A Bet with the Elf
The border between the Yudika Kingdom and the Silverion Holy Kingdom.
A group of cloaked figures dashed through the trees, carrying a heavy burlap sack on their shoulders. After scaling the mountain and finally crossing into the Holy Kingdom, they gasped for breath and dropped the heavy sack onto the forest floor.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
At that moment, the creature trapped inside the sack began to thrash violently. The rope binding the opening slipped loose, revealing the contents within.
It was a female elf, her hands, feet, and mouth tightly bound. She glared at her captors with a ferocity that suggested she would tear them apart the instant she was freed.
"What the hell are you glaring at? You think you can actually do something to us like that?"
The man who had been carrying the sack brutally kicked the elf right in the face. Bound and unable to resist, she fell backward. Her nose shattered, and dark red blood began to pour down her face.
"She's glaring because she can't do anything else, obviously!"
"Ugh, how annoying. Hey, bro, can't I carve a little design on this bitch's face?"
"You did that last time and ended up stabbing her through the skull! She died on us!"
"I'll just scratch her lightly this time! Please?"
"No! Don't you dare touch the valuable merchandise!"
"Tch. You got to kick her right in the face, though..."
The woman reluctantly sheathed the dagger she had drawn to scar the elf's face. Under the stern gaze of her brother, the leader of the group, she had no choice but to back down. As they bickered, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the quiet woods.
"Brothers and sisters, I see you have brought her back alive this time."
The newly arrived man wore a simple robe, but the heavy silver rosary hanging from his neck made his affiliation instantly clear. He was a priest of the Silverion Holy Kingdom. A man representing an order that preached purity and righteousness was secretly meeting with a band of human traffickers.
"Father, we brought a fresh one, just as you requested."
"Yes, I have verified her condition. However, the quantity is rather lacking. I recall there were still two more heads left to fulfill the contract?"
The fact that he referred to the elf as a "head" rather than a "soul" made it abundantly clear how the Holy Kingdom's priest viewed her. He regarded her as nothing more than a wild beast. The gentle, benevolent smile on his face was so hypocritical it was downright chilling.
"We've raided the forest so often lately that their security is tight. It's getting harder to snatch them."
"That is your concern, brother. If you hadn't turned the previous elf into a corpse, wouldn't you have already fulfilled the contract and then some?"
"If you had just healed her with your holy power back then, Father..."
"Are you suggesting that I should have wasted my precious holy power on a mere beast?"
During their previous job, the sister had stabbed an elf in the face out of pure jealousy of her beauty. The priest could easily have saved the dying elf with his holy magic. However, he possessed absolutely no mercy for non-humans. He had simply watched with cold indifference as the elf begged for her life before dying.
"I-it was a slip of the tongue!"
"I shall overlook it this once, sister. If you make such a comment again, I will not be so forgiving."
"Forgive her. I apologize on her behalf."
"Sigh... In any case, bring me another living elf by any means necessary. Your payment will be delivered then."
The priest slammed his heavy holy book against the elf's head, knocking her unconscious. He then slung the sack over his shoulder and leisurely walked back the way he came.
Watching his retreating figure, the kidnappers let out a heavy sigh before turning around.
"Let's go."
"Boss, are we really going back? One wrong move and those elves will turn us into pincushions."
"Yeah, bro! Even if it takes some time, let's wait until their guard is down!"
"And what if our client cancels the contract in the meantime? We risked our lives to kidnap these elves; I'm not about to work for free. We're going back. We only need to capture one more head, and we're done."
Faced with their leader's unyielding resolve, the rest of the crew began gathering their gear. Though they grumbled and expressed their anxiety, they ultimately obeyed. Sensing their unease, the leader tapped the device strapped to his wrist.
"There is no need to worry. If things get dangerous, we can just use the warp artifact I bought for a fortune from the Solia Magic Republic."
"Oh, right! We have that!"
"Damn! Always prepared. You really are the best, boss!"
"Stop kissing my ass, you idiot. Let's make this quick."
With that, the kidnappers stepped back into the elven forest, completely unaware of the drastic changes that had occurred since their last raid a few days ago.
***
"We're almost there! Please prepare to disembark."
As soon as we had arrived at the royal castle, we immediately boarded another carriage to travel this long distance. This time, we didn't pass the time by having sex inside the carriage. Just discussing our strategy with Scarlet made the time fly by.
Luna had stayed behind in Yudika, saying she would look for a house for us. At first, she wanted to come along, but when I told her we needed a place to live together, she happily chose to stay. Thanks to King Sherdin's favor, we could build a house wherever we wanted, so I was sure she would pick a great spot—with the excitement of choosing a newlywed home, no less.
"If you follow this path straight ahead, you will reach the elf settlement."
"Thank you for the ride."
"The honor was mine, Sir Alvin."
After sending the carriage away, Scarlet and I walked in the direction the coachman had pointed. The forest was a pristine, untouched natural sanctuary, filled with the endless chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects.
"Are you really going with that method? Isn't it a bit of a hassle?"
"Even if we wipe them out, more kidnappers will just show up eventually. To solve this problem permanently, we need to teach them a way to crush intruders even when we aren't around."
"They're going to resist it fiercely, you know."
