At least thirteen families have already sent us, or to be more precise, you, very clear invitations.
It seems that after the battle at the tavern, the matrons of the entire city of Menzoberranzan have recognized your value."
Vinar's face was filled with excitement and excitement, and he was obviously very satisfied with the current situation.
Because she knew that the current situation was very favorable for her side.
Since many ambitious mistresses hope to recruit Zuo Si, a powerful fighter, to their ranks, a series of open and covert struggles will unfold among them.
In this way, as long as Zuo Si did not make a clear statement, he would not be targeted by any party and could even obtain some implicit privileges.
"What are you going to do? You have to know that the patience of the matrons is limited. If you keep dragging it out, they will regard it as disrespectful and offensive, and join hands to get rid of you." Trist couldn't help but interject.
Looking at the anxious eyes of the Dark Elf Ranger, Zuo Si smiled and asked, "Haha, what's the matter? Are you worried that I will join one of the families and get involved in the power struggle and killing within Menzoberranzan?"
"Shouldn't I be worried? Ever since we entered Menzoberranzan, your behavior has frightened me. I can't believe that you can integrate into the dark elf society so perfectly, whether in your behavior or thoughts, without even the slightest discomfort or fear."
There was a hint of helplessness in Trist's tone.
At this moment, he was finally 100% sure that this young human in front of him, whose intentions and thoughts were unclear, was definitely a member of the evil camp.
Maybe their level of evil is even greater than that of their bloodthirsty and brutal compatriots.
Because the evil displayed by Zuo Si was not the simple killing, destruction and plundering, but something more complex at a deeper level, from spirit, thought to values and ideology.
The most important thing is that Trist did not feel even the slightest bit of disgust towards Zuo Si's many evil deeds.
Instead, they felt an indescribable attraction from the other person, which made them want to follow and work for him.
This strange feeling sometimes makes the ranger even think he is crazy, or that returning to Menzoberranzan has aroused the dark side hidden in his soul.
Zuo Si obviously noticed Drizzt's reaction, and immediately said in a slightly amusing tone: "There is a saying in my hometown, which is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." To put it simply, when you enter an unfamiliar land, it is best to temporarily put aside your arrogance and prejudice and respect the living habits and customs of the locals, even if these habits and customs are contrary to your own values and morals."
"You mean... by doing this, you are actually respecting the evil, twisted, and morbid rules of the dark elf society?" Trist raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
Zuo Si smiled and shook his head: "No, of course not, I am just respecting the spider goddess Rose's absolute control over the entire dark elf race, and the code of conduct she set for the entire race.
Remember, Drizzt Do'Urden, the evil of the dark elves is never just because of the gods or themselves.
It also includes the harsh living environment in the Underdark and the Crown War ten thousand years ago that ended the elves' rule over the world, which is a historical reason.
Believe me, even if Queen Lolth suddenly severed her ties with all the priestesses, the dark elf society that has lived in the underground world for thousands or even tens of thousands of years would not change much and would continue their previous way of life.
Because their thoughts and cognition have been completely distorted, and they are full of hatred towards other races in the entire surface world.
This hatred and hostility has accumulated over thousands of years and has long been rooted in the souls of most dark elves. It is the only bond that maintains their internal unity.
Anyone who attempts to overthrow it would be destroying the greatest cornerstone of the stability of Dark Elf society.
If tens of thousands of dark elves found out that they had been deceived and that the living environment on the surface was many times better than that in the Underdark, how would they react? I can tell you that the answer would be turmoil, infighting, and division.
The dark elves in the Underdark will engage in an unprecedentedly brutal civil war, and may even decline or even perish as a result.
So in my opinion, it is impossible to change the social structure of the dark elves through external interference in a short period of time.
Since it cannot be changed, there are naturally only two choices left.
One is to risk offending Queen Rose and go on a killing spree to slaughter all the dark elves in the entire city of Menzoberranzan, and the other is to adapt and integrate into it.
Tell me, which one do you want me to choose?"
moment!
Drizzt fell silent.
Because through these remarks, he clearly realized for the first time the real problem of his race being mired in evil.
