Chapter 21

“Sakavi, what are we eating today?”

“Today we’re having braised giant rhino trotters, roasted whole ox, and steamed giant white shark…”

“Aren’t there any boiled human children?”

“All the humans were driven out of this plane a thousand years ago after the Orc Wars ended in defeat.”

“I don’t believe it—I’ve bought and eaten them myself at Weilincheng’s slave market. It’s just those delicate, tender noble children that cost too much; even a year’s wages won’t cover one meal.”

“You don’t spend your money on magical materials to improve your strength? You spend it on food?”

“Hey, my earnings aren’t even enough to buy magical materials! What else am I supposed to do with it? You don’t know—Rost is stingy as hell. No work, no pay—just meals. Anyone with even a bit of power has already fled.”

So that’s why Rost couldn’t find anyone to beat. But Klousia had clearly been fooled by a con artist. According to a trade alliance representative from another plane who refused to reveal their identity, all the noble children they sold were fake.

They’re just raised without ever doing a single chore, given a tragic backstory, then sold to various “kind-hearted” buyers. Those who can’t be sold are sent to * * venues.

“Sweetheart, we’re civilized five-colored dragons. We don’t eat sentient beings.”

“Is there a difference between sentient beings and beasts? Besides, aren’t metallic dragons, who pride themselves on civilization, also fond of eating all kinds of people?”

Fine. In dragons’ eyes, whether a creature is sentient or not makes no difference—if it hasn’t awakened to the supernatural, it’s just a beast. If it has awakened, it’s just a more nutritious beast.

According to an insider who refused to reveal their name, the “kind-hearted” buyers are mostly metallic dragons—they’re lawful good, openly profit from this trade, and are all extremely wealthy.

“We’re still in the early stages of our business. We must improve our image. We can’t just eat sentient beings casually.”

“But humans eat them all the time!”

“…………Can we still have a pleasant conversation?”

“Stingy bastard! Fine, don’t eat them—but don’t let me find out where the humans are kept, or I’ll steal them all and eat them.”

Sakavi immediately ordered the human detention sites to be reinforced—his own kind couldn’t be allowed to be treated like this. The daily feast of exotic dishes, never repeated, had made the black dragon, who’d never tasted good food as a cub, completely forget why he’d come here in the first place.

“Klousia, would you like to come with me to the Western Black Forest? Meet the High King of the Wood Elves.”

“No. I heard the wood elves are arrogant—they won’t even let people enter their forests. What if we get beaten out with clubs?”

“Relax. This time they invited us—we won’t be thrown out.”

“Alright then, let’s go have some fun! Do they feed you there?”

“Uh… probably.”

Elves come in many varieties: besides drow, there are wood elves, high elves, sea elves, and night elves. Each despises the others, with wildly different beliefs and cultures.

After flying across the Endless Sea and through the mist-shrouded Antラdus Mountains, they reached the edge of the Black Forest—where the high king’s sentinels had been waiting for a long time.

“Far-traveled guest, I am sent by His Majesty to greet you. My name is Light Star. You may call me Light.”

“Sakavi, why does this guy talk so weird?” (whispered)

“Thank you very much! Please lead the way!”

The sentinel captain said nothing more and turned to walk ahead.

“I want to ride the big black dog!” (loudly)

“That’s not a dog—it’s a panther, a night panther native to the Black Forest.” (whispered)

“I don’t care—I’m riding it.”

Reluctantly, Captain Light ordered two night panthers brought forth for them to ride. Watching the dark, gloomy forest, Sakavi seriously doubted whether anyone living here long-term could avoid depression.

The wood elves have no army—only sentinels, similar to scouts. But they’re natural rangers; nearly half are rangers by class, the other half druids.

The minimum requirement to become a sentinel is a high-rank ranger. Despite the Black Forest’s fertile land and abundant resources, the Luo Sen Empire has never dared to lay claim to it—they simply can’t win.

The wood elves believe the forest is the embodiment of Edli Fenyia, the Forest Queen. They have no right to alter or destroy it; every animal and plant within is her gift.

They sleep in trees, eat only naturally grown fruits and mushrooms. Even heating food is forbidden. Their weapons contain not a single trace of iron.

Wood elves rarely leave the forest and rarely trade with outsiders. As a result, their own kind—the high elves—often mock them as relics of the past. But no one dares underestimate their combat power: the tribe boasts countless legends and demigods, and the Black Forest alone holds five legendary-tier warriors.

“Honorable High King of the Crimson Moon Elves, the living incarnation of Goddess Edli, the lady of beauty and wisdom, Redna—I, Sakavi Dularix Hipporeksha, black dragon, offer my greetings.”

