Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Facing Shaer's doubts, Hill could only answer calmly, "Though they look like humans, their conduct is still more like elves. Otherwise, Coron wouldn't recognize them so much.

If the Toril humans' way of doing things is something normal elves can't understand, then the Undead Tribe wouldn't understand it either.

Having a middleman is good too, lest the Undead Tribe take some excessive actions."

Shaer thought for a moment and agreed, "Indeed, their attitude towards some matters is similar, and the Undead Tribe's bottom line is quite high."

"The Undead Tribe resembles that group of elves from ten thousand years ago." Celene suddenly interjected, "Those on Eternity Island aren't worthy."

Since confirming the whereabouts of those two Moon Elves Princesses, Celene has always looked down on Eternity Island... She had no feelings about internal strife. Be it humans, elves, or other demi-human races, as long as they are intelligent beings, they will always fight endlessly for profit.

But to sell one's Royal Family members to other races for entertainment... Elves still claim to be forever pure, a noble race that will fight relentlessly for their kin!

Hill lowered his gaze; back when he hunted down that half-succubus slave trader in the name of elves, that succubus was overly calm... Hill thought she planned to use elf slaves to threaten him, so he acted decisively without giving that slave trader a chance to finish speaking.

She dared to engage in selling elf slaves because she was already quite experienced in it!

She probably felt wronged when she died, clearly having plenty of schemes to shake Hill's beliefs, yet he didn't even give her a chance to speak.

Perhaps, in this half-succubus's view, even if the Elf Princesses were sold by their own kin... what would those rebels on Eternity Island do, even if they knew she turned elves into slaves? Would they dare to strike against her?

After figuring out how those two Princesses of Moonflower were delivered to Mark City by internal and external collusion, Hill imagined that incredulous face: that half-succubus, even if reduced to ashes, would still mock him, right?

Thinking he followed the racial prohibitions and even offended the slave ships of Mark City, only to find that the Moon Elf nobility had long become traitors themselves.

If Hill were an ordinary Elf Mage, knowing this, he might feel his faith crumble... Since retreating to Eternity Island, more and more elves chose to fall, especially among the well-informed mages.

Hill really admired Coron. Even upon seeing such elf nobility, he simply silently led the Elf Deity System to abandon the God's favor once given to Eternity Island, and invited the Sorrowful Queen to head directly to the Elven Divine Kingdom, having no intention to act against those fools on Eternity Island.

Giving every elf the freedom to choose... he really fulfilled his vow completely.

Yet Hill could never understand... even deities can't achieve absolute freedom!

Every chaotic deity could constantly refresh Hill's understanding.

Shaer abruptly spoke, "The Undead Tribe seems to have lost interest in the Toril people after discovering that the deaths of those commoners went unnoticed by anyone... Are mortal lives good in Teraxil?"

"Teraxil is a world established by the World Tree... The Sun, Moon, and the Goddess of the Earth form a stable triangle: lawfulness, chaos, and neutrality have their own territories." Hill pondered aloud, "Of course, there are deities of the Evil Faction... but that one, if in Toril, would probably just be considered neutral."

Celene said lightly, "The World Tree is different from the old man in our house; although he's also neutral, he respects life very much, no matter what kind of life... So in the world he created, every time an innocent life is harmed, it's a step towards evil."

Shaer silently pondered for a while before saying, "No wonder William sometimes entirely avoids answering my questions."

Hill silently raised his glass for a big sip: What kind of question did you want him to answer?

However, it seems that William still managed to maintain his bottom line in front of his goddess!

There was some movement on the giant screen.

A charming woman, dressed in a long dark purple gauzy robe so thin you could see through to her ivory-white body inside, with long black hair reaching her ankles, floated outside the walls built by the Undead Tribe... She originally intended to directly pass over the tall Great Wall, but was suddenly struck back by the defensive shield that appeared.

Celene couldn't help but chuckle a few times, "Ah! What an arrogant woman! I thought your priestesses were the best at moving covertly, Shaer."

Shaer replied coldly, "Even my priestess, after holding power for too long, wouldn't understand what caution means."

Hill pondered, "Is this the ruler of the Ancient Night Temple at Karin Harbor, known as the 'Dancer Before the Dawn,' Iltmara?"

Shaer said faintly, "Even Hill, who has just come to Toril not long ago, recognized who she was at a glance! If it weren't for her offering me enough intrigue and coups in the past..."