It's not that dark elves are inherently evil, but the influence of beliefs, history, and society has resulted in only evil dark elves being able to survive in such a cruel environment.
It is as if everyone around you follows evil rules, then kind people in society are equivalent to outliers and will 100% become the targets of oppression and exclusion.
In this regard, the Dark Elf Ranger has personal experience.
After figuring this out, Drizzt raised his head and asked in an uncertain tone: "So what are you going to do next?"
Zuo Si responded without hesitation: "It's very simple! My goal has been very clear from the beginning. The reason I entered Menzoberranzan is just to gather information and collect clues about the Fungal Forest and the druid Angel Poison Core. After getting what I want, we will leave Menzoberranzan directly."
"But those matrons won't let you go easily." Trist warned in a serious tone.
"It doesn't matter. Let them send a team to hunt me down. Once we leave Menzoberranzan, I won't have to respect Queen Lolth's rule over the dark elves anymore, and I can kill without restraint."
As he said this, a chilling light flashed in Zuo Si's eyes.
Although he gained an equal status with the gods of Faerun through the trump card of Eldrazi, it does not mean that he can trample on the rules of the game between the gods at will.
Just the opposite!
He had to follow some rules and try not to make too many enemies.
Especially Rose, the main goddess of the dark elves, who has no actual conflict of interest with herself.
Zuo Si remembered very clearly that this goddess was an expert at planning conspiracies and schemes.
In the "War of the Spider Queen" that she launched in the future, she successfully eliminated all the gods that could threaten her position, even her own son and daughter, and at the same time was promoted from a medium-level god to a powerful god.
You know, in the history of Faerun, being promoted from weak divine power to medium divine power might not be a very rare thing.
But there are definitely only a handful of examples of people rising from medium-level divine power to become powerful divine power.
Unless necessary, Zuo Si didn't want to become an enemy of Rose.
Because he understood that with his current strength, he was far from being able to confront those powerful divine powers head-on.
The reason why the other party did not dare to touch him for the time being was, on the one hand, the threat from the Eldrazi, and on the other hand, the recognition from the God of Gods, Io.
If any of these two points is missing, gods like Cyric and Shar will immediately take action.
"Regarding the intelligence about the Fungal Forest, I think we should start from the Mage Tower. Because ordinary dark elves usually can't know too much. Only the mages, warlocks of the Mage Tower and the high-ranking priestess of the Spider Academy are qualified to know and record some important information." Vinar expressed his opinion carefully.
"I've asked Lirael to inquire about the Mage Tower, and there should be news soon. As for the Spider Academy, we can only hope to get some information from the matrons and high-level priestesses. Oh, I almost forgot, has the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group made any recent moves?" Zuo Si asked with interest.
Vinar shook his head slightly. "So far, there has been no action. It is said that Jarlaxle is not in Menzoberranzan at the moment, so I don't think he should be a threat to us."
"Let your men keep an eye on it. If there are any rumors that Jarlaxle is in Menzoberranzan, notify me immediately." Zuo Si ordered calmly.
"clear!"
After responding, Vinar immediately jumped down from a high place, turned around and disappeared into the darkness.
…
At the same time, far away in Menzoberranzan, on the top floor of the Mage Tower, Archmage Gump Baenre was sitting in his room, staring at the spy kneeling in front of him. After a full minute, he asked, "How is it, did you bring the information I wanted?"
"Of course! The Dayet Independent Mercenary Group will never let their employer down!"
As he spoke, the dark elf man, whose entire body was hidden under a black cloak, took out a slightly worn scroll from his arms.
Archmage Gongfu directly cast a mage's hand, brought the scroll closer, and first cast several detection spells. After confirming that there was no problem, he opened it.
It has to be said that the reason he became the strongest wizard in Menzoberranzan and survived for more than seven hundred years was definitely not because of something as illusory as luck, but because he was always vigilant.
Even a mere piece of parchment scroll must first be tested for toxins and magic to make sure there are no harmful substances, curses, or the like on it.
After reading the contents of the scroll, Gongfu's expression suddenly turned gloomy, and he asked in a slightly puzzled tone: "Why does this intelligence say that there is no such person?"
