Envoy

Chapter 222 Envoy

Meanwhile, Silas's gift was also ready.

He had three boxes carried to Ye Weian.

"Twenty iron spearheads, fifteen harpoon heads, and ten skinning knives," Silas said, opening the first box. "They're all products from our blacksmith shop."

The Swiftspear Lizardmen live by fishing and hunting, and iron weapons are especially precious to them. The damp environment of the swamp causes ordinary ironware to rust quickly, and the Lizardmen lack iron smelting technology, so they can only obtain iron through trade or plunder.

The mir people who joined the territory felt this way.

In fact, Silas consulted with the former Mil chieftains and priests Turamir and Vera regarding the choice of gifts.

"In addition," he lifted another wooden box, revealing neatly stacked small cloth bags inside, "fifty pounds of coarse salt, five pounds each of pepper and ginger powder. The lizardmen's diet is pungent and fishy, ​​and these are lacking in the swamps, so spices are more precious to them than gold."

When Silas opened the last box, the light inside made Ellen squint.

"Four bronze mirrors, twelve tin bracelets, and three strings of glass beads." Silas's tone carried a hint of pride. "These are all trinkets we bought cheaply from Persku. Anyone in the territory with a second-tier income can afford them, but they are quite precious to those lizardmen who have never seen the world."

Ye Wei'an picked up a bronze mirror and suddenly laughed: "Silas, it's a waste of your talent that you're not a shrewd businessman."

"You flatter me, sir." Silas's lips curled up. "It is my duty to seek profit for the territory."

With everything prepared, the mission departed from the resting place of Maloren the following morning.

Yevian rode in front on horseback, followed by Amarun and Ellen. The kobold Nas rode a small horse, closely following Ellen's horse—actually, Yevian didn't trust Nas to act alone.

More than ten knights followed behind, carrying Silas's carefully packed gifts on horseback.

As for Lucia—once she left the territory, she ran wild, taking the lead in the group.

They traveled upstream along the Thun River.

The river water here remains remarkably clear, and the reeds on both banks have not yet been eroded by the stench of the swamp. Occasionally, you can see silver-scaled fish leaping out of the water, drawing fleeting arcs in the sunlight.

"Young master, how long will it take us?" Ellen asked, lying on the horse's back, swinging her legs listlessly.

"Nas said it would take two days at the earliest, and three days at the latest." Ye Weian glanced at the mini-map to make sure there were no danger markers ahead. "Depending on the changes in the swamp's terrain, the seasonal course changes of the Thun River will render many routes unusable."

"Two days—" Eileen said proudly, "So, are we going camping tonight? I recently learned how to grill fish from Vera, I can grill some for you."

"Miss Ai-Lian—" Nas cautiously interjected, "Those creatures swimming in the swamp—hiss—you can't eat them! Those green-backed worms, they're terribly bitter! And those flatfish in the mud, their spines—hiss—are poisonous!"

"Why didn't you say so sooner!" Eileen's eyes widened, then she deflated. "Then what else is there to eat—"

"Silver-scaled fish, good! Sparkling—hiss—delicious! And the hard-shelled shrimp in the mud, with long whiskers—" Nas's little eyes lit up at the mention of food, "If we're lucky, we might stumble upon a sweet melon—the kind of honeydew melon that grows by the mudflats, one bite—hiss—sweeter than bread!"

Eileen actually started talking to Nas about "swamp cuisine".

Ye Wei'an listened with great interest, but soon he started to get a headache.

The headache was naturally caused by Lucia.

This druid had clearly forgotten his previous promise and treated the mission as a picnic.

Less than ten miles from Maloren, she plunged into the reeds by the river, startling a flock of waterbirds. A moment later, she dug out a mud turtle from a mud puddle and excitedly presented it to Ye Weian. When it was time to rest at noon, she actually chased a herd of swamp deer for half a mile until Ye Weian sent Xiaolong Aiwu to call her back.

"Lucia!" Ye Weian sighed helplessly. "We're going to negotiate, not on an autumn outing. If you run off again, I'll tie you to the back of the carriage."

Lucia's ears drooped, and her big golden eyes were full of grievance.

She slowly strolled back to the group, a half-eaten sweet reed still dangling from her mouth, looking like a 1,500-pound child.

