After finalizing the details of accepting the Elf army with Lady Karol, the Rose Court immediately dispatched messengers on Griffons to the Elf Great Army's camp.

To catch up with the Elf Great Army either before their departure or shortly after, Yan Xing specifically produced his personal sigil. This way, the Rose Court's messengers could switch to fresh Battle Griffins at the Eternal Domain and Bloodcrown Mountain City, pursuing the Elf Great Army at maximum speed.

Watching the messenger fly away on the Battle Griffin, Lady Karol's mood finally relaxed slightly. Looking back at Yan Xing, a bitter smile appeared on her face. "I never thought that the plan I so carefully devised would fall apart so easily. Without your assistance, the principality would have probably lost the Wildwind Highlands for good. I just don't understand why you would help me. It doesn't seem to be in the interest of Anderson and Theodore."

Yan Xing, sipping tea, said, "Their interests are their own, and my interests are mine. There are areas where my interests align with theirs, and areas where they align with yours. Doing business, you know! Having more friends is always better than more enemies."

"Aren't you afraid that Anderson and Theodore will become angry with you for accepting the Elves?"

Yan Xing had considered the trouble his acceptance of the Elves might bring, but the rewards were greater. Besides, the more players there were on the Wildwind Highlands, the more room he would have to maneuver. Otherwise, being caught between Anderson and the Orcs, who were secretly communicating, would definitely not bode well for the Eternal Domain. After all, personal relationships are just that—personal. In the face of greater forces, personal relationships might mean nothing at all. By sheltering this Elf army, the Silvermane Principality and the Snow Elves could intervene in the affairs of the highlands from afar. Together with Thunderous Swamp, they could maintain a tripartite balance of power.

Of course, Yan Xing wouldn't reveal his thoughts, even though he knew Lady Karol was asking knowingly. "Afraid… of course, I am. But I couldn't bear to see you, Karol, punished because of the Wildwind Highlands. Anything I can do for you, I certainly will."

Karol looked at Yan Xing. After a moment, she smiled and said, "I'm becoming more and more interested in you. In the future, anything I can do for you, I will do as well."

「...」

Yan Xing did not linger too long at the Rose Court. Accepting an army of tens of thousands of Elves was not something that could be accomplished with just a few pretty words.

Li Jiya returned to the embassy to continue overseeing the city's rescue and cleanup operations. Lady Karol needed to ascertain the situation in Storm City and confirm whether the Orcs had overrun Frostleaf City.

Yan Xing left the Rose Court and returned directly to the Eternal Domain. The Great Army stationed at the border of the Eternal Domain withdrew, the territory's state of war was downgraded, and order and normal production were gradually restored.

Inside the Council Hall of the Eternal Domain Lord's Mansion, Yan Xing summoned Elf Arlanda.

As Arlanda entered the Council Hall, she overheard Yan Xing saying to Gao Sipa, "Send fifty thousand sets of winter clothing and bedding to Bloodcrown Mountain City at top speed, along with a month's worth of basic rations and heating fuel for fifty thousand people. You go personally to Bloodcrown Mountain City, oversee the construction there, and coordinate the relationship between the Werewolf Tribe and the Lizardmen Clans..."

Yan Xing planned to settle the Elves he was about to receive in Bloodcrown Mountain City, which was currently under construction. In the entirety of Thunderous Swamp, only this location had enough housing and facilities to support the lives of nearly fifty thousand Elves. However, accepting so many foreign species required careful coordination of relations within the swamp. Therefore, Yan Xing sent Gao Sipa to Bloodcrown Mountain City ahead of time to prepare for the Elves' arrival.

Gao Sipa accepted the order and left the Council Hall.

Arlanda approached Yan Xing and said, "My Lord, Arlanda is here. Please give me your instructions."

Yan Xing looked at Arlanda and asked, "Do you know Prince Erelado of the Snow Elves?"

Arlanda hadn't expected Yan Xing to summon her just to inquire about matters of the Snowland. She replied, "Prince Erelado is the fourth son of His Majesty the Elf King, renowned for his bravery and skill in battle. This is all I know; after all, I am just a low-ranking elf..."

Yan Xing didn't know much about the Snow Elves. He only knew they were a somewhat loose federation of tribes with strict class divisions. The hereditary Elf King was the sovereign of the Snow Elves, with the royal family naturally being the most noble. Next in line were the ruling classes of the various elf tribes and the druids; they were the high elves who controlled the politics, economy, and culture of the Elf Race. The lowest stratum consisted of the lesser elves.

The elf hierarchy was extremely rigid, with virtually no path for the lower classes to ascend. While human society also had rigid classes, there were still paths for commoners to rise to nobility, with numerous examples inspiring others to compete for that narrow bridge into the noble class. Take Donald, for instance; if Yan Xing hadn't interfered in Nuta City, he would probably be a Viscount by now. And for the orcs, the notion that 'kings and nobles are not determined by birth' was even more deeply ingrained. They fundamentally lacked the concept of family; chieftains often couldn't even discern which tribal members were their own children, so the orcs practiced a system of abdication. Orcs revered strength, and their chieftains were often the strongest warriors within their tribe.

Compared to humans and orcs, the Elf Race placed exceptional importance on lineage. Elves of high lineage indeed possessed greater potential for growth. To ensure the purity of their bloodline, elves traditionally intermarried only within their own class. Even in the rare cases where a female high elf married into the royal family, she would not be granted the status of a Royal Elf. As for lesser elves, it was utterly impossible for them to be accepted by high elves or Royal Elves. Any act deemed to "taint" the noble bloodline would result in the execution of the elves involved, regardless of the status of any of the elves involved.

To Yan Xing, such a system was utterly incomprehensible. Yet, it existed for a reason. The potential of high elves was indeed great; they started as hero units. The Snowland's environment was harsh with limited resources. Consequently, when comparing a high elf born as a hero unit to a lesser elf whose potential to become a hero was uncertain, resources were naturally prioritized for the high elf. The high elves naturally wanted to ensure their lineage, to guarantee that their offspring would be one hundred percent heroes. The environment shaped the class system of the Snow Elves.

Between lesser and high elves lay an insurmountable chasm, not only in terms of consciousness but also evident in their appearance. Lesser elves like Arlanda were not allowed to get tattoos at will. Only after achieving significant accomplishments and receiving recognition from high elves could they have specific patterns inked on their faces. High elves and Royal Elves, however, could have identity-representing tattoos anywhere on their bodies. Moreover, these tattoos were blessed with secret incantations, serving not only for identification but also providing fixed beneficial effects.

In appearance, high elves and Royal Elves were whiter due to their privileged lives, while the skin tones of lesser elves leaned more towards those of humans. This was why Arlanda had managed to disguise herself as a human for so long without being discovered.

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