"She's a woman. Carrie whispered.

The surprise on Ashrufat's face was fleeting. In fact, he shouldn't be surprised. The Dark Elves are warriors of both sexes, and in the previous Battle of Sea Cliffs, he had witnessed the corpses of many female warriors. In the armies of the Warrior Elves, the situation is less conspicuous, but the proportion of women in the armies is much higher than that of the human armies. To put it mildly, normally only the best female warriors and mages are able to join the army, so they tend to be more powerful and skilled than ordinary men, and it's no surprise that Kaye is a woman.

By this time, Kaye had also come to his senses. Ashrufat didn't retract her gaze in time, so she sensed that something was wrong. She lowered her head and immediately saw what was wrong.

Ashrufat looked away in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Prince, it seems like the chest strap is broken. Kaye's voice didn't show any embarrassment. Ashrufat suddenly realizes that Kaye had always thought his gender was known...... Well, it seems that way things should be. There is no doubt that both Arose and Garth knew Kaye's gender, but neither Garth nor Arasset had forgotten to tell Ashrufat about it.

"I don't like the feeling of my chest flicking around. Kaye replied, "It's not convenient to put on armor that way." With that, she returned the harp in her hand to Ashrufat.

"You play well......" Ashruphat had a sudden urge to ask why Kaye would be locked up as a prisoner. But after the end, he still didn't ask. In a conservative and hierarchical society like the Warrior Elves, members of this type like Kaye are certainly not very popular. Her wildness and uninhibited nature are in itself a challenge to this social order.

"If this is a disguise, then they must have wove a flawless lie. In her head, Carrie explained.

By this time, Kaye had already left, and he didn't even say goodbye.

"Carrie, it seems...... The playing skills you taught me are very different from hers. Ashrufat asked in his mind. In the original plan, he intended to play as part of the disguise, to more appropriately impersonate an elf. Now it looks fortunate that this has not happened. The skill Kaye had shown just now was so shocking that it made Ashrufat feel ashamed.

"It's just a systemic difference. Mind, Carrie explained. "Despite the fact that they use similar instruments, humans and elves have two very different styles of music...... Host, if you want to learn this way, you can also oh. I've just recorded the characteristics of her playing, and we can practice as soon as you are free. According to my calculations, it won't take you too long to reach this level. ”

"Sure enough...... Don't even the piano heart have this level of music?"

"Master, although it is correct to say that it is a primitive race by definition, it is also a high-level intelligent creature with a certain degree of civilization and social form. It is not surprising to say that it has developed some kind of unique or even advanced ability. But then again," Carrie cleverly shifted the subject. "Master, you don't seem to be familiar enough with the situation of the Dorsonian, especially its ruler. ”

Ashruphat had learned a lot of information about Dosonian from the mouth of Aracyet. This elven nobleman has been immersed in books and records for many years, and he can be regarded as a jack of all trades.

"I have a record here. Carrie said. "Roughly, it's a bloody naval battle. On one side is Hurd, and on the other side appears to be an elven prince named Ouranus. The fleets of both sides fought fiercely with each other, and the two commanders invariably rode into the sky on the dragon, using the dragon's flames to attack. ”

A natural choice, Ashruphat remembered the arrangement on the elven battleship. The elven warships are all based on the opponent's ships as imaginary enemies and deploy long-range attack ballistas, and their anti-air capabilities are very weak. If it is a top-down raid, it will be difficult for the battleship to make a confrontation. Not to mention Long Yan.

“...... The final result was two dragons facing off above the waves. The two generals engaged in a one-on-one aerial duel. Heard eventually defeated Prince Ulanus, stabbing him off the dragon's back, and then killing the prince's mount. The fleet of the elves of Shenwu was also defeated as a result, and only a few ships escaped the massacre in the end...... There are several similar records, the most recent of which is when he defeated three dragon-riding princes on the battlefield in one fell swoop, and used dragon fire to reduce their corpses to ashes. In the records of the Warrior Elves, Hurd was a notorious butcher and villain, with his hands stained with elven blood. They even called him the 'Dragon's Calamity'. But he is not just a reckless man who only knows how to fight alone, judging from these records, whether it is the arrangement of troops or strategic choices, he is very good...... In addition, if he comes as an independent commander of the army, in a sense, he is exactly the same as you. ”

"Why didn't such a good general go to the front?Well, although Aracet says it's probably because of the politics/struggle within the Dark Elves, I always feel ......"

