Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 327 Human nature has changed drastically! Eliminate the weeds and bring peace! (Please subscribe)

As dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated, a rusty, bloody smell mixed with the cold air entered the nostrils of the patrolling guards.

"Squad leader, I was on leave before, but I was dragged here this time. If the elders are angry, please put in a good word for me!"

A young guard looked at the nine sharpened wooden stakes in front of him, each bearing a head with its eyes wide open in death, and spoke with a worried expression.

The leading dwarf sentry rubbed his temples: "I know, I know! This is outside, not our patrol post."

.

He recognized the fattest head among them, the blacksmith Jett Sawyer.

This guy was not easy to get along with; his fat face, which was usually full of arrogance, was now twisted with terror.

The blacksmith is dead, so be it.

However, the dwarves have been facing too many internal problems lately, and the recent killings and purges have been very serious.

Adding to the words left here, he was very worried that they would lose their jobs, or even their lives.

Just then, several Gru beasts arrived at lightning speed.

"Stop!"

Then, several tall, fully armed dwarves jumped off the Gru beast.

As the ramrod straightened his back, Yuan Legas stared at what was before him, his pupils contracting.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the sergeant immediately jogged forward, almost bending over to the ground: "Elder Bellagas!"

Bellegas waved his hand and walked straight to the stake. He glanced at the horrified heads, then studied the sharpened stake and the knots on it with great interest.

"The stakes were carved with our usual axes and pickaxes, the technique was very rough! The rope was a sailor's knot used on fishing boats, hehe—it was tied fairly neatly."

He stretched out his finger, gently wiped it on the blood-written words, and then smelled it.

"Charcoal ash, human blood, garbage and excrement, um—and a fishy smell. Ha!"

His adjutant hurried up and reported in a low voice, "Sir, the interrogation has been completed. There was indeed a riot at Stinky Fish Market last night. Jett Sawyer led a group to recruit some artisans, but they went too far and angered the race, so they were driven out—and ambushed on the way."

"We've confirmed that the attackers were from our own kind, their faces were covered, but they were definitely dwarves."

"Our own kind?" Bellegas finally looked up, his gaze sweeping over the nine heads. His eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if he were evaluating a clumsy deal. "The technique was too crude, and there were too many flaws!"

The adjutant was taken aback, and cautiously asked, "You mean—someone is deliberately framing me? Trying to incite internal strife?"

"Framed?" Bellegas sneered, turning to look at him. "Do you think what's important now is finding those other dwarves who took the pickaxe and fishing line but acted so recklessly?"

The adjutant felt uneasy under his gaze and dared not respond.

"The important thing is, who is this stake meant for?" Bellegas's voice was low. "It's meant for the bloated bastards, for us, and for all the poor dwarves who are still breathing. Even—"

He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then looked toward the humans.

Although he did not speak, the other dwarves understood.

Dwarfs are inherently short-tempered.

If they didn't have a temper and were just obedient, they would have been wiped out long ago.

Bellegas gleaned some insights from some valuable books about a long time ago, when the dwarves were still in the Silver Age, a time when they were full of vitality.

If the school food wasn't to their liking, and the teacher assigned them chores, the young boys would dare to tie up the headmaster and the teacher and take them to the education council to demand an explanation.

That takes guts!

Unfortunately, after many wars, survival became difficult, and with some people always seeking stability, the dwarves' fighting spirit was systematically worn down.

Those methods that taught people how to stand up straight were burned as forbidden books, or collected by the dwarven intellectuals to prevent them from spreading.

Long ago, Bellergas was angry about this, and also confused about it.

He wanted to do something, but found that his people were already overwhelmed by life, and any slight disturbance could lead to their annihilation.

Until now————

Bellergas stared at the line of blood-red words, his eyes growing deep.

This ruthlessness and undisguised behavior are characteristic of dwarves, but there have been some changes.

Since the arrival of those humans, there has been a sense of change within the dwarves.

Seeing Bellegas looking at the humans, the adjutant broke out in a cold sweat: "Sir, what should we do now? Should we immediately seal off the lower city and search house to house? And those—it's very dangerous!"

"Search?" Bellegas exclaimed as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "And then? Arrest a large number of dwarves? Deal with a few of the most audacious ones, just to give the noble lords a show?"

