Lord: I can see loyalty.

In the depths of the desert after the God of Eclipse disappeared, the desolation of the past is no longer there.

The once daunting desert has now been transformed into a simple yet vibrant camp. Tents made of rags and animal hides stretch out in rows, and makeshift furnaces emit black smoke, their clanging sounds mingling with the neighing of pack animals.

The crowds were large, including regular miners and militia recruited from Bordeaux, as well as adventurers and small merchants from the south who had come to try and get a share of the Count's new mine.

The air was filled with the stench of sweat and the earthy smell of mining.

Vio stood in front of a large tent in the center of the camp, unsurprised by the noise and chaos.

He did not drive away these outsiders, but simply had the militia and knights strictly register the outsiders who came here and abide by the various rules he set, which was enough to turn this group of outsiders into a controllable labor force.

As for the remaining giant scorpions and other strange creatures deep in the desert, they were no longer much of a threat to the old mage Valentine, who was skilled in nature magic.

At this moment, Vio's attention was not on the noisy camp. He held a newly mined magic ore in his hand, about half the size of a fist, with purple light shimmering within the rock as he breathed.

"Tsk tsk, kid, you've really hit the jackpot this time." Valentine squatted down to the side, gently tapping another piece of magic ore with a small hammer, his ear almost pressed against it.

"It seems there really is a whole mine here... The mines in the Anyin Mountains in the eastern part of the kingdom are almost exhausted, and you have such a generous gift hidden under this desert."

"It is said that places with magic veins have very dense magic power, no wonder the monster God of Eclipse dwells here." The old mage Valentine's eyes gleamed as he sensed the magic power within.

Vio did not respond. He put down the ore in his hand and turned his gaze to several tall and strong figures who were busy in the open space in front of the tent.

Those were blacksmiths and their apprentices whom he had hired at great expense from Bordeaux and the fortress.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly in the specially made refractory brick furnace, the bellows were whirring, and on their workbench, a giant sword had already taken shape.

This greatsword was prepared by Vio for Glenn.

It was thicker and heavier than Glenn's original sword, with an extremely wide blade. It was more like a heavy steel panel shaped like a door than a sword.

The greatsword has no edge; its sides and tip are unsharpened, retaining its original bluntness after forging. However, this bluntness is not crude; rather, it carries an extremely heavy sense of oppression.

The fine steel, through repeated forging, develops fine, flowing patterns. Its cold luster is not dazzling even under the scorching desert sun, yet it exudes a chilling aura.

Most notably, a neat groove was carved into the center of the spine about a palm's width above the hilt.

A piece of magic ore, initially cut and now in the shape of a polyhedron, is inlaid with runes that symbolize the stability of magic.

At this moment, the amethyst was emitting a stable and deep dark purple halo. The light was not strong, but it dyed a small patch of air around it a light purple.

The halo spread slightly to both sides along the intricate patterns on the sword, making the entire greatsword seem as if it were breathing with life.

"How's the progress?" Vio asked as he stepped forward.

The foreman, an old blacksmith, wiped his brow and respectfully replied, "Your Excellency, the main structure is complete, and we are currently performing the final release... The inlaying of the magic ore was very successful, thanks in large part to Lord Valentine's help, but..."

He hesitated for a moment. "This sword is so heavy and huge, can any user really... unleash its full power? Moreover, according to Master Valentine's design, this magic ore is mainly for storing energy. The user needs to actively activate magic power. Once the energy is exhausted, apart from being extremely hard, it is not much different from a super heavy iron plate."

"That's exactly what I want—its hardness, so that when this iron plate hits, it can pick up something else along with it," Vio said calmly.

He could already picture Glenn wielding the sword; with Glenn's monstrous strength, the sheer impact of this blunt, heavy sword would be terrifying.

Valentine leaned in, flicked the blade with his finger, and nodded. "The hardness is fine, and it has the stable structure of the magic ore, but the charging... hmm, I'll have to figure out an easier way. But kid, are you really going to give this treasure to that big guy? Can he even handle it?"

"Don't worry, there's no need to fret about that," Vio said, his gaze sweeping across the desert toward the Loba Mountains to the northeast. "Only he can tame it."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of rapid hoofbeats and shouts broke the lively atmosphere of the camp.

A dust-covered cavalryman, his face scarred, abruptly reined in his horse in front of the tent, nearly tumbling off the saddle. He staggered to Vio, knelt on one knee, and his voice was hoarse with urgency:

"My Lord! Urgent military intelligence! Savannah village has been subjected to a large-scale attack by the Harlow tribe! Captain Glenn has led his troops in a desperate defense!"

The air in front of the tent froze instantly, the blacksmiths' hammers stopped in mid-air, and Valentine frowned.

Vio quickly calmed down. He glanced at the greatsword on the table, which was not yet completely cool, and then at the messenger kneeling on the ground, panting.

The attack on Savannah village was within his expectations; otherwise, he wouldn't have stationed troops there. But as for whether there were any unexpected developments...

"Pass on the order!" Vio's voice rang out clearly without hesitation, "All mining operations at the camp deep in the desert are suspended. Deputy Commander Ansquie will be in charge of camp defense and order, Jimmy!"

"What are your orders, Your Excellency?" Jimmy, dressed in knight's armor, was already prepared and strode out from the side.

"Take the Knights of the Azure Peak, along with rations and crossbow bolts, and immediately depart with me to reinforce Savannah Village. At the same time, send word to the remaining militia resting in Bordeaux City to assemble and await orders towards Savannah Village!"

"Yes, sir!"

Vio turned to Valentine: "Uncle, I'd like to leave some matters of the camp to you and Luca Winnie. Also, this sword..." He pointed to the bladeless greatsword that shimmered with purple light, "to speed up its cooling process. We'll take it with us."

Valentine muttered something, not objecting, but his eyes became much more serious: "Kid, you should be careful too. I have a feeling those barbarians aren't as simple as they seem... My premonitions are usually quite accurate."

Vio nodded, took one last look at the magic ore greatsword forged for Glenn, and turned to stride toward his warhorse.

The desert's hustle and bustle soon subsided, leaving only the discussions between miners and merchants. For the miners, this was a good opportunity to rest.

Before long, a fully armed team of knights, led by Vio and Jimmy, sped toward Savannah village in the northeast.