Aviang was a young Elf who had just turned 100 years old.
Had she ntioned this to humans, they would have likely just scoffed and brushed it off. After all, the lifespan of most short-lived races was far less than that.
But Elves were different.
From birth, they were beings blessed by the World Tree of Order.
They displayed exceptional talent in archery and spirit magic, and didn’t age until the brink of death. The average lifespan of an elf, enjoying eternal health and youth, was around 500 years.
So Aviang didn’t hesitate to call herself a ‘young Elf.’
After all, in elven society, turning 100 was just the right age for their coming-of-age ceremony.
Although she hadn’t properly undergone the ceremony due to her duties as a spy, Aviang vowed to work even more diligently for the prosperity of the Elves now that she was an adult.
Aviang’s mission was equally as important.
Her role was to blend in with humans, secure necessary resources for her kind, and gather information.
Evading the strict surveillance of the Yurdina in the north had been a challenge from the very start. As a result, very few people were permitted to carry out such roles.
Had it not been for her unique talent in transformation magic, Aviang wouldn’t have been selected as a spy.
It was customary not to choose young elves as spies, as they were generally both immature and weak.
By breaking that long-standing tradition and becoming a spy, Aviang was able to learn much from the village elders.
Humanity was simply full of untrustworthy individuals.
It was said that once, the elves had humanity under their feet.
In ancient tis, humans were nothing more than an insignificant race. The elves’ power was incomparable to humans, as they were born with all sorts of blessings.
Aviang truly believed that those tis were fair.
Humans were mostly greedy and had strange ways of thinking. Even now, whenever Aviang recalled the human army that had overrun her village that day, she shuddered.
And even the lone human who had wandered into her village on that very day.
They were all either strange or violent. Every night, Aviang would tremble, rembering the cold touch of blade against her skin.
Such wicked beings needed to be ruled. The only way was for the virtuous elves to enlighten and guide them.
Yes, in truth, Aviang was afraid.
Though she secretly looked down on and dismissed humans, it stemd from her fear. If Aviang didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to cope with it.
Humans were like a living plague.
They left devastation and pollution in their wake. Even the elves were not exempt from this.
The Elves were gradually going insane.
It was all because of humans.
The village elders losing their minds, the cursed seed planted in Aviang’s body, the world in utter chaos—all of it.
It was also because of this that Aviang had committed a fraud unbecoming of herself.
As the elves’ madness worsened, the suppliesfrom her holand were dwindling. Yet, Aviang had so many of her kin to feed.
If she couldn’t pay the required amount each month, they would starve.
Though the noble pride of an Elf did not permit it, an empty stomach sotis acts before the brain.
In the end, Aviang decided to sell her pride for the sake of her people.
Even then, it was rely minor fraud—mixing counterfeit goods with genuine ones occasionally. Most custors were easily fooled by such a clumsy trick.
It was thanks to the trust she had built over years of trading.
Only then could Aviang breathe a sigh of relief.
Though it was her first ti committing a cri, anxiety welled up inside her.
No matter how minor the act, fraud was still fraud. She couldn’t count how many tis she’d imagined being dragged to the guard post for her cris.
What if her identity as an elf was exposed?
That thought was horrifying. Aviang had woken up from similar nightmares dozens of tis.
But even after several days passed, no one ca to arrest her.
A few custors had co by, but nobody noticed the presence of Aviang, who had transford into a cat. For Aviang, this was an imnse relief.
Aviang thought to herself:
Let’s just hold out until proper supplies arrive from ho.
Then I can confess my mistakes and pay the appropriate price. Most of my custors will forgive .
Having made such complacent calculations, she was about to return to her leisurely routine.
That was when a man ca looking for Aviang.
What followed was a brutal scene of blood and flesh splattering.
As the man repeatedly struck her face, Aviang thought:
Ah, right.
Humans are indeed terrifying.
Aviang had been the one who refused to talk.
