Green Monster Epic

“We were being presumptuous. Please forgive us.”

Traditionally, the Drow Matrons have always held a strong sense of superiority over the various tribes of the Savage Marches. Not only do they rarely interact with these tribes, but even when they do, they tend to be condescending. However, when facing Allen, the leader of their northern neighbor, they are exceptionally patient and cautious.

It's not out of fear of Allen's Saint-level strength. Although the strongest of the four Matrons present, Penny Lai, is only a demigod, if they were to unleash the hidden life-saving measures of their families, they could withstand a Saint-level being, or even several, for a time.

Moreover, they have the Spider Queen Lolth, a powerful evil god, backing them. The combination of dark divine magic, various underhanded tactics, and the capricious, limitless nature of an evil god makes them someone no one dares to offend lightly.

The truth is, this Beastfolk Saint has shown too much excellence. Whether in improving his own strength or in managing and developing his territory, he has inspired genuine admiration and a sense of inferiority in the proud Drow Matrons.

In just a few hundred years, this Beastfolk has risen to the Saint realm from a barren and impoverished land with little heritage. At the same time, he has transformed a weak tribe into a powerful force that now dominates the region, rivaling or even surpassing the Drow Federation. If this doesn't qualify as excellence, then none of the tens of billions of intelligent beings in the Feywild deserve the term.

With his strength and status firmly surpassing the Hothia Federation, the Drow Matrons, who also revere the law of the jungle, naturally view this Beastfolk in a different light. Furthermore, they will need the tolerance of this dominant Beastfolk leader to continue surviving in this diverse surface world.

However, the Drow, inheriting the treachery and cunning of their patron goddess, the Spider Queen, are naturally unwilling to be suppressed by the Beastfolk-led Northern Alliance. Their discreet arrival at the front lines to observe the battle between the Northern Alliance and the Elves is to accurately assess the true strength of the North, in order to determine the scale of their federation's upcoming northward expedition, the spoils they intend to seize, and how to interact with the Northern Alliance, among other things.

Allen was well aware of their schemes. He never had faith in human nature, especially that of the Drow, but he was confident enough to prevent the Drow from gaining significant advantages at his expense.

“When will your federation's armies head north?”

Allen's majestic and indifferent hawk-like eyes swept across the faces of the four Matrons as he asked calmly.

“Aren't we waiting for Your Excellency's Northern Alliance to display its divine might and open the gateway to the Elven Kingdom for us?”

Allen nodded and casually reminded them.

“Rest assured, Your Excellency. Our northward expedition is only for the Elven population and resources. We have little desire for land and territory, so there should be no friction with the Northern armies.”

Penny Lai also bowed and replied, “Of course, it would be even better if Your Excellency is willing to trade with us and sell us the Elven captives in your possession!”

Given the Drow's current population and the territory they occupy in the North, they don't have a strong desire for the Elven Kingdom's territory. Moreover, their slow reproduction rate hinders their development, and they don't need to worry about having insufficient land to accommodate their people for centuries.

The Elven Kingdom's land is certainly fertile, but it is also full of risks. The irreconcilable hostility between the Drow and Elves, stemming from the deities they serve, makes it impossible for them to coexist peacefully as neighbors, and they can only meet in life-or-death battles.

If the Elves weren't vying with humans for dominance in the Feywild and focusing more of their efforts on the Dwarven Kingdom, and if the Drow Matrons who live on the surface hadn't been wise enough not to provoke them, the Hothia Federation would certainly not have survived to this day.

This is also the reason why the Drow Matrons have been plotting to seize Fort Kahr and have repeatedly engaged in battles with Allen and the other Northern tribes. Unfortunately, the existence of Allen, a demigod-like being, has thwarted the Drow's plans. In the end, the evenly matched sides can only coexist peacefully and form a fragile alliance under the mediation of the Temple of Nature.

Of course, Matron Penny Lai and the others understand that this is not a long-term solution. Their nemesis, the Elves, cannot allow them to exist forever.

Having experienced the colorful life of the surface world, it is obviously impossible to make the Matrons and Drow return to the dark and sunless underworld. But if they want to survive on the surface for a long time, only strength can give them the confidence to face future attacks from the Elves.

In the Matrons' view, the key to strength lies in a large population. In addition to attracting more city-states from the underworld to join them, there is another broad path in front of them: using the Elves, who share the same origin and species, as a medium to help procreate Drow offspring.

The Drow Matrons possess more than one method to entice Elven bloodlines to fall and transform into Drow. At the same time, they can use this to please their greatest patron, the Spider Queen Lolth. This is a double-edged sword, and coupled with the Elven Kingdom's predicament, even if Allen's Northern Alliance doesn't launch a war to invade the Elven Kingdom, the Drow Matrons themselves will initiate the relevant war.

However, compared to the need for territory, Matron Penny Lai and the others value the vast Elven population of the Elven Kingdom more.

“This matter can be discussed after the war if there are any survivors, but I don't plan to give up these Elves now. I have other plans for them.”

Allen shook his head and politely declined Penny Lai's proposal.

It's not that the Drow don't need land, it's just that they currently lack the strength to expand. If they were to trade the Elven captives to the Drow in order to get rid of a burden, then the Drow Matrons might have other ideas after absorbing these captives and growing stronger.

“We already control Thorn Fortress. There are no stronger Elven city defenses within hundreds of miles to the north. You need to hurry up if you want to send troops, and not give the Elves too much time to recover.”

“Understood.”

Before the Hothia Federation's army heads north, the tens of thousands of troops subsequently recruited by the Northern Alliance really dare not leave the gates of Nasir Fortress easily. Otherwise, if the Drow take the opportunity to seize Nasir and Mur Fortresses while the Northern Alliance is deep within the Elven Kingdom's territory, the foundations of the Raven's Claw and Snowmirs will be destroyed, and the Greenwood Tribe will also suffer a heavy blow.

Sorry, this chapter was originally supposed to be just a few hundred words long, but I fell back into my old habits and just filled a chapter.