The structure of the Ancap Union was a siren song to the Dwarves of Mahakam. Unlike the human kingdoms, which treated them as second-class citizens or mere tools for the forge, Aine Aevon's system offered something they valued more than life: Equity.
"In the Union, you don't beg for a seat at the table," a bearded elder told a gathering of smiths. "You buy it."
The Dwarves were quick to adapt. Having sent their brightest kin through the Alder Private Schools, they didn't return with just better hammers; they returned with a mastery of Structural Geology and Heavy Machinery. Leveraging their ancient gold reserves, they officially registered their own corporate entity: Mahakam MG (Mining & Geology).
Under the Union's charter, any corporation with sufficient market share and capital was entitled to a seat on the Board of Directors—the Ancap Union's version of a parliament.
Initially, Mahakam MG was a small fish in a deep pond. Their voting shares were less than 5%, while Aine's Alder Corporation held the overwhelming majority. But the Dwarves were nothing if not stubborn. They didn't see a "King" in Aine Aevon; they saw a Competitor.
"Let the Tall Elf have the rails and the bricks," the CEO of Mahakam MG barked. "We will own the source."
Using hydraulic drills and Industrial AR techniques they had adapted and improved upon, Mahakam MG began a hyper-efficient extraction of the North's untapped mineral veins. They didn't just mine iron; they specialized in Dimeritium-Alloys and Rare-Earth Elements needed for Aine's high-tech electronics.
Within a year, the "battle of the markets" turned the Ancap Union into an industrial furnace. Mahakam MG's profits skyrocketed, and with every million crowns in revenue, they bought back Governance Shares from the open market.
Aine Aevon watched the ticker on his Quasimorph Interface with a mix of elven detachment and schoolboy admiration.
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[ALDER CORP SHARES: 72%]
[MAHAKAM MG SHARES: 18%]
[MARKET COMPETITION: ACTIVE]
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The Dwarves were no longer just laborers; they were political rivals. They began lobbying the Enforcer Corps to prioritize security for "Mining Sectors" over "Railroad Hubs," challenging Aine's absolute authority for the first time.
"They're learning fast," Aine mused, watching a Mahakam MG steam-digger break ground on a new site. "They've realized that in this nation, a hostile takeover isn't done with an army. It's done with a Balance Sheet."
The competition drove innovation to a fever pitch. To stay ahead of the Dwarves, Aine needed to unveil something they couldn't mine: Information Technology.
The transformation of the Unclaimed North was no longer a secret, and the envy of the South began to manifest as economic demand. Following Redania's example, the Kingdom of Temeria sent a high-ranking delegation to the Obsidian Tower. They didn't come to conquer; they came to negotiate.
"We cannot allow the Redanians to outpace us," the Temerian envoy stated, eyeing the Enforcer ARs with ill-concealed anxiety. "Temeria demands the same 'iron paths' for our merchants, and our youth seek entry to your schools. We will pay, and we will grant the land rights."
Aine Aevon, steepled his long fingers. "The Alder Corporation does not seek 'rights' from kings, only exclusive service contracts. We will build your dormitories and your rails, but the Steam Engines and the stations remain Alder property."
With the expansion into Temerian territory, the corporate vaults swelled beyond measure. Aine didn't just spend—he reinvested. To provide the immense power needed for his growing empire, he commissioned massive, high-pressure steam turbines that didn't just pull trains, but generated a steady flow of Electricity. Within months, copper lines were strung across the North, powering the first Electric Telegraphs. For the first time in the Continent's history, information moved faster than a pigeon or a portal.
To celebrate this new era of precision, Aine unveiled the Alder Wristwatch. It was a marvel of micro-engineering: mass-produced, non-magical, and so accurate it made the Alchemists' hourglasses look like toys. It became the ultimate mark of the modern man—a tool that synchronized the world to "Alder Standard Time."
However, the Dwarves of Mahakam MG were not content to be eclipsed. Stubborn and fiercely competitive, they used their neural-link education to master the physics of Modern Metallurgy. They didn't just mine; they synthesized.
They unveiled a series of Mahakaman Super-Alloys—metals that were lighter than steel but stronger than meteorite iron. These alloys were not magical, yet they resisted rust and could pierce traditional plate mail like parchment. Even the kingdoms without access to Dimeritium or Meteorite ore began desperately bidding for Mahakam steel, sparking a brutal Trade War.
"The Elves have the time and the talk," the Dwarven CEO barked during a board meeting. "But we have the Bone of the World. Let's see how their 'telegraphs' work when we jack up the price of the copper they need to build them."
The Ancap Union became a battlefield of ledgers and logistics. While the Alder Corp Enforcers kept the physical peace, the Elves and Dwarves fought for dominance over the Continent's markets. It was a race for total vertical integration, where the one who controlled the most essential resource would eventually control the Board of Directors.
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[ALDER CORP MARKET SHARE: 68%]
[MAHAKAM MG MARKET SHARE: 24%]
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"Competition is the highest form of flattery," Aine mused, adjusting his own wristwatch. "But I think it's time to show our 'cousins' that the one who owns the Information owns the world."