Ride and Cut

The vast hall was empty, only the lord and Melissa were sitting across the table, discussing key issues.

"Until last year, the situation of the tribe was not bad. We have long been married to the Pompeii border nobles, so we don't have to worry about being directly attacked. In Voya Trading Company, we also have a certain right to speak, and our income is stable and rich. And there is a middle-level mage in the tribe, which is enough to deter evil Xiaoxiao." Melissa slowly stated the situation of the tribe.

Li Cha was stunned when he heard it. Although he had known for a long time that the elf elemental talent was outstanding, he still couldn't help feeling jealous. A small tribe with a few hundred people can give birth to a middle-level mage, and this ratio is frighteningly high. In stark contrast, Gaoshanbao, with a population of thousands of people, can only make do with a few low-energy shamans so far.

"But in the summer, the mage died of illness suddenly, and returned to the embrace of the moon god Ainilu." The elf nurse showed a helpless smile, "Sometimes the embankment is destroyed by a small ant nest, and the departure of a middle-level mage is too fatal for a tribe."

"Our allies are not very reliable, but the enemy is firm. We have been struggling for half a year until now, and it is finally unsustainable."

Li Cha can fully understand this kind of mentality that he can't go on messing around and is eager to find a big tree to rely on. However, he is not as naive as before, and the thought of following like a cloud with a tiger's body only exists in a trance for a moment when he dreams back in the middle of the night.

The real world is a vanity fair of intrigues and deceits, and all living beings come and go for profit.

"Why me?" He pointed to his nose.

"Because that child Anne said that you are very tolerant towards your people. To be honest, this is not common among Pompeii nobles." Melissa did not shy away from doing her homework. "Also, Alpine Castle is one of the very few territories that accept a large number of people from other races."

"Alpine Castle can open the door to you." Li Cha snapped his fingers.

"But don't get too excited, I have conditions - male elves of the right age must serve as archers." The lord showed his fox tail.

"The elves love peace and hate war. So, Sir Richard, please forgive me for not assigning people from my tribe to join your army." Melissa shook her head and chose to refuse.

"Sister Melissa." Not only did Richard not become angry because of being rejected, but he seemed quite gentle and sincere, "As a lord, I have every right to exempt you from military service. As a naturalist lover, I also think that elves really love peace. Out of humanitarianism, I can even agree to you right now-don't doubt this. In Alpine Castle, my words are the truth, the rules of heaven, and the rules, and no one can refute them."

Obviously what he said was almost arrogant, but Li Cha's tone was very natural. And if any member of Gaoshanbao heard it, he would definitely not be surprised at all.

"Thank you for your generosity..."

"Please listen to me." The lord's mouth curved slightly, showing a sly smile like a heron, "But Alpine Castle was never built on the basis of peace. In fact, its birth was accompanied by war and blood from the beginning to the end. So here, every man of school age has the obligation to undertake military service. If I exempt the elves from the obligation, but give you the same rights..."

"It means that the balance is broken. It cannot last for a long time. In the end, it will only bite the elves themselves." Li Cha picked up the teacup and leaned back on the chair, raising Erlang's legs. "Of course I have no problem while I am alive, but in the eyes of elves, the lifespan of human beings may be very short, right?"

The lord pouted and blew away the leaves floating on the water, and took a sip of slightly sour tea slowly. Not surprisingly, he found that he didn't get a response for a long time after he finished speaking.

"You're right." As an aging elf, Melissa was already five hundred and sixty years old. Long years often mean enough knowledge. So she clearly knew that the human being in front of her was not lying.

"Being honest is a good start." Li Cha showed a winning smile, "I'm being honest, and I hope you will do the same."

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

"I...can send some pure-blood elf girls as your maids." Melissa said while looking at Li Cha.

The lord was so choked that he suddenly coughed violently, and quickly put the teacup back on the table.

