Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Uruun, the Land of Revelry and Culture
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'Damn, I don't have any antidote on me.'
Judah looked at the elves with a genuinely troubled expression. The subtle coquettish gestures and the seductive timbre woven into their voices were a tremendous temptation to any man on a biological level. The sweet, cloying scent lingering in the air had no effect on Judah whatsoever, but even so, the atmosphere alone was enough to intoxicate him.
How many men could resist when women with beauty surpassing even celebrities gazed at him with eyes begging to be held? If he had no experience, it might be different, but Judah already knew the pleasure and joy that sex could bring, making it all the more torturous to hold back.
However, the male elf who had come with them was also there, and to earn the trust of the Sword Saint in the elven forest later, he absolutely could not form any sexual relationship with them. Excuses like being forced into it by the situation wouldn't work on the Sword Saint at all.
What mattered was that saving them had been a pure act of goodwill with no ulterior motives. Since most elves, except for a few, were hostile toward humans, he had to endure.
"Haaah!"
That's why he had to detoxify them here. He couldn't recklessly mix herbs to make an antidote without knowing the drug's components. After a moment of thought, Judah recalled the magus he'd taken down earlier and the other locked rooms, then left the room.
He rummaged through the now-cold corpse of the magus and collected unidentified potions. Checking their descriptions, they were potions with excellent wound-healing effects. He found another locked room with bars like the one where the elves had been imprisoned. As he opened rooms one by one, a laboratory filled with chemicals appeared.
The lab was astonishingly well-organized and clean. He spotted a table full of stoppered vials. It would be normal for an outsider not to know what effects the reagents had, but Judah had the special privilege of checking item descriptions.
'What the hell? So many aphrodisiacs?'
The reagents were all immediate or sustained aphrodisiacs of various types. Every one had side effects, making them seem dubious to use. They were practically duds, but thinking they might come in handy someday, he stuffed them all into his <Bag>.
Rummaging further through the lab, he found a detailed manual on aphrodisiac production. It seemed this lab wasn't for legitimate magic or potions but for making and experimenting with drugs for nighttime activities.
Judah packed empty reagent bottles that might be useful later, along with some usable lab tools from one side. Finally, he found the antidote and various herbs.
'As expected.'
They wouldn't just use aphrodisiacs without a second thought. Not knowing how long the effects would last, and with valuable elven merchandise involved, they'd prepare antidotes for emergencies.
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[Name: Antidote - Sage Time]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description]
An antidote that calms raging lust. Drink it when overdosing on common aphrodisiacs causes seizures from side effects. However, after drinking it, you transcend everything, becoming like a sage with temporary disinterest in all things. Thus, its creator named it 'Sage Time.'
-Sage Time (Passive): Immediate-effect drug. Suppresses bodily lust within 30 seconds of consumption. You'll sweat a lot, but it's just expelling the aphrodisiac components, so no issue.
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'...No idea who made this, but the naming sense is something else.'
There were ten ample vials of antidote. He pocketed two and put the remaining eight in his <Bag>. There were also bundles of dried rare and expensive herbs—not common ones. Feeling like it was all free, he swept them into his <Bag> without leaving any behind, then belatedly remembered his original purpose here and rushed back to the previous room.
The two female elves were still trembling, and the male elf was still foolishly watching them. Using the key from the dead magus's body, he tried to insert it into the lock to open the iron bars.
"Ah. No! Don't come closer!"
Judah's movements stopped at the sharp cry. The aphrodisiac-addled female elf glared at him with strong wariness. But she wasn't much of a threat. Leather collars bound their necks, preventing magic use. Watching them quietly, Judah pushed two antidote vials from his pocket through the bars, rolling them toward the women. The cork-stoppered bottles tumbled and bumped against their feet with a thud.
"?"
"Antidotes. They'll get rid of that... whatever you call it? Heat, not heat season. Yeah."
"At least that one doesn't seem to be lying, so you'd better drink them quickly."
The male elf, silent until now, vouched for Judah for some reason. The two female elves had no choice. They had to believe and drink. If not...
...They'd have to believe the elf who came with them wasn't collaborating with humans.
They stared at the vials at their feet, then picked them up. Their trembling hands couldn't even grip the corks properly.
Gritting their teeth, they uncorked them and gulped down the contents like addicts suffering severe withdrawal. They drank so hastily that a good amount spilled down their chins.
Gulp, gulp!
Their throats bobbed as they swallowed frantically. One coughed harshly, like she'd choked. Had she even swallowed properly?
'Should I give them another?'
