Steel torrents pioneering a different world

Chapter 192 After stable production of black gold and chemicals! Take them away and exile them to the south! (Please subscribe)
Another world, the far north.

The biting wind felt like countless tiny knives scraping against Peng Daqing's exposed skin and eyelids.

He lowered his head, squinted, applied some more anti-fog solution, and wiped away the oil and ice crystals from his goggles.

Once the glasses were on, the steel forest ahead came into view.

This once boundless snowfield was nothing but white, so monotonous it was maddening.

Now, dozens of black oil wells have sprung up, frequently driving piles and extracting crude oil from the ground, adding a touch of industrial flair to this frozen wasteland.

Further away, clusters of low-rise buildings, lit up with lights, stretch out in a continuous line.

That was the foundation brought by the workers, and the modern modular houses and locally sourced materials such as ice bricks, which were used to carve out a permanent living area in this forbidden zone of life.

Throughout the living area, insulated chimneys emitting wisps of smoke can be seen everywhere. At the far end, an even larger chimney is belching out orange-red flames—the conversion tower of the small but exquisite oil refinery is undergoing its final adjustments.

The flames, orange-red, shone brighter, warmer, and redder than the stars in this world that is perpetually shrouded in gray and snow.

This is the color of hope!

Peng Daqing grinned and smiled.

The smile tugged at the muscles in my cheeks, which were stiff from the cold, and made them ache a little, but more than anything, it brought a surge of burning pride from the bottom of my heart.

When we were first transferred to this godforsaken place, there was nothing but corpses and the dead. All the equipment had to be transported from afar!

The brothers ate canned food and various other foods, lived in a makeshift ice cave, and carried guns during the day, pushing all kinds of equipment forward inch by inch to build this mining and refining plant.

Now, this oil industrial zone is the fruit of their blood and sweat!
1 barrels a day!

Peng Daqing silently recited the number in his mind, so excited that he wanted to shout it out.

With this black gold, the troops fighting for their lives against the alien elves, natives, and all sorts of animals on the front lines no longer need to be stingy with their fuel consumption and supplies!
The engineering corps can also roll up their sleeves and get to work, speeding up the construction of the forward base even further!

It was all worth it!

Thinking of the soldiers who patrolled and provided absolute safety for engineers like them in the far north, Peng Daqing touched his cold protective pistol, feeling both passionate and regretful.

He still couldn't forget the tension and excitement of his last battle with Captain Zhao Chong and his team!

That was the first time he had appeared on the front lines as a non-combatant.

"Sigh, when will we be able to return to the battlefield?"

Another name that came to his mind in the recent commendations was Liang Feng!
Peng Daqing had met him; he was a good soldier under Zhao Chong's squadron, what a pity.

It is precisely because there are countless "Liang Fengs" standing in front of them that they are able to carry out construction here in peace and stability.

"Captain! What are you looking at? Which derrick do you like? Planning to take it back for your wife?"

Not far away, a young man wrapped up like a bear was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Get lost!" Peng Daqing laughed and cursed. "Are you daydreaming?"

"Hey, Captain, Chief Cook Wang said there's extra food today, so let's tackle the last tough nut at the oil refinery. This time, we're going to have extra meat! Braised pork made from the white-skinned pigs from another world! Plenty to go!"

"In that case, let's go eat!" Peng Daqing replied, patted the snow off his body, and turned to go eat.

I had only taken a couple of steps when another figure, also bundled up tightly and covered in oil and mud stains, quickly caught up.

"Old Peng, wait a minute!"

Peng Daqing turned around and saw his good friend and old classmate Han Linchuan. "What's wrong, Lao Han? Did you hear about the extra meal earlier and followed us here because you smelled it?"

"Get lost!" Han Linchuan laughed and cursed, about to kick him. After the playful fight, he smiled and said, "I just got a notice that the leaders won't be coming over in person today."

