Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 415 Another Farewell
Ignoring the cups and plates spilled with tea on the table, the Grand Duke stood up and stared at the monk who showed no remorse whatsoever, his emotions restrained.

Good heavens, that nonchalant attitude just now almost fooled me and allowed him to get away with it.

This kid is convinced he's talking about a drow and not some roadside goblin thief.

The mage sighed inwardly, knowing that this was inevitable. He remained calm and composed, recounting the whole story in a clear and logical manner. However, the duke's expression remained solemn, and the reason for his concern was no different from that of Ska.

In the end, it was only after the monk explained and even assured them repeatedly that the other party was finally able to dispel their doubts.

It wasn't that Grand Duke Flamefist was truly afraid of these underground ghouls. After all, unless it was a large-scale war launched by a Drow city, a single Drow family couldn't make much of a splash on the surface.

However, the dagger in the shadows is sometimes more deadly than a sword, and one can easily imagine the turmoil that occasional attacks and assassinations can cause in a world of order.

Finally, the monk's few words silenced the Grand Duke:
"They did not come without purpose, simply indulging their bloodlust. Their eyes scanned and followed the figures of the exiles, and their encounter with my dwarves was merely an unexpected coincidence."

"Even without this unexpected encounter, they might not have retreated to their underground hideout after their fruitless search. Besides, what if we were the ones who encountered them instead of other innocent people?"

"Faced with the invasion of evil, is it the right thing to do to stand by and let it run rampant?"

These remarks left the Grand Duke speechless. However, upon further reflection, it seemed that rather than having an exile hide among ordinary people and attract the continued search and harassment of the Drow, it might be a less bad option to have him taken away by the mage along with the searchers.

As for abandoning the exile and reaching an agreement with the Drow?

Neither of them mentioned it. The mage, needless to say, was also too proud to ask the other party to compromise with an evil enemy who had no integrity.

That's fine. If it's just a retaliatory attack from an ordinary Drow family, we can handle it. Besides, they might not even be targeting us.

Thinking this, the Duke politely "invited" the monk out of the mansion.

If the door hadn't closed so loudly, it would have been a polite farewell, the monk thought to himself.

However, having achieved his intended goal, he had nothing to complain about. The Duke got the village land, the villagers received compensation and new, larger farmland, and Master Zhang received a substantial and anticipated income. It was a win-win situation for all three parties—perfect!

Having not only done the Duke a favor but also increased the population of his territory, Master Zhang won twice more, making it a triple win—he was completely overwhelmed with winnings.

All he gave up was uncultivated land in his new territory, and the lone lord, who was worried about having no one coming, didn't care at all.

The mage, lost in thought, decided not to leave the courtyard. Instead, he unfurled a scroll and began casting a teleportation spell in the front yard of the Grand Duke's mansion. The commotion attracted the attention of the guards, and even several mage advisors hired by Iltan were alerted. When they came to check again, only the dissipated magical fluctuations remained.

Meanwhile, the main character himself returned to the front of Highhold once again, looked up and climbed the steps. The flesh golem at the entrance opened the door, and he arrived unimpeded at the spell research room, which was also where his teacher usually stayed.

And indeed, he saw Tyrandeur there, just as he had always seen.

"Teacher, I will be traveling to the north in the next two days, and I have come today to say goodbye."

The archmage didn't turn his head, but merely tilted his head slightly, still fiddling with an instrument in his hand:
"Didn't you just say goodbye to me a few days ago? You said everything you needed to say, and now you're back again, huh?"

Tyrandeur turned to look at his apprentice and sighed:
"Speak, what's this piece of nonsense this time?" "Ahem."

Zhang Yuan felt a little embarrassed being stared at by the teacher, but he quickly put it out of his mind.

"What apprentice in this world doesn't betray their teacher?" Master Zhang consoled himself.

"Actually, it's nothing serious. It was just a minor skirmish with a few drow from underground. It happened suddenly..."

After listening to his disciple's detailed account, Tyrandeer raised an eyebrow dismissively, his tone somewhat cold:

"My advice to you is to get rid of all the prisoners and exile the exile."

"this…"

Zhang Yuan hesitated for a moment. He naturally understood what his teacher meant by "handling it". Having rarely seen this side of the Archmage, he didn't find it abrupt. Justice is not the same as being a pushover, and Tyrandeil, who has reached his current level after experiencing all sorts of things, cannot be simply defined by factions.

It was just a suggestion from the teacher…

The archmage noticed this hesitation and chuckled, asking:
"What? You can't bear to part with a few dark elf female slaves?"

The Grand Master returned to his desk, but instead of continuing his research, he simply sat down and said calmly:
"You're still young, don't let women cloud your judgment."

No, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!

Zhang was both amused and exasperated, wondering how he had inexplicably acquired a label of "old lecher" in his teacher's eyes.

Oh, thankfully he's not old yet.

"Teacher, you have really misunderstood me. The reason I kept this group of prisoners was because they had a purpose, not because I was lustful."

Zhang Yuan, concerned for his own innocence, spoke eloquently, but unfortunately, this tactic had lost much of its effectiveness after being used once or twice in front of the old man. Tyrantir, his fingertips tapping the table, watched his disciple's monkey-like antics unmoved, before finally speaking slowly:
"Finished? I have to admit your scheme has a bit of twisted logic to it, so I won't question your motives, but..."

“This matter is not as simple as the actions of just an exile and a certain drow family. Have you considered the impact of the exiles’ change of faith? That mother spider is not a benevolent person.”

Zhang Yuan would certainly weigh the pros and cons. Having thoroughly understood the plot of his previous life, he knew what would happen to Viconia in the future. Moreover, judging from the Spider Queen's petty and cunning ways, the future of this world would surely be reflected in Viconia's fate.

However, that's all in the future. At present, there is nothing about the female drow exiles that is worthy of the Spider Queen's attention. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the turn of a small family like the Aberry to come out. Even if it is inconvenient for her to intervene personally, a divine oracle or a hint would be enough for powerful drow families to vie for favor with the Spider Queen.

Shar is not Eltris, where Rose, triggered by the Mother-Daughter bond, would turn on her in a rage. Nor is Viconia not Twisted Fate, where every legendary experience is a slap in the face to the Spider Queen.

As I said before, the gods' time is extremely valuable; they don't have the time to focus their attention on every single individual forever.

Thank you Kabana and Yue Zhimin for your monthly tickets!

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(End of this chapter)