Supply Chain Stabilization (Legally Unfair Treaty Successfully Concluded)
Supply Chain Stabilization (Legally Unfair Treaty Successfully Concluded)
Snap.
The moment Trixie snapped her fingers.
Kudangtang-!
The dwarves, who had been running on their short legs, fell all at once.
"Why...? My armor and weapons, everything suddenly...!"
The equipment they were wearing had become as heavy as lead.
This shouldn't be happening.
Even though rune-engraved armor is a solid block of metal, it becomes light as a feather by borrowing the power of runes.
Furthermore, if it resonates with the Runestones existing deep in the mountain range, it goes beyond just becoming light and even becomes sturdier than any other metal.
But now, it was as if the runes hadn't just disappeared, but had turned their backs on their masters, the dwarves.
Even if the runes were neutralized, dwarves are naturally sturdy and accustomed to physical labor.
There's no way they would look like such idiots, unable to move because they were crushed by the weight of their own equipment.
"Th-the Ancestor Gods must be disappointed in us and are raining down divine punishment! It can't be anything else...!"
"I don't recall giving birth to any of you."
The dwarves pinned to the ground barely managed to lift their eyes.
They wanted to deny it somehow, using the surreal superstition of ancestral punishment.
But the detestable machines of the lowlanders were moving about freely and nimbly, as if to spite them.
"It's going beyond expectations; it's actually quite smooth. I suppose this is the price for the exploitation you've happily indulged in since your ancestors' time."
"What kind of wicked magic did you use...! You machine-thing...!!"
"Magic? It's primitive hacking."
I realized it while destroying the Runestones.
I'm in a position to be loved because I liberated the fairies.
On the other hand, the dwarves are crooked bosses who locked fairies in prisons and exploited them 365 days a year without pay.
So then, just...
'If I just make the fairies trapped in the runes go on strike, wouldn't it neutralize itself?'
With that feeling.
I ignorantly released mana and focused on resonating with every single rune engraved on their equipment.
Ping-!!!, Clang!!!!
Sure enough, the fairies trapped in the runes were full of complaints.
With the help of my internal logic module, I hacked the rune circuits—which were far simpler than the Minesweeper game installed on the Lunatium office computer—with a light touch.
"Like this! The fairies, now free, have taught you a lesson themselves. Justice prevails; it's truly your own self-defeating move, isn't it?"
"Ghhhk...! H-how... the secrets of the runes that only dwarves know...!"
"Nothing you need to know."
Tap tap!
I rap the helmets of the dwarves stuck to the floor twice each.
They look painful, with their noses and mouths pressed against the floor, unable to even breathe properly.
"Now then, I think you're ready to proceed with our discussion."
"Do you think there's anything to discuss with a soulless tin doll! I'd rather die right here than betray the spirit and soul of our ancestors in our generation!! We are the vanguard. Don't think you can bring hundreds of thousands of dwarves to their knees all by yourself!"
Even in this situation, they're still blabbering away without losing their nerve.
This is why auto-hunting was a bit lacking.
Even if the result of teaching them a lesson is the same, whether I could break the deep-seated defiance in their hearts was another matter.
"Hmm, hmm, as expected. If you gave in too easily, it would actually be a letdown for me after all my hard preparation."
"Hmph! Don't underestimate the strong will and mental fortitude of a dwarf! We will never surrender, no matter what!"
"Offer your beard."
"?"
"I don't think there's a better test subject than you for practicing North Wind Magic. What better training is there to increase magic control experience than delicately trimming hair for grooming purposes?"
"W-wait, hold on. What does that mean-! Aaaaaaaah-!! N-no!!!"
Dwarf common sense.
A dwarf's beard is a standard of beauty similar to human hair.
In other words, a clean, hairless chin.
"You look dashing. As expected, people should keep their beards cleanly shaved to look presentable."
"K-kill me..."
Is no different from being bald.
"Huuuugh...! H-how can you be so cruel...!"
"You will surely receive divine punishment! You wicked wretch!!"
"Just kill me instead!"
"I'll assume the person with the loudest voice here has the strongest will and mental fortitude, so I'll give you a haircut first."
Silence-
In an instant, they became mute as if they'd eaten honey.
Since it was Hold Chief, who had only aged, and his direct subordinates.
They are people for whom social face is important, if only to maintain their power.
Dying in battle might be an honor of going to be with their ancestors, but returning after being mocked with their beards shaved off would be a situation where death is preferable.
"Now, if things continue like this, your beards will all be shaved off. I'll remember your faces and periodically visit Hold myself to provide free, regular on-site shaving services. As you can see, even the fairies are on Lunatium's side now, so what is there that I can't do?"
"You madman! You're a madman...!"
