’s what I heard.”

“All those who have met their families are grateful for the savior’s grace.”

Dwarves who could hear the truth were as poor at flattery as they were genuine in their gratitude. The elder dwarf was sincerely thankful to Repenhardt.

The first thing Repenhardt did upon arriving in this land was to reunite the male dwarves working in the mines with their families. It was common practice among those in the mining industry to separate the families of dwarf slaves, keeping their loved ones as hostages to ensure compliance. Viscount Gelpein had also managed his dwarves this way, allowing occasional meetings but keeping families apart.

How joyful the dwarves had been upon learning they could now always be with their families! In the castle’s underground, reunited dwarves were already celebrating their joyful reunion.

“But… what will become of us now?” the elder dwarf asked, suddenly looking troubled. Repenhardt had done more than just facilitate family reunions. He had publicly burned all the dwarves’ slave documents, declaring their freedom.

These dwarves, maintaining some of their ancestral culture and society, didn’t feel bewildered by the concept of freedom like elf or orc slaves might. Yet, they had practical concerns.

“Do we need to leave this place now?” the elder asked.

Repenhardt shook his head.

“You are free people. You can leave whenever you wish. Of course, you are also welcome to stay here if you desire.”

The dwarves sighed in relief.

They had lived their entire lives as slaves here. Even if they were given freedom, there was nowhere for them to go. Of course, there was the Grand Forge, but it was far too barren for the dwarves who had lived safely under humans.

Moreover, Repenhardt had no intention of letting these dwarves go.

‘These folks are the only source of money in this land. If they leave, it would be a disaster.’

The main source of income for this territory was the dwarves’ mining industry. If the mines closed, the newly established Antares County would also shut down. While he didn’t intend to force them to dig the ground like slaves, he had no intention of letting the mines sit idle either.

“You are free men, but those mines are clearly my property.”

“Then, does that mean we still have to leave the mines?”

“No. I’m saying I’ll grant you the mining rights to the mines. To be precise, I will lease the mines to you.”

Granting the dwarves their freedom was good, but he couldn’t hand everything over for free. This was a principle he had upheld even in his previous life. Truly free individuals must achieve everything through their own efforts.

Repenhardt began to calmly explain to the elderly dwarf.

Continue working in the mines as you have been. However, from now on, the management of the mines would be entirely entrusted to the dwarves. He wouldn’t interfere with where they lived or who they associated with. The dwarves would extract ore, forge weapons and armor, and pay taxes and rent with the money they earned from selling these goods.

“If you have the means, you can save up and buy the mining rights from me entirely. If you wish, I can accept payment in installments—how about a 360-month plan?”

Repenhardt was encouraging the dwarves to engage in economic activities as freely as humans. The dwarves blinked and then nodded in unison. The terms were not bad at all. In fact, they were extraordinarily generous. 360 months, 30 years, was an immense period for humans, during which mountains could change three times, but for the long-lived dwarves, it was just an appropriate amount of time.

“The White King is treating us too generously. Is there nothing you desire from us?”

“If I desired wealth, I wouldn’t have started this in the first place.”

“But this way, it seems like there is no benefit for the White King at all…”

“Not necessarily. What I gain is the exclusive right to all the weapons and armor you produce.”

In simple terms, everything the dwarves made could only be converted into cash through Repenhardt. The dwarves wore expressions of understanding.

With these terms, Repenhardt could also gain significant benefits through them. As slaves, they had only made the minimum amount of ore and weapons that humans desired. Now, they would dig the ground and forge weapons with their utmost effort, even for their own sake. This meant that he could potentially gain several times more profit than when Viscount Gelpein had them working as slaves.

“In these times, you are the only one willing to trade with us, White King, so the exclusive rights are just a formality. We thank our savior once again.”

The dwarves expressed their gratitude repeatedly as they exited the meeting room. Watching their retreating figures, Repenhardt smiled with satisfaction. He felt anew the fact that he now had a place to implement his vision. He gazed out through the meeting room window at the barren land of Gelpein’s territory, which was now Antares County.

“It may be a humble land compared to before…”

But this was just the beginning.

“Well, the Antares Empire started like this too.”

In fact, it had been much worse back then. He hadn’t planned to establish a nation, just to set up a village in the wasteland.

Suddenly, Repenhardt spoke without turning around.

“How was your journey, Makelin?”

Standing in one corner of the meeting room was an elderly dwarf with a proud white beard. He was Makelin, the High Priest of Al Port. After receiving word that Antares County was established, he had discreetly come through the Taoban Trading Company.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought, Lord Repenhardt. Everyone thought I was your slave, so they didn’t bother me at all.”

With a wry smile, Repenhardt offered his apologies.

“Apologies for placing you in such a dishonorable position. I assure you it won’t happen again.”

“We have waited long enough. There is no need to hurry. Time is not a precious resource for us.”

Makelin smiled warmly to console Repenhardt, who shook his head.

“But I am human, and for humans, time is precious beyond measure. The sad thing is that most people don’t realize that.”

* * *

In the conference hall surrounded by gray stone walls, representatives from various races had gathered.

Makelin, representing the dwarves of the Grand Forge, accompanied by three Aura Users.

The orcs of the Blue Bear Tribe, represented by three mentors: Kalken, Stalla, and Gralta.

The elves of the Dahnhaim Clan, represented by Relhard and his lieutenant, Dame.

Repenhardt spread a map on the table before them, revealing a detailed view of Antares County.

Kalken glanced at the map and smiled contentedly.

“Since we fought and won, it’s time to divide the land, brother?”

