Ch.179Trap (3)

I’ll say it again, I currently have the authority to execute these elves on the spot. It’s designated by law, and no one would object to killing thieves.

However, just as you need minnows as bait to catch big fish, I need to use these elves well to eliminate the Senate in one fell swoop. Still, the Senate isn’t completely foolish, so meticulously setting the stage isn’t optional—it’s essential.

First, the “covenant.” A covenant is difficult to use because it requires the other party’s consent, but it can be useful in situations like this where lives are at stake.

Of course, they could escape if the master dies or by exploiting loopholes in the covenant, but it doesn’t matter since Cecilly is doing it directly. The problem is the elves themselves.

Again, you need the other party’s consent to establish a covenant. Arwen accepted it willingly as atonement for her crimes, but I wonder if these elves will accept it.

As everyone knows, elves—especially old-generation elves—have disgustingly strong pride. There are numerous horror stories of them dying or having mental breakdowns after being violated because they stubbornly clung to their pride in unnecessary situations.

With such a race, how would they react to a covenant that’s essentially no different from a slave contract?

“I refuse! Are you telling us to become slaves to demons?”

“Such humiliation… I’d rather die.”

As expected, they raised their voices in refusal as soon as I mentioned the covenant. They know exactly what kind of magic a covenant is and are firmly refusing it.

Above all, the subject of the covenant isn’t me but Cecilly. As old-generation elves who start with hatred toward demons, their pride would never allow it.

But I had anticipated this reaction. I stared blankly at the elves who were desperately refusing, then asked my father who was standing behind them.

“Father, do you have a sharp knife?”

“Are you going to cut off their ears?”

“What choice do I have? They won’t listen. I have to cut them off.”

“I-I’ll do it! Just please, not my ears…!”

“We were wrong!”

When I threatened to cut off their ears—exploiting their strong pride—the elves prostrated themselves. That’s what you get for being stubborn.

As a result, the elves entered into a covenant led by Cecilly. Although they couldn’t use mana, we proceeded by untying them one by one to establish the contract, just to be safe.

Their expressions of humiliation each time they made the contract were quite entertaining to watch. Of course, since Cecilly might feel bad, I pointed at their ears with my finger each time—tap, tap.

When I threatened to cut off their ears, they turned pale and relaxed their expressions. I actually had no intention of cutting off their ears, but given the situation, they had no choice but to believe it was true.

Now that the covenant was established, I made eye contact with Karlas to test it. Karlas wore a cold expression, as if he had never experienced such humiliation.

“Now, let me ask a few questions for testing. Tell me where Xenon lives.”

“That’s…”

Karlas seemed to know the effect of the covenant, as he couldn’t finish his answer and just moved his lips. I couldn’t test it with Arwen because she had no ill feelings, but Karlas was different.

I stared intently at Karlas, who was just moving his lips, then let out a deep sigh and said quietly.

“You know what happens if you don’t answer, right?”

“Ma… Urgh!”

Just as Karlas was about to answer my threat, he let out a pain-filled scream with his eyes wide open and collapsed. He had only mentioned the first syllable of “Makina” on Mayshall territory, but the effect was tremendous.

After a moment, Karlas slowly raised his head as the pain seemed to subside, breathing heavily. How painful must it have been for cold sweat to stream down and his hair to stick to his face in such a short time?

This is impossible to fake. There’s no need to verify it separately.

“The covenant seems to be firmly established… What remains is…”

“Should I plant explosive magic in their ears?”

“Hiccup!”

As I muttered while stroking my chin, Cecilly made a suggestion beside me. Someone in front made a hiccupping sound.

Actually, planting bombs in their ears wouldn’t be bad, but it’s not very meaningful since we’ve already established the covenant. Recording or eavesdropping magic would be more suitable.

However, eavesdropping magic is too obvious. The covenant won’t be detected even if they’re searched, but eavesdropping magic would be discovered eight or nine times out of ten.

Moreover, someone like Phiren, who has been involved in politics for hundreds of years, tends to prioritize safety and certainty, making it highly likely that he will search their bodies.

“No, it’s fine. The covenant is enough. But we need to prevent these people from doing anything else…”

“Th-that will absolutely not happen! We can swear!”

“Y-yes! What more do you need after establishing a covenant?”

Somehow, they’re not very convincing despite their pleas. I looked at Karlas after watching Mael and Rena’s desperate requests.

Karlas was still trying to regulate his breathing, perhaps due to lingering pain. Cold sweat was still beading on his chin.

In fact, what happens next largely depends on how well these people can act. If the Senate becomes suspicious, it won’t end well.

I decided to ask another question to develop a more detailed plan while considering how to proceed. First, the situation after sending them back.

“When you return, will you go straight to report to the elf named Phiren?”

“…Yes.”

“And you’ll talk about the results of the tracking.”

Karlas nodded instead of answering verbally. This is where I need to use the covenant well.

The covenant is set to cause extreme pain when revealing the “truth” about Xenon, but if they lie, no effect will occur. So if these people mix lies into their report, they’ll get through without any problems.

The covenant activates even if a little truth is mixed into the lies. There’s almost no way to cleverly escape it.

‘But it would be a problem if they deliberately reveal that they’re under a covenant.’

People naturally become desperate when cornered. So it’s wise to prepare for contingencies.

