Chapter 103 - 98: Substitution
"I assume, since you dare to come before me to discuss compensation, the ins and outs of the matter are clear enough without my needing to elaborate.
"The current situation is that my kin are missing, and the cargo I brought has been all but lost!
"My heart is bleeding, I tell you!"
When they heard David’s shameless opening remarks, the group of Drow matriarchs immediately began cursing him furiously in their hearts.
Who the hell doesn’t know by now that your subordinate slipped out the back door of the tavern with the goods at the first sign of trouble? At least three of their families had even secretly dispatched members to ambush the fleeing Drow along their escape routes, impersonating members of House Flavia to intercept the cargo. But who could have known that, aside from that Shadow Dancer, the seemingly weakest Barbarian was so ridiculously strong? His twin dragon-tooth blades, dancing on their chains, easily slaughtered the ordinary Drow Wanderers from their families—those not adept at direct combat. And when they tried to ambush him with long-range attacks, that kin of the Red Dragon could even exhale Dragon Breath! Although it wasn’t as powerful as David Uthos’s, the Drow Wanderers on the periphery still suffered heavy losses from the unexpected attack. Finally seizing an opportunity to separate Hiatt, that Drow, from his support, four Shadow Dancers used Shadow Instant Step to simultaneously plunge at least eight poisoned daggers into the Barbarian’s vital points. But the Barbarian just bellowed in rage. He didn’t die outright and, instead, seemed to instantly enter an even deeper state of berserk fury! Not only did his combat power surge, but he also ignored the wounds to his vital areas, wielding twin dragon-tooth blades wreathed in fierce flames. He utterly stunned the group of Drow Shadow Dancers who thought they had succeeded. Incredibly, under pursuit from teams sent by three families, he covered the retreat of those two Drow and the Winter Wolf carrying the goods, breaking through the tight encirclement and escaping unscathed—can you believe it? And now, this shameless Red Dragon, to extort more compensation, was blatantly distorting the facts, defying all reason! Yet they, the victims, had no choice but to put on benevolent expressions, bowing and scraping with smiles, not daring to utter a single word of protest.
This was the sorrow of the defeated—destined to be at the mercy of the Dragon.
Of course, if the situation were reversed, it would be the same.
As Drow, their behavior toward their enemies, especially those lying on the chopping block, unable to struggle and only to be slaughtered at will, would be even more merciless and cruel.
Then, they experienced the ruthlessness and cruelty of a Red Dragon:
"Considering that Matriarch Flavia has been executed and her house razed to the ground, we need not concern ourselves further with the grievances between her and me.
"But you filthy creatures dared to send people to kill my kin and rob my goods. This is a debt we must settle clearly, isn’t it?"
David lacked evidence. He hadn’t even seen his own kin, who were escaping with the goods, being attacked by Drow. However, he knew the Drow well enough. Under such openly hostile circumstances, the other Drow families would undoubtedly clarify the intelligence as quickly as possible and start looting amidst the chaos!