"Well—we have to do something! Otherwise, the future capital will definitely blame us—"

"There's no need to do anything to the poor!"

Bellergas interrupted him, his tone eerily calm.

The adjutant was completely dumbfounded: "Aren't you going to do it?"

Bellegas turned away from the corpses, casting the light towards the slums, as if it could penetrate the layers of houses. Then, he looked behind him at the servants sent by the dwarven nobles.

"Since I got back yesterday, I've been thinking about how to choose!"

"After seeing a few heads, I came up with a great idea!"

Not far from Tranquil Harbor, within a man-made military base, the atmosphere was solemn.

On the huge screen in the main control room, images transmitted by a bird-shaped drone are playing silently.

Nine heads, hanging from wooden stakes, swayed slightly in the morning breeze. The image was frozen and magnified, and the terror on each face was clearly visible.

This is exactly what happened two hours ago.

"Tsk, that's really ruthless." Wang Kaixuan rubbed his throbbing temples. "It's hard to imagine that those hardworking and serious guys could be so ruthless when they get physical."

"Who's the one who's really ruthless?"

Wang Kaixuan turned his head and saw that Dou Jiankang had come from dozens of kilometers away, so he immediately saluted.

He quickly told Dou Jiankang what had happened in the past few hours.

Bi Shengli ignored all that and kept his eyes on the intelligence analysis on the screen.

Clues gathered from various sources all point to an internal rebellion among the impoverished dwarves.

However, the technique was too crude.

"Dou Jiankang, I estimate the dwarves will come to communicate with us later. We'll leave the coordination to you professionals." Bi Shengli's voice was calm. "On our side, we'll continue to strengthen the base's defenses. Those dwarves who attacked earlier—keep them here under the guise of working overtime!"

"Sure, leave it to us," Dou Jiankang nodded. "President Bi, it's been almost two hours, and the dwarves haven't come looking for trouble right away, which means they don't want to escalate things and plan to handle it internally. I suspect they're keeping it to themselves."

"Hold it in?" Bi Shengli's lips twitched, revealing a playful smile. "With the dwarves' tempers, you expect them to hold it in? They'll probably let their anger build up into a volcano, and then it'll explode even more violently."

He stood up and took a few steps in the control room.

"That dwarf envoy named Bellegas is very interesting. Based on our previous exchanges, there's a high probability that he'll cooperate."

"What if it's a disguise?" Wang Kaixuan asked.

"Then let's skip him." Bi Shengli's tone was unwavering. "We're here to pioneer, to establish a base in Tranquil Harbor with dwarves as support, not to be babysitters. Whoever can help us stabilize Tranquil Harbor at the lowest cost, we'll cooperate with. Anyone who gets in our way—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The impact of human civilization will inevitably cause a long period of growing pains for the dwarf society. Bloodshed and conflict are unavoidable.

If Bellergas were a smart man, he would know how to leverage human intervention and tacitly approve or even cooperate with human involvement to promote the changes he once desired.

If he chooses to fight —

Humans wouldn't mind letting these stubborn dwarves experience firsthand what the tumultuous flow of time truly means.

However, plans never keep up with changes.

Just when Bi Shengli and the others thought they could have a relaxing afternoon, the dwarf's messenger arrived.

The other party brought a very formal and dignified invitation.

After reading the post written by the dwarf and hearing the envoy's purpose, Bi Shengli's expression instantly turned strange.

"Invited us—to watch them deal with prisoners?" He thought he misheard. "What kind of prisoners? And why do they need to borrow our loudspeakers?"

"The criminals have interfered with the relationship between our two races, and the loudspeaker is to announce the strategic cooperation we will be conducting with our human friends!"

""

Bi Shengli nodded, but he was very puzzled.

According to intelligence, none of the lowly dwarves who committed murder and had their heads hung up last night have been caught.

But now they want to publicly execute him?

Kill innocent people and claim credit, find a few unlucky scapegoats?

Or is this a trap, an opportunity to wipe out humanity's top leaders all at once?

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but in the end only one thought remained: no matter what, he had to get through it.

"Mr. Bi," the dwarven envoy said with a smile, seeing his silence and assuming he wasn't going, "Elder Bellegas is very busy with official duties and is currently dealing with matters concerning the nobles; otherwise, he would have personally come to invite you. He insists that you come!"

"Of course, since Elder Bellegas has extended such an invitation, I will naturally go."

