Chapter 228: The Elven Princess
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 228: The Elven Princess
In the case of this expedition to Japan, the cleanup proved more difficult than the battle itself. Restraining the surviving Japanese and separating the elves was a task in itself. While some elves were freed from their brainwashing when the mental-type magician died, others were not.
Alisha was incredibly busy treating her fellow elves, and as a result, screams echoed ceaselessly throughout the castle. Choi Eunju and Jung Hayeon had a bit more breathing room, but Baek Ahyeon worked tirelessly to heal the injured elves, to the point where she nearly collapsed from magical exhaustion.
There were other problems as well.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“P-Please, calm down.”
As their former memories slowly returned, a great number of elves began to blame themselves or fall into regret. Some, though their minds had been restored, refused to accept their return to sanity. The atmosphere was quite grim, as some were even seen self-harming or making other extreme choices.
I figured that if it weren’t for Alisha, the third princess of the kingdom, the elves would not have calmed down so quickly. It wasn’t just her ability to cure the brainwashing with her mental magic; the mere presence of the princess gave the other elves a sense of stability.
Of course, I also realized that her ability, focused on healing rather than control, was quite effective.
As many of the elves returned to their senses, those with good personalities and decent abilities began to stand out. Among them, the princess Elia, who had been captured by that Kimura bastard, had a unique ability that I quite liked. I thought it would be advantageous to keep her if she was willing.
Far-seeing Eyes.
She was the one who had spied on Kim Yoora. As a lesson for harming our clan’s children, that Kimura bastard was being handled exclusively by Baek Ahyeon and Jung Hayeon. During that process, Elia’s brainwashing had broken, and she had returned to her senses.
I still remembered the sight of her, despite having clearly suffered terribly, biting her lip hard and leaving to help the other elves.
“I offer you my sincerest gratitude.”
“It was merely a contract. You can hear the details from Alisha.”
If Alisha had the feel of a tomboy pretending to be demure, Elia felt like a truly graceful princess. She certainly seemed older.
“I have already heard the terms of the contract. It is heartbreaking to have to leave our kingdom, but I don’t know how we can ever repay you for your help…”
“This land and the thousand elves who have agreed to stay are sufficient. Rather than thanking me, it would be wiser for you to think about how you will live from now on. I have promised to provide aid, so you should quickly choose a suitable place to settle.”
“Yes… Thank you for your guidance.”
An undeniable bitterness was written on her face. Being told to abandon the home where you had lived for decades was, frankly, an absurd demand. Though she accepted it with composure, her gaunt face and golden hair seemed to show just how much she was struggling. She, too, had been Kimura’s captive. I found it remarkable that she could remain so poised.
“So… what happened to the queen?”
“My mother is…”
From the way she couldn’t finish her sentence, it seemed the queen was already dead.
After the battle, we had searched every corner of the castle and found the queen of the kingdom. I remembered she had been on the verge of death.
It seemed the Japanese king, Kimura Yasukuni, had played with her until he grew bored and then discarded her. The queen was in a dungeon, and the first princess had been found rolling around in the soldiers’ barracks. Her condition at the time of discovery had been quite severe. Not only was her entire body caked in the filth of those Japanese bastards, but she reeked of rot and waste, unable to even control her own bowels.
The queen, who had been ravaged by the prisoners, was so physically broken that even Baek Ahyeon’s divine power couldn’t fully heal her. I had expected her to die, and indeed, she drew her last breath not long after.
“The God of the Battlefield—no, by your standards, Mother Earth will watch over her.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“I’m curious about the first princess’s condition.”
“Ah… yes. My sister is slowly regaining her senses. Alisha has been by her side constantly, so we hope she will return to her former self soon, but…”
The first princess’s body was in relatively good condition, but the brainwashing had been planted incredibly deep. I didn’t know what they had put in her head, but her state had been so appalling that I couldn’t help but recall the moment we found her.
‘Hah… hah… New master. Woof! Woof!’
I had been quite taken aback when I saw her rushing toward me, shouting those words. An elf charging at an orc… it was an unfamiliar sight. The disgusted grimaces on the faces of the orcs were quite a masterpiece.
“Is it taking some time?”
“Yes. It seems so… If it’s alright with you, may we stay here a little longer? O-Of course, it’s fine if you refuse… but if you could show us a little mercy…”
It seemed this was her real objective. But there was no reason to refuse such a polite request. In fact, it gave me more time to select promising elves, so I didn’t see it as a bad thing.
“I will allow it. However, I hope you do not forget that you are the guests here.”
“Yes. We will never forget.”
“We will proceed with the terms of the deal after your people have settled down a bit more. It would be best for you to get plenty of rest in the barracks prepared outside.”
“Thank you for your consideration, M-Master—no, Chieftain.”
It seemed the aftereffects of the brainwashing still lingered faintly. I watched for a moment as Elia scurried away with a reddened face, then made my way to Choi Eunju.
