Academy's No.1 Instructor (2)
Santander was a port city located on the northern coast of the Liberia Elf Kingdom. Like Valencia in the east, it had amassed wealth through trade with foreign nations. The Santander family that ruled the city had a shorter history and tradition compared to the Valencia family, but as a rising noble house, they were rapidly catching up to the old aristocracy with their swift growth.
"Captain!"
"Captain, you're alive!"
"I knew you'd make it!"
His subordinates came rushing in, panting and out of breath. After parting ways at the Pamplona auction house, they were reuniting here as human slaves of the Liberia Elf Kingdom rather than soldiers of the Valua Kingdom.
"I'm going to meet Lord Santander."
Ardena turned on her heel. After notifying the Santander family, Yushin had used a long-distance warp gate with her to arrive in Santander in one shot. She had business to discuss with Bilen Santander and headed straight to his office. Thanks to that, Yushin was free to chat with his men in the guest reception room.
He first asked about how the Santander family had been treating them.
"The Santander family has us training soldiers and occasionally subjugating the monsters that come up from the south," Isana said.
Yushin nodded at her words.
"Yeah, there had to be a reason they bought you all at the auction without batting an eye."
Yushin's subordinates were elite soldiers of the kingdom. They had fought northern barbarians and even been deployed as reinforcements to the Holy Empire during its war with the Demon King Army. Among the Valua Kingdom's troops, they had some of the most illustrious combat records. Not only had they felled countless monsters, but they had also fought in perfect sync with Yushin Gilliard when he took down a dragon from the Demon King Army.
"Captain..."
"Shh."
As Isana opened her mouth, Yushin signaled for silence, quieting his men. Someone might be eavesdropping. Only after confirming no one was around the reception room and that there were no listening spells or magic devices did he continue the conversation.
"How much have you told the Santander people?"
"We haven't breathed a word about the most important matters to anyone."
The sharp-featured man, Hekadi, said with a serious expression.
The most important matters. The secrets they had to hide from the elves. Above all, the incident that had made Yushin Gilliard a pariah from the Valua royal family. His men believed they absolutely could not leak that secret—known only to the Valua royals and upper echelons—to the Liberia Elf Kingdom.
"Good job. No point in getting caught."
"Yes, sir."
"Keep it under wraps. But you never know when the elves might catch on—they've got killer instincts and'll sniff out even the smallest slip. Stay completely silent on anything related."
"Understood."
Yushin looked over his twenty-odd subordinates—Isana, Hekadi, Tucker, and the rest—and nodded, relieved at their safety. If anything, they looked brighter, healthier even than back in the Valua Kingdom. The Santander Forest must be treating them well. Though reduced to slave status, they weren't being worked to death in the mines like other human slaves or treated like livestock.
"They must be trying to keep us tied down with a honey trap or something."
"Honey trap?"
Yushin echoed Hekadi's words. A honey trap? Using elf beauties as a ploy?
"Every night, these elf hotties barge in."
"I was chilling in the bath, and one even offered to scrub my back before jumping me."
These bastards. They were living it up way better than their captain. All his worries had been for nothing. Even the virgins among them were thrilled about losing it to elf beauties, though they griped about being "raped" with lips curled in smirks.
"If we go back home now, we might face a court-martial for the defeat..."
Gareth said. A former boy soldier handling weapon procurement and logistics, he was one of the rank-and-file.
"Gareth!"
His adjutant Isana snapped. Chastened, Gareth flinched and clammed up.
Yushin spoke up.
"Isana, he's not wrong. Gareth's got a point. The Valua Kingdom tossed us away like consumables and ran."
Isana nodded grimly in agreement.
The Valua Kingdom was a nation ruled by a bloodline-based aristocracy. Commoners had no path to advancement. Only nobles could become officers. That's why even a powerhouse like Yushin, who had reached the Six Ember realm, never made legion commander. The national law explicitly stated that only nobles could be appointed to such ranks.
"I have no loyalty to the kingdom anyway. Everything I've fought for was for the people, not the fat cats up top. So I'm asking you all: do you want to go back home? If anyone does, I'll get you there somehow."
He posed the question to his men. Did they want to return to their homeland?
They hesitated, glancing at each other. Even Isana and Hekadi held back. The grunt Gareth stayed silent too.
"Then... what about you, Captain?"
"Me?"
Isana asked. Yushin shrugged.
