The large hall was empty, except for Lord Lord and Melissa sitting across the table, discussing key issues.

"Until last year, the tribe was in a good situation. We have long been married to the nobles of the Pompeii border, so we don't have to worry about being directly attacked. In Woya Commercial Bank, we also have a certain right to speak, and the income is stable and abundant. And there is a middle-level mage in the tribe, which is enough to deter the ill-intentioned Xiaoxiao. Melissa slowly stated the situation of the tribe.

Richard was speechless when he heard this, and although he had long known that the elven elemental talent was outstanding, he still couldn't help but feel jealous. A small tribe of a few hundred people can give birth to a mid-level mage, and the percentage is simply terrifying. In stark contrast, the mountain fort with a population of thousands has so far been able to make do with a few imbecile shamans.

"But in the summer, the mage died suddenly and returned to the arms of the moon god Anilu. The elven grandmother showed a helpless wry smile, "The embankment is sometimes destroyed by small ant nests, and the departure of a mid-level mage is too fatal for a tribe. ”

"Our allies are not very reliable, but the enemy stands firm. After half a year of hard work, it is difficult to continue. ”

Richard can fully understand this kind of psychology that he can't go on and is anxious to find a big tree to rely on. However, he is no longer as naïve and stunned as he was at the beginning, and the idea of a tiger body shaking a servant like a cloud only exists in a trance for a moment when he dreams back at midnight.

The real world is a deceitful vanity fair, and people often come and go for profit.

"Why me?" he said, pointing to his nose.

"Because the boy Anne said that you are a very tolerant man towards your people, which is not very common among the nobles of Pompeii, to be honest. Melissa didn't shy away from doing her homework, "And Alpine Fort is one of the very few territories that accepts a large number of foreign people. ”

"Alpine Fort can open its doors to you. Richard snapped his fingers dryly.

"But don't rejoice too soon, I'm conditional—male elves of the right age must serve as archers. "The lord showed his fox tail.

"The elves love peace and hate war. So Lord Richard, please forgive me for not being able to assign people to your army. Melissa shook her head and refused.

"Mama Melissa. Instead of being annoyed by the rejection, Richard appeared mild-mannered and sincere, "As a lord, I have every right to exempt you from military service. As a naturalist enthusiast, I also think that elves are indeed peace-loving. Out of humanitarianism, I can even promise you now - there is no need to doubt this, my words in Alpine Fort are the truth, the rules, the rules, and no one can refute them. ”

What he said was bordering on arrogance, but Richard's tone was very reasonable. And if any member of the Alpine Fort heard it, they would certainly not be the slightest bit surprised.

"Thank you for your generous ......"

"Hear me out. The corners of the lord's mouth curled slightly, revealing a cunning smile like a heron, "But Alpine Fort was never built on peace, in fact, its birth was accompanied by war and blood from beginning to end. So here, every man of school age is obliged to undertake military service. If I exempt the elves from their obligations, I grant you equal rights......"

It means that the equilibrium is disrupted, it cannot last long, and it will only end up eating the elves themselves. Richard picked up the teacup and leaned back in his chair, cocking Erlang's legs, "Of course I'm okay when I'm alive, but in the eyes of elves, human lifespans are probably very short, right?"

Lord Lord pouted and blew away the leaves floating on the water, and slowly took a sip of slightly sour tea. He was not surprised to find that he had not received a response for a long time after he had finished speaking.

"You're right. "As an elf in the aging period, Melissa is five hundred and sixty years old. A long time often means a wealth of knowledge. So she clearly knew that the human in front of her was not lying.

"Being honest is a good start. Richard smiled triumphantly, "I'm honest, and I hope you do the same." ”

He recently likes to drink tea when negotiating with people, because doing so can invisibly put psychological pressure on the other party.

"I ...... You can send a few pure-blood elf maidens as your handmaidens. Melissa said, looking at Richard.

The lord was choked and coughed violently a few times, and quickly put the teacup back on the table.

I have to say that this condition is not too attractive - these days, the maid is similar to the lord's private property, and she can dispose of it as she wants, and the king of heaven can't control it. And that's a fairy! What kind of posture he didn't see just now, the purity of angels and the temptation of demons coexist, and it is pure deception to say that he is not moved.

