Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Following the underground river downstream leads to the Dark Elf city of Chou Li, the only outpost connecting to the surface region of Inathas.

Raslaufer walked beside an unassuming subterranean Loth Beast. He had removed his armor and greatsword, and was now wrapped in black cloth. Only a swift sword was at his waist, and in his hand he was playing with a few spider coins given to him by Glip, which could also be called "Loth coins" or "elf coins" underground.

If we only consider purchasing power, one black jade coin is roughly equivalent to one imperial gold coin, but according to Angelita and Mary, this gem is quite valuable on the ground, so a ratio of one to three or one to five seems more reasonable.

Whether the other party in the transaction is willing to have the Spider Queen Lolth's holy symbol atop the gem they acquire is another matter entirely.

“There’s a lot of profit to be made from this, isn’t there?” Glip asked through Bella. “And judging from your attitude, you can make quite a bit.”

“That’s not something I need to think about,” Leslaufer said, his face almost entirely obscured. “Once things are over here, someone will do the work, and all I need to do is figure out how much I’ll get.”

The underground dwarf nodded knowingly: "Ah, big shot. I wish I could make money lying down like you someday."

“If he could make money lying down, would you have run into him here?” Bella couldn’t help but interject. “This guy’s risking his life.”

“Who isn’t?” Grip Stone Shield raised the shield behind him. “In the eyes of the Dark Elves, my fellow Dark Elves and I are nothing more than candidates for slavery. If it weren’t for Black Lewin, I would want to stay as far away from them as possible.”

“But you still made this money,” Bella said, seeing that Leslaufer wasn’t going to respond, so she started a conversation with him herself. “Speaking of which, I’ve always wanted to ask: how did you get to know this dark elf lady? The difference in your social status is a bit too great, isn’t it?”

“It’s not as big as you think. We were all slaves, slaves of the Dark Dwarves,” Glip sullenly groaned. “Otherwise, where did I learn my dwarven language?”

"And her?"

“Ha, if elves have the arrogance of a day’s worth of bluestone coins towards dwarves, dark elves have at least a day’s worth of black jade coins,” the conversion between the two is roughly equivalent to copper coins and imperial gold coins, “but I’m different. Dwarves also have their own pride, but it’s definitely not in this.”

The history of the dwarf race is almost as long as that of other races, but it has never had the influence of elves, dwarves or humans. Whether on the surface or underground, dwarves have never established any stable kingdoms. The underground dwarves are even more tragic than their surface relatives. More than 70% of their stories are about being enslaved by other races.

Some of them are even included in compilations of jokes about dark dwarves and dark elves.

Therefore, in order to gain his freedom, Glip could learn the slave owner's language without any burden, even though he would hardly ever use it again afterward and would never try to approach any dwarven territory.

“…May you continue to enjoy your freedom,” Bella, in her subterranean form, snorted. “I also know a dwarf in the Society; he comes from the tundra…”

“No, I’ve already said it, one thing at a time. We’re not exactly close to those on the surface either. It’s just that we don’t fight like elves or dwarves when we meet,” the caravan leader waved his hand, interrupting the topic. “Back then, we came underground for more and better ore, and the rest of us were cowards. Their courage was only as big as their own height.”

Conversations within the group became scarce. Glip sent three dwarves who knew a little dwarven language to lead the "surface people" to find a safer hiding place, leaving only a few taciturn individuals in the rest of the group. Even if they were very curious about Leslaufer and Bella, they would only occasionally glance at them, never uttering a sound.

This seems to be the norm in their daily lives, and they rarely communicate with each other.

The underground river is far less active than the surface rivers. It flows silently, like its kind among these subterranean dwarfs. If you happen to hear the sound of water, you can find huge skeletons of unknown creatures nearby. Only these things can make the underground river make unusual sounds.

But this silence was not deathly still, something Leslaufer had already experienced before. Now, he shifted his gaze from the coins in his hand to the surrounding rock walls that looked like places to ambush, or perhaps not.

