The Grand Foundry Master nodded:
"Yes, almost a century has passed, yet you two remain as radiant as ever. With you as witnesses, I can feel even more at ease."
Nuowa waved his hand dismissively:
"We're elves, so it's normal for us to live a long time."
He looked at everyone and said with a smile:
"Don't let his old appearance fool you, he'll actually live a long time. I think he's just too lazy to work."
The Grand Foundry Master remained noncommittal to Nuowa's words, but the conversation returned to the history of the Graycast Corridor:
"Thanks to the mines and the suitable farming area, we were able to gain a foothold in a corner of the continent that was in complete chaos."
"Then we began to gradually gather the commoners from the surrounding kingdoms, and our power grew little by little."
"Among those who came to join us were sages and craftsmen in distress. We miners learned a great deal from them and were able to do more and more things."
"But we still didn't have enough manpower, so my clever brother started to turn his ideas into reality. He invented many machines that had never existed in this world before, which greatly improved our work efficiency. Whether it was mining or planting, it was much easier than before."
"That's when I realized he was actually a genius. After all, he had shared his ideas before, but every time he brought them up with the foreman, he would get a few lashes."
Nuowa then said, with a pointed remark:
"You only talk about how your brother is a genius, but what about yourself?"
Upon hearing this, the Grand Foundry Master sighed and said:
"Compared to him, I am truly nothing—this world has had many High Tier mages, and there will be many more in the future, but what he did, only he could accomplish."
Nuowa shook his head:
"In my opinion, your talent is truly one in a million, but unfortunately you wasted too many years in your youth, and the mages you met later were all mediocre and couldn't teach you any real skills."
"If we had taken you with us back then, your skill level might be much higher than it is now. Unfortunately, coming with us would have been a dead end, and your companions needed you even more."
"It's okay."
The Grand Foundry Master smiled and said:
"I am already the best seal engraver here, or as you would call me, a 'strategist'."
The person walking behind, Do Some Farm Work, suddenly felt a chill run down their spine—
Good heavens! He had always thought that the Grand Foundry Master was a mechanical genius, but now it seems that the mechanical genius is actually the Grand Foundry Master's younger brother.
The Grand Foundry Master was himself a powerful seal engraver.
Seal engraver—isn't that the Number One profession that candidate Rein intends to completely "eradicate"?
No wonder Rein couldn't be selected as Grand Foundry Master; now I know why.
You're going to ruin the livelihood of the person who Grand Foundry Master!
The Grand Foundry Master continued:
"Later, we renamed our original stronghold the Great Labyrinth City, and the suitable area for planting became our first satellite city—Mr. Nuowa taught us the word 'satellite'."
"Finally, the Graycast Corridor we see today came to be."
The players, as bystanders, listened with great interest, while Gray, a local of the Great Labyrinth City, was filled with fervor, only thinking of doing everything he could to perpetuate the glory of the Graycast Corridor.
" Gray, I'm telling you this not just to tell you the history of the Graycast Corridor —everything I've said today can be found recorded and corroborated in the Great Library, and it won't take much time."
The old man in gray looked at Gray:
"I'm telling you this to tell you: nothing is easy to accomplish. In the Graycast Corridor, where there are no nobles, power and responsibility are equal. If you want to become Grand Foundry Master, you must always be prepared to sacrifice everything."
As they spoke, the group had unknowingly reached the end of the corridor.
It was a white marble door, its color perfectly matching the stone wall. If the old man hadn't stopped in time, the unsuspecting crowd would probably have bumped into it.
The old man looked at Gray, and Gray looked at the old man.
He took a few deep breaths and finally made up his mind:
"I see."
Seeing Gray's serious expression, the gray-robed old man suddenly relaxed.
He patted Gray on the shoulder and said:
"Don't worry, you have one more chance to back out."
I won't go back on my word.
Gray said it with absolute certainty.
"I just said--"
The old man gestured for silence and looked into the young man's eyes:
You still have a chance.
He reached out and pushed open the stone door in front of him, revealing everything inside to everyone.
What you perceive even before the visuals is the roar of the machinery in operation—gears, rails, and connecting rods...
Countless brass-colored machines filled the vast space before us.
All the mechanical parts move in a predetermined manner, presenting a harmonious and dynamic aesthetic as a whole.
As the players followed the Grand Foundry Master into the space before them, they couldn't help but look up.
Above the somber dome, one could vaguely see rows of curved guide rails separated by mechanical structures.
Based on their previous descent of several minutes, [ Do Some Farm Work ], who knew the most about the Graycast Corridor among the five, suddenly had a guess about the place—
Is this directly beneath that concentric circle -Great Library?
Although not a member of the first delegation, [ Do Some Farm Work ] has always had a strong interest in the Graycast Corridor.
He still remembers the awe he felt when he first saw the magnificent Rotating Library.
Looking at the guide rails that were making friction sounds, [ Do Some Farm Work ] became more and more certain of his guess.
However, there was no need to ask the Grand Foundry Master about such a matter in person, especially since he was currently unable to speak.
It's better to be a faithful witness and not disturb the important characters in the story. After all, this major side quest is coming to an end soon, and there will definitely be a truly grand scene.
In the drowsy dimness, the old man in gray suddenly stopped walking.
He stood in front of a huge machine that was more than ten meters tall and reached out to gently touch its outer shell.
The machine, resembling a thick city wall or a pure metal coffin made of steel and brass, was placed in the very center of this vast underground space, still running and emitting a buzzing sound.
In the dim light, everyone could clearly see the mechanical arms that moved as nimbly as spider legs, and the various tracks that stretched out in all directions like a spider web—all of these things would eventually converge into this machine.
In this grand yet oppressive silence, the gray-robed elder turned to Gray and said:
"Come, child, meet the true ' Grand Foundry Master '."