The independent city-state of Castle Greystone was also known as Little Stone City.
The frigid northern snowfield blurred in the predawn light, but the temple of Little Stone City was already brightly lit, bustling with shadowy figures.
Though it was already eight in the morning, the sky showed not the slightest hint of dawn.
In this city-state, daylight lasted a mere six or seven hours.
"I heard Grand Lord Algom is presiding over the ceremony in person today."
"The priests will also be there to supervise the human artisan from the Polant Empire."
"It's been years since a master artisan dared to accept the restoration job. For an artist capable of repairing the divine statue, the pay here is hardly worth mentioning."
Not to mention the danger of traveling all the way from the comfortable central cities of the human empire to the Land of Eternal Night.
For now, most of the orc residents viewed this as a goodwill gesture from the Polant Imperial Family—that royalty had dispatched a noble, patriotic craftsman who was willing, given the current state of affairs, to brave the hazards and forge a friendship with the orcs.
Crowds of orcs gathered inside and outside the temple, murmuring among themselves.
Their faces were etched with anticipation and piety.
As for whether they would be satisfied later, that depended on whether the artisan's skills were truly as reliable as guaranteed by the Polant Imperial Family.
If he proved to be making fools of them, it would only incite their furious wrath.
The interior of the Rock Temple was arranged solemnly and neatly.
Totems carved by the bear-folk since ancient times adorned the towering stone pillars, while murals and emblems symbolizing the God of Rock and Soil gleamed brightly under the lamplight.
Along the edge of the main hall's altar, layers of barriers were unraveled,
revealing the statue of the God of Rock and Protection.
Carved from ancient black granite rich in mana, the statue stood roughly three meters tall, every detail of its maintenance reflecting the bear-folk's generational reverence.
The statue bore a resolute, composed expression, its hands gripping a colossal stone hammer that seemed to symbolize strength and promise.
Dressed in the traditional ceremonial vestments of Castle Greystone, the orc priests inside had begun their prayers early, casting an air that was both tense and solemn.
Grand Lord Algom of Little Stone City and Priestess Elena were already waiting there, alongside numerous dignitaries of the city-state present to witness the statue's restoration ceremony.
As time passed, Lanqi, having changed into a loose set of work overalls, stepped into the temple.
Xigelei stood some distance away near one side of the temple entrance, watching him.
The temple was safe enough for now; her only duty was to whisk Lanqi away in an escape if he botched the job later.
Lanqi's appearance instantly drew every orc's gaze, plunging the temple into absolute silence.
"We are deeply grateful that Empress Khesia was willing to allow her royal artisan to assist us in restoring the divine statue."
Grand Lord Algom solemnly shook Lanqi's hand.
"And thank you for placing your trust in me," Lanqi replied with a smile.
Before him stood a tier-seven Grand Lord—an imposing, burly bear-orc a full two meters tall, who was also the guardian of this orc city-state.
He was considered the friendliest orc lord toward humans in the Land of Eternal Night.
He possessed thick white fur and deep, pitch-black eyes. Though he appeared rugged and ferocious toward invaders, he was endowed with the wisdom of a leader, having governed Little Stone City into long-lasting prosperity.
Lanqi, however, merely found this bear-orc warrior quite adorable and fluffy; the orcs of this world were all rather good-looking.
"Mr. Luoqi, I wonder if you are acquainted with Mr. Sebas. He is also a native of your Polant Empire and currently serves as the representative for the Little Stone City branch of the Prosperity Chamber of Commerce."
Grand Lord Algom quickly gave Lanqi a brief introduction to the priests and dignitaries in attendance, among whom there were even humans.
"I'm afraid not. Aside from having audiences with Her Majesty Empress Khesia, I devote myself entirely to my work and rarely associate with dignitaries outside my circle."
Lanqi deflected Grand Lord Algom's probing inquiry.
During his days in Hersalem, he had indeed heard of the "Prosperity Chamber of Commerce"—
They claimed that even in troubled times, they could still provide you with the most attentive service.
"Oh?"
Grand Lord Algom glanced toward Branch Representative Sebas.
Following Grand Lord Algom's gaze, Lanqi looked at Branch Representative Sebas. He appeared to be a dashing man in his thirties, possessing sharp blue eyes and neatly combed, dark brown hair.
"No matter. We know each other now, and soon we'll have the pleasure of witnessing Mr. Luoqi's craft,"
Branch Representative Sebas replied in an easy, natural manner.
Lanqi could tell that before his arrival, Grand Lord Algom and Branch Representative Sebas had likely discussed him, Luoqi McCarthy. Yet out of respect for Empress Khesia, paired with Lanqi's airtight response, they had no ground to raise further doubts.
Having finished the preliminary formalities, Grand Lord Algom turned to face the crowd inside and outside the main hall.
"Allow me to introduce a great artist! In the Polant Empire, he is a court artisan favored by the Empress herself, and his craftsmanship has also been vouched for by the current Prime Minister of the Polant Empire—Mr. Luoqi McCarthy!"
He introduced Lanqi to the orcs.
A roar of cheers followed immediately.
Over in a corner of the temple, Xigelei grew slightly uneasy.
It made sense that these orcs had received little news from the Polant Empire and thus would not overly doubt this royal artisan, Master Luoqi McCarthy.
The problem was that, as a native of the Polant Empire herself, she had never heard of this craftsman either.
To her mind, Lanqi was in no way qualified to complete the restoration of the [Statue of the God of Rock and Protection].
[Statue of the God of Rock and Protection]
[Type: Artwork]
[Rarity: Sacred (Damaged)]
[Tier: 1]
[Those who gaze upon this statue will recover a minute amount of mental energy and stamina, and their faith in the God of Rock and Protection will slightly increase. Due to years of natural wear and tear, its effects have been halved.]
At tier five, she could at least use appraisal magic to view the stats of this ancient relic statue.
For a treasure of this caliber, if anyone worsened its damage in the slightest, the orc priests present would immediately detect it, and the consequences would be dire.
"Put some effort into it, at least..." Xigelei muttered to herself.
"If you can't finish the job and head straight back home, I won't be making much money either."
According to their contract, Lanqi needed to complete as many restoration jobs as possible, and she had to escort him along the itinerary all the way to the Demon Realm before she could collect the full maximum escort fee.
If her employer failed right here, her mood would sour as well.
Yet the problem was, based on Xigelei's knowledge, one would be lucky to find even one or two master craftsmen across the entire contemporary Polant Empire who possessed the skill to restore a Sacred-rarity artwork.
Furthermore, even with sufficient skill, an off day could easily lead to mistakes.
All she could do was hope that this employer of hers truly had some real talent, rather than being just an empty-headed noble who only knew how to show off his status.
Chapter 548