26-67

EP.67 The Lord Was Disappointed 

Elf magic was incredible. 

It didn’t even feel like traveling. 

It was as simple as taking a stroll in front of your own house. 

“Is this the place Eldric mentioned?” 

Milleiyu looked around. 

Her beautiful appearance and unique features drew attention, 

but everyone just glanced at her like she was a passing chicken. 

I’d heard it was a perception-dampening spell. 

“Yes. This should be the place... The problem is how to dig up the truth.” 

“Hmmm... That’s true.” 

“If we just show up suddenly, it’ll only make them wary, and it’ll be even harder to find evidence.” 

“It won’t be easy.” 

“Let’s start by asking what kind of person the lord here is. That much should be fine.” 

I went into a nearby inn. 

It smelled musty and was far from luxurious. 

The dim atmosphere showed it wasn’t a popular place. 

“Welcome. Are you travelers?” 

The greeting was laced with annoyance. 

Even with no other customers in sight, there was no hint of cheer. 

“Yes. I plan to rest here, but can I ask you something?” 

“If it’s something I can answer.” 

“What kind of person is the lord here?” 

“Hmm... Not someone people like me have much to do with.” 

I couldn’t expect an enthusiastic answer. 

The middle-aged innkeeper didn’t even look at me, 

just kept cleaning whatever was within reach. 

“Are there any famous stories or rumors?” 

“Famous stories... Well, there are tales that, like other lords, he’s ruthless with taxes.” 

“So he’s not very distinctive?” 

“Ah... Now that I think of it, there are rumors that circulate in the back alleys sometimes...” 

At last, the innkeeper looked at me. 

But it wasn’t a friendly gaze, 

more like he was checking something. 

“There’s a rumor that he goes crazy for elves. Don’t know if it’s true.” 

“Elves...” 

“I just heard it in passing. There was an elf who visited once, and one day she disappeared. The rumor is the lord took her.” 

It was a pretty credible rumor. 

The records I’d seen had abnormal numbers. 

It’s not uncommon for nobles to collect certain races- 

it was only unusual that the target was elves. 

“Elves are expensive and hard to get. Especially if the forest elves found out...” 

“Haha! You think those forest-dwellers would ever know?” 

“...I see.” 

I glanced at Milleiyu. 

Fortunately, nothing dramatic happened right in front of us, 

though she did look rather uncomfortable. 

“Could you tell us more about that rumor?” 

“It’s probably not a story a lady would enjoy...” 

“It’s fine.” 

“Well... I’ve heard he keeps them piled up like court ladies for his pleasure, or that he swaps them out every night. And...” 

The gist of the rumors was this: 

Lord Dredley owns a huge number of elf slaves. 

Whenever there’s word of an elf appearing, someone comes to check. 

“That’s about it, but it’s just rumors.” 

Surprisingly, Milleiyu’s reaction was calm. 

It wouldn’t have been strange for the elf leader to be furious, 

but she seemed to be thinking of something else rather than angry. 

“Thank you. I plan to stay here for a while-could you show us to a room?” 

“Yes, then... Oh...?” 

The innkeeper’s pupils suddenly widened, 

as if he’d noticed something unusual. 

“A-an elf...?” 

With that one word, I understood the situation. 

Milleiyu had dropped her magic. 

Everyone knows the distinctive ears of an elf. 

“S-sorry, miss...!” 

“It’s fine. It’s just rumors, right?” 

“Y-yes...! I’ll show you to your room right away! You can pay when you leave!” 

The innkeeper hurried off, 

a complete change from his earlier attitude. 

He showed us to our room and quickly left. 

“If you need anything, just let me know!” 

Suddenly, Milleiyu and I were alone. 

Curiosity outweighed any desire for a private moment. 

“Weren’t you trying to hide your identity?” 

“I just thought of something while listening to the story.” 

“...?” 

“If the rumor’s true, won’t they come to us directly?” 

She’d exposed herself on purpose. 

There was no sense of danger in her gentle smile. 

Milleiyu had the confidence to be that relaxed. 

