Does the Redbeard Tribe have more than three thousand members?

That indeed can be considered a large number, making it a powerful Dwarf Clan.

Unlike humans, Dwarves generally have smaller populations; a female Dwarf typically only bears one or two offspring in her lifetime.

Human Pioneer Territories such as the Hesse Territory have just over two thousand people, just getting started. They haven't even formed a small town yet.

But if a Dwarf Fortress has three thousand people, that's a clan with a long history, where all adult Dwarves are qualified soldiers.

Imagine two thousand Dwarves clad in heavy armor, wielding massive war axes and shields, charging with roars under the cover of cannons and firearms—such a scene is terrifying.

Even Giants and Ogres would crumble and flee before such formidable might.

Only the large monster armies in the forest could confront them head-on.

Only a Green Dragon gathering its vast followers could pose a threat to the fortress's existence.

But behind this strength lurks great danger. As the Dwarves in the Gray Mountain Range lose control of surface farms, most of their agriculture has to rely on underground farms deep within the fortress.

The mountain terraces maintained by their outposts can't even meet the demand for the Dwarves' beloved malt beer and barley beer.

Currently, there is another huge crisis they need to deal with alongside their human giant friends.

Even though Dorglin was drunk, he didn't forget the important matters and said to Lin Rui, "We have a renowned branch of the Jeweler's Guild inside Redbeard Fortress. As you know, Dwarven craftsmanship is famous throughout the continent."

When people get drunk, they often talk more than usual, and Dorglin was no exception. He blurted out all the secrets among the Dwarves: "In the guild, jewelers choose by themselves where to market their crafts. Generally, they only prefer to trade slightly inferior goods with other races, while the best quality items are reserved for transactions with fellow clansmen, given as gifts to them, or simply displayed as works of art within the guild or clan treasury."

"And when trading with other races, such as humans or Half-Elf nobility, they sell at exorbitant prices. High-quality crafts by our clan's Master Jeweler, Boris Golden Finger, are renowned even in the Empire's Marle Castle."

"But don't worry, my friend. You are the most noble friend of us Dwarves. Dwarves would never deceive a friend. I will personally help you select the best crafts and give you the most favorable price, ensuring that even if you sell these jewels in the future, you will earn countless wealth."

Indeed, when people drink too much, they love to brag. It transcends races and regions.

Su Li pacified his bragging and then asked, "Then don't you have other guilds in the fortress? Like the Blacksmith Guild, Miner's Guild, Engineer's Guild, or the mysterious Rune Guild?"

"The Blacksmith Guild, that's the hallmark of Dragon Rock Castle. Not only do they have a Blacksmith Guild there, but it's also the headquarters of our Dwarf Kingdom's Blacksmith Guild. Our King, Cold-blooded Krag, personally oversees the guild headquarters. He is the Lord of Rune Blacksmiths. Many blacksmiths from other kingdoms and fortresses come to learn from him. He is one of the most senior, greatest, and respected living ancestors among Dwarf blacksmiths."

A living ancestor refers to legendary figures in the Dwarf Clan who are over 400 years old, akin to the human milestones of Hua Jia, Gu Xi, and Mao Di.

However, Dwarves generally have a longer lifespan. They are called Longbeards at 120 and Greatbeards over 200.

Seeing Su Li frown, Dorglin immediately stepped forward, grabbing his arm and shouting, "My friend, don't underestimate our Jeweler's Guild! To the east of Redbeard Castle is the Giant Kingdom, to the north is the evil Green-skinned Tribe, and to the south is Blood Pine Forest. We have been engaged in long, endless wars with Green Skin, Beastmen, and monsters, yet we still stand firm, precisely because we are well-funded to support any army we need."

"Redbeard Castle is not only a strategic pass but also a flourishing trade hub. Tell me what you need? I can help you recruit enough manpower with wealth."

Su Li immediately said, "I need a large workforce, including no less than 100 Dwarf miners, 50 blacksmiths, 30 engineers, and at least 3 Dwarf Rune Masters."

The number Su Li reported made Dorglin's drunken eyes widen and he sobered up a bit: "My friend, your castle and territory are just beginning, and you're hiring so many Dwarves? You must know that while Dwarves work very efficiently, their hiring fees are also very high. You're hiring so many people, have you discovered a super-large iron mine?"

With Dwarf friends, Su Li had nothing to hide, as Dwarves would never initiate an attack on a human ally's territory. Besides, once Dwarves start mining, it wouldn't remain a secret. Deceiving him now would only make Dorglin feel insulted, dishonoring the friendship between them.

So Su Li honestly said, "That's right, I've discovered a super-large iron mine on my territory, capable of producing a considerable amount of Vibranium. I need the skilled miners and artisans of the Dwarves to forge a sufficient number of Divine Weapons for me."