"I've got someone I need to meet in the kingdom. But the elves won't just let me go, and Valencia's warrior captain shelled out big money for me—she's not releasing me quietly either."
"So you want to go back home too...?"
"Nah, just someone I wanna see. Not itching to return to that shithole kingdom. Life here's pretty sweet right now. I'm teaching Valencia's second daughter. Pureblood high elf, but weirdly mana-insensitive. Her talent's not bad, though—fun watching her improve."
Yushin spoke brightly of his daily life in Valencia. Though a slave, he was somewhat content with slave life in the Liberia Elf Kingdom.
Yushin and his men were lucky. Had they been worthless slaves without skills or experience, they'd have been shipped to labor camps where only death meant release. Elves had no qualms about slaves—they squeezed every ounce of labor as a matter of course.
"Why'd the elf warrior captain hide that you're an Another One?"
"Probably wanted to snag me cheap."
Yushin replied to Isana's question.
* * *
While Yushin rejoiced in reuniting with his men, Ardena was speaking with Bilen Santander, head of the Santander family.
Valencia and Santander were infamous rival houses, constantly at each other's throats. It was one reason Alonne and Leticia were always at each other's hair at Bria Academy.
Bilen asked his guest from Valencia Forest.
"So, is that human slave worth 5 billion aiter?"
A barbed question. Ardena answered.
"I've never begrudged the cost."
Ardena was an elf far removed from material greed. She was content with what she had—plenty if abundant, little if scarce. Her sole loyalty was to the elf kingdom. No reward was needed for devotion.
Ardena Valencia was a soldier who would gladly lay down her life for the Liberia Elf Kingdom. She lived by the teachings of her predecessor warrior captain.
"Yushin Gilliard. One of the Kingdom's Seven Swords, an indispensable force in Valua. Capturing that power as a POW is a boon for the elf kingdom."
Valua Kingdom and Liberia Elf Kingdom had been mortal enemies since ancient times. Valua's people were descendants of humans who persecuted elves on the continent. Meanwhile, Valua viewed border-raiding elves—who hunted humans—as savages no better than demons.
Securing one of the Kingdom's Seven Swords that protected Valua was a major gain for the elves.
"So why the desperate bid for this Yushin Gilliard at the Pamplona auction? No offense to you, of course. Just my personal curiosity."
Ardena explained.
"Right now, Yushin Gilliard is teaching my younger sister, Alonne."
"Alonne Valencia...?"
"You know my sister has a constitution that can't handle mana like other elves."
"Mm."
He'd heard the stories about mana-insensitive Alonne Valencia until his ears bled. Partly because his daughter was her classmate, but nobles had a nasty habit of sneering at anyone regardless of race.
Nobles jealous of Valencia mocked Alonne as a failure.
"Planning to pass on human mana breathing techniques, eh."
"Yes."
The seasoned politician Bilen saw through Ardena's intent at once.
The Kingdom's Seven Swords' mana breathing method. Transferring human mana breathing to an elf. No issue there.
The elf kingdom had long learned it from captured Valua knights. Most elves didn't know, but their current mana breathing derived from human tech.
"Then what about our Leticia...?"
"Hasn't Lady Leticia already mastered elven mana breathing? I hear she'll pass the graduation exam with ease."
Ardena drew the line. Bilen backed off without pushing. She was the warrior captain—best not to ruffle feathers. A spat over one slave would just feed the other nobles.
"Forget I said that. I got greedy."
"I overreacted too."
"I pray Lady Alonne advances greatly and becomes a fine talent. More talents mean a stronger elf kingdom."
"Yes, it will happen."
After a pause, Bilen posed another question.
"How do you see the war with Valua unfolding? Yushin Gilliard's capture as a POW—his fellow Kingdom's Seven Swords won't sit idle. And our Yetzirah Council plans to reject Valua's negotiation offer. The kingdom will be furious with us."
"If humans cross the Akiteon Mountains... it means their death."
The Akiteon Mountains were treacherous terrain. Elves had rigged deadly traps using the geography. Elf outposts dotted the peaks, with beacon towers for alerts. If Valua waged war again, the mountains would run red with their blood and flesh.
"The students will return to the academy soon. Holiday ends tomorrow."
Bilen wished Alonne safe passage through her graduation exam. It was crucial—the first test of high elf heirs' potential. Liberia's luminaries were all Bria Academy graduates, from politicians to warrior captains. High elf notables shared top honors from the academy.