Walking up the creaky stairs of the mansion, Harbin felt quite uneasy.
The sll of alcohol on him had not yet faded, and his steps were sowhat unsteady.
At the banquet that had just ended, Harbin felt like a triumphant hero returning ho as he was part of the accompanying entourage.
The master artisans who once scolded him as the sha of Dwarves ca to toast him, as his Industrial Departnt was the one leading the steel orders.
Forr partners rushed over to network, flattering him excessively, even trying to get insider information from him.
Don't be fooled by Harbin's soft appearance that smiles at everyone like he's a pushover.
In truth, though he's not an old-tir from the Gulag era, he's still a public beta player.
In matters related to cannon-making and industry, this Dwarf is an authority as well.
Especially among the Reford Dwarves, his reputation is unparalleled.
Even if the master Dwarf artisans are also "artisans," they belong to the citizen class.
Although Harbin's position isn't hereditary, it's already comparable to the mid-to-high nobility.
Dwarves becoming nobility in a human country is sothing truly unprecedented.
Yet, despite Harbin's high status among the Reford Dwarves, he couldn't help but feel anxious when summoned by the Saint's Grandson.
Especially after he had just bragged to his underlings that he had so face in front of the Saint's Grandson.
Harbin reassured them that, as long as he was around, His Majesty Saint Sun would never let New Cold Spring Castle destabilize Cold Spring Castle's position.
But right after the banquet, he was imdiately notified to head to the mansion to et with the Saint's Grandson.
This alard him; could it be the Cheka reporting him?
Standing before the red-painted door, while the monk went to inform him.
Harbin picked up a vase nearby, used the water inside to rinse his mouth, and spit it back out.
Then he tidied his hair and beard, straightened the wrinkles on his clothes, and adjusted his ornantal collar.
"Lord Harbin, are you ready? You may enter now." The Secret Monk poked his head out from behind the door.
"Of course."
Stepping into the room, Harbin imdiately saw Horn seated behind the long table: "Good evening, Your Majesty."
"Good evening, please have a seat." Horn pointed to the chair in front of him. "Have you heard about the New Cold Spring Castle plan?"
"I fully support your plan." Harbin hesitated for a mont before speaking softly, "But after all, Cold Spring Castle has been the tallurgy center for nearly a hundred years, and it may take so ti for New Cold Spring Castle to replace the old one."
"With our gear-driven crusher and conveyor belts, our developnt speed will be much faster than theirs." Horn pointed out the window, "Besides, I'm not trying to replace Cold Spring Castle; it's just a bargaining chip."
"You an, New Cold Spring Castle is just a facade to scare them?"
"No," Horn shook his head naturally, "New Cold Spring Castle still needs to be established, but its main focus will be on copper refining with vitriol."
"Of course, competition brings motivation." Harbin breathed a sigh of relief.
Cold Spring Castle focuses on iron, while New Cold Spring Castle focuses on copper, forming a crisscrossed competition.
Since Cold Spring Castle's iron industry is significant, and New Cold Spring Castle's copper industry is significant, their weaker counterparts don't exert pressure.
But if one side is unsatisfied, His Majesty Saint Sun can certainly support the other side to balance it out.
Indeed, this is a good strategy.
"I suddenly rembered sothing, you have a good relationship with a noblewoman from Crab Roe Castle?" Horn suddenly shifted to another topic.
Harbin cautiously responded: "Theodora, she's the Great Monarch's daughter from Crab Roe Castle and also a bookseller. The publishing house and printing press she established has brought us considerable profits."
"Can you get her to help us recruit so talent from Norn? Or even refugees will do.
The population in Mountain County is still too sparse, and the people from Pingyuan County are not too willing to go up the mountains, I need enough people to cultivate and build basic facilities for ."
"Of course." Harbin imdiately assured by patting his chest, "Just a few gold pounds, and the dukes of Norn County will pack up the citizens and send them over."
