Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Chapter 582 - 548 Lanci Begins the Statue Repair Work

Independent City-State GlatStone Fort, also known as Small Stone City.

The cold northern snowfields became hazy in the light before dawn, and the temple of Small Stone City was already brightly lit with figures moving about.

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

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

"I heard that today’s ceremony is going to be presided over by Lord Algom himself."

"And several priests will also supervise the human craftsman from the Palante Empire."

"It’s been many years since I last saw a great craftsman daring to take on restoration work, for an artist capable of repairing the statue, the reward is hardly worth mentioning."

Moreover, they must take on the risk of leaving the comfortable human Imperial heart city-states to come to the Land of Perpetual Night.

For now, most of the orc inhabitants believe this to be a gesture of goodwill from the Palante Empire’s royalty, sending a noble and patriotic craftsman willing to risk danger to forge friendship with the orc tribes in the current situation.

Many orcs gathered inside and outside the temple, discussing among themselves.

Their faces were full of expectation and devotion.

Whether he will satisfy them later on still depended on whether the craftsman’s own level of skill was as reliable as the Palante royal family had guaranteed.

Otherwise, if they felt trifled with, it would only lead to immense anger.

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

Huge stone pillars were engraved with totems that have been inscribed by the Bear Man tribe since ancient times, and the walls reflected murals and patterns symbolizing the God of Rock and Soil, shining brightly under the light of the lamps.

Layer upon layer of barriers were unraveled around the edges of the main hall altar.

Revealing the [Statue of the God of Rock and Shelter].

This statue, made from ancient black granite rich in magic power, stood about three meters tall, with every detail of maintenance showing the centuries of respect the Bear Man tribe had for it.

The expression on the face of the statue was firm and composed, with both hands clutching a massive stone hammer, as if symbolizing strength and promise.

The orc priests inside the temple wore the traditional ceremonial robes of GlatStone Fort and had begun their prayers early on, creating an atmosphere that was both tense and reverent.

The Lord Algom of Small Stone City and Priestess Ilayna had already been waiting in advance, along with many other notables from the city-state who had come to witness and appreciate the statue restoration ceremony.

As time passed, Lanci, who had changed into a loose-fitting work suit, walked into the temple.

Siegler stood far off at the side of the temple entrance, watching him.

The temple was actually safe now, she was just responsible for grabbing Lanci and running if he couldn’t get the job done later on.

Lanci’s arrival immediately drew the gaze of all the orcs, silencing the interior of the temple.

"I am very grateful to Empress Kexiya for allowing her royal craftsman to come help us with the statue restoration."

Lord Algom firmly grasped Lanci’s hand.

"And I appreciate your trust," Lanci responded with a smile.

The bear beastman standing before him was a Seventh-order Lord, a towering figure nearly two meters tall, and also the protector of this orc city-state.

He is the most approachable orc lord to humans in the Land of Perpetual Night.

With dense white fur and deep black eyes, although he appeared rough and fierce towards invaders, he also possessed the wisdom of a leader, having managed Small Stone City to prosper over a long period.

However, Lanci just found this bear warrior to be very cute, fluffy, the orcs of this world were quite attractive.

"Mr. Rocky, I wonder if you know Mr. Sebastian, he is a person from your Palante Empire, and he is also the current representative of the Prosperous Age Business Association stationed in our Small Stone City," said Lord Algom.

Lord Algom quickly introduced Lanci to the priests and city-state dignitaries attending the ceremony, which even included humans.

"I apologize, but outside of meeting with Empress Kexiya, I devote myself to my work and seldom interact with unfamiliar nobility."

Lanci was responding to Lord Algom’s probing.

During his days in Hershalraym, he had indeed heard of the "Prosperous Age Business Association"—

boasting that it could provide the most thorough service even amidst chaos.

"Oh?"

Lord Algom turned to look at Mr. Sebastian, the branch manager.

Following Lord Algom’s gaze, Lanci saw the branch manager whom Lord Algom had introduced as Mr. Sebastian, a man who appeared to be in his thirties with a graceful demeanor, sharp blue eyes, and neatly combed short brown hair.

"It’s alright; we’re acquainted now, and soon we will see Mr. Rocky’s expertise for ourselves," Mr. Sebastian answered with ease.

Lanci could roughly tell that before they met, Lord Algom and Mr. Sebastian may have had a discussion about him, Rocky McCarthy, but due to respect for Empress Kexiya and Lanci’s flawless responses, they could not raise any further questions.

After going through the basic formalities, Lord Algom turned to address everyone inside and outside the main hall of the temple.

"I want to introduce to you all a great artist, whom in the Palante Empire is favored by the Empress as a royal craftsman, and whose skills are also vouched for by the current Prime Minister of the Palante Empire, Mr. Rocky McCarthy!"

He presented Lanci to the orcs.

Then there was a burst of cheers.

In a corner of the temple, Siegler began to worry.

These orcs had not heard the news from the Palante Empire, so it was normal for them not to question the reputation of the Royal Craftsman, Mr. Rocky McCarthy.

The problem was, as a citizen of the Palante Empire, she had also never heard of this craftsman’s renown.

In her opinion, Lanci was not capable of restoring the [Statue of the God of Rock and Shelter].

[Statue of the God of Rock and Shelter]

[Type: Artwork]

[Grade: Sacred (Damaged)]

[Order: 1]

[Those who behold this statue will recover a small amount of spirit and stamina, and their faith in the God of Rock and Shelter will slightly increase. Due to years of natural wear and tear, its effects have already been halved.]

As a fifth-order magic user, she could barely use identification magic to discern the attributes of the ancient relic statue.

Such a high-level art treasure, if it were damaged even slightly more, would be detected by the Beastman priests present, and the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Just put a little more effort..."

Siegler muttered,

"If you can’t finish the job, just go back home, and I won’t make much money either."

According to the contract, Lanci had to complete as much restoration work as possible, and Siegler would only receive the full maximum escort fee if she successfully accompanied Lanci through the Demon World as scheduled.

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

But the issue was, as Siegler understood, in the entire current Palante Empire, finding even one or two craftsmen with the skill to restore a Holy-level artwork would be impressive.

Moreover, even if the skill level was sufficient, if the performance was suboptimal, mistakes could occur.

She could only hope that her employer truly had the skill and was not just a high-status noble who was all show.

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Two more chapters to go, will finish before ten o’clock