Chapter 241 Kill and Take -8
Chapter 241 Kill and Take -8
Jiha strolled through the early evening streets at a leisurely pace.
As he walked, his escort guards approached with a report.
"The target has closed to within five hundred meters of the inn."
Quority, driven from the elf residence, had nowhere left to go. She fled blindly, trying to put distance between herself and Jiha. When escort guards and Commons blocked her path, she couldn't muster the will to fight and only tried to dodge them. Objectively, with her regenerative abilities she could have put up a fight, but her spirit was completely broken.
"Second Unit, head to the elf residential quarter. Narsha should be there. Maintain public order together, and if anything unusual happens, report to Enril."
"Understood."
Once the escort guard departed, Jiha continued forward. The street merchants recognized him and hastily bowed their heads. Customers and passersby, noticing the merchants' reactions, tilted their heads and stared at Jiha. Those who recognized him whispered to those who didn't, and astonishment spread across the faces of those who realized a beat too late.
The title Chairman of the Investigation Committee was now the most talked-about name in Waris—no, in all of Warsland.
How could the existence of a Common who had risen above four Uniques not be astonishing?
'My position is nearly unshakeable.'
Jiha ran the calculations in his head as he registered the reactions, the admiring and awestruck gazes of the passing citizens.
No one now saw Jiha as a mere Common.
Even the notoriously arrogant elves had bowed their heads.
'My very existence has begun to shake the Warsland ranking system. I have to assume the Legends are paying attention to me now...'
This wasn't conceit; it was a clear assessment of the situation.
If Jiha were in a Legend's position, he would have tried to eliminate himself immediately.
The fact that this was Waris, where two factions intermingled, and that Uniques had placed themselves under Jiha's command was the only thing staying their hand from direct action.
But even that was now only a matter of time.
'My heart is impatient, but to gain independence, I must establish an ironclad justification.'
Even as all eyes fixed on him, Jiha maintained his detachment.
The people admiring and hero-worshipping him were still looking at a hero within the existing system.
They saw Jiha as a self-made man who had transcended the ranking system... not as a revolutionary qualified to overthrow the established powers.
Not yet.
Another escort guard approached and spoke in a low voice.
"Reporting. The target has entered the inn."
"Good."
They had successfully driven the prey into the chicken coop.
'Left alone, those two will gleefully tear into each other. No need to go in right away—let it simmer.'
Jiha cut his thoughts short and quickened his pace.
Dealing with the matter at hand came first.
A café terrace overlooked the inn.
Enril and Leticia had secured their spot and were waiting only for Jiha to arrive.
Enril spoke first.
"I've stationed troops around the inn. With a hundred and fifty soldiers and me here, she absolutely cannot escape."
"I'm here too, so why aren't you counting me, dark elf?"
Leticia frowned.
Enril glanced toward Jiha, silently asking whether she should brief Leticia on the plan now. Jiha addressed Leticia first.
"It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"...Uh, yeah."
Leticia's face brightened instantly.
It seemed like an ordinary greeting, but the fact that Jiha said it made it extraordinary. A tender word from the man she loved. The joy of having her recent hardships washed away in an instant flushed Leticia's pale cheeks a soft pink.
Jiha got straight to the point.
"I've heard the reports, but how is Barjet?"
"I tried talking to her about this and that, trying to get her to open up...."
Leticia spoke slowly.
"I get the sense that Barjet never really wanted to become a Unique. No, beyond that, I think she regrets becoming a witch at all."
"She thinks the role doesn't suit her?"
"...Well, I can sort of understand it myself. I've had times when I wanted to throw it all away too. The moment anything happens, everyone pins the blame on me and shouts that I should step up and take responsibility, while they themselves do absolutely nothing. It's infuriating when they only burden you and give nothing back."
"Is Barjet the same?"
Leticia shook her head.
"Witches hold regular gatherings, but the bonds between them seem weak. Still, I think Barjet suffers from a kind of inferiority complex... She seems to believe she isn't qualified to be a Unique."
"What a weak-willed excuse."
Enril's assessment was frosty.
"It's not a matter of qualification. You do it because you have no other choice."
