"First, you should know that the Dwarves you find in the Overworld are all exiles from the Underworld. Some ancient curse punishes the Dwarves who taste the air of the Overworld, reverting our ranks to Clay Rank. But before we left the Underworld, most of us had to sign a Mana contract with the Primarchs that punishes death to a Dwarf who sells or gifts Golem Recipes to non-Dwarves.
Second, the same law exists in the Underworld, but instead of a Mana Contract, it is a law like the ones that the Human Kingdoms enforce with their armies and knights, but we do it with Golems. So Underworld Adventurers cannot obtain it that way without getting hunted down by Legions of Golems," Timun explains.
Damn, that's one way to enforce border control.
"What is a Mana Contract? And how does it kill them?" I ask.
"They are parchments made from the fiber of Mana Wood. Anything written on them will be binding to the parties who willingly sign the parchment with a Mana Wood pen. Those who break their agreements will be reverted to Clay Rank or die if the document mentions it as a penalty. If the latter happens, the one who violated the agreement will sense their Mana overflowing until their hearts burst, or if they don't have one, then it petrifies them," Timun explains.
"That sounds incredibly harsh." I point out.
"Well, it deters the signatories from violating the agreements and is better than those who rely on a Deity oath to stick to an agreement," Timun explained and saw me tilting my head in confusion.
"Ah! You don't know about that as well. Think of it as an oath of allegiance that binds your soul as a subordinate to the one you wish to serve until your death or theirs. The Deities whose names are invoked by the Oathtakers will punish them if they become Oathbreakers," Timun explains.
"So which one is the more popular one? Oath, Tattoo or Contract?" I ask.
"Deity Oaths are voluntary and loyalty-based, with free will retained by the one who makes them. Their Lords can't force them to do something against their will. Breaking the oath is allowed, but the punishment will be based on what they swore when they made it. Usually, the Human Kings and Queens demand Knights to punish themselves with death if they ever break their Oaths to their Lords. Therefore, oaths are a popular ritual for the Knight and Champion Class who serve Lords.
Mana Slave Tattoos are involuntarily forced upon an individual and offer complete control to the one who made the Tattoo with their Mana. The slaves are forbidden from harming their masters directly or indirectly. The Death of their Slave Master will also mean their death. They can only gain freedom if the Slave Master removes the Slave Mana Tattoo. Therefore, tattoos are popular for those involved in slavery.
Mana Contracts are the best way to allow both parties to set terms and conditions for their cooperation. Both parties can cancel it upon mutual agreement or update it, or either side can violate it if they accept the penalties stated in the document before it is signed. Usually, no one adds death as a penalty unless one side has all the advantages and the other side accepts the risk because they are desperate or fear what happens if they refuse to sign it. Therefore, its flexibility and harsh punishments for rule breakers make it the most popular. Though the Parchments made from Mana Tree Fibres are expensive, only the Royalty of the Human Kingdoms and Primarchs of the Dwarven territories have the funds to buy them in bulk," Timun explained in detail.
I suddenly felt sorry for the Human Imps, but Slave Tattoos seemed a more practical option than taking the risk of an Oathbreaker or wasting precious parchment on a slave.
"So it's impossible for a Dwarf to sell or gift a Golem Recipe to me or my Golems?" I asked.
"Everything has loopholes, including those who signed the Mana contract that forbids it. It's natural for a Dwarf to misplace, drop or get robbed by a Non-Dwarf in the Overworld as long as they didn't willingly hand it over. That is why Dwarves are stripped of their Golem recipes before they are exiled to the Overworld. But some Dwarves choose exile of their own accord and escape to the Overworld without traveling through the passageways guarded by the Dwarven Golem Sentinels, who block the Human armies and the rest of the creatures of the Overworld and Underworld from invading the Dwarven territories. They also kill any Dwarf that tries to smuggle the contraband to the Overworld." Timun hinted.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
[It should be easier to capture Non-Humans of the Classes you require, bring them into the Dungeon and execute them for the Golem Recipe they will drop] Rachel suggested.
I agree. But why would the Demon King hint it was more beneficial to me by acquiring it through the Trader?
Searching for the Dwarves who didn't sign the contract and managed to bring Golem Recipes to the surface will take too much time and resources unless... I looked at Timun and remembered the last bit of Demon King's message, which hinted that Trader could acquire the Recipes for me as long as I fulfilled his strongest desire.
"Timun... did you sign the Mana Contract?" I ask.
