Chapter 575: Chapter 365: Barbarian Musicians

"But, I thought Primordial Magic Power gave anyone exposed to it for too long the Magic Disease?" Levi asked, confused.

The arrows were powerful, and equipping the Griffin Knights with them would lead to a visible leap in combat effectiveness. But if the price was afflicting his Knights with the Magic Disease, the Lord would rather toss the arrows into a latrine and forget they ever existed.

"Clan Leader Ash’s Sinking Stones can prevent the Magic Disease," Mier explained. "I added some Sinking Stone into the arrowheads and found it has the same effect."

Simply put, as long as there was enough Sinking Stone, the Magic Disease wasn’t a concern. "Sinking Stone" was just a name; it was actually a unique Magic Metal that could isolate Magic Power within a small radius.

It might not be able to block powerful magic, but it was more than enough to ward off the faint corruption of Primordial Magic Power.

The arrows were a good thing, but the only drawback was that production might not be able to keep up.

First, there was the problem of raw materials. Fulina had claimed the lion’s share of the Wind Speech Tribe’s Magic Crystal Ore. Now that the Elves were vassals of High Cliff Castle, they had ceded a portion of their share. This was more than enough for Heather and the others to replenish their Magic Power, but if applied to military use, the consumption would be unimaginable.

Most importantly, there was the issue of craftsmanship. It looked like just a tiny striker, but in a world without industrialization, mass production was nearly impossible.

But every beginning is difficult. The important thing was to take that first step.

"Magic Arrows alone aren’t enough. The bows need to be improved too. Miriel’s Magic Bow not only lets the user draw with less effort but also imbues arrows with the Gale Technique, making them more powerful and letting them fly farther." Levi surveyed his surroundings as he stated his view. "As long as our arrows fly faster, farther, and hit harder than anyone else’s, we will command the truth!"

Seeing Mier’s solemn expression, the Lord smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t worry too much. We’ll take it one step at a time."

Levi went on to explain some of his ideas and insights to Mier and the old blacksmiths in detail. Ultimately, he finalized the new standard issue for High Cliff Castle: Magic Equipment. This would be their new focus.

Even if producing Magic Equipment was time-consuming and difficult, as long as they could fully outfit a squad of veterans, that unit would earn a reputation for being "invincible at a hundred strong."

The only drawback was that this would create a huge gap between veterans and new recruits, not just in Level but also in equipment. Their combat strength could no longer be considered comparable.

However, Levi had been following a strategy of cultivating elite troops from the start, so he wasn’t too concerned. Besides, as High Cliff Castle’s operations grew, new recruits would naturally gain access to fine equipment as well.

"Duke." A sharp-looking Rabbit Person Guard came hopping over. This was the same Rabbit Person who had once delivered the news of Kemish’s attack on the Wilderness, and he had since earned a position among the Guards. "An Elf named Ash wishes to see you."

"Let’s go." Levi snapped his fingers. "Let’s go and see our dear Clan Leader Ash."

As of now, the Elf Race had not yet formally joined High Cliff Castle, so everything they did required screening and announcements.

When he arrived in the great hall, Ash Wind Speech was already sipping hot tea and chatting with Tina.

Every time he saw the Elf Clan Leader, the Lord couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart. It wasn’t that he was some kind of loser who couldn’t function whenever he saw a woman.

Rather, her every move carried a kind of intellectual beauty, while her face held a maternal radiance. This unique combination of qualities created a tantalizing, almost forbidden sense of "admire from afar, but never touch."

The crucial point was that her age was a complete mystery. There’s a saying that an older woman is a treasure. He couldn’t help but wonder just how great a treasure this Clan Leader was.

"Good day, Lord Levi. Did your trial go smoothly?" Levi had only just arrived that morning, so Ash was unaware of the details.

"Good day, Clan Leader Ash. Thanks to the goddess’s blessing, everything went perfectly." Levi winked, then plopped down onto the main seat at the head of the hall.