"It means exactly what it says. There is no dark elf named Soth in the city of Eredlin, and no noble families have suddenly disappeared recently." The spy gave an affirmative answer in an emotionless tone.
"So, this guy named Soth has problems with his identity and background?"
Gongfu narrowed his eyes subconsciously, and a suffocating sense of oppression emanated from his whole body.
The spy obviously understood the terrifying power of the great wizard in front of him. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he answered carefully, "Yes. According to our investigation, the dark elves under his command are all from the city of Eredlin. Especially the female leader named Venar, who had participated in a rebellion before and was forced to flee with her men after the failure."
"Okay, I understand."
Gongfu waved his hand gently, indicating that the other party could leave.
But for some reason, the spy did not leave in a hurry. Instead, he licked his dry lips and continued to probe: "Master Master, this guy named Sos deliberately approached your daughter. He must have bad intentions. I think you should join forces with our Dayet Independent Mercenary Group to eliminate this potential threat."
"Oh? Did Jarlaxle ask you to say that?" Gromph pursed his lips with undisguised contempt.
The spy shook his head quickly: "No, of course not. I just took the initiative to help you solve this little problem."
Hearing this, Gongfu immediately lost interest in talking to him. He waved his hand and said, "Go away! Don't do such self-righteous things in the future. This unknown Soth is not a small trouble. He is much more dangerous than you think."
The spy was obviously startled by the wizard's waving of his hand. He didn't dare to stay for even a second. He quickly put on his hood, turned around and disappeared at the end of the stairs leading to the lower level.
Not long after he left, Lirael ran in from another passage holding a book and asked excitedly, "Father, is this description of the origin of the Fungus Forest true? Was it really created out of thin air by Lady Fungus Zugmoi in ancient times?"
"Why are you suddenly interested in the origin of the fungal forest?" A hint of tenderness flashed in Gongfu's eyes.
Although due to the distorted matriarchal society of the Dark Elves, most fathers do not know how to handle the relationship between themselves and their children, his love for this daughter is real.
In order to allow Lirael to be given the surname "Banre", he even had to make a series of unknown deals with the matriarch of the family.
After all, according to the tradition of the dark elves, bloodline is only recognized through the maternal line and not the paternal line.
In other words, only the remaining children of noble women in the family can be given the family surname.
Normally, it would be in accordance with the rules for Lirael to take her mother's surname and join her mother's family.
However, the power and deterrence of the most powerful wizard in Menzoberranzan had apparently reached a level that allowed most dark elves to ignore this point and allow the girl to be given the surname of the Baenre family.
"Nothing, I just suddenly felt a little curious." Lirael lowered her head guiltily.
Gonfu stroked his chin and watched his daughter's strange reaction. He soon smiled and said, "You are probably helping that guy named Sos to look through the records in the Mage Tower about this, right?"
"Ah? You...how did you know?" The girl couldn't help but exclaimed.
"Of course I know! And I can also tell you that this Soth is not as simple as you think. Yesterday I used prophecy magic to conduct a series of detections on him, and the results showed that all the information was vague and ambiguous. Do you know what this means?" The expression on Gongfu's face suddenly became serious.
"What does it mean?"
Lirael blinked in confusion.
Although she had been exposed to arcane magic since she was six years old, which was the same age as a human baby, her learning progress was not fast due to the doting and indulgence of the archmage, and she was even a little arbitrary.
A lot of complex and boring theoretical knowledge is simply skipped.
"This means that the opponent either has a spellcasting level almost as high as mine and has blocked the detection of prophecy magic through some other spells, or he has the protection of divine power. No matter which one it is, it means that Soth is an out-and-out dangerous person. You'd better stay away from him."
Gongfu stated his conclusion directly without any concealment.
At first, he had no interest in Zuo Si who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
It was not until later that an apprentice secretly told the great wizard that his beloved daughter had been hanging around a certain man recently that he decided to investigate.
You won't know the result until you check. Once you check, you will find that it is actually a “big fish”.
If it were any other dark elf, even if they didn't obey the warning from their elders, they would at least be on high alert.
But the problem was that Lirael had been spoiled since she was a child and was currently in her rebellious period. She immediately rolled her eyes at her father and retorted, "Don't be alarmist. Soth is not a dangerous person. He is my friend and has taught me many interesting spells and spellcasting techniques."
