[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-357":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338820,4572,"Chapter 357: Night Elf, Do You Want to Live?","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-357",357,"\u003Cp>“Human, I’ve told you everything you wanted to know. If you have no more questions, give me a quick death!” Akari sought only death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Night elf, I’m satisfied with your cooperation, but I still have a few more questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your night elves look no different from green elves on the surface—why are you hunted by the Elf Kingdom, called traitors by them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Gervas had assumed night elves represented evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they were bloodthirsty or drenched in death energy, they were called night elves and pursued by green elves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, without her masterful infiltration skills, Gervas himself could not have told them apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human noble, I can tell you—but you must keep your promise!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We night elves are not the traitors those hypocritical green elves claim us to be!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The true traitor is King Alaric, the current ruler of the Elf Kingdom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long ago, our elf race’s sole monarch was Queen Olivia!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Alaric betrayed Queen Olivia—while she was wounded, he turned on her and seized the throne!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We were the royal guard of Queen Olivia. To escape Alaric’s ruthless purge, we fled the kingdom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s why!” Gervas exclaimed in amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though unexpectedly melodramatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet somehow, it made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether human or other race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there is power, there is struggle—this is normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So after fleeing the kingdom, you took up assassination as a trade?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akari did not evade the question. “Correct. Though we escaped the kingdom, Alaric the usurper still hunts us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, our guard unit has many elderly and young family members—we must find ways to feed them all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet though we are assassins, we have principles: we do not kill the elderly or children, nor the kind and upright!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh!” Hearing the female elf’s words, Gervas could only chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet they wanted to put up a facade of virtue!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human, you may kill me, but do not insult me—what I, Akari, say is true. Before accepting any mission—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We investigate thoroughly. Only if the target is truly irredeemably wicked do we strike!” Akari saw the contempt in Gervas’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well. Lady Elf, could you tell me your age? How could you know so much about elf history?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to your human reckoning, I am one hundred and thirty years old!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens, Gervas blurted out in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her appearance, her physical condition—absolutely nothing gave it away!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about by your own elf reckoning?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nineteen!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas genuinely envied her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had heard elves lived a thousand years, but it had been an abstract notion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he finally understood it deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human, can you kill me now?” Akari pressed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One final question!” Gervas smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Akari’s expectant gaze, he said: “Akari, do you want to live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Human, kill me! I will never become your slave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, female elf, you misunderstand. I’m not asking you to be my slave—I offer you life in exchange for three years of service… like my own subordinates!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female elf hesitated a moment, then prepared to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pride of her elf race made her unwilling to serve a human noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming an assassin was not becoming a human’s subordinate—it was cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether to accept a mission was always up to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas saw her thoughts. “Female elf, don’t refuse yet. First, let me show you something—then decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without delay, Gervas summoned griffins and swift magic eagles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he took the bound female elf toward Wheatfield Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over twenty minutes later, at the foot of a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled out several glowstones, instantly lighting the area as bright as day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Gervas and his men appeared a water pool three meters in diameter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is…” At first, Akari did not know why Gervas had brought her here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she drew near the pool, she immediately sensed a powerful aura of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Life Spring—you’re not unfamiliar with it, Lady Elf?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this is impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akari’s eyes widened, her body trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether it’s real or not—the proof is right before you. You know better than anyone, Lady Elf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akari’s slender frame shuddered violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment, she turned her head, fixing Gervas with a burning gaze. “Human noble, I will agree to serve you—but I have one demand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What demand?” Gervas remained expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once the Life Spring is fully formed, allow our night elves to settle permanently in your Stormhold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Settle?” That was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed she wanted a certain amount of Life Spring each year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as the demand wasn’t excessive, Gervas could spare a barrel or two annually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could even promise they could buy it with gold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—permits us to settle. And we swear to abide by your lordship’s territorial laws!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can even pay taxes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas blurted out in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t this an elf slave offering herself up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just any elf—night elves, unprotected by the Elf Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Life Spring in his hands, controlling them would be effortless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, female elf! I accept—and I’ll even sign a contract with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akari looked at Gervas with sudden excitement. “Thank you, human noble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Female elf, shouldn’t you change how you address me now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female elf showed no pretense. “Akari, meets… Lord Gervas!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Depart!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By Lord’s order, Storm Legion—march!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Gervas’s command, the Storm Legion began advancing northward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four days had passed since the mobilization order arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, Gervas shouldn’t have delayed so long—he should have departed the next day to ensure sufficient time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mil and others had done exactly that—they had departed three days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gervas had delayed three extra days, waiting for the cannons and ballistae to be built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The benefit was that he now had the third cannon, and the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth ballistae completed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the added numbers seemed small, even one more cannon meant one more chance at survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, those three days allowed massive replenishment of bolts and cannonballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the rest of the journey would now be rushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Gervas had long instructed Thomas to prepare numerous carts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his subordinates didn’t have to march on foot like other minor nobles—this allowed him to catch up in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Gervas’s expedition force numbered around a thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the minimum requirement for a viscount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the thousand, four hundred were regular guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hundred were cavalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ranged attack unit—ballistae and cannon teams—totalled one hundred and fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, over eighty cavalrymen and knight retainers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the truly combat-capable troops, totaling roughly eight hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining two hundred were conscripted serfs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like last campaign, they were not cannon fodder—they were logistical laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two hundred handled camp setup, cooking, and other chores.\u003C\u002Fp>",1111,"2026-06-20T22:44:02.338Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e6584c4397f9522e7342f1d7e47f2d42556c71cf6384747745a63cc993aae9a8","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-358","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-356",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]