Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 316 Forging an Alliance: Permanent Support from an Army of 4000 Dwarves

Demst, also known as Raven Ruler Mor Chosen, is the greatest opportunity Su Li found on his way to Maleburg!
However, even Su Li often forgot his real title and was always impressed by his stupid donkey.

But to my surprise, he acted so quickly that he had already completed the purification of the ancestral holy tomb of the dwarven Grayrock clan.

Su Li was just wondering where to get more vibranium when the Gray Rock Clan came to visit. It was like a pillow being delivered to someone who had just fallen asleep.

He immediately instructed Hilde, "Quickly, invite them in."

Then Su Li looked at Beros Dragonhammer beside him and asked, "My master blacksmith, do you know anything about the Grayrock Clan?"

"The Grayrock Clan?" Boros Dragonhammer stroked his braided beard and pondered for a moment. He came from the dwarven Dragonrock Forge and was well-informed, having a considerable understanding of the various dwarves in the Grayhill Province.

"The Grayrock Clan isn't very well-known, mainly due to their consistently low-key nature. Their tribe was born after the Great Rift Earthquake, when their ancestor Grom Grayrock tore through the collapsing rock with his bare hands to save 7000 of his people. Since then, the clan has used 'Reforging from Ashes' as its totem, and its clan emblem is a 'Broken Hammer on an Anvil.' They settled in the Great Rift in the northwestern frontier of the Gray Mountains and built Grayrock Fortress."

"Unlike the Redbeard Clan, who settled in key transportation locations, their settlements are relatively more remote and deeply rooted in the ridge of the Great Rift Valley. Of course, even so, they have experienced several major disasters. Around the year 2015 in the Imperial Calendar, one of the tribe's fortresses on Ash Peak fell due to a sneak attack by the green-skinned warlord, Bonebreaker Gruk. Their Book of Hatred still contains this blood oath entry. If you, my lord, can help them defeat the Bonebreaker tribe, you will gain more favor with allies, thereby establishing outposts in their bases and fortresses and directly recruiting soldiers from the Grayrock tribe."

"Their other major enemy is the Plague Clan of the Skaven. These vile monsters hide in the Obsidian Abyss in the northwest of Ash Peak. They once used [Plague Elixir] to contaminate as many as six mine tunnels of the Grayrock Clan, causing a sharp decline in the Grayrock Clan's population."

"Having lost their lifeblood of mining, the Grayrock Clan is essentially the poorest tribe in the Gray Mountains Province. They are known for supplying miners and mercenaries to other dwarf clans. The Grayrock Clan's bearded warriors are among the fiercest dwarf warriors in the Gray Mountains Province. They are heavily armored, wield one-handed heavy axes, form a shield wall, and possess many powerful abilities such as [Ancestral Hatred], [Psychological Immunity], [Veteran's Grumbling], [Ruthlessness], [Resoluteness], and [Shield Wall].

"I heard the old soldier's complaints!" A loud voice came from outside the door, and then the door to the conference hall was filled with a bronze-colored figure. He was barely three-quarters the height of a standard dwarf, but his horizontal volume was more than 1.5 times that of an ordinary dwarf, and the muscles that seeped from the gaps in his armor were as knotted as rock layers.

This was an extremely orthodox long-bearded warrior. His iron-gray beard was braided into seven braids, and he carried a gray rock-crushing axe with a blade stained crimson. His powerful aura filled the room with a chilling atmosphere.

Entering the room, he proudly raised his head and said, "The old soldier's grumbling is a unique bloodline ability of our Grayrock Clan. As long as the long-bearded warrior with this bloodline ability has not fled, any friendly dwarf within 60 meters of him will receive a morale boost after hearing his grumbling and roar, and will have a chance to become immune to panic, even the fear caused by magic!"

That's really impressive! With dozens of powerful Grayrock Clan Longbeard Warriors, the Dwarven Heavy Shield Formation with at least 2000 meters of defense can be guaranteed to be stable.

Beside the crack in the door, Durmst, like a reed shoved into a pipe, first poked his head through the crack, revealing a peacock-blue feathered top hat—three feathers caught in the crevice—then, with a yoga master-like twist, he slid into the room with a "whoosh," finally securing the door with his gold-trimmed pointed shoes. He rubbed his left earlobe, flattened by the doorframe, then took a deep breath of the room's fresh fragrance, complaining, "By Mor, I'm finally alive! I feel like I'm being pickled in the dwarven stench of alcohol and sweat, like a piece of cured meat that's been marinating in a dwarven wine cellar for ten years!"

