Lynch had long anticipated that his arrival would attract attention from all sides. As a mage, he would become a coveted combat resource for the Dark Elf families. Moreover, Lynch hailed from the Mage Association on the surface, where magical research ranked first in the entire Anriel world. If they could obtain some rare magical knowledge from him, it would greatly benefit all of Ratris City.
The most attractive aspect, however, was that as an outsider, Lynch had not joined any family. Even though Zilvra of the First Family declared that this mage had pledged allegiance to her, all the Dark Elf Nobles had the right to win him over until Lynch personally confirmed it.
Being the focal point of the city as a tempting bait was indeed part of Lynch’s plan. The Black Crystal Tower, his destination in Ratris, was not so easily accessible. It remained a school for Drow Mages, with various magic traps and layers of protection barriers long-established, making it as impenetrable as a fortress.
There were only three ways to enter the Black Crystal Tower: the first was to break in with one’s own strength; the second was to become an adviser mage for a family and walk in openly with the matron’s consent; the third was to betray the surface’s Mage Guild and become a member of the Black Crystal Magic Association, thereby gaining the qualification to conduct spell research in the Black Crystal Tower.
Lynch was not foolish enough to believe that his abilities could allow him to break into the Black Crystal Tower safely and then survive the onslaught of dozens of mages and hundreds of magic protection barriers. Betraying the surface’s Mage Guild meant he could only use human spells in exchange for studying Dark Elf magic. Though he was already using the power of ancient arcane, the magic of the Drow was no longer appealing to him, but he ultimately had to return to the surface. If the Mage Association learned of his defection, he would become a traitor who leaked spell secrets, leading to a wanted status, and ultimately death.
Becoming an adviser for a family seemed simple and would not affect Lynch’s principles—much like becoming a defense adviser for Moon Harbor City—but this approach was fraught with obvious risks. The closer to the matron, the closer to the power core of the Dark Elves, equating to being near the center of the power struggle vortex. Simply put, it was akin to presenting oneself before a tiger as food.
Moreover, the Dark Elf City unavoidably had a second or even third power center. As the Drow themselves were more concerned with family ranking, their management of other local inhabitants, such as Bear Goblins, Ogres, Gray Dwarves, Underworld Halflings, and some surface dwellers who drifted here, was limited—of course, those who were powerful or had special skills were privately divided by the families’ influence. As a result, in places rarely frequented by Dark Elves, such as this tavern named "Inn," there were always some forces controlling things behind the scenes, most likely active mercenary groups or the mysterious Thief Guild.
Hence, when they sent a goblin to test Lynch’s strength, the mage naturally had to give them a show of force.
Just as when dealing with Zilvra, Lynch had already begun to display his power, aiming to heighten his deterrence and level of respect.
Amidst this competition of various powers, they began their life in Ratris City.
Now, Lynch’s offer had been made, and he was waiting for them to make their counteroffers.
"Everything in the world is negotiable." This saying was popular among the Gray Dwarves. Though Lynch scoffed at this notion, in certain circumstances, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
Particularly when applied to the underground market of Ratris City, it was most fitting.
This place could be described as a wonder of the Underworld, as it was one of the few brightly-lit spots in the Underdark. It could be seen from a great distance away due to the lights igniting there. Since a variety of gemstones and exquisite, vivid ornaments were often traded here, using only Dark Vision without illumination would conceal their beauty and value, causing many merchants to suffer significant losses. After a long time, perhaps even the Dark Elves could not endure being constantly deceived by various blinding techniques from other lowly races. They relaxed the rules, allowing torches to be lit there.