Blood Princess (1)
Racial conflicts had always existed. Humans who once enslaved elves in the past, elves who now enslaved humans, and demons who were the common enemy of both humans and elves. It was merely a question of which race to fight—the hatred and extermination between races had never ceased, no matter the era.
"The Valua Kingdom is gradually heading down the path to decline. It probably won't last another ten years before it falls. But we can't let our guard down. A cornered rat is at its most vicious. That's what makes it dangerous—you never know what it might do."
Ileina, who had urgently summoned Ardena to Maherith Palace, explained the incident in the Akiteon Mountains.
Fifteen elf rangers had been kidnapped. They were currently tracking the slave hunters suspected of abducting them. Ardena nodded at Ileina's mention of deploying Liana immediately. She was trustworthy. Though she often came across as scatterbrained and unreliable, Liana was an elite with exceptional qualities as a warrior captain. Ardena believed she could safely bring back their captured kin.
"Then, the reason you called me here is…?"
"If the Valua Kingdom has directly mobilized its troops for this incident, the situation could spiral out of control."
Ileina responded with extreme caution. Deploying Ardena was a decision that required careful deliberation. She was one of the kingdom's strongest pillars. Moreover, she had a record of annihilating the Valua Kingdom's army and capturing Yushin Gilliard. To Valua, Ardena Valencia was a near-taboo existence—the very person who had proven the kingdom's inferiority to the Liberia Elf Kingdom.
"Keep it from Yushin. It won't do him any good to know. Just exterminate the slave hunters and bring our kin home."
"Understood."
Ardena nodded in agreement with Ileina's words. It was information that Yushin, Allen, and the Valua knights wouldn't benefit from knowing. Perhaps it was fear. The anxiety that Yushin might leave her side if he found out washed over her. Learning the emotion of love had also multiplied her fears. Ardena, wanting to cherish her time with Yushin, reacted sensitively to anything that might cause a breakup.
"You're back? Quicker than I expected."
After finishing her audience with the High Priestess, Ardena returned to Valencia Castle via warp gate and ran into Yushin by chance. Had he been waiting? She encountered him in the corridor right after stepping out of the warp gate area. Ardena stiffened noticeably, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
"Oh, yeah… I had some business."
"I see?"
Yushin shrugged at her response. They walked the corridor together, chatting about this and that.
"You hiding something?"
Ardena flinched so obviously at his question that anyone would notice her awkwardness. It was the textbook reaction of someone bad at lying. Yushin wouldn't miss it. Lying to him in front of his face was like trying to out-wrinkle a silkworm cocoon. For a guy who deflowered a high elf warrior captain and a human holy knight yet spun endless excuses—a prolific bullshitter—her attempt was laughably feeble. She'd been back at Valencia Castle for less than five minutes after her audience, and she was already on the verge of being exposed.
"N-no! Nothing like that…."
Yushin's playful side kicked in at the high elf warrior captain's clumsy reply. He wasn't particularly curious. He just wanted to see her flustered.
"Only the High Priestess could summon a warrior captain all the way to Maherith Palace. So, you heard something directly from Ileina… And it's something even the hero who saved the Liberia Elf Kingdom can't know? I get it, but it stings a bit."
Ardena trembled slightly at Yushin's disappointed expression. In the past, she would have remained cool as ice… But now, Ardena was no longer frozen steel. She was like a blue flower field revealed after spring winds melted the snow and ice—warm and blooming. The high elf who had learned love had become endlessly obedient and devoted to the man she loved.
"I-it's not like that… It's just not good for you to know, so I kept it secret…."
If Ileina saw this, she might have burst into tears.
"Something to do with the Valua Kingdom? Or humans in general…?"
"Th-that's as far as it goes! I can't say more…!"
Ardena shook her head vigorously. It was the High Priestess's order. She had promised not to tell anyone, especially Yushin and Allen from Valua. She couldn't betray her loyalty. Having served every High Priestess before, her devotion was forged like unbreakable steel. But no matter how sturdy the steel, reheat it, and it softens.
"Ardena!"
Thud.
Yushin reached out, pinning her against the corridor wall. He stepped forward, closing the distance—the classic wall slam. Ardena, suddenly trapped in his arms, flinched in surprise, her shoulders quivering like a newborn lamb's pitiful tremble.
"Ah, ugh… N-no, I don't know anything!"
Yushin leaned in, blowing softly into the high elf's ear. Ears were one of an elf's major erogenous zones. Even a light puff of breath made her whole body shudder intensely. He'd discovered it firsthand while making love to the slender high elf virgin, focusing on her ears.
"Back in the forest… you promised to give me all your time. I just want to help you. And I hate having secrets between us. Tell me the truth—what happened?"