“Indeed. Now, from here to here will be the territory of the Blue Bear Tribe.”

Repenhardt drew a line on the map with his finger. The area he indicated covered the western part of Antares County and most of the Gloten Mountains beyond the border. Relhard looked puzzled and asked,

“Hmm? Isn’t this outside Antares County’s territory?”

Most of the area Repenhardt pointed to was outside the borders of the Crovence Kingdom, within the mountain range. He was offering land that technically didn’t belong to him. Repenhardt shrugged.

“But it’s not part of the Crovence Kingdom either. Officially, the Gloten Mountains don’t belong to any country on the continent.”

A territory isn’t just a matter of drawing lines on a map. To claim a land, it must be inhabited and governed by a populace.

The rugged Gloten Mountains were too harsh for humans to inhabit, and thus, not worth the effort to manage as territory. Gelpein’s territory had been integrated into the Crovence Kingdom only because of its mines. Most of the Gloten Mountains remained unclaimed because managing the area was more trouble than it was worth.

“So, from now on, the land the Blue Bear Tribe roams will become part of Antares County.”

Repenhardt finished his explanation with a beaming smile. However, Kalken, Stalla, and Gralta looked perplexed. They exchanged glances before Gralta cautiously spoke up.

“But Brother Repenhardt, isn’t it true that no one lives in these mountains?”

Although the Gloten Mountains were figuratively referred to as no man’s land, it didn’t mean there were no humans at all. It simply meant that there was no organized state power.

Scattered across the mountains were various mountain tribes living in small villages, stretching to the plains of Fetland in the eastern part of the range. Each tribe was weak individually, but their numbers could not be ignored when combined.

“If we provoke the humans, they’ll band together and attack. Humans outnumber us by far. That’s why our ancestors never ventured here, right? We must protect our tribe, but we have too few warriors.”

Kalken eyed Repenhardt with suspicion. It wasn’t that he doubted Repenhardt’s intentions; since Repenhardt had passed the Ritual of Hotu, they trusted him completely. Instead, Kalken wondered if Repenhardt had overlooked this issue.

Of course, what an orc could think of, a grand mage like Repenhardt certainly would have considered. He smiled and pointed to the Blue Bear Tribe’s territory, particularly the area within Antares County.

“Then why not return to the homeland?”

“Ah, I see!”

Relhard muttered as if he had realized something. The three orcs, still confused, rolled their eyes and looked at him.

“What does he mean?”

With a wry smile, Relhard explained.

“This area within the border is clearly the territory of the Crovence Kingdom. Legally, we are subjects of Antares County. If the mountain tribes gather their forces and attack, it would be an invasion of the border. Such a large-scale attack requires significant resolve. On the other hand, we can now boldly traverse the mountains with the backing of Antares County.”

The orcs’ eyes widened in realization as they comprehended the implications of Relhard’s explanation.

“In essence,” Repenhardt continued, “by integrating your tribe’s territory with Antares County, you gain the protection and legitimacy of our rule. The mountain tribes, while numerous, lack the cohesion and the state support that you now have.”

Stalla, nodding slowly, added, “So, our warriors will no longer be seen as mere raiders, but as part of an organized state. That changes everything.”

Repenhardt smiled, knowing that his plan to integrate the Blue Bear Tribe not only expanded his territory but also strengthened the tribe by providing them a new status and allies against common threats.

Yet, the orcs still looked puzzled. Relhard pondered for a moment, wondering how to explain this to these straightforward warriors.

“What I’m saying is that there will be many people to protect your children. It’s not just your tribe living on this land. Elves, dwarves, and humans under Lord Repenhardt will also live here.”

“So what?”

“It means you don’t have to worry about your home base being attacked.”

Finally, the orcs nodded and exclaimed in understanding.

“Oh! I get it now!”

“So, there will be more people to look after our kids?”

“Then our warriors can leave the village without worry!”

Seeing the orcs’ delight, Makelin, Relhard, and Repenhardt—those who understood the more complex political situation—couldn’t help but chuckle. While they had explained it this way to make it easier for the orcs to understand, the significance of Antares County’s existence was more intricate.

The reason humans banded together whenever non-human races appeared wasn’t just about territorial infringement. Elves and dwarves, as well as orcs, were highly valuable as slave races. In other words, discovering wild non-humans often led to raising armies to subjugate them because the gains outweighed the expenses. Capturing ownerless slaves would bring substantial profit, so even humans who weren’t directly involved would join forces out of greed.

However, with the backing of Antares County, the situation changed. The non-humans in this land were officially Repenhardt’s subjects. Having received autonomy, the laws of the Crovence Kingdom recognized and protected them as Repenhardt’s people.

In other words, if the Blue Bear Tribe clashed with the mountain tribes of the Gloten Mountains, it wouldn’t be wild orcs appearing; it would be a territorial expansion war led by Repenhardt of Antares County.

“Now,” Repenhardt continued, “by incorporating your tribe’s territory into Antares County, not only do you gain protection and legitimacy, but any conflict with the mountain tribes becomes a sanctioned expansion of Antares County. This changes the nature of any encounter significantly.”

Stalla nodded slowly, adding, “So our warriors will no longer be seen as mere raiders but as part of an organized state. That changes everything.”

Makelin, understanding the depth of Repenhardt’s plan, smiled, “Indeed, this is just the beginning. By uniting under the banner of Antares County, we ensure mutual protection and strengthen our collective position.”

The orcs, finally grasping the implications, grinned widely, their confidence boosted by the new alliance.