Ch.37Dark Elf Mercenary Red Hood #8

The gentle warmth had completely vanished, replaced by a cold atmosphere.

Seeing how sensitively she reacted to the land issue, it was clear she had been badly burned in the past.

If it had been about ordinary payment, things might not have escalated this way, but the words had already spilled out. As an ordinary human, there was no way for me to turn back time as the situation grew increasingly hostile.

Should I confront it directly? Or try to soothe her gently?

I contemplated these two paths that had appeared in my mind. It was obvious I needed to do my best regardless of which route I chose, but I wasn’t sure which would be more effective.

“Setting aside the talk about filth, did something bad happen regarding land?”

After a brief yet lengthy deliberation, I decided to address the issue head-on. I thought it would be wiser to resolve it now, as such matters could potentially become major problems later, and if confrontation was inevitable, better to deal with it immediately.

“Why would someone like you be curious about that?”

I was the one who brought it up first. So it was only natural that Ellen’s tone became thorny.

“I came to take you with me. If you have complaints, I intend to listen and address them as best I can. Above all, I want to know about you.”

“You want to know, you say. Do you think you have that capability?”

“I may not have the capability, but I’m prepared to listen. And I believe that preparation is what you need most… isn’t it?”

Dark elves were accustomed to being despised, and they themselves had grown used to it while harboring resentment. Because of this, they would consider it fortunate if someone simply didn’t pick fights with them unnecessarily.

As I listened to this, something occurred to me. If I treated them without regarding them as filth, they would be suspicious at first. They would think there must be some ulterior motive behind such behavior that defied common sense.

However, I felt there must be a line that even those with hidden motives couldn’t cross. No matter how well one acted or pretended to be friendly, there would be an unbridgeable gap, an insurmountable distance. Therefore, if I could cross that line and show genuine friendliness, the outcome might not be bad.

Of course, I had no choice either way. All I could do was try to persuade them with sincerity.

“Are you being sincere?”

“Yes. If I were a mage, I would have sworn by mana to prove my sincerity.”

A mana oath is a powerful constraint that seals all abilities the moment it’s broken. Though it can only be used by mages and is limited by being applied through one’s own oath, there was nothing better for showing sincerity.

I felt a renewed regret that I hadn’t become a mage as I put strength into my eyes. I didn’t avoid Ellen’s sharp gaze but rather tried to overpower it.

“…Very well. If your conviction runs that deep, I’ll tell you.”

Fortunately, my sincerity seemed to have reached her, as Ellen relaxed her eyes and slowly parted her lips.

It was a record of bitter regret about being betrayed for the first time and paying the price. A nightmare about someone who pretended to be friendly, promised to give her land, and then used it as bait to exploit her power before trying to dispose of her.

I frowned deeply as I listened to her story. Ironically, they had actually given her land. It was tiny, as Ellen had said, but what disturbed me was that later they even tried to poison her because they begrudged her even that much.

“They said even a speck of land was too much for filth like you. When I heard those words with my body weakened by poison, I was filled with such rage…”

Ellen clenched her fists tightly, as if even recalling that time was repulsive. She squeezed so hard that blood began to drip from her hands.

Her expression, pained more by memory than physical hurt, and the blood dripping down one drop at a time—it all looked so pitiful that I raised my gaze toward Olivia, intending to ask her to release the binding spell.

“I won’t do anything rash. Or you can keep aiming your bow at me if you prefer. But please release her. I’m asking you.”

One shouldn’t blindly trust a stranger’s words. Especially in wartime situations like this. Opening up to someone who wasn’t an ally could result in a severe betrayal.

Personally, I thought even allies could betray you, but it was impossible to live while suspecting everyone. Humans find it difficult to live alone, and trusting those who deserve it makes life more comfortable.

I hoped Olivia would think the same way as I made my eyes sparkle, and the result was successful. I could feel the pressure surrounding my body disappear.

“Tsk.”

Immediately after, I clicked my tongue and tore my sleeve. It was best to dust off what had been soiled in various ways, and I couldn’t leave a wound untreated even if it could be healed with magic. At the very least, I wanted to wrap the wound with this cloth.

“Give me your hand.”

“Eh…?!”

When I half-forcibly pulled her injured hand, a half-surprised moan escaped Ellen’s lips. She was probably surprised that a human would casually take her hand and tend to her wound.

“Your hands are quite soft for someone who’s been on the battlefield for over half a century. Is it because elves don’t develop calluses much?”

As I was tying the knot and almost finishing, I unconsciously muttered those words. For someone who used a bow, she had few calluses. Even Helena, who lived with a sword in hand, had tougher hands. So I couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Don’t you think dark elves are filthy?”

“I don’t know about others, but… I don’t think so. Rather, you remind me of the night sky—simply beautiful.”