Yushin Gilliard could be divided into two types: the old loser Yushin, and the Yushin who realized he was popular with women. The current Yushin knew he was a heartthrob with charm that captivated women. That's why he could pull off corny lines he couldn't have dreamed of in his loser days. Meanwhile, the high elf who had given her first kiss, a heartfelt confession, and her 320-year virginity to her beloved man was utterly smitten—she'd do anything he asked.
"Haa… Fine, but that's it. No more."
Unable to resist his forceful yet sweet plea, Ardena let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.
The slave hunters kept the captured elf rangers confined in a cramped space, gang-raping them day and night for a week to break their spirits. It was to make them abandon resistance and engrave hopelessness into their minds. They didn't forget to dose them with drugs that numbed their reasoning. They thoroughly pickled them into idiots.
Drooling, the slave hunters began gang-raping the elf dolls once more.
"We leave at dawn tomorrow."
"Got it."
The hooded man nodded at the scarred man, who had taken on a leadership role. The others showed no objections. They were getting bored of the elves' pussies anyway. They'd enjoyed the drug-soaked holes enough; they'd sell them on the black market before the elf bitches woke from their stupor.
"Didn't think it'd be this easy! Haha, those idiot elf sluts. They pulled all their forces to catch the Demon King."
"Lucky there were no warrior captains."
"The Elf Kingdom's warrior captains? Heard of 'em. A fighting force modeled after Valua's Kingdom's Seven Swords. Wonder how much those bitches would fetch if caught… Definitely a fortune even a slum rat like me couldn't dream of."
"Bullshit. Don't touch warrior captains."
The scarred man replied to the hooded man's cackling joke. The hooded man ground his teeth. Did this bastard not get sarcasm? He snapped at a casual remark. He wanted to snap his neck but held back.
Noticing the hooded man's gritted teeth, the scarred man spoke.
"The Liberia Elf Kingdom's warrior captains are centuries-old monsters. Valua couldn't conquer the Libria Peninsula despite controlling the Kingdom's Seven Swords because of those monsters."
Never engage a warrior captain. The scarred man, knowledgeable about elves, hammered it home: no matter what, don't touch or encounter one. Unlike his usual joking tone, he was deadly serious.
The rangers in the Akiteon Mountains are elite, rigorously trained. They might have markers. Load the elf bitches onto the wagons arriving at dawn and leave immediately.
The transport convoy arrived at dawn tomorrow. With Valua's full forces tied up suppressing rebellions everywhere, it was the perfect chance to smuggle the captured elves from the Akiteon Mountains.
Demand for elf sex slaves was endless. Called the race of beauty for their stunning looks, elves were treasures Valua nobles would pay fortunes for.
Knock.Knock knock.Knock.Knock knock knock knock.
"Hm? The scouts? They're late. Fucking mercenaries, probably slacking off again…."
A knock came from beyond the door. The hooded man confirmed the code in the pattern and turned the locked handle. In that instant, a sharp blade slashed through the open door, piercing his throat.
Gurk! With a short death rattle, the man's hulking body collapsed, spurting blood.
"Shit, elves!"
"Weapons up! Fuck, this is Valua Kingdom territory!"
The silver-haired warrior captain infiltrated with agile movements, slashing the humans apart. Blood fountains erupted. Wherever the sharp blade passed, flesh melted like chocolate, splattering to the floor.
"S-spare me! You said you would!"
The man who had knocked from outside shouted. He was the guide captured by elves. When caught scouting, he'd immediately betrayed his comrades' hideout to save his skin.
"Who the hell are you? That movement… A warrior captain, huh."
The scarred man asked. The silver-haired elf woman replied.
"Liana Linehold."
"Heard that name… Ah, the 11th Swordmaster. Damn it, they sent a warrior captain right away. Not like their usual delayed response."
"…You know a lot about us. I'll break your limbs and drag you in."
The sword hilt trembled. In that moment, blood sprayed from the scarred man's arms, deep gashes appearing. It happened in a flash. Liana, renowned for her swift swordsmanship, rendered the skilled-looking scarred man combat-ineffective in an instant.
"Grr, arghhh! Fucking hurts, damn it! Knew you'd cut without mercy, but didn't expect both arms crippled in a blink!!"
The scarred man screamed, his bloodied arms dangling limp. He rolled on the floor in agony, writhing and howling. But no one helped. The other slave hunters had been slain by the elf knights who raided with Liana.
"Search for evidence."
At Liana's command, the elf knights thoroughly ransacked the area. They aimed to rescue the captives and uncover the slave hunters' backers. But nothing significant turned up—just tools for capturing elves and junk. Liana, sensing something off, ordered a more meticulous search.
These ragtag losers broke through the Akiteon Mountains' tight security to kidnap rangers? No way. There has to be more—a shadow behind them. We need to find the backers supporting the slave hunters. For our kin's sake.
But Liana's role was to rescue the detained kin and exterminate the hunters. Mission complete, she returned to the Akiteon Mountains with the rescued elves to await homeland orders.