Peng Daqing was taken aback, then his tense shoulders relaxed instantly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Not coming? That's fantastic news!" He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "This time we don't need to organize people to check the odds and ends anymore!"

Upon hearing this, Han Linchuan chuckled: "That's pretty much the gist of it. Although I won't be at the front lines, I've heard that this time the focus will be on testing our long-range signal bandwidth and conducting data link stability tests under high-pressure battlefield conditions. In short, the communications technology department and we will still be quite busy."

"Hmm, that's alright." Peng Daqing waved his hand. "As long as you don't keep bothering our frontline brothers. I hate cleaning the most! Let's go eat! Today we have not only white pigs raised in another world, but also braised fish, all you can eat!"

The two walked side by side towards the living area. As soon as they pushed open the canteen door, a wave of heat mixed with the aroma of meat and rice rushed towards them, instantly dispelling all the chill that had been clinging to them.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity and filled with lively chatter.

The workers lined up in a long queue, craning their necks. Some stared at the large, glistening, trembling braised fish in the window, while others stared at the braised pork. A few others wandered over the stir-fried vegetables with mushrooms and bok choy.

"Two more spoonfuls of fish, please!"

Peng Daqing and Han Linchuan exchanged a smile and joined the queue.

When it was their turn, the head cook, Wang, saw Peng Daqing, chuckled, stirred the pot with his large iron ladle, and carefully selected several pieces of meat that were half fat and half lean, stewed until tender and flavorful, and piled them all on Peng Daqing's plate.

"Thanks for your hard work!"

"You've all worked hard too." Peng Daqing nodded, picked up his tray and was about to leave when his eyes were drawn to the emerald green of several pots next to him.

"Wow, are there so many kinds of vegetables today?" Han Linchuan was also surprised. It was a pot of stir-fried bok choy, which looked more dazzling than gold in this snowy weather.

"It was transported from the rear base!" Old Wang said proudly. "A new batch of vegetables from the newly built glass greenhouse over at the Time Gate, look... Isatis root vegetables! The leaders said they'd give some to the few of our hardest-working bases to try! We'll build greenhouses here too, so we can have green leaves to eat all year round!"

"That's great!" Peng Daqing said with a smile, ordering more vegetables before finding a place to eat with Han Linchuan.

After a satisfying meal and a short 40-minute break, everyone returned to their posts.

The atmosphere in the control room of the oil refinery's conversion tower shifted from relaxed and comfortable to serious and focused.

Dozens of screens flashed various data, and the brothers performed their duties, doing the final checks again and again.

Peng Daqing stood in front of the main control console, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire room.

Although no leaders were physically present to exert psychological pressure, everyone still had to put on a show while watching the live stream.

However, with no one watching closely, the process appeared smoother and more natural.

"All units, report your current status!"

"Pressure of No. 1 atmospheric pressure tower is normal!"

"The temperature of pressure relief tower No. 2 is normal!"

"The desalination and dehydration system is ready!"

……

One report after another rang out clearly and forcefully.

Peng Daqing took a deep breath and looked at the refinery director: "Director Shu!"

"let's start!"

Peng Daqing nodded, gripped the communicator, and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Gentlemen, the factory director has given the order!"

Refining oil in another world is not so easy; the ubiquitous magical particles have an extraordinary impact on the chemical industry.

Just like when they first started making explosives, who knew that the professor would be seriously injured by the explosion? Later, although Professor Wenmin and others led the team to improve various synthesis methods using chemical raw materials from another world, many problems arose along the way.

The fields of biochemistry, environmental science, and materials science are basic disciplines, but they are the foundation of industry. Only by understanding these fields can you master everything.

Since there are no magical particles interfering with the oil from another world in the modern world, there are fewer problems!
However, the problems that arise in this other world are no less numerous.

He paused, looking around at the expectant faces.

"start up!"

"Yes!"

As the order was given, the entire small factory area seemed to slowly awaken like a sleeping steel behemoth.