She didn't continue, but the cold dissatisfaction was quite obvious... No wonder there's a Temple of the Dark Embrace opposing the Ancient Night Temple in Anmur, and last time the priest holding 'A Thousand Petals in One Night' was the leader of that temple, Abel Herderstal.

But Shaer, wanting to know some things about Anmur, sent Iltmara, who clearly opposes Herderstal, to Mil Forest... Although she likes men, her methods have always been fierce.

"I thought you'd keep her to deal with Amanata," Celene spoke lightly, "Knowing that Kalinsan and Anmur are your two strongest temples, yet still dared to come here for resurrection, Amanata should know that it's normal to face some setbacks.

Even though the old man disregarded your meddling hints in Mystra's death, I don't believe you'd let him easily resurrect on your turf."

Shaer didn't answer.

"So, the thing you had this Ancient Marla go looking for in Anmur is to deal with Amanata, huh?" Celene giggled, "I know your style too well!

Having rivals monitor each other is a common method of yours, but whoever you send out must be related to the issue, definitely not random.

So, what could harm Amanata? Still, in that eerie place Anmur?

Is it some divine artifact from the Eternal Color Era in the hand of Miral, who hails from the Naesreiel Great Archmage but chooses to forbid arcane magic?"

Hill blinked silently, the 40-something masked female mage from the Mage Society? Come to think of it, she should be the person behind the Speaker.

Hill never understood why such a high-level mage would stay in Anmur, where casting spells is considered criminal, but if the regulations against mages were set by Miral, then it's not surprising.

The most wanted dead competitor is always a peer... Monopoly, that exclusive term for big shots, is applicable in any world.

Shaer ignored Celene's speculation, but Hill could sense her watching the one communicating with the Undead Tribe on the giant screen, Iltmara, with increasing dissatisfaction.

Shaer's demands of her priests have always been paradoxical... Wanting them to hide their identities yet possessing exceptional abilities, but few with such talents can be content to hide in the shadows.

Although the Envoys of the Night all wish to destroy the world, no one can persist in such a goal after enjoying life for hundreds of years.

Even though Iltmara once had deep hatred for the world, Hill doesn't believe she feels the same now, being served daily by three loyal male priests... In recent years, although she still orchestrates meticulously planned murders, this underground queen of Karin Harbor seems to want nothing more than the fear of royal nobility.

Celene suddenly laughed heartily, "Your priest seems a bit like Shuni~"

This dark night envoy, skilled in wielding her charm, appears to want to seduce 'Snow Cloud Peak' entrusted to receive her, in order to directly take away those spies: Even though Shaer had already informed her she could ask directly, this priestess evidently has some doubts.

Perhaps she doesn't believe the truth without torture, or she wants to have all possibilities under her control... but such actions that clearly contradict Shaer's wishes make the Goddess of the Night exceedingly displeased.

So, just after posing provocatively before the Undead Tribe, frightening those Anmur spies till they tremble, Iltmara suddenly screamed in agony, falling to the ground and howling under the public eye... It seemed there were invisible whips in the air striking her.

"Great Goddess of the Night!" Only after enduring ten minutes of whipping did Iltmara dare cry out sharply, "You are the deepest night, the endless fall, no one in the world can hide from your gaze!

Forgive me! I will never again dare to defy your will due to foolish greed."

The whipping finally stopped.

The Undead Tribe almost held their breath watching the scene unfold... It must have hurt terribly.

Yet Iltmara merely trembled all over as she stood again before the Anmur spies, once more inquiring about matters concerning the Cloud Mist Mountains, focusing significantly on the Twin Towers... It seems Miral is likely there.

Anmur has always had many spies in Kalinsan... Tethyr is predominantly agricultural, not very competitive with Anmur though they're neighbors. However, Kalinsan has persistently attempted to have its Karin Harbor overshadow Anmur's Ascatra City and Deepwater City, becoming the most prosperous port on the continent.

Spies who managed to escape into Mil Forest despite the entire annihilation of Karin Harbor in a divine beast attack are all cunning old foxes... Though aware they must only speak the truth, they strive to preserve as much of their country's privacy as possible from being leaked.

But facing an Envoy of the Night... especially one just punished by the Goddess of the Night, Anmur spies feel a bit intimidated.