Bi Shengli smiled warmly.

The dwarf practically offered the ladder to his face; if he didn't take it, it would seem petty of a human to refuse.

Besides, he was genuinely curious about what Bellergas was really up to.

Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, we have to go and try.

"Dou Jiankang, let's go over there! Let Kaixuan and the others stay at base to handle any unexpected situations." Bi Shengli turned and ordered, "First Guardian Team, change into Guardian Generation 1 power armor and come with me!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers on standby at the base immediately sprang into action.

A moment later, a team of fully armed soldiers assembled.

Their power armor was dark gray, with smooth, powerful lines, and the hydraulic rods and miniature engines emitted a deep hum.

Every soldier is a mobile arsenal!

Bi Shengli sat in the command vehicle, watching the scenery rushing past the window, his mind churning with thoughts.

"Hopefully, things will turn out well!"

The war merely brought both sides to the negotiating table. Although many individuals had thoughts like "using it as fertilizer instead of a car wheel," the rear of the pioneering team would never allow such an event to occur!

If postwar governance and the distribution of spoils are not handled properly, other problems can easily arise.

And these things cannot be achieved without the cooperation of the indigenous people.

When the group arrived, the area beneath the makeshift platform was already packed with people, a dense, dark mass.

It is clearly divided into two areas.

On one side were the well-dressed, complex-looking dwarf nobles, and on the other side were the silent, solemn dwarfs with eyes that held a mixture of expectation and a few numb expressions.

Almost all the dwarves who could speak in Tranquil Harbor were present.

This spectacle suggests that in addition to the execution, there is also a proclamation to be made.

When Bellegas saw Bi Shengli, he stood up to greet him.

He stood up, his height was just over one meter, and stretched out his hand.

Bi Shengli moved down and grasped the hand that was covered with thick calluses and rough like old tree bark.

"Mr. Bi, Mr. Dou! Once the winds of change begin to blow, there will always be some insects who can't see the direction and think they can block it with their small bodies."

His voice was soft, but it reached Bi Shengli's ears clearly.

With a forced smile, Bellergas poured the other person a full glass of frothy ale as he spoke.

"For a better future." Bi Shengli looked into his eyes and said succinctly.

"For the future." Bellergas gripped his hand firmly in return.

The two released their hands, and there was something different in their eyes.

Once everyone was seated, the bugle sounded.

More than thirty dwarfs, dressed in finery but long since lost their dignity, of varying ages and frailties, were roughly shoved forward.

They were bound tightly with ropes, and one of the dwarves was kicked along, falling awkwardly to the ground because he lost his footing.

Bi Shengli looked closely and found that many of them had bruises and swelling on their faces, obviously having been hit hard; others looked ashen-faced, their eyes searching frantically in the crowd, as if hoping their companions would come to their rescue.

Several of them were particularly noisy, their mouths stuffed with rags, only able to make muffled "ooh" sounds, with veins bulging on their necks and their faces turning red.

Bi Shengli's gaze swept over the prisoners, and the doubts in his heart instantly became clear.

These people are not the ruthless characters who used knives last night.

Dressed so luxuriously, it seems Bellergas has probably already made his choice!

Seeing that the time was ripe, Bellegas picked up the large megaphone he had borrowed from the humans and walked to the edge of the platform.

After a piercing crackling sound, the entire room fell silent instantly.

"Fellow countrymen!" His voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, resounded throughout the entire square. "More than half a holy month has passed since the plot of Mazast and the other corrupt ones, who attempted to sacrifice the entire city's people to summon evil beings, was thwarted!"

"During this period, our great ancestors bestowed divine guidance, directing us to join hands with our human friends and move forward together!"

"Our human friends have brought us new tools and fair trade; they genuinely want to benefit us!"

He abruptly changed the subject, pointing sharply at the row of prisoners kneeling below the stage, his voice suddenly becoming stern.

"But! There are always some greedy people who can't stand to see everyone living a good life!"

"The new consul demands a pay rise and the abolition of the exploitative apprenticeship system, but they disagree! Because that would reduce their income!"

"They even spent a fortune to collude with some thugs, attempting to incite conflict between us and our human friends, hoping to plunge Quiet Harbor back into its former quagmire! So they can continue to leech off us!"

