When Sylas first brought Eldira along, the other knights were visibly surprised.
"Sir Sylas, is it necessary to bring that elf along?"
"It's a precaution," Sylas replied smoothly. "We'll use her as a hostage if things go wrong. It never hurts to have an extra bargaining chip, does it?"
The knights clicked their tongues at his flimsy excuse.
"A hostage? More like a hindrance. Is he parading her around just to show off?" Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire
"It's not uncommon for nobles to bring concubines or servants, but for a knight to act like this…"
Despite the knights' lowered opinions, Sylas paid them no mind. Having Eldira by his side was essential, given the unpredictability of the situation. The potential for an elven attack or the grand duke's intervention was too high to ignore.
"Well, he certainly hates ," Sylas thought, catching sight of the male elf in the cage glaring at him.
Since being taken from the dungeons, the elf had been quietly seething, especially after seeing Eldira. However, he had kept his mouth shut, understanding the situation and refraining from revealing Eldira's identity or speaking to her.
"At least he's sharp enough to grasp the situation," Sylas thought, pleased that everything was proceeding as planned. While an encounter with the grand duke would be ideal, it was unlikely, as a full-scale war would be needed to draw him out.
"We've arrived," the count announced, and the entire contingent halted. They had reached a vast clearing in the forest — so large it could host a battlefield.
"Who could have created such an open space in the woods?" one knight wondered aloud.
At that mont, a group of elves erged from the opposite side. Clad in elegant robes and adorned with jewels, they dazzled with a beauty that left so humans awestruck and others sneering in disdain. Stepping forward, the elven leader raised his voice.
「Lord of the humans! Where is my son!?」
In response, the count smirked and pointed to the iron cage behind him. The male elf within lowered his head in exhaustion, and the leader's eyes trembled with anger and sorrow.
「My son…」
「Rember our deal, elf!」 the count interrupted, stopping the elf from speaking further. Sylas's eyes narrowed.
So the old man does speak Elvish.
Of course, it made sense; to deceive everyone, the count would need a working knowledge of the language. Confidently, the elf leader signaled his soldiers, who brought forward several large chests.
"Oh my!" one of the humans exclaid.
"Are those all artifacts?"
Overflowing with magical artifacts, the chests were so full that the lids could barely close. Watching this, the count muttered to himself.
"They an to srize us with those artifacts."
"What do you an, Your Excellency?"
"They want to avoid teaching us the thod for crafting artifacts, so they're offering a large quantity of them instead. Cunning creatures."
"Then should we refuse…?"
"No, we'll take what they're offering."
The count gestured for his soldiers, who eagerly began transporting the artifacts to the human side. Shaking with suppressed rage, the elven leader shouted,
「Curse you! Even after taking so many of our artifacts, are you still not satisfied!? Now return my son to !」
"What's he saying?" Walter asked.
The count feigned a serious expression as he replied, "He's saying they'll never share their artifact-making techniques and that we should be satisfied with this. Just as I expected."
"Of course!" Walter responded enthusiastically, while Sylas stood silent, blinking in disbelief.
This old snake…
Only a rare few could speak Elvish, so Count Valdemar could twist the truth as he pleased without fear of discovery — unless, of course, Sylas was involved.
"Your Excellency, how do you wish to proceed?" one of his n asked, looking to the count with anticipation.
"We'll take what they're offering, but we won't relinquish our demand for their knowledge. Why should we give up on that so easily?" the count sneered.
The gathered soldiers and nobles nodded in agreent. With such a treasure trove in sight, no amount of gold would satisfy. The count stepped forward, his voice booming.
「I've made my terms clear from the start. Surrender your magical crafting techniques, and your son, along with the other prisoners, will go free.」
The elven noble's voice shook with outrage as he replied.
「Don't be absurd! Magical crafting techniques are not easily conveyed. Even if we agreed, do you think you'd be capable of reproducing our knowledge?」
「If it's so difficult, why hesitate to share it? If we can't use it, it would hardly be a loss for you.」
「You…!」
The elven noble gritted his teeth, glaring at the count with barely restrained fury. Sylas, observing, could read the elf's mind.
They're terrified, he thought. Even if humans can't use the techniques imdiately, in a few decades, they could fully understand them and gain enough power to rival the elves.
For centuries, the elves' dominance had depended on their superior magic and technology, which set them apart as a dwindling race. But if even part of their knowledge slipped into human hands, humans could soon wield power strong enough to challenge them openly.
When the elven noble stayed silent, the count clicked his tongue in mock disappointnt.
「If you refuse again, we have no choice. I'll take your son back.」
「You… you bastard! Those artifacts alone would fill your vaults to bursting! Seven families would go bankrupt if they tried to match what we've given you. Yet you won't release even one captive?」
The count chuckled derisively.
「The artifacts you brought simply pay for your children's survival, not their release. Going bankrupt? Then I'll start with the children of those families who can't pay any further.」
The elven noble's eyes flared with rage, and his son clenched his fists, the iron bars creaking under his grip. Eldira, standing beside Sylas, tightened her fists so fiercely her skin looked ready to split. Sylas placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Stay calm," he whispered. "If you act now, it'll only make things worse."
Eldira trembled with barely contained fury but lowered her head, holding back. Sylas understood her anger well. The count, unwavering, continued shouting his threats, unaffected by the hatred emanating from the elves.
Reviews
All reviews (0)