Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Uruun, the Land of Revelry and Culture
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Juda pursed his lips as he gazed down at the mana-infused sword radiating sharp hostility. He was well aware that the elf harbored ill feelings toward humans. Of course he did—having lived freely only to be enslaved and shuttled around like merchandise from one glittering pile of stone to another, there was no way that anger would have simply faded away.
"……."
Yet the elf's sword looked incomplete. Its form twisted haphazardly, as if it might scatter into particles at any moment—likely because he hadn't wielded mana in ages. The twitching at the corners of his eyes suggested he was straining himself. Juda raised his bare hand and gripped the blade formed of mana.
"!"
The nameless elf, at least possessing some conscience, tried to pull his sword away the instant Juda's hand approached, but Juda was faster. A repulsive force pulsed through his hand, like the north poles of two magnets repelling each other. The innate high magic resistance of the Perlnen fragment synergized with Juda's own anti-magic prowess, and on top of that, Valentine possessed the skill [Absolute Magic Defense].
The imperfect sword, forged from squeezed-out mana, could no longer hold its shape in Juda's grasp and crumbled away. As he opened his clenched fist, mana particles sparkled briefly before dissolving into the air. Juda's eyes, now open with the Demon Eye revealing a crimson glow, fixed on the elf. The elf flinched and took a step back, but then steeled himself and advanced a step.
To reassure him, Juda flashed a gentle smile, showed his open palms, and raised his hands beside his head.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of harming you. My only goal is to return all the elves in this mansion to the forest."
"…How can I believe that?"
"Believe it or not, that's up to you. I've heard elves have Eyes of Truth—can't you use that? Or is it something you can't see without gathering mana?"
It was a racial trait, unrelated to mana. At Juda's words, the elf clamped his mouth shut and let out a sigh.
"If I could see it, I wouldn't have said that. You don't show anything, unlike other humans. I can't tell if your words are true or false. You're just like us elves."
"Ah… Is that so? Well, maybe think of it this way: not all humans are the same. You seem to hold hostility toward every last one of them."
"Did you think I'd feel any goodwill toward them?"
What a twisted soul. Juda felt their conversation was a complete waste of time.
"Anyway, if you want to return to the forest, just stay quiet here and wait for the right moment."
"Where are you going?"
The elf called out to Juda as he headed for the door.
"To find the other elves."
"Do you know where they are?"
"Won't I find them if I wander around like I did with you?"
"Probably. In that case, I'll come with you."
Juda glanced at him briefly. He wondered if someone who had only just regained the ability to use mana could be of any help. It would be far more convenient to move alone, but leaving him here meant he'd have to come back for him later. On the other hand, bringing him along might be a bit cumbersome, but it would make it much easier to gain the trust of other elves they encountered.
'Besides, it's not just one person—I've got several to rescue. No time for leisurely dodging traps.'
He'd have no choice but to take him.
"Alright. Let's go together, then."
"Ah, wait. You can't go out that door…"
The elf tried to stop Juda as he approached the door, but Juda had already placed his hand on the handle. A spark crackled—magic activating—but Juda's anti-magic resistance shrugged it off effortlessly. Since there was no intent to damage the valuable elven merchandise, the enchantment on the door was low-grade. It was probably just meant to jolt anyone who touched the handle with a shock and push them back.
"Let's go."
The door opened smoothly without even a creak, revealing the corridor. The elf stared blankly at Juda's departing figure before hurrying after him.
"……."
Whenever he had left this room before, a mage had always accompanied him. The situation felt like a dream to the elf—unbelievable, really.
'What kind of human is he?'
With the mana-suppressing shackles gone, allowing mana to gather in his body once more, he could sense the magic traps lining the corridor. Yet those spells were being nullified by the hand of the human who called himself Juda. Effortlessly, without any incantations. The ring on his finger would glow faintly whenever he channeled mana, and the magic simply vanished.
"Human."
"Yes."
