Chapter 30: Rehabilitating the Elf
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: Rehabilitating the Elf
“What? The elf is gone? What the hell are you talking about!”
The city of Noctar.
In every city, there are merchant groups that hold sway over the market. In Noctar, the one with the most influence was, without a doubt, the Desert Rose Merchant Group.
From the office of this very merchant group, a voice filled with panic echoed loud enough to be heard outside.
Roperman had been eagerly awaiting the elf's arrival. But what arrived instead was not an elf, but tragic news.
Roperman's secretary delivered the report.
“An adventurer reported finding the bodies of the mercenaries on the road to the forest.”
“A-all the mercenaries are dead? Did a demonic beast appear or something?”
“No, sir. All the bodies had wounds as if stabbed by a small blade, and the bars of the cage that held the elf were cleanly cut. We suspect it was the work of skilled assassins.”
“Assassins…!”
Roperman couldn't hide his astonishment.
To think someone had wiped out the mercenary group he'd assembled and stolen the elf. He couldn't fathom who would dare commit such an atrocity.
Fellow elves? Or perhaps someone with a grudge against his merchant group?
It was impossible to pinpoint a suspect.
Enemies were an inevitable byproduct of profit in the merchant business.
With no witnesses, even tracking them was impossible.
“My slave co-collection…”
Overcome with a sense of loss, Roperman collapsed into his chair. Unable to bear his weight, the chair let out a long creak, as if screaming.
How much money had he poured into capturing the elf? Just recruiting the mercenaries and providing them with room and board had cost well over 200 gold coins. All that money had vanished into thin air.
On top of that, he had bragged to everyone in town about capturing the elf. He'd even pompously scheduled appointments to show her off to the nobles. What kind of excuse could he possibly make now?
Roperman sat there as if he'd lost the world. Then, he hurriedly heaved his massive body to its feet.
“I-is it possible… there's a-another elf in the city?”
“Would an elf ever come to a filthy city like this? If there were one, rumors would have spread long ago.”
“You never know. That elf might have come here. J-just go and check.”
“Understood.”
The secretary replied immediately.
Inwardly, he sighed.
An elf in a city like this? As if.
I'll just kill some time and tell him there's no one.
*
Early morning.
The Peacock's Night Gathering, being a tavern, only opened for business after sunset.
Thanks to that, in the mornings when it was closed, I could drink coffee brewed by Victor and eat meals cooked by Victor.
For free, of course. After how much I paid for drinks yesterday, I'd earned the right to a free meal.
I was leisurely enjoying my coffee, having a sort of mana-circulating brunch, when it happened.
The kids, at that age where their energy is so explosive it could tire out a dog, devoured their food in an instant. They were already prepared to go out and play first thing in the morning.
They were so full of life that the sound of them stomping their feet in their eagerness to go play sounded like a tractor starting up.
“We're heading out!”
“Be careful out there. It's a rough neighborhood. Oh, and if you happen to find a girl who wants to be a slave, feel free to bring her back.”
“Who in the world would want that? Even if we found someone, we wouldn't bring them here!”
“If she's cute, I'll buy you that sword you wanted, Matthew.”
“I'm sure there's at least one out there!”
Matthew led the girls out of the tavern. He was already the protagonist of his own harem. You should be thanking me.
Once the children were gone, a tranquil peace settled over the tavern. Morning coffee in a place with good ambiance. This was the life.
“So, how long are you planning on staying here?” Victor asked as he wiped a glass.
“Master, are you trying to kick me out now? After all I've done for you?”
“Ah, no, of course not. You're Emily's savior. It's just that you don't seem like the type to stay in one place for long without a purpose.”
“I'll be here for a while, so don't you worry.”
The first stage of Alfia's liberation was here in Noctar. I may have twisted the story from the start, but the scheduled event wouldn't be canceled overnight.
I had to stay here until then.
Just then, the scent of the forest, so strong it could make you think you were standing in the woods just by smelling it, spread through the air, gently trampling the tavern's smell.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The sound of someone rushing up the stairs. Our gazes turned to the staircase, and Alfia appeared, head first.
“Ah!”
Alfia's green eyes widened in surprise as they met mine. I gave her a refreshing smile.
“Good morning, Miss Alfia. Did you sleep well? I was worried when you passed out from drinking yesterday.”
“D-don't be ridiculous! Why are you completely fine? You cheated, didn't you? There's no way a person can be this sober after drinking so much!”
A perfectly logical thing to say.
My old self wouldn't just be worrying about a hangover; I'd have been foaming at the mouth and collapsed.
“That's why I told you. Making a bet when you already know the outcome isn't a bet, it's a scam. I'm pretty sure I told you that, didn't I?”
But what can you do about it?
I gave you fair warning. You're the one who jumped in.
“Miss Alfia, you should reflect on your actions. It's a good thing it was me; if it had been someone else, you would have been in big trouble. Even though I knew I would win, I didn't bet anything. Phew, what a kind master I am.”
