Chapter 342: Chapter 303: Potential Crisis_1
Old Mom wouldn’t let Yan Xing leave Frostleaf City easily until she saw the batch of clothing.
Yan Xing, for his part, had no plans to return immediately after arriving.
Thus, Yan Xing and his team were quartered within Frostleaf City, heavily guarded by Orcs to prevent them from sneaking away.
The snow that had been falling for several days finally stopped.
Drones from the Eternal Domain flew over Frostleaf City and began mapping it.
Chui Chui reported, "The convoy carrying twenty thousand sets of clothing has entered the Thunderous Swamp and will arrive at Frostleaf City within three days."
The journey took so many days because there were no roads between Frostleaf City and the Thunderous Swamp, and the heavy snowfall further slowed the convoy.
If a road were built between Frostleaf City and the Thunderous Swamp, retrofitted trucks could make a round trip in a single day.
This meant that... should any situation arise in Frostleaf City, the Eternal Domain’s army could be at its gates within half a day.
"Master, the drone has detected a large number of Orcs around your residence. Should we deploy the rapid reaction force towards Frostleaf City to support your military operations?"
Lying on the bed in his room, Yan Xing thought for a moment and said to Chui Chui, "There’s no need to send troops to Frostleaf City for now. We should focus our defenses to the south. The security of the Eternal Domain is paramount. Let Anderson see our troops poised for battle; that way, he won’t attempt any military gambles. The Orcs here need something from me; they’re just putting on a show."
Yan Xing had indeed taken a certain risk by coming to Frostleaf City himself this time, but the time left for the Eternal Domain to develop was growing shorter and shorter.
After winter, many matters would have to be brought into the open.
Yan Xing didn’t want to go to war, but the world was unpredictable, and some wars couldn’t be avoided simply because one didn’t want to fight.
Humans, Orcs, and even the Elves dwelling in the Thunderous Swamp could all become his enemies.
Planning ahead, Yan Xing wanted to use this final period of stable development to strengthen himself as much as possible.
No matter how well one uses balance, it’s never as good as having a strong fist.
"Yes, Master. I will protect your safety..."
During the conversation with Chui Chui, someone knocked on the room door.
With Yan Xing’s permission, Arlanda walked in from outside.
"My Lord, the Elves you purchased have all been settled. They asked me to convey their thanks to you on their behalf. Were it not for your mercy, their fate would have been to freeze to death somewhere."
Yan Xing stood up from the bed and sat down on a wicker chair.
The wooden house wasn’t lavishly decorated, but every furnishing and utensil exuded a strong Elven character.
Elegant, delicate, exquisite.
"No, that was your kindness; I had no intention of saving them," Yan Xing said. He picked up a teacup, and as Arlanda poured him tea, he continued, "There are already many Elf corpses in Frostleaf City; a few more or less from their group wouldn’t have made a significant difference. Since you saved them, they are now your responsibility. They are now assets of the Eternal Domain. Don’t let them escape."
"I know you are a kind man, My Lord," Arlanda said gratefully as she poured his tea. "Rest assured, I will ensure they become members of the Eternal Domain. My Lord, when you met Old Mom, did you say you intended to purchase all the Elves in Frostleaf City?"
Yan Xing, sipping the tea, replied, "Hmm... most of the able-bodied young Elves are with Prince Elrado’s Great Army. Those remaining in Frostleaf City are mostly the elderly and children. Leaving them here is a dead end. It’s better for them to come work for me in the Eternal Domain. You’re familiar with Frostleaf City; do you have any talented people to recommend? The domain’s affairs are expanding, and we’re short-handed everywhere."
Arlanda replied, "I will try to find some for you, My Lord. I... I’ve been away from Frostleaf City for a long time. I don’t know if they’re still around."
"For the next few days, wander around the city, visit old friends, and help them if you can. If you need anything, ask Li Zhua for it... Hmm? Is there something else on your mind?" Yan Xing could tell that Arlanda was heavily burdened, so he casually asked.
After a moment of silence, Arlanda said, "My Lord, I used Magic today. The... the shackle I wear as part of my sentence, shouldn’t it have stopped me when I cast Magic?"
Yan Xing hadn’t expected Arlanda to ask him this question.
"That restriction was lifted a long time ago; I’ve just been so busy I forgot to tell you. You hold an important position in the Eternal Domain, so you’ll inevitably face dangers. If something were to happen to you, I would lose a good official. The shackle you wear now is merely symbolic of your sentence, which you are still serving. Of course, if it makes you uncomfortable, I can have it removed."
Upon hearing that Yan Xing was willing to remove her shackle, Arlanda immediately said, "No, no, no... I’m quite alright wearing this shackle."
The shackle that could stop her served as the only reason she couldn’t kill Yan Xing to avenge her sister. Even though the shackle now only offered symbolic restraint, Arlanda didn’t dare remove it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to face the sister she thought of day and night. Only by carrying this burden in her heart could she continue to live the life she had come to like.
Yan Xing was unaware of Arlanda’s inner turmoil.
"I didn’t know you had such a penchant. Well, if you like wearing it, then keep it on," Yan Xing said, remembering something. He changed the topic and asked Arlanda, "On the way to Frostleaf City, you mentioned a Night Elf training camp. Can you find it?"
Arlanda quickly slipped back into her role and answered Yan Xing’s question, "It can be found. Does My Lord wish to subjugate the Night Elves? That... would likely be very difficult."
"Let’s give it a try..." Yan Xing took out a stack of Creed Cards and said to Arlanda, "It doesn’t matter if they’re unwilling to join the Eternal Domain. Give one to each of them; it contains ten thousand Grain Tickets from me as a gift. With this Creed Card, they can freely enter and exit the Eternal Domain and also buy or sell intelligence at the Intelligence Exchange within our territory. Make friends with them. Who knows, they might be useful someday."
Arlanda knew Yan Xing was particularly lenient towards spies from all factions; as long as they didn’t jeopardize the Eternal Domain’s security, cooperation was possible.
"Yes, My Lord. I will convey your goodwill to the Night Elves." Arlanda accepted the stack of Creed Cards. "If My Lord has no further instructions, I shall take my leave."
Yan Xing reminded Arlanda, "Yes, be careful when moving about Frostleaf City. If anything happens, don’t impulsively attack the Orcs. Remember, we’re here to do business. What should a merchant do? Well, right now in Frostleaf City, there’s no problem that can’t be solved with a blanket. And if one blanket doesn’t work, just add another."
Arlanda chuckled at Yan Xing’s teasing.
"I understand, My Lord! I will take my leave now..."
Yan Xing waved his hand, "Go on. Have Li Zhua assign four Werewolf Warriors to protect you. Stay safe..."
「Arlanda left.」
Yan Xing then returned to his own world to deal with the tasks that had piled up over the past few days, and while he was at it, he sold a batch of Gold to the Renlun Investment Bank.