“Stop staring—the handsome one’s right beside her. Say hello already!”

“Oh oh—Klousia the black dragon beast also greets you!”

“Little one, don’t be shy. There are no such rigid rules here. Don’t let these relics spoil you. Could you play with my daughter for a while? I need to speak with your friend—it won’t take long.”

Before Klousia could respond, a little girl grabbed her horns and dragged her kicking into her room. Apparently, children of every race love to play—they showed none of the cold, distant demeanor of adult wood elves.

“Now, Lord Sakavi, I believe we should discuss matters of substance.”

“Are you referring to the cultist rebellion soon to erupt in the Luo Sen Empire?”

“Not entirely. You know the Blood Spear Tribe that spans the Antラdus Mountains, don’t you?”

“Of course. Their chieftain is still the hereditary duke of the Luo Sen Empire. Are you planning to wipe them out?”

“Precisely. But you know—wood elves cannot interfere in mortal affairs.”

“So you want me to do it? With all due respect, even if you eliminate the Blood Spear Tribe, another will rise. Your forest will still be watched. Greed is the driving force behind every race’s rise—and its ruin.”

“No. I don’t want them destroyed. I want them to leave voluntarily. The duke of this territory needs to be replaced.”

“Oh? Are you offering me the position?”

“Exactly. I will use my influence to help you become duke. How you make the Blood Spears leave—that’s your problem.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’m even greedier?”

“The Luo Sen Empire won’t tolerate a five-colored dragon growing strong—not even a metallic one.”

“That’s a good idea. What do you think of the cultist problem in the Luo Sen Empire?”

“The Luo Sen Empire cannot fall into chaos. Vilen must die.”

“So the rumors are true.”

“Whether they’re true doesn’t matter. What matters is he’s in the way.”

“All of Vilen’s supporters must be purged.”

“Don’t get involved in that. We have our own methods.”

“Vilen’s men hold key positions—this is disastrous for suppressing the rebellion. Take Rudolf, Duke of Blood Spear, for example.”

“He’s the Emperor’s man.”

“No, you’re mistaken. He’s Vilen’s man. Am I right, madam?”

“Yes, I was wrong. He’s one of Vilen’s most trusted aides, a high-ranking cultist, and among the first to be eliminated.”

“Madam, how large an impact do you think this cultist rebellion will have?”

“I don’t know. Try this pastry—it’s something you won’t find outside. You must act quickly.”

The pastry contained spices from the Luo Jia Gorge. Redna urged him to move fast. Clearly, the cult leader was Gash, Count of War Cry. Only by exposing the cultist problem could he confront Prince Vilen. But acting against a Luo Sen Empire orc count without proof was tantamount to declaring war.

If Redna’s intelligence was wrong—or if this was a trap—Sakavi would be forced into exile immediately. Assassinating a count isn’t robbery—it’s a high-stakes gamble where everything is on the line.

Having agreed to Redna’s request, Sakavi planned to leave immediately—but the demigod insisted he eat first. Though the entire table was vegetarian, mostly raw, the flavor was extraordinary. So much so that Klousia actually asked if they could stay a few more days. Sakavi, burdened with worry, had no interest in lingering.

After failing to persuade her, Sakavi traveled alone to the North to consult Verna on how to minimize the risks. Verna’s advice: let her investigate first. If the Gash tribe truly had problems, then strike down the cultists.

Of course, if she found nothing, then it was the drow of the Shadow City who killed the count—and they should take their complaints to Lady Luo Si. What does that have to do with Sakavi?

Court politics are complex, full of traps. Without someone who understands, you’re lost. But Sakavi now had a seat at the table—at least they were willing to include him.

After finalizing details with Verna, Sakavi raced back to the Black Forest, yanked Klousia away from her feast, and ordered her to hurry to Skullcrusher City to retrieve Grap. Since the wood elves were now involved, Sakavi—a suspicious outsider—could no longer risk contact with Skullcrusher City, the eye of the storm.

But all his subordinates were notorious evil criminals—there wasn’t even one reliable messenger. So he had to send Klousia—the tax collector who couldn’t even read a ledger—to Skullcrusher City to order his chief steward to evacuate. Who else had a legitimate, legal identity?

The distance to Skullcrusher City was only tens of thousands of kilometers—telepathic communication would have sufficed. But in this tense situation, using such an easily monitored method was asking for trouble.

That night, after receiving Grap’s message confirming his safe return, Sakavi finally relaxed. With Grap’s intellect, he didn’t need orders—he knew exactly what to do at the base.