"Now that you have become a Legendary Powerhouse, it’s clear that High Cliff Castle will grow ever more prosperous." Ash’s slender fingers tightened around her cup, her heart filled with joy.

’A human Legendary Powerhouse could live for several hundred years at least. As long as Levi was around, High Cliff Castle would only grow stronger. Her gamble to lead her tribe here had paid off completely!’

"I have no doubt about that," Levi said, not bothering with false modesty and simply nodding in agreement.

The two made small talk for a while. Afterward, in the presence of High Cliff Castle’s leaders and the other Elves, Levi formally accepted Ash and her people as Vassals. The Wind Speech Elves were finally members of High Cliff Castle.

The Elves of the Wind Speech Tribe had initially been housed in the guest rooms of the commercial district. After being formally accepted, their new home was designated in the northwest corner of the Settler Area. The spot was near the Bengyong River, and thanks to Little Buji—who loved to plant flowers and grass everywhere whenever it was bored—flowers were always in bloom there, even when the rest of the Wilderness was blanketed in snow.

Upon learning they would be living here permanently, the beauty-loving Elves were utterly delighted and began the lively process of moving in.

It had to be said, the Elves truly lived up to their reputation as the most elegant and beautiful race, the apple of the Titans’ eye. It was as if they were Creation’s favored children, with all the beauty and grace of every other race concentrated into their own.

Even though everyone was sweating and hauling belongings, the Elves still managed to look like nobles who had never known a day of manual labor, while the other Vassal Races helping them looked like the rustiest of country bumpkins in comparison.

Levi had no intention of ordering anyone else to help. The Elves might look slender, but they were actually stronger than ordinary humans. Otherwise, they could never have become world-renowned Archers. It was a well-known fact that Archers often required the most physical strength of any military unit.

The occasion served to welcome the Elves into High Cliff Castle, celebrate the momentous decision of their Elders to join them, and allow the Old People to collectively see the current Lord of the Wilderness.

High Cliff Castle held a grand welcome party. As a gesture of goodwill, the newly joined Elves began to sing in chorus in the spacious square of the Settler Area.

Their voices were ethereal and pure, like the soft singing of larks.

Even the Barbarians, who had no artistic sense whatsoever, were captivated. Only Zamanzi curled his lip, his tone sour enough to corrode steel. "It’s nice to listen to, I guess, but they should be singing one of High Cliff Castle’s songs."

Levi was about to give the big oaf a smack on the back of the neck for saying something so divisive. But on second thought, he quietly lowered his hand and nodded in agreement. "True. It’s not as down-to-earth as our songs."

The words had barely left his lips when the Barbarians, not wanting to be upstaged in front of the new Elves, chugged a large gulp of wine. Not to be outdone, they stood up and began to bellow at the top of their lungs.

"The great river flows east~ The stars in the sky follow the Big Dipper~"

...

"When it’s time to strike, we strike~ Like a whirlwind, we’ll storm the Seven Kingdoms~"

...

These pot-bellied men were all loudmouths. Their booming voices converged, sounding as if they could overturn the very heavens. Paired with the simple, straightforward lyrics, the song achieved an inexpressible, heroic grandeur.

The Elves were left completely dumbfounded.

The song wasn’t the least bit Epic or noble, but it had an infectious rhythm that made you want to sing along.

This effect satisfied the Lord’s vanity to an unprecedented degree.

"Lord Levi, did you write this song?" Tiffany asked, blinking her beautiful, azure eyes—the color of the deep sea—as she looked at Levi beside her.

Naturally, they hadn’t forgotten the Mermaid Princess for this evening’s party. So she could attend, the Lord had waved his hand and ordered a pond built in the center of the square. His own seat of honor was right beside it.

"Ahem. I happened to read the song in a biography once. I thought it was pretty good, so I altered it a bit for our own use," Levi admitted honestly.

He might be thick-skinned, but he couldn’t bring himself to take direct credit for someone else’s work—not even if the original creator wasn’t from this world.

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