I have to say that this condition should not be too attractive - these days, a maid is almost like the lord's private property, and she can control it as she wants, and the heavenly king and I have nothing to do with it. And that's an elf! It's not that he didn't miss the beauty just now, the purity of angels coexists with the temptation of devils, and it's a lie to say that he is not attracted.

In Li Cha's heart, heaven and man were fighting fiercely, and the expression on his face struggled and changed, vividly explaining how complicated 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 a good archer." His voice sounded like a gambler who lost his last bit of property and used it to make money. And as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he already started to regret, wishing to slap himself.

"Master Richard, you may not be clear." Melissa took a deep breath, "It's not that the elves are lazy, but that we really don't have the ability to provide military service."

"What?" Li Cha almost doubted his ears.

"If you need to send people to compete in archery targets, then we are duty-bound, because the elves have unparalleled talent for precision." Melissa showed a bit of pride on her face.

"That's true." The lord said.

"But elves are a very weak race, and for archers, strength means range, speed, and power, which are essential qualities. In fact, this should not be a secret—but since the destruction of the old country, the relics have either lived in seclusion or gradually withered. Humans rarely have the opportunity to contact elves, so the impression inevitably remains thousands of years ago."

Melissa let out a long sigh, her gaze became complicated.

"Today's elves...have rarely used bows and arrows for a long time. If we can't raise Pagani bees, we can't even protect ourselves."

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

He had already vaguely felt that those elves with indistinguishable males and females were really handsome, but their physiques seemed to be difficult for archers. It's just that the traditional impression is too deeply rooted in people's hearts, and the elves are always mysterious, so they never think too much about it.

Now I am looking forward to the elves with joy, but everyone is powerless? This result made the lord completely unacceptable.

"I've seen elf 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 as he asked, "And at least in the time of the ancient elf empire, the famous elf archers were definitely not good looking."

The elves are not thin and thin for a day or two, and the ancient elf empire era is not a thick and thick man, so how did this race get the name of being good at archery in the first place? .

At least Richard can be sure that it is not a traditional impression, but a lesson learned by the creatures of countless races in exchange for their blood and lives. In the history books, there is even a record of the elf archer unit, relying on ultra-long-range precision shooting, forcibly smashing the human heavy cavalry charge!

It is understandable if a certain spell is lost, because the inheritance of spells is very complicated and often requires a system. For example, the soil fertility technique was almost lost after the fall of the Physiocratic School.

But opening the bow and releasing the arrow is completely different. As long as the talent is there, future generations will not have too much difficulty even if they start from scratch. How could there be such a thing as ancient elves being good at shooting, but today's elves can't live or die.

Melissa hesitated for a while in silence, and then suddenly said: "Master Richard, what I want to say next is the biggest secret of our grassland elves. Although it has no practical significance, I still hope you can keep it for us."

"No problem, wait a minute." Li Cha stood up, walked to the door, and tapped the warning bell hanging under the eaves with a copper hammer three times.

When the centaur, who was chatting nonsense outside, heard the bell, it immediately began to whistle and swim around. The domesticated peregrine falcon ate a few shreds of meat, flapped its wings and soared into the sky. The barbarian warrior rushed to replace the sentry of the vassal clan, holding the battle ax 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 ruthless and tyrannical with an iron fist.

The residents of the old Alpine Castle all understood this, and they packed up their things and went back to their respective homes without haste. But the elves who had just arrived didn't know what happened, they gathered together in panic, chirping like a group of larks, but unfortunately no one paid attention to them.

"Let's talk." The lord sat back at the table again.

"Do you still remember the Naxi Narcissus?" Melissa continued after receiving an affirmative answer: "The honey made from the pollen of the Naxi Narcissus does not only have the effect of promoting the queen bee to lay eggs. If the Naxi Narcissus nectar is given to the worker bees, they will brew a kind of bee venom. This kind of bee venom is called Moria Poison. It was one of the most important military supplies in the era of the ancient elf empire."

Li Cha rested his chin on both hands, quietly listening to the secrets worth several elf maids.

"Have you heard of magic tattoos?" Melissa asked suddenly.