“You, you…!”
I took a sip of my coffee, savoring the sight of Alfia's face twisting in anger.
“I-I don't accept this!”
Alfia tried to flee.
She ran for the door.
'Where do you think you're going?'
You'll stand out if you go out like that. You want to advertise to the world that I stole Roperman's elf?
I pulled on the soul shackles.
Clank.
“Nngh!”
Alfia, who had been running, came to a sudden halt. She bit her lip and tried to resist, but she couldn't budge an inch.
That only works for an awakened Mirabelle. You think you can pull it off?
“Don't waste your energy first thing in the morning. Just come and eat.”
Alfia completely ignored me and tried a few more times before finally realizing it was impossible.
With dejected, resigned steps, she came and sat next to me. Her soulless gaze fell upon the table.
Victor pushed a plate in front of her. It held bread and a sunny-side-up egg. Though Alfia looked drained of energy, she still had something to say.
“I don't eat eggs…”
“Young elf lady, I'm sixty years old this year. Even so, speaking so informally…”
“I'm older than you.”
“……Hey, Karami. Your slave is speaking informally to me. Shouldn't you teach her a sharp lesson?”
“I welcome slaves with personality.”
Victor looked at me with eyes full of betrayal.
What are you looking at? I'm always on my slaves' side.
“No eggs. Mostly vegetables.”
“…Understood.”
At Alfia's order, Victor went to prepare a new meal. Alfia began to munch on her bread.
I rested my chin on my hand and stared intently at her profile. Alfia didn't give me a single glance, silently chewing her bread.
“What are you staring at?”
“You're beautiful. Even the way an elf eats looks like a sculpture.”
“Don't say things you don't mean.”
“What do you mean, I don't mean it? I'm serious. Besides, you admitted it yourself yesterday, Miss Alfia. That you're absolutely beautiful.”
At that, Alfia whipped her head around. Her braided hair swung like a whip.
“I-I said that?”
“Of course. You even did the cute flower-cup pose with your hands.”
Half of that is a lie, but it doesn't matter. She has no way of knowing the truth. Just one more spoonful will make it perfect.
“'I'm so happy to be Master's slave.' Don't you remember clinging to me and saying that? Was I the only one who was serious?”
“I have no memory of that! And I would never say such a thing! So you were lying after all!”
“Tsk.”
I guess that one didn't work.
A shame, but it's fine. I can just raise her affection level slowly.
“Could you get me some water?”
“You have hands. Get it yourself.”
“…”
Wow, for a second there, I felt like my world was collapsing.
I mean, seriously. A slave telling her master to get his own drink. I let out a deep, troubled sigh.
“Haaah, when I asked Miss Mirabelle for water, she would happily make it for me.”
“Mirabelle? Who's that?”
“There's this girl. The cutest witch in the world, who makes ice for me when it's hot, creates water for me, and hugs me to keep me warm when it's cold.”
“Then why don't you ask her? Where did she go?”
“I sent her to be with her mother. I'm sure she's living happily in that high place.”
Alfia's gaze turned chilly, but I didn't really care. Water was more important.
“Aaaah, I miss Mirabelle. Miss Mirabelle would even make water for meeee.”
“Wh-what's wrong with you?”
“Waaater. Waaaaaaater.”
“Ah, fine! I'll get it for you! I just have to pour it, right?!”
Unable to withstand my ultimate tantrum, Alfia poured water into a cup and gave it to me.
“Here. Happy now?”
“How uncool. Don't you have any water made by spirits instead of this stuff? I heard spirit water is exceptionally refreshing.”
“You've got to be kidding me. Do you think water spirits are wells? Besides… I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. I can't handle spirits.”
Alfia muttered with a lack of confidence, her face looking like someone with a long, complicated story.
If a silver tongue is a basic requirement for a slave trader, then handling a bow and spirits is the basic requirement for an elf.
But Alfia can't handle either. It's not that she doesn't have spirits.
'The problem is that she's bound too closely to them.'
Normally, a spirit chooses an elf it likes and bestows its power upon them. But Alfia is a little different.
From birth, spirits entered her body and became a part of her.
Spirits of different natures clash with each other, and Alfia bears all the pain that results from it.
They say that when she drinks, the spirits get drunk too, and the pain lessens. That was the reason Alfia became an alcoholic. Because of it, she spends most of her days drunk and dazed.
Can't handle spirits.
Can't handle a bow. A good-for-nothing elf.
Ostracized, so she has no friends. Kicked out to the outskirts of the Great Forest. All she does is spend most of her days drunk and dazed.
She's a character with a truly pitiful backstory.
Not a pretty, smart older sister type, but the hikikomori, unemployed girl-next-door. That's Alfia.
Well, thanks to that, just by hearing her story, I can already size up what needs to be fixed.
“If you're done eating, let's get up.”
“Huh? Why?”
“We have a place to go.”
Time to go make this useless elf into a functional person.