The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

When Lila resumed the interrogation, the effect was completely different!
The monk answered almost every question, without any of his previous resistance or ambiguity.

Lila assumed that the second bottle of the Mantra Potion had finally broken down his willpower, and secretly sighed that the effects of this potion on high-level spellcasters indeed required a sufficient amount to manifest, without raising any suspicion.

As the mage confessed, the details of Ash Claw's situation gradually came to light.

Ash Claws is a sizable mercenary group in the Kingdom of Loren. Ostensibly, they undertake tasks such as escorting caravans and defending towns, but secretly their main source of profit is the capture of slaves and the smuggling of contraband.

Guild leader Blood Axe Baron is a level 17 Dragonblood Warrior, cruel and bloodthirsty, with connections to bandits and gangs in various places.

The group has more than 30 high-level professionals of level 15 or above, and the mage codenamed "Shadow Raven" in front of us is one of them.

There are over a hundred mid-level professionals at levels seven to fourteen, and over a thousand low-level professionals at all levels!

The underground waterway base beneath Star Tear Waterfall was discovered and renovated three years ago, and is mainly responsible for receiving and processing "goods" looted from the eastern region of Emerald Forest.

There are three similar strongholds around Emerald Forest, located in different directions of the forest, forming an invisible encirclement.

Besides the area around the forest, they also operate two more important strongholds within human spheres of influence.

One is a vast underground space located deep within the "Crying Mine" southeast of Black Iron City. It is heavily guarded and well-equipped, serving as the main transit, storage, and training base for "goods".

The second is an inn called "Traveler's Home" located in "Three-Forked River Town," at the border between the Kingdom of Loren and its neighboring countries. On the surface, the inn caters to merchants, but secretly it is responsible for the clandestine exchange of "goods" with buyers.

What chilled the elves the most was that "Shadow Raven" confessed that a rather detailed "Guide to the Habits and Weaknesses of Valuable Goods and How to Capture Them" circulated within Ash Claws.

The section on nature elves included their common activity patterns, the types of magic they were good at and how to identify and easily counter them, the characteristics of their commonly used tracking and counter-tracking techniques, formulas for paralyzing and weakening potions effective against their constitution, and how to set up temporary confinement points to suppress their abilities to the greatest extent possible. This "guide" greatly improved their slave-hunting efficiency and success rate, making them far superior to poachers who blindly relied on luck. They were truly professional hunters who came prepared.

On Ash Claw's list of "precious goods," nature spirits, which are rare in number, have outstanding appearances, long lifespans, and usually possess remarkable magical talents, have always ranked in the top three, with strong market demand and high prices.

The information collected on Pokémon is also the most detailed.

"Fortunately, Moran insisted on interrogating us, and thankfully we actually got these things out of us... otherwise the tribe might have really suffered a great loss in the future!" Lila said with relief.

Lendor's expression also turned serious. Although he had taken it seriously before, he had not expected the enemy to be so large and professional.

"Get rid of them, immediately! Then return to the tribe as quickly as possible and report everything to the chieftain!"

He did not intend to bring the captives back to the tribe and pollute its land.

"Yes!" The elves immediately sprang into action.

They are friendly to nature, but show no mercy to enemies who covet their people.

Within moments, all the slave hunters, including the Shadow Raven, silently lost their life force, their bodies rapidly disintegrating under the druid's spell and returning to the earth's cycle.

Moran watched all this quietly, and this time, she didn't speak up to stop it. The information she obtained from "Shadow Raven's" memories was more detailed than what the elves had interrogated her.

Ash Claws is just a slave-hunting group operating in Emerald Forest. There are several other slave-hunting groups like them throughout the entire world of Thran, and the goods of these slave-hunting groups all flow to the same supplier—the Shadow Merchant Guild.

This vast, shadowy organization, spanning multiple countries across the continent and extending its reach into areas such as the slave trade, prohibited goods, intelligence, and mercenary brokerage, has a tight structure and a strict hierarchy.

The tavern owner of the "Traveler's Home" in Sanchahe Town is actually a regular contact person for the Ash Claws and the Shadow Merchant Guild, codenamed "Night Owl".

This person is responsible for receiving instructions, assessing the "goods," arranging handovers, and paying rewards, making them a key link between the hunters and the stolen goods network.

The Shadow Merchant Guild regularly holds secret, high-end auctions in the renowned neutral commercial city-state of Talencia, open only to select top-tier clients, to auction off these "goods".

This time, it was the Shadow Merchant Guild that specifically requested "fresh, young nature elves," which is why Ash Claws came to the Emerald Forest to search for traces of nature elves. It is said that this was to satisfy the needs of a nobleman from a powerful duchy in the north, who was of high status and had a certain special "collecting hobby."

Besides the Ash Claws, other slave-hunting groups that cooperate with the Shadow Merchant Guild are also trying to capture nature spirits.

Moran did not tell the other elves about this.

The tribe's elves are accustomed to the rhythm of the forest, and their primary goal is to protect the forest and ensure the safety of their people.

Sending them to fight against the Ash Claws and even the Shadow Merchant behind them is neither realistic nor feasible, and could come at an unbearable cost.

Eradicating the Ash Claws and investigating the Shadow Merchant Guild will become an important main quest for her as she leaves Emerald Forest and travels through the world of Thran.

The peaceful atmosphere of the Emerald Elf tribe was completely shattered when they returned with the news.

Beneath the Tree of Life, Chief Matilda summoned all the adult elves of the tribe.

With the utmost solemnity, Lyndall revealed the Ash Claws' scale, strength, level of specialization, multiple strongholds surrounding the forest, and the detailed "capture guide" for elves.

“More than thirty high-level professionals… hundreds of mid-level professionals… thousands of low-level professionals…” an elven druid’s voice trembled, “Our entire tribe of elves combined doesn’t have that many people!”

“Fortunately, there are only four forward outposts in Emerald Forest. It’s unlikely that they’ll come all out into the forest,” another elven ranger analyzed.

Chief Matilda sat atop the gnarled roots of the Tree of Life, listening quietly to all the reports:
"Fear and anger are useless. The enemy has shown their claws and exposed their plans. Now is the time for us to respond."

She stood up, her gaze sweeping over each elf present:
"The Emerald Forest is our home, our fortress, and the source of our strength."

Although the enemy is strong, if they dare to step into the forest, they are courting death!

I hereby declare that the Emerald Tribe shall immediately enter a state of maximum combat readiness!

Mathilde's voice echoed beneath the Tree of Life. (End of Chapter)