Richard was in a fierce battle between heaven and man, and the expressions on his face struggled and changed, vividly interpreting how complex and entangled a person's inner world can be.

But in the end, with great perseverance, he forced himself to shake his head and refuse.

"I need good archers. His voice was like that of a gambler who has lost his red eyes and turned over the last bit of his fortune. And as soon as the words came out, I began to regret it, and I wanted to slap myself.

"Lord Richard, you may not know. Melissa took a deep breath, "It's not that the elves are lazy, it's that we really don't have the ability to provide military service. ”

"What?" Richard simply doubted his ears.

"If you need someone to compete in archery targets, it's our duty to do that, because elves have a talent for precision that is unparalleled in the world. Melissa had a look of pride on her face.

"This one does. The lord said.

"But elves are a very weak race, and for archers, strength means range, speed, and might, which are essential qualities. Actually, this shouldn't be a secret - but since the fall of the homeland, the remnants have either lived in seclusion or gradually withered. Humans rarely have the opportunity to come into contact with elves, so the impression is inevitably still thousands of years ago. ”

Melissa let out a long sigh, and her gaze began to become complicated.

"The elves of the present day...... Bows and arrows have been rarely used for a long time, and if it weren't for the fact that we could still keep Pagani bees, we wouldn't even be able to protect ourselves. ”

Richard collapsed on the back of his chair after hearing this, and his heart was half cold.

He had long vaguely felt that those elven and beautiful men who were indistinguishable from each other were indeed really handsome, but their physique seemed to be difficult to be qualified as archers. It's just that the traditional impression is too deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the elves are always mysterious, so they never think much about it.

Now full of joy and looking forward to the elves, but all of them are powerless? This result is completely unacceptable to the lord.

"I've seen elven guards in Anne's caravan before, and they seem to be generally good. He continued to ask unwillingly, and the thoughts in his mind became clearer and clearer as he asked, "And at least at the time of the Ancient Elven Empire, the famous elven archers were definitely not good-looking. ”

The elves are slender for a day or two, and the ancient elf empire era is not a reckless man with five big and three thick, so how did the original name of this race come from? .

Richard was certainly at least not a conventional impression, but a lesson that countless races of creatures had bought with their blood and lives. In the history books, there is even a record of elven archery troops, with ultra-long-range accurate shooting, who brutally crushed the human heavy cavalry charge!

It is understandable if a certain spell is lost, because the inheritance of spells is very complex and often requires a system. For example, soil fertilization was almost lost after the collapse of the Physiocrats.

But opening a bow and releasing arrows is completely different, as long as there is talent there, it will not be too difficult for future generations to explore it from scratch. How can there be such a thing as an ancient elf who is good at shooting, and the current elves can't live or die.

Melissa hesitated in silence for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Lord Richard, what I'm going to talk about next is the biggest secret of our steppe elves. Although it doesn't have much practical significance, I hope you will keep it for us. ”

"No problem, wait a minute. Richard stood up, walked to the door, and struck the warning bell hanging under the eaves three times with a brass hammer.

The centaurs, who had been chatting nonsense outside, heard the bell and immediately began to whistle and wander. The domesticated peregrine falcon eats a few strands of flesh and flappes its wings into the sky. The barbarian warrior urgently took the place of the vassal, and the battle axe was in his hand.

At this time, the hills are on alert, and not even a rabbit can escape the blockade, and those who deliberately approach will be immediately subjected to the ruthless tyranny of the iron fist.

The inhabitants of the old Alpine Fort understood this, and did not hurry to pack up their things and go back to their respective homes. But the elves who had just arrived did not know what was happening, and gathered together in a panic, chirping like a flock of larks, but unfortunately no one paid attention to them.

"Say it. The lord sat back down at the table.

"Remember the Naxi daffodils?" Melissa continued, after receiving an affirmative reply, "Honey made from Naxi daffodil pollen does not only have the effect of causing the queen bee to lay eggs. If the nectar of Naxi daffodils is fed on worker bees, they will brew a bee venom. This bee venom, known to us as Moria, was one of the most important military supplies during the time of the Old Elven Empire. ”

Richard propped his chin in his hands and listened quietly to the secrets of several elven maids.

