BXBX NOVEL Chapter 111: The Current State of the Serpent Empire
Charles exhibited a keen interest in the situation of the Serpent Empress.
In Charles\'s recollection, the Serpent Empress was a formidable threat not long ago. Why had she suddenly descended into madness? There had to be a profoundly significant reason behind it.
"How much do you know about Her Majesty the Serpent Empress\'s madness? Do you have any idea why she has fallen into such a state?" Charles inquired.
Facing Charles\'s question, the leader of the desert caravan chuckled softly.
"How could a small figure like me possess information about Her Majesty the Serpent Empress? What I shared with you earlier was merely my own conjecture.
The only thing I can confirm is that the Desert of Sands has descended into chaos. The guards of the Serpent Empire seem to be fighting their own battles.
Moreover, the generals of the Serpent Empire appear to be incessantly vying for control over various territories. Even desolate places like the Desert of Sands have now become contested areas.
"Originally, the trade routes our caravan traversed were exceptionally safe, but as the generals began vying for the empire\'s territories, these routes have become increasingly perilous."
Charles nodded in agreement.
He knew the other party was not lying, as there was no reason for them to fabricate such information.
"What about the neighboring nations of the Serpent Empire? Wouldn\'t other powerful races be interested in the empire\'s territories?"
Upon hearing this question, the leader of the desert caravan\'s expression grew even more somber.
"Of course, the races surrounding the Serpent Empire are highly interested in its territories. Some powerful races have already launched attacks on the empire\'s borders.
From what I know, the Elven King has dispatched an elite elven unit to assault the empire\'s western frontier. A fierce battle is currently raging there.
As for the outcome of the battle, I am still unsure. The information I have is from three months ago. Perhaps the conflict at the empire\'s western border has already concluded."
The words of the desert caravan leader only deepened Charles\'s confusion.
"How could that be possible? Three months ago, the Serpent Empress was definitely not in a state of madness. At that time, she even broadcasted to the entire world using skull coins."
Charles remembered vividly that the Serpent Empress was in the mood to threaten him back then. How could someone who has descended into madness still have the leisure to issue threats?
The leader of the desert caravan nodded in agreement.
"At that time, Her Majesty the Serpent Empress had not yet descended into madness, but even so, the Elven King showed her no mercy. It is said that the Elven King believed the Serpent Empire had encroached upon Elven territories, which prompted the attack on the empire."
Upon hearing these words, Charles gradually began to understand.
Perhaps the Elven King had misjudged the situation in Eve\'s territory.
It seems I might be the catalyst behind the conflict between the Serpent Empire and the Elven King. However, this is not necessarily bad news for me.
The battle between the Serpent Empire and the Elven King means I no longer need to worry about their overwhelming threat.
Charles couldn\'t help but think this to himself, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
"You seem very pleased. Do you believe the empire can prevail in its battle against the Elven King?" the leader of the desert caravan asked Charles.
Charles shook his head. "How could I make such a judgment? I\'m merely an explorer, I haven\'t even been to the empire\'s western frontier. But I suppose you must be quite confident."
If you believed the Serpent Empire was doomed to fail, you wouldn\'t have brought your caravan out. Should the Serpent Empire fall, the Elven King\'s forces would surely advance towards the Desert of Sands.
The leader of the desert caravan burst into hearty laughter upon hearing Charles\'s remark.
"You\'re absolutely right. Although I\'m not a Serpent, I consider the empire crucial to my own well-being. Without the empire\'s protection, how could I possibly maintain such a large caravan?
If the empire were to lose to the Elven King, I might never be able to trade in the Desert of Sands again. My caravan could very well be seized by the elves."
The leader of the desert caravan was an ordinary human, and he seemed to hold a particularly low opinion of the elves.
Charles found himself somewhat puzzled.
To Charles, humans and elves bore a closer resemblance to each other. Why, then, was the relationship between humans and elves worse than that between humans and Serpents?
