Chapter 650 - 426: New Clue_2
Lis felt that what was laid before him now was a tangled mess. He held the ends of this mess in his hands, but he felt somewhat helpless about the unknown middle.
However, Lis wasn't worried. He now held the most critical clue; all he needed to do was to slowly sort through the intelligence.
For example, if it had been someone else seeking to understand the deeds of Antoine and his compatriots, it would have been impossible to connect them to the Destruction of the Elf Court and Demogorgon.
All Lis needed was to find the possibilities that lay therein.
So, for Lis, it was as if he was using the answer to reverse-engineer the process.
Moreover, Lis's goal was not to prevent the destruction of the Elf Court, something utterly unachievable for someone without even a Legend tier.
Delving too deep would only bring annihilation; Lis merely wanted to pinpoint the exact time of the Elf Court's destruction.
"I ask, you answer, understood?"
Lis looked at Dick before him and said expressionlessly.
"Understood, please ask."
Dick kept a very low profile. Having become a Gold-level Vampire partly through luck, he was much weaker compared to people like Antoine, which meant he had no confidence when facing Lis.
This was also why he had declined Andre's invitation.
He was well aware of his limits and truly worried about being targeted by others.
Secretly assuming the identity of the lord of Kosain Fortress had not been easy for him; he was not willing to give it up.
The existence who proclaimed herself the Blood Queen probably wouldn't care about someone as inconspicuous as him, right?
Of course, the result was that Lis caught him red-handed.
"Do you know Antoine, Devitt, and Palmer?"
Lis asked Dick, sitting casually on the sofa without any precautions.
"I... I know them."
Dick said with a pained expression. The blood-red scythe Angela held over his heart exuded a terrifying aura, putting him under immense pressure.
"What's their relationship like?"
Lis continued to ask.
From what Andre had told him, these three Gold-level Vampires were not particularly connected.
They even had conflicts among themselves.
However, that night, Lis sensed something similar in the aura of these three men.
Especially later, when Palmer and Antoine were using the Legendary Secret Treasure.
It was only later that Lis discovered that it was the scent of Benfica, the Legendary-level Vampire.
All three were of Benfica's Bloodline.
To hide their connections to such an extent suggested that a secret definitely lurked within.
"There shouldn't be any connection."
Dick's brain raced as he searched his memory.
"I only ascended to Gold level a few years ago; I don't know much about these people."
"Antoine has been in Bolin Kingdom the longest among us; I heard it's been at least several decades."
"Palmer and Devitt came to Bolin Kingdom after that. Unlike me, they already possessed Gold-tier strength when they arrived."
"After Devitt and Palmer arrived in Bolin Kingdom, there seemed to have been some conflict with Antoine, but that was before my ascent to Gold level, so I know very little about it."
Dick was quite forthcoming, nearly spilling everything he knew related to the matter.
"What was their conflict about?"
Lis continued, sensing that this might be the key reason Benfica had them stay in Bolin Kingdom.
"It seemed to be about slave trading..."
Dick said uncertainly. Since becoming a Gold-level Vampire, he had stayed in his territory most of the time, paying little attention to the affairs of other vampires.
He had learned this information during rare communications with others.
Slave trading?
Lis slightly furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected this to be the reason.
Generally speaking, the more chaotic the place, the more rampant the slave trade becomes.
There were even specialized slave merchants disguised as bandits who attacked passing caravans and merchants to capture slaves for trade.
Such was the case in the Bolin Kingdom, where the strength of the Royal Family and the nobles could only ensure stability and safety within the cities, leaving them somewhat powerless in the wilderness.
It was not that they didn't want to eradicate those bandits; rather, it was because of the geographical constraints of the Bolin Kingdom, where the bandits would dive into hills and ravines at the sign of danger, making them almost impossible to find.
Even so, the enormous profits from trading with the Elf Forest continued to draw many to the area.
If that were the only reason, it would be manageable, but key is Bolin Kingdom's proximity to the Elf Forest.
The existence of the Elf Slave Catching Team made the trade of elf slaves quite prosperous here, even though the Elf Kingdom had struck many times, they were unable to prevent this situation.
Under the influence of many factors, the slave trade in the entire Bolin Kingdom was quite prosperous, incomparable to the situation in the Feis Kingdom.
And the slave trade was closely related to the underground forces of the Bolin Kingdom.
Many Elf Slave Catching Teams were even backed and supported by these underground forces.
As Golden-level Vampires, Antoine and his group were quite a powerful presence among these underground forces in the Bolin Kingdom.
If it were about the slave trade, the immense profits could indeed cause them to compete and dispute.
But Lis, who knew the answer, knew this wasn't right.
At least, it was unlikely that Antoine and his group would heavily intervene in the slave trade just for profit, since others weren't fools to give up such a profitable opportunity for that reason alone.
Was there something special about the slave trade?
Wait a minute!
Lis suddenly thought of something and asked Dick,
"Regarding the slave trade, has it always been controlled by Antoine and his group?"
"Has anyone else been involved?"
Dick thought about it, as he was quite familiar with this issue.
After all, Kosain Fortress was the most important pass from the Bolin Kingdom to the Northern Human Kingdom, and he understood the relations involved very well.
"Basically, it has been under the control of Antoine, Palmer, and Devitt, but as a trade-off, they also share part of the profits with those of us who occupy important areas."
That was indeed the case!
Lis pondered if the display of that fight among the three was to eliminate other competitors and take control of the slave trade, then it made sense.
After all, other than the nobles, the underground forces had the greatest influence on the slave trade.
They were even willing to give up part of their profits, which indicated that they anticipated gaining something else.
"How did Antoine and his group come to control the slave trade?"
Lis paused, then asked,
"Those elf slaves, do they pass through your area to the Northern Kingdom?"
"This... I'm not quite sure."
"Although they said they would need my help, I have never seen them transport elf slaves from here."
Dick was uncertain, as the slave trade, with its huge profits, was a closely watched matter, and it wasn't unreasonable for Antoine and his group to be cautious.
So, was it about elf slaves?
Lis was not quite sure why Antoine and his group needed elf slaves.
Or rather, what did Benfica and even Demogorgon need elf slaves for, and could it be related to the destruction of the Elf Royal Court?
Lis couldn't be sure, as this was quite different from his previous conjectures.
Capturing elves, was it for a sacrifice?
Generally, many slaves were collected for such tasks, especially those related to evil gods, tying into nefarious sacrifices.
Life and soul essence were the most favored offerings for these evil gods and also the most convenient means for them to bestow strength.
But what sacrifice required so many elf slaves?
One must know, even with sacrifices there were limits. No matter how many offerings, it wouldn't be possible for Demogorgon to break through the barriers of Gaia World and descend into the Main World.
Lis's gaze grew deeper, feeling that something was still missing.
As for the current state of the Elf Royal Court, Lis harbored no hope, as it was unlikely to be as the Elf Elder had described.