Chapter 479: Unite(2)
Chapter 479: Unite(2)
Dwarves might seem to lack a certain presence compared to other races, but upon closer inspection, they are a peculiar people.
The common perception of them is deeply rooted in their image as dexterous blacksmiths who excel at crafting tools, as well as their notably short stature. However, their small size allows them to navigate cramped spaces with ease, a physical trait that makes them exceptionally suited for mining.
Furthermore, contrary to the assumption that a small frame equates to weakness, their physical strength is actually quite formidable. This prejudice likely stems from the fact that they rarely seek out combat, unlike the bellicose Beastkin or the humans who seem to fight amongst themselves at every opportunity.
But any such notions would vanish the moment one encountered a dwarf on the battlefield rather than at an anvil. Their stout bodies make them difficult to contend with, and their balance is impeccable. Unless they are facing a race as small as goblins, dwarves naturally tend to target the lower body. Just as humans focus their attacks on an ogre's legs first, dwarves employ a similar tactic against taller foes.
While they are a race that can catch the unwary off guard, their inherent playfulness and optimistic nature have generally kept them from major conflicts with other races. Yet, even these dwarves possess one glaring flaw...
[A race that would forge weapons for a demon if the price were right.]
[True artisans possess a pride that money cannot buy, but the dwarves have none.]
[Be cautious in all dealings with dwarves. They might not stab you in the back, but they’ll cut the nose right off your face in broad daylight.]
That flaw is 'greed.' The entire world acknowledges the avarice of dwarves, and the dwarves themselves are well aware of it.
In truth, dwarves weren't always this greedy. As a race of artisans, they once took immense pride in their craft and were devoted solely to their work. However, their greed began to surge to the surface following the outbreak of the 'Race War.'
Even though the Human Alliance had received magical knowledge from the Demon Clan, the fundamental difference in raw specs made facing the Elves an arduous task. Consequently, the Human Alliance paid staggering sums of money to the dwarves in exchange for weapons.
If their natural abilities were lacking, their equipment had to be superior! Otherwise, they stood no chance against the Elves. With this mindset, the Human Alliance equipped not only their knights but even their common soldiers with dwarven-made weaponry.
It didn't stop at weapons; they purchased magical items to use mana more efficiently, as well as clothing, accessories, and, most importantly, iron. In Earth terms, it was as if the United States had enacted the 'Lend-Lease Act.' The only difference was that these were outright purchases, not loans.
Regardless, the nation of Machina amassed astronomical wealth and fame starting from the Race War. Machina then used that capital to shower the populace with subsidies, which naturally fueled further production by the dwarven craftsmen.
[Dwarven weapons are reliable!]
[Dwarven goods come with a 100% quality guarantee.]
[Are you really going to pass this up? Even now?]
This cycle has continued for three hundred years up to the present day. Even for an item that looks ordinary on the surface, the price skyrockets if it carries the dwarven label. It’s not that the dwarves are scammers; their craftsmanship is genuine. They would never dream of cheating someone on quality.
The problem is that their 'artisan pride' can be bought with gold. Since they conduct their business with such blunt honesty, it’s hard to even find a reason to curse them.
Even the Minerva Empire, with its immense economic power, is nothing more than a customer to Machina. While the goods the dwarves produce are impressive, the most vital factor is their 'metallurgy.' As a race of blacksmiths, their ability to manipulate metal is second to none. Many scholars estimate that dwarven metallurgy is at least several stages ahead of any other race.
Humans struggle to keep up, while the Demon Clan and Elves are naturally powerful and possess magic, leading them to rely less on technology. Finally, the Beastkin have only recently established a civilization, leaving their technological prowess severely lacking.
Most importantly, since its founding, the dwarven nation of Machina has never been embroiled in the flames of war. While there were hurdles during its establishment, they were practically negligible. Since they are naturally inclined toward creation, they instinctively shy away from conflict.
One might wonder if they would become isolated like a 'Galapagos' society, but with neighboring humans constantly praising and purchasing their goods, isolation was never a risk.