Watching briefly, it seemed unnecessary. The drug was fast-acting, and soon after drinking, they felt the feverish heat that had scorched their bodies dissipate in an instant. Was this what it felt like to be a sage?
Suddenly, everything in the world felt futile. Why bother being wary of that human? He was just another fleeting lifeform passing through the world.
"Ah...?"
"S-Sis."
The sisters—or perhaps they were—looked at each other in confusion. Judah chuckled at their reaction. The antidote wasn't called Sage Time for nothing. Turning the key to open the barred door, he gestured for them to come out.
"If you're back to your senses, come on out. We're escaping this place. No time to zone out."
"Ah, y-yes. Yes!"
Seeming oblivious to their current attire, they hurried to obey and tried to stand. But the aphrodisiac's lingering effects had drained their strength; they plopped right back down. No audible thud, but it looked like there should have been one.
Letting out a small sigh, Judah stepped inside, squatted in front of one, and offered his back.
"Climb on. And you, what are you staring at? Get in here and piggyback the other one."
"Ah, got it!"
The dazed elf followed him inside innocently. Fortunately—whether due to their kin being there or the Sage Time antidote—they climbed onto Judah and the male elf's backs without suspicion.
'Hmm!'
He felt their excellent volume against his back and the springy firmness of their thighs in his hands. No wonder people coveted elves. All his senses seemed to concentrate on his hands and back. Muttering a quiet curse, Judah paused, then resolvedly opened his <Bag>, pulled out one of the antidotes he'd given them, bit off the cork, spat it out, and downed it immediately.
The antidote sliding down his throat tasted like plain water. A taste befitting its Sage Time name. It was heartbreaking that he had to drink it himself. Unsure if it worked, but feeling a bit more mentally settled, he hurried out of the basement.
Blood from the magus's corpse had pooled, and stepping in it made a splat. Blood splattered his pants heavily, but he ignored it and climbed the stairs.
"Huh?"
At the top, he encountered a man descending with a magical lantern in hand. Hooded, he looked like a magus.
"Sh-intruder!"
Quick to assess, he cast a defensive spell and shouted immediately. Altemia left Judah's hand a beat too late. The red-bladed dagger tore through the shield and pierced his nape, but his voice had already echoed through the mansion.
The magus gurgled, hit the wall, tumbled forward, and rolled down the stairs.
Thud, thud!
The racket was tremendous. Hoping no one else heard, Judah's wish remained just that—a simple hope.
"What was that!"
"Something from the basement!"
Voices shouted, perhaps guards roused from the first floor where magi slept. Sighing, Judah dashed up the stairs. The elf on his back clung tightly in anxiety. At the top, he saw guards entering a room. No hesitation now that he'd been spotted. He summoned Altemia in his left hand and threw it.
"Gahk!"
No idea how skilled the guard was, but he flew back pathetically, dagger embedded, crashing into the wall with a thud. The follower gasped.
"A-attack! It's an attack!"
Confirming as he ran, his bellow rang through the mansion even louder. Wisely, he fled to alert others rather than confront. Judah pulled a wooden mask from his <Bag>—the one from the Black Tree Tribe of Regen—and donned it.
"Hurry."
Telling the nameless male elf behind him, he dashed past the dead guard's corpse down the hall. The main gate was closest, but heading there risked meeting incoming guards. He didn't fear them but wanted to avoid unnecessary killing and fighting.
At a corridor window, Judah—elves still on his back—drew the [Thirteenth Fragment, Yakal] and swung wide. The window, big enough for one or two people, shattered, glass cascading down. Leaping lightly to the sill, shards crunched underfoot.
"There! He's there!"
"Grab him! How dare he invade the Neyu Bae family mansion and flee!"
"He's carrying elves! No crossbows!"
Luckily, the magi seemed still asleep—no sign of them yet. Forgetting his earlier caution, Judah bolted through the garden unhesitatingly. Resonance stones hummed and flashed powerful lights, spraying lasers everywhere. No time to admire how they worked.
"Over the wall!"
At Judah's words, the elf hesitated briefly, then leaped. Long deprived of mana, he still vaulted the over-2m wall effortlessly.
'Next time, I should snag some smoke bombs or something.'
He needed something to draw attention. None now, so no choice.
Glancing back at the slow-reacting guards, Judah smirked and vaulted the wall. Beyond it, where to flee to meet Shadow Kingdom contacts—? Hesitating, a welcome face waved from afar on the lit street, unmistakable.
'Roxeen!'
Carrying the elf, he ran to him. Bursting onto the street, a few passersby startled and stared but didn't follow.