"Oh! By the Ancestor God, when this news reaches the mountains, the dwarves will go mad. Many will move down here, and if they can craft a set of Vibranium Rune Armor by their own hands, many would serve without pay."

The dwarves who moved out of the mountains and live in human territories are called Imperial Dwarves. They have a closer relationship with the Empire and have somewhat different ideals from the Mountain Dwarves. They tend to abide by the Empire's laws, but within their community, they still uphold the traditional laws and beliefs of the dwarves.

So if Imperial Dwarves really do move over, at least a substantial family and tribe would reside in a community in Hesse Town, becoming the most perfect citizens and artisans of the city.

Thus, Su Li immediately said, "This is the best thing that could happen. If it truly comes to pass, you will have done a great service for my territory. Let me know your needs; if I can, I will certainly help."

Dorglin was instantly invigorated. He had engaged in such enthusiastic conversation and offered so much help precisely to forge a friendship with Black Forest Territory and establish some trades.

He quickly said, "Battles in the mountains are very frequent. Our terraced fields on the surface have been burnt down by Green Skins and goblins in three places, and two outposts have been captured, leading to issues with our food supply. Many of our kinsmen are going hungry."

"Therefore, although we have a strong Mountain Shield Array, it's becoming increasingly weak. The Green Skins have already cut off our trade route with Dragon Rock Castle. If this continues, we might become increasingly disadvantaged. Ultimately, even the steadfast Redbeard Castle might fall under the endless onslaught of the Green Skins."

"So we hope to establish trade relations with the humans below the mountains. We would sell you dwarf-made craft products in exchange for your grains, food, beef, venison, and most importantly, beer."

"Establishing a trade agreement is naturally not a problem." Su Li raised an eyebrow and then asked, "But if you worry about the northern Green Skins cutting off trade routes, aren't you concerned about the west?"

It's known that on their way here, they encountered a large number of monsters.

Although these Dwarf Rangers have rich battle experience and extraordinary combat prowess, having slain many monsters with minimal losses, it seems trading isn't an easy task at all.

Dorglin immediately said, "This involves the distribution of forces in the mountains. Generally, the closer you get to the mountain periphery near the plains outside, the fewer monsters there are."

"In the southwest direction of the Gray Mountain Range, although there are Green Skins, Beastmen, bandits, and robbers lurking everywhere, they exist as small scattered forces. They can't unite, so as long as we dispatch three hundred Dwarf Warriors to guard the trade caravan, they will be powerless."

"But there is one problem. In the underground tunnels, we encountered a group of cultists. From the evil items they carried, I suspect they are digging for some dangerous ancient ruins."

"Ancient ruins?" Su Li asked curiously, wanting to know what that was.

Dorglin replied, "The Empire of humans has only existed for three thousand years, but this continent has been around for millions of years. In the last epoch, it was our era of Dwarves and Elves. Prior to that, it was the era of the Giant Dragons."

"After a miserable Battle of the Longbeards, the Elves and Dwarves both withdrew from the continent due to weakness. So, many places contain ancient ruins. Humans and Elves both have adventurers exploring the ruins of those sites."

"Inside, there's not only vast wealth but also numerous powerful ancient-age equipment and buried and sealed monsters. We suspect these cultists are digging out evil monsters and sealed demons inside. So, we hope to form an alliance with our big allies to promptly eliminate these cultists."

For the three thousand years since the Empire was established, each time faced with the threat of demons, humans and dwarves formed an alliance together. It was so in the past, and shall continue to be so in the future.

Su Li immediately said, "This is undeniably our mission. The existence of these cultists threatens the entire Border Prince's Territory's safety and must be eradicated."

"However, this isn't an easy task. Our territory's army has already erupted into multiple battles with them. But their numbers have shown no signs of diminishing, and we've never had the certainty of victory."

Su Li was well aware of the presence of these cultists.

Initially, when Su Li led a squadron of soldiers to encircle their scout troops, it was only then he achieved victory. During the battle, their formidable combat strength and ferocious fighting style left a deep impression on Su Li.

Until the Half-Elf Race joined, Su Li had at most slightly more than a squadron at his disposal.

He also had to fend off the Broken Toe Tribe's Green Tide invasion, and truly lacked the manpower to spare for a squadron to leave the territory for three or four days, traversing Green Leaf Hills and Bloody Highlands, entering the mountains to have a decisive battle with this cultist force. The round trip alone almost took ten days, and with the main force gone for so long, the Broken Toe Tribe could potentially reduce Hesse Territory to ashes.

Now it's time to solve the issue of those sinister schemers in the shadows.

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