Ch. 269

“Did you say the biggest one was the key to the chest?”

“Yes. The items you purchased are inside.”

The chest was made so sturdily that even the lid was heavy.

Inside were other boxes, large and small. The most luxurious one, finished with velvet, seemed to be the Veiled Mirror, and a smaller jewelry box seemed to contain the earrings.

When I opened a flat, ordinary-looking wooden box, I found various documents inside.

From instructions for the suppression tool set, to instructions for the Polymorph Earring, to the user manual for the Veiled Mirror. Certificates of authenticity for the magic tools, and so on.

‘How to Raise a Dark Elf…? These bastards, they treat other races like complete animals.’

There was also one small, unidentifiable box, about the same size as the earring box. Wondering what it was, I opened it to find the ‘Master’s Ring,’ a set with the Magic Suppressor.

The dark red ring, the color of a mud puddle with a lot of blood mixed in, was the exact same shade as the suppression tool around the Dark Elf’s neck. The material was similar to iron, but much heavier.

[Rai, what do you think this material is? It’s not an ordinary metal.]

[It’s a melted magical gemstone mixed with an alloy. A product of alchemy and Magic. I could eat it if I had to, but it would be tricky… and more importantly, it has no nutritional value and tastes awful!]

[Nutritional value… your standard for that would be pure metals with high hardness, right?]

[That’s right. And that thing isn’t pure, since it’s a fake metal made through alchemy.]

[I’m not trying to make you eat it.]

They said that if I wore this, the Dark Elf couldn’t harm me.

In other words, it also meant that if I wasn’t wearing the ring, he could harm me as much as he wanted.

I fumbled to put the ring on my left hand, and the only finger it fit was my thumb.

It didn’t seem to be enchanted with high-level Magic that would resize it to fit my finger like the Tears of Truth.

Ash, who had been watching me for a moment, seemed flustered and whispered in my ear.

“Geenie? Why are you putting that on?”

“In case he bites.”

“Pardon…?”

“You have to prepare for any contingency. That Dark Elf isn’t very fond of humans. He already had an extreme hatred for them, and after being humiliated like that, it’s probably gotten even worse now.”

The fact that he had thirteen suppression tools on him meant he was that difficult to handle and dangerous.

As a simple example, Daria, whom I had met before, was also a Dark Elf but wore only one suppression tool.

Of course, unlike Daria, this guy was ferocious, and his physical abilities were outstanding, so it seemed the tools were meant to suppress that, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

We were acquainted, but it was uncertain if he would even recognize me, and when he was so angry that he couldn’t see straight, it was easy to get bitten.

“…Wasn’t the plan to set him free? You said he was a Dark Elf you knew?”

“Right. But…”

“But?”

“I never said we were close.”

Wink.

When I winked one eye, Ash’s face became as despairing as if I had just pushed him off a cliff.

“So you didn’t spend that money out of pure goodwill!”

“Of course not. Would I ever do something like that?”

“No wonder you looked so excited…”

The first reason I bought this Dark Elf is that we’re acquainted.

I remembered how much of a jerk he was back then, so I wanted to get him in my grasp and mess with him.

“Dark Elves are already famous for shunning other races, right? But among them, they select the strongest and youngest Dark Elf to kill humans who harm their kind and give them the title ‘Eradicators.’ That’s him.”

“…Please, couldn’t you have told me… something like that in advance?”

“I’m telling you now.”

“It’s too late…”

“I’m fine since I’m wearing the ring, but you guys aren’t, so watch your backs.”

The second reason I bought the Dark Elf is that, although it’s hard to gauge precisely, I judged his physical strength to be comparable to Rovenin’s.

He would surely be useful somewhere.

He didn’t seem like the type to grant a human’s request, but if he owed me a debt of gratitude, the story would have to change.

If he wanted to escape his life as a slave, he wouldn’t have any other choice.

The more I think about it, the more useful this Dark Elf seems.

“Hehehe.”

[Master, you know you’re laughing very wickedly right now, don’t you?]

“Ehehehe!”

[Ah, you know it well….]

While I was lost in my happy planning and laughter, Ash couldn’t hide his anxiety.

He had only just realized what a dangerous being I had impulse-bought.

“Customer! The slave you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Please check the merchandise.”

Just then, a cart carrying a cage arrived, and I welcomed it with open arms, feeling like I was greeting a delivery man.

The cage was tightly wrapped in a gray cloth so you couldn’t tell what was inside just by looking, but the sound couldn’t be hidden.

The continuous clanking of chains being pulled, along with a threatening sound like a beast’s growl, kept leaking out.

It was easy to tell without even looking that a wild beast was inside.

“Did you come by carriage?”

“No, we came on horseback.”

“Then we will install a device so you can connect it to the cart.”

“Oh, how much?”

“A special service! It’s included in the price of the slave.”

“I’m not… particularly grateful.”

Remembering the price I paid, that level of service felt like a given.

If I added the money I spent on the Veiled Mirror, I could probably buy that cruise ship.

I approached the cage, lifted the cloth slightly, and peeked through the iron bars.

I saw the Dark Elf, wearing even more shackles than when he was on stage. It seemed he had caused another ruckus in the meantime.