"He's teaching you magic?"
Gongfu was stunned when he heard the news.
You have to know that in the inherent concept of the Dark Elf Wizard, spellcasting skills will never be easily taught to anyone, let alone spells.
Because this involves a lot of habits and tactical thinking.
If too many people know about it, the enemy may use this information to plan targeted assassinations.
As she spoke, Lirael created a dazzlingly bright flash in the palm of her hand in an almost ostenatious manner.
Fortunately, Gongfu reacted quickly enough and immediately closed his eyes to avoid the strong light.
As a dark elf wizard who has lived for more than 700 years, he is not like those ordinary dark elves who may have never seen strong light in their lives and know that there are many cunning guys who will use similar means to deal with the enemy.
Among them, Drizzt's father, Zaknafein, the first warrior of Menzoberranzan, is a leader in this regard.
It is rumored that the reason why the Do'Urden family can easily kill all the high-level priestesses of the enemy family every time is because Zaknafein throws out magic props that can release dazzling light during battle.
Then, taking advantage of the target's blindness and eye pain, he killed all the high-level priestesses at lightning speed.
When the bright light disappeared, Gromph opened his eyes again and said to his daughter in a complicated tone: "Lirael, never cast such spells in public in Menzoberranzan, especially in front of Matron Trill and other high-ranking priestesses."
"Why? Didn't you teach me that when using magic in combat, I should be flexible and not be bound by any form or restrictions?" the girl asked in confusion.
"Yes, I did. But that was a life-and-death battle. The act of creating strong light through magic will arouse strong disgust from the high-level priestesses. So promise me, unless you are determined to kill the other party, you must never use this kind of spell casually. In the dark elf society, it is a taboo that cannot be easily displayed." Gongfu explained patiently.
Lirael nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Well, I think I understand. But how long will I have to go to the Spider Academy to attend classes? Every time Madam Trill talks about the teachings of Queen Lolth, I can't help yawning and want to sleep."
"I'm sorry, dear, I really can't help you with this matter. Because according to the tradition of the Baenre family, all women must go to the Spider Academy to receive priest education until they grow into a qualified high-level priestess." Gromfu spread his hands with a helpless look.
"But it was you who led me onto the path of arcane magic! The knowledge you taught me has made it impossible for me to become a priest now. If I continue like this, I feel that I will be exposed sooner or later." Lirael roared madly.
"Relax, my child, the situation is not as bad as you think. You were born to be a wizard. I knew it the moment I saw you. But Madam Trill is the head of the family after all, and even I must respect her authority. Maybe in a few years, I will find an opportunity to tell her that you are not suitable to be a priest, and then you can return to the path of magic." Gromph reached out and gently stroked his daughter's hair to comfort her.
Unfortunately, the young and hot-tempered Lirael simply didn't want to listen. She just thought her father was just trying to fool her, so she immediately turned around and left angrily.
After she was completely gone, a dark elf wizard slowly walked out from the shadows and bowed respectfully to the archmage sitting on the chair: "Master, I have followed your instructions and placed six magic eyes for surveillance near the tavern where Soth and his mercenaries live."
A satisfied expression appeared on Gongfu's face. "You did a good job! Keep an eye on this man for the next few days. I want to see who he is and what tricks he is up to."
…
On the other side, in an inconspicuous house near the market platform in the city of Menzoberranzan.
The spy who was responsible for delivering the message to the archmage was now standing in front of a dark elf man with a unique appearance.
The reason why it is chic is that this guy is wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a huge feather on it as decoration, a sexy shimmering cape on his back, and only a sleeveless vest that deliberately reveals his sexy abdominal muscles.
In addition, he also wore countless rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets, which would make jingling sounds even if he stood still.
If this outfit was worn in a gigolo bar in District 11, it might not seem out of place.
But in the dark elf society where men generally have a relatively underground status, it is definitely too ostentatious.
You should know that most dark elf men generally only wear low-key and practical clothes, and reduce decorations as much as possible to ensure that no noise is made at any time.
Because only in this way can they prevent the high-level priestesses from finding any excuse to inflict painful whippings on them.