"Elves wouldn\'t seize your caravan, would they? Aren\'t elves said to live in trees? Even if the Elven King conquered the Desert of Sands, he couldn\'t possibly send elves here. After all, not a single tree grows in this place."
Charles\'s words elicited laughter from everyone present.
"You\'re quite the humorist, talking with you has brightened my day." the leader of the desert caravan said with a smile.
However, the leader of the desert caravan suddenly changed his tone.
"The Elven King is far more powerful than you might imagine. If he so wished, he could transform the entire Desert of Sands into a vast forest. In that case, you\'d have no opportunity to venture here anymore."
Charles thought the leader was overestimating the Elven King\'s power.
Charles had previously encountered some of the strongest members of the Elven race, and they were no match for him.
Even if the Elf King personally took action, Charles could rely on his status as a Zerg Overlord to hold his ground for a while.
However, Charles had no intention of arguing further with the leader.
After all, the leader had already provided enough information. Moreover, their relationship with Charles was now quite amicable.
"Let us pray that the Empire\'s guards can defeat the elves in the battles on the western frontier." Charles said nonchalantly.
The leader of the desert caravan slowly repeated the words.
Over the next two days, Charles continued to converse with the leader of the desert caravan.
From these conversations, Charles obtained a wealth of information related to the Desert of Sands. He finally understood why the Desert of Sands was the most prized territory of the Serpent Empire.
It turned out that all Serpent people were born from the Desert of Sands. Even the Serpent Emperor had to ascend to the throne from a temple within the Desert of Sands.
If she doesn\'t do that, he will not be recognized as the emperor of the Serpent people.
"It seems that the depths of the Desert of Sands must be hiding a great many treasures. Maybe one day we can dig them all up. Then, we\'ll truly be rich."
Charles joked to the leader of the desert caravan.
The expression on the leader\'s face grew slightly complicated. Lowering his voice, he spoke to Charles.
"Never speak such words lightly. If others in the caravan hear you, they might report this to the guards of the Serpent Empire. Those guards would then arrest you."
"Only His Majesty the Serpent Emperor has the right to excavate treasures in the Desert of Sands. Anyone else digging in the Desert of Sands is seen as committing an offense against His Majesty."
Upon hearing these words, Charles finally understood why he had been so easily deceived at the Rock Fortress.
He simply had no knowledge of such crucial information.
This lack of awareness was the primary reason he had been tricked by the skeletal lizard.
Had he known that only the Serpent Emperor had the right to excavate the treasures of the Desert of Sands, he would never have believed the skeletal lizard\'s lies.
While Charles was conversing with the leader of the desert caravan, Eck and Johann were also engaging in discussions with other members of the caravan.
Eck and Johann learned from these conversations about the whereabouts of fellow members of The Explorer\'s Association, who were in a similar situation to theirs.
Eck and Johann\'s companions had long perished in the vast expanse of the desert sands.
The desert caravan had once encountered a person on the brink of death. Although the caravan provided timely aid, the individual ultimately did not survive.
Upon learning this news, Eck and Johann were deeply disheartened.
"Perhaps our fate will be no different from that of the others. We might just live a little longer than they did."
Eck uncharacteristically murmured to himself in a tone laden with worry.
"I don\'t believe our fate will be that grim. After all, our current situation is quite favorable. Even though we can\'t return to our own territories, at least we can ensure our safety.
Medusa and Little Green may appear terrifying, but haven\'t they been protecting us all this time? You should try to relax a bit more.
We might as well ask when we can reach our next destination."
After saying this, Johann immediately took Eck and went to find Charles.
"When will we reach that small town you mentioned earlier?" Johann asked Charles directly.
Charles did not give an immediate answer but instead looked towards the leader of the desert caravan.
The leader of the desert caravan coughed twice before responding, "We are about half a day\'s journey from the nearest town. So, we\'ll rest here tonight and by noon tomorrow, we should arrive. You can find an inn and have a proper rest there."