If Rose's darkvision was normal, there should have been several figures flashing by in those places just now.

Halewin gestured to Raslauver, who was reaching for his sword hilt, signaling him to relax: the presence of dark elf patrols meant only one thing: they were approaching the territory of Chrysler. Here, any unusual movement could be interpreted as hostile.

Dark elves are not known for their kindness and compassion.

"Look over there, we've arrived."

After resting and continuing for several hours, Glip stopped. He untied a cloth bag, released the firefly-like creatures inside, and pointed out the huge black shadow in the distance to Raslaufer.

The city of Qiuli, a city of dark elves, was shrouded in a dark halo, the glow of some giant fungus. The dark elves in the city used this to keep time, while outsiders used it to determine whether they had arrived at the right place at the right time.

Sometimes, even with the protection of the dark elf Black Lewin, it's still not enough to save the entire caravan.

“Looks like we’re lucky this time,” Halewin stepped forward, taking over the lead from Glip and urging the others to quicken their pace. “But we need to hurry a bit. Do you see the pattern of light and shadow in that light? They’re on alert. It’s purple now; we won’t be able to get in when it turns red.”

Out of caution, Bella and Glip stopped translating aloud, but Leslaufer could roughly understand the meaning. The dwarves around them immediately quickened their pace, urging their pack animals to move as quickly as possible. After the fluorescent lights of Chowley City had alternated between light and dark for about one hundred and eighty cycles, the entire caravan finally arrived at the foot of the city wall, which was entirely made of black stone bricks. There, a squad of soldiers composed entirely of male dark elves stopped them.

"Get out of the way. This shipment was ordered by the Mara family," Halewin said, adopting a woman's air as she coldly stared at the approaching soldiers. "I don't want to waste time being questioned by that mistress. Do you want that too?"

The current matriarch of House Mara was notorious for her fiery temper, a fact well-known even to Black Lewin, let alone the local residents of Chouley. In fact, many here had heard the matriarch's roars and shouts echoing throughout half the city more than once, and at the thought of this, the soldiers all shrank back.

But the proper procedures still need to be followed. We are currently in a state of alert, and if we let in people who shouldn't be there, they will face more than just the wrath of Matriarch Mara.

“I’m very sorry, Ms. Halewin,” the lead soldier bowed his head, “but the Council’s orders are to investigate every suspect, such as…”

"Could you ask the guy behind you to come out? You don't seem to have brought someone like this with you before."

Chapter 502 The Mara Family

Leslaufer didn't speak, nor did he emerge from the darkness. He stood in the shadow of the truck, simply lifting his hood to reveal a pair of pointed ears and scarlet eyes, coldly staring at the soldier.

All he needed to do was that; his murderous gaze was enough to dissuade the other party from questioning him further.

A more specific explanation will be provided by Halewin, who has already given his testimony.

"Did you see clearly?" Black Lewin, who had held a status superior to most male dark elves since birth, sneered and took a step forward. "If your eyes aren't blind, you should be able to see that he is one of our own."

"I...can I know his name?" The soldier swallowed hard, making a final insistence. "Perhaps some mistress would want to see the records of strangers entering and leaving the city, I have to—"

"Zaknavan, you blockhead! You're wasting my time!" Halewin's expression suddenly changed, and he slapped the other man hard across the face. "What on earth is going on around here? First, the Arakkoa inexplicably changed their migration route, and now you're interrogating me? Very well! I'll leave now! Let the matriarch of House Mara go to hell! Let her come to Sylvoruto City to collect her goods from me if she dares!"

The city of Syloworuto is a trading hub among the underground cities of the Dark Elves: "So, do you like this? Should I add a couple more entries to your worthless ledgers? This is Zhaknavan Du'erden, from Menzoberranzan, who's here to hunt down a traitor to his family! Now you'll be able to handle the mistresses' questioning!"