"I don't plan on convincing them with words. Once I prove that my method works, the elves will be begging to copy it."
Their kin had been kidnapped by humans. Even if I showed them the royal token King Sherdin gave me, they wouldn't treat me kindly. Alvin's pheromones didn't work on non-humans who held deep-seated hostility, either. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary suspicion, I decided not to do anything provocative—excluding provoking Katreya, of course.
"Halt, humans! Take one more step and we will shoot!"
As we ventured deeper into the forest, elves who had been waiting in the trees dropped down and surrounded us. They held their bows drawn, aiming directly at us. The arrowheads were coated in a green liquid that was unmistakably poison.
"We finally caught you! You're the bastards who have been kidnapping our people near the village!"
"And if we aren't?"
"Hmph! A pathetic lie...!"
I opened my palm to reveal the wooden plaque I was holding. The elves aiming at us widened their eyes in shock, lowering their bows as they rubbed their eyes. They stared repeatedly, as if trying to confirm if the token in my hand was indeed what they thought it was.
"Why does that human possess His Majesty Sherdin's royal token?"
"Don't tell me that human did something to His Majesty...!"
"No, if Grandis Castle were in danger, a carrier crow would have arrived by now."
Through the murmuring elves, a sharp yet elegant voice cut through the air. The archers stepped aside, clearing a path as a blonde elf stepped forward with an air of noble dignity. One glance was enough to tell she held a high position.
"It is more reasonable to assume His Majesty Sherdin bestowed that token upon them himself."
"H-His Majesty gave a royal token to a mere human? Could it be a fake?"
"As someone who has received His Majesty's token before, I can assure you it is genuine."
"If Lady Katreya says so, then it must be true..."
The future queen of the Yudika Kingdom and successor to King Sherdin, Katreya. She was our target. I exchanged a subtle glance with Scarlet before stepping forward to face her.
"It is a pleasure to meet—"
"Save your breath. I have absolutely no interest in who you are. If you are here on His Majesty Sherdin's orders, state your business without delay and get the hell out of our forest."
Her tone, her gaze, and her body language practically dripped with disgust. Though she maintained her composure as the future queen, she couldn't entirely hide her personal feelings. Just as King Sherdin had warned, she was the type to easily ruin things when her emotions got the better of her.
"His Majesty's words were indeed true."
"Excuse me?"
"It's nothing. We have come to investigate and resolve the recent disappearances in this forest under the direct orders of His Majesty Sherdin."
Katreya's brow furrowed. It was a natural reaction. She had been dispatched first to handle the disappearances, only for some random human to show up claiming to do the same. Furthermore, a human solving a crime committed by humans? Katreya wasn't about to accept that easily.
"His Majesty wished for the crisis surrounding the elven forest to be resolved swiftly. That is why he sent me."
"Is that so? While I appreciate the gesture, you may turn right back around and inform His Majesty that we are fine. I am more than capable of handling this matter on my own."
"I cannot do that. His Majesty's orders are absolute. I will not return until this problem is resolved."
"I will have a temporary camp set up for you nearby. Stay there and keep out of trouble."
She clearly didn't want me getting involved at all. At this point, it was just stubbornness. Even if Katreya was slated to be the next queen, the current ruler was still King Sherdin. She was directly opposing the king's will and the orders he had given to resolve the issue.
"Sigh... Lady Katreya, do not cross the line."
"W-What did you say?!"
"My lord is King Sherdin, not you. You are in no position to order me around."
"How dare you speak to me like that!"
"Screeching like a spoiled brat is quite unsightly. The future of Yudika looks bleak indeed."
Grit!
Katreya clenched her jaw, her face contorting in rage. She raised her hand to slap me, but Scarlet suddenly intervened, draping her arms over both of our shoulders.
"Now, now! His Majesty wouldn't want us fighting amongst ourselves. Instead of bickering, why don't we make a competition out of it?"
"Let go of me!"
"Calm down, Lady Katreya. It's a friendly competition for the sake of the elves and the kingdom!"
"Tch...!"
Unable to break free from Scarlet's monstrous grip, Katreya clicked her tongue. She clearly loathed being touched by a human, but she forced herself to endure it.
"How about we see who can capture or kill the kidnappers first? The loser has to grant any request the winner desires!"
"And why on earth should I agree to such a ridiculous demand?"
"My, our future Elf Queen sure talks a lot!"
"What?!"
"If you think you're going to lose, you can always back out. But in exchange, you must not interfere with whatever we do."
Katreya's face grew even more hostile. Her pride as a queen had been thoroughly bruised. Refusing the bet would be tantamount to admitting her own incompetence. She bit her lip before finally nodding.
"I will make absolutely sure you are driven from this land!"
"Of course. The incompetent should leave without a word."
Katreya brushed Scarlet's arm off her shoulder and turned away. She walked off with her haughty stride once more, her elven guards following close behind. Before leaving, the elves glared at us one last time, making the atmosphere incredibly tense.
Regardless of their glares, we were highly satisfied that everything was going exactly according to plan. Scarlet and I looked at each other and gave a thumbs-up.
"Good work."
"You too."
If we fail, we just leave. If we win, we get a titty, pussy, and anal party with the Elf Queen. It was a bet with virtually zero risk.