A low, rumbling sound of liquid flowing could be heard from inside the pipes, and the conversion tower emitted a rhythmic hum.

The primary processing of petroleum is based on atmospheric and vacuum distillation. After desalting and dehydration with water containing less than 5 mg/L of salt, light distillate oil, heavy distillate oil and residue oil are separated.

In secondary processing, the focus is on catalytic cracking of heavy oil, which can generally achieve a gasoline conversion rate of 40%. Hydrocracking and other conversion processes are used to achieve lighter oil, while high-octane gasoline and refined oil products can be produced.

With advancements in technology and industrial science, many oil refineries are now capable of producing various types of oil in a streamlined process.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the various data.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The control room was so quiet that only the sounds of the machines running and the breathing of the people could be heard.

Suddenly, Han Linchuan's voice trembled slightly.

"coming!"

Inside the transparent observation window, one drop, two drops... then, a stream of clear liquid gushed out from the oil transport pipeline.

Subsequently, the previously silent sensors also began to transmit signals of oil seepage.

"Haha, it's oily as usual!!"

Someone shouted first, and the entire control room erupted in a thunderous cheer!

The brothers embraced each other excitedly, jumping and skipping, and many of them had tears in their eyes.

Peng Daqing clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaving violently, a surge of burning pride almost bursting out of his skull!
Become!

In this barren land, they refined the first drop of qualified fuel!

On the other side, on the command center's screen, the data curves representing the production of various types of oil steadily climbed!
As Su Mingjin looked at the green lines that represented hope, the tense lines on her face finally softened.

"Finally, the noose around my neck has been removed, and I can finally catch my breath."

The base's military factories are now capable of producing stable munitions and shells in small batches.

Once the two lifelines of food and fuel are completely self-sufficient, logistical dependence on the modern world can be minimized.

By then, apart from a few highly sophisticated and sensitive materials that still need to be transported with care, everything else can be manufactured here.

Su Mingjin has even begun to envision that once the underground oil pipeline connecting the two worlds is completed, the oil here can be continuously refined, sorted, and transported back to the modern world.

Just imagining the future press conference where the spokesperson casually announces that Southeast University has discovered a super oil field overseas with reserves "up to billions of tons"...

Will those headscarf-wearing bigwigs be dumbfounded? Will global oil prices fluctuate wildly as a result?

Then, Southeast University would take advantage of the situation and announce an unprecedented drop in oil prices of "one cent"?
Just imagining that scene is interesting enough.

The future is promising.

She composed herself and began to draft a report of her achievements for Li Weiguo in her mind.

Seeing that the construction and production in the industrial zone were proceeding in an orderly manner, and even the farm site planned for the elves to do their own work and have enough to eat and wear had been leveled, Su Mingjin turned to ask the intelligence advisor beside her.

"Have you received any news about the elves and dwarves we released earlier?"

"Reporting to General Su, there is none at the moment. No trace of it has been detected by any of the drones and reconnaissance equipment deployed along the border."

"Understood. Tell the people from the Ice River Tribe on the coastline to keep a close eye on any dwarves that might appear in the south! Report back immediately if anything comes up." Su Mingjin nodded and left.

"I wonder if they'll be able to bring back the goodwill that humanity desires when they go back."

Instead of personally going to the cell where the prisoners were held, Su Mingjin reviewed the information about the dwarves that Gong Pengfei and his team had collected, thinking about how to report the work records to Li Weiguo.

Humans have been trying to understand intelligent races in other worlds, but the work has been quite difficult.

Gong Pengfei and his team racked their brains to figure out the elves' language, communication methods, hierarchy, and some basic information.

Humans initially thought that capturing the dwarves would be a more difficult psychological battle, given their volatile temper and stubborn nature. However, no one anticipated that the fortress of this otherworldly intelligent race would collapse from within.

The elegant and proud elves had previously fought alongside the dwarves, but when it came to betraying their allies, their speed was astonishing.

