Behind Civilization Lies a Field of Dry Bones

Insects are truly detestable creatures; the longer Daphne stayed in Silithus, the more she agreed with that sentiment. Their reproductive rate is terrifying, and their destructive power is unrivaled on this planet. They produce nothing, existing only to consume and ruin! The ground is riddled with holes, and the surface vegetation has been gnawed clean; this place is even more desolate than Desolace!

"General, the new fortifications built yesterday have been riddled with holes by the insects again," the frontline centurion reported with a look of frustration.

"Have the mages not come up with a solution yet? Fighting them head-on isn't even this exhausting! It's maddening!" Daphne said, her face full of irritation.

"The mages are currently studying the insect carcasses, hoping to find a way to counter them. We should have news soon."

"Hurry it up. The Prince's intention is to stop the advance; our next step is to focus on the comprehensive development of the areas we already control."

"That will be difficult, I'm afraid. As you can see, the damage the insects have caused here is truly severe," the centurion said, his tone filled with doubt.

"General, the Prince's envoy has arrived," a guard reported just as the two were at their wit's end.

"Let's go meet them. Who is it?" Daphne asked as the group walked toward the camp.

"It is Lord Falco," the guard replied respectfully.

"Him? It seems I won't have to suffer here any longer. I truly miss the weather in Feralas."

As soon as Daphne entered the command tent, she saw a sturdy back; the guest was studying the military map on the wall. Perhaps he was too engrossed to notice Daphne's arrival. She didn't disturb him, walking over quietly to wait by his side.

"Daphne? When did you arrive? I'm sorry, I was too focused," Falco said after a long moment, noticing her and speaking with an apologetic look.

"It's fine. Take your time, and ask me anything you don't understand. As long as I'm still here, I'll answer whatever you ask," Daphne said to Falco with a smile.

"It seems you really do hate this place, to the point where you don't even want to do the fighting you love most," Falco joked, which was surprising given his reputation as the coldest commander in the entire army.

"When I heard it was you coming, I knew my mission was complete. The next step is for you to hold the line here. I wonder what brilliant idea the Prince gave you to deal with the insects' shameless tactics?"

"Come, take a look," Falco said, walking to the desk and pointing at a pile of blueprints.

"What are these? Magic scrolls? Isn't that a bit too few?" Daphne asked, looking at him in confusion.

"That joke isn't funny at all. Using scrolls against insects? They aren't worth that much effort. These are blueprints. The Prince's plan is to build a line of defensive fortifications along the border—steel fortifications!"

"Using steel? Such a massive project? Can you explain in detail?"

"Yes, steel. According to the ancient texts brought back by Princess Sophia, Desolace is not as desolate as it appears on the surface; there are rich iron deposits underground!"

"How do we get them out? That's just iron ore, not steel, and how would we even transport it here?"

"Can't you let me finish before asking?" Falco grumbled, then began to slowly explain to Daphne what had happened while she was away.

It turned out that the Zandalari had conducted deep surveys of most known regions, and their records contained information on many areas. Since there were massive amounts of iron ore in Desolace, the high command of Eldre'Thalas decided they needed to fully excavate and utilize these resources. The iron deposits would surely be accompanied by gold, mithril, or vast quantities of copper. These metals were vital strategic resources that the Night Elf must keep in their own hands. However, the accompanying problem was that the elves currently lacked the labor force to extract these resources. Everyone brainstormed, but days of debate yielded no results. Finally, the Prince proposed a suggestion that everyone loved: utilize the Centaur and the Quillboar! They were strong, mindless creatures, making them perfect for manual labor. Everyone then worked to refine this plan, and through constant additions, it evolved into an incredibly massive undertaking. The plan was as follows: first, launch several military exercises in Desolace targeting the Centaur and the Quillboar to exert immense survival pressure, then send envoys to negotiate and trade food for their resources. By scaling up and driving down food prices, they would force more of them to mine. They would learn that as long as there was ore, there was infinite food. Gradually, they would become dependent on the elven food supply, at which point the elves would raise prices, keeping them just fed enough to survive but with no energy to develop. The same method would be applied to the Centaur, though their physique was not suited for digging, so their task would be limited to transportation. In these respects, the plan was not yet "massive." The key was the subsequent "Great Wall Project"—a name coined by Azar as a joke, inspired by how the Han people dealt with the Xiongnu by building a Great Wall of steel. The labor would come from the hardliners among the Centaur and Quillboar; there would inevitably be traitors who would help the elves identify the troublemakers, whose fate would be castration, followed by being treated like beasts of burden to build the Night Elf wall. In this process, the Centaur and Quillboar would be reduced to vassal states of the elven kingdom, serving as labor and raw startup resources. Meanwhile, the elven mages needed to establish specialized alchemy research institutes to study metals more deeply and meticulously, driving the entire elven steel industry. The energy and techniques for smelting would also spawn specialized research into power, making the Arcane a focal point once again. It was slowly permeating every detail of elven life.

"What a genius-level mind it takes to come up with such a plan; it's truly magnificent."

"So your mission is just to build a wall here? Isn't that a bit of a waste of your talents?"

"No, the plan has another part: the military component. This place is a quagmire; all troops must come here to grind for a few years to maintain combat readiness. This is also a testing ground for new tactics and weapons. In the Prince's words, since the insects can't be killed off, we must utilize them. What use is an army if it doesn't fight?"

"I can do that kind of work too. Why replace me?" Hearing there was fighting to be done, Daphne was reluctant to leave.

"The Prince said you aren't suitable. Your new mission is to go to Desolace to deal with the Centaur and the Quillboar. Your task is also arduous; our wall-building labor depends on you. Remember, we need workers who can actually work; don't bring me cripples. Otherwise, they won't do much, and I'll just have to dig graves for them."

"Does this mean I'm about to become a slave trader?"

"You will be an excellent slave trader, my dear Daphne." Falco teased.

"Go to hell! That job doesn't have a good reputation at all!"