Capítulo 2140: Chapter 714: Gaia’s Helplessness · A Sigh_2

Back when we fought battles, they always made the Priest perform a soul-comforting ritual—troublesome, costly, and time-consuming, wasting manpower too. Just imagine, warriors fighting and the lord paying—what a perfect model.

This is exactly how efficiency-loving dwarves should work.

The Big Head Soldier captain laughed heartily and grabbed a handful of Gold Coins from the box at his feet, scattering them behind him. His blood-soaked brothers also burst into laughter, as if the pain of losing their comrades had been diluted by the tangible benefits before them.

Look at these delightful little trinkets, truly enough to comfort the soul.

Seeing the Brass Dwarves of the 117th Assault Squad dividing up the Gold Coins, the accountant couldn’t say why, but he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Wealth should be used so efficiently!

It’s only the money in circulation that counts; all those numbers lying in the treasury just eating dust are nothing.

Ah, look at the sincere smiles on these brave faces, as if the entire Brass Fortress has come alive. The former life really seemed so fake; now this is truly wonderful and real.

Money is priceless and can buy everything in this world!

As for those intangible and untouchable beliefs, let them be for all they care. When they worshiped Mother Earth, Gaia never seemed particularly fond of them anyway.

Day after day, they found the most exquisite gemstones and wealth beneath the earth, deeming them the perfect offerings placed at the Mother Goddess’s throne. They sculpted divine images with the most luxurious treasures on earth and poured a great amount of shimmering silver into sustaining their faith, yet it was painstakingly difficult to seek prosperity in return.

This is clearly a transaction!

We gave money; you should bestow blessings!

A Divine Spirit that doesn’t even adhere to the spirit of the contract, a spirit that abandons an entire tribe over trivial matters, a spirit that favors the other two races and grows more distant from its own kind…

Ugh.

Perhaps Gaia finally abandoned the Brass Dwarves days ago, but the rising trend among more tribe members turning into faithless Ironheart Warriors signifies something else entirely.

The discontent of the Mother Goddess towards the Brass Dwarves and vice versa are fermenting simultaneously.

Since both sides are fed up with each other, why bother to make do?

You, Gaia, even stood by as the Ratman raided our city, which means the strained relationship has reached its end. Let’s just go our separate ways, with roads wide open for each!

The prosperous Brass Dwarves can live excellently without any faith. As some Half-body Man Scholars say, the market economy always has its mysterious powers, and the invisible hand will never let brave and daring merchants return with losses.

The great power of creating wealth with one’s hands is far more reliable than any capricious Divine Spirit.

The smile on the royal accountant’s face grew even broader, apparently agreeing with this narration that had suddenly taken Brass Fortress by storm recently. But the next words from the dwarf captain wiped the smile off his face.

“We’ve captured the military camp! This is something the previous three teams couldn’t achieve, and the 117th Assault Squad has proven itself, hence we demand better rewards.”

The dwarf assault captain grabbed a piece of jerky, chewing while fiddling with a gemstone in his other hand.

He eyed the accountant whose expression visibly darkened, saying:

“We demand treatment akin to the Ironheart Warriors! Don’t swindle us; I’ve asked around. Their pay for a single sortie is several times ours. That’s just unfair, my dear accountant.”

“Your combat capabilities aren’t on the same level.”

The accountant argued rationally:

“While you captured the military camp, the Ironheart Warriors seized three positions in the same duration and suffered fewer losses than you. Don’t fool me; don’t think I don’t know. You captured the camp quickly not just because of your bravery, but also because those difficult Bloodscar Hyena Men suddenly withdrew from the battlefield.

You merely took advantage.”

“Bah!”

The captain was clearly displeased, and he swore, saying:

“So how do we increase our pay?”

“Easy!”

The accountant clapped his hands and said:

“The Supreme Lord issued a bounty. Whichever squad can seize a Ratman tunnel underground within ten days will receive a warehouse of gold! We’re straightforward with our pricing; no pretense. If you accomplish it, I’ll adjust your rating to match that of the Ironheart Warriors.

But you’d better hurry, as several Ironheart Warriors have also taken up this bounty.”

“No problem, I’ll recruit more veterans immediately. As long as there’s money, anything can be negotiated.”

The captain of the 117th Assault Squad grinned like a beast hungry for food. He bared his teeth and said:

“If we succeed, you must pay us with something more valuable! Lately, with so many Gold Coins circulating in the city, even the price for a night with those tavern ladies has spiked. I don’t understand the logic, but I know there’s something everyone wants…

You know what I’m talking about.”

“Burning Gold Ores?”

The accountant chuckled scornfully and said:

“Every Soldier in this fortress wants payment in Burning Gold, of course. I understand your concern, but the depreciation of Gold Coins is merely a technical issue and one we’ll resolve soon. If you wish to be paid in Burning Gold, that’s possible too…

But you’ll have to prove your worth!

Those Burning Golds are the Supreme Lord’s treasure, and he’ll only entrust them to the bravest warriors.