152 - 24 Hearts

Chapter 152: The Land of Entertainment and Culture, Uruun. Yuda glanced at the sword, glimmering with sharp magical energy, then pursed his lips. He was well aware that the elf harbored ill feelings towards humans. After all, being sold off from one glistening heap of stones to another as a slave after living freely would naturally fuel any simmering anger. "……." However, the sword seemed incomplete, its form appeared distorted and on the verge of scattering, likely due to the elf's lack of practice in wielding magic recently. Yuda noted the slight twitch at the corner of the elf’s eye, a sign they were straining. Raising his bare hand, Yuda grasped the blade forged of magic. "!" The elf, despite their reservations, tried to pull the sword away as Yuda's hand approached, but he was faster. A repelling force akin to two magnets meeting at their north poles resonated between them. The inherent magical resistance of the pieces of Pearlnell and Yuda's anti-magic capabilities created a synergy, further amplified by his skill in <Absolute Magic Defense>. The sword, crafted imperfectly with forced magic, crumbled in Yuda’s grasp. As he opened his fist, particles of magic glimmered and dissolved into the air. His eyes, emanating a red glow from his opened magical sight, fixed upon the elf who took a cautious step backward, eyeing him with renewed intent as they inched forward again. To put the elf at ease, Yuda offered a reassuring smile, raising his palms beside his head. "Don’t worry. I don’t plan to harm you. My only aim is to return all the elves in this mansion back to the forest." "…How can I trust that?" "Whether you choose to trust me or not, that is your freedom. I heard elves have eyes that discern truth. Can't you see with those? Or is it that they only work when magic is concentrated?" The elf sighed, maintaining silence, as Yuda’s comment seemed unrelated to actual magical prowess. "If I could see that, I wouldn't make such claims. You, unlike other humans, show me nothing. I can’t determine if your words are true or false. Just like us elves." "Oh… I see? Well, perhaps it's time to acknowledge that there are different kinds of humans? You seem to have grievances against all humans." "Did you think I would have goodwill instead?" Twisting his words cunningly, Yuda found the conversation somewhat frustrating and pointless. "If you wish to return to the forest, just stay here quietly and wait for the right time." "And where are you planning to go?" As Yuda moved towards the door, the elf called out to him. "I’m going to find the other elves." "Do you know where they are?" "If I wander around like you, I believe I'll find them." "Then I'll accompany you as well." Yuda paused, contemplating the usefulness of someone who had only just begun to regain their magic. Acting alone would certainly be easier, but leaving the elf behind meant returning for them later. Bringing them along, though slightly inconvenient, would make gaining the trust of other elves simpler. ‘Considering I aim to rescue more than just one, I don’t have the luxury of avoiding traps leisurely.’ Yuda had little choice but to take the elf along. "Alright. Let's stick together then." "Wait a moment. You can't leave through that door..." The elf tried to warn Yuda as he approached the door, but Yuda was already grasping the doorknob. A spark flew out as the magic tried to activate, but Yuda’s anti-magic capability effortlessly neutralized it. The spell inscribed on the door was of low grade, designed not to damage valuable goods like elves, likely intended just to cause a harmless shock and push the person back a little. "Let's go." Silently, the door swung open, revealing the hallway. The elf, after watching Yuda step out, quickly followed. "……." Every time the elf had left this room, a mage had accompanied him, but now he felt like he was dreaming, unable to truly comprehend the situation. ‘Who exactly is this human?’ As the restraints that prevented magic from gathering in his body were lifted, he sensed the protective enchantments along the hallway. But these too were being effortlessly dismantled by the human who introduced himself as Yuda. So easily, without any complex rituals, just as he activated his magic, a ring on his hand faintly pulsed, neutralizing the spells. "Human." "Yes." Proceeding cautiously, Yuda answered quietly, his soft tone naturally prompting the elf to lower his voice as well. "Do you know where the other elves are, and how many there are?” "In broad terms?" "How many are there?" Yuda stopped and turned to face him. It seemed the elf hadn’t been in this mansion for very long. "Including you, there are two. Plus, I’ve heard two more arrived recently." "Four in total. I see. So that voice was indeed that of an elf?" "Do you know them?" The elf nodded heavily. "One seemed to have been here before my arrival. She was already degrading herself for the vile humans. If you intend to save her first, I advise against it. I suggest rescuing those two who came more recently first." "Hmm." Yuda wondered if drugs were involved. In this world, which is far from pure and hopeful, narcotics circulate openly, not to mention numerous unaccounted magical substances Yuda had never considered. The shards, such as Carpe Diem, have an ability to induce forced and absolute subjugation, including a one-time hypnosis on a defeated opponent, suggesting that mind-control magic might also exist. 'Assuming Roxine's information is accurate...' The two newcomers must be in the basement. In the game's storyline, the player arrives just in time to rescue the elves the count was attempting to train, thereby earning their trust. Here, however, the outcome was uncertain. According to the elf, another elf might be spending a heated night shaking her hips for someone else. Yuda scratched his head as he activated the <Map> and walked to the staircase. Unlike the heavily guarded exterior, there was no one on the second floor, but he sensed activity and bright lights on the first floor. ‘If I kill them, it’ll be noticed right away, and sneaking into the basement with this elf seems difficult.’ As he pondered whether to instruct the elf to wait, a shimmering glitter floated down beside him. ‘A butterfly?’ A magical butterfly fluttered through the air, scattering a gentle glow. The voices that had been faintly audible ceased, replaced by the sound of bodies thudding to the ground. “A sleep spell. Fortunately, with no mages present, it was easy to put them to sleep.” “Oh, that’s quite handy.” “…Quite handy?” Creating a butterfly form with magic and spreading a sleep spell isn’t something just anyone can do. The elf felt somewhat underestimated and hurried to catch up with Yuda descending the stairs. Having newly arrived at this mansion, Yuda showed no hesitation. Even hidden as they were, he located the stairs leading to the basement effortlessly. He confidently descended the dark staircase without pause. The sight of Yuda disappearing so swiftly into the dark caught the elf off-guard, but he couldn’t immediately follow. Despite their acclaimed night vision, which relied somewhat on moonlight or starlight, elves weren’t adept at navigating total darkness. After a moment’s thought, he used a spell to cast a faint light and began his descent. “Ugh!” Just as he was about to head down, a sharp cry echoed. Judging by the deep voice, it wasn’t from the human. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, the door was already open. Upon entering, the strong scent of blood was immediate. “!” He dispelled the faint light he had cast. There was no need to maintain it since only the stairway had been dark; inside the open door, candlelight lit the way. Inside, there was a fairly long corridor. One mage in a robe was slumped against the wall on the floor, motionless. Among several doors along the corridor, only one was open. “Human?” Reluctant to use Yuda’s name, he referred to him with a general term while stepping towards the open door. A hazy smoke drifted out. Taking a cautious sniff, he grimaced at the intensely sweet aroma. ‘This is…’ He recognized it from his half-year of being sold among humans. A flock of unpleasant, bitter memories emerged unwelcome. Women called noble ladies had paid slave traders to spend nights with him, forcing him to ingest something bearing a similar scent. ‘Filthy humans…!’ Grinding his teeth, he summoned his magic. Although not fully recovered to cast high-level spells, he could easily produce one to stir the air. A breeze summoned by his gestures gathered up the drifting smoke from the room. The ground-level smoke clumped together like dust, and as it reached the doorway, he found himself facing Yuda, standing with a perplexed expression by the bars of a cage. “Uh…ahhh…!” Two elves, unmistakably his kin, were within, wearing semi-transparent clothing and looking at Yuda with flushed faces. Curled up, they hugged themselves, clenching their muscles and gritting their teeth, seemingly trying to suppress instinctive arousal, their nails digging into their skin. Yuda, facing the elves with a troubled face, stood at the bars of the room. ---------= Author's Note ---------= Ah… it's Monday once again. Let's all hang in there until Friday arrives!