51: Chapter 51 Your Highness, please see my war cost calculation table

This thought was like a seed, taking root and sprouting in Ella Radiance's heart, nearly overturning all the knowledge she had built up over the past twenty years.

Looking at the man's calm profile, she felt for the first time that the world she was familiar with—built on bloodlines, honor, and force—was cracking before him like fragile glass.

When Evelyn led the dwarf adjutant named Grimm into the Council Chamber, Ella subconsciously straightened her back and adjusted her breathing.

The scene she had envisioned was about to unfold: a tense negotiation filled with diplomatic rhetoric, military intimidation, and the exchange of interests.

Grimm would present tough conditions on behalf of Ironforge, while Levi would use the chips in his hand to maneuver, and both sides would fight to the death on the battlefield of words, where every word could determine the movement of the great army below the mountain.

Grimm's entrance also perfectly matched her imagination.

He was stout, wearing heavy runic steel armor that he hadn't removed even indoors, and every step he took made a dull metallic sound.

On that face covered by a thick beard, a pair of eyes as sharp as a hawk's scrutinized everyone in the Council Chamber, finally settling on Levi in the main seat, filled with the vigilance and wariness characteristic of a soldier.

"Lord Levi Byron." Grimm's voice was like two stones rubbing together, low and raspy. He didn't use human etiquette, merely nodding slightly. "The commander sent me to hear your 'details of cooperation'."

He deliberately emphasized the words "details of cooperation," the subtext being self-evident—don't play tricks, our battle-axes are right below the mountain.

Ella's heart leapt into her throat, and even Knight Julius, standing to the side, quietly gripped the hilt of his sword.

However, Levi's reaction completely defied everyone's expectations.

He didn't talk about the withdrawal of the army below the mountain, didn't condemn the provocation of the dwarves' troop deployment at the border, and didn't even mention the assassin incident.

He simply made a gesture of invitation with a smile.

"Adjutant Grimm, thank you for coming all this way." His tone was as relaxed as if he were hosting an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. "Evelyn, bring the best rum and roast meat. Also, push over our 'sand table'."

Servants soon brought in a massive sand table.

But it didn't show the castle of Blackstone Territory or the surrounding military terrain; it was a more macro model of the Northern Territory map.

Mountains, rivers, and forests were accurately recreated, but the most eye-catching were the areas marked with different colors and the red silk threads connecting them, running through the entire Northern Territory.

Grimm's brow furrowed. What was this? He didn't understand.

Levi picked up a glass of wine, walked to the sand table, and used a slender silver baton to point to a location marked with a small black flag: "Adjutant Grimm, here is Blackstone Territory." He then tapped another vast red area at the edge of the sand table, "And here are the Crimson Iron Mountains that your country is so proud of."

"I know that." Grimm's tone was somewhat impatient; he hadn't come for a geography lesson.

"You only know their geographical locations." Levi smiled, the baton tracing a red silk thread from the Crimson Iron Mountains to Blackstone Territory. "But you don't know that the raw ore mined from the Crimson Iron Mountains, transported to the refinement workshops of Blackstone Territory via this shortest 'Grizzly Merchant Path', costs 130 Imperial Copper Coins per ton. If we took the traditional 'Royal Road', the cost would be 320. In the logistics phase alone, we can save over sixty percent in expenses."

Grimm was stunned for a moment.

Transportation costs?

Before coming, his mind had been filled with troop deployments, weapon parameters, and political conditions; he had never imagined the other party would talk to him about this.

Levi gave him no time to think, the baton pointing to several glowing miniature workshops in the Blackstone Territory model: "Our new coke furnaces can increase the refinement purity of hematite from seventy percent in traditional processes to ninety-two percent. This means that for every ton of raw ore, we can produce over three hundred pounds more high-quality steel than you. This part, we call 'technology spillover value'."

"And this part of the value, according to our 'Capacity and Dividend Model'..." Levi looked at Evelyn.

Evelyn immediately understood. She unfurled a roll of parchment charts she had prepared, the data and curves on it making Grimm's head spin.

"Adjutant Grimm," Evelyn's voice carried the clarity and orderliness of a professional manager, "according to our calculations, if your side invests five thousand tons of high-quality hematite annually and the placement of thirty senior rune craftsmen as 'technical shares', in the first year, after deducting all production, labor, and transportation costs, we estimate the total profit of the 'Thunder Type I' muskets will be between forty and fifty thousand Gold Lion Coins. According to the agreement, your side will receive a thirty percent dividend, which is a net profit of over twelve thousand Gold Lion Coins."

