After assigning these important tasks, Li De thought of the goblins he had gone to such great lengths to capture.
The future arsenal of Dawn City.
Just imagining the sight of bombs scouring the battlefield made him restless with anticipation.
Why had he put so much effort into taking the goblins? Wasn't it to personally grasp the art of explosions?
"Harrison, go handle the arrangements first. Also, bring the goblin Patriarch to me."
With a solemn salute, Harrison turned and left.
With the orders now handed down, the real work was just beginning.
But Harrison didn't mind in the slightest. Personally helping a city grow from nothing to its current strength, the sense of accomplishment was almost indescribable.
Half a sun-hour later, a goblin standing 1.3 blades tall with green skin, large pointed ears, and a bright green staff in hand entered City Hall.
Many of the working residents curiously eyed the goblin several times. Though all kinds of non-humans could be seen in the city, this was the first time they'd seen such an ugly green-skinned creature.
Mohr Graymount stepped cautiously onto the soft carpet after the guards opened the door to Li De's office.
The gray velvet carpet gave slightly beneath his feet, soft and comfortable.
Orange afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, adding warmth to the crisp autumn air.
The office was spacious. To the left was a long, oval conference table over ten blades in length, surrounded by more than a dozen high-backed chairs carved with intricate patterns, clearly a place for meetings.
At the center, four gray sofas were arranged around a round table, simple yet elegant.
To the right stood a square desk of natural wood color, atop which sat a drying quill and a stack of unprocessed documents.
At that moment, the room's master stood by the window near the sofa. The figure in a black mage robe exuded such elegance that anyone could instantly sense his extraordinary presence.
"Esteemed Majestic Iro, Mohr Graymount humbly greets you."
Upon hearing the somewhat formal Continental Common tongue behind him, Li De didn't turn around. He gazed out the open glass window at the bustling street below.
His tone was tinged with emotion.
"Mohr, can you imagine it? Just one year ago, this bustling city had only 200 vampires living in it."
He turned around and looked at the short goblin Patriarch, whose face had been hideously disfigured by dragonfire.
"There were no humans then, no dwarves, no cyclopes, no beastmen, not a single trace of prosperity."
"I spent one year rebuilding this city.
And now, this thriving city is the result of that year's work."
Seeing Mohr's somewhat confused expression, Li De smiled slightly.
"Are you wondering why I'm telling you this? It might seem like what this city was a year ago has nothing to do with the goblins."
Mohr gave an awkward smile. "No, Majestic Iro, your glory commands the highest respect from all goblins. I…"
Li De waved his hand to cut off the goblin elder's slick words.
His tone grew steadily heavier.
"I'm telling you this so you understand, from the moment you stepped into Dawn City, the fate of the Graymount Tribe became tightly bound to Dawn City itself."
Mohr's expression changed drastically. The clever goblin had already guessed this moment might come, after all, no one would go to such lengths to rescue them from a battlefield without expecting something in return.
But Li De's unfiltered words still made him extremely uneasy.
"Majestic Iro, goblins aren't good at fighting… we cannot provide you with sufficient military strength…"
Li De laughed heartily.
"Fighting? No, the Graymount Tribe won't need to engage in any battles."
Mohr's expression froze, and he looked at Li De with a bit of confusion.
"Your Majesty, what do you mean?"
"Alchemical bombs," Li De said flatly.
The moment those words left his mouth, the clever old goblin instantly understood, but after the realization, his face only grew more bitter.
"So that was your goal all along, Majestic Iro, the alchemical bombs."
Li De nodded, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course. If not for your skill in alchemy, what use would I have for a bunch of goblins?"
Mohr opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but closed it with frustration.
Because he realized, it made perfect sense.
If not for the alchemical bombs, what could they possibly do?
Apparently… nothing.
Combat? Don't joke, one human soldier could easily kill dozens of goblins of equal strength.
Farming? They didn't even know how to use a hoe.
Alchemy was the only field where goblins possessed a unique talent.
In every other aspect, goblins seemed to be first-class wastes of space.
Thinking of this, Mohr's face flushed with embarrassment.
"No need to overthink it, Mohr. Are you now willing to merge the Graymount Tribe into Dawn City, to truly become a part of this city?" Li De's expression turned serious.
"Once the goblins become citizens of Dawn City, you will receive the protection of the Saintlight Vampires and the protection of Dawn City's army.
As long as this city stands, you will live here safely and in peace.
In the name of the Lord of Dawn, I promise you, your property and your lives will be under my protection. No one will discriminate against or harm you."
Mohr looked into Li De's sincere expression, and bitterness flickered in his eyes.
The weak never have the right to choose. From the moment the Graymount Tribe was cowed into submission by the bone dragon, their fate was no longer in their own hands.
The old goblin, wise enough to understand the situation, no longer hesitated. He nodded firmly.
"Your Majesticness, the Graymount Tribe is willing to become part of Dawn City. We will defend your glory with everything the goblins possess."
"Ding~ The Graymount Tribe has joined Dawn City."
Li De nodded in satisfaction when he heard the system prompt. These creatures really were easy to control, goblins had far too obvious personality flaws. They simply couldn't withstand pressure.
Compared to the dwarves, whose minds were practically made of stone, the difference was stark.
If he tried threatening a dwarf, he'd only get laughed at. Dwarves never feared death.
"What materials are needed to produce alchemical bombs? What is your tribe's daily production capacity? What's the maximum explosive power of your strongest bomb?"
Li De didn't waste another word and directly asked the most crucial questions.
Now that the goblins were in hand, it was time to finally put alchemical bombs on the agenda, something he had long coveted.
He was too eager for the day Dawn City's air force would be fully formed.
The appearance of alchemical bombs would be a massive boost, especially given Dawn City's current severe lack of low-tier combat strength.
Right now, Dawn City was in an odd state: top-heavy and bottom-light.
He had no shortage of high-end combatants, but what he lacked was a strong middle and lower tier.
Once alchemical bombs could be mass-produced, and the Whispering Bats could be armed, that shortfall would finally be addressed.
He would no longer face the awkward situation of having only a few hundred vampires available for every battle.