Blue Crystal Gold

Things weren't that simple; Baroque didn't respond to Ziyad. Instead, he asked Wald, "The Gravel Wasteland is notoriously barren. I can't imagine what would compel the Paddington Royal Family to send a caravan deep into it to trade with the Lizardmen. Aren't you afraid those greedy and cunning Lizardmen will kill you and loot all your goods?"

"That's why I hired a mercenary group familiar with the Gravel Wasteland." Wald smiled wryly, "But I didn't expect them to be massacred by you. Oh, of course, I'm not complaining. I just hate myself for being blind enough to hire such a useless bunch to guard the caravan." He had every reason to be upset; anyone would be angry if they were abandoned by those meant to protect them. But now there was no point in getting angry… how can you complain to a bunch of dead people?

"I am a contract merchant for the Paddington Royal Family, dedicated to procuring supplies for them. This time, I entered the Gravel Wasteland to purchase a special metal ore from the Lizardmen, Blue Crystal Gold. The royal family was very urgent, so I entered the wasteland hastily. Now, everything is in your honorable hands, Chief Baroque. You indisputably hold all the power, including the lives of me and my companions." Wald spoke candidly. He was telling the truth because his sharp business instinct told him that lying to an Orc Shaman would be incredibly foolish.

Blue Crystal Gold? Baroque's interest was piqued. He knew about this metal because he had some of it himself… the blue metal belt of Prince Alvin. This information came from the old Hebrew wolf. Blue Crystal Gold is known as one of the strongest metals, just slightly inferior to Adamantine. However, its plasticity and ductility are unparalleled.

Adamantine can only be mixed with iron or copper to significantly enhance strength and sharpness; it cannot be forged into any tool itself. Blue Crystal Gold, though slightly less strong than Adamantine, has remarkable flexibility. A mage once conducted an experiment: stretching a one-foot-long, thumb-thick bar of Blue Crystal Gold to three meters, and it snapped back to its original length with almost no change. This property makes it perfect for magical arrays.

Magical arrays, despite their wondrous power and wide applicability, are incredibly fragile. From small alarm arrays with hundreds of threads to city defense arrays with hundreds of thousands or even millions of threads, any damage to a single thread can affect the entire array. Terrain shifts due to enemies or natural causes are uncontrollable. However, incorporating Blue Crystal Gold into these threads makes the array extremely durable. Even if distorted by earthquakes or attacks, the array retains its integrity and gradually returns to its original form.

Thus, Blue Crystal Gold is considered a strategic metal. Known deposits are controlled by the Mage Association, and even the largest empires cannot challenge their core interests. Any use requires purchasing from the association.

Of course, this has no impact on the Orcs, who aren't mages and don't construct magical arrays. Even the totem poles of the Shaman Priests, which resemble magical arrays, show no trace of metal.

Baroque's interest in Blue Crystal Gold stemmed from its immense value to human nations. The Paddington Kingdom, though a small and weak nation, had stood for centuries despite surrounding enemies because Paddington City's defenses were based on a Blue Crystal Gold magical array.

If Baroque could control a large supply of Blue Crystal Gold, he was confident he could negotiate with neighboring kingdoms or duchies to exchange it for all enslaved Orcs, quickly strengthening his tribe.

However, it wouldn't be easy. Even if he controlled a large supply of Blue Crystal Gold, humans would likely prefer to seize it rather than be extorted by Orcs. Baroque had to consider his options carefully. Of course, this was premature; he needed to find the Blue Crystal Gold ore first.

"Wald, if the Paddington Kingdom knew the Lizardmen in the Gravel Wasteland had Blue Crystal Gold, why did you only come to trade with them now instead of stockpiling this strategic metal earlier?" Baroque asked.

"A penniless man can sleep soundly, but one who suddenly gains a bag of gold fears others' envy," Wald answered bitterly. "The Gravel Wasteland borders four nations: the Duchy of Hansa, the Kingdom of Loren, our Paddington Kingdom, and the Principality of Gustaf under the Samoa Empire. All four nations covet this metal. Any kingdom attempting to monopolize it would be attacked by the others. Moreover, two of these nations are arch-enemies, making cooperation impossible. Additionally, mages had dwarves survey the Blue Crystal Gold deposits here, finding them sparse and barely worth mining. So, we all held back, only sending small caravans to trade with the native Lizardmen for small amounts of Blue Crystal Gold."