Thanks to this peculiar history and their racial characteristics, dwarves exert a powerful, if subtle, presence in the world. Up close, they might be dismissed as merely a race of skilled craftsmen, but from a distance, they are a people who have intervened in every major historical event.
Objectively, they are indeed 'artisans,' but ironically, they are a race whose 'pride'—an essential virtue for any artisan—is always for sale. This led one scholar to sharply criticize dwarven greed:
[Every time we kill a dwarf, a dwarf will sell us the weapon we use to do it.]
It was a critique strikingly similar to a famous quote by the Grand Marshal of Steel, yet it was a masterpiece of prose that accurately reflected dwarven avarice.
And as time passed, these peculiar racial traits gave birth to a massive grievance.
"Why! Why won't you recognize the Magic Locomotive as my invention!"
Eins, the inventor of the Magic Engine, slammed his thick hand onto the table and roared. His face was flushed beet-red despite not having a drop of alcohol, and his bushy brown beard trembled violently. His eyes burned with a fury that made his rage palpable.
"How dare you raise your voice in this presence! Lower it at once!"
A dwarf standing opposite Eins frowned and spoke sternly in response to the shout. Unlike Eins, who bore soot stains all over his person, this dwarf—presumably an official—wore a monocle and looked impeccably neat.
While dwarves are blacksmiths by nature, that was a story from before the Race War. Since discovering the 'taste of money' during that conflict, the number of dwarves who obsessed over gold, like the official before him, had increased.
"I'm shouting because I know exactly where I am! You never gave a damn before, so why are you doing this now?!"
"You dare use such foul language before the King! I've told you several times to hold your tongue!"
"Then give me a reason! What kind of bullshit is this about the state taking ownership of the Magic Engine?!"
While Eins and the official were barking at each other, one person remained perfectly composed. It was the dwarf sitting across from Eins. However, this dwarf was unique in a different way.
Setting aside the characteristically thick beard, the sheer amount of jewelry draped over his body was eye-catching. Every finger was adorned with a brilliant ring, and even the ornaments binding his beard were made of solid gold.
And then there was the crown. While crowns are typically made of pure gold, the one this dwarf wore transcended that category. The entire crown was carved from a single, massive diamond. It seemed impossible, but it was a genuine diamond.
The crowning glory was the array of gemstones embedded in it. If Isaac had seen that crown and those gems, he would have remarked that someone had turned a certain purple space-tyrant's gauntlet into a headpiece—the only difference being the diamond base.
"What else could it be? It's because you merely discovered it; you are not the originator."
Bourgeois V, the King of Machina and the personification of dwarven greed, answered as if the answer were obvious. He was the king who had developed a taste for wealth after the Race War and was now intent on seizing Eins's invention.
Eins stopped arguing with the official and glared at Bourgeois V. His face showed no sign of intimidation, even in the presence of royalty.
"You won't recognize it because Xenon is the originator? Xenon explicitly said I could do whatever I wanted with it!"
"Then that means we can do whatever we want with it as well. Without Xenon's idea, you wouldn't have been able to invent the Magic Engine in the first place."
It was the height of sophistry. Eins closed his eyes for a moment, barely suppressing the urge to clutch the back of his neck in frustration. Had Isaac heard those words, he would have been equally dumbfounded.
The Magic Engine—or rather, the steam engine it was based on—was a technology that would have eventually been invented naturally. In fact, the steam-powered water pump, the precursor to the steam engine, had been invented long ago. Isaac had merely provided knowledge of a future that wasn't quite a future.
The problem, however, was that the invention was more than just an innovation; it was something that would completely overturn the world. Furthermore, the world's most famous 'public figure' had shown a steam locomotive in his books. And Bourgeois V, who had turned his entire nation into arms dealers during the Race War, had reaped enormous profits.
There were many reasons, but ultimately, it came down to 'greed.' He wanted the Magic Engine for himself, so he claimed the rights were void.