"Jaraxle, I tried as you instructed, but Gromph obviously didn't fall for it," the spy reported bluntly.
"Did he say anything?"
The gorgeously dressed dark elf man named Jarlaxle frowned subconsciously.
Needless to say, he is the leader of the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group, a dark elf man who is as legendary as Trist.
The spy answered without hesitation: "He said that Soth is not just a small trouble, but also very, very dangerous. I think we should abandon the original plan if it really doesn't work out. Otherwise, if we provoke a powerful enemy, it will not be a good thing for all of us."
"Why, are you scared?" Jarlaxle asked meaningfully, pursing his lips.
The spy quickly denied, "Afraid? Of course not! I just don't want to get into trouble. You should know how powerful this guy named Soth is. He not only has a very high warrior level, but also has a high arcane spellcasting level. Almost everyone who has seen his fighting posture in person has praised him as a nearly perfect dark elf man without exception."
"But he shouldn't have killed our people, and he also took away the property of the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group in Menzoberranzan." There was a terrifying cold light flashing in Jarlaxle's eyes.
"Maybe... we can try to negotiate with him to resolve the issue." The spy suggested in a low voice.
"Humph! If you think this plan is feasible, then go ahead and try it. But remember, if you die, I will not avenge you."
With that, Jarlaxle ignored his subordinate and turned around with a few masked men and disappeared into the darkness.
Obviously, the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group is not as united as it appears to outsiders, and there are various factions and power struggles within it.
After all, wanting to keep a group of insidious and cunning dark elves loyal is a very luxurious and ridiculous thing.
The reason why Zuo Si dared to use Vinar was not because of trust, but because he was confident enough to kill them all without leaving a single one alive if the other party chose to betray him.
After leaving the house, Jarlaxle did not choose to walk on the street, but walked through an alley at a very fast speed and finally came to another inconspicuous building.
As soon as he entered the door, he heard an extremely unpleasant voice coming from his ear.
“You’re late!”
moment!
A figure who was at least one level stronger than the average dark elf male walked out of the darkness.
It was not difficult to tell from her strong arms and thighs that this was a very rare half-blood dark elf woman who was over 1.9 meters tall.
At least one of her father or mother is an ogre! Yes!
You read that right!
Just a hybrid of an ogre and a dark elf! In fact, although dark elves are generally similar to humans, their physical endurance is far beyond the imagination of many experts and scholars. They can even do things that only appear in certain 18+ games.
To give the simplest example, at the graduation ceremony of the Spider Academy, the chief student will mate with a demon, usually a seductress, and then give birth to the offspring of the demon-born drow, which will be regarded as a blessing from the spider goddess Rose.
As we all know, the height of the seductress is over five meters and five centimeters, and its weight is close to three tons.
And what about dark elf women?
Although they are slightly taller and stronger than men, they are usually between 1.7 and 1.8 meters tall.
Just imagine, a terrifying monster that is 5.5 meters tall and weighs nearly three tons, and a dark elf woman that is 1.7 to 1.8 meters tall. What an exaggerated and terrifying scene that would be?
Zuo Si had seen the Miyou Demon and also knew about the Miyou Demon.
I can’t say anything else, but if it were a human being, they would definitely not be able to bear it.
But the dark elf woman not only endured it! She was also able to ensure that she would not be hurt, and even succeeded.
Such an outrageous thing could probably only be done by the dark elves in the entire continent of Faerun.
Of course, not all dark elf women are priestesses, qualified to summon powerful creatures like demons to follow them.
In order to give birth to stronger offspring for them to use, civilian women often choose creatures like ogres, trolls, and giants.
However, these mixed-blood offspring will inevitably be discriminated against and excluded in the dark elf society, and their status is only slightly higher than that of slaves.
But the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group was originally composed of a group of refugees and impoverished nobles who had lost the protection of their families.
So it is not surprising that some outliers will be absorbed.
"Sorry, I was taking care of some things, so I was a little delayed."
Jarlaxle was obviously very familiar with this half-ogre drow woman. He walked straight to the sofa in the middle of the room, sat down on it, and put his feet on the table.
