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TWL Chapter 325: Mahakam’s Silent Hand
🕑 Added 2025-03-19 20:51:40 +0000 UTCWith no dwarves left in sight, Lann took a moment to gather his thoughts before beginning his explanation. If he could sharpen the political instincts of the witchers, it would serve them well in the long run.
During his earlier discussion with the elder, Lann had laid out the stakes: if Nilfgaard were to invade the North, they would never allow the dwarves to continue their way of life as they did now. That was an undeniable fact.
Because of that, in the original timeline, the dwarves would end up sending troops to support the Northern Kingdoms.
Yet the elder had brushed Lann off with talk of 'tradition'. But from a broader perspective, that reasoning didn’t hold up—otherwise, why would Mahakam eventually mobilize its forces when war broke out between the North and South?
Of course, Lann wouldn’t spell out his full analysis to the witchers. Instead, he approached the issue from another angle.
Dwarves were often seen as straightforward, boisterous people, and Mahakam’s policies emphasized strict adherence to tradition. But beneath that exterior, dwarven society was far more complex than it seemed.
The most crucial element was the dwarven rite of passage.
When a dwarf reached adulthood—around fifty-five years of age—they were given the opportunity to leave Mahakam and venture into the outside world. Some, like Gabor, would eventually return after witnessing the dangers of human society, choosing to help develop their homeland. Others, like Yarpen, Zoltan, or Cleaver, would remain among humans, carving out lives of their own.
For Mahakam, this practice served as a means of integrating dwarves into human society. Unlike elves—who were locked in a deep-seated blood feud with humanity—dwarves blended in far more seamlessly.
What made this integration even more effective was the subtle, yet persistent prejudice humans held against dwarves. This ensured that Mahakam remained a powerful, ever-present entity in the minds of those who had left. Though they chose not to return, they spoke of their homeland with nothing but reverence, painting Mahakam as a near-mythical kingdom even to their descendants—many of whom had never set foot in dwarven lands.
As one bard once put it:
“Mahakam is the spiritual homeland of every dwarf living abroad.”
This was the heart of the issue: dwarves had embedded themselves in every facet of human society, yet their allegiance remained with Mahakam. If the day ever came when the dwarves of Mahakam tired of their mountain life and called upon their kin, they could summon a formidable nation from within human society almost overnight.
Moreover, the roles dwarves occupied in human society were far more diverse than the usual cliché of blacksmiths found in other tales. They were adventurers, alchemists, merchants, and most notably—the profession Lann had just mentioned—bankers.
As early as the eighth century of the human era—nearly a thousand years ago—certain dwarves had already risen to prominence in the financial sector.
Today, dwarves living abroad had established multiple banking dynasties, including the Giancardi, Vivaldi, and Cianfanelli families. From Vizima, the capital of Temeria, to Vengerberg in Aedirn; from the northernmost reaches of Kovir to the southern lands of Toussaint—branches of dwarven banks could be found everywhere.
From the economic perspective of this era, it didn’t seem like a problem. In fact, kings welcomed it, as these banks provided a steady stream of tax revenue.
But from Lann’s modern perspective, even without formal knowledge of economics, the implications were alarming—allowing a nation’s largest financial institutions to be controlled by an external power, let alone an entirely different race, was a disaster waiting to happen.
He didn’t even dare dwell on the thought for too long. In his mind, those gleaming gold coins seemed like buried explosives, scattered beneath every kingdom, waiting for the slightest heat from Mahakam’s volcanic depths to trigger a cataclysmic eruption.
Compared to the long-eared elves, the dwarves were truly cunning.
Lann was sure of one thing: while Mahakam officially upheld the tradition that exiled dwarves never returned, there had to be secret channels of communication. Only naive idealists like Yarpen or stubborn purists like Zoltan would take such a 'tradition' at face value.
Didn't Cleaver contact the Elder in Chief because of the diagrams Lann provided him? Now he was thriving in Novigrad, the greatest city in the Northern Realms.
That was why, when Lann mentioned dwarven bankers, the Elder in Chief’s demeanor shifted instantly.
…
For the dwarves, this was a strategy that had been in motion for over a thousand years. If Lann were to expose it, the kings of the Northern Kingdoms would eagerly charge these financial families with treason and seize their wealth to fill their own coffers. While the dwarven bankers could certainly retaliate, the damage they could inflict on human society in such a rushed scenario would be minimal.
And it wouldn’t benefit Mahakam either.
That was why Lann said he had to resort to a bit of veiled threat against the Elder in Chief.
...