These names were all heard by Raslaufer from Daisy's stories, and confirmed by Halewyn, so there was no doubt about them—perhaps in the bard's tales the city was the largest of the drow, but in this world, not many dark elves had heard of it.

"No, please, it's all just an order," the soldier said, flustered. He didn't care about writing anything anymore and quickly turned the pressure from Black Lewin into violence, unleashing it on the dark elves behind him who were of lower status. "Are you deaf? Get out of the way! Do you think you can withstand the wrath of the mistress?!"

Here, no one would doubt Black Lewin's sudden outburst of rage. They were just men, and in their family, even looking directly at a female member would get them a beating. Being scolded and reprimanded was just a respite from various punishments. It was only natural for a dark elf woman to scold them when she got annoyed by their questions.

It was precisely because of this innate advantage that Halewin was able to protect Griffin and his caravan time and time again, and this time, she used the same method to protect Raslaufer as he entered the city of Cholera.

Dubul wrapped himself up tightly again, and no one noticed that beneath the thick cloth, as the light from the giant mushrooms in the city fell upon his skin, his scarlet eyes quietly turned back to their original ice blue.

In contrast, Bella's situation was much easier. She only needed to continue pretending to be a Lost Beast, and no one would cast suspicious glances at the pack animal—she could carry a load of 213 pounds on her back.

After dismissing the guards, Halewin dared not delay and immediately ordered the caravan to head to the western part of Chrysler City. Her threat was not unfounded. If they wanted to move freely in the city and rescue prisoners without suspicion, they had to at least appease the emotions of the matriarchs first.

Hele and her caravan had been to the city of Qiulicheng more than once and were extremely familiar with all the areas, so they would never get lost. The city was divided into three main districts by the central giant mushroom of timekeeping: the north had a martial arts academy and a sorcerer's academy for training men, the east had a priestly academy, and the west and south had the buildings of various families. The closer the family's residence was to the eastern academy, the more prestigious it was, while the closer the family was to the north, the weaker it was.

As the second largest family in the city, the Mara family undoubtedly resides in the southern region, which boasts the most beautiful buildings, the most complete facilities, and... the most powerful family army in the entire city.

"Reporting to the mistress, I have delivered the goods she requested as promised." Hellerwin stood at the entrance of the Mara family's residence. Looking over the courtyard wall, he could see many towering stone pillars in the courtyard, which reminded Hellerwin of his own family—a place where family members practiced their innate spells. As noble dark elves, they could master levitation spells by the age of ten, and these stone pillars were erected for this purpose.

A female dark elf who came out at the sound nodded to her, then turned and went into the largest building. The other dark elves gathered around and began unloading the goods, carrying them to the warehouse at the back of the courtyard. The gnomes tactfully watched from the side without intervening—lower-ranking dark elf families were used to using these alien races like slaves, but at the level of the Mara family, they only disliked the gnomes handling the goods, as it would make them dirty.

Even though these dwarfs, "as dirty as stones and mud," had already transported these goods all the way.

Halewin stood there without doing anything. She was a woman and naturally didn't need to do this kind of work. But because of this, Raslaufer, who was also standing still, inevitably stood out. Although at first the dark elves ignored her in order to move the goods as quickly as possible, as the work was nearing its end, several young dark elves gathered around her.

"Look at him, so relaxed!" a dark elf said sourly. "He looks just like a priest!"

“Isn’t that right? Who does he think he is?” another dark elf immediately chimed in. “Hey, we’re talking to you! Are you mute or deaf?”

"Get out of the way," Raslaufer said, completely oblivious to their conversation. Halewin quickly stepped in to help him out. "He's been given his surname by his family's matriarch! Wait until any of you have that privilege before you try to mess with him!"

Being bestowed a surname by the Matriarch is indeed an honor that many would find daunting, and many dark elves would back down upon hearing this. However, what Halewyn did not expect was that the Mara family was different from the small family she once belonged to; such a statement would instead ignite the competitive spirit of some.