His hair was a mess, and the number of wounds had visibly increased.

Not only were his hands and feet restrained, but his waist and neck were also firmly fixed to the cage, leaving him almost unable to move.

What was particularly unsightly was the leather gag stuffing his mouth.

‘They wouldn’t even treat a man-eating beast like that…’

As if he noticed me peeking, the Dark Elf glared at me from the darkness as if to kill me.

I quite liked his eyes, gleaming with a murderous blue glint like a predator stalking its prey.

The fact that he hadn’t broken his will even in that state was worthy of praise.

I prefer a feisty one over a weak one.

“He’s full of life. He’ll live a long time.”

“He’s probably already lived longer than us.”

Ash looked at me with sad eyes as I covered the cage again with a satisfied expression. He seemed sick with guilt over having bought a slave.

“I guess so? Elves are usually considered adults only after they turn 150… Dark Elves are probably similar. So is he about 200 years old?”

“If you know that, shouldn’t you be a little more respectful…”

“I don’t respect people based on age.”

If I were to decide who to respect based on age, I wouldn’t have treated Magi like such a child.

Ash, looking ever so anxious, lowered his voice and asked again.

“Geenie, you are going to set him free, right? You’re not really going to work him like a slave, are you?”

“Yeah, I’ll set him free.”

“…W-wait. So, when is that…”

“You’re noisy. I’ll handle it, so you go get the horses. We need to get out of here before it gets any later.”

I wanted to at least take off his shackles, but there were too many eyes here.

It would be just as difficult to enter the city dragging that cage as it was, so first, I had to find a place to ditch the cumbersome thing.

[We can just dump it in a forest somewhere.]

[I can just eat it! Slurp!]

[No. Ash and Rovenin are here.]

[They already know I can eat swords, don’t they?]

[Eating one sword is different from eating a cage that big. Do you want to be drafted into a war for overusing your abilities?]

The ability to make metal disappear—I could see a miserable future of being called out for every war.

[Actually, I can eat that cruise ship too….]

[Showing off your abilities too much is dangerous.]

[For my comfort, you mean?]

[Yes.]

The problem, above all, was Ash.

He was a sharp man, and at this rate, he might figure out that Rai was a Metal Spirit.

[Just dumping the cage anywhere is fine, but isn’t that illegal dumping?]

[What, why are you suddenly acting all righteous?]

[Because Rovenin is constantly watching you, Master. What will you do if he deems you a dangerous person because of that?]

The reason Rovenin followed me today was to figure out what kind of person I was. He had great doubts about whether I was as trustworthy as Ash claimed.

[…That’s already a lost cause, isn’t it? I bought a slave.]

[…You have a point.]

I had no intention of trying to look good to Rovenin at this point.

As long as he didn’t mistake me for a spy, and as long as the terrible event of him thinking well of me didn’t happen, that’s all I hoped for.

[I’m suddenly worried.]

[About what?]

[The Dark Elf. I did buy him with the intention of freeing him someday… but if I do, Rovenin might think I’m a good person. I just hate the slave trade.]

[…Was setting him free even on your mind? I thought you were lying.]

Damn Rai, he’s sharp today.

[It is. Feel for it carefully.]

[I don’t feel it.]

[Look in the corner. Below ‘what should I eat tomorrow.’]

[Hmm… Hmmm…? Well, I think I feel a tiny little bit…?]

The important thing is that it’s there.

Anyway, he was one lucky Dark Elf. To become a slave and then be spotted by me and rescued. A master this good would be rare. Do I hit him? Do I starve him?

Besides, since I’m a Spirit Mage, I’m good at giving orders.

[You know, Master? I’m usually… only wary of other Spirits. Humans die soon enough anyway. In the end, I’m the only one who will remain by your side.]

[And?]

[Should I be wary of that Dark Elf too?]

[Could you please not seriously ponder things like that?]

—

Unlike the other carriages heading over the mountain toward the city, we headed for the outskirts.

We rode along the flatlands until the sea was no longer visible, and soon we found a deserted resting place.

We were the only ones riding on this quiet road, in the complete opposite direction of the city.

“Let’s stop nearby. This place should be fine.”

“Yes, it looks safe.”

“It doesn’t seem like anyone will come.”

After stopping the horses, Ash skillfully checked the map.

“If we go for about 30 more minutes, there’s a small village. It would be best to rest there for today.”

“Without returning to the capital?”

“It’s gotten too late, and the horses are too tired to make it that far.”

Only then did I notice the two horses panting heavily.

It was because, for a short while, they had been pulling a cart with a cage and carrying three people.

The horse Rovenin rode looked relatively better, but the one carrying both me and Ash was half-foaming at the mouth.

The horse we rented from the inn wasn’t even a packhorse.

“Right, I’m sorry.”

I quickly jumped off the horse’s back to at least lighten my weight.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I was about to call Undine, but I had to clamp my mouth shut at the ominous presence that crept up behind me before I could even utter a word.

Right behind my head, there was a sound of something powerful crashing into something else.

[Ah…!]

“…What was that?”

The sound put me on high alert.

[No, Master! Don’t you dare turn around!]