"Alves, oh...... What are you going to do? Aren't you supposed to be at Blackhammer, by Rhodes' side, and continue to advise him? That's a great game, with everyone participating, Lord Rhodes' team is winning, isn't it?"

On a quiet afternoon, Alves' visit was unwelcome, and he was met with a cynicism from Raheim as soon as he entered. Among them, the charm is known by smart people as soon as they hear it. The game here is not just about the game a few weeks ago, but also about his fight with the three nobles from Kislev, and it is not just the Nosca team that represented Rhodes on the field, but also the group that surrounded Rhodes to help him, and Alves was one of them.

The little dwarf heard the malice in the other party's words, but he was not in a hurry, and his face was calm. Didn't even bring a guard, came alone.

"Sort of, but it's tough. Lord Rhodes asked his men to show mercy, or his opponent would be beaten to the ground. ”

Alves replied with a smile. He just laughed, however, the meaning of the words was very obvious, both of them had something to say, and at the same time, both of them knew very well what the other was talking about. The ball game is just a metaphor, and everyone knows that the real battlefield is underground, in the business war of life and death.

Alves was neither humble nor arrogant, which made Laheim's face pale. He didn't want to be defeated at the hands of a dwarf, and yes, in his eyes, Alves was never a normal person. He didn't even have the qualifications to be a man, a deformed person who was supposed to be thrown into the great forest and in the company of wild beasts.

"yes, my head is bleeding. I really have to thank Lord Rhodes, and in the end, his subordinates showed mercy and barely saved the lives of those people. ”

Laheim returned with a gloomy face.

"Hmm...... It is necessary to save your life, after all, you have to continue to fight next time, and without an opponent, the game will not be exciting. Alves said, walking over to his chair and struggling to climb up.

"Is there alcohol? Alcohol keeps me high. Ah, let's have a glass, a glass of red wine is the most beautiful treat on this warm afternoon. ”

Alves smiled at Laheim, but Laheim's face was long, like a century-old tree, gloomy, full of resentment and murderous intent. Still, he asked the servant to pour Alves a glass of wine.

"Thank you. ”

When the servant finished pouring the wine, Alves thanked him.

"Dwarf, the wine has been drunk, and the words have been spoken, should you also go? ”

Looking at Alves' ugly face, Laheim was filled with resentment.

"Regardless of the insult you just gave me, I must explain one thing to you first. Alves lowered his glass, "I'm not here to please and play, and I'm not your enemy. ”

"Not my enemy?

Laheim laughed. He knew, he knew everything, for these months, if it weren't for the involvement of this little dwarf, he wouldn't have lost to Quarella and them, at least, he wouldn't have lost so quickly. It was because of Alves' secret support that Quarella, who was unfamiliar with his life, and Skagard and Clive gained the upper hand. If it is in the Black Hammer Castle, who is his biggest enemy, except for Rhodes, is this dwarf who is less than one meter three tall.

"What's the matter?, Lord Laheim, if I really regard you as my enemy, would you still be alive?" But Alves quickly made a gesture -

"Listen to me. ”

He said.

"Blackhammer Castle belongs to Rhodes, and you know that I am his assistant, and if we really want to target you, we have a hundred ways, and we will not wait until now. You know, since the day Rhodes came back to Blackhammer and you handed over the armed team, you've actually lost. However, we don't want you to lose so completely. ”

Alves whispered, his expression serious and deep.

"Why?"

Laheim was skeptical.

"Why...... Quite simply, those in power pay attention to the balance of power. You and I both know that no lord or king can run a country on its own. There will always be all kinds of forces in a territory, some strong, some weak, the strong devour the weak, become stronger, it gets stronger and stronger. One day, it will threaten the ruler himself. So, every king, every lord will always suppress the stronger side. And the best way to suppress it is to cultivate an opponent, an opponent who is enough to compete with this strong man. The ruler is reconciling between the two sides and keeping them fighting each other in order to maintain a balanced relationship. ”

Alves sat hunched over and talked. His words were so truthful, so sincere, that Laheim almost believed him for a moment, but with years of experience in black and white, the little dwarf in front of him still made him feel faintly uneasy.

