Chapter 328: Chapter 294 Gryphon Armor_1
Count Theodore and Lady Karol, although merely observers at the venue, were actually the protagonists of the meeting. All agenda items were designed to show Marquis Anderson and the Silver Mane Duke behind them the Eternal Domain’s attitude towards the Elves. They drew the bottom line and made the red lines public to prevent misjudgment by all parties regarding the situation in the Thunderous Swamp. The aim was to minimize any harm to themselves from accepting the Elves and to maintain room for maneuver with all involved parties, ensuring the Eternal Domain’s development wouldn’t be significantly disturbed.
Yan Xing’s proposal prioritized his master’s interests. Prince Elrado, leading guest forces, was in no position to refuse; he could only accept. With these two main principles established, the subsequent meeting discussions centered on the various issues that the Elves’ presence in the Thunderous Swamp might provoke. The swamp had its customs, and the Elves had theirs. Housing nearly fifty thousand Elves within the confines of Blood Crown Castle was unrealistic and would inevitably lead to issues over time. Prince Elrado hoped the Elves could have more freedom of movement within the swamp, but Blood Crown Mountain itself was a very sensitive area.
Yan Xing decided to establish more than ten settlements for the Elves along the road between Blood Crown Castle and the Red Mud Wetland. This area was under slightly stronger control by the Eternal Domain, which could coordinate with nearby swamp tribes to grant the Elves a certain range of activity. At the same time, Yan Xing suggested that Prince Elrado allow the Elves to participate in the large-scale production taking place within the Thunderous Swamp. "Since you’ll be idle anyway," Yan Xing pointed out, "you might as well earn some money during this time of refuge. It can be used to improve your food and purchase living supplies." After all, according to the agreement, the Thunderous Swamp only provided the Elves with the most basic living guarantees, and the Silvermane Principality would hardly spend money to ensure luxurious living for them.
Among the Snow Elves, everyone was a soldier. During wartime, lower-ranked Elves were called up by higher-ranked ones to join the army; during peacetime, they scattered into the Snowland forests to fend for themselves. Elves comprised a rather loose society, prone to wandering off if not engaged in battle. However, the current situation required them to concentrate their forces to handle emergencies. Finding tasks for the Elven soldiers seemed like a good idea, as it would both earn them money and keep them disciplined.
Prince Elrado agreed to Yan Xing’s recruitment of Elves for non-combat jobs, but seventy percent of the commission had to be handed over to the Elf Military Committee. Yan Xing had no objections; how the commission was distributed was an internal matter for the Elves—he only needed the labor.
There was so much to do this winter. The more preparations made during winter, the greater the harvest the following year, allowing the Eternal Domain to grow stronger and overcome its current predicament.
「Four days later, a heavy snowfall covered the entirety of the Wildwind Highlands.」
The cold and snow significantly reduced the range of outdoor activities for all parties, as neither the Orcs nor the Wildwind Highlands Legion possessed the capability to conduct warfare in the swamp during the harsh winter. Marquis Anderson could only accept the fact that Elven power existed within the Thunderous Swamp. The Eternal Domain had become his second most significant opponent in the Wildwind Highlands. Count Theodore, who had close ties with Yan Xing, aroused more of Marquis Anderson’s suspicion after returning from the Thunderous Swamp empty-handed. The situation in the Wildwind Highlands had become more complicated than before the war started. The Thunderous Swamp, once an overlooked force, had become one that no party dared to treat lightly.
In the next stage of the contest, Yan Xing had no choice but to step from behind the scenes to the forefront. Therefore, after settling the Elves’ resettlement and bidding farewell to Count Theodore and Lady Karol, Yan Xing immediately returned to the Eternal Domain. He plunged into the new truck research and development center established in collaboration with the Goblin Alchemy Factory.
The combination of mature technologies from both parties enabled the rapid modification of trucks, with three to five trucks being converted each day. The remodeled magic-powered trucks significantly bolstered the transport capacity of the Eternal Domain. This was mainly thanks to the machine tools and a full set of vehicle maintenance equipment that Yan Xing had purchased from the real world—tools the Goblins absolutely adored for their ability to easily hoist and dismantle machinery weighing several tons. They used these tools not only to research and modify trucks but even moved part of their alchemical products production line here. Production speed and costs were significantly reduced, allowing Gaga the Goblin to make a handsome profit from the war.
Now, Gaga and Chui Chui were intensively researching the industrialization of processing more advanced alchemical raw materials. If they could develop cheaper, more efficient bionic alchemical muscle fibers, they could achieve mass production of alchemical robots. At that point, the Eternal Domain could not only solve its labor problem but also employ more advanced alchemical robots as soldiers, expanding its military might. The alchemical robot artillery units had certainly given Yan Xing a taste of their benefits during the battle within Nuta City. However, mass-producing cheap alchemical robots still involved many unresolved technical issues, so for now, alchemical robots could only meet the needs of technical workers.
While Gaga was earning money on the side by using Yan Xing’s equipment for private jobs, he was also actively helping the Eternal Domain’s Alchemy Laboratory solve complex alchemical problems. The Turbocharged Jet Engine 2.0 official version was quickly moved from the experimental to the production stage, thanks to the alchemy technology provided by the Goblin Alchemy Factory. Yan Xing, who valued the development of an air force, had been closely following the progress of this project. One of the reasons for his visit to the truck research institute was to observe the field testing of the turbocharged jet engine. Due to substandard materials and material processing technology in the Magic World, ninety-five percent of the parts for the turbocharged jet engine were ordered from the real world.