"That’s the general situation with the dwarves," Lann concluded.
Kolgrim shuddered, suddenly realizing that being a simple assassin—no, a witcher—was far more appealing.
Geralt also seemed lost in thought. "So when Brouver’s demeanor changed just now, he was actually considering keeping us here? And, Lann, you revealed your Elder Blood abilities to demonstrate your unique value?"
The dwarves were an even older race than the elves, and the Elder in Chief was among the oldest of them all. He would undoubtedly be familiar with the prophecy of the Elder Blood and the White Frost.
But Lann shook his head. Fooling the elves with the Elder Blood might work, but it was useless against the dwarves.
"Look around you, Geralt. Look beneath our feet," Lann said, stomping his greaves. "The dwarves carved an entire mountain to build their Mount Carbon. They have the warmth of underground fire, secure cavern dwellings, and mushrooms that grow without sunlight. The White Frost, which freezes the land, poses no threat to them at all."
"They might actually be looking forward to the arrival of the White Frost. That way, it could cleanse the surface world for them, leaving behind a land free of humans and elves once the winter subsides."
Lann let out a cold chuckle. "—If winter ever subsides."
Coen stared downward in disbelief, his gaze seemingly piercing through the rock to the molten lava churning below.
“All this information about the dwarves… Did you learn it through the power of the Elder Blood?”
Lann neither confirmed nor denied, simply continued. “That’s why I displayed my Elder Blood ability earlier—not to impress, but to make it clear that I have the power to leave this place instantly, like a mage, but without the need for long incantations. I’m sure Gabor has already described my combat skills to Brouver.”
“So that’s why he abandoned the idea of keeping us here and instead turned to negotiating with Cintra—to keep your mouth shut,” Geralt mused.
Lann’s analysis had shaken their entire worldview. Fortunately, the negotiation had only involved the dwarves and Cintra. Rayla had not been present.
Had she been here, she would surely have rushed out, risking her life to report everything to her king. Geralt didn’t want that. He rather liked the young woman—an earnest soul who had sincerely wished him, Yennefer, and Ciri well.
As for Cintra… Cintra had no dwarven bankers, simply because Calanthe despised them. Before Lann took over as the de facto leader, the Lion’s kingdom had been exclusively human. The only exception had been Mousesack, the druid.
…Wait!
Geralt’s eyes widened in realization. If the negotiations had collapsed and the dwarves had detonated their economic bomb within human society, all of the Northern Kingdoms and even part of the Nilfgaardian Empire would have been thrown into chaos. In that scenario, could Cintra have actually benefited from the disaster?
No, that couldn’t be. Not with Nilfgaard watching, waiting for its chance. The dwarves’ influence over the Northern economy was far deeper than in the South. If their financial networks collapsed, the North would be completely ruined, and Cintra would be dragged down with it.
But… What if Nilfgaard was already gone by then?
...
Geralt’s wandering thoughts aside, the rest of the group was only now realizing just how close they had come to disaster. They had almost had to draw their swords against those who were asking for help.
A collective shudder ran through them as the weight of the situation sank in.
Lann let out a soft chuckle, offering a reassuring smile. "Come on now, do you really think I’d gamble with your lives? Every one of you bears my mark. Even if things had gone south, I could’ve teleported all of you out of Mount Carbon before cutting my own way through. The distance isn’t an issue—I have more than enough magical power to pull it off. So don’t worry."
He gestured dismissively before continuing, "Besides, the negotiations are done. Now, we just need to move on to the next phase."
"I still don’t get what you mean by negotiations. It all sounded like riddles to me," Kolgrim grumbled, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Lann sighed helplessly and continued to explain: "Elder rules Mahakam on the foundation of tradition. The dwarves don’t obey him as a king—they obey ‘tradition and the Elder in chief.’ He isn’t a sovereign; he’s the guardian of their customs. If he were to openly break those customs—like abandoning their long-held isolationism and neutrality—why would the dwarves continue to follow him?"
"That’s why, on the surface, Elder must uphold tradition. He can’t be seen openly violating Mahakam’s stance on neutrality or isolation. But between the lines, he was giving us clear clues about what actions we can take next."
Lann’s voice took on a knowing edge. "There are clans within Mahakam that don't entirely agree with the Chief Elder. They are curious about the outside world and eager to take action. They might be willing to help their so-called friends, even without the Chief Elder's direct approval."
"So this is our next step: we help these clans deal with the monster outbreaks threatening their lands. Then, we offer them the remaining diagrams. And in return, they'll send us some of their most seasoned young warriors to support us."
