Chapter 345: The Gate of the Abyss

Wu Qingsong’s melancholy lasted until winter, when Red Moon finally arrived with the forty craftsmen they had agreed upon. She had them settle in Red Plateau City, the farthest elven-controlled town deep in the wilderness, and sent a messenger through the harsh winter to inform Nagrand. Wu Qingsong immediately set out to meet them outside Red Plateau City and, in two trips, brought them safely back to Nagrand.

According to Red Moon, these craftsmen were trustworthy.

“I used a little persuasion, but I didn’t force anyone,” Red Moon subtly reassured Wu Qingsong.

Their families had been placed under Dark Moon’s protection, well taken care of, which gave them the motivation to take the risk of traveling to the northern wilderness. Their agreement with Dark Moon was for three years, or until they had trained enough apprentices to replace them, at which point they would be free to return to the warm lands of the south.

Wu Qingsong had no concerns about this arrangement. He was confident that once these craftsmen truly understood the essence of Nagrand, at least half of them would choose to bring their families here rather than flee. As for the remaining half—he had ways to change their minds.

“The changes since my last visit are incredible,” Red Moon said. “Truly a miracle.”

The craftsmen, too, stared in shock.

Before their departure, Red Moon had assured them that this was not the desolate land they imagined. But few had believed her. The existence of airships alone was enough to surprise them, and the vast, neatly arranged farmland, the elegantly straight canals and roads, and the orderly rows of cultivated trees completely overturned their expectations.

Even in the prosperous agricultural regions of the south, such scenes were rare.

Nagrand itself did not impress them as much. Most of these craftsmen came from southern commercial cities, and compared to places that had developed for hundreds or even thousands of years, a city largely populated by mousekin could not match their expectations.

The only thing that surprised them was the rows of neatly arranged ice houses, the dwellings of the artisan mousekin. Meanwhile, most of the mousekin population had sealed themselves inside their burrows, entering their months-long hibernation.

Wu Qingsong and Ram had already prepared accommodations for the craftsmen and hosted a welcoming banquet, making them feel a warmth they were unaccustomed to—most were used to being treated merely as tools.

“We’ve already selected some bright young apprentices for you and given them basic training,” Wu Qingsong explained. “We hope that during the winter, you can focus on teaching them the theoretical aspects of your craft so that when spring arrives, they can serve as your assistants and help speed up production.”

The craftsmen had no objections. After all, except for blacksmiths and a few other trades, most of them wouldn’t have much work to do during the long winter.

“Oh, which one of you is the jeweler?” Wu Qingsong asked.

A middle-aged apekin raised his hand.

“Your name?”

“Mahaan… Mahaan Kifus, sir.” The apekin answered, somewhat nervously.

He had found his assignment to this place quite puzzling.

Jewelry artisans were only useful in highly developed economies. In a wilderness like this, how many people would appreciate fine craftsmanship? Although Nagrand was not as primitive as he had initially imagined, the city clearly lacked a wealthy elite.

Had the city lord brought him here merely to craft jewelry for his concubines?

“We’ll probably be working together for some time,” Wu Qingsong said to him.

Mahaan nodded in acknowledgment. He had worked with certain half-elven nobles before, ones who had a passion for artistic design. They would sketch out intricate patterns and ask him to engrave them on various objects—sometimes goblets, sometimes knife scabbards, but most often finely crafted gold and silver ornaments. It was work he was familiar with.

“Well then, let’s raise our glasses to welcome you all!” Wu Qingsong said once more.

***

After the banquet, the craftsmen were led to their quarters by mousekin attendants. However, Nagrand’s key figures remained, as Red Moon had more pressing matters to discuss.

“The battle has stabilized,” Red Moon said, picking up a plate of groundberries, a specialty of Icebound Sea, and eating with elegant ease. “The mass emergence of Abyssal Lords has ceased. Of course, lesser lord-class insectoids still occasionally appear, but it’s no longer frequent.”

The entirety of northern Riniconia and northeastern Osaga had been devastated by war, with large portions of these two duchies caught in the chaos, even extending into more distant lands. The initial outbreak had been so sudden that the insectoids held an overwhelming advantage, and there had been virtually no force capable of stopping them.

“Over three hundred elves are said to have died in battle, but this is classified imperial information. Even with all our efforts, we couldn’t obtain an exact number or list of the fallen.” Red Moon glanced at Wu Qingsong, raising an eyebrow slightly. “The first to die was the Earl of Sentalus, who had been sent to command forces in Mesthebes, along with four young noble elves accompanying him. Later, a noble commander from Yagata was also drawn into the battle.”

“We led them there,” Wu Qingsong admitted. “We happened to be passing by when the Abyss opened, and one of the creatures locked onto us. We had no choice but to flee in that direction.”

“Because they fought side by side and managed to kill an Abyssal Lord, the enmity between Sentalus and Yagata has been set aside.” Red Moon shook her head slightly. “All our previous efforts were for nothing.”

“Their conflict still exists,” Wu Qingsong replied. “It’s just been temporarily suppressed. It will resurface sooner or later. What happened next?”

“That region borders Grand Duchy Fantali and Grand Duchy Sentalus, and to some extent, Yagata as well. All three duchies quickly deployed massive forces. Even the Imperial Royal Family sent their own troops.” Red Moon continued, “Even Veritra Grand Duchy dispatched some of their warriors. It’s said that four legendary elven archmages participated in the battle, and over thirty legions were mobilized to hunt down the insectoids invading various regions. Based on what I saw along my journey, casualties have been immense.”

“What about the civilians?” Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but ask.

“No one is keeping track,” Red Moon said, puzzled by his concern. “Judging by the areas the insectoids attacked, at least several hundred thousand must have died. That area has now been officially declared the Eighth Gate of Calamity on the continent, and it’s by far the worst one yet.”