"What do you think?"

"It should be ...... 'trump card'. Ashrufat pondered. "In a protracted war in which the two armies are in a state of confrontation and it is difficult to break through, it is a common idea to hide the elite troops in the rear. If I were the Witch King of the Dark Elves...... Then I will keep a mobile unit in the rear as much as possible...... Plus a talented general. At the same time, I will patiently engage in a long standoff on the front line until both sides are exhausted. Then, at a suitable opportunity, I can send my own recuperated troops to launch a surprise attack...... This may well determine the outcome of the war...... But I'm not worried about this, it's an internal thing...... Carrie, I think I'm the most deaf one in the army. It seems that no one is better informed than me, and no one knows more things than me. And I'm worried about a repeat of the nautical charts. ”

"Well, master, I suggest you communicate with the Arch/Mage more. ”

"Great/mage?" Ashruphat suddenly remembered that he had had relatively little contact with the arch/mages before, whether at sea or on the march. In fact, they were not interested in war situations or anything like that (or was it because of elven customs?), so the archmages were not present at this military council. It is very different from humans in this respect. At St. Jean's time, the prophetesses had a high status and a great deal of power.

"Well, in theory, the Great/Mages should be the most well-informed in your army. You can use the excuse of communication magic to keep as close contact with them as possible and release your kindness. ”

"We don't have much time...... Does it work?"

"You are a prince, and your status is the noblest among the elves who value their bloodline. If you release your kindness, the Great/Mages will definitely accept it. On top of that, they also have a good relationship with Juggernauts, don't they? You have to have a base in the army, and for now, Juggernauts and Arch/Mages are your best bets. ”

"Well, I'll take notice. ”

......

It's dark at night. In the city of Dosonian, all the other voices had fallen silent, except for the occasional roar of the caged beasts that broke the silence of the night sky.

Hurd stared at the gray night sky. There were no stars tonight, only a small half-moon shining through the gaps in the clouds, shining gray-white light on the earth. It was Dosonian's tallest tower, and it was also his private place, and no one of his subordinates was allowed to enter it without permission, otherwise there was only one way to die. At this time, the wind was blowing in his face, but it could only blow a few strands of his hair......

"You summoned me, my lord?"

A voice rang out from behind, and Hurd turned to see his son, Ullin. Urlin's Dark Guard was dyed black, something he had earned entirely on his own, with nothing Hurd-related to it. The Dark Elves/'s world can't accommodate extravagant calf protection, and blood is the most efficient way to eliminate them in the world. For the dark elves, loving children is not a fault, but a sin. Some of the nobles of the Dark Elves will even put their children to the test in order to weed out the weakest and most incompetent.

Urin had many siblings, but he used his strength to earn himself a place in his father's eyes.

"Yes, son. Come, let's sit here for a while. Look at this great city, isn't it spectacular and beautiful?"

Through the moonlight, you can see the silhouette of the city at night from the tower. As they spoke, a miserable wail of death came from a building near the tower. The voice caught Hurd's attention, and he recognized the building as an animal training arena.

The screams were followed by the sound of bones shattering. It's a very common sound in the city, and if there's anything special, it's that it's not the time to feed the beasts. It seems that this was just a common punishment, and a slave angered his cold master. Or maybe the beast was rewarded with a little food by its owner.

But the sound that follows proves that the truth is not as speculated. for they heard a cry of ecstasy. Hurd frowned. "It's the witches. He whispered. When he said the word, there was nothing pleasant in his voice.

Among the beliefs of the Dark Elves, the god of the Bloody Hand is a very important deity. And these women, known as "witches", are fanatical believers in serving God. They were not messengers of magic (those known as sorceresses), but fanatical warriors. Their passion for blood has far surpassed the likes of "murder" and "bloodthirsty", reaching an unnatural level. On the battlefield, witches will smear themselves with the blood of their enemies in response to the will of the god of the bloody hands. During religious ceremonies, they would chop up sacrifices (usually captives of the Warrior Elves) and drink the blood of the sacrifices. All Dark Elf cities have temples of the God of the Bloody Hand, but not every lord likes them.

Dosonian was far away from the other cities, so Hurd didn't have any particular hostile power. But these witches are the sworn enemies of his entire family. If they hadn't interfered, he would have gotten more out of this war by now, instead of wasting his time in this city like this. The supply of slaves has stopped, at least greatly reduced, but the demand for the output of war beasts has increased. And it's all because these witches are behind their backs!