Chapter 137: The News of the Black Dragon

Opportunity knocks but once; an outstanding ruler never misses a single window of time.

My sister's sudden "awakening" brought great prestige to our family; this divine favor solidified the ruling power of Morthodilka, so naturally we must seize this opportunity to advance our goals.

"Now, perhaps, is the most suitable moment for an agreement. My sister said you have a way to directly contact your princess?"

It was clear that Verna was anxious.

The situation had improved only slightly, but some deadly dangers had not vanished.

That Beast Lord remains a threat to the city unless an equal force fights to the death.

Sitting across from the Divine Maiden, Saliman was puzzled; the news she had heard was of a great victory.

At this moment, Li En passed over the new information he had received from Kuku.

"Today's Beast Prince has grown 17% larger in volume compared to yesterday."

Saliman stared at the note Li En handed her and was instantly stunned. Li En sighed; the girl still hadn't returned to normal.

"Yes, it continues to grow under magical stimulation." Verna cast a silent glance at Li En; she had already realized that the true leader of this diplomatic delegation was, ironically, the Classical Knight who should have no direct connection to them.

"This is the worst possible trend—the Beast is still in its growth phase, and the outside Mind Flayers aren't in a hurry; they're waiting for the Beast Prince to reach its peak." Li En sighed and added.

At these words, the room erupted in shock.

That absurd monster outside can still grow stronger?!

In negotiations, the more desperate party naturally reveals weakness.

Saliman's direct admission was actually beneficial—it became pressure in the negotiation.

But since the city's lord had come in person, some things no longer needed to be contested.

Heads of state don't appear at negotiations lightly, for if they fail, there's no retreat. The fact that the city's lord came herself means she brought forth an agreement acceptable to both sides.

But the credibility of this agreement shouldn't be expected too highly—everyone knows that "Dark Elf alliances" are just insults in diplomatic contexts.

Both sides placed the pre-prepared treaty on the table and signed it in moments.

Its contents were simple and straightforward: "Mutual non-aggression for three years, and joint designation of all forces related to the Beast as wanted criminals," with simultaneous public announcement expected within half a month.

As an alliance, this document—barely one page—could be called a joke.

It contained only the most basic mutual non-aggression clause and established a common enemy, because any more complex or demanding terms would lack the foundational trust needed; signing would be meaningless.

This was not a magical contract, but after public announcement, it was guaranteed by both sides' honor—this is also why the oath was kept simple. You can't expect a Dark Elf to prioritize honor over interest.

"In truth, if any Dark Elf truly sacrificed great interests for the sake of an oath and credibility, she would have no honor left in Dark Elf society." These were Victoria's exact words; clearly, she despised a society where lies were treated as honor.

Such a brutally realistic society breeds no basic trust in promises or oaths—even those who keep their word are seen as fools.

But as a city lord, Verna wouldn't casually tear up an oath. This level of promise already exceeded expectations; at least, the leader of the diplomatic delegation was quite satisfied.

Saliman exhaled in relief; it seemed she could now report properly to Her Highness the Princess.

But this mindset revealed her immaturity as a high noble—if she were a normal high noble.

In diplomatic settings, one must actively seize opportunities: not only to build connections quickly, but also to enhance one's own reputation.

As for the actual success of the mission, it needn't be overly scrutinized—just enough to pass muster (a plausible excuse for failure).

Watching Saliman, Verna grew even more bewildered; this "diplomatic envoy" was astonishingly honest. Was this some kind of disguise or deception? She couldn't understand it.

With major matters settled, the atmosphere had improved, but if that were all, there'd be no reason for the city lord to come personally for a late-night meeting.

"There is a second Beast Prince, also under the control of the Mind Flayers."

With time limited, Verna chose to reveal everything now.

"Can I entrust you with handling this matter?" The city lord made the request immediately after the alliance was sealed.

"Why us?" Saliman was puzzled. "Don't you have assassins of your own?"

"Because if I hand this to another family, the news will leak immediately—and you should have ways to leave and return here discreetly."

By this point, have the local families not noticed the Mind Flayers' growth? They've traded in the city many times; Dark Elf cities are among the few that allow them free movement.

Mind Flayers' abilities are too useful—whether for taming slaves or creating enforcers. Over the years, they've woven intricate ties with every local family.

Even now, many families may already be negotiating deals with the Mind Flayers outside.

"You're in a war phase—would those families still betray you?"

"Absolutely." Verna spoke with iron certainty. That's the Dark Elves— the more urgent the situation, the more they turn on each other; every failure is an opportunity for the lower to rise.

No opportunity for advancement? Then create one.

Thus, the only ones truly trustworthy are family members—though even that trust is only slightly greater, since sister-against-sister betrayal is a Dark Elf tradition.

But this time, Verna chose to trust her sister.

"My sister will participate in this mission and bring specialized equipment. Your main task is to protect her."

Though she didn't understand why her sister trusted these surface-dwellers so completely, Verna vaguely sensed her sister's awakening was connected to them—and decided to add another layer of trust.

"We need time to consider." Even if possible, such a matter couldn't be answered lightly.

"Reply within two days. If you have any demands, tell me."

"By the way, does your city have a little black dragon?" Ziqiangwei suddenly interjected, reminding everyone of the mission's true target.

The entire city's resources serve the Dark Elf nobility; if you seek treasures, asking the nobility is the right move.

Verna smiled.

"I've heard of it—the eldest daughter of the third-ranked Xia Luofen family has raised a juvenile black dragon. Probably planning to nurture it for decades as a final weapon… I can arrange for her to carry out certain tasks." Other families may betray her; she can just as easily turn her blade on them.

This wasn't even the main negotiation—it was merely a small gesture of goodwill.

Eliminating a future threat is never a bad thing.

With that, Verna took her leave; she was busy tonight and had much to discuss with her sister.

"Only one? It seems more information is being hidden."

Li En also felt uneasy; he didn't want to deal with Verna—he always felt manipulated by her.

Deals between surface-dwellers and Dark Elves often have leaks; one misstep, and "surface-dwellers are the killers" could be sold to some noble family.

A sincere Dark Elf trader? No one's ever seen one. Even an honest Dark Elf who simply uses others as knives is considered a benevolent soul.

If one juvenile black dragon is in noble hands, the other likely is too—Li En decided to investigate further.

He had planned to commission the black market and information brokers, but hadn't expected the intelligence source to arrive so quickly.

"Black dragon? I know—my family's eldest daughter raised one as a final weapon. Ha, black dragons are naturally favored by the Lord of Shadows; she plans to raise it to a certain point and sacrifice it to transform into a shadow dragon." After Verna left, Victoria dared to emerge from hiding.

She gave Li En the answer outright.

Shadow dragons are weaker than black dragons, but they possess innate strong resistance to shadow magic, giving them great advantage in shadow-based conflicts. The target of raising shadow dragons needs no further explanation.

No wonder the city lord happily betrayed her—every subordinate family sees her as their greatest imagined enemy.

Next, he would have to enter the Dreamlands to inform Princess Deniya of the alliance.

Whether to accept this commission also required confirming the full situation—the city lord probably hadn't anticipated that her sister would leak her intelligence.

Meanwhile, the candidates would further refine their abilities; the first mature "Valkyrie" would become their benchmark.

"I, too, can accept the inheritance." Saliman, too, looked forward to tonight's Hall of Spirits.

(End of Chapter)