Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 408 Oh no, I've become a substitute!
“I think I’ve made myself clear. What I want is a Viconia, and I’m giving you the role to play.”

"From now on, your name will be Viconia Devor, Quelmaline~"

The mage's tone was drawn out, and Viconia's expression shifted repeatedly, her heart filled with uncertain emotions.

What's going on? Am I playing myself? Am I a stand-in?
After a short while, as if she had figured something out, Viconia's face regained its previous charm and confidence, and her large, blinking eyes stared straight at the mage in front of her:
"Well, what a fine man. From now on, I'm your Vicania. What do you plan to get from Vicania?"

"But whatever you want, just give me back my freedom first."

As she spoke, the female drow gestured towards her limbs, which were bound behind her back.

At the mage's signal, the dwarves on either side stepped forward and untied her. Once free, Viconia got up, stretched her limbs, retrieved her weapon, and didn't cause any trouble. She obediently followed the group out of the cellar.

"Where are those scum who hunted me? May the light shine on them; I would gladly see their corpses."

After observing the surroundings, Viconia, who had just emerged, spoke to the mage.

"Don't worry, you'll see. I'm waiting for you to show off your dark elf skills and artistry."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Viconia chuckled, her eyes darting around as she glanced at the monk:

"Another male daring to challenge the sexual techniques of the drow? I don't dislike your boldness and frankness, but don't be scared off by my passion, colnbluth."

The monk raised an eyebrow at the stunning beauty before him, seemingly somewhat captivated. Then, he smiled meaningfully and uttered only one sentence:
"You'll understand once you come along."

With the extra female drow and two water elementals, the group returned to their previous camp and reunited with the remaining dwarves.

The dwarves were puzzled to see Viconia traveling with them, but Bard quickly realized what was going on:
"Boss, is this what those underground scum are looking for?"

The dwarf's tone was somewhat unfriendly. He wasn't stupid; the dark elves, who rarely showed their faces on the surface, had suddenly appeared to burn, kill, and plunder, causing his own expedition to be caught in an encounter and suffer casualties. It was impossible for him not to feel resentment, but he hadn't expressed it too obviously because of the mage's ambiguous attitude.

"Man, is this your subordinate? He doesn't seem very obedient. Have you been neglecting to discipline him? Perhaps some of the unique techniques of the Zoroastrians can help you."

Viconia, who was being called a bald monk by pointing at a monk, was not one to be trifled with. She immediately retorted with a cold smile, and the atmosphere became even colder than the surrounding wind.

He really is a troublesome guy. Although I had anticipated the possible trouble when I made the decision to take Viconia in, I did not expect things to happen so quickly.

It seems we underestimated the dwarves' vengefulness and the drow's bad reputation and bad temper.

Master Zhang was getting a bit of a headache from the current stalemate, but rules had to be established, and they had to be established from the beginning, otherwise things might get out of hand.

“Bard is my squire knight, which, according to the analogy of the Drow society, is equivalent to a skilled warrior. And you?”

The mage stepped forward and patted Bard on the shoulder in encouragement, then turned back to stare into the drow's eyes, his expression no longer showing the admiration he had before.

"You are merely my prisoner, a special prisoner." "Arrogant Garruk, you…"

Viconia's anger was cut short before it could erupt. The mage suddenly struck her right rib with the hilt of his sword. The pain from her diaphragm made Drow bend over and cough for a while before she could raise her head.

"I think there are some things I should tell you, so that you don't do anything stupid because of some misconceptions that you shouldn't have, and end up causing trouble that no one wants to see."

"Most of your kin who were hunting you down have already reported to the Spider Queen, but a few lucky ones have had the honor of becoming my spoils of war."

The monk spoke in a cold tone, as if he were stating something completely unrelated to himself. In contrast, Viconia's chest heaved violently, and she almost sneered at his boastful words.

"Of course, it also gained the right to become Viconia."

The monk continued speaking, his tone unconsciously taking on a slightly cruel edge.

"Wiconia? What's wrong with you?"

The female Zhuoer was completely taken aback by what the other party said, and while she was surprised, she had a vague sense of unease.

"Yes, Viconia, or rather, the current Viconia. There are five female dark elves besides you. In fact, each of them had the opportunity to obtain the name Viconia, but due to their previous foolish offenses, you were given priority."

"If you lose this title because of your monkey tricks, I won't mind letting one of them inherit the position. I believe they would rather be my maids who lead the slaves than an ordinary captive slave."

Completely ignoring the intense gaze directed at him, the mage continued, each word sharp and deliberate, striking the drow's heart like a hammer blow:
"All I want is Wiconia DeFoe; I don't really care who plays the role."

"Kuiru Malinde!"

The mage glanced at her and left on his own, leaving several dwarves watching her like she was a thief.

Viconia's dark gray face flushed red and then turned pale, her previous imposing manner plummeting.

I thought the other party's performance was somewhat sincere, but it turned out to be all lies. All they wanted was the name, not me.
One's own name may be lost, or even seized by one's enemies who are hunting one down, who may use it as a means to advance in rank and seize power.

Just thinking about that possibility made Viconia grit her teeth and feel like her chest was about to explode.

This blow struck the dark elves squarely at their Achilles' heel. The drow, who were always keen on fighting, scheming, and plotting against each other, were thoroughly political and scheming creatures. For them, the fact that other members of their race, especially their enemies, were doing well was more infuriating than their own misfortune.

What's more, this triumph would be achieved by stepping on her own head, which is tantamount to taking away everything that originally belonged to her. Viconia simply cannot accept such a monstrous thing.

“Man, I apologize for my offense earlier. After all, you know how we are raised in this society. Any tolerance or concession will be seen as weakness.”

A hundred thoughts raced through her mind. Vicania's eyes flickered before regaining their resolve. Clutching her ribs, she jogged to catch up with the mage, her tone much gentler.

Thank you to Wang Baoqiang from Dongmen for the monthly pass!

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(End of this chapter)