“Interesting… You look like a warrior. What’s your name? Where are you from?” A man about a head shorter than Leslaufer, but with a strong build, approached eagerly. “It would be impolite to leave a guest from afar unattended. How about coming over and spar with me?”

“I am the brother of Madam Blar. No matter what your status is, I am absolutely qualified to spar with you!”

He was a relatively young member of the Mara family. As the brother of Madam Bhara, he missed the opportunity to become a servant due to his young age. To replace his brother and challenge a tall and distinguished stranger was clearly an opportunity to gain prestige and the favor of the Madam.

Chapter 503 Short Sword Poison

Looking at the elf standing in front of him, even if Leslaufer couldn't understand dark elf language, he could tell what the other party wanted to do.

But there's a problem.

Should we kill it or leave it alive?

Doble was a little unsure of what to do. After all, he was there to rescue people, and it was best not to go too far before he got Daisy and the others under his control.

He then looked at Halewin.

The female dark elf stretched out her arm and wiped it on her neck.

That makes things easier.

In an instant, the younger brother of Madam Brar in front of Raslaufer felt as if he were being stared at by a terrifying monster. An unprecedented sense of crisis made him instantly draw his short sword and stab it toward Raslaufer's abdomen!

This was merely a feint; the dark elf's feet were already slightly levitating. If the "big oaf" instinctively dodged or blocked, giving him enough distance to cast a levitation or dark spell, he could—

Yes, you can!

"Bang!" The next second, the martial artist was grabbed by a large hand and involuntarily pulled into Leslaufer's arms. When that battering ram-like elbow slammed down, the entire Mara family manor seemed to tremble!

The dark elf warrior was immediately plunged into darkness!

...Dark magic? He's actually...faster than me?

If it weren't for the blessing of the eight-armed champion Seeventam, that single elbow strike could have killed him on the spot. Fortunately, he was still able to maintain his consciousness. Although everything was still pitch black, the martial artist still managed to twist his flexible body as much as possible and use the poisoned short sword that had been with him for decades to accurately point at the outsider's throat.

One sword—just one sword!

The moment this attack occurred, the onlookers who had just begun to chatter fell silent. They were all seasoned warriors, and they realized what they had just witnessed!

The angle and timing of this sword strike were so cunning and deceitful that its lethality exceeded their previous understanding of the swordsman!

If... if this sword were aimed at her elder brother, who is currently the most favored servant of the Mara family, he would likely not have had time to dodge!

"This sword was not meant for you!" the warrior roared, his eyes bloodshot. "But you will die by it!"

Heller and Glip both widened their eyes and mouths in unison, their shouts choked in their throats as if someone had choked them. They didn't even know if they were trying to warn Raslaufer or simply trying to cry out in alarm—the sword was too fast, too fast to be warned, too fast to be heard in an instant, and Raslaufer had already been hit!

Even Doples couldn't dodge this attack at that distance; all Raslaufer could do was barely avoid a vital spot. Thanks to the elbow strike that had nearly blinded the warrior, his control over this sword strike was slightly flawed, causing him to miss Raslaufer's carotid artery and only tear the scarf and cloak covering his head and neck.

The wild, uncontrollable pounding of his heart, like a war drum, reverberated in Raslaufer's chest, so loud that even the nearby warrior could hear it clearly, causing his face, contorted with rage, to instantly fall into terror.

He swung his sword again, a second time, a third time! His bones and joints cracked and popped; he could only break free from the outsider's earth-shattering control by exerting all his strength. At that moment, the dark elf warrior began to spin. His deadly footsteps and rhythm had claimed the lives of countless outsiders and even his own kind for over a century, but this time, it was only to save his master!

He had to live; he had so many unfulfilled wishes! He had to—

A gust of wind suddenly arrived, and the moment it struck him, the martial artist, who was already spinning like a top, spun even faster, exceeding his original limit.

