Game of Thrones: I am Dothraki, not a barbarian

Chapter 126 Unusual Activity at the Mine
“The Dragon Mother possesses your heart, and Leila would never dare to share it with her.” Leila’s eyes sparkled as she ran her fingers across the skin of the four mermaids. “They are my sisters, Tessa, Mara, Serena, and Luna, each with their own unique skills.”

Tonight, please allow them to join me in pleasing Lord Rahalo.

The maids swayed their hips and spun around, sometimes getting closer and sometimes separating.

“My ability lies not in bedroom pleasures, but in my ability to hear what others cannot,” Leila continued plucking the strings. “Men usually lower their guard in the face of beauty, but a socialite’s ears are always listening.”

As it happens, I have a good relationship with them and can hear the most secret whispers of Braavos.

"Including the Iron Treasury?"

"Including the Iron Treasury."

Lahalo never expected that Leila, whom he had taken in, would not only be beautiful and capable of handling four people at once, but also possess the ability to gather intelligence.

The Battle of Pentos was so difficult because of a lack of intelligence; Robert's fleet was practically right under their noses when they discovered the enemy's presence, causing them to lose the initiative.

However, fate has its own way of doing things. Without that fierce siege, Migo's four dragons would not have been born.

Braavos was a financial center, and the Iron Treasury's business extended throughout the world. Many lords and dukes sent envoys there, and information exchange was very frequent.

Leila's intelligence is as precious to Lahalo as water in the desert. It not only helps him discover the Iron Vault's conspiracy in advance, but also allows him to prepare countermeasures based on the conspiracy!

Moreover, it's not just the Iron Treasury, but also the major merchant guilds and nobles. In a free city-state centered on money and power, knowing even a little bit of a secret that others don't can bring huge opportunities!
After the dance, the four mermaids presented Laharo and Leila with bracelets made of seashells and pearls, and helped them remove their clothes, working together in unison.

...

At dawn, the gates of the Velvet Iron Mine opened, and a caravan of horse-drawn carts loaded with tools slowly drove in, their wheels making a soft rustling sound as they rolled on the gravel road.

The foreman, Jike, stood beside the carriage, holding a piece of parchment, and checked the goods one by one.

"All the tools and engineering equipment sent by Lord Rahalo are here." After taking inventory, Zeke arranged for the deliveryman to go to the restaurant for a meal.

The workers put down their work and gathered around in twos and threes. Jike picked up a fine iron pulley from the cart, spun it around for a long time, and laughed:

"It's much better than the old wooden pulleys, which will greatly improve production efficiency."

There were also many new tools piled on the cart, with crank handles replacing the old wooden winches, and fine iron parts for the mine carts and cranes, which were much better than those used in the past. They were all high-end products that Laharlo had commissioned craftsmen from Mil to make.

The old craftsmen whispered among themselves, their faces beaming with joy. They were all blacksmiths, and with these samples, they would soon be able to replicate them and eventually popularize them throughout the entire mine.

However, at the edge of the crowd, several young apprentice craftsmen looked on with disdain.

“Zek, you old man, is it really necessary to increase efficiency?” Rotten Tooth Torren sneered. “You just want us to do more work.”

Zeke said with a serious face, "These are all good things, and they don't look cheap. Lord Rahalo invested so much just to make things easier for you. Don't be ungrateful!"

The apprentices pursed their lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and took the tools to their respective posts.

At noon, more than twenty freeman apprentices gathered in the dining hall, with Torun sitting in the middle, barefoot on a stool.

What do you think of those new tools?

“I can do twice the work,” said skinny Mike.

“Then we should get double pay!” Toren’s eyes gleamed with calculation. “We work so hard, but we’re still getting the old pay. Is that fair?”

Seeing the apprentices whispering among themselves, he pulled a parchment from his pocket and said mysteriously, "The Iron Treasury has found me."

He lowered his voice: "They said if we strike, they'll forgive all our debts! You owe the Iron Treasury a lot of money, don't you?"

"Are you stupid? This is a rebellion, you'll be executed!" Jonathan covered his mouth with his own and nervously looked around.

Rotten Tooth Torren slapped Old Jonah's hand away and sneered, "I didn't agree to them."

"But why don't we go talk to Lord Mandak and see if he's willing to give us a few more copper coins?"

Upon hearing about the pay raise, the apprentices readily nodded in agreement. In the distance, Jik watched these ambitious young men, shook his head, tossed his empty wooden bowls and spoons into a bucket, and left the restaurant to report the month's production to Marko Mandak at the mine management office.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and more than thirty freeman apprentices rushed in.

Toren shouted, "Lord Mandak, we demand more money!"

Ma Ke raised an eyebrow, subconsciously touching the scar on his face, and casually asked, "What reason?"

Toren was initially terrified of Marko, especially by the large hole in Marko's face, which made him sound sinister and frightening when he spoke.

But since there were more of them, they couldn't back down, so they straightened their backs and shouted loudly.

“The new tools have enabled us to do more work, so we should get more money.”

"Heh," Marco sneered, "Should I pay you for processing, or for processing the tools?"

"We don't care, since production has increased, wages should be raised!" Toren retorted.

As the smell of gunpowder grew stronger, the foreman of the craftsmen, Jike, advised, "Brothers, the lord is investing in these tools to make things easier for you; it's for everyone's good."

Your wages are already double what they are elsewhere. How can you expect a raise after working for less than two months?

With production increasing recently, Maco has gained favor with Lajalo and has more power in his hands.

Their miners are all slaves, and there are almost no costs except for food. There are only a few hundred free apprentices, so there is no need to delay production for a few hundred copper coins.

Thinking of this, he said, "Add one bronze star to each person every day; this is the limit I can give."

This was an unexpected bonus, and most of the apprentices nodded in satisfaction, preparing to leave, when they heard Toren shout, "Not enough! We need at least three bronze stars!"

Ma Ke's voice turned cold: "Get out!"

In the afternoon, billowing black smoke rose from the blast furnace, and the craftsmen were busy with their own tasks. The sounds of hammering and clanging filled the air. Jike walked around the blacksmith area, offering pointers whenever he saw a problem.

"The curved plow commissioned by Lord Kao must be made to perfection! If you don't understand something, look at the blueprints. If you still can't understand the blueprints, come and ask me directly. Show us your skills and don't let Lord Kao down!"

Toren walked over with several disgruntled apprentices, his face full of anger.

"You think you can get rid of us with just one bronze star?" Toren stood in front of Zeke, blocking his way.

“The lord has already done more than enough; you shouldn’t be ungrateful,” Jike said, frowning.

"You bootlicker!"

Toren suddenly shoved Zeke, and several apprentices rushed forward, knocking Zeke to the ground and attacking him with fists and kicks.

Jik curled up on the ground, clutching his head, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing the scene descend into chaos, some rushed over to stop it, while others ran to inform Ma Ke.

Before long, Mako arrived with several guards. Upon seeing the injury on Jike's face, he was furious:

"Take down those who started it!"

The guards pinned Toren and the other four apprentices to the ground. Marco arranged for Jik to receive medical treatment, then ordered someone to bring a whip. He rolled up his sleeves, and the whip whistled as it struck Toren's back, tearing his skin and causing him to scream in agony.

With each blow, Ma Ke would say, "We give you jobs, we feed you, we give you tools, and you repay kindness with enmity, huh?"

Each of the five men was lashed ten times, their backs covered in blood and gore.

Ma Ke threw down the whip. "Guards, drag him away."

(End of this chapter)