He took a deep breath and roared at the leader, a dwarf whose body was as fat as a wine barrel.

"Nari! What do you have to say about your crimes?"

The fat dwarf named Nari, whose mouth had just been cleaned, trembled when he heard his name.

His pleading gaze fell upon the seats of the nobility, where those friends who had just a few days ago called him brother and conspired to jointly resist the new policies were now either engrossed in studying their fingernails or looking up at the sky as if there were some strange sights in the heavens.

A profound sense of desolation instantly overwhelmed his heart.

He got it.

Damn it, when we were drinking before, everyone said they were going to find people to form a joint boycott, but that was all a lie.

Those bastards probably used him as a scout and a test subject.

They sacrificed themselves as a pledge of loyalty to ensure their own safety!

Remembering what Bellegas had told him before he was brought here, Nari let out a beast-like growl: "Say something to me!"

No one answered.

He stared intently at the several figures in the noble seats.

These are the very friends who clinked glasses with him last night, vowing to stand by him through thick and thin. They're looking around, clearly not prepared to step forward and get themselves into trouble!

They should have gathered everyone together to pledge their loyalty back then.

I was a bit arrogant.

Humanity's forceful intervention, coupled with the divine oracle of the great ancestor Gaizul, was like two boulders thrown into a pond, creating towering waves within the tranquil harbor.

The structure of power and wealth is being forcibly reversed.

The traditional artisan shops, docks, and fishing grounds—the self-sustaining economic model built on the exploitation of apprentices and servants—collapsed overnight.

Humanity has brought about new rules.

They recycled resources in a more reasonable way and hired dwarves at more favorable prices.

Those lowly dwarfs who once struggled to find enough to eat can now not only have enough to eat, but also have the opportunity to learn and hone their skills.

This undoubtedly threatened the interests of certain dwarves.

Many dwarven nobles, who had suffered heavy losses, feared the humans' gleaming power armor and dared not speak out, but secretly they were constantly colluding and making frequent underhanded moves.

Nari was the one who complained the loudest and was the most dissatisfied.

Resentment and discontent quickly fermented into hatred within his fat.

He found Jett Sawyer—a notorious thug boss—and his gang of lackeys, intending to teach those humiliated people who embrace humanity a lesson.

As a result, instead of seeing color, we saw blood.

Jett Sawyer and his henchmen were beaten to death on the spot by that group of audacious low-class dwarves.

What chilled him to the bone even more was that Bellegas didn't send anyone to arrest the murderers at all. Instead, he personally led his guards into his house and kidnapped his entire family.

Looking at Bellegas's cold face and thinking about what the other man had said to him, Nari's entire body trembled.

"Great Elder Bellegas, I was wrong!"

Nali wept uncontrollably, collapsed, and kowtowed desperately toward the high platform.

"I was blinded by the manta ray's oil! The responsibility lies entirely with me! I am willing—I am willing to give up half of my own wealth to compensate for the losses caused to my human friends! I only ask that you forgive me and my family's lives!"

Upon hearing this, the dwarven nobles present all turned their gaze toward Belgas.

Bi Shengli watched this scene with great interest from a distance, a slight smile playing on his lips. He whispered to Dou Jiankang beside him, "It seems they had already reached some agreements beforehand."

Dou Jiankang nodded slightly.

The trial is still ongoing.

Bellergas's voice resounded throughout the arena through the loudspeakers, carrying a metallic, cold quality.

"Nari, you're not entirely naive, you're terribly wrong!"

He slowly stood up, his short figure appearing incredibly tall on the high platform.

"You have no idea what our strategic cooperation with our human friends means to the dwarves!"

"Our people have wandered in the mist for far too long. It was the divine intervention of our ancestors that showed us the way forward! You, Nari, have not only made a small mistake, but you are attempting to bind all the dwarves to your chariot, and you are trying to destroy our only hope!"

Bellergas suddenly pointed at Nari in the audience, his voice rising abruptly.

"You are trying to start a war that we cannot afford!"

A barrage of accusations struck Nari like a hammer blow. His face turned deathly pale, and he hurriedly protested, "No, that's not it! I didn't think that much! Great Elder, I—I really didn't think that much. I just wanted to teach those treacherous fellows a lesson! They signed fifty-year apprenticeship contracts with us! They are traitors!"