Seeing the lord of Alpine Castle shaking her head, she explained: "It's a unique skill of the elves. Drawing tattoos on the body with specific materials can bring blessings to the receptors. To tell you the truth, the Moria poison is a material for magic tattoos."

"Oh, magic tattoos are similar to drawing an alchemy circle." Li Cha understood everything. "The ancient elves were able to form elite archer troops because they could use the moonwell to cultivate Naxi narcissus on a large scale. After tattooing, even a weak elf can become a qualified sergeant. And now you have so few Naxi narcissus, barely enough to maintain a bee colony, and occasionally save two pounds of nectar with a duster, and you can only give it to a few guards, right?"

"That's right." Melissa nodded slightly, communicating with smart people is effortless.

"Magic energy tattoos can increase strength?" The lord became curious.

"In the era of the Elf Empire, there were nine kinds of magic tattoo designs with different effects. Today, there are still three types of tattoos in the tribe. They are 'White Tiger Guard', 'Royal Arrow Shooter' and 'Thorn Armor'. Due to limited materials, we can only tattoo 'White Tiger Guard' now. The main effect is indeed power blessing." Melissa sighed, "If Alpine Castle is willing to accept elves, there are still some Monaka poisons in the tribe.

"The Monaca poison contains certain elemental toxicity, so the receptor must have certain elemental resistance or be strong enough. But I think this should not be a problem for you, Richard."

I have to admit that Li Cha was a little shocked at this moment.

For a small tribe with only a few hundred members, maintaining its own cultural independence is an almost impossible task. This can be seen in the grassland elves, who are deeply influenced by humans in all aspects, such as the tone of speech, which has a distinct Pompeian northern accent.

Probably no one would have thought that in this small, insignificant and struggling elf tribe, the unique skills of their ancestors were still being passed down from generation to generation. No matter how the family business declined, it was never completely lost. When it comes to sticking to tradition, there is indeed no other race that can match the elves.

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

"In the tribe, there are three 'Pali's' who have successfully tattooed magic energy. I am one of them. There are also some children who are also very good at crafting. But because of the lack of materials, they never got even a chance to perform it." Melissa's words showed how embarrassing a declining race can be.

"Can I take a look." Li Cha felt that seeing is believing.

"As you wish."

The order was passed among the guards layer by layer, and soon flowed to the panicked and helpless elves. Not long after, a stern elf guard was summoned into the lord's hall. After taking off the leather armor and clothes on his upper body, he revealed an eye-catching white tiger striped with dark blue lines on its back. This white tiger is lifelike and detailed, with a ferocious aura that is eager to devour, it almost hits the face, it looks like a master's handwriting.

This kind of large-scale tattoo is a test for both the tattoo artist and the bearer-the tattoo artist needs solid patience and skills, and the bearer needs to endure long-term pain. And there is nothing imprecise in anything involving magic, presumably the magic energy tattoo is no exception, that is to say, there should be no mistakes in the whole picture.

Li Cha tried to wrestle with him, and was surprised to find that this elf was so thin, but his strength was almost as strong as that of a centaur who had never advanced. And the other party looked at the undead even more, feeling as if he was breaking an iron stake, no matter how he shook it, he would not move at all.

"'White Tiger Guardian' provides pure strength blessing, 'Royal Arrow Shooter' can bring a certain ability to control airflow, and 'Thorn Armor' can reflect elemental damage when attacked. These are the three kinds of magic energy tattoos that our tribe has mastered." Melissa's face showed unconcealable regret, "As for the remaining six kinds, I probably will never see them again in this life."

"If, I mean if." Li Cha cleared his throat, and asked mysteriously: "If Naxi narcissus can be cultivated on a large scale, can you get more magic tattoos?"

"Of course there is no problem, but this kind of assumption is too idealistic." Melissa couldn't help smiling.

"Yeah, it's too idealistic, so I just asked casually." The lord smiled and nodded in agreement.

Two chapters in one