"But—I really am gathering intelligence," she whispered to Ye Wei'an.

"Oh, I'd like to see what you've discovered."

"There's a patch of moonshine moss over there; it's a top-grade ingredient for making healing potions!"

"The soil on the southeast bank of the river has a strong, bitter metallic smell; there's definitely an abandoned mine downstream that's been flooded."

"Those sharp-billed sandpipers suddenly flew away; there must be a big one hiding in the wetlands to the west."

"Also, I found the beaver's nest. They said there have been strange noises upstream lately, possibly from the Swiftspear Lizardmen—"

"————You pass."

Ye Wei'an sighed after hearing this.

As expected of a druid, they easily discovered what others couldn't find.

"You can gather intelligence, but don't go too far." Ye Wei'an tossed her a piece of dried meat, his tone softening. "If there's any danger, I can come to your aid in time."

"Don't worry." Lucia caught the jerky precisely, ate it happily, and wagged her tail excitedly again.

As the sun set, they set up camp on a slightly higher riverbank.

Lucia finally got tired of playing and quieted down, obediently using magic to set up a guard around the camp: Ellen and Nas were squatting by the river, and actually caught a few silverfish, which they were skewering on branches and roasting over a fire.

As for the knights, they took on tasks such as building camps, gathering firewood, and standing guard.

Ye Wei'an sat alone on a high point on the riverbank, gazing downstream. There, the lights of the Maloren Resting Place had already disappeared into the twilight.

He then looked at the mini-map and confirmed that there were no danger markers within a kilometer radius.

"Young master, try the fish I just grilled!" Ellen ran over, holding a grilled fish.

Ye Wei'an took the grilled fish and took a bite. The meat was tender and had a faint herbal aroma; it was indeed quite good.

"This scent—I've never smelled it before. What did you add?"

"It's swamp sage. I use swamp sage to wrap grilled fish to remove the fishy smell. This is a technique that Vera taught me."

"Then you've learned well," Ye Wei'an praised, and seeing the other person chuckle, he asked again, "What about Nas?"

"Over there!" Eileen pointed down the riverbank, where the kobold was huddled next to a rock, drawing on the mud with a twig.

What? "It says it's recalling the route Grak once mentioned, afraid of leading the wrong way tomorrow—"

Ye Wei'an stood up and walked to Nas's side.

The kobold sensed his approach and shuddered, nearly breaking the branch.

"Master, Master! I haven't been slacking off! Nas is finding his way—hiss—he's helping Master find his way!"

"What is being drawn?"

Nas hesitated for a moment, then tapped the pattern on the mud with a twig: "This is—this is the picture that dead bald-tailed guy mentioned. Those big green guys live in the area with three streams, and going up—there are three small islands. But where exactly they are, I—hiss—I really don't know, please don't burn Nas, sir—"

Ye Wei'an looked at the crooked mud map.

Although the map is ridiculous, it does match the terrain on his minimap, and the three waters he mentioned are probably where the rivers fork.

Thinking of this, he suddenly realized—although this kobold was humble and cowardly, it was indeed trying its best to lead the way.

"Well done," he said casually. "Get some rest; we have a long journey ahead tomorrow."

Nas was stunned, seemingly not expecting to hear praise from Ye Wei'an.

The great master actually praised him, Nas, this lowly reptile!

It stared blankly at Ye Weian's departing figure, its slender tail swaying involuntarily.

This god of slaughter who slayed the kobolds doesn't seem so terrifying after all.

After a night's rest, the team set off again.

The deeper you go into the swamp, the harsher the surrounding environment becomes.

The clear riverbed was gradually replaced by murky muddy water, the air was filled with the sour smell of fermenting humus, and the reeds turned into twisted, withered trees covered with grayish-white moss.

The ground beneath their feet became soft and slippery, and the horses' hooves frequently sank into the mud, causing the procession to slow down noticeably.

Even Lucia lost her enthusiasm for having fun.

The massive owl bear followed closely beside Ye Weian, its ears twitching alertly, occasionally emitting low growls from its throat.

The depths of the swamp harbor too many uncertain dangers, and even high-ranking druids are unwilling to let their guard down in such a place.