If they knew what color the dwarf king's underwear was, they probably wouldn't hesitate to pack it up and sell it.

So, in just a few hours, the humans obtained more crucial information about the dwarves from the elves.

The dwarves dwell in the eastern Frostwood Mountains, where they have established a vast underground kingdom... The dwarves are numerous, with many clans, and are renowned for their alchemical weapons and steel forging.

Dwarves are short-tempered, stubborn, and impulsive; they can't live without meat...and they don't get along with anyone!
Of course, you can't believe everything the elves say!

Seeing this, Su Mingjin tapped the screen lightly with her fingertips once more.

All of this was expected and is consistent with the common impression of dwarves in fantasy works.

However, the tone of the subsequent interrogation went astray.

"...The reason why dwarves are at odds with other races is simple: they utterly despise all races except themselves, including elves. They have a sharp tongue and are always busy with their hands, often stealing things, and wanting to take apart any mechanical creations they haven't seen before..."

"They worship pure strength, and especially admire warriors who fight in close combat."

"They have no resistance to strong liquor and roast meat, and can delay the war for a barrel of fine ale and a whole roasted lamb."

"According to cross-verification from multiple elven captives, males make up the vast majority of dwarven society, and they live year-round in dark mines and forges, where the brotherhood among them is extremely deep."

"Legend has it that...dwarves often staged a one-legged, side-by-side show..."

The report's author used a very euphemistic word here. Su Mingjin, however, immediately understood the deeper meaning behind it and almost burst out laughing.

Mountain kingdom, predominantly male, with fiery tempers...

These short guys, all under 1.2 meters tall, have it all.

This once reminded her of a certain mountainous region.

"But the one over there is much taller!"

The intelligence analysts added a summary at the end of the report: "Overall, compared to the proud and unpredictable elves, the dwarves, while having many flaws, have clear preferences and straightforward personalities. They may be difficult to deal with initially, but they seem to be easier to communicate with."

At least their gods don't have such strict control over them!

As Su Mingjin looked at the increasingly complete dwarf report and the diplomatic plans from other analytical departments, she leaned back in her chair and gazed out the window at the vast alien land.

It doesn't matter if the elves are stubborn and take a long time to communicate with them, or if they can't bring goodwill.

She can create goodwill with the dwarves herself.

If the prisoners can return with goodwill and make contact with the dwarves, they can open a suitable channel.

They simply didn't believe that once they had opened the dwarves' mouths, the elves would dare to engage in so many... brainstem deficient, nonsensical, and idiotic diplomatic maneuvers against them.

Thinking of this, Su Mingjin could hardly contain her smile.

She organized the documents and then thought about how to report on her work.

The pioneering team has now established a solid foundation in the other world. After the last release of forbidden magic from the Nightmare of Return, the magical particles and interference fluctuations in the forest belt have been greatly reduced.

This greatly expanded the battlefield communication capabilities of the pioneering team.

Of course, in recent days, magical particles have begun to converge again, and humanity has gained a better understanding of some of them. At the same time, they are actively expanding their living space.

Now that oil production has stabilized, the land reclamation teams have three main directions of road construction.

One approach is to continue developing inland waterway transportation along the rivers, as sea and river transport are always cheaper than land and air transport.

Although the transportation speed is relatively slow, a lot of things are transported at once.

Another initiative is to promote the mountain-opening project, striving to rapidly shorten the distance between the time portal and the eastern coast of the other world, ensuring the safety of highway and soon-to-be-built railway transportation, while enhancing the speed and efficiency of east-west commuting.

The third is the railway built southward from the time portal, relying on the existing road network.

This kind of thing has been done a lot at Dongda University. There are countless experienced people in road construction and maintenance. It's not like some Southeast Asian internet celebrity slope that breaks and gets repaired only to break again!
It certainly won't become some road that India built hundreds of years ago, which would take several years to complete and still not be finished.
-
Belgas, riding on the back of his beloved Gru, watched his colleagues approaching in the distance, raising dust in the air, and waved loudly.