"I'm the type to follow through, so I'll visit you every month until you die of old age... if you can handle that, feel free to keep being stubborn here."
"Ghh...!!"
The dwarves, facing the tragedy of a shaved beard right in front of them, agonize for a moment before finally surrendering on their own.
"What do you want..."
"Good, good. Now it seems you're truly ready to talk with mutual respect."
Clap clap!
I organized my requirements clearly.
///
[Guarantee of Most-Favored-Nation and National Treatment, prohibition of import quantity restrictions, preparation of a schedule of concessions with tariff rates promised in writing, opening of the industrial goods market, transfer of the northern mountain mining zone, total prohibition of export taxes on underground resources from Dwarves -> Lunatium for the next 150 years, 25,000 tons of gold and silver each as a lump sum for compensation of damages incurred so far, and 75,000 tons in installments over the next 150 years...? G-good heavens! What is all this, Trixie-nim!!!? You're telling me those stubborn little dwarf runts in the mountains actually promised all of this!!!???]
"...Your voice and your eyeballs are going to pop out, Elara."
[They sure will! No, seriously, how did you break those stubborn mules? Judging by their attitude so far, their stance was that they'd rather bite their tongues and die than hand over a single penny.]
"For social creatures, there are values that cannot be explained arithmetically, which are more important than money or life. I just dug into that point."
How would an AI know?
Who would have thought there was a race that hated getting their beards shaved more than death.
I, too, would have found it quite hard to figure out if I hadn't known it from reading the novel beforehand.
[Really, General Director-niiim~!! There's not much else I can do for you, so I'll give you a hug of gratitude! Mgyaaaak-]
"Are you crazy, AI?"
I firmly push away Elara, who keeps trying to initiate physical contact whenever she's bored.
I can touch her, but she's a hologram that can't touch me back, so I don't know why she's so keen on it.
{Hehehe, Elara doesn't know, but Colonia knows, having been acknowledged by the Archon. As expected, Elara is inferior to me, which is why she doesn't receive Trixie-nim's affection.}
The moment Colonia smartly pushed up her glasses and shrugged.
Elara, who looked like she was about to drool like an idiot with a goofy grin, stares intently at Colonia.
[Ms. Colonia. Why is it that a high-performance AI assistant like you, who has even more data centers allocated than I do, still has unprocessed administrative tasks showing up? You surely know that if the Administrative Bureau's paperwork piles up, it causes a domino effect on the Management Bureau, the Defense Bureau, and the Execution Bureau, right? Why would an AI who should know better act like this? Surely you haven't been so consumed by your age settings that you've forgotten your duty to serve Lunatium, right?? Hmm??]
{Hiii! I, I had so much work to do, this is no time to play... Fleeing...!}
Pop-
Colonia, who was attempting a surprise teabagging, fails to gain anything and hurriedly turns off her hologram and runs away.
Whenever she shows that sharp side, it's clear that Elara is the leader of these shut-in AIs.
The problem is, she only shows it when they're sorting out their own hierarchy.
"Anyway, have all the mining bases in the southern region been withdrawn?"
[Yes. After retrieving all the unmanned mining machines, they moved the mining sites to the newly secured northern mountain range. The mining companies said they would voluntarily cover the costs incurred in the process without charging extra. They also promised to prioritize the delivery volume for military-industrial companies. Furthermore, they sent a statement saying they are grateful for having been safely removed from political unrest in advance and for having alternative sites prepared for them. Shall I recite the full text?]
"That's enough. If they know how to be grateful, that's all that matters."
I wave my hand dismissively to stop Elara, who was all ready to read it with sparkling eyes.
I wonder for what reason companies that light up with greed for profit are handing everything over like this.
Just seeing them wagging their tails makes my stomach churn and fills me with dread, as I can't guess their dark and gloomy intentions.
Anyway, with this, food to feed the people and the army.
Raw materials to run weapons and war machines are also solved.
By disciplining the dwarves, I've also relieved the worry of them suddenly coming down from the mountain behind us to stab us in the back.
And the dragons, the strongest beings in the world who could treat nations like nothing and disrupt the political landscape, have actually been made into my allies.
In the short span of three months, I've secured a certain amount of supply and diplomatic resources.
Even so, I cannot be satisfied here.
Because preparation is always rewarded the more thorough it is.
Especially if that preparation is for a war where the lives of hundreds of thousands or millions are at stake.
"The Defense Bureau and Valkyria must be busy preparing for war... is there no news from the Execution Bureau?"
〔Maiden Obenia has been earnestly waiting for the Shogun to issue an order.〕
There she is, my roleplayer.
The shrine maiden-clad nine-tailed fox beastkin appeared, kneeling before me with a katana strapped to her waist.