Chapter 316: Completion Ceremony

"Go ahead and handle it! Let's set the total number for the standing army recruitment at one thousand for now; once diluted across the four fortresses, there won't be much left."

Snorri urged Balin, who was still standing in place. Although Dwarf lords generally believed that mining and smithing could seamlessly transition into smashing people and chopping off heads, in reality, this was merely the most gold-efficient choice; one still had to show basic respect toward warfare.

"There is one more thing: Lady Wan'er has conveyed the intention of the Minglong Yin Yin to visit the Southlands."

"Call it the Minglong; it seems the previous translation wasn't quite faithful, expressive, or elegant enough," Snorri remarked with a sigh. Over these three years, the cooperation between his territory and Zhendan had grown closer, and it was only natural that a meeting between the high-level officials of both sides was now on the agenda.

"Convey my invitation; the Southlands, and indeed the entire Qunshan, welcome the Princess Yin Yin at any time. I would also be very happy to visit Fuzhou City to take in the scenery of Zhendan, or even go to the Tianting to pay respects to the Haotian Longdi, but all of this must wait until after we have resolved the issues over at Red Cloud Mountain."

Snorri signaled for Balin to get to work. He currently had two important matters on his hands: repairing the ley line bridge towers of the Bone Temple and heading north to Red Cloud Mountain. Neither of these tasks would be short, and they might even trigger chain reactions behind the scenes.

As his understanding of the ley lines deepened, he couldn't help but ponder what would happen if the bridge towers were repaired. If nothing else, Outelakesi would certainly be able to contact the ancestors of Lustria, and who could say what their attitude would be then?

If, like in the game, they sent Chakax over, Snorri did not want any unpleasantness with the final guardian of Ashuotu'o. The great commander, who wielded the Hand of the Gods and the Zun Shen Tarakus Zhan Mao, was absolutely one of the strongest individual entities in the Mortal World.

"Let the Lizardmen suffer a bit more; they have endured for this long anyway!" The King of the Southlands shook his head and made his decision. He needed to stabilize his territory so he could better handle other contingencies.

"My Lord, news from Guildmaster Buluokesen: the railway has passed inspection completely and is ready for official operation at any time!"

Just as Snorri was checking the progress of his honorary apprentices in the Rune Smith Guild hall, a telegraph operator brought the news he had been waiting for. Snorri once again abandoned his apprentices; in any case, Rune Smiths needed a vast amount of time to learn the basics.

"Arrange it well, celebrate well! This is an important milestone for our Southlands!" Snorri's excited shout echoed throughout the entire floor.

"Fellow countrymen, fellow Human friends, under the protection of the Ancestor Gods, the wise leadership of His Majesty Snorri, and the unremitting efforts of you all, the Great Railway of the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai is finally completed!"

A few days later, the station at Gaoyuanbao was decorated with lanterns and streamers. The dignitaries stood in a row on the platform, while the area below was packed with spectators. Balin, serving as the host, was glowing with radiance; he had likely never spoken in front of so many people before.

What was even more attractive than the grand scale of the ceremony today was that for the first time after three years of living in seclusion, the King of the Southlands, Snorri, was attending a public event. One must know that the new immigrants of these years had heard of Snorri's great achievements until their ears were calloused, yet they had never seen the man himself.

"The railway is a vital support project for our Southlands. Its completion marks a brand-new page in the development of this land and will surely have a positive impact on every aspect of our lives..."

"Please allow me to introduce the guests attending today's ceremony. First is the chosen of the Ancestor Gods, the King of the Southlands, Snorri Thorsson!"

Waving to the cheering crowd and watching the hopeful smiles blooming on their faces, Snorri felt a strong sense of accomplishment. He still remembered the lifeless, grumbling, and complaining Karaz-a-Karak when he had first transmigrated; now, everything was different.

"... Councilor of the Zhuwangshan Council of Elders, Garrison Commander Grat-Liezhuzhe; and myself, Councilor of Gaoyuanbao, Balin of the Grezman Clan!"

The young Dwarf followed custom and introduced himself last. Snorri knew that he had also earned some commendable nicknames due to his outstanding contributions to internal affairs. But on this grand occasion, he chose to announce his clan name; clearly, Balin was carrying the hope of reviving that once-glorious ancient clan on his shoulders.

"In addition, other guests in attendance include His Excellency the Great Chanter Kasimier VII; Lady Wan'er, representative of the Governor of Weinan Province of Zhendan stationed in the Southlands; the envoy of the Immortal Emperor, King of Quata Tutankhamun III; and His Excellency Saint Marvin and Lady Freya from Bretonnia!..."

Besides the Dwarfs, this ceremony had also widely invited allies from all walks of life; apart from the pointy-ears, one could find figures from all the Order races.

"Now, I announce that the completion ceremony for the Great Railway of the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai officially begins. First item: Sound the cannons and play the music!"

"Second item: We invite Master Buluokesen, Chief Engineer of the Southlands and General Engineer of the railway, to introduce the specific details of the project!"

"Third item: We invite the envoy of the High King to speak!"

"Fourth item: We invite Master Nathan, Chairman of the Red Cloud Mountain Council of Elders, to announce the commendations for advanced workers during the construction process!"

"Fifth item: We invite the representative of the advanced workers to speak!"

"Finally, with warm applause, please welcome His Majesty Snorri to speak!"

"I announce that the Southlands railway is officially open! Everyone, let us celebrate this great moment together!"

"Toot!"

As soon as Snorri finished speaking, the locomotive parked in the station blew its whistle in response. The Dwarf King raised his hands and downed the beer in his cup in one gulp, signaling the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the celebration.

"Let me think, let's designate today as a festival for the Southlands. I believe that even until the day the mountain rocks are ground into sand by the breeze, the benefits brought by the opening of this railway will be remembered by the residents of the Southlands."

A tipsy Snorri sat in front of his desk, his gaze looking through the window as if he could see all the way to the end of the World's Edge Mountains.

As a lord, Snorri had the right to add new festivals to his territory. In Dwarf society, festivals were divided into those determined by the changing of seasons or related to the three main gods—which all clansmen would celebrate—and those unique to certain fortresses or guilds.

Representatives of the former were the Grungni Festival and Midsummer Festival, while the latter included celebrations like the one in Tumobao on the day the Expeditionary Force defeated the Nurgle Daemon army, or in Zhuwangshan on the day the Brood Queen was slain.

"Respected Exterminator of Plagues, the Slayer Brotherhood reports to you!"

The group of Longbeard veterans who appeared before Snuori were burly and sharp-eyed; one could tell at a glance they had charged out from a sea of corpses and a mountain of blood. These men all used two-handed weapons, and those axes shimmered with the light of Runes. Weapons engraved with appropriate Runes could add magical damage, which was extremely effective when fighting Daemons.