As the human had said, it had only temporarily allied with Gus and Leiden for the Primordial Blood Crystal. There was no real camaraderie to speak of.

There was absolutely no need for it to suffer on their account.

As for the cowardly act of betraying its allies?

Tikli would rather be called a coward than be humiliated by a band of Goblins and Harpies!

As long as it was still alive, there was always a chance.

This was something it had always firmly believed.

Levi was a bit surprised that the creature had surrendered so quickly, before he’d even had to use any of his methods, but he had no intention of humiliating it.

’After all, the surrender is to my advantage. There’s no need to get some verbal satisfaction now, only to plant a thorn of resentment in its heart.’

"Name?" Levi asked.

"Tikli."

The Pigman Leader glanced at the surrounding Beastmen, who had formed an impenetrable circle around them, and answered obediently.

"Speak. Why did you really come south this time?" Levi said, wiping his Holy Sword with a handkerchief. The Mithril Longsword shone with a unique luster under the moonlight.

"Don’t tell me it was just for plunder. If you’re going to spout such nonsense... Heh..." The Lord sneered. He left the threat unspoken, but his meaning was perfectly clear.

"A Dark Elf approached us. In exchange for the Primordial Blood Crystal, we were to march south to draw the attention of the Duke of Debei North and sever your connection with the depths of the Wilderness."

Now that it had decided to surrender, Tikli held nothing back, spilling everything all at once.

Though it felt a pang of loss, as if something was gone forever, the moment it decided to surrender, betraying its allies suddenly felt effortless.

"Ah, it’s really the Zor Elves?!"

Masha, who had come to stand behind the Lord at some unknown point, exclaimed in disbelief.

The Lord’s brow furrowed as well.

’Before, it was all just speculation, so a part of me had hoped for the best. But now that it’s confirmed, I can’t help but worry.’

"What is the Primordial Blood Crystal?"

the Lord asked, changing the subject.

’After all, for something to unite these powerful warrior Races and make them dare to march south against a Duke, one could only imagine how valuable this Primordial Blood Crystal must be to make them take such a desperate risk.’

"I know!" Masha said, raising her hand.

"Legend says the Primordial Blood Crystal is refined by an Alchemist using an extremely rare Magic Crystal Stone and other Magic Materials. It purifies the user’s Bloodline, giving them a chance to awaken the special Powers of mighty ancestors hidden deep within their lineage. What’s more, it even gives their descendants a chance to inherit that special Power."

After speaking, Masha added, "But the Alchemists who could create such Magic Items disappeared into the mists of history long ago. How could something like this possibly still exist?"

"If even the Zor Elves have appeared, is anything truly impossible?"

The Lord felt that at this point, he wouldn’t even be surprised if a horde of Other Ghosts suddenly appeared in the Wilderness.

Masha sighed and offered no rebuttal.

Still, Levi was genuinely surprised about the Primordial Blood Crystal.

In this world, a Bloodline was something that brought tangible benefits.

For example, Dragon Species possessing the Bloodline of a Giant Dragon were often far more exceptional and powerful than their kin.

But it was common knowledge that, generally, there were a few ways to obtain a powerful Bloodline. One was to bathe in the blood of a special creature, like Dragon Blood, allowing the two Bloodlines to merge.

Another was to bear offspring with a powerful being, in which case the descendants might inherit their parent’s formidable abilities.

Finally, if one managed to become a Legendary Powerhouse, they themselves would undergo a fundamental transformation, and their descendants would inherit a powerful Bloodline.

But none of these methods were permanent. As time went on, if no descendants managed to reach the Legendary rank themselves, the Bloodline’s potency would diminish with each generation until it faded into nothing.

But this so-called Primordial Blood Crystal, which could awaken the Bloodlines of one’s ancestors, was truly extraordinary.

After all, when you thought about it,

many people alive today could probably trace their ancestry back eighteen generations and find they were descendants of Legendary Powerhouses.

After all, a few thousand years ago, while Legendary Powerhouses were individually rare, there were actually quite a number of them across the whole of the Middle Ages Continent.

To awaken the Bloodline of a Legendary Powerhouse would be a massive boon.

"Why did this Dark Elf want you to draw the Duke of the North’s attention?" the Lord continued.

’Everything Tikli has said so far, apart from the information about the Primordial Blood Crystal, is something I had already suspected. This is merely confirmation.’

’What truly matters is the Zor Elves’ ultimate goal.’

"Lord, I do not know the true goal of this group of Dark Elves. They simply sent emissaries to contact the various Tribe leaders, offering the Primordial Blood Crystal as payment for us to march south."

Tikli replied honestly.

Levi took a long look at the Pigman Leader. Seeing its open expression, he snapped his fingers. "Very good. Your honesty has earned you a chance to live. You’re a smart one."

"Now, get ready to go to High Cliff Castle and begin your new life as a laborer."

"Lord..." Tikli started, wanting to say that it wished to fight as a Warrior, but the words caught in its throat. "Yes," it said, dejected.

With a wave of his hand, a few Beastman Guards dragged it aside.

"My Lord, you’re just going to trust it like that? What if it tries to escape?" Masha asked worriedly.

As a member of the Clergy, she was often merciful, but her mercy absolutely did not extend to these Alien Races.

Though not versed in military affairs, Masha knew that standard practice was to kill prisoners after an interrogation to prevent any future trouble.

"A broken tooth might grow back, but broken courage never will." The Lord dusted himself off and rose from the rock he was sitting on.

But there was a deeper reason Levi didn’t mention. To him, this Pigman was an utterly insignificant pawn. Sparing its life posed no threat whatsoever.

Keeping it alive, on the other hand, would help build his reputation for keeping his promises and treating captives well.

In the future, when he took other prisoners, this precedent would ensure they wouldn’t fear being slaughtered the moment they were no longer useful after an interrogation.

They might even answer his questions more readily, saving him a great deal of effort.

"The real purpose of these Zor Elves... it’s probably connected to why Fulina left."

Walking over to a catapult, Levi clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the distant battlefield, teeming with shadowy figures. ’He was gradually clearing away the fog of this mystery. Now, all that remains is to see what kind of explanation Fujero will give me.’

"What is that?!"

As he was observing the battlefield, the Lord was suddenly taken aback by a brilliant flash.

The battlefield, which had been lit only by the flames of torches, was suddenly pierced by a bolt of lightning that shot across the sky from the distance. An azure brilliance illuminated the entire scene.

Levi hurriedly pulled out his spyglass to get a closer look...