"Don't come any closer! Stay away from us!"

The deep neighing of his mount echoed through the valley. Le Bon Ironhammer grabbed the reins, and his Gru beast pawed at the ground in discontent.

He squinted, sizing up Bellegas, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Bellegas, what's going on?"

Beller Gasley landed and jumped off his mount, but his movements revealed an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.

"A major headache! We may have been infected by a dark magic plague secretly released by humans!"

"Dark magic plague?" Le Bon Ironhammer's brow furrowed instantly. In the history of the dwarves, this word was always associated with treachery and racial calamity.

“That’s right.” Bellegas couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of the elves’ pointy-eared state. “The elves were the first to suffer. They were all bleeding from their noses, and some even lost their hair. They were all feeling unwell. We dwarves are tough and thick-skinned, so we’re not in much trouble for now, but for the safety of the mountains, you’d better not come near!”

Black magic plague, an extremely malevolent curse.

In the ancient tales passed down through generations of dwarven tribes, human mages have often used such insidious methods to exterminate other races.

The only solution is to completely isolate all the unfortunate infected individuals.

Le Bon's face darkened; he was more concerned with something else: "Explain to me clearly, from beginning to end, all those messy messages your branch has been sending back! What exactly are those humans?"

“Yes, Lord Lepanto!” Bellegas took a deep breath and began to recount the bizarre experiences of the past few days.

He recounted how he was initially sent on a mission to the Forest Kingdom to confirm whether those proud elves had truly been betrayed by humans, and how he later discovered the bizarre, barren core area of ​​the explosion.

The air there had an eerie feel to it, and even the stones seemed to have melted.

“We originally intended to sneak in under cover of darkness and capture a few humans to interrogate—you know about our dwarven night raids…” Bellegas said, his old face flushing red, his voice lowering, “but who knew those guys wouldn’t even engage in hand-to-hand combat! A blinding flash of light, damned needles, and we were suddenly bound tightly in some kind of sticky, sturdy net! We didn’t even see their shadows—it was an utter disgrace!”

Le Bon Ironhammer's mustache bristled with rage. A squad of elite dwarven scouts, launching their signature night raid, had been captured by humans with absolutely no effort?
"What did they do to you? What torture did they use on you?"

“That’s the weirdest part!” Bellergas looked constipated. “There was no torture, no cursing, just good food and drink, and then they asked some strange questions.”

"question?"

"Yes! They asked us what we liked to eat, what kind of wine we liked, and even whether there were more brothers than sisters in our clan! I swear on my beard, they were more interested in our forges than our military secrets!"

Bellegas grew increasingly agitated as he spoke: "In the end, they just let us go! They even gave us a lot of bacon, weapons, and a... a very strong liquor, saying it was a signal to release peace! We are warriors! Not carrier pigeons for them to deliver signals!"

Le Bon Hammer fell silent, his thick fingers unconsciously twisting his meticulously woven beard.

This is completely different from his understanding of humans.

In the ballads of the half-human kingdom, humans are portrayed as cunning, weak, and only capable of lurking in the shadows and using black magic.

But the humans described by Bellegas possess the terrifying power to destroy a forest in an instant, use bizarre tactics never heard of before, and after capturing prisoners, they neither beat nor scold them, but rather seem to be studying some new and exotic species.

Le Bon encountered many humans, and they were cruel and cunning! They believed in some chivalrous spirit, but unfortunately, they didn't show their spirit to the halflings. In short, the humans in the south were pretty much as described in the ballad!

"What do you think is the difference between the humans who have appeared in the north and those we encountered on the southern border in the past?" Le Bon Hammer finally spoke, his voice low and solemn.

"The people in the north are very gentle, even friendly."

Bellegas's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. He leaned against a rock, thinking about what had happened before, his eyes unusually clear.