She paused and added, "Please note, this doesn't include your side's priority quota rights to obtain at least five hundred 'Thunder Type I' muskets at cost price. According to our assessment of the weapons market, the resale value of these muskets is also no less than eight thousand Gold Lion Coins."

Grimm's breathing became somewhat heavy.

He was a soldier, but dwarves were naturally and unusually sensitive to wealth and numbers.

Twenty thousand Gold Lion Coins?

That was almost equivalent to the annual expenses of an entire thousand-man legion of Ironforge!

And all they had to provide was some ore and a few dozen craftsmen?

"This... this is impossible..." Grimm reflexively retorted, "How could your production line possibly..."

"That is where our core advantage lies, Adjutant." Levi took over, his voice full of confidence. "We have introduced 'assembly line operations' and 'standardized quality control'. Evelyn, show the Adjutant our 'yield rate comparison' and 'cost control sheet'."

Evelyn took out two more charts.

One detailed the shocking gap in efficiency and finished product pass rates between traditional dwarf craftsmen's "master-apprentice workshop" production and Blackstone Territory's "assembly line" production.

The other broke down the production cost of a single musket—from ore refining, wood processing, and part casting to final assembly—into over a hundred detailed items, each accurate down to the copper coin.

Grimm looked at those dense numbers, accurate to two decimal places, feeling as if his brain was being struck repeatedly by countless hammers.

The negotiation plans he had brought regarding "military confrontation bottom lines," "technology transfer conditions," and "ownership of Elder Odin" were now completely washed away by these cold and enticing numbers.

He was like a lost child led into a new world he had never imagined, built of data and profit.

Here, the logic of war was completely dissolved, replaced by cold cost accounting and profit expectations.

Ella watched from the side, dumbfounded.

She had never seen a negotiation like this.

This wasn't a negotiation at all; it was a one-sided "dimensionality reduction strike" using business logic as a weapon.

Levi and his succubus steward were like two perfectly synchronized top-tier merchants, using data charts to peel away the dwarf's hard armor layer by layer, striking directly at the greediest and softest part of his heart.

Finally, Grimm let out a long breath, dropped all his guard, and asked in a tone almost like he was seeking guidance, "So... what do we need to do now?"

The smile at the corner of Levi's mouth deepened: "It's simple. Immediately dispatch an advance engineer team to Blackstone Territory to work with our craftsmen under the guise of 'technical guidance' and establish the first cooperative production line as soon as possible. Time is money, my friend."

"Good!" Grimm nodded heavily, his eyes already filled with the desire for future wealth. "I'll return to report to the commander immediately! The first batch of fifty of the best engineers will arrive within three days!"

The agreement was reached just like that. No swords drawn, no war of words.

However, just as Grimm was about to turn and leave, and the atmosphere in the Council Chamber was peaceful, a series of hurried footsteps from afar broke the silence.

A guard dressed as a scout, his face full of panic, burst in without even knocking, kneeling on one knee, his voice trembling from the intense running: "My Lord! Urgent military news!"

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

"The Ironclad Earl Roland has gathered five noble families, including Viscount Philip of Silvermoon City and Baron Hudson of Boulder Castle, to form the 'Anti-Blackstone Alliance'! An allied force totaling over five thousand men has already crossed the Red River Valley and is marching toward our Blackstone Territory at a forced pace! It is estimated... estimated that they will be at our gates by tomorrow noon at the earliest!"

"What?!" Ella stood up with a start, the blood draining from her beautiful face.

Ironclad Earl Roland! The most stubborn and powerful old noble lord in the North!

An allied force of five thousand! That was nearly ten times the existing defensive force of Blackstone Territory!

She instantly understood that this was a full-scale counterattack by the old nobles against the "Blackstone Territory model"!

They were going to use the most traditional and barbaric method to completely crush this nascent power that dared to challenge the foundations of their rule.

"Levi!" Ella's voice was urgent and stern. "Assemble all your soldiers immediately! Order the musketeers to arm themselves and the city defense ballistae to be spanned! Send someone to the dwarves below the mountain for help! Now is not the time to be stingy!"

In her view, this was a life-and-death battle that allowed for no hesitation.

But Levi's reaction once again made her feel a strong sense of unease.

There wasn't a trace of panic on his face; he didn't even twitch an eyebrow.

He calmly nodded to Grimm: "Adjutant, it seems you'll need to hurry. Our cooperation requires a stable environment."