"Is it related to that pub?" the woman asked in a low voice.
Jarlaxle nodded slightly. "Yes, it's related to the tavern. That guy named Soth might be a little difficult to deal with. I need to gather more people."
"Isn't it enough for me?"
The woman instantly tensed all the muscles in her body, and punched the wall with one blow, making a big hole.
Needless to say, she is a monk with a very high professional level.
Only a monk could make the power of his fists reach such an exaggerated level.
"I have never had any doubts about your strength. But to be on the safe side, I hope to recruit some old friends as well." Jarlaxle said meaningfully, touching his chin.
"Old friend? You don't mean..."
Another subordinate next to him seemed to realize something and looked up with an expression of great surprise.
Jarlaxle immediately put a finger to his lips to silence him. "Shh! Don't say his name. I want to give him a big surprise."
"Got it! I'll send someone to pick him up right away using teleportation magic."
The subordinate immediately understood what he meant, stood up and left the house through the back door.
Seeing the smile on Jarlaxle's face, the woman couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to do something big in Menzoberranzan this time?"
"Of course! Why not? You can see that Menzoberranzan is like a huge powder keg right now. With the decline of House Baenre, many families are eyeing the top spot. Believe me, at this time, every family will offer an attractive price in order to enhance their own strength."
As he spoke, Jarlaxle took a dusty bottle of wine from the cabinet next to him, uncorked it, tilted his head back, and gulped down two mouthfuls.
"What about this guy named Soth? How do you plan to deal with him?" the woman continued to ask with interest.
"It's simple! I'm going to use this guy's brain to make those mistresses understand that the Dayet Independent Mercenary Group is the strongest and most trustworthy mercenary group in the entire Northern Underdark."
As he said this, a hint of darkness and depth flashed in Jarlaxle's eyes that was barely noticeable.
There is no doubt that Zuo Si's arrival was like a stone, splashing ripples in the puddle called the city of Menzoberranzan.
Although he himself didn't want to get involved in the messy affairs of the dark elves.
But unfortunately, many times, trouble will not come to you just because you don't want trouble.
At this moment, Zuo Si was holding the book about the origin of the fungal forest and was lost in thought.
Because according to this book, the Fungal Forest, which occupies the largest area in the Northern Underdark, was actually created accidentally by Fungus Lady Zuggmoi in a battle with some unknown horrible monster.
If what the book says is true, then the fungal forest should contain evil and filthy powers from the Abyss.
But the problem is that Zuo Si did not find such a situation outside the fungal forest.
In addition, the Fungus Forest area does not exist on a map dating back more than 6,000 years.
This means that it is very likely to have been artificially created.
If he wasn't afraid of alerting the enemy, Zuo Si would have wanted to go to the Fungal Forest and talk to the mushroom people to see if they knew some secrets about this land and the whereabouts of the druid.
After all, the myconids are the kindest, friendliest creatures known in all of Faerun.
As long as they do not show excessive hostility, they will hardly attack any life.
Even when they want to eat meat, they simply follow behind people or animals, patiently waiting for the other party to be injured, old and die, and then they will walk over to pick up the corpse and eat it as food.
Yes!
The fungus people's hunting method is to use their almost infinite lifespan to consume you to death, and then pick up your corpse and eat it.
Zuo Si felt that with Angel Duxin's druid level, he must have successfully controlled the Fungal Forest, so it would be best for him not to act rashly before collecting enough intelligence.
Otherwise, if the other party runs away, or uses the power of the Lord of the Abyss to attack us, it would be a lot of fun.
You have to know that these days, it is not easy to find a great druid or even a legendary druid who is not blessed by the god of nature.
The most important and crucial first step in the entire god-making plan is to capture a living Archdruid, the higher the professional level the better.
"Menzoberranzan should be the underground city closest to the Fungal Forest. Since there is an ancient book about its origin in the Mage Tower, there must be some other scattered records. But who has these records? Maybe I should try some prophecy magic, maybe I can find some useful clues."
Thinking of this, Zuo Si stood up and began to cast various prophecy spells using the ancient book in his hand as a clue.
After a while, a very unique diamond-shaped mark appeared in front of his eyes...
(End of this chapter)
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