"Not everyone has a fat ass like you do, dark elf."
"Are you defending such frailty and foolishness?"
Enril sounded genuinely incredulous. Leticia frowned, delicately wrinkling her brow.
"...It's not about saying it's right. I'm saying I understand it, to a degree. You and I became Uniques because we were born with the fate and talent for it. It's not like we wanted it from birth, right?"
"It is an honorable duty for my people. A joy beyond compare."
"Right, must be nice having that big butt of yours."
Leticia finished with a bitter edge.
"But some people feel the pressure. Barjet is one of them."
"And so she got completely taken in by Heinrich's smooth talk."
At Jiha's point, Leticia sighed.
"That man, even when I listened to him... he spouted nothing but empty words. He kept saying Barjet had to find strength for peace between the factions, that she had to strive to build a world where all souls are equal... How does that even make sense? We aren't equal."
Leticia tsked.
"Look at how elf women are discriminated against right now. Even me personally... no matter what I did, the Council never acknowledged me. You know what he said when I told him that? He asked me, isn't that exactly why I need to work hard for an equal world? It's utter nonsense."
Leticia shook her head slowly.
She carried the pain and experience of having her personality twisted because her own people refused to recognize her on her merits.
"No matter what I accomplished, the Council wouldn't accept me. So was my effort lacking? I used to think so too, told myself I just had to try harder, but the harder I tried, the more drained I became. What I really felt like doing... was just beating the hell out of every last one of those elders. The urge kept surging up inside me."
Leticia concluded her story.
"I kept holding back because I thought of my grandmother.... But one thing's certain. Even if I overthrew the Council, that wouldn't make things equal."
"You've developed a talent for long, boring stories since I last saw you. Enough with the low-quality chatter."
Enril rebuked her coldly.
"Battles have winners and losers. We live in a state of war, and there is no equality in it. Only the winner's prerogative and the loser's humiliation. You know that as well as I do, so why deny it with such pitiful examples?"
"...Because I was tempted, too."
Leticia looked at Jiha and spoke calmly.
"If I hadn't met you, I probably would have fallen for it. His words sounded plausible and sweet. He seemed to know exactly where it itched and scratched it perfectly. I even found myself wanting to keep listening."
"I sent you to extract enemy intelligence, and you came back smitten with a man. Elves really are useless."
"...Do you want to die?"
When Enril sneered, Leticia's expression turned deadly serious.
This wasn't their usual back-and-forth sniping; she was genuinely furious, blind to everything else in her rage.
"What? Smitten with a man? Right in front of Jiha, you chose to insult me with those exact words? You think I'm going to let this pass? You have a death wish, don't you? You think I'll let this slide?"
Enril frowned, realizing Leticia was truly on the verge of exploding. This enraged reaction wouldn't end with their normal insults.
"Leticia."
"...Don't stop me. I can't stand this. I can take anything else, but this—I absolutely cannot take this!"
Even when Jiha called her name, Leticia looked ready to settle things with Enril in a fight to the death. Feeling that her love for Jiha had been insulted, the lid had blown off completely.
Enril spoke calmly.
"I apologize."
"..."
She didn't just say the words; she actually lowered her head. Her fine silver hair cascaded downward. Seeing the haughty Enril of all people do this, Leticia, who had been raging, looked genuinely shocked.
Dark elves and elves were races that would sooner kill or die than apologize to one another.
And considering that Enril and Leticia were both Uniques in their own right, Enril's current action could become a highly sensitive political issue. A dark elf Unique had bowed her head to an elf! For this alone, Enril would have no defense if other dark elves hounded her for the rest of her life.
"My words were out of line. I sincerely apologize, Leticia Yormun."
"...I accept."
Leticia, too, reined in her fury and calmed down. She understood that, given Enril's personality, this was no easy act and that she had done it while shouldering an immense political burden. Her pride was still wounded, but she couldn't demand more than this.
She was also secretly worried about having ignored Jiha's call, so she kept stealing glances at him to gauge his mood.
'They really are on awful terms...'