Grimm's expression also became solemn. He gave Levi a deep look, gave a heavy "mm," and turned to stride away.

He understood that if Blackstone Territory were destroyed, that beautiful profit-sharing agreement would become a piece of scrap paper.

After seeing off the dwarf, Levi turned slowly to the kneeling scout: "Continue monitoring, report their position and movements every hour."

"Yes!" The scout took the order and withdrew.

"Levi Byron! What on earth are you thinking!" Ella could no longer suppress her emotions. She walked several steps to stand before Levi, her green eyes full of anxiety and confusion. "The enemy is at the door! Why haven't you ordered preparations for battle?!"

Levi didn't answer her, simply instructing Evelyn beside him: "Bring that document."

Evelyn turned and took a thick dossier from a locked cabinet, handing it to Levi.

Levi casually placed it on the table and pushed it toward Ella.

On the cover, a title was written in elegant script—"Blackstone Territory Defense War Project Budget and Risk Assessment".

Filled with confusion and anger, Ella opened the document.

The next second, she was completely stunned.

In the document, not a single word mentioned troop movements, there wasn't a single strategic deployment map, and certainly no tactical arrangements for knight charges or archer volleys.

What met her eyes were dense, utterly cold accounts and clauses.

Page one: "Enemy Logistics Chain Intervention Plan".

Listed below in detail: Through the Blackstone Territory Chamber of Commerce, pre-emptively purchase all grain and fodder futures in the surrounding area of the Red River Valley for the next three months at triple the price. Estimated cost: eight thousand Gold Lion Coins.

Effect: Upon arrival, the allied forces will face a shortage of grain and fodder; morale is expected to drop by forty percent within three days.

Page two: "Enemy Human Resources Disruption Plan".

Project One: Defection Policy.

Any ordinary soldier who defects with their weapons and equipment will be rewarded with five Gold Lion Coins; squad leaders ten; company commanders fifty.

Project Two: Targeted Poaching.

Three key siege engineers in the enemy army have been identified. Defection budget: three hundred Gold Lion Coins each, plus a senior engineer position at the Blackstone Territory technology workshop.

Page three: "Third-party Military Service Procurement Contract".

Supplier: 'Bonebreaker' Goblin Demolition Team.

Service Content: Pre-plant thirty high-explosive barrels at Falling Rock Slope, a path the enemy must pass.

Total Contract Price: One thousand five hundred Gold Lion Coins, plus twenty barrels of rum.

Page four: "Post-war Asset Liquidation and Acquisition Plan".

Expected after the war: In the name of "assisting reconstruction," acquire ownership of three iron mines under the Ironclad Earl's name at a low price. Expected expenditure...

Ella's fingers were trembling slightly.

As she flipped through page after page, she felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

What kind of combat plan was this?

This was clearly a... a cold-blooded and ruthless business investment proposal!

Every aspect of the war, from the lives of the soldiers to the territories of the nobles, had been clearly priced by him and converted into strings of cold numbers.

Victory and defeat, to him, seemed to only concern "profit" and "loss."

"This... what is this?" Ella's voice was dry. She looked up and stared at Levi in disbelief. "What do you take war for? A business? Are the honor of knights and the loyalty of soldiers only worth a few gold coins in your eyes? This is a desecration of war!"

Levi listened quietly to her questioning, the expression on his face showing no ripple of emotion.

He reached out, slowly closed the document, and took it back.

"Princess," he spoke, his voice calm and clear, "I am about to set out for the Imperial Capital to respond to your invitation."

"You're leaving?" Ella was stunned, then flared with anger, "You're going to be a deserter?!"

"No." Levi shook his head, picking up a black travel cloak that had been prepared and putting it on. "I'm just going to complete a more important project. As for this place..."

He turned and walked toward the doors of the Council Chamber, stopping at the entrance to look back at Ella, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

"I cord Sincerely invite you to remain in this castle as my most honored guest and witness it for yourself. Witness how... the acquisition with the highest return on investment in history is finalized with the smallest cost."

Having said that, he didn't linger, his figure disappearing into the light outside the door.

In the Council Chamber, Ella Radiance was left alone, standing in a daze, his final words echoing in her mind.

Acquisition? Closing?

She couldn't understand it at all.

She only knew that an army of five thousand was aggressively approaching, and the master of this castle had chosen to leave at this moment.

Outside the window, the castle's horns did not sound; the soldiers were still patrolling as usual, as if what was coming was not a catastrophe, but just an ordinary sunset.