But no one was happy for him. As he spun and flew, the short sword in his hand hummed, streaking across the air in the light of the giant mushroom, and leaped over the wall.

On the ground, Raslaufer moved in an instant, reaching out with both hands to grab the warrior's head and an arm respectively. He then stepped on the warrior's slender lower body, and with a tearing sound, the dark elf's body was ripped into three pieces!

Countless filth and blood were splashed across the courtyard, and in the center, as Dubler looked around, no one dared to look him in the eye!

Even a single glance at this moment would reveal that his eyes, no longer bloodshot, confirm that he is not a dark elf!

Blood seeped steadily from the wound on his shoulder, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, making Dubul feel lightheaded. The short sword was coated with a deadly poison; if it weren't for some demonic blood flowing through his veins, he would probably be lying on the ground by now.

If that were the case, all the authority he had just established would be for naught. Duple understood this all too well; he had to stand there, ramrod straight, without anything to support him.

Maybe this will make the poison take effect faster? Maybe this will kill him here? That's not the point.

The wound on his shoulder no longer stung, replaced by a gentle touch, as if someone were stroking it; his vision became increasingly blurry, and Raslaufer felt as if he swayed slightly. He turned his gaze to the giant mushroom in the center of the city of Chou Li, but whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to see a huge, seemingly smiling, shadowy spider there.

Dubler heard that soft, cruel sneer again.

Excruciating pain, an unparalleled agony, emanated from his shoulder, cheek, and several other wounds. If someone had been gently stroking them just moments before, now it felt as if that person was tearing open the flesh on either side of the wounds with a needle or a knife. The dizziness caused by the poison vanished without a trace, replaced by a clarity he had never experienced before.

This sudden change made Raslaufer instinctively touch his head and neck. The injury was far from healed and was still bleeding. But what Raslaufer couldn't understand was that as his skin was exposed to the light, he also touched his pointed ears.

"Ha—cough, who else wants to challenge him?!"

Seeing that Raslaufer, who had been frozen like a statue, had started to move again, Black Lewin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly struck while the iron was hot. It was only then that the dark elf, who was traveling with a caravan rather than his family, realized that his voice had become so hoarse without him noticing.

Chapter 504 Matriarch Brar

"What's all this noise about!"

A dark elf woman with her hair styled in a high bun angrily pushed open the door and walked out in the deathly silence. Beneath her gray bangs, a pair of red eyes swept over everyone with hostility, finally landing on Black Lewin and Raslaufer.

"What's going on? You homeless bastard, do you want to bully others on the land of the Mara family?!"

“Vanzelin, put away your mother’s ways,” Black Lewin frowned and looked back at her. “I have never remembered the Mara family motto having anything to do with mania and irritability.”

"You killed someone here!" "Relax, he was just a man, it's no big deal."

"He dug his own way to his death."

Just as the two were locked in a tense standoff, another male dark elf stepped forward, arms crossed, looking unabashedly at the Mara family woman: "He used a poisoned short sword, while this man was unarmed—my brother died a worthy death."

"It's none of your business to speak!" Vanzelin glared at someone from her own tribe who dared to contradict her, but when she saw the other person's face clearly, she felt it was a tough situation. "—Even if it's you, it won't work."

"I'm just reporting what I've seen and heard; it's my duty."

The man shrugged: "That fool tried to establish his authority by defeating this outsider, but ended up with three dead, ha."

Vanzelin turned to look at Leslaufer's side, where she saw some broken flesh and blood—even for a dark elf, this method of killing was somewhat brutal.

"What is your name?" the priestess of the Mara family asked, staring at Dubler. "Take off your hood and let me see clearly who killed my uncle!"

“His name is—” Halewin tried to continue speaking in support of Raslaufer. “Shut your mouth, Halewin, I’m asking him!”