Chapter 405: The Xinge Sisters

"Let him in!"

"Pointy-ears? Could it be that brat Teclis knows he cheated me and came to apologize? If so, he'd better show some sincerity, like offering his own niece.

."

Snuori didn't even lift his head as he greeted them. His current strength was such that mortals could no longer threaten him; if he stood on a ley line and channeled its power, he could even clash with a Demigod, no longer needing to be as cautious as before.

"Wood Elf? Who are you?"

"I am Wendesa Xingge, a Waystalker of the Conglin Zhixin. We have met once before, Lord Dwarf King, when you, or rather, you had just reclaimed this place."

This Wood Elf had beautiful golden hair, and her deep green cloak made her skin appear as smooth as lard; paired with a temperament like an orchid in an empty valley, she could be called a beauty even among Elves.

She had flown all the way from the rainforest on a warhawk, and she could hardly find a trace of the scene she remembered from ten years ago. This amount of time meant nothing to a long-lived race, but the once-desolate Lost Plateau had undergone earth-shaking changes.

Time had left no marks on the Dwarf King before her, yet Wendesa could still feel that he had become vastly different. She came from a noble family and had attended the resurrection ceremony of Orion under the Oak of Ages during the spring equinox and the celebration hosted by Ariel on Midsummer Night.

"Why does this Dwarf put as much pressure on me as the Lord of the Wild Hunt?" The keen spiritual sense honed by years of combat made the Waystalker adopt a more humble attitude.

"Met? Have we?"

Snuori searched his memory. Not long after he first arrived at Gaoyuanbao, Wood Elves had indeed come to negotiate, but the visitor at that time had worn an assassin's mask that covered her face, so he had no impression of her.

"What do you green-clad pointy-ears want from the King of the Southlands now?" The Dwarf King curled his lip and muttered. It was rare for these reclusive fellows to visit, and it certainly wasn't for anything good.

"It is like this: Arkhan the Black, this powerful Tomb King, has begun to harass our forests in recent years. He and the master behind him who profanes the dead are enemies of all the living.

."

"You want me to send troops to help? That requires a Woodland Lord to negotiate; you aren't qualified enough!" Snuori interrupted Wendesa's vapid analysis of the situation. There was no one in this world who could lecture him on the big picture.

Waystalkers were common commanders among the Wood Elves, often promoted from sentinel units. These people were experienced master archers and infiltrators who could also bring silent death to enemies with short swords and traps when necessary.

Woodland Lords were the highest level of Esilai society. Aisuoluolun Senlin was divided into twelve parts, each ruled by a Woodland Lord; they were equal to one another and reported directly to the God-King and God-Queen.

Besides managing internal affairs, they were also military commanders. Traditionally, battles of the Esilai would be initiated by a Woodland Lord firing the first arrow at the enemy leader. The purpose of this arrow was not to kill the chieftain, but rather to warn them that they still had a chance to stop before enduring the wrath of nature.

"Hmph! So you are willing to talk? Then I shall return and report this."

Wendesa did not dwell on the Dwarf's attitude; in her contingency plan, this was already a very good result. Given the relations between their races, who knew what it would have been like if it were a Dwarf King from the Grey Mountains!

"Interesting. As long as I play it right, I can profit from both sides! I hope that Woodland Lord makes it in time."

Watching Wendesa leave, Snuori sat at his desk and pondered, quickly forming a simple plan.

"Another one has come!"

After dinner, Gotrek brought the news Snuori had been waiting for, followed by a tall, hooded figure. The guards had already been told not to block or announce her; the Ancestor Chosen did not want every resident in the fortress to know that pointy-ears had visited him twice in one day.

"Auleiliya Xingge, Lord of the Conglin Zhixin. I have long admired your reputation."

Closing the door, the visitor removed her hood to reveal a jade-like face. Her appearance was as if cast from the same mold as Wendesa's, only more mature from the settling of time.

"Hmph!"

Snuori sniffed lightly. This Woodland Lord was even stronger than he had anticipated, nearly at the peak of mortality. The longbow she carried looked unremarkable, but the lingering energy made him feel a hint of a threat; he figured it was not of mortal make.

There was a unique scent on Auleiliya. As a systematically educated Dwarf noble and Dragonslayer, Snuori knew this belonged exclusively to Dragons—a mark top predators used to delineate their territory.

"Arkhan the Black has subjugated the kings of Ta-Sabai, the southernmost city of Nehekhara. With his hands free, the Nagashi Xintu have begun to harass our jungle. The natural spirits here are not as full of magic as those in Athel Loren, so I need additional help."

Auleiliya got straight to the point, stating her intent and needs. Such expressive ability was rare among Wood Elves. In fact, she was the most outstanding of the twelve Woodland Lords, which was why Orion had chosen her to manage this enclave.

"Do you think I must help you?"

The Woodland Lord spoke as if she were stating a fact rather than making a request, which annoyed Snuori.

"I believe so. Arkhan's ultimate goal is likely you, or rather, the two volumes of evil scriptures in your possession."

A subtle smile played on the Elf's face, as if the big picture were entirely under her control.

"Thump, thump!"

The Dwarf King tapped the table lightly. Over the years, the news that Kasimir VII had handed those two volumes over to him had spread, driven by those with ulterior motives. Andemuge had already reported multiple infiltrations by Necromancers and Vampires.

"Heh, perhaps. But regardless, you are the one facing the blade now. And I suspect you have a reason you cannot retreat."

Snuori chuckled. Although he had secretly handed those two books to Settra in exchange for Artifact fragments, he had to shoulder the responsibility. To avoid bankruptcy of his reputation, he had even "suppressed" an empty box under the altar at Gaoyuanbao.

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"I once heard you were a Zhezhe; I did not expect you to be someone who forgets righteousness for small gains."

"Don't try to pressure me with talk of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.' Letting you sit here is already me looking out for the big picture. How many do you need, and what can you provide?"

Ignoring the change in the beautiful Elf's tone and attitude, Snuori toyed with the ornaments on his desk. Those two under the Oak of Ages were said to be Demigods, but they were actually avatars of the Elf God of the Hunt and the Mother Goddess; they knew a thing or two about the End Times.

This expeditionary force calling themselves the Orion Arrow Group had traveled thousands of miles to the Southlands clearly not for environmental protection. They were likely burdened with a secret mission, such as preparing contingencies. Of course, judging by the original outcome, it was useless, and Snuori did not intend to accommodate them.