This is completely different from the irritability and sharp tongue they displayed when interacting with elves and humans.

"The goodwill they showed us was greater than all the humans I've ever seen in the Greenlands combined. Lord Lepanto, I find them far more terrifying and difficult to deal with!"

Le Bon's thick fingers unconsciously tugged at his prized beard, silently signaling him to continue.

“Do you know what happened to me and my friends after we were captured? There was no torture.” Bellegas chuckled self-deprecatingly. “They took us into a room full of steel, and then… brought us food.”

He paused, seemingly savoring those absurd few days.

"A mountain of roasted meat, and ale that was ankle-deep! The meat was so tender you didn't need to use your teeth, and the liquor, though not strong, was delicious! My men thought it was their last meal, and while they ate, they secretly discussed how to take a few of them down with them before they died."

Le Bon's eye twitched.

"After we had eaten and drunk our fill, we thought death was coming, and we prepared to face it in a half-human way... but then they let us go." Bellegas spread his hands. "They brought us back in a magical vehicle that doesn't need to be pulled by animals. That thing is fast and stable. I think on flat ground, even our most powerful mammoths and Gru beasts can't catch up with it."

"Before they left, they also gave us gifts, saying they longed for peace." Bellegas showed us the hammer and other items in his hands.

When Le Bon saw them, he found that the weapons were made of ordinary materials, but they were full of square industrial aesthetics, comparable to those made by their own craftsmen.

If it were made of rare materials, it would definitely fetch a good price on the human borders of the Greenlands.

“Lord Lepanto, these things are exactly the same as what’s piled up everywhere…” Bellegas repeated, “They’re exactly the same, piled up everywhere!”

Bellergas's voice suddenly rose as he recalled the basin that had turned to ashes—the very power of the forbidden weapon from ancient legends!
"Besides this, they also played some magical images. Those things... Lord Lepan, have you ever seen a terrifying force that can instantly destroy an entire forest? Those suns were released by them! Heh, using those forbidden weapons to send a peace signal? Humans are truly cunning and cruel!"

Le Bon nodded: "Then do you think we can win against them?"

"We can fight them, but we must never have a full-scale war!"

His tone was firm.

"Their wealth, resources, and combat capabilities are beyond our reach."

"Our mountain warfare, which we're so proud of, doesn't offer much of an advantage against them! Their giant steel birds..." Bellegas looked up at the sky, as if those things were still hovering overhead, thinking of those helicopters that were always circling around him. "I saw them take off with my own eyes, carrying dozens of people!"

"How does the Iron Bird compare to our airships?" Le Bon Hammer pressed.

“They’re incredibly fast, our airships can’t keep up!” Bellegas said with a look of utter despair. “I think our magic flintlock pistols wouldn’t even be good enough to tickle those iron birds after they hit them.”

The valley fell into a deathly silence, with only the bleating of the Grumon as it ate.

Le Bon Hammer released his grip, his mind replaying everything Bellegas had described.

What the other party was saying was overturning the dwarves' understanding of war that they had held for thousands of years.

Those were not human; they were a group of monsters in human skin, wielding forbidden powers once possessed only by gods.

If what Belgas said is true, then the dwarves' pride in their heavy armor, battle axes, and magic muskets would probably be as fragile as a flatbread in front of these northern humans.

"I understand."

After a long silence, Le Bon Ironhammer finally spoke, his voice low and menacing. He didn't look at Bellagath, but instead gazed at the majestic, endless mountain range in the distance, the homeland that the dwarves had guarded for generations.

"You and your troops go to a nearby quarantine area to rest and assess the level of danger of the dark magic plague. Without my orders, no one is allowed to make contact."

"Yes!"

“Also, draw everything you’ve seen and heard.” Le Bon Hammer turned his head, a storm raging in his dark eyes. “I will also immediately issue a warning to the kingdom to prepare for war!”

Bellergas bowed and then left.