"A contract?" Bellegas scoffed, his laughter filled with contempt. "I already told you, those so-called contracts written in blood and tears are all worthless pieces of paper!"

"No one can stand in the way of the friendship between my race and our human friends!"

"The future belongs to fairness and justice! The days of exploiting our fellow citizens and enriching ourselves are gone forever!"

'

Bellergas slammed his horn, and a piercing electrical blast instantly erupted, sending a shiver down the spines of all the dwarves.

When the noise subsided, his cold voice rang out again, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Gentlemen, you may wonder why Nari's crimes are linked to the exploitation of his fellow countrymen. It's because the aforementioned acts are merely the smallest item on his dirty list of desires!"

Bellegas's tone suddenly rose, pointing towards the obese Nari.

"Nari! How much dirty money have you taken since you became the vice president of the Craftsmen's Guild? You replaced the rune armor that protects our frontline warriors with armor made of inferior materials, reducing its protection level by several levels! You mixed a large amount of broken stones that have exhausted their energy into the magic ore needed for our rune weapons! How many precious resources have been wasted."

"You're trading the lives of your fellow countrymen for the priceless, expensive wines that fill your cellar!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of several dwarves dressed in soldier uniforms in the crowd instantly changed.

Some of them touched their breastplates, while others looked at Nari with unfriendly and murderous intent.

Nari's embezzlement and corruption were carried out in a very covert manner.

But when the wall falls, someone will naturally come to push it down.

Bellergas obtained a large amount of information using only some unsavory interrogation techniques.

"Sixteen years ago, there was a massive explosion at the Tenas Crafts Workshop on Blacksmith Street. Can you honestly say you had nothing to do with it?"

"besides----"

With a wave of his hand, several dwarf warriors carried a large chest!

The box contains a large number of valuable items.

Gold coins, silver coins, precious magical artifacts —

Of course, there are also a small number of jewelry items.

Once these things were revealed, they immediately dazzled many dwarves who had never seen money before.

"A vice president with a modest salary, who has only served for 30 years, possesses assets equivalent to 1000 of his annual salary."

times. "

"A thousand times more! I've been vice president for thirty years and amassed assets that would take a thousand years to earn."

"Heh heh, before this, you were just a mid-level craftsman with some assets!"

Nari's forehead was sweating.

"I, I was—" Nari wanted to say something, but in the end dared not speak.

Many of the dwarf nobles were restless.

"Nari, you smuggled high-quality fuel and resold military supplies. When your scheme was exposed, you even killed people to cover it up. Sixty-seven young apprentices died because of you. The bombing, heh heh—did you think you could just bury the bombing?"

Even their intact bodies couldn't be found! Their families are still weeping, while you've pocketed their compensation money and used it to buy your wife a whole host of jewels!

The crowd erupted in chaos.

"You son of a bitch!"

"My brother—my brother died in that explosion!"

A dwarf with a full beard and bloodshot eyes roared and tried to charge forward, but was held back by the people around him.

"And another thing!" Bellegas's voice cut through the noise. "Three years ago, the Nail Block (a dwarf's name) family from Seafood Alley! Just because his son accidentally bumped into your wife, you actually brought your servants and beat the entire family of five to death, burying them in the latrine in your backyard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another bag of things was poured out.

Several half-rotten, foul-smelling, short skeletons lay on the ground, one of which had a very obvious, old crack on its skull.

"Ancestors above!" An old dwarf in the crowd pointed at the skull in horror. "It's Old Nail! It's definitely Old Nail! He was fighting when he was young, and his head was cleaved open by an axe—this is the cut!"

Bellergas recounted the crimes he had committed, word by word.

All of these are supported by conclusive evidence and are irrefutable.

The dwarves, who had previously been watching with amusement, now had only burning rage in their eyes.

Some of the dwarf nobles were sweating profusely.

They were involved in some things and didn't kneel down; they were just lucky!

"Gentlemen, do you think this is the end of it?" Bellegas sneered. "We also found in your steward's secret ledgers the supplies you secretly provided to those corrupt traitors in Mazast! You don't have the guts to rebel directly, so you're trying to hedge your bets, aren't you?"

This charge became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"Corruption! Murder! Collusion with the enemy!"

Bellergas allowed the anger in the room to build to its peak before slowly raising his hand, his voice as cold as winter ice.