Up until now, it had been at the level of insults, but this time, if Jiha hadn't been present or if Enril hadn't apologized, one of them would be dead. The killing intent Leticia just displayed was genuine, and Enril, had the roles been reversed, would never have backed down.
"S-Sorry. Just being weird...."
As Leticia forced a smile, Jiha leaned in slightly and planted a light kiss on her lips.
Smack.
The brief kiss, as if soothing a child's tantrum, surprised Leticia for a moment before her expression slowly softened.
"I know your heart, so don't be angry."
"...O-Okay."
Face immediately flushing crimson, Leticia suddenly realized this wasn't a private moment—Enril was silently watching. She shot up from her seat in a fluster.
"W-Well, anyway, I'll be on standby with the troops, so just call if anything happens!"
Leticia fled the scene, practically running away.
Jiha sipped the tea placed before him and organized his thoughts.
Things had been resolved for now, but what about next time?
'I have to make Enril and Leticia stop fighting...'
Both were now tamed by Jiha and obedient to his word, but they harbored a deep hatred for each other. It wasn't just a matter of a bad personal relationship; the two were the Uniques of the dark elves and the elves, respectively.
The dark elves were now following Jiha's orders, moving to occupy other cities, and Jiha had just taken a significant number of elves under his command.
If Enril and Leticia continued like this, the two races now under Jiha would remain perpetually hostile.
Ultimately, he had to make Enril and Leticia get along—or at least ensure they no longer fought.
While Jiha was thinking this, Enril looked toward the rooftop of the building opposite them.
"The situation is set."
Spotting the hand signal from the escort guard stationed on the rooftop, she confirmed that a disturbance had erupted inside the inn. A fight in the chicken coop: no doubt Heinrich and Quority had clashed.
"Now we just clean it up. How do you want to do it?"
"I'll go in alone and finish it. Stand by with Leticia around the perimeter and make sure no one gets out."
"Understood."
"I'm going."
Just as Jiha was about to rise, Enril suddenly caught his hand. He smirked as she gazed up at him.
"What, wishing me luck?"
"..."
Enril held onto his hand as if she were going to stand up with him, then leaned in close.
A kiss initiated by the woman.
Her tongue, licking his lips, moved with thick, sensuous intent, as if to erase any trace of another. An aggressive play, mingling anger at another female's mark with a coquettish desire to monopolize her man.
At this courtship kiss, Jiha wrapped his arm around Enril's shoulders and sat back down. Enril, now straddling Jiha, closed her eyes and tangled her tongue with his even more fiercely.
"...Haa."
A sweet ambush.
Enril savored Jiha's lips for a long moment, only pulling away after a full minute, seemingly satisfied at last. She lowered her eyes and spoke in a low murmur.
"...I get jealous, too."
"So do I."
Jiha slid his arm around Enril's waist, kneading her buttocks as he whispered. Every time the man's rough grip squeezed, Enril flinched, her cheeks flushing red.
"...Liar."
"The mere thought of another bastard looking at this ass sets a fire raging in my heart, you know?"
"..."
It was nearly time to move in.
But Jiha, acting as if this exchange with Enril was the more important matter, continued whispering, kissing her knuckles one by one. Under the rain of kisses trailing from the back of her hand up her arm, Enril shivered, feeling ticklish.
"Ah, ahh. No...."
"I'm starting to want to take you right now."
"...You have to go inside."
Even as she said the words, Enril wrapped her arms around Jiha's neck and whispered affectionately. The anger that had flared up watching the kiss between Leticia and Jiha melted away like snow, replaced by a welling desire to be loved.
But capturing the great demon was the priority now; Enril was well aware how long Jiha had invested in setting up this situation.
Nestled in Jiha's arms, Enril whispered sweetly.
"...You can do as much as you want after this is over."
"Yeah? You're saying I can pump my seed into your belly as much as I want?"
"...Yes."
At his blunt words, Enril only gave a tiny nod. The predator who had just traded barbs with Leticia became utterly docile alone with her man.
Smack.
Jiha kissed Enril's cheek and rose from his seat. He suppressed the lust urging him to taste the woman before him a little longer, so he could carry out the task ahead.
Kill the man.
And take the woman.