Chapter 108
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Persuasion
According to the report, Alvis and his gang who carried out the terrorist attack at the Carrot Duchy border numbered four in total.
Alvis, Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis—that made four, so all the suspects were already identified.
So who the hell was this woman named Luna?
Even though Celine had been imprisoned by Alvis's gang for a full month, she'd never heard a word about a fifth member.
She asked warily.
"Luna...? Are you with Alvis?"
"That would be the reasonable assumption."
"Tch... What kind of bastard is that guy! You're seriously saying you're on the side of a murdering terrorist like him without shame!? It doesn't seem like you were involved in the terrorist acts he committed—"
"Quite the opposite. I owe him a debt I can never repay, including my very life. That's why I've come to you in secret—to help fulfill his wishes."
"...What?"
Celine blinked in stunned disbelief at Luna's words.
Alvis saving her life?
"I was betrayed by those I trusted, trapped without even the chance to flee, and exploited for endless years at their whim. Alvis and his companions were the ones who saved me from that fate. Even when my life hung by a thread time and again, they never gave up. For their lover, they smeared filth on their own bodies to play the villain, deliberately drawing all the anger onto themselves."
"What? What are you even..."
"I'm talking about one of the grudges you hold against Alvis—the Carrot Duchy border incident. The Ebony Shadow Mercenaries did stir up that chaos, but it wasn't Alvis."
Luna hadn't even been there at the time, but having merged with Alvis, she knew every experience he'd gone through. She described the events as vividly as if they'd happened yesterday.
The stories she told backed up the illusions created by the Eye that Pierces Truth that Alvis had shown Celine before.
Celine, who had not only seen those illusions but now heard the full backstory of why the incident unfolded, gaped in astonishment.
But she soon shook her head vigorously, vehemently denying Luna's words.
"Don't lie! You've been hanging around with Alvis's gang, so of course you're just covering for him! Even if everything you said was true, that bastard... And they lured us into a trap and killed our squad members! The moment they murdered innocent people who did nothing wrong, they became nothing but killers!"
"Killed? Are you sure? Did you confirm their deaths with your own eyes?"
"...?"
"Those people are alive. No one died in that last battle."
For a split second, Celine felt immense relief, but it was quickly overtaken by fierce distrust.
"Lies! I saw their armor shatter from arrows right in front of me—no one could survive that—"
"That was exactly the level of force. The armor broke, but it didn't pierce the people inside. Those injured by the impact were healed with magic right away, and every member of the squad you led is currently being held in a separate detention camp."
"Lies... When I asked that bastard Alvis what he did with our squad members, he said it was better if I didn't know. He mocked me openly, sneered at me... If his goal was to win me over and the squad members are all alive, he would've said that first by any logic! Why hide it from me and just taunt and provoke me instead?!"
"Because he wants you to genuinely join his side and cooperate."
"...What?"
"Let's say you knew the squad members were all alive, and in that situation, Alvis asked for your cooperation. What do you think you would've done?"
"Well..."
Celine imagined the scenario for a moment.
Learning first that her squad members were alive, then getting a cooperation request from Alvis?
Of course she would've accepted. Not because she liked Alvis, but reluctantly, to save her squad members.
Even if she herself didn't care, she had to save the lives of those who'd come here on orders and been taken prisoner.
Reading her intent, Luna pressed first.
"You would've cooperated with Alvis to save your squad members' lives. Am I wrong?"
"That's... true, but..."
"But that would've made you a sacrificial lamb to save your comrades. A noble choice, but not one born from the heart—it would've just been a means to save your allies. Alvis wants you to truly become his ally from the depths of your heart. That's why he deliberately hid the fact that your subordinates survived."
"Why... Why would a terrorist like him go to such lengths with me?"
"Because he likes you."
Celine's face flushed bright red, but it was from anger, not embarrassment.
"Disgusting! I have a boyfriend, and I have no intention of turning into one of those sluts like Ravi, Elfin, or Lenis who hang off that horny beast!"
"Alvis knows you hate him, yet he still has feelings for you. That's why he wants your cooperation to come from deep within, voluntarily—so he hid the prisoners' survival news. Do you understand his feelings now?"
"...No. And I have no intention of understanding."
"I see. Alvis knew you wouldn't come around right away. Still, please think it over slowly. He has never committed any terrorism or crimes like the rumors say, and he truly cares for you. Oh, and if he finds out I said all this, I'll be in a tough spot, so please keep my visit a secret?"
"......"
"I beg you."
The mysterious woman Luna gave a faint smile and left the prison.
......
After leaving the prison, Luna approached Alvis, who was waiting nearby.
"That should be enough, right?"
"More than enough. You did wonderfully."
"Then give me the snacks now."
"Of course, just snacks? Tell me what you want."
"I need meat too."
"Absolutely, absolutely. If our goddess wants it, you should eat your fill."
A bit later. Celine mulled over Luna's words in her mind, repeatedly denying Alvis's actions. The prison door opened again, and this time, a pretty girl with pink bobbed hair and rabbit ears entered. Celine, who knew her very well, glared fiercely and snapped in a sharp voice.
