Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3029: Snow Goblins

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Void

‘Your Highness, do you wish for us to deal with them?’ the jackfruit-skinned devil asked, a slight frown creasing his face. He appeared conflicted, but was hiding it not to offend me.

Strength alone wasn’t enough to justify crushing a weaker faction. In the Dark Realm, today’s predator could easily become tomorrow’s prey. Every faction understood that an even stronger force always lurked somewhere above them. Without sufficient justification, openly exterminating a weaker faction would be akin to handing over a justification to others to target them.

That said… He wasn’t opposed to the idea. They were mercenaries. If anyone questioned their actions, they could simply claim they had accepted a contract against the Seven Princes of Hell. No one would find that unusual.

‘No,’ I replied, shaking my head. ‘I don’t want you to destroy them.’

Sharing a list of locations into their devil codex, I explained, ‘These are all the places believed to belong to the Seven Princes of Hell, whether territories, businesses, or operational bases throughout the Dark Realm and the Myriad Realms. Verify every location before acting. Once you’ve confirmed it…’

‘Harass them, rob them, burn their businesses to the ground… How you do it is your concern, not mine. Just keep them under constant pressure. I want them stretched so thin that they’re forced to sell their own properties just to stay afloat.’

That was the entire purpose of hiring the Outlander Mercenary Group.

I had shared with them the intelligence Muth Diya had gathered on the Seven Princes of Hell’s territories and operations throughout the Dark Realm and the Myriad Realms.

Before coming here, I had Cuth Diya verify the list. His father was tight lipped. Therefore, results were still inconclusive. As for independent verification, some locations appeared genuine. Others were likely traps. And a few simply couldn’t be confirmed either way. That uncertainty was precisely why I instructed the Outlanders to verify every target before making their move.

‘Your Highness, would you prefer the operation to remain confidential… or should we make it high-profile?’ Mirror Devil Uno asked.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips beneath my mask, as I replied, ‘Act from the shadows. I want them questioning every setback. I want them second-guessing their own existence.’

The Outlanders exchanged knowing glances before nodding in understanding. That answer suited mercenaries far better than a simple yes or no. As for me, this was also the perfect opportunity to test the authenticity of Muth Diya’s intelligence. If there were traps hidden among the listed locations.The Outlanders would uncover them for me. If the intelligence proved reliable. Then Belphegor would soon discover just how expensive offending a wrong person can be.

‘Please wait for the good news, Your Highness.’

The five mercenaries bowed before using the Devil Merchant Code and disappearing one after another.

Mirror Devil Uno lingered behind before taking his leave.

‘Your Highness, you can summon me through the Mirror Scale,’ he said with a respectful bow before leaving. ‘As long as I’m not otherwise occupied, I will answer your call and arrive at your side at a moment’s notice.’

With their departure, I activated the Inter-Realm Transportation function and returned to Frosnow City, planning to head to the Snow District where Sansa and Karl had already infiltrated the Snow Capital with the assistance of my clone. By now, they should have finished their preparations and be quietly awaiting my arrival.

Or so I thought. Instead… A welcoming party was waiting for me at Frosnow City.

It was an army led by the Snow Elven Crown Prince’s clones that stood at the forefront alongside a Snow Elven Elder. They both were backed by ranks upon ranks of elite Snow Elf soldiers.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with them was another force entirely.

The Snow Goblins.

Like the Snow Elves, they were native inhabitants of the Gelid Alps. Their territory, however, was significantly smaller, causing outsiders to casually refer to the entire Gelid Alps as Snow Elven territory.

Needless to say, the Snow Goblins despised that habit. Even so…I was genuinely surprised. Not only had the Snow Elves involved an outside force in what should have been an internal affair… They had chosen the Snow Goblins of all their neighboring races.

That was particularly baffling considering they had just attempted to silence the very mercenary team they had hired, all to bury their shame. The new development regarding my strength had clearly forced the Snow Elves to abandon their usual caution and ask the Snow Goblins for help from all their neighbours and allies.

I mean, the Snow Goblins literally raided Snow Elven settlements every mating season to abduct Snow Elven women and breed stronger offspring. Among all the neighboring races, only the Snow Goblins still openly practiced the Snow Elven slave trade.

Since their territories shared a border throughout the Gelid Alps, armed clashes between the two races erupted almost every year. Sometimes, the cause was as absurd as Snow Goblin women crossing the border to capture handsome, long-limbed Snow Elven men for breeding.

Goblin physiology was peculiar. Regardless of whether the Goblin parent involved was male or female, every child born would always be a pure Goblin, merely inheriting favorable traits from the non-Goblin parent.

It was one of the primary reasons their population had exploded. Despite numbering nearly four times as many as the Snow Elves, the Snow Goblins occupied less than a quarter of the Gelid Alps’ territory.

I could’ve understood if they had come merely to witness the Snow Elves’ humiliation. That would’ve been perfectly in character. Yet here they were… Standing shoulder to shoulder with the very race they had warred with for generations.

Ignoring the Snow Elves entirely, I shifted my gaze to the Ruler-class Snow Goblin at the front of their army and asked, “You’re only one step away from the grave, old goblin. So why crawl out of it just to help your race’s mortal enemy?”