Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 448 The Marks of the Past

However, as the territory stabilized and development progressed steadily, the Drow, whose overseas missions had decreased sharply, began to appear more and more frequently at the mage's temporary residence.

Although these dark-skinned men concealed their identities with cloaks and masks under strict orders, causing no panic among the people, the members of the Canaanite squad and the dwarves of the Sweet Wine Clan were well aware of this.

To say they had no concerns or opinions about this would be nonsense; they simply ignored it intentionally or unintentionally due to the monk's will and the fact that these visitors from the underground were currently behaving themselves.

Mr. Zhang was powerless to change the situation and too lazy to do so. The bad reputation of the Zhuoer people was not built in a day or two, nor was it imposed by others through slander. Under such circumstances, talking about stereotypes, prejudices, tolerance and openness is just idiotic.

It was only through years of self-discipline and adherence to the code of chivalry that Cui San'er was able to discover the order of society on the surface, like finding gold in dung.
Oh? There's actually one person in this group of dark-skinned people who isn't trash!

There's no reason why these newly transformed individuals, who were forced to submit merely out of fear of power and punishment, should be qualified to earn the respect of others.

Moreover, given his position as a Word Bearer, the mage doesn't expect his teammates to have any friendship or trust towards them.

Just be a knife in your own hand, do you really think you can become an important ally?

Fortunately, the Drow were aware of this situation. Being in the hands of others and bound by curses, they were not expected to cause any trouble in the short term.

However, the female priest was too shrewd. Seeing that she had just made some contributions and shown some value, she thought again that she was not the prisoner of that human mage, but rather a partner. She felt that her status should be raised a little bit, and her behavior and speech inevitably became a bit unrestrained, revealing her true nature.

These are all minor issues. It's perfectly normal for subordinates to have conflicts. The idea of ​​working together as one and being completely close is a fairy tale. As long as it doesn't get serious enough to cause infighting, it's acceptable.

The key is Vicania's own self-perception and positioning.

As an exile who fled from the underworld, the Drow society, Viconia's way of doing things and her values ​​have long been deeply marked by the Drow.

If Drizzt harbored doubts and unspeakable sorrow and rebellion against the drow society's ingrained depravity and wickedness until his father, Zarknavan, completely awakened this budding sentiment with his own death, then the drow were quite different.

Born into the powerful second family of Menzoberranzan, she showed no essential difference from the other Deavers. She was just as arrogant, just as ambitious, and just as fond of the intrigue and bloodshed in the shadows.

The only difference is the familial bond between her and her brother, a "sin" that is perfectly normal on the surface but should never exist in the Drow society.

All the stories begin with this. The rebellion sparked by this familial bond at the brink of life and death directly labeled Viconia as an outsider and a sin of blasphemy. In order to stop Matron Deaver's insane act of using Viconia as a sacrifice to please the Spider Queen, Varas killed the highest-ranking member of the family.

What followed was escape, pursuit, exile, and sojourn.

This is a tragedy. The protagonist, Valas, Viconia's brother, a drow who still retained some humanity, paid the ultimate price for it, being twisted into a spider-elf monster by the Spider Queen's curse. But thanks to this turn of events, a soul that had been swimming in Rose's web and venom for so long, almost completely numbed and lost, was awakened.

However, the marks and shadows of the past are not so easily erased. The path to redemption and rebirth is sometimes heavier than death.

Just like the question the nameless man was asked in Planescape: What can change a person's nature?
Is it love? Is it hate? Is it suffering? Is it power? Is it death?
In reality, either answer is correct, because the Night Witch only cares about who answers the question, not the answer itself.

But returning to the question itself, it remains obscure, heavy, and impossible to define.

This means that Zhang Yuan must carefully consider the weight of Vicania in his system and make preparations for all possibilities.

Trust is not easy to come by. Even in the timeline of her past life, Viconia truly broke free from the shackles and troubles of the past, completed her self-redemption, and proved her unwavering loyalty that had stayed with her until death.

It seems that Mr. Zhang, who bears the name of Chanem, can also copy it?
Is it possible? How can we be sure he's the right person?
Mr. Zhang was neither fortunate enough to enjoy nor be able to appreciate the kind of treatment that comes with being at the center of a vortex of fate. It takes the deaths of countless sons of slaughter to make one Apodel a success. It is not necessarily true that the other unfortunate souls did not have their own legendary experiences and soulmates.

Putting everything else aside, the body of Sharofok's lover, Tamok, is still hanging on the old crooked tree in front of the Temple of Baal!
However, one thing is certain: the desire for power and obedience to authority still profoundly influence this female drow. As long as the mage can maintain her overwhelming power advantage, there is no need to worry about the other party making any unwise moves.

Of course, some ambition and scheming are inevitable, but this does not affect the overall situation. Giving them some benefits and occasionally giving them a few warnings is enough.

As for getting to know the other person's heart and soul, or winning them over, forget about it. He doesn't have the time or energy to put together a melodramatic soap opera.

Sitting idly at the round table, Viconia had no idea that the guy next to her was plotting against her in his mind. She was just looking out the door out of boredom, occasionally jumping up and cursing in Drow slang.

The wait wasn't long. The Canaan team members, who were busy with various matters, arrived at the meeting room one after another. After greeting the monk, they sat down. However, they looked at the female drow sitting next to the monk with some surprise, looking smug and perfectly embodying the meaning of "borrowing the tiger's power."

Knowing the inside story, Bard's lips twitched, and he turned his head away, pretending not to see it.

After everyone had arrived, they sat down in a row, but an awkward scene unfolded at the end.

In the early stages of establishing the territory, everything was kept simple. The meeting room was also simply furnished, with a fixed number of chairs—no more, no less. Everyone was present for the meeting, but Münster, the last to arrive, was surprised to find…

There are no seats available for me!

The big man, still looking around without success, stared blankly at the mage, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the female drow beside him, the meaning of which was all too clear.

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(End of this chapter)