"No," Timun replied with a smile. I tried to smile back but failed because the Warrior's face couldn't do that.
"Do you have Golem recipes on you?" I ask.
"No, but I know the ones who do, and I can acquire them for you if you can do something for me," Timun offered.
"What do you desire from the Dungeon Lord in exchange for Golem Recipes?" I ask, following the hint provided by the Demon King.
Timun took a minute to think about it.
"Before I share my demand. How will you deal with the Falar Army when they knock on your front door?" Timun asks.
Should I be surprised by that question? He is being offered a trade agreement with Dungeon Lord, who will eventually have to deal with the Kingdoms and the Heroes Church. No one wants to board a ship that might capsize from violent sea waves. The only reason the Triplets agreed to trade with me was the assurance that I wasn't planning on any big wars against the Human armies, working on a way to block the front entrance and create tunnels leading to the rest of the Underworld. I clarified that I wanted to grow my forces' strength in secret. If it satisfied them, then it should be enough for Timun.
Thankfully, it was enough to settle his doubts about a trade relationship with me, though his demand wasn't something I expected.
"I want to exchange Golem Recipes for land in your Dungeon." Timun requests.
"What? Why?" I ask in disbelief.
"Explaining why requires a long history lesson, which I hope you will indulge in since my desire is a bit complicated," Timun requests.
"I got time, but I hope it is relevant to what I asked."
"In the end, it will make sense.
I visited your Dungeon years ago as a guest to the King of Falar, who wanted to sell half his private livestock to the Gotiro Kingdom in the Desert west of Arya.
Most of Gotiro's livestock died from some disease and couldn't live on the tiny grain produced in the desert Kingdom. None of the other kingdoms had livestock to spare, so all hope fell on the Falar King to solve the crisis with his well-known land of plenty in the Dungeon. But he didn't know how to transport so many animals across a desert without them dying from the heat and the travel distance.
I was summoned because I could store creatures inside a dimension similar to a time capsule as long as I traded or raised them. The King sold the animals to me for 1 Bronze coin. I stored them away and delivered them to the people who needed them. When I returned to Falar, the King offered a bag of 100 gold coins to compensate me for my service, but I refused it and asked for a small piece of land right outside the Dungeon for exiled Dwarves to create a town and live in instead of the slums of the Human Kingdoms.
I was unceremoniously kicked out of Falar for being arrogant with the King and branded a spy of the Dwarven Primarchs in the Underworld. After that, I could not trade in any of the Kingdoms because of the spy rumor the Falar King spread. So I have been spending the rest of my days here in Rodwin, dreaming about the first floor in the Dungeon and how it could serve as a home for exiled Dwarves." Timun explained.
"You want the entire first level? I am growing Mana trees there, and the livestock are reserved for emergency food supply. They need the grasslands for grazing," I point out.
"From my studies of Dungeon history, I learned when a Dungeon Lord takes back control of a Dungeon, the other levels also become liveable. Is it true?" Timun asks.
"Yes, except the 9th and 10th floors. The others are liveable, though the river is only available on the first floor." I explain.
"That won't be a problem. One of the exiles I know is a landscaper builder with blueprints to create a small lake as long as he has enough water elemental cores." Timun explained.
"That's great to hear, but the main issues are population, food supply, and security. How many exiles will you bring into the Dungeon? Can you farm crops for your people? How will you stop them from harming my Golems and Dungeon Core?" I list the questions that concerned me, with the last being the most serious.
"I will address it in reverse order. If you allocate the land under my name in a Mana Contract, I will reserve the right to request that the exiles recognize me as their Primarch through a Deity Oath. I will also make them sign one joint Mana contract that forbids my subjects from harming your Dungeon core or your forces as long as they don't try to kill us without provocation.
As for food, Dwarves eat Underworld Mushrooms by growing them on dead trees, animal dung, leaf mulch, soil or compost. We can collect these items on the first level without harming the livestock. I will also add Beer as a product from the lake we will make for our drinking needs.
As for our population, I will only invite those who served me before we were exiled. There are around 300 split evenly across the five Human Kingdoms of Arya. I will use my flying monsters to carry messages to them and have them bring whatever Mana Crystals they earned as a tribute to the Dungeon Lord to grant them entry into your Dungeon.
But my only request is that you do not compel us to fight in the name of the Demon King. We will fight to protect you and the Dungeon from those who wish to destroy our new home."