Juda, walking cautiously with light footsteps while scanning his surroundings, replied softly. Matching Juda's lowered voice, the elf whispered as well.
"Do you know where the other elves are or how many there are?"
"More or less."
"How many?"
Juda stopped and turned to him. The elf didn't seem to have been in this mansion for long.
"Including you, two. And I heard two more arrived recently."
"Four in total. I see. That voice earlier—was it an elf after all?"
"You knew?"
He nodded gravely.
"One seemed to have been here before I arrived. She was already shaking her hips for filthy humans. If you're thinking of rescuing her first, I oppose it. I suggest we save the two who just came instead."
"Hm."
Had they used drugs? This world wasn't clean or hopeful, so narcotics circulated openly, and there could be undocumented drugs or spells Juda hadn't considered. Just the Fragment - Carpediem alone could impose absolute submission on defeated foes with a one-time hypnosis, so brainwashing magic wasn't out of the question.
'If Roxin's information isn't wrong…'
The two newcomers were probably in the basement.
In the game's story, the player arrived dramatically while the count was breaking in the elves, earning their trust by rescuing them. Here, who knew. As the elf said, the other one might be spending a steamy night with him.
Juda scratched his head and activated , checking it as he walked to the stairs. Unlike the tight security outside, the second floor was empty, but the first floor glowed brightly with signs of activity.
'Killing them would alert everyone quickly, and sneaking to the basement with this elf in tow seems tricky.'
Should he tell him to wait here? As he pondered, a shimmering cluster of light descended beside Juda toward the floor below.
'A butterfly?'
The butterfly, seemingly made of mana, fluttered through the air, scattering faint sparkling dust from its wings. The faint voices below cut off, replaced by successive thuds of bodies collapsing.
"I cast a sleep spell. Luckily, no mages around—they went down easy."
"Oh—pretty useful."
"…Pretty useful?"
Not just anyone could shape mana into a butterfly and have it disperse sleep magic. Feeling thoroughly underestimated, the elf hurried after Juda as he descended the stairs.
Despite clearly being new to the mansion, Juda moved without hesitation. To the elf's eyes, he had easily located the concealed stairs to the basement.
He strode down the pitch-black staircase without a second thought. As Juda vanished into the darkness in an instant, the elf panicked but couldn't follow immediately. Elves had good night vision, but it relied on moonlight or starlight to some degree—they weren't equipped to navigate total blackness. After a moment's hesitation, he cast a spell to create a faint light and descended.
"Urk!"
Just as he reached the bottom, a grunt echoed—thick-voiced, not the human from earlier. By the time he arrived, the door was already open. Stepping inside, the metallic tang of blood hit him.
"!"
He dispelled the faintly glowing mana orb. No need to maintain it. The stairs had been dark, but the open doorway beyond was lit by candles. A long corridor stretched ahead. One robed mage slumped against the wall, motionless—dead, most likely. Of the many doors lining the corridor, only one stood ajar.
"Human?"
Loath to use Juda's name, he spat the generic term and approached the open door. Wispy smoke trailed out. He sniffed lightly.
His brow furrowed at the intensely sweet scent.
'This…'
He'd smelled it before, during the six months passed around among humans. An unpleasant, nauseating memory resurfaced: noblewomen who paid slavers to have him for the night, forcing him to inhale a similar aroma.
'Filthy human scum…!'
Gritting his teeth, he summoned mana. Not fully recovered, he couldn't cast high-level spells, but whipping up wind was simple. At his gesture, a gust gathered the smoke spilling from the room.
The haze pooled on the floor like dust, drawn into a clump by the wind until it reached the doorway. There, he saw Juda standing awkwardly before the barred window.
"Uuuuugh…!"
Two elves—undeniably his kin—wore sheer, see-through garments. Their faces flushed with heat, they huddled before Juda, clutching themselves tightly. Nails digging into skin, teeth clenched, they fought to suppress the instinctual lust surging through them.
Juda stood there, looking equally troubled, in front of the room's barred window.