*
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“S-Sister! Sister!”
Alisha held her completely broken sister’s body tightly, continuously chanting spells. Her entire body was soaked in sweat, but her sister’s mind was far more damaged than the other elves, requiring intensive treatment.
As she delved deeper into her sister’s mind, it was only natural that she saw various memories. It was an undeniable fact that her sister had endured a hellish time. Tears naturally began to well up in her eyes. She wanted to erase the memories, but there could be side effects, so her first priority was to suppress the suggestion of slavery that had taken root. The fact that her sister was still reacting this way, even as she continued to erase it, meant she had clearly grown accustomed to the constant, agonizing life she had led.
She had been working for a long time when she sensed someone enter the barracks. It was her middle sister, Elia, who had miraculously regained her senses.
“How is she?”
“Ah… I think she’s getting a little better. You should get some rest, sister.”
“No… I have to do everything I can, too. It looks like we’ll be able to stay here a little longer. It’s sad that we have to abandon the kingdom, but…”
“I-I’m sorry, sister. I was too… I made the decision on my own…”
“No, I want to thank you, Alisha. If it weren’t for you, we would still be living that life. We can build the Eveluse Kingdom somewhere else…”
They were in the middle of their conversation when their eldest sister, who had been asleep, slowly began to open her eyes.
“S-Sister!”
“Sister! Do you recognize me?”
Of course, they spoke to her urgently. It was the first time she had shown such a response during treatment. They watched with tense expressions, and after a little more time, their eldest sister’s lips slowly began to part.
“Alisha? And… you must be Elia.”
Her expression was somewhat cold.
“Sister!”
Tears streamed from their eyes. Her sister Elia also lowered her head, offering a prayer to Mother Earth. It was nothing short of a miracle.
“Mother… Where is Mother?”
“Mother is…”
As their words trailed off, she seemed to realize what had happened. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening her mouth to speak again.
“I want to hear about the kingdom again. And what the two of you were talking about earlier…”
“I will tell you.”
Her middle sister began to speak, looking at their eldest. With a trembling heart, Alisha stopped her and opened her mouth. She was the one who had started this. The responsibility was hers to bear.
“M-Middle sister, I’ll tell her. It… it’s just that… in truth…”
Alisha began to recount the story calmly. How she had fled the kingdom, crossed the Foggy Forest, and discovered a new land. How she had run and hidden for days on end, avoiding humans, before meeting a small fairy. How that fairy was the daughter of the chieftain of a great tribe.
From the negotiations to the contents of the contract, she began to explain everything in a steady voice.
“They said the thousand elves weren’t for slavery, but strictly for managing the city… Also… they said they would help us relocate once we decide on a place. With enough s-supplies and labor…”
The more she spoke, the more she felt their gazes turning colder. Her middle sister must have noticed their eldest sister frowning, as she began to chime in.
“The humans who were here have all been subdued or killed, sister. If it weren’t for them…”
It was then.
Smack!
A loud sound suddenly rang out.
“Stupid bitches.”
It was their eldest sister, Eliane, glaring at them as if she wanted to devour them whole.
“…”
Alisha, startled, clamped her mouth shut. Her eldest sister, Eliane, continued to strike her middle sister’s cheek with her palm.
Smack!
“How dare you… call that a solution… How did this country come to this… Truly…”
She was so frightened by the sudden turn of events that she didn’t know how to react. But she couldn’t just watch her sister get hit repeatedly, so Alisha quickly interjected.
“He’s… he’s a trustworthy person. I… I personally… entered his mind.”
“Shut that mouth. You are a traitor who sold out the kingdom. This kingdom is the land our mother built with her own hands. It is not a land you have the right to treat so carelessly. And how can you believe whether his words are true or not? The humans were the same.”
“B-But…”
“You trust him.”
“……………I-It’s not like that.”
Alisha squeezed her eyes shut. She believed she was still under the influence of having once entered his mind.
“I can tell by looking at your eyes. Do not think that when you entered this sister’s mind, this sister saw nothing. I cannot hand this kingdom over to such savage things.”
“They are not savage…”
Smack!
“How dare you… After your sister was raped by humans and your mother was killed, you… you only seek what you want. Even after I endured this hellish time… to think the little sister I risked my life to save was shacking up with a filthy monster. Why don’t you storm out of here right now, spread your legs, and beg him?”
“S-Sister… t-that’s…”
“Isn’t it easy? Until you came, this sister was… by dozens, hundreds of men, day and night…”
As she spoke, her eldest sister suddenly clutched her head. When Alisha, startled, tried to reach out, she felt her eldest sister’s hand slap hers away.
“S-Sister.”
“Do not touch me with your filthy hands. You are the bitch who sold out our entire kingdom. I will not permit you to call me sister, either.”
Alisha pressed her lips together tightly. She felt like she was about to burst into tears.
“Get out of my sight right now. You filthy bitch.”
That single, ice-cold phrase stabbed into her heart like a dagger.