The question is whether I can prevent this or make them unable to even think about it. I have to choose one of these two options.

“Hmm…”

“Do you have something on your mind?”

Cecilly carefully asked, perhaps noticing my thoughtful expression. I answered in a voice that suggested it was a headache.

“Actually, if these elves risk their lives to indicate they’re under a covenant, the situation becomes complicated. I’m wondering if there’s a way to prevent even that. Should I really plant bombs in their ears?”

“That would be a problem too, wouldn’t it? They’d realize they’ve fallen into a trap.”

“This is quite a headache…”

“…”

The elves’ faces grew increasingly pale as our conversation continued. I raised the corners of my mouth as I watched them.

‘If I attach Cyris, the situation will easily change.’

Actually, all of the above conversation was pre-planned bluffing. There’s a simple solution right in front of us, so there’s no need to worry deeply.

When the elves leave, I’ll have Cyris follow them. She’s also well-versed in magic, so she can eavesdrop and record.

A dark elf’s infiltration skills are difficult for even fairly skilled individuals to detect, and Cyris is a trained warrior. Even if Phiren is careful, it will be hard for him to identify her presence.

Above all, there’s a high possibility that he won’t even predict the situation of a dark elf watching. I’ll need to discuss it with Arwen, but she’ll probably readily agree.

The reason for telling all these lies is simple: to give those elves confidence.

If I show them that I’ve come up with a suitable method after much deliberation, they’ll firmly believe it. Honestly, given the situation, they have no choice but to believe it.

Who wouldn’t believe it when their lives and ears are at stake?

After a while, I pretended to be thinking, then snapped my fingers as if I’d had a good idea and exclaimed.

“Ah! That will work. Sis.”

“Yes?”

“Lend me your ear for a moment.”

I straightened my bent knees and asked Cecilly to lend me her ear. Such detailed actions are necessary because showing the process openly might raise suspicion.

Elves have excellent hearing due to their long ears, but it’s not a problem if a sound-blocking magic is installed. After Cecilly set up the sound-blocking magic, I put my mouth close to her ear and whispered.

‘Tell our parents that you’ll need to stay at our mansion for a while. Let them know about this situation roughly. Okay? And, I love you.’

When I removed my mouth from her ear, Cecilly blinked with a puzzled expression. Her acting skills are excellent, befitting a princess of a nation.

Of course, her face reddened slightly at the words “I love you,” but it was dark, so no one would have noticed.

“Is that enough?”

“Is it difficult?”

“Not difficult.”

“Then please start right away.”

As soon as Cecilly heard my words, she walked over to the elves and extended her hand. Her hand was directed at none other than the ears, which could be called the symbol of elves.

She touched Karlas’s ear with her slender finger and immediately withdrew it. Since a little mana flowed in, he would only feel a subtle sensation, nothing more.

While Karlas made an expression asking what she had done, Cecilly sequentially touched the ears of Mael and Rena. Unlike Karlas, the two trembled when their ears were touched.

I examined the elves’ faces after Cecilly finished the entire process and returned to my side. Expressions mixed with question, fear, and terror entered my eyes.

“You’re probably wondering what Cecilly just did. It’s simple. You know about dark mana, right? The symbol of demons and what devils supposedly used.”

“…”

“She injected that mana into your ears. Dark mana is fatal to other creatures, if not to demons. Especially for elves. You’ll be fine for a few days, but like dropping ink drop by drop on white paper, your ears will gradually turn black. It’s not a curse but pure mana, so holy power won’t work. To solve it, the same demon must absorb that mana. Since no one else can absorb dark mana. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

When I finally asked for their opinion with a straight face, the elves turned not just pale but completely white. Their ears won’t turn dark like dark elves but will blacken like they’re infected with a plague.

It’s such a terrifying phenomenon that cutting them off might be better, but they can’t really do that either. In short, it means they need help from demons.

For those who live on the pride of being chosen by God, it’s a punishment that completely crushes that pride.

However, there’s something they don’t know at all…

‘It’s all a lie.’

Despite my elaborate explanation, it’s all a lie. It’s true that dark mana harms races other than demons, but it doesn’t discolor the skin. According to literature, it only causes a fever as the body’s defense mechanism works internally, similar to a virus or bacterial infection.

Moreover, this only applies to first-generation demons. After a long time and consistent prayer, demons’ dark mana is close to pure mana. The difference is that they have different properties, like oil and water.

The reason this lie works is that very little is known about demons. Until the Biography of Xenon appeared, demons were treated as devils, so even if people wanted to know, they couldn’t.

How much more so for old-generation elves? They have only negative perceptions about demons, so even such a flimsy lie works.

“So if you don’t want to cut off your ears yourself, you’d better listen well. Since it’s pure mana, it won’t be detected even if you’re searched. Understood?”

“I… understand…”

“I-I will! Just please, not my ears…”

“Really, really, you’ll heal us, right? Please say you will…!”

Karlas was in despair, while Mael and Rena began crying and begging. I felt a little guilty seeing such beautiful elves react this way, but they were the ones who sold their conscience first.

I’m just retaliating, it’s self-defense. This world is infinitely generous to self-defense, so I could also harden my heart.

“Don’t worry. Depending on how you behave, I’ll decide whether to take action or leave it be. So first…”

Only one thing remained.

“I’ll tell you what report to give to Phiren.”

It was time to catch the big fish.