Independent city-state of Glett Stonehold, also known as Little Stone City.

The cold northern snowfields became hazy in the pre-dawn light. The temples of Little Stone City were already brightly lit, filled with figures.

Although it was already eight in the morning, the sky had not yet turned white.

In this city-state, daylight lasted only about six or seven hours.

"I heard that High Lord Algom himself is presiding over the ceremony today."

"And the priests will be supervising the human artisans from the Bolant Empire."

"It's been many years since we've seen a master craftsman willing to take on the repair work. For an artist capable of restoring the divine statue, this reward isn't much at all."

Moreover, they had to bear the risk of traveling from the peaceful central city-states of the human empire to the Land of Eternal Night.

Currently, most orc residents believe that this is a gesture of goodwill from the Bolant Empire's royal family, who have sent a noble and patriotic artisan willing to risk danger in the current situation to forge a friendship with the orc race.

Many orcs gathered inside and outside the temple, discussing it.

Their faces were filled with anticipation and piety.

As for whether they would be satisfied later, it depended on whether the craftsman's skill was as reliable as the Bolant royal family had guaranteed.

Otherwise, if they were played for fools, it would only make them extremely angry.

The interior of the Stone Temple was arranged solemnly and neatly.

Tall stone pillars were engraved with totems inscribed by the bear people since ancient times, and the walls reflected murals and patterns symbolizing the God of Rock and Earth, shining brightly in the lamplight.

At the edge of the altar in the main hall, layers of barriers were dispelled.

Revealing the statue of the God of Rock and Protection.

This statue was carved from ancient black granite rich in magical energy. It was about three meters high, and every detail of its maintenance revealed the bear people's generations of respect for it.

The expression on the statue's face was firm and composed, and its hands tightly gripped a huge stone hammer, as if symbolizing strength and promise.

Inside the hall, the orc priests of Glett Stonehold wore traditional vestments and began their prayers early, creating an atmosphere that was both tense and solemn.

High Lord Algom of Little Stone City and Priestess Elena had already been waiting here, along with many dignitaries from the city-state who had come to witness and appreciate the statue's restoration ceremony.

As time passed, Lanqi, dressed in a set of loose work clothes, walked into the temple.

Sigrid stood far away on one side of the temple entrance, watching him.

It was actually safe in the temple now. Her only responsibility was to help Lanqi escape if he didn't do a good job.

Lanqi's appearance immediately attracted the attention of all the orcs, and the temple interior fell silent.

"Thank you very much, Empress Ke西亚, for allowing her royal craftsman to help us restore the divine statue."

High Lord Algom solemnly shook Lanqi's hand.

"Thank you for your trust in me."

Lanqi replied with a smile.

The seventh-order High Lord in front of him, a tall and mighty bear orc, was a full two meters tall and also the guardian of this orc city-state.

He was considered the most human-friendly orc lord in the Land of Eternal Night.

He had thick white fur and deep, dark eyes. Although he seemed rough and fierce to invaders, he also possessed the wisdom of a leader, capable of managing Little Stone City prosperously for a long time.

However, Lanqi only found this bear orc warrior to be very cute and fluffy. The orcs in this world were all quite good-looking.

"Mr. Rocky, I don't know if you know Mr. Sebass. He is from your Bolant Empire and is now the representative of the Flourishing Commerce Association's branch in our Little Stone City."

High Lord Algom quickly gave Lanqi a brief introduction to the priests and dignitaries from the city-state who were attending the ceremony, including even humans.

"I apologize, but aside from meeting Empress Ke西亚 and focusing on my work, I rarely deal with unfamiliar dignitaries."

Lanqi responded to High Lord Algom's probing.

During his days in Heersha雷姆, he had heard of the "Flourishing Commerce Association"—

It was said that in the midst of chaos, they could still provide you with the most thoughtful service.

"Oh?"

High Lord Algom looked at Branch Manager Sebass.

Lanqi followed High Lord Algom's gaze. The branch manager Sebass that the High Lord introduced was a handsome man who looked to be in his thirties, with sharp blue eyes and neatly combed short dark brown hair.

"It doesn't matter. We know each other now, and we will soon see Mr. Rocky's skills."

Branch Manager Sebass replied naturally.

Lanqi could roughly tell that before meeting him, High Lord Algom and Branch Manager Sebass had probably talked about him, Rocky McCarthy, for a while. But out of respect for Empress Ke西亚, coupled with Lanqi's flawless response, they could not raise any further questions.

After completing the basic procedures, High Lord Algom faced the crowd inside and outside the main hall of the temple.

"I want to introduce everyone to a great artist. In the Bolant Empire, he is a court craftsman favored by the Empress, and his skills are also guaranteed by the current Prime Minister of the Bolant Empire, Mr. Rocky McCarthy!"

He introduced Lanqi to the orcs.

Immediately, there was a burst of cheers.

In the corner of the temple, Sigrid became slightly worried.

It was normal that these orcs had not heard news from the Bolant Empire, so they would not overly question this royal craftsman, Master Rocky McCarthy.

The problem was that she, as a person from the Bolant Empire, had actually not heard of this craftsman's great name either.

In her opinion, Lanqi was not capable enough to complete the restoration work of the [Statue of Rock and Protection].

[Statue of Rock and Protection]

[Type: Artwork]

[Grade: Sacred (Damaged)]

[Rank: 1]

[Those who appreciate this statue will recover a small amount of spirit and stamina, and their faith in the God of Rock and Protection will increase slightly. Due to years of natural wear and tear, its effect has been halved.]

As a fifth-order, she could tentatively use appraisal magic to see the attributes of that ancient relic statue.

This level of artistic treasure—if it were damaged even slightly, the orc priests present would discover it, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Give it a little gas..."

Sigrid muttered to herself,

"If you can't complete the work, just go home. I won't earn much money either."

According to the contract, Lanqi had to complete as much restoration work as possible and she had to successfully escort Lanqi along the itinerary to the Demon World in order to receive the full and highest escort fee.

If the employer failed like this, her mood would also worsen.

The problem was that, according to Sigrid's understanding, there were probably only one or two master craftsmen in the entire Bolant Empire today with the ability to restore sacred-level artworks.

And even if their technical level was sufficient, they might still make mistakes if they didn't perform well.

She could only hope that her employer really had some skills and wasn't just a noble lord who only knew how to show off his status.

——

Two more chapters, I'll finish writing them before ten o'clock

(End of this chapter)