I had blurted out a line that even I thought reeked of staleness. It made me feel slightly nauseous, but I pretended to be unfazed as I finished tending to her wound. The bandage was tight enough to effectively stop the bleeding.

Still, I hadn’t completely made it up. The moonlight flowing over her ashen skin and the sweat droplets glistening in that light did make me think that way. The problem was saying it out loud, but spilled water couldn’t be put back.

If there was any consolation, it was that all the women who heard this were somewhat older. Though the standards for measuring age might differ from humans, the years and experiences accumulated in their bodies remained unchanged.

In other words, such old-fashioned words still worked quite well. Though it was something I thought of by chance, it was surprisingly effective.

“Do you really think so?”

See? Just looking at how her tone had softened showed its effectiveness. Moreover, the sharpness had disappeared from her eyes, so she was almost won over. At least that’s what I thought.

I opened my mouth, intending to ride this momentum and conclude the discussion about land.

“Of course. And while we’re on the subject… I should tell you that the land I promise you probably won’t be fertile even in words. It’s a large piece of land in decent condition, but it’s similar to an empty lot. Still, I’ll make efforts so you can cultivate plants there and plant trees to create a small forest. If you don’t like that, there’s a large forest on the outskirts of the main castle where you could live.”

The land I’m trying to buy is quite spacious but barren without a single building. There’s a decent-sized forest in Krauser’s duchy, but it’s outside the castle walls, so one might feel somewhat isolated. Either way, there would inevitably be dissatisfaction.

Still, these two options were the best I could arrange. So I could only pray that at least one of them would be to their liking.

“We don’t necessarily need to live in a forest. So there’s no need to specifically associate us with forests, right?”

“You’re saying it doesn’t have to be a forest, not that you dislike forests, right? Since you’re elves, I thought you’d naturally like forests… am I wrong? It would also be an environment where you’d feel most comfortable.”

I asked them as if treating them like regular elves rather than dark elves.

Elves are a race that lives in forests and loves them. I thought this would be the same for dark elves. After all, they weren’t regular elves who had fallen into corruption; they were simply born as variants.

“Give me some time to think.”

After a brief silence, Ellen barely managed to squeeze out that short sentence. Despite the atmosphere, it was clear that they needed to consolidate opinions and make a decision on such an important matter.

“Of course.”

Therefore, it was only natural to nod firmly and give them that time.

◎◎◎

Time to think was needed.

Though she had said so, Ellen’s heart was already half inclined. The sincerity she felt in every word, along with the casual way he had taken her hand and wrapped it with cloth, had shaken her.

Moreover, it wasn’t just her who was wavering. All the dark elves who had witnessed the scene were thinking similarly to Ellen.

“I think it would be fine to accept, what do you think?”

“It might be too early to decide. Still, it’s hard to deny the sincerity I feel. Just the fact that he came all the way here says something.”

Starting with Olivia opening the discussion, numerous conversations were exchanged. They appreciated that he had been straightforward about the land issue, and they also valued how he had touched a dark elf’s skin without hesitation, which most people would avoid. Even those who had pretended to be friendly to Ellen had refused contact until the end.

“Ah~ it’s really a shame. He’s handsome and seems to have a good personality, but to think he’s already taken…”

“I swear, if I were the duchess, I would have seduced a boy like that long ago.”

“True. He seems flawless on the outside, and with a personality like that… it’s strange they’re leaving him alone.”

These women were firmly smitten and busy defending Jion. Ellen watched the situation with a bitter smile, but deep down, she harbored similar thoughts. She was the one whose hand had been directly held, after all.

“Anyway, what are you going to do? Ellen, you’re the leader, so you need to set the direction.”

While opinions might differ, the final decision rested with Ellen.

Knowing this, Olivia quickly halted the conversation and urged Ellen to make a decision, looking at her. Regardless of her fondness for Jion Altram, she intended to follow whatever decision was made. The same was true for the other dark elves.

What should I do?

Ellen fell into deep thought, keeping her lips tightly sealed in the strange tension-filled silence. Kindness was just kindness, and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t be betrayed again like before. It was a separate issue from her wavering heart.

However, she also thought it might be a good opportunity. She was tired of seeing blood on the battlefield, and just as here, one never knew what fate awaited when the tide turned. From that perspective, it wasn’t a bad choice to leave for another place.

But in that case, Ellen and her mercenary group would have to walk into a place where monsters had made their nest.

“Hmm—”

Still, it was manageable to escape. It would be much more feasible to use magic to hold back one person while fleeing than to evade numerous soldiers here. Though the Sword Master was intimidating, they could be safe with proper preparation.

After much deliberation, Ellen finally opened her mouth, which had been heavily closed.

“Let’s go. We’re all sick of this battlefield, aren’t we? So it might be a good choice to leave at this point.”