"What do you want to say?" Raheim frowned, "do you mean to say - you used to cultivate Quarellara and let them deal with me. And now, I'm too weak, and they're too strong. So, you're not at ease again, and you want to support me again to deal with them?"

Laheim said bluntly. Many people know the art of imperial weighing, but it is the first time that Laheim has seen it so openly and honestly. Only this dwarf would do such a thing...... He was originally a wonder.

"That's right! That's what it means. Your Excellency is very smart, and I like to go straight and not go around the bend. ”

Alves suddenly laughed out loud.

"Hmph...... So how are you going to support me?"

Laheim believed Alves' words on the surface, but on the inside he remained vigilant. The little dwarf's words do have some truth, but there is no free banquet in the world, and Laheim still knows this.

"I have a friend on the Imperial side, well, to put it simply, when I was the treasurer of the Ring, I always had to deal with all kinds of people, including the noble merchants of Kislev and the people of the Empire. I've known this friend before, and he happens to have a list, a big one. About drinks and furniture. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Alves' mouth, "By the way, you know this person too." ”

"Who?"

Raheim asked alarmedly.

"Luxia. ”

Alves returned. He barely looked at Laheim, but looked indifferent, and the more he did that, the more Laheim doubted his judgment. Could it be that Alves and Rhodes really want to re-prop themselves up?

"I dealt with him two years ago, when I was the treasurer of Ringcastle. You have to know that in the early days of Blackhammer Keep, trade in other industries other than ore trade was almost non-existent. So, I've known Luxia for a long time, maybe even before you. He's probably heard about the situation here, and he knows that you're in trouble, and it's not what it used to be, so he's going to make a big deal with Quarella. It was I who stopped him and persuaded him to give you this business. Like I said, the Blackhammer Market is like a scale, and Rhodes doesn't make anyone too powerful. You clicked on you, and besides, you should have understood sooner......"

Alves picked up his glass and continued to take a sip of the red wine. He shook the wine as if he were watching his prey.

"What does he need?"

Laheim asked with a straight face.

"There are all kinds of alcohol in the empire, wine, beer, ale, you name it. The only thing missing is vodka, which is almost a Kislev specialty. Yes, that's exactly what he needs. The amount is - two thousand barrels. Alves deliberately slowed down, "And furniture, pine and fir, he needs these raw materials." The purchase price of logs is not high, and the profit is small. However, the amount is huge, and the accumulation is not bad. ”

After hearing this, Laheim's face was still not good. For more than a year, he has climbed from the low point to the high point of his life, and from the highest point to the lowest point like a pirate ship. And all this is thanks to Rod and this dwarf.

"Hmph. He sneered. "Why do you give it to me when you have such a good list?

"Did he swallow it?"

Alves didn't even think about it, so he replied casually.

"You didn't hear what I just said, the main items in this order are alcohol, vodka, and high-strength vodka. More than half of the brewery in Blackhammer is yours, and the old man in Luxia wants two thousand barrels, not two hundred. Do you think Rhodes can eat this list? In the entire Black Hammer Castle, I'm afraid only your cellar has thousands of barrels of finished products, and the rest can be brewed in stages. Of course, you're half right, if Rhodes could eat it, he would have swallowed it alone, and he wouldn't let you get this benefit at all. In fact, I handled the matter privately on my own and did not let him know. ”

"Why?"

Raheim asked.

"Why? Rhodes wants me to take full charge of the day-to-day affairs of Blackhammer Castle, I can't bother him about everything, so what else does he want me to do as an assistant?" Alves smiled, "Of course, I won't be obligated to help you about this, and I have asked for it." ”

"Tell me about it. ”

Laheim leaned back in his chair and looked sideways at Alves.

"That is, when it is done, you have to give me 30% of the profits. You know, it's fair, I provide the information, you take care of the production. I take the small head, you take the big head. ”

Alves said, draining the last bit of red wine from his glass. He looked contented.

After some conversation, the balance of doubt and trust in Laheim's heart gradually leaned towards trust. Everyone craves money and wealth, and although Alves has a disability, he is also a human being, and he will have selfish desires, which is normal...... At the same time, that Luxia, with whom he has done business many times, is a man of the same word. This thing seems to be normal......