“My lord, you have no idea how rude these dwarves are. Look at this wilted lily pinned to my collar. It’s a sacrificial gift I brought to their sacred burial site. I’m so glad I didn’t offer it up, or I would have been suffocated by the stench. I’m only surviving because of this fragrance.”

"Let me introduce you. This is Gerson Grayrock, the leader of the Grayrock Dwarf Tribe and commander of the Shield Wall."

"A flashy knight!" Gerson glared at Demst, his beard bristling, then turned to Su Li and said, "Honorable Lord of Black Forest Territory, I am very grateful for your timely assistance. Otherwise, the consequences of our ancestral tomb being desecrated by the undead would have been unimaginable. But this knight you sent, frankly speaking, is not very reliable!"

Su Li was also helpless. A knight wearing black gilded plate armor and a white lily in his chest should be solemn and dignified, but the knights of Mor were always too humorous.

So Su Li said, “My mighty chosen knight, stop complaining. If you don’t want to go to the dwarves, I have a new place for you to go, guaranteed to be filled with enchanting perfumes and sweet spice scents.”

"Really?" Durmst suddenly became interested, and knelt down on one knee, making a thud as his knee hit the stone slab. Then, he pressed his left hand to his chest and pleaded with Su Li, "This place is perfect for me! Let me go, my lord. Where is this place full of fragrance and honey? Ideally, there would be a group of beautiful, seductive ladies, like succubi, to help me replenish my vitality."

"As you know, although I am Mor's chosen one, we Mor's followers despise the dead the most. I feel that my body has become lifeless due to the aura of the dead, and I urgently need to relax my body and increase my vitality."

"You asked for this yourself," Su Li said with a slight smile, "Don't worry, there are plenty of girls prettier than the succubus waiting to have a passionate interaction with you. Steward Hilde will personally take you there in a little while."

His raven ability allows him to entangle with the succubi to the greatest extent possible. He even struggled for a long time when facing the red dragon Drake. In fact, no one in the territory is more suitable than him to enter the Succubus Realm alone.

There are currently four Chosen Knights in the territory. Hilde is definitely not allowed to go there, as she is the core pillar of Su Li's rule.

Marshal Erstein was leading his army to conquer and expand his territory on the western side of the land, so it was impossible for him to go to the Demon Realm of Seraphim.

Medical Knight Commander Dietrich had to take care of the medical and rescue work in his territory, so it was naturally not suitable for him to go to the Demon Realm of Lust.

Therefore, there is no doubt that Demst is the best candidate.

Hearing Su Li's promise, Demst got up from the ground with satisfaction, and then reported on his gains since parting ways with the territory: "My lord, I have a clear understanding of the castle you arranged. The biggest gain inside is the rare artifact, Enier's Magic Net."

Su Li took the Light Magic Net from his hand. In fact, this item is very powerful. Binding the evil female vampire and making her body extremely sensitive is only one of its most famous effects.

Some rather perverse lords enjoy experiencing the feeling of being a vampire, then use this to bind the female vampire's body and play with her from behind. They experience the extreme sensitivity of a female vampire, noting the differences in their physical structure compared to human women.

However, this thing is also very effective on the battlefield. It can bind enemy units, making them unable to move, and then make it easier for friendly artillery and archers to focus fire.

If our side had had this item when facing Khorne's Chosen, the casualties would certainly not have been so heavy.

Then Durmst continued, “At the same time, we cleansed the ancestral tomb of the dwarves. It was defiled by the infamous Nightwalkers of the Grey Mountains, who roam the lands near the Grey Mountains in many groups. Legend has it that when both moons shine in crescent form, a place at the foot of the Grey Mountains will split open. The Nightwalkers’ master, Old Jasper, will depart from there in his chariot, and the great clock on his hearse will summon the dead to his side, no matter where they lie.”

“这队玷污灰岩部落先祖坟墓的夜游尸是他们完整的夜游尸队伍之一，中军主力包括1名骑乘骷髅马的尸妖冠军·姆哈瓦、1名骑乘运尸车的使者、5名尸妖、1支死亡合唱团和200多头荒坟守卫与黑武士。”

"Moreover, they can also borrow the dark magic abilities of their master, Old Jasper, during the battle. Even with the high-ranking personal servants of the territory, it took me a long and bloody battle to drive them away."

"Just to dispel it?" Su Li asked, frowning.

When the topic turned to powerful and evil black magic, even Durmst, usually quick-witted, became serious: "These evil necromancers use black magic to bind the corpses and fragments of souls of the dead, putting undead creatures under their control. Their resurrection spells can always summon those servants. And with each resurrection, these monsters accumulate experience from previous battles, becoming even stronger."

