Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 447 Distant Cousins
That makes sense.

The mage first nodded in affirmation of the drow's deduction, and then directly gave the order:

"There's no time like the present! Several days have passed since the giant worm Nightshade was killed. Let's set off now and open the gate!"

Upon hearing this, the Shadow Demon rushed back to the magic circle, while Viconia, who was supposed to ascend the altar, sat down on the ground instead.

"You make it sound so easy. Do you think the guiding ceremony is like the acupressure and oil massage at our Zhuoer Hotel? You can extend the time if that's not enough?"

Viconia said irritably, still lying on the ground and refusing to move.

The female pastor, whose ambitions had been severely thwarted, looked somewhat listless, whether out of genuine helplessness or just an excuse, it was hard to tell.

"Alright then, let's come again tomorrow, which will also give us more time to prepare."

The mage didn't dwell on it, and after instructing the Shadow Demon to remain in the dungeon, he led Viconia back to the main hall of the castle.

"In any case, you are a follower of the Lost Lady. Tell me what you know about the Shadow Dimension."

"You can't expect to learn more from me. After all, I'm just a priest, not a supplicant from the Lost Lady's Kingdom. My knowledge of that plane isn't necessarily much better than yours as mages."

On the way back, the monk directly asked the pastor about this matter. Although he had done some research beforehand and even did some homework, he felt that theoretical knowledge was ultimately insufficient. He figured that Pastor Shar should know something about it, but...

Mr. Zhang's expression was uncertain, unsure whether the other party genuinely didn't know or was deliberately making excuses. After exchanging a few words, he buried himself in his work and continued on his way.

"What a stingy male,"

Seeing the monk hurrying along in silence, Viconia assumed he was secretly angry, so she quickly caught up with him and began to explain:
"It was only during my time escaping Menzoberranzan and living in exile on the surface that I began to rely on and trust the Lost Lady. During those days, even survival was a struggle, so I didn't have the energy to study the state of the Shadow World."

"What are you thinking about?"

The mage glanced up at the drow, his tone indifferent:

"I'm just thinking about the next steps, whether or not we should really send Nevinmore alone to explore the Shadow Dimension."

"You're being a bit too conservative."

Seeing that the mage's expression didn't seem feigned, Viconia breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head speechlessly.
"Aren't you underestimating your summoned creatures? With their imposing presence, especially that guy Nevenmore, people would believe they were fire lords or great demons."

"Releasing him into the Shadowlands is not much different from the old dragon breaking into the dwarven vault. In terms of sheer power, it's hard to say whether he or the giant worm Nightshade is more terrifying."

"That's not what I meant. I definitely want to go into the film industry, but since I've made up my mind, I might as well do it in the best way possible."

As the mage spoke, he narrowed his eyes, and the gleam in his eyes gave Vicania a sense of familiarity.

That is the will called ambition.

"You want to go all out? While the Shadow Dimension has a lot of resources and some lost legends, you should also think carefully about the risks involved."

The drow's tone carried a hint of excitement, and though she spoke with a tone of admonition, the encouragement in her words was unmistakable, revealing her underlying intentions. Viconia understood clearly that the newly formed Word Bearers squad, including herself, was merely a tool in the enemy's hands. Once they were no longer useful, their status wouldn't be much better than that of the refugees; in fact, thanks to the Underdark's good reputation, they would be subject to even greater surveillance and restrictions.

Exploring the Shadow Dimension was risky, but in her view, it was still acceptable compared to being marginalized in the system of a new territory.

Besides, as the leader of the Word Bearers, she should naturally sit in the center and command with composure. As for the important task of charging into battle, she should leave it to those brave members of her clan.

The monk did not continue the discussion. He led Viconia to the meeting room that had been specially set aside in the center of the Tulou ring and instructed Talinda, who was on duty, to inform the team members about the meeting.

The little elf seemed to have a lot of questions in its tiny head. Its big, bright eyes would occasionally glance in Viconia's direction, but as soon as the other looked back, it would quickly shrink back like a startled rabbit.

"Ha! What have I seen? One of our poor Datir cousin's cubs?"

The drow had naturally noticed this ostrich-like spying gaze, and she sneered at Talinda, her tongue lightly brushing across her lips, like a mother wolf eyeing her prey.

Upon hearing this, the little elf was startled, and its body trembled involuntarily, like a cowering little rabbit.

"Tsk tsk, this is the little cub. Hmm? It seems to be a virgin."

Vicania chuckled, her words brimming with malice.
"My good monk, this is not like you. Do you find these green fruits too astringent?"

After hearing what she said, Talinda, who was initially a little nervous, blushed. In fact, if the mage hadn't stepped forward in time to hold her head down, the excited female elf, who was baring her teeth and claws, would probably have forgotten the difference in strength between herself and her opponent and pounced on her to tear her apart.

"Ha, you've hit a sore spot? Well, with your skinny frame, you can only compare to a female goblin, not Chanem..."

"Alright, since you like talking so much, how about I send you to the Faraway Forest to have a good chat with those moon elves?"

Viconia, who had defiantly puffed out her chest, was interrupted by the mage before she could finish speaking. Seeing the warning look in the mage's eyes, the drow pursed her lips but ultimately did not dare to continue her presumptuous behavior.

"It's urgent, you should go right away."

He ruffled Talinda's white hair, and she glared at the drow with a hateful look. Without saying a word, she nodded and turned to run out the door.

"Since you cherish this little Datir girl so much, why don't I help you train her properly? I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

"You'd better not cause me any more trouble!"

The monk, letting out a cold snort, sat down at the round table of the conference, his eyes slightly closed, waiting for the others to arrive.

Zhang Yuan had long anticipated the estrangement and grudges between these two "distant cousins." The long-standing antagonism and hatred between Zhuoer and the surface elves was difficult to summarize in words. The teachings and admonitions they received during their growth process invariably portrayed the other as the most despicable, shameless, and vicious being, and they both identified themselves as victims and betrayers.

Of course, to outsiders, the Drow's version is really not very credible...

All Master Zhang could do was try to minimize the opportunities for the two sides to meet and interact. At first, it was fine; the Whisperers who were on patrol and cleaning missions had almost no chance to travel with Terinda due to the former's deliberate arrangements.

Thank you Ssczy, 月之牌, and 阿一 for your monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)