A Human's Slave Life (2)
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Warrior Captain Ardena. Her real name was Ardena Valencia.
She was one of the twelve warrior captains defending the Elf Kingdom. As the leader of the Helenwood Knights, she had recently commanded the battle at the border with the Valua Kingdom.
She had lost to Yushin Gilliard, the man called one of the Kingdom's Seven Swords, but captured him as a prisoner, restoring her honor.
"Damn, what kind of cheat-ass weapons do they even have?"
Yushin grumbled. He was completely spent.
Warrior Captain Ardena was too much for a regular longsword. It was a miracle he hadn't gone down in one hit.
After dozens of exchanges, Yushin had lost. He'd tasted defeat at the hands of someone he'd beaten before.
As his longsword snapped, the Helenwood Knights crushed the prisoner revolt.
"Restrain him again."
Ardena ordered. Her husky voice suited the fierce elf knight perfectly.
The Helenwood elf knights had wiped out Yushin's subordinates. They fought fiercely, but couldn't match fully armed elite elf knights.
In the end, the escape plan fell apart.
"Human."
Ardena looked down at Yushin, restrained once more by the elves. Arrogant poise.
Her lustrous golden hair cascaded to her waist, emerald eyes sparkling like jewels. Among the beautiful elf race of beauties, Ardena stood out.
Judging by her noble features, she was a high elf from the upper echelons.
"How does it feel now?"
The high elf asked.
The human swordsman replied,
"Obviously like shit."
His subordinates' efforts had been trampled. Why had Ardena shown up at this exact moment?
It was natural to resent her, the culprit behind the failed revolt. Thanks to her, they'd be dragged to an elf city, slapped with price tags, and sold at a slave auction.
"You beat me. Even though our positions are reversed now, the fact that you defeated me—a warrior captain of the Elf Kingdom—stands. Surely wealthy high elves are eyeing you already."
"So this slave-to-be can only sweat it out, hoping some high elf lords buy him at a premium? What an honor, Warrior Captain of the Elf Kingdom."
Even Yushin's sarcastic tone didn't change Ardena's expression. Cold, impassive.
Was she planning to watch his fall from Kingdom's Seven Swords to Elf Kingdom slave?
She ordered her elf knights to shove him back into the wagon. The door was torn off, but the wheels were intact.
Ardena volunteered to personally escort the prisoner convoy.
"Th-thank you!"
"It's all thanks to you, Captain!"
The elf warriors expressed their gratitude. Letting Yushin and the humans escape would have meant brutal reprimands and punishment from above.
Especially Yushin—a monster at the Six Sword Realm. And one of Valua Kingdom's key forces, the Kingdom's Seven Swords.
Losing such a prize would have enraged high elves eager to buy top-tier slaves at auction.
"C-Captain...!"
Isana cried out. Her arms were already bound.
"I told you to run without me. Why'd you stay and get captured?"
"H-how could we abandon you, Captain! We'll rescue you someday, no matter what!"
Isana shouted boldly. But her spirit didn't last.
The elves identified her as the ringleader and moved to kill her. They drew sharp daggers, clearly intent on tearing out her throat alive.
Unlike Yushin, the top-tier slave prospect, Isana was just ordinary goods. No loss killing her on the spot.
"Stop, you damn bitch!"
Yushin roared. Bound head to toe, he spat killing intent at the elves.
His subordinate was going to die. By elven hands.
He screamed at the dagger-wielding elf.
I'll kill you. My subordinates are off-limits. Touch them, and you're dead.
Even restrained, Yushin thrashed desperately.
"Your face was cute enough to spare, but no dice. You could've made a fine male prostitute at auction. Too bad—death for the revolt's mastermind!"
Ignoring Yushin's anguished cries, the elf raised her dagger without hesitation.
Aimed at Isana's nape. One thrust to sever it cleanly.
"Stop."
Ardena intervened. She reached out, halting the elf's hand.
"That prisoner is Elf Kingdom property. You caught him, but the moment he crossed the border, he became Liberia Elf Kingdom's asset. Forgot that?"
"C-Captain..."
Hypocrite. Yushin thought, watching Ardena bask in the elves' admiring gazes.
But he couldn't say it aloud. Hypocrite or not, she'd saved Isana's life.