Le Bon's gaze turned to the northern region inhabited by humans.

"Are these human hybrids in the north a calamity brought by the harsh winter?" Le Bon pursed his lips, sighed, and then led his team back.
-
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in the suburbs of New Arigian.

Natalia stood under a red-leaved, white-barked tree with a human-face design, recounting what she had seen and heard.

Governor Grice stood with his hands behind his back, his handsome face, typical of the elves, revealing no emotion. He only occasionally nodded his chin slightly, signaling her to continue.

“…Through the human’s magical artifacts, we saw the sun unleashed by humans burst forth, turning the entire basin into a land of death.” Natalia’s voice was a little hoarse, and she subconsciously touched her lips. “…They didn’t mistreat us; instead…they gave us food and water, expressed their goodwill, and then sent us back.”

As she spoke, she felt a warm sensation in her nasal cavity, and a drop of blood unexpectedly fell to the ground, splashing out like a small red flower.

She hurriedly wiped it with the back of her hand.

“Look, this is the evidence.” Grice finally spoke, his tone flat, as if commenting on the weather. “That’s the cunning of humanity; they use small favors to cover up vicious curses. You have been infected by their dark magic plague.”

Natalia paused for a moment, then remembered something and quickly added, "Mr. Grace, they did mention that! They said there's magical radiation in that central area, and we shouldn't go near it anymore. They said... my unit and I were too close to the core, which is why this happened."

She tried hard to recall every word the human officers had said, and recounted in detail the dangers of the nuclear radiation center and the consequences of long-term exposure.

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible ripple flashed in Grace's jewel-like eyes.

"Magical radiation? An unheard-of term, another lie fabricated by humans to confuse the public." He made a casual judgment. "Alright, you and your squad will set up camp outside the city to rest. To prevent the spread of the plague, you must be quarantined until the situation is clarified."

He paused, then added, "I will report your ordeal to the Great Prophet in detail."

"Yes!" Natalia gave a standard elven military salute, her posture still upright despite her exhaustion.

Watching Natalia leave with her men, the calm on Grace's face finally crumbled.

He slowly turned around and placed his palm on the trunk of the sacred tree behind him.

A warm, pale white liquid flowed from his palm into the ancient tree bark, activating the sacred tree's spiritual network. His consciousness traveled thousands of miles, establishing a connection with beings in the distance.

"...Great Prophet, that's the situation!"

An aged yet authoritative voice echoed in his mind: "You personally inspected it and detected no trace of dark magic?"

“Yes, Great Prophet. It was a… pure, destructive magical power. Natalia’s life force was compromised and highly infectious.”

The voice on the other end of the mental network was silent for a moment.

"What the truth is is not important; what matters is what kind of truth my people need. The new priests of New Erigian City will arrive soon, and their mind magic will be enough to correct Natalia's confusion and false memories."

Grace's body stiffened slightly: "You mean..."

"Let her and her men forget the human's steel behemoth and artificial sun, and let her remember the cruelty of humanity and the wickedness of black magic. This is what is in the best interest of the kingdom."

“I understand,” Grace replied respectfully.

“Oh, right,” the voice said again, “aren’t those little ones, Lani, going to be sent south soon?”

"Yes, Great Prophet. They will be sent away when the priests arrive!"

“Natalia gets along well with them. In that case, let’s include her in the same operation batch. Let their friendship shine its last light on the southern land.”

"This... obeys your command."

Contact was lost, and the faint light returned to stillness.

Grace slowly lowered his hand, looking in the direction where Natalia and the others had disappeared, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Then, his gaze gradually turned cold, as if he were looking at a tool that was about to be put to good use and then discarded.

He straightened his dusty consul's robe, turned and walked into the city, his tall figure casting a cold and distorted shadow in the hazy sunlight.

For the glory and peace of the elves, any sacrifice is worthwhile.

Especially the sacrifice of those who are essential.

(End of this chapter)