I Have a Task Log

"I do have some knowledge of this. Please, feel free to ask, sir," the Drow Boss said seriously.

"We’d like to order first," Colin said. "Things are what they are. We can talk while we eat."

The abrupt change in topic left the Drow Boss momentarily stunned.

After a moment, he nodded and said, "Cautious, but not paralyzed by fear... You are a very clever human."

"Just a bunch of Drow. What’s the big deal?" Dorn scoffed from the side.

Kase chimed in, "We can tear their jaws off!"

Colin ignored their interruptions and continued, "We’re safe for the moment, so we might as well fill our stomachs. We’ll need the energy to figure out how to handle this mess."

They each ordered, and the kitchen quickly prepared their food.

Colin, Dorn, and the others then carried their food back to their room.

As he set down the food, he recounted what had just happened.

After he finished, Ale spoke up quietly, "I’m thinking the same thing as Colin. That group of Drow will probably give us trouble when we head back."

"Can’t we just wait in Mist Harbor for a while and head back after they’ve left?" Orelia asked with a frown.

"Actually, based on what Colin just said, the Drow are buying slaves. They’re almost certainly planning a large-scale sacrificial ritual. I agree with Colin; they won’t give up easily."

Ale rubbed her eyes. "Back in the Supreme Forest, Drow slaving parties frequently raided villages at night. They are absolutely dangerous opponents."

’That’s true,’ Colin thought.

The Spider Goddess worshipped by the Drow was no benevolent deity. For her followers, if she demanded sacrifices and they failed to provide them, the fate awaiting them could be worse than death.

If they got desperate enough, they might even dare to make a move right here in Mist Harbor.

"If this is really going to be a problem, then we can’t stay in Mist Harbor," Colin continued. "Our best bet is to enter the Undercity first. That will force the Drow to split their forces to deal with us."

"Um... why would they split up?" Kase asked.

"These Drow are waiting to buy slaves, so they’ll have to leave some people here to wait for ’new goods.’ They also need people to control the slaves they already have and to guard against being backstabbed by other factions."

While explaining, Colin added, "If they split their forces, we’ll be able to handle them."

"Those Drow are just a bunch of weaklings, nothing to be afraid of," Dorn said, tapping impatiently on the table. "I’ve dealt with a real Drow Warrior before. I don’t need to tell you what happened to that dark-skin, do I?"

"Fighting as an organized unit is completely different from a one-on-one duel." Colin rubbed the stubble on his chin, the coarse whiskers pricking his fingertips.

Just then, a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK came from the door.

The door opened, and the Drow Boss entered, carrying beer.

He placed the beer on the table and said with an awkward smile, "I was once a commoner in Spider Nest City. While I know a little about this sort of thing, I don’t know all that much."

"Your willingness to answer is more than enough," Colin said with a nod.

The Drow Boss then found a seat and began to speak in a low voice, "Based on the emblems they were wearing, that group of Drow must be from the Selakos Clan. I’m certain of it."

He glanced at the confused expressions on Kase and Orelia’s faces and asked, "Do you know anything about Drow society?"

"Don’t mind them," Colin said. "It’s enough that I understand."

While reading in the Great Dome, he had also studied matters concerning the Underworld.

Conquering new territory underground was far more difficult than on the Surface, and controlling disparate cities was also extremely hard. After all, the rock itself served as natural city walls, making it very difficult to breach an underground fortress from the outside.

This situation led to almost all intelligent subterranean races adopting a city-state system.

As the largest Drow City-State in the Northern Lands, Spider Nest City was a classic case study from his readings.

The Drow who lived there used a system of clan councils. Each Drow Clan, centered around a female Priest, fought for power and profit within the city, using conspiracy and assassination to determine their rank. Only the matrons of the top eight clans had the power to decide the policies of Spider Nest City.

This system perfectly embodied the insidious, treacherous, and bloodthirsty nature of the Drow.

"That’s excellent." The Drow Boss sighed in relief, seemingly grateful that he wouldn’t have to waste his breath on explanations.

He continued, "When I left, the Selakos Clan was ranked fifteenth in Spider Nest City. While not considered a major power, they were still significantly stronger than the average lesser clan."

"If we enter the Undercity and they insist on pursuing us, how many people could they spare to send after us?" Colin asked, getting to his most pressing question.

"A very wise choice, sir."

The Drow Boss continued, "A Drow Clan doesn’t actually have that many members. The dozen or so you saw earlier is likely their entire party. Since they have to procure slaves and protect their noble lady, they might spare four or five Drow to pursue you."

"That’s a manageable number." Colin sighed in relief.

"My guess is a party of three Warriors and one Mage. Those arrogant noblewomen wouldn’t deign to get their own hands dirty."

The Drow Boss said, "After you brought it up, I gave it some more thought. It would indeed be best for all of you to leave as soon as possible. Although there are laws here, frankly, if it came down to a choice between a Drow Clan and a party of Adventurers, Mist Harbor would very likely side with the former."

"That’s not surprising," Colin said. "Do you know anything about their tactics?"

"That is exactly what I was about to tell you, sir."

The Drow Boss cleared his throat and said, "Every Drow undergoes rigorous training. Thanks to the blessings of our Gods, we have gained ’Magic-like Abilities.’

Generally speaking, Drow Warriors use [Darkness] to launch surprise attacks. Not even creatures with Darkvision can see through this Magic. Furthermore, most Drow Warriors are trained to fight while blind, giving them an advantage in such battles.

Therefore, I believe they will follow you, wait for you to make camp, and then launch a surprise attack. They will use Poison during the fight in an attempt to capture you alive."

Colin nodded.

At the same time, he recalled the books saying that such innate Magic-like Abilities required no Spells, gestures, or materials to be cast, and could not be interrupted by [Counterspell].

At that moment, Dorn, who had already wolfed down his food, turned around, took out his backpack, and placed it on the table.