A commander who couldn't even protect his subordinate had no right to call her out.
"Get up."
Ardena said.
Only then could Yushin, face buried in mud under elven restraint, lift his head. He spat out the dirt in his mouth.
A mess, but his subordinate was safe. That was enough.
Muttering "drop dead" at the elves, Yushin stood on shaky legs.
"Kingdom's Seven Swords—you'd better ensure no more disturbances. You let your men flee and held us off alone, so you value their lives."
Ardena approached. She gripped Yushin's shoulder, bound in manacles and surrounded by female elves.
Riiip!!
His rag of a shirt tore. Revealing the tattoo on his left shoulder.
The elves gasped in shock.
"Stigmata…!"
"So that human has... the power of the gods…"
Ardena confirmed her suspicions.
Stigmata. Those granted power by the gods. Known as Another Ones from other worlds, unconnected to this one.
And they were famous for receiving divine powers.
Powers varied wildly, impossible to pin down.
Yushin's was simple, inscribed in crimson within the stigmata.
"Sword Focus Realm."
Ardena murmured. The ancient script was no trouble for an Elf Kingdom warrior captain.
Talent with the sword. Simple to the point of banality, but easy to manifest.
Among countless Another Ones with stigmata, anyone would covet Yushin's power.
"If only he'd had one more year…"
Ardena whispered. After staring long at the stigmata, she ordered the elves to drag him away and turned aside.
"Ardena!"
Yushin shouted. Her steps halted abruptly.
But she resumed, back turned to the man who'd defeated her—as if she'd learned all she wanted.
In the Liberia Elf Kingdom, the most famous slave-trading city was undoubtedly Pamplona in the northeast.
Close to the Akiteon Mountains bordering the human nation of Valua Kingdom, most war prisoners crossing the range ended up there.
And elves traded captured humans as slaves in Pamplona.
"Father, is that rumor true? About the Six Sword Realm human swordsman up for auction!"
Leticia Santander asked. A red-haired elf.
Rare among mostly golden- and silver-haired elves. In her glamorous dress, she exuded unique allure amid the crowd.
As a pureblood noble high elf from the upper strata of elf society, she stood out anywhere.
"So it seems. Other nobles heard and rushed to Pamplona, didn't they?"
Leticia's father was a distinctive elf with a mustache. He'd slicked back his red hair without a strand out of place, sold off assets for funds to snag the rumored slave.
Other nobles too. They'd flocked to Pamplona for the human swordsman who'd toppled Warrior Captain Ardena overnight.
Other slaves? Irrelevant. They came solely for him.
"Warrior Captain Ardena swore virginity until marriage to the swordsman who beat her, right? A high elf warrior's vow."
"Of course, that's limited to elves. No noble high elf lineage can taint itself with filthy human blood."
The very thought was revolting. Bilen Santander, Leticia's father, grimaced.
Though the Elf Kingdom encouraged interbreeding with humans to boost population (labor), that applied to common elves.
High elves were descendants of prophets who communed with the World Tree Bria. Noble blood couldn't mix with human filth.
Thus, high elves tabooed human seed.
"Who'd have thought the human who beat Warrior Captain Ardena would end up captured…!"
Ardena held the fourth seat among twelve warrior captains. Heir to high elf Valencia Forest, rumored future royal guard to the high priestess. A promising star.
Her defeat by a human swordsman shocked elf society.
I want him. His swordsmanship too.
A slave's possessions belong to the master. Only the buyer deserved exclusive claim to that skill.
"I want to be like Warrior Captain Ardena. Learn swordsmanship from the human who beat her, and someday surpass the captains."
"Naturally. Your innate talent plus human sword arts? You'd not only beat Ardena but maybe even challenge first-seat El Seed one day."
"Thanks, Daddy."
Her daughter cooed sweetly—a rare display. Leticia's interest in that human swordsman was clear.
I must have him. To grant her wish, Bilen had to secure the swordsman.
He'd braced for financial bleeding to come to Pamplona. But it didn't matter.
For his daughter's future, no sum was too great.
Breeding him with our forest's elves would yield many superior warriors. A chance to outpace other nobles.
Bilen harbored ambitions to make the human her sword teacher while siring talents via his forest elves.
But he kept silent, unable to reveal such schemes to his innocent daughter.