"Multiple crimes combined! I, Belgas, in the name of our great ancestors and the Dwarven Kingdom, in the name of the alliance between our two races, sentence Nari and his entire clan to death!"

"No! No!" Nari completely broke down, his obese body trembling violently, tears streaming down his face. "Belegas! You promised me! You promised to spare my family if I confessed! Family shouldn't be implicated!"

Bellergas looked down at him, his eyes showing no anger, only a coldness that seemed to see through everything.

"Even now, you still want to deceive your fellow countrymen with lies?"

"No, you can't kill my family! You can't! I have connections in the capital, I have powerful backers—"

Bellergas waved his hand immediately: "Quickly, gag him!"

Several soldiers immediately stepped forward and stuffed Nari’s mouth, which was still wailing, with rags.

The other dwarf nobles kneeling on the ground were all deathly pale, and a few who were close to Nari were trembling uncontrollably.

Some people tried to plead for mercy, but a single glance from Bellergas rendered them speechless, as if they had been choked.

Axes and sharp blades were wielded.

The elders of Nari's family, his wicked brothers, and their relatives were all beheaded.

The dwarf civilians below felt a surge of anger finally released, their faces flushed red as they raised their arms and shouted.

"Kill! Kill all these bloodsucking parasites!"

"That felt great! That felt so good!"

With the execution of Nari's entire family, the dwarven nobles were filled with apprehension.

Meanwhile, the lower-class commoners of the dwarves were finally able to hold their heads high.

Previously, the dealings with nobles merely established authority. But this trial, in which Bellegas participated, planted a deep, unyielding seed in people's hearts.

Bellegas has won the hearts of the lower dwarves of Tranquil Harbor. A new authority and a new order are quietly beginning to take shape!

Bi Shengli, Dou Jiankang, and other human warriors watched all of this silently.

Dou Jiankang looked at the dwarf children who were cowering in fear, and felt a pang of pity. He moved his lips and leaned closer to Bi Shengli.

"The dwarves are too ruthless, leaving no room for retreat! Even the younger ones—"

Bi Shengli patted the other man's arm and said calmly, "Dou Jiankang, this is another world! We are guests. The host is cleaning the house, so let's not interfere or look around, lest we get covered in dust."

He paused, looked at Bellergas's resolute profile, and added a sentence.

"Besides, by speaking now, aren't you just confirming your statement about interfering in the dwarves' internal affairs?"

Dou Jiankang's mouth agape slightly, then he stopped looking at them.

Yes!

Chopping the grass does not remove the roots, but the spring breeze blows and regenerates.

People in ancient times understood these things!

This is another world.

Sometimes, it's best to follow the rules of this other world.

And it wasn't them who did it!

What are they worried about?!

If blame is later imposed, it will be on Bellergas, who gave the order, not on the bystanders.

After the killings, Bellagas also made some announcements.

For example, they officially burned all the dwarf contracts that Nari had previously signed, which were essentially slave contracts, and adjusted the unreasonable aspects of the previous contracts.

Secondly, it was announced again that the city hall of Tranquil Harbour would be undertaking some infrastructure projects.

The project will integrate human and dwarf construction standards, and will involve construction for at least five years. It will also recruit a corresponding engineering team to be responsible for maintenance work.

In addition, Bellagas announced the establishment of a joint tax administration and auditing agency with humans to ensure future business dealings, tax payments, and many other issues.

As is well known, tax issues are the most troublesome thing in all regions.

The dwarves have poor communication and various censorship systems, resulting in many loopholes in their statistics.

Bellegas had previously communicated with humans about these issues and discovered that these things had great potential.

The dwarves have just suffered a massacre orchestrated by the Corruptors, losing a large number of their middle-ranking nobles.

Implementing this now would allow the wealth accumulated within the dwarven nobility to be quickly returned to the authorities of Tranquil Harbor.

As for getting humans to retrieve their previous spoils?

The dwarves had considered this matter.

However, after humans reached a strategic cooperation agreement with the dwarves, they transported a batch of goods over.

As for the others, they simply said they had all disappeared, or that they didn't know.

What can you expect the dwarf to say?

The fact that the other party didn't squander all the dwarves' funds is already quite kind of them.

Leaving them half of their less important wealth, while causing the dwarves considerable losses, did not cripple Tranquil Harbor.

From this perspective, humans are truly the greatest benefactors!