"Ever heard of magic tattoos?" Melissa asked suddenly.

Seeing the Lord of Alpine Fort shaking his head, she explained, "That's a unique skill of the elves, and drawing tattoos on the body with specific materials can bring blessings to the recipients. To tell you the truth, the Moriah poison is a kind of magical tattoo material. ”

"Oh, a magic tattoo is similar to drawing an alchemy circle. Richard understood everything, "The ancient elves were able to form elite archery troops because they could use the moon well to cultivate Naxi narcissus on a large scale, and after tattooing them, even weak elves could become qualified sergeants. And you Naxi daffodils are pitifully small now, barely enough to maintain a colony, and occasionally save chicken feathers to collect the remaining two pounds of nectar from dusters, and you can only give a few guard lines, right?"

"That's right. Melissa bowed slightly, it was not difficult to communicate with smart people.

"Can a magic tattoo increase strength?" the lord began to wonder.

"There are a total of nine magical tattoo patterns in the Elven Empire Era, each with different effects. To this day, there are three types of tribal traditions. They are 'White Tiger Guardian', 'Arrow-Shooter', and 'Thorn Armor'. Limited by the material, we can only tattoo the 'White Tiger Guard' now, and the main effect is indeed the blessing of power. Melissa let out a long sigh, "If the mountain castle is willing to accept the elves, and there are some Monaka poisons in the tribe, we will tattoo a white tiger guardian for you." ”

"Monaka poison contains certain elemental toxicity, so the receptor must have a certain elemental resistance or be strong enough. But I guess that's not a problem for you Richard. ”

I have to admit that Richard was a little shocked in his heart at this moment.

For a small tribe with only a few hundred members, maintaining its cultural independence is a near-impossible task. This can be seen in the steppe elves, who are deeply influenced by humans in all aspects, such as the intonation of their voice, which has a distinct northern Pompeii accent.

Probably no one would have thought that in this small, insignificant, elven tribe that is struggling to survive, there are still generations of unique skills of their ancestors. No matter how the family business declined, it was never completely lost. When it comes to sticking to tradition, there really is no race like the elves.

The lord held his chin and thought for a while, then suddenly opened his mouth and asked, "How many of you still know this craft?"

"I am one of the three 'Palm Pari' in the tribe who have successfully tattooed the magic energy. In addition, some of the children are also very good at their craft. But because of the lack of materials, they never got a chance to show it. Melissa's words show how embarrassed a declining race can be.

"Can I take a look. "Li still has to see is believing.

"As you wish. ”

Orders were passed from guard to guard, and soon to the panicked and helpless elves. It didn't take long for an elven guard with a cold temperament to be summoned into the lord's hall. After removing the leather armor and clothing of the upper body, the eye-catching white tiger with dark blue stripes on the back is revealed. This white tiger is lifelike and delicate, and the fierce aura of choosing people to devour is almost blowing in the face, and it is the handwriting of a master craftsman at a glance.

This kind of large tattoo is a test for both the tattoo artist and the bearer – the tattoo artist needs to have a solid foundation of patience and skills, and the bearer needs to endure long-term pain. And when it comes to magic, there's nothing imprecise about it, and presumably magic tattoos are no exception, which means that there can't be a little mistake in the whole picture.

Richard tried to wrestle his wrist with him, and was surprised to find that the elf was so thin, but almost as strong as a centaur who had never advanced. And the other party saw the undead with a look on his face, feeling as if he was breaking an iron stake, and no matter how he shook it, he couldn't move.

"The 'White Tiger Guardian' provides pure power blessings, the 'Arrow Archer' gives a certain amount of control over the airflow, and the 'Thorn Armor' reflects elemental damage when attacked. These are the three types of magical energy tattoos that our tribe has mastered. Melissa had a regret on her face that she couldn't hide, "As for the remaining six, I probably won't have any hope of seeing them again in my life." ”

"What if, I mean what if. Richard cleared his throat and asked mysteriously, "If you can breed Naxi narcissus on a large scale, can you tattoo more magic tattoos?"

"That's fine, of course, but it's too idealistic. Melissa couldn't help but smile.

"yes, it's too idealistic, I'll just ask. The lord smiled and nodded yes.