To the Great Monarchs, citizens are like crops in the field, selling them is quite normal.
Feeling Horn's appreciative gaze, Harbin imdiately puffed out his chest.
"Back to the new city, let's temporarily call it New Cold Spring Castle. I'm thinking about who should lead this." Horn rubbed the bone porcelain teacup, "This person needs experience in tallurgy and industrial comrce, connections with Norn, adept at recruiting talents and bringing in artisans and rchants. They must be not just flexible but also reliable. Do you know anyone?"
Experience in tallurgy and industry, Norn connections, talent recruitnt, flexible and reliable...
Harbin's heart raced like never before: Goodness, that's practically !
No wonder His Majesty wanted to ask him these questions a mont ago.
Still, he felt he should modestly probe: "You ntioned that recomnding soone doesn't avoid family, my father Brock is skilled in tallurgy and very reliable."
"Brock is rigid-minded, overly reliable but lacks flexibility, and he doesn't understand the business side of things."
"What about Rekado? He's an old monk..."
"He doesn't even count as reliable."
Swallowing a gulp of saliva that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, Harbin stamred, "You, your aning is?"
"Besides you, I can't think of anyone else," Horn smiled at him.
It's an assignnt!
Harbin didn't expect happiness to co so quickly.
There is an unwritten rule within the Holy Alliance that Exorcist Monks wishing to be promoted to Gatekeeper Monk must first be assigned elsewhere.
Especially at the cardinal level, to be promoted to cardinal, one must have local governance experience and be an Imperial Priest.
Even those who have been cardinals, like Madlan and Armand, had to supplent this experience.
Harbin was already an Imperial Priest, his rank still a superior Exorcist Monk.
He'd long wanted an assignnt, previously he had lobbied for Hollow Land but was taken by René's Cheka.
If he could participate in the city founding, governance, and turn this "New Cold Spring Castle" into a new tallurgy center, he would not only obtain the Gatekeeper Monk but even have the qualifications to beco cardinal.
If he let this opportunity slip away, it would be an injustice of heavens.
Harbin imdiately stood up, his sincerity evident: "I will not disappoint your trust, I assure you, this new city will not only be built but will beco your most reliable and devout tallurgy center, Cold Spring Castle can eat dirt."
"Very well, in that case, you can start the preliminary work of establishing New Cold Spring Castle." Horn handed Harbin a bowl of hangover soup with satisfaction.
Receiving the hangover soup, Harbin hadn't yet recovered from his excitent: "Now? Okay, I'll return to South Mangde County imdiately."
"Look at you, what's the rush?" Horn blew the rising vapor from the hangover soup, "South Mangde County doesn't have enough artisans, are you going back alone?"
Picking up the top file from the stack of docunts beside him, Horn handed it to the dazed Harbin.
"Here is the division report and detailed information on the local industrial populations in North Mangde County by the Cheka and the local Priest-in-Charge.
The Dwarves' data is also included, albeit not detailed, so you'll need to handle that yourself.
You're the current figurehead of the Reford Dwarves, I don't need to teach you who is an ally and who is an enemy, do I?
New Cold Spring Castle is sure to attract a batch of middle to lower-tier artisans, and guild elders will definitely not let them go; you can use this to your advantage.
You can mobilize the local Cheka at will; if there's danger, seek help from Spirotchu."
Harbin stood in front of the table with his mouth half open, dazed.
Is it possible he's asking him to fall out with the leaders and elders of the traditional Dwarves?
To urge the lower-tier dwarf artisans and Reford Dwarves to go against the leaders and elders?
If he missed this opportunity like with Hollow Land, would he get another chance?
After a long pause, Harbin raised his head, the gambler's grin once again surfaced on his face: "I request the protection of the Shadow Guard."
"Granted," Horn snapped his fingers.
Harbin nodded emphatically.
"I've set the stage for you." Circling the desk, Horn patted Harbin on the shoulder with satisfaction, "This is your show to perform."
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