Ch.90Humanity with Humanity #2

Damn those Khanf bastards.

I slowly raised my body, feeling dizzy from anemia.

Having lost a lot of blood, I believed they would still be alive since I had ordered not to kill them right before I passed out.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

A voice that was both familiar yet strange—not the one I usually heard.

It wasn’t Ellen’s or Helena’s, but Olivia’s voice.

Setting aside her calm demeanor and expression, why was she sitting beside me?

“Hmm…? Why is Olivia sitting in my bedroom?”

“Well… because I’m playing hooky.”

“I don’t think the others would appreciate that… would they? It must be a busy time.”

“I came because Ellen asked me to watch over you. She seems too busy these days to stay by your side.”

Olivia answered in her usual insufferably glib manner.

Though it was absurd how boldly she admitted to skipping work, I had to let it slide since that was the situation.

After all, tracing back to the root cause, it was my injury that started it all.

“You just mentioned being busy, but what’s keeping everyone occupied?”

Busy work. Though small in scale, elves who had never been in the territory had launched a surprise attack, so it was understandable that there would be chaos.

I could comprehend why cleaning up that mess would keep them busy, but Olivia’s answer was far from what I expected.

“They’re busy with torture. My friend can be really scary, I must say.”

“Torture… you say?”

“Apparently they’re torturing them to uncover who’s behind this, but even after several days, they haven’t gotten any significant results.”

Torture to extract information. Quite horrific, but understandable.

Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but I was in no position to criticize, so I could only close my mouth and nod appropriately.

“By the way, how many days have passed?”

“About four days since you passed out. Anyway, now that you seem fine, I’ll head back as soon as I deliver the news.”

Olivia stood up without hesitation, as if she had nothing more to do here.

Since she didn’t live in the mansion, no one would object to her leaving immediately.

In fact, considering her responsibilities, returning quickly was the right thing to do.

But before that, I wanted to resolve one question that had crossed my mind.

“Before you go, may I ask you something?”

“Something to ask? What is it?”

Though she might have been irritated at being suddenly detained, Olivia showed no such signs and merely tilted her head curiously.

“I heard about torturing elves… but you’re an elf too, Olivia. Don’t you feel uncomfortable or anything like that?”

“Uncomfortable? Not at all. Humans torture other humans too. Elves are no different. Just because they’re elves doesn’t mean I feel any kinship with them. From a dark elf’s perspective, I might even think it’s a good thing. Though that might just be me.”

I chuckled softly and watched Olivia’s back as she waved and disappeared, concluding that her perspective made sense. I had momentarily forgotten that dark elves were historically persecuted, and considering that they originated from elves, they likely had no love lost between them.

Even blood relatives can turn their backs on each other when major conflicts arise, becoming worse than strangers.

I believed this was a common occurrence regardless of world or era.

That didn’t mean I sympathized with the elves, though.

While they might not have intended to kill me, they had pushed me to the brink of death, so I thought they deserved to taste some bitterness.

I just hoped, without realizing my own rising temper, that they wouldn’t be killed.

.

“Jion, are you alright?!”

“My lord…!”

Not long after Olivia left, Helena and Ellen burst into the bedroom, making a fuss.

The previously dead-quiet atmosphere became so chaotic that it gave me a headache.

Normally I might have just let it slide, but my body seemed to be protesting that it hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”

I thanked them and lightly patted the space beside me.

As if they had been waiting for this, they rushed to embrace me from both sides.

Fortunately, they didn’t throw themselves completely, so my body didn’t have to act as a buffer.

“You’ve become so gaunt… what should we do?”

“I’ll be fine after eating and resting more. Don’t worry too much.”

I spent quite some time comforting the two of them as they naturally placed their hands on my cheeks or felt my body with concerned looks.

It was understandable that they were worried, given that I had fainted after sustaining injuries somewhere between minor and severe.

Once the atmosphere had calmed down considerably, I brought up what I wanted to discuss.

“I heard from Olivia. You’re conducting torture?”

“Yes, we are. Those who dared to touch someone they shouldn’t have must pay the price.”

“Have you found out anything?”

“Not yet. We’ve only been inflicting pain until you woke up. Making those damn bastards understand what they did wrong was the priority.”

However, Ellen, who was lying on my left, chimed in to support Helena, saying that the elves were now desperate to spill information due to the extreme pain.

She too was actively participating in the torture, which seemed to have created a sense of camaraderie between them.

Dark eyes without light, and camaraderie born from torture.

How terrifying indeed.

“But now that Jion is awake… maybe it’s time to start extracting information. Or would you like to try torturing them first, Jion?”

“Huh? No, I’m good. Rather, we should act before the elves cause any more unnecessary trouble.”

I politely declined their suggestion that I should rest more and called for someone.

Since it was late today and I felt bad about making the servants work, I ordered that the elves be brought in tomorrow morning.

Though I called it a request, from the recipient’s perspective, it was merely a softly-worded command.

“Oh, and please prepare something soft for dinner.”

Having fasted for four days straight, my stomach would be shocked if I suddenly ate luxurious food.

So before the servant left, I asked for soft foods like soup or risotto to be prepared.

Judging by how loudly my stomach was growling, I could have eaten something greasy, but if I got sick, I would be the only one to suffer.