The undead units in this world are quite different from those in other worlds. They aren't just skeleton cannon fodder randomly pulled from graveyards by necromancers. A large portion of them are servants bound and controlled by necromancers using dark magic. This also means that some powerful monsters can turn against their masters; for example, Black Akkhan broke free of control and turned against its creator.

Therefore, in this world, the power of a necromancer is determined solely by the amount of magic he possesses, not by the size of his undead army.

The more dark magic energy it bestows upon an undead creature, the more stable its control becomes. The creature's entire body radiates dark magic energy, and its strength, speed, martial arts, and other aspects become more powerful, while also becoming more cruel and swift.

If a necromancer isn't willing to invest too much dark magic in a unit, that unit is generally quite unstable. These are usually cannon fodder and crippling troops summoned by the necromancer, such as zombies, skeletons, and ghouls. They are slow-moving and easily reduced to ashes. A single attack from an armed squire can usually break the connection of the dark magic, causing both their flesh and the undead energy that sustains them to quickly dissipate, leaving only a wisp of broken dust. Su Li felt that this necromancer was somewhat like the board games he had encountered in his previous life. Assuming a necromancer has 200 magic points, they have to figure out how to create a unit system. High-level, powerful units might consume as much as 10 magic points per ghoul knight, while a squadron of ordinary zombies or skeleton spearmen might only require 10 points.

As the undead it commands grow stronger, it must constantly increase its dark magic energy, pursuing the secrets of death almost pathologically, immersing itself in death spells with selfless devotion, only in this way can it avoid being devoured by the monsters it summons.

Prolonged exposure to dark magic will inevitably lead to the body becoming like a corpse: the skin will turn pale and dry, emitting the stench of decaying grave soil, and one may even need to rely on a pool of dark magic to slow down aging.

Using magical power in this world is extremely dangerous. Emerald mages who use the Wind of Geron for extended periods often develop skin that becomes dry and bark-like, and in severe cases, they may even transform into an ancient tree. Undoubtedly, those who use dark magic almost invariably meet a terrible end, with an ominous old age.

This leads them to become even more fanatical and obsessive in their hatred of the living, wanting to vent their resentment and malice on them.

Demst continued, "My lord, we interfered with the necromancers' plot, which is bound to make us their enemy. The Nightwalkers will likely come to our territory soon."

Before Su Li could reply, a loud voice rang out from the side.

Chief Gerson of the Grayrock Clan, gripping his battle axe, was in high spirits, his breath reeking of strong ale: "Oh, listen, my big friend, put your mind at ease! You sent knights to help us purify the ancestral tomb and safeguard the peace of our ancestors. We, the entire Grayrock Clan, owe you an immense debt of gratitude!"

"By the granny's beard, as long as the furnace burns and the war song never fades, the warhammer of the Grayrock Clan will always be with you. No matter what monsters or chaos demons you encounter, just send a nimble messenger. Even if you're dealing with a great demon of a chaos god, I'll lead 4000 heavily armored Rockbreakers, wielding battle axes, and hack it to pieces!"

Upon hearing Ge Sen's promise, Su Li was overjoyed. This meant that he and his territory had formed an incredibly powerful ally, and this friendship could last for hundreds or even thousands of years!

No matter what crisis Hessenberg faced, even if it was besieged by a hundred thousand Chaos troops or an overwhelming horde of Beastmen, when he had no troops left to use and had no choice but to defend the city to the death.

As soon as he sends a messenger to Grayrock Fortress, the dwarven lord there will immediately gather all able-bodied men, armored and wielding hammers, and come without fear of danger to form a heavily armored infantry force of several thousand men to aid Blacksend.

The oaths of the dwarves are undoubtedly trustworthy; they value oaths and honor more than their own lives!
Su Li immediately reached out and firmly grasped Gerson's right hand, solemnly saying, "Aiding the dwarves is also the doctrine of the Imperial Parliament. We will stand with your Grayrock Fortress and fight together against the evil forces of the Black Forest Foothills and even the entire border princely territory."

Ge Sen also gripped Su Li's right hand tightly, then forcefully slammed it against his own muscular chest.

This alliance will undoubtedly greatly enhance the strength of the Justice and Order faction at the foot of the Gray Mountains.

If Blackburg, Grayrockburg, and Redbeardburg were to send troops together, under extreme circumstances, they could deploy tens of thousands of elite infantry and cavalry!

Facing an attack from a massive evil army, this desperate battle greatly increases one's chances of winning.