"Don't give me that bullshit! You're saying I only made it because Xenon suggested it first? You read the Xenon Biography too! I'm the one who invented the steam locomotive in that story!"
If Isaac had heard this, he would have thought, Ah, that was just a coincidence.
"Oh, that? You said it yourself before. You said your disciple would have carried on your legacy to invent the steam locomotive. Are you changing your story now?"
But Eins, and everyone else for that matter, believed it wholeheartedly. Had Isaac seen this, he would have let out a hollow laugh.
"Because that future no longer exists! I just want the rightful ownership I deserve!"
"You see the tree but miss the forest. You have no idea how much potential the Magic Engine holds."
As the pleas and sophistry flew back and forth, Bourgeois V looked at Eins with a pitying expression and chided him.
"The Magic Engine is a power that can move even massive hunks of iron. It won't just be applied to locomotives; it can be used in various fields. For example, in machinery."
"What?"
"It means we can replace machines that require magic to operate with the Magic Engine."
As a dwarven nation, Machina had a well-developed field of mechanical engineering. It just hadn't been formalized into 'theory.' Because they were naturally gifted and followed their 'instincts,' there were many cases where they simply tinkered until something worked.
Many inventions, including refrigerators and air conditioners, were born from dwarven hands, but upon closer look, they often bore the touch of Elves. Take the air conditioner, for example. In sweltering weather, Elves would use ice magic to deal with the heat. A dwarf would see that and think, What if I put that into a machine? They would then take the magic formula from the Elves and integrate it.
Through this irregular process, mechanical engineering developed, but the underlying physics remained dependent on the Elves.
"A power that can replace anything as long as there is a drive source. This alone can amass unimaginable wealth. Magic? That's only for the Pointy-ears and the Horn-heads. For the dwarves and other races, this is a power we absolutely need."
"..."
"Besides, the things those Horn-heads are making are no joke. They have magic, so they can manufacture things even more easily. We could lose the entire market we've monopolized."
He possessed a greedy nature paired with a corresponding level of insight. Indeed, the goods Helium was putting out were not inferior to those of the dwarves. If dwarven products were known for their robust hardware, the Demon Clan's products had strong software thanks to magic.
If Helium had remained isolated, the world market would have belonged to Machina. But with the emergence of a powerful nation like Helium, they could no longer afford to stand by.
The invention of Eins's Magic Engine was the perfect opportunity. Using it as a pretext, the King planned to transform the entire nation into a massive 'factory.' His reason for seizing ownership was to mass-produce the Magic Engine and deploy it everywhere.
"Think of it as a sacrifice for the nation. In exchange, your name will grace the pages of history. Not to mention the vast wealth you'll accumulate."
"You... you bastard..."
Eins was so stunned he was speechless. Regardless, Bourgeois V flashed a wide, toothy grin. As if to represent his greed, even his teeth were plated in shimmering gold.
Seeing that, Eins felt the last thread of his sanity snap.
"Do you have any idea how many dwarves are collapsing right now?! How many more of our kin are you going to grind into the dirt!"
As Eins shouted, Machina currently possessed a highly distorted social structure. First and foremost, Machina was the society closest to 'capitalism.' Since discovering the taste of money three hundred years ago, the craving for wealth had intensified, and at some point, financial power began to eclipse political authority.
The reason Bourgeois V was able to maintain his royal power was that the entire nation had become 'arms dealers' to support the Human Alliance. Naturally, the royal family earned the most money, and in an era where wealth was power, his authority was absolute.
However, this had also produced a major side effect: the emergence of a 'worker' class. Originally, the term 'worker' was something used primarily after an industrial revolution, but the racial characteristics of the dwarves had been funneled in a negative direction.
"Just making weapons, the number of our kin collapsing is enough to fill a wagon!"
Individual dwarves were no longer treated as artisans, but as 'factories.'
"And you want to suck even more blood from them? What the hell are you thinking!"
"Then can you handle the exploding demand? Do you know how many regions are struggling right now because our weapons are in short supply?"
Because of the existence of 'monsters,' stopping those factories was, in reality, impossible.