After dinner, I went to sleep while conversing with the two women who seemed relieved.

Before that, since my wounds hadn’t completely healed, I couldn’t bathe but needed to be wiped down, and the two women eagerly and meticulously did so.

The servant who had been taking care of my body was startled and insisted that such a task couldn’t be delegated to the duchess, but faced with their smiling pressure, he had no choice but to withdraw.

I was glad not to burden him with the troublesome task.

Though the process was a bit uncomfortable.

“Gently…”

Perhaps because I had slept too long, my eyes opened naturally as dawn approached.

The unusually light feeling of my eyelids was strange, but only momentarily.

Carefully getting up so as not to wake the two women sleeping on either side of me, I made my way to the balcony.

The air, which was starting to turn chilly, seeped through my nose and brushed against my skin.

Even though the moonlight was as bright as the sun, it wasn’t hot.

I carefully loosened my clothes and then gently unwrapped the bandages.

I figured it wouldn’t be a big issue to remove them now, since they would be replaced with new ones after applying herbs in the morning.

It wasn’t like there were assassins around.

“Hmm…”

As I felt my skin, I could sense an uneven texture different from smoothness. These were the marks of wounds beginning to heal.

It was quite absurd to see a body of just sixteen years bearing quite a few burn marks and scars.

I was born into a noble family and lived without want, presumably leading a life far from danger compared to ordinary people, yet here I was.

It meant I had gone through several extremely dangerous situations, but amusingly, a part of me wanted to boast about it.

I’ve survived through so many crises. Isn’t that impressive?

It was amusing to feel like a child showing off their wounds.

Fortunately, I quickly realized the futility of such thoughts, and they dissolved.

“Shall I call someone?”

While I was slowly stretching to avoid reopening my wounds, Helena’s voice reached my ears.

She was wearing a thin nightgown, as if ready to seduce a man at any moment.

It was a rather indescribable appearance, fortunate that no one else was watching.

By “someone,” she probably meant that now that I was awake, she wanted to summon the elves right away.

I shook my head and gathered the clothes I had draped over the chair back.

I didn’t want to make the tired servants move around from this early dawn for something that wasn’t particularly urgent.

“Don’t do that. It’s not urgent.”

“From my perspective, it is…”

Helena always shows extreme reactions to accidents I get involved in.

Before I got used to it, it wasn’t scary but rather uncomfortable, but lately, it just seemed cute.

I was newly struck by how frightening human adaptability can be.

“Shall we talk for a bit?”

I approached Helena, who was standing behind me, and without hesitation, wrapped my arm around her waist.

Her waist was still slender enough to fit in one arm, yet firm.

As soon as Helena was in my embrace, she blushed and her eyes became dreamy.

It was such a rapid emotional change that it was hard to believe she had shown unfocused eyes just seconds ago.

Someone who didn’t know the situation might think she had bipolar disorder.

“Haah—”

After sitting in the chair first and having her sit on my lap, Helena buried her face in my chest and exhaled a hot breath, as if she had been waiting for this.

Though I was injured, this much was fine.

It was also quite enjoyable to feel her breath tickling my chest and the soft yet firm weight on my thighs.

“Helena, do you hate the elves that much?”

“I do.”

When I asked in a gentle tone to start the conversation, Helena looked up and answered firmly.

Fortunately, her tone was quite soft, as her sharp demeanor had subsided considerably.

“I don’t like them either. But I dislike the idea of your hands being soaked in blood that doesn’t need to be spilled even more.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Jion… but I just can’t forgive them.”

“Of course, I feel the same. But rather than bloodying our hands, I’d like them to pay for their crimes in a different way… is that not possible?”

I tightened my arm around Helena’s waist and placed my hand on her abdomen, where her taut abs were clearly defined.

While massaging it gently, I subtly pressed the area just below her navel.

“Ah! Mmm…”

She moaned as I stimulated an area that had been unknowingly developed from constant internal stimulation.

It wasn’t the most admirable method of persuasion, but few approaches were as quick and effective.

I’d heard somewhere that people unconsciously try to think and act in ways that are comfortable for them, and it really seemed true.

The fact that it felt quite enjoyable was strangely unsettling…

“Please, Helena.”

“Nngh!”

As I brought my lips close to her ear and whispered, Helena trembled all over as if she had been waiting for this.

Of course, it was Helena who trembled, leaning against me while breathing heavily and languidly.

My thigh was also getting oddly warm, so it was clear what was happening.

“Let’s interrogate the elves first. Then I want to decide on a specific plan. Is that okay?”

“O…kay…”

Helena answered with a slight lisp, breathing heavily.

I wonder what reaction people would have if they knew how easily the Sword Master, who receives both fear and respect, could be swayed?

Such curiosity flashed through my mind for a moment, but truthfully, I didn’t want to know the answer.

Being human, I preferred to monopolize what was both good for the body and pleasing to the eye.

“Thank you. I love you, Helena.”

I whispered like someone skilled in handling women and kissed Helena’s soft cheek.

It was a bit vulgar, but the result of daily intimate contact had removed any hesitation in skinship.

If the me before death saw this, he would probably shout that this wasn’t a proper martial arts novel.

“I, I love you too!”

However, perhaps the effect was too strong.

I had to struggle to calm down Helena, who was clinging tightly and rubbing her entire body against me.