The marquis proceeded to recount all the key details of his meeting with the human.
"So, we know who he is, but we have no way to contact him?" the princess asked.
"Unfortunately, he left on the same day you arrived, so my preparations to attend to you made me neglect him, and he ended up leaving without leaving any contact information," the marquis said, finishing his glass of liquor.
"I know you have more to say, but I'm sure you'll keep talking in riddles if we don't discuss your payment. You know well that by imperial decree, I'm authorized to give you substantial rewards if he is indeed the person we're looking for," the princess said, not taking offense at the marquis's attitude.
"You've become much sharper during this time I haven't seen you, princess," the marquis said.
"Not in vain have I had the best teachers. I still remember with fondness the moment when my mentor, Rhenar the Dark Blade, took me to witness my first torture," the princess said. "Anyway, enough of reminiscences, Marquis. We could discuss the details. You know that I need to finish this before my sisters do."
"Of course, princess. I just need a few things," the marquis said and proceeded to list a long series of information and resources from both the internal security section and the empire's espionage and diplomatic agencies.
"This," the princess said, incredulous at the long list, "I don't even know where to begin to get all of this, or if it's even possible for them to provide you with all of this."
"Don't worry, princess. They're so cornered that they'll have no choice but to concede. Moreover, none of this information poses a national security breach, so it's not that complicated of an issue. It's more of an ego battle than anything else," the marquis replied. "Just convey the information and the request to your mother and the head of intelligence, and they will understand."
"Very well, but before you leave, at least tell me that you really have a way to contact him. Besides, it will be really difficult to get this many gnolls from the neighboring cities without attracting attention. Why do we need them?" the princess said, a bit tense. She had made so much progress, but it still felt like it was slipping through her fingers.
"As far as I know, there is only one person in the city who should have a method. If he doesn't, we'll have no choice but to force our way through the forests. Fortunately, if it comes to that, your drake has his scent, so it can probably lead us to him," the marquis paused to adjust his attire and groom himself a bit, then continued, "We'll present the gnolls as a peace offering. It's the only way to ensure he won't refuse to speak with you after the insult your guard caused to him." The marquis finished and proceeded to leave.
Just before the marquis opened the door, the princess's facial expression changed to one of anger, and she shouted, "If this is all your information, be aware that you cannot return until I call you, you damned outcast. Do you think you can come here and waste my time? If it weren't for the imperial decree, I would flay you."
The people entering were shocked by how angry the princess was. Some had panicked expressions and looked at the marquis with resentment because now they would have to control the situation. To them, it was clear that the marquis must have done something, as the princess's face was red and distorted by anger.
Stolen novel; please report.
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While the marquis moved silently, taking extra care to ensure that no one followed him through the outskirts, Alex finally arrived at his camp and was surprised by a scene he hadn't expected.
The camp, which initially had around 100 gnolls, had now almost quintupled its population. And these were just gnolls. There was also a significant portion of another species that Alex had not seen before, as well as small groups of other species more familiar to him, like elves, dwarves, harpies, and other hybrid species.
Alex's newly arrived group caused a great commotion because many didn't know anything about him. However, the gnolls were informed that a caravan would come, and they quickly contacted Atasha to deal with the newcomers.
"Sir Alex, you've finally returned. I'm very happy to see you. I hope you've been able to find everything you were looking for, and... and I see you have new friends," Atasha said, initially excited to see the human return and then puzzled as an elf suddenly emerged from the cart and approached him.
"Atasha, this is Torel. He accompanied us for part of the journey, but don't worry; he'll be leaving soon," Alex said in the human language, which both the elf and the young matriarch understood. "Furthermore, I have good news. As you can see, I managed to bring many useful things to set up a camp, as well as weapons and armor to equip at least 100 soldiers and basic cultivation items to train warriors."
"That's truly excellent, sir. However, I'm very grateful for everything you've done for us, but I'm afraid I must ask for your help again. Recently, other groups have started contacting us. There are some representatives here, and I hoped that Mr. Alex could represent us in the upcoming discussions," the matriarch said as she led Alex to a space where there appeared to be representatives from at least five factions.
For Atasha, the young human had long become the natural leader, not only because of what he had achieved so far but also because there was a mystical component. For a long time, all the gnoll matriarchs had dreamed of the province of Iretar. They had all received the premonition that the answers to their eternal prayers were here. Although they had all seen different things, the young matriarch had dreamt of a lighthouse, a great lighthouse that burned and illuminated its surroundings like a great conflagration. In the center of such a flame was a being seated on a throne, and she had recently begun to feel that it might be Alex. Although she had no certainty, a matriarch would always trust her premonitions.
"Before you head to the meeting, allow me to give you a brief description of the events. I'm sorry there's no more time, but if you like, you can choose not to participate," Atasha said with some guilt in her voice for burdening her savior with so many responsibilities.
"Don't worry, Atasha. I trust your judgment. Now, tell me what has happened and how you managed to rescue so many gnolls during my absence," Alex said in a reassuring tone.
"Thank you for your trust, sir. Many things have happened during your absence. To summarize it roughly, it could be said that the war between the two factions finally erupted in the province of Iretar. The coalition to which the Krons belong went to war with the other faction, which includes the elves and other species. Some species that don't belong to either coalition, like us, are gathering here. Additionally, some elven representatives have arrived," Atasha tried to summarize everything as quickly as possible.
"Do you think maybe the elves will try to get us to join their coalition?" Alex asked.
"I doubt it, sir. Historically, the most they've allowed us is an associate status in the war. However, I'm sure neither side will allow us to fully enter their coalition," Atasha said.
"Is there a reason you're so sure it won't happen?" Alex asked, curious. If there was certainty that they wouldn't be allowed to join, he would need to change his diplomatic approach entirely.
"Our race is cursed, sir, and because of that curse, we've been segregated from all civilizations. There may be nothing set in stone, but our history was written in the blood of millions of gnolls who paid for an alliance that never materialized," the matriarch said with great sorrow.
Alex noticed that the atmosphere changed when Atasha mentioned the curse. Even the ever-cheerful Torel became serious. There was another matter to review, but for now, it had to be set aside.
"Anyway, let's see what these representatives want," Alex declared.