If they were to launch an expedition, the three factions could easily mobilize an army of 3000 to 5000 without disrupting production. At that point, 2000 elite heavily armored dwarven infantry, along with 500 artillerymen, musketeers, and 1000 elite human heavy cavalry, could swiftly defeat a large number of evil minions, nipping the threat of chaos and monsters in the bud.

The Nightwalkers undoubtedly fit this target perfectly. Gerson said seriously, "My big friend, if you hadn't sent Mor's Chosen Knights, it would have been really difficult for us to defeat this group of Nightwalkers. There are 5 ghouls that can use magic and 2 champion-level death knights. If we don't use cannons to destroy the ancestral tombs, we'll probably suffer heavy losses."

Praised, Demst immediately perked up again: "Death is like the wind, always by my side. Wherever I am, these maggot-infested things can only turn to ashes! But they certainly seem to have dug up quite a few of your dwarves' ancestral graves. After they turned to ashes, they left behind more than 30 vibranium weapons. You dwarves are really rich; even the poorest dwarf is several times richer than the richest human lord."

Gerson's face darkened instantly. He barely suppressed his anger, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyebrows and beard trembling violently: "You human brat, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak! What do you mean by digging up our ancestral graves? They stole from and desecrated our ancestors!"

If it weren't for the fact that Demst had truly done a great favor for their Grayrock clan, given Gerson's rigid and irritable temper, he would have already picked up an axe and chopped him on the head.

But Durmström didn't take it to heart at all. He waved his hand and said, "Hey, isn't it all the same? We should learn from our followers in Moore and take death in stride."

Watching him banter with Gerson in such a relaxed and humorous manner, Su Li suddenly realized that the knights of Mor were just like the style of a Cameroonian funeral.

Local professional pallbearer teams, dressed in black or brightly colored costumes, perform mesmerizing dances to the beat of powerful drums at the funeral. Through these joyful dances, they convey optimism, encourage the living to face life bravely, and express their respect for the deceased.

No wonder Mor is called the God of Death of the Black Watch, and his knights are always so eccentric.

Gerson was a rather rigid and dignified person, and it was not easy for him to tolerate Demst for so long. Faced with Demst's frivolous behavior, he decided not to lower himself to the level of this human and instead said to Su Li, "This flashy, brightly dressed black knight who looks like a rooster may not be very reliable, but he is right about one thing. Even the poorest dwarf lord is far more willing to admit defeat than a human."

“My big friend, you have helped us, and we have decided to generously give you half of the second fortune in the lord’s treasury as a reward.”

Su Li had to interrupt Ge Sen's generous speech, saying, "My friend, I understand your feelings. But this is really unnecessary. You have promised to spare no expense to rescue our territory in the future and will definitely repay today's kindness. If I take half of your treasure trove today, and I cannot produce as much wealth as you have given me today when you come to rescue me in the future, then our friendship will no longer be equal."

"We can enhance our friendship through friendly and equal transactions, exchanging what we have and what we lack."

Hearing Su Li's words, even the stubborn dwarf wavered somewhat. He valued the longevity of friendship more, and as he said, even the poorest dwarf lord was far wealthier than the richest human lord. If a human lord accepted half of his treasury's wealth today and could not repay it in the future, it would indeed be undesirable.

So he stroked his beard, thought for a long time, and said, "My big friend, you are very thoughtful. In that case, I will listen to you. But as a token of my gratitude, please allow me to give you a perfect rune armor that I crafted myself."

“I’ll accept this gift.” Su Li smiled and patted his strong arm, saying, “What my territory needs most right now is vibranium rune armor. If you have vibranium, we can purchase a batch at a high price.”

“Of course!” Gerson said proudly, “I can trade you 500 catties of vibranium, my friend. You know, our Gray Rock Tribe is famous for its many miners. If you have many ore veins here, I can send a group of miners to mine ore for you. You just need to provide us with food. My tribe has more than 7000 people of the Long Beard bloodline.”

A tribe of over 7000 people?
This is quite a large-scale operation; no wonder he could boast that he would bring a dwarf army of 4000 to support the Black Forest.

The limestone clan had a much larger population than the redbeard clan.

That's normal, though. Poorer tribes tend to have more children. They have little entertainment and can't even guarantee ale, so they can only focus on having more children.

Gerson's decision to trade grain with the Black Forest Territory is likely not only to save Su Li money, but also because he genuinely needs grain.

As a mountain dwarf lord, he had to support a population of 7000, and his economy was not as prosperous as Redbeard's. How to feed these 7000 people must be the most important thing in his territory.

(End of this chapter)