Chapter Forty-Three: Chasing Shadows and Grasping at the Wind

Kardek had been in a foul mood lately—an extremely foul mood. The reason, of course, was singular: according to intelligence he had received from Onyx Stone City, it appeared that the city was currently mobilizing its army to launch an offensive against Brandon Stone City.

This news unsettled him greatly. Kardek wasn't entirely sure why Onyx Stone City would target him, but it wasn't beyond his expectations. In the Underdark, powers launching attacks against one another often required no reason at all—sometimes a fabricated pretext was as good as any. Moreover, Brandon Stone City could hardly claim innocence. During the founding of Onyx Stone City, Brandon Stone City had dispatched troops as part of an alliance to resist refugees from the surface. In fact, it was the duergar who had eagerly pushed for the formation of the three-way alliance—after all, Onyx Stone City's location was closest to Brandon Stone City, and its establishment would impact Brandon Stone City far more than distant Menzoberranzan or Brain City.

Unfortunately, the alliance ultimately failed, granting Onyx Stone City a respite and allowing it to succeed in its founding. Since then, Kardek had remained vigilant, wary that Onyx Stone City might someday seek retribution. Although the enemy likely didn't know the duergar were behind the earlier conflict, who could say for certain? If the dark elves suddenly decided to betray their allies by revealing the truth to Onyx Stone City, it wouldn't be unthinkable.

"So, what do you all think we should do? Are those surface vermin coming for us, or is this just a diversion?"

Seated in the council hall, Kardek, though anxious inside, maintained a calm and composed demeanor. There was still some distance between Onyx Stone City and Brandon Stone City, and the duergar were masters of subterranean architecture. The adversaries from Onyx Stone City could not hope to breach Brandon Stone City's defenses without paying a heavy price. For the time being, Kardek could afford to keep his cool.

"Could it be those bastards found out the truth and are here for revenge?"

"Impossible... It's been so long, besides, that's not how things work in the Underdark..."

A councilor spoke dismissively. In the Underdark, murder and mayhem were commonplace; every power, every city, nursed grudges spanning centuries. If every feud were settled tit-for-tat, all factions would annihilate one another until none remained.

"Who knows what those surface vermin think?"

Another councilor disagreed. The hatred between the Underdark and the surface was innate, mutual contempt ingrained deep. Though Onyx Stone City had existed in the Underdark for some years, for subterranean races like the duergar, its inhabitants remained representatives of the surface. The relationship was akin to that between nobles and commoners—there could be no common ground.

For a while, the hall buzzed like a hive, the duergar voicing their opinions, some convinced Onyx Stone City was seeking vengeance, others suspecting hidden motives, and a few indifferent, ready to fight regardless of the adversaries' intent.

"Gentlemen, quiet! Quiet! I have something to say!"

Suddenly, a duergar leaped onto the table, shouting loudly—a gesture reserved for matters of utmost importance among their kind. Seeing this, the others ceased speaking, turning curious eyes toward him.

"What do you have to say, Togg?"

Kardek frowned, regarding Togg. He had originally thought Togg would not survive the recent ordeal, but the stubborn fool had actually completed his task, helping the necromancer annihilate the goblin nest. This left Kardek thoroughly discomfited; he had planned to use the opportunity to rid himself of the nuisance, but Togg had instead reestablished his standing in Brandon Stone City. Kardek could hardly dismiss him in front of everyone and had to restore him to his former post. Luckily, Togg had stayed quiet since, causing no further trouble.

But what was he up to now?

At Kardek’s inquiry, Togg glanced at him, omitting any formal greeting. The tension between the captain of the guard and the governor was well known, so no one minded. Togg turned to face the assembly and spoke.

"I trust none of you have forgotten that I, along with the necromancer, went to clear out the goblin nest and encountered humans there."

At this, the duergar councilors—including Kardek—nodded. The appearance of humans in the Underdark was no trivial matter, especially so near Brandon Stone City, and their attack on duergar forces had made it the city’s chief concern. Had Onyx Stone City not suddenly mobilized its army, this would have remained the focus of their deliberations... Wait!

"Are you saying those bastards from Onyx Stone City are connected to the humans?!"

With these words, the assembly erupted like boiling water. Screams, curses, and furious shouts resounded; many duergar flushed with rage, fists raised, vowing to tear the scum of Onyx Stone City limb from limb. Chaos once again reigned in the council hall, duergar-style.

This time, Kardek did not quell the commotion. Instead, he fell into deep thought. The presence of humans was unquestionable—not just from Togg's report, but also from scouts who had recently spotted traces of humans nearby. It was a strange occurrence, but if these humans were linked to Onyx Stone City, it suddenly made sense.

Perhaps Onyx Stone City was founded by surface humans sent to establish a foothold here... Could it be they planned to launch an invasion of the Underdark, making Brandon Stone City their first target?

The more Kardek pondered, the heavier his headache grew. He pressed his hand to his forehead, lost in thought.

Thus distracted, he failed to notice that, amid the boiling council hall, Togg had vanished.

"I've done as you asked."

Outside in the corridor beyond the council hall, Togg stood in shadow, his expression grim as he faced a dark elf.

"Will this really make Kardek suffer? It's just a few words..."

"Sometimes, words are more effective than blades. If you want to become governor, never forget that."

At Togg's question, Verna snorted softly. In the next instant, her figure melted swiftly into the shadows and disappeared.

"Now, go about your business. Remember, don't meddle in matters that aren't yours to meddle with..."

Watching Verna vanish, Togg's expression shifted uncertainly several times before he stamped his foot and turned away.

"The matter with the duergar is settled."

Back at the Blackstone Watchtower, Verna addressed Jenn with a stony face. Jenn nodded at her report. Thanks to the dungeon’s surveillance system, he was well aware of Brandon Stone City's current situation. Of course, the dungeon’s system wasn't telepathic, but it could gather public information for Jenn's review—notes such as, "Residents of Brandon Stone City are anxious about the appearance of humans; the atmosphere is tense," revealing the mood within the city.

Verna understood Jenn’s intentions to some degree. Dark elves excelled at such insidious tactics—stoking mutual suspicion and hostility through ambiguous information, provoking conflict between rival factions. Once hostilities began, even when the truth became clear, it was often too late to stop. In terms of intrigue, Jenn’s prowess rivaled the best among the dark elf matriarchs. His courage was astounding; he wagered boldly and often, sometimes leaving Verna secretly astonished at his audacity, unable to comprehend his penchant for risk. Dark elves, for all their cunning, would never act without absolute confidence. Yet Jenn was like a gambler at the table, eager to bet big even with scant chips.

This time, he meant to stir Onyx Stone City, Brandon Stone City, and the humans into a maelstrom, but with so little power at his disposal, discovery would mean utter destruction. Still, Jenn relished this dangerous tightrope act, seemingly oblivious to the peril—a trait that left Verna both perplexed and impressed.

"So what do you plan to do next?"

Watching Jenn’s relaxed demeanor, Verna frowned and questioned him. Jenn glanced at the dark elf and pushed up his glasses.

"One good turn deserves another. Since those humans are causing us trouble, it’s time they learned what the Underdark is capable of..."

She had expected as much, but hearing Jenn’s reply still took Verna aback.

He really was going all in!