As Nas rode on his ponies, his tail nervously wrapped around his legs, muttering repeatedly, "Hiss—almost there—almost there—" It was unclear whether he was comforting others or trying to embolden himself.

Following Nass's route, the team proceeded upstream along a tributary of the Thun River.

At noon, the group finally emerged from the oppressive, withered forest.

What suddenly opened up before me was not a beautiful view, but a wide, slow-flowing, muddy yellow riverbed.

The river splits into three streams here, with three low sandbars rising in the middle, covered with dark green moss and a few crooked aquatic shrubs.

It is the landmark of "three waterways and three islands" mentioned by Nass.

This also means that the Swiftspear Lizardmen are not far away.

Nasne reined in his pony, hunching his neck, his voice reverting to its high-pitched hiss: "Master—we've arrived, this is it—three rivers, three islands, just as Bald Tail said before. But next—how do we proceed next, I truly don't know!"

Ye Wei'an raised his hand, signaling him to shut up.

In fact, at this moment, Ye Wei'an no longer needed him to lead the way.

Because he had already spotted the situation on the minimap.

On the minimap, the green dot representing your team members is resting on the edge of the riverbank.

Between these seemingly desolate reed beds and wetlands, there are more than a dozen orange-yellow spots of light, scattered among the reeds on the opposite bank of the river, behind dead trees, and on the edge of the shallow beach piled with driftwood on the left.

They were not scattered, but rather formed a loose semi-circle, subtly facing the direction of Ye Weian, creating a kind of encirclement and surveillance posture.

It was organized and in formation; it couldn't possibly be a wild animal.

Of course, these are not Blackscale Lizardmen or any other hostile tribes.

The kobold captives revealed that the Blackscale tribe's territory was not located here.

More importantly, if it were truly an enemy, it should be marked in red on the minimap, indicating hostility towards them.

Orange represents mild hostility; these unknown entities are on alert but do not intend to attack immediately, instead observing and assessing the situation.

If you don't intend to attack, then it's easier to talk.

Meanwhile, Amarun suggested in a low voice, "Since we can't find the lizardmen, why don't Ellen and I take a few people and search the area?"

"Young Master?" Eileen noticed that Ye Wei'an had suddenly fallen silent and his hand was already on the hilt of his short sword.

Amalune spurred her horse forward half a step and lowered her voice, saying, "My lord, the bushes nearby are too dense, and visibility is poor. Elaine and I will take a few men to search the area and eliminate the risk of an ambush."

"No need," Ye Wei'an raised his hand to stop her. "I've already found them."

Amalune was slightly taken aback.

Not only her, but also the knights behind her became alert, quickly drawing their weapons and forming a defensive formation.

Eileen dismounted, drew her short sword, and positioned herself to the side and in front of Ye Weian.

Lucia stood up, a deep roar rolling from the depths of her throat, clearly sensing that something was wrong.

However, the surroundings remained deathly silent.

The wind rustled through the reeds, and waterbirds leisurely preened their wings on the distant sandbar. There was no sound.

Amalune, who had been gripping her staff tightly, loosened her grip slightly and carefully scanned every bush and reed in front of her once more.

She even used the keen senses unique to a sorcerer to try to catch any clues that might be ambush attackers—hidden breathing sounds, unnatural shadows, the faint sound of scales rubbing together.

She was originally a wanderer, and reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance were her forte. Now, she has also studied the path of a mage, and her perception of magical fluctuations is far superior to before.

The deeper her understanding of magic became, the more she realized the vastness of power and how incredible the things Ye Wei'an could do were.

But the problem is

She found nothing.

She waited a moment longer, then finally couldn't help but turn back to look at Ye Weian: "My lord—are the lizardmen really still there? I can't feel anything."

Ye Wei'an withdrew his gaze from scanning the minimap and said calmly.

"When did I make a mistake?"

Seeing that she still didn't believe him, Ye Wei'an simply started to give her pointers.

"At eleven o'clock, there's one behind the reeds. At one o'clock, there are two behind the crooked, dead tree. At nine o'clock, there are four at the edge of the driftwood shallows. The rest are on higher ground on the muddy bank further away, probably archers."

Amalune listened as the lord casually recounted the distribution of the other party, even having the time to speculate on the type of weapon they were using, as if she were simply stating something perfectly ordinary.