"What do you want? If you're here to mock me, get lost."
"Don't be like that, Celine. I just came hoping you'd change your mind a little."
"Oh, really~ Change my mind? And then what? Become one of you girls, offering my body to Alvis, fawning over him, and screaming that I love him?"
"Celine..."
"You were screwing Alvis in the other room of this prison just days ago, loud enough for everyone to hear! Elfin and Lenis too! Do you know how annoying your moans were?!"
With no other space available, Alvis, Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis would occasionally visit this prison to hook up. Each time, the sounds of flesh slapping, water splashing, and echoing moans from man and women alike drove Celine to the brink of insanity. In a sealed space where sounds reverberated, it was torture as they went at it. As Ravi fell silent, Celine caught her breath from her huffing and asked after calming her excitement a bit.
"...What happened to our squad members?"
She'd already heard from Luna, but words alone weren't enough to fully believe, and she was a little curious about Alvis's true intentions, so she asked again. Ravi looked quietly at Celine, then averted her gaze as she answered.
"...I can't tell you that."
"You expect me to change my mind without even knowing if my squad members are alive? You think that'll work?"
"Celine, Alvis wants you to truly change your heart and be with him. Can't you choose Alvis over Brayden? He's completely different from how he was at the academy. We all hated him at first because of that time, but now we can't imagine life without him. You won't regret it either, Celine."
"Shut up. You girls keep going on about loving Alvis now, so I can speak freely too. I have Brayden. The only one I love is Brayden, and it's been a month since I went missing—he'll lead the soldiers here any day now. You've already seen that Alvis is no match for Brayden, right? If you don't want your heads rolling right after his, turn yourselves in now and beg Brayden for forgiveness. Unlike with that bastard, we at least had some friendship, so I'm telling you this."
"No, it's the opposite. You came to the Carrot Duchy with Brayden and talked with me, so you'll understand. Don't you remember how hurt and angry I was because of Brayden back then?"
Of course Celine remembered. What was meant as consideration for the small Carrot Duchy came off as racist remarks triggering the Bunny tribe's trauma, hurting Ravi and causing her much heartache even after they returned.
"That day, I saw Brayden's true nature. He believes his thoughts and words can never be wrong. He never reflects on his own faults and thinks anyone who doesn't understand is the problem—that arrogance and sense of superiority. Pretending to be considerate while inwardly viewing Bunny tribe as fools who can't even protect their own country or bodies—a racist gaze. He hid all that while acting like a really nice guy on the surface. Do you know what I thought of Brayden then?"
Celine had no response, and Ravi didn't expect one as she continued right away.
"Hypocrite."
"......"
"A hypocrite full of arrogance, pretending to be nice while not caring about others and believing his words infallible. It was just a brief conversation that day, but I saw through Brayden. That's why I want to give you a chance, Celine. Staying with someone like that will only lead to misery in the end. You'll get hurt by his attitude someday too. So come here. Alvis has feelings for you. He wants you to choose to be with him from the heart."
"Enough nonsense. I'm not submitting to Alvis. And I gave you girls a chance too. Whatever happens next because you ignored it is on you. The moment Brayden gets here, if you're still siding with Alvis, I can't guarantee what'll happen to you."
"It's been a whole month, and Brayden knows full well you came here—why hasn't he come yet?"
"......"
Ravi lightly shook her head at Celine, who was at a loss for words.
"Celine, you're so stubborn. No point talking more—you won't listen. I'll come back later. Good night, Celine."
"...Don't come back if you're just gonna say the same crap."
Left alone again after Ravi left, Celine alternated between replaying Luna and Ravi's words in her mind, feeling like a fool for even listening. 'Why the hell am I even hearing this bullshit from criminals and their cronies!' Fuming, Celine kicked the prison wall hard. Thud! "...?"
At that moment, Celine sensed something off and froze. The supposedly ironclad prison wall, reinforced daily with unbreakable enhancement magic—no matter how much mana she drew, it never budged. But now, she felt no magic from it. Thinking she might've been mistaken, she struck it again, but it was just a normal wall without any magic.
"!!!"
Seizing the opportunity, Celine immediately drew mana from her body. Whatever they'd done, relying solely on enhancement magic far beyond her power and not bothering with handcuffs or mana restraints on her was their mistake. Idiots. Sneering inwardly at Alvis's gang's carelessness, Celine poured all her mana into striking the prison wall, and cracks began to form slowly. Escaping now might get her caught. With escape within reach, Celine calmed her pounding heart and lay on the bed, pretending to sleep. No window meant no way to tell the time or if it was day or night, but Ravi's "good night" before leaving confirmed it was night. Assuming plenty of time, she could slip out at dawn... Grateful inwardly for Ravi's slip-up with the time hint, Celine passed several hours wide awake. Judging it was deep enough into dawn, she sprang up and smashed the prison wall with all her might. Boom! Rumble—
Finally, the prison wall crumbled, and Celine succeeded in the escape she'd longed for.