Baroque cursed inwardly. His previous ignorance had led him to believe the Gravel Wasteland was a secluded haven, but it was actually a war zone bordered by four nations. His plan to use it as a base for his tribe's growth was now completely disrupted. Any sign of the Cang Wolf Tribe's strength would attract annihilation from the humans.

There was no way he could amass enough power to fend off even a single elite battalion from the Paddington Kingdom, let alone contend with four nations!

"Is the Paddington Royal Family planning to build a magical array?" Baroque suddenly asked, wondering if the previous explosion had destroyed Paddington City's defensive array.

"Perhaps," Wald shrugged. "The royal family's list included more than just Blue Crystal Gold; they also wanted magic cores from wasteland beasts. But they didn't expect much, knowing it's hard to trade with the Lizardmen for those."

Wald had shared everything he knew, leaving Baroque deep in thought. His expression unsettled the previously excited tribesmen. After a long while, he looked up, surprised to see everyone watching him.

Shaking his head, he smiled. What was there to worry about? They had been human slaves and were now free; that was a blessing. If they couldn't develop in the Gravel Wasteland, so be it. They could always migrate back to their ancestral homeland, the Northern Tundra, where their kin, the Frostwolf Clan, lived.

Yes, Baroque had a sudden epiphany! He should lead his people back to their ancestral land, the Northern Tundra. Only there, in a land wholly belonging to the Orcs, could his tribe grow strong. Only there, facing human threats, could they hope for aid from their kin.

The more he thought about it, the more excited Baroque became. He shared his idea with the tribe, receiving mixed reactions. The young warriors were willing to follow him anywhere, even to assault a human city. But the older Orcs hesitated, reluctant to leave their homeland for reasons Baroque didn't yet understand.

Ziyad smiled wryly, expressing the elders' concerns, "Baroque, we Orcs are not as united as you think! Even in the distant Paddington Kingdom, we heard about the internecine conflicts among Orc tribes in the Northern Tundra. Besides the arduous journey of thousands of miles, there's no guarantee we'd be welcomed by the Frostwolf Clan."

Orc Cecil sighed, "Even if we're fortunate enough to find the Frostwolf tribes, they might not recognize us. Our ancestors left the Northern Tundra a millennium ago. Apart from our fur, what proof do we have of our bloodline? For Orcs, sometimes bloodline means everything!" Hearing this, the young warriors grew anxious, not wanting to endure a long, arduous journey only to be rejected.

Baroque was undeterred, smiling as he pointed to Wald, saying, "That's why I plan to go with Mr. Wald into the depths of the Gravel Wasteland to explore our ancestral ruins. We might find proof of our bloodline there."

"We're coming too…" the young Orcs clamored eagerly.

"Do you think the depths of the Gravel Wasteland are as safe as home?" Ziyad scolded the young ones. "It's full of dangers and magical beasts. If you had Baroque's strength, we wouldn't object. Otherwise, stay put!"

Baroque shook his head, laughing, "We don't need so many people. Five or six will do. Once we find what we need, we'll return quickly."

There was no need for a selection. Angre, Muru, Zainzu, and Barotan would naturally go with Baroque. Among the other young Orcs, two lucky ones were chosen: Lornhan and Turayan. They were chosen because of Baroque's recent training in the Shaman spell, Soul Hawk Eye. This spell detects latent talents and was traditionally used by Shamans to select warriors capable of learning Beast Combat Qi.

Though his mastery of Soul Hawk Eye was still rudimentary, it occasionally worked. Besides confirming that Angre, Muru, Zainzu, and Barotan had the potential to learn Beast Combat Qi, it revealed that Lornhan and Turayan also had this potential.

Shamans have an innate mystical connection with ancestral spirits, and Baroque had a premonition that exploring the ruins might yield unexpected rewards related to Orc power.