“Well... even if they do come, it shouldn’t be dangerous. Not with you here, Milleiyu.” 

“If anything happens, I’ll protect you. No need to worry. But what do you think, Eldric?” 

“About what?” 

“The story about the lord collecting elves.” 

“I think it’s entirely possible. The records show abnormal numbers heading here.” 

“Then there’s no need to wander around looking for evidence.” 

The innkeeper’s face from earlier came to mind. 

He didn’t seem like the type to keep a secret out of loyalty. 

“Maybe the reason he left in such a hurry just now...” 

“If we wait a bit, we’ll find out soon enough.” 

“Didn’t you say you were nervous about doing a mission alone before we left?” 

“I was fine until just now... but now I might be a little nervous...♥” 

She didn’t look nervous at all. 

If anything, she approached me with a calm, older-sisterly air. 

Milleiyu gently hugged me, 

her warm smile bringing a different kind of tension. 

“Let’s lie on the bed while we wait.” 

“It’s not a bad idea, but what if someone comes suddenly?” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll know ahead of time...♥” 

It was hard to say if she was amazing or just wasting her talents. 

But she wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

With a gentle touch, she led me to the bed. 

‘I really am glad she’s on my side.’ 

Would I really be able to behave myself? 

There was a subtle tension in the air that promised at least one incident. 

“So this is the place?” 

Downstairs at the inn, 

the innkeeper was speaking quietly. 

His companions were Dredley and a knight in heavy armor. 

“Yes...! My lord! I saw it with my own two eyes!” 

“An elf, at a time like this... hehehe...” 

Dredley’s smile was sinister. 

His gleaming eyes were filled with madness, 

as if he could see through the ceiling above. 

“And my reward...?” 

“Don’t worry. You’ll be well compensated. But this must stay secret.” 

“Thank you!” 

“Now, let’s enjoy the hunt at our leisure.” 

Dredley had rushed over as soon as he got the report. 

He was thrilled by the unexpected windfall- 

it felt like finding gold where he’d never expected it. 

He didn’t feel in any danger. 

This was his own domain, and the knight with him had fought elves before. 

“Are you ready?” 

“Yes, my lord!” 

The knight answered in a deep voice. 

His armor was custom-made, 

designed to maximize magical defense. 

It was terribly inefficient, but deadly to elves. 

“No elf is anything but a female in front of you. Handle them carefully, without damage.” 

The knight strode confidently up the stairs, 

his armor clanking with every step. 

In an inn with no soundproofing, it was impossible not to hear. 

When the knight reached the door, 

Dredley signaled him to break it down. 

CRASH- 

With the door smashed open, dust rose lightly. 

Ignoring the innkeeper’s worried look, the knight tore off the remaining pieces. 

Inside, Eldric and Milleiyu were waiting. 

“Explain what’s going on here...!” 

The two of us looked prepared. 

But that wasn’t what puzzled Dredley. 

He hadn’t been told about Eldric’s presence. 

“Uh... is there a problem...?” 

The innkeeper didn’t understand. 

In his rush to report, he’d simply forgotten to mention the man. 

He never imagined it would be an issue. 

“Nobody said there’d be a man here.” 

“S-sorry!!” 

Dredley’s angry gaze quickly shifted. 

He stared coldly at me- 

as if a slave had dared covet his property. 

“You seem very angry.” 

“Of course. There’s filth mixed in with my collection. Of course I’m upset.” 

He didn’t care that we were waiting for him. 

Something else was more important now. 

“Wait... don’t tell me... you...” 

Dredley glanced around the room. 

Nothing seemed out of place to the innkeeper or the knight. 

But he could tell. 

‘That smell...’ 

The smell of a male. 

Not just any male- 

the smell that lingered after rolling around with a female in a closed room. 

He didn’t need to see it to know. 

He could tell the source was the semen of the man in front of him. 

Rage welled up from Dredley’s gut. 

His face twisted from anger to outrage. 

He shouted, as if cursing the world: 

“Damn it...! My elf!!!”