Divine artifact??
Staring at Yor's timid expression, Li De swiftly pulled himself out of the greed stirred by hearing the word 'divine artifact' and regained his composure in the shortest time possible, narrowing his eyes slightly.
He didn't know the goblin race in detail; most of his understanding came from the data collected by the Crimson Moon's Data Analysis Division and the information passed on by Grote.
This race, known for its intelligence and arrogant pride, had learned about a legendary divine artifact, yet instead of guarding it closely, they were using it as a bargaining chip in an exchange?
Li De's sharp instincts told him that this matter was far from simple.
Right now, he held an absolutely dominant position, complete control that the goblins could not resist.
And under such circumstances, the goblins had chosen to reveal their trump card? That was just plain stupid.
Negotiations hadn't even begun, and they were already playing four twos right out the gate, what, are they trying to lose?
Was this a trap? Or a goblin acting on his own? Or… was some unknowable, mysterious force probing him?
Li De's expression shifted subtly, his eyes flickering coldly.
At the same time, the goblin Yor Graymount, who was being stared at by Li De, was sweating profusely as if caught in a rainstorm, swallowing nervously again and again.
He felt like he was being stared at by a dragon.
One wrong move and this evil dragon would devour him whole.
His mind flashed with the terrifying legends surrounding this Majestic Iro, and in this claustrophobic environment, his fear was magnified tenfold.
The hall was dimly lit. The magical lamps and candlelight around them flickered faintly, and the massive crimson war painting on the wall behind Li De, framing his fanged face, made him seem both mysterious and terrifying.
In such an atmosphere, isolated, helpless, weak, and completely without bargaining power, Yor's legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
Only after what felt like an entire Month of Deep Winter did he finally hear the voice of the being seated at the head of the table, the one said to be so powerful he defied comprehension.
"Yor Graymount, tell me the goblins' intentions. Why did they choose to seek aid from Dark Pact?
And I want to know everything about this divine artifact."
Li De's eyes gleamed like lightning, his tone full of unshakable authority.
Yor jolted as if shocked, then quickly stood up. The oval-shaped long table wasn't high, yet it still came up to his chin.
Forcing down the panic in his heart, he spoke with a hint of fanaticism.
"Your Majesticness, because you are the respected Majestic Iro of Green City's entire underworld, beyond transcendent!!"
The weak worship the strong, seeking the protection of the powerful. This was a rule that had never changed in Glory, and with Majestic Iro's Legend Rating of 10, he had clearly reached a level worthy of this goblin's reverence.
"Right now, only with the protection of a transcendent can the Graymount Tribe survive. We've been surrounded by hundreds of thousands of beastmen outside Risel City, and they even have a powerful Behemoth!!
In all of Green City, only you can save the goblins and the Risel family."
That reason was at least passable. Li De nodded slightly.
He was, after all, Iro, the transcendent being acknowledged by Wales Ronal, the Level 19 Mind Eater and half-demon powerhouse.
With his current Legend Rating of 10, whether someone was deeply involved in Green City's Underground World or not, as long as they weren't mere commoners, they would have heard the name of Majestic Iro.
Even wandering bards sang songs of the mysterious and powerful transcendent who led Dark Pact.
This was the advantage of Legend Rating, the higher it was, the more easily your name spread and was remembered.
In Glory, only mighty heroes or terrifying dark bosses could become widely known among commoners and professionals. Those with great fame were invariably beings of terrifying power.
To determine whether a native inhabitant was strong, one only had to see if a bard was singing their name, if so, there was no need to doubt.
Of course, there were exceptions like Li De, whose methods and low-profile nature made him a top-tier figure flying under the radar. But even so, it was a fairly reliable method.
"Why didn't you go to Lord Locke?" Li De narrowed his eyes, not dropping his suspicion just because of the goblin's flattery.
Locke Hart, Green City's only known transcendent.
Yor shook his head, his expression gloomy.
"Lord Locke rejected the goblins' plea for help. I couldn't even meet with him. The northern undead are occupying most of his attention.
And because of the Nolan Empire's pact with the beastmen, it seems Lord Locke has no intention of violating it.
The goblins have no one to rely on but ourselves."
Li De nodded slightly. From the perspective of the Nolan Empire, they didn't care how many beastmen came, as long as high-level forces weren't used.
To the great nobles, commoners on the frontier had no value. Only land was worth managing. Perhaps they'd never even step foot on their borderland territories in their lifetimes, but that didn't lessen their obsession with control.
That's also why the beastmen only plundered and never occupied Nolan Empire land.
Because the beastmen knew full well that even if they captured land, they couldn't hold it.
At such a critical time, the undead in the north were humanity's true mortal enemy. As long as the beastmen didn't go too far, Green City wouldn't waste effort dealing with them. After all, the annual invasion had already left Green City numb.
Li De shook his head.
The weak… never have the right to control their own fate.
The goblins had brought what they thought was a generous bargaining chip, but couldn't even get an audience with a transcendent. That kind of blow must have been devastating.
The fact that they managed to find him was likely not just because he was 'transcendent,' but more importantly, because at the very least, he might actually be willing to take action.
After all, no one could ignore a divine artifact like the Twelve Magic Scrolls. The higher one's power, the more they coveted such top-tier items.