And though she was the one who had first resorted to violence, she couldn’t help but be utterly overwheld by the man’s ruthless aggression.
Moreover, even upon seeing Aviang’s true form, the man didn’t show a hint of hesitation.
Without a mont’s pause, he kicked her temple, and she lost consciousness for several hours.
Aviang opened her eyes, recalling that vicious man.
Her ragged breathing mirrored her unstable state of mind. Her blue eyes trembled as they scanned her surroundings.
She was in a dark room.
In a chamber where not a single ray of daylight seeped in, the only source of illumination was a solitary lantern. Two people stood with their backs to its flickering shadow.
Or, to be more precise, it was slightly different.
A man was sitting across from Aviang.
She was bound to a chair, her entire body restrained. Escape seed impossible at a glance. Even if she exerted all her strength, it didn’t seem she could free herself from these ropes.
At first, Aviang was confused.
But as her mories gradually returned, she naturally began to recall who the man standing before her was.
The terrifying human who had rcilessly assaulted her.
His golden eyes were chilling. Aviang felt like screaming right then and there.
Standing next to the man was a woman with brown hair.
She stood in a respectful stance, appearing to be the man’s subordinate. Her deep green eyes, which glanced at Aviang, glead ominously.
A woman akin to a snake.
Aviang struggled to suppress the rising fear within her. A noble elf should not be frightened by re humans.
Yet she couldn’t hold back the sobs welling up, so Aviang scread.
“You, you! What on earth have you done to …!”
“There’s sothing we need to clarify first.”
The man’s tone was utterly indifferent as he spoke.
It was as if he was rely reciting a simple truth.
As Aviang montarily hesitated, the man continued in a relaxed tone.
“I tried to talk with you. But you were the one who refused… So I hope you understand if I was a bit impolite.”
‘Talk?’
Aviang was dumbfounded, perhaps because she’d heard such an unexpected word.
Who were the ones who massacred Aviang’s kin, who had sought so desperately to talk?
And who were the ones who drove the elves from their warm and abundant Great Forest to the cold and desolate plains of the North?
It was none other than the humans.
Weren’t they the ones who, as if all that wasn’t enough, even corrupted the people of her holand?
Aviang’s head filled with burning hatred, and she shouted.
“Talk?! Why would I talk with you humans… UGH!”
But unchecked rashness often invites trouble.
Wham!
Without hesitation, the man’s kick plunged into Aviang’s abdon.
Overwheld by the sudden, choking pain, Aviang couldn’t even finish her sentence. She simply toppled over with the chair, emitting choking groans.
She wanted to at least clutch her chest, but being tied up made even that impossible.
Tears welled up at the corners of Aviang’s eyes, but the man didn’t show a hint of rcy.
He rely called out softly to the woman standing beside him.
“…Neris.”
“Yes.”
Without a word, the woman righted the chair to which Aviang was bound.
Her deanour was that of an obedient maid.
Aviang looked at the man with distrust. Her wide-open eyes were filled with astonishnt. Never in her life had she been treated like this.
Of course, during her spy training, she had considered the worst-case scenarios.
But the gap between imagination and reality was as vast as heaven and earth. Moreover, the elves, already deprived of resources, couldn’t properly train spies.
That led to the current state of Aviang.
It was as if cracks were spreading through her mind, threatening to shatter the pride and sense of honour she had barely held together.
Elves have a stronger will to live than any other creature.
After all, instincts could not be suppressed forever.
The man warned her in a cold tone.
“I told you, you’re the one who refused to talk… And next ti, it won’t end with just a kick.”
With a thwack, an hatchet embedded itself into the armrest of the chair.
He moved so fast she hadn’t even noticed him draw it.
Aviang was utterly intimidated by the brief display of skill.
She should have realized it before, but now she felt it anew.
That man was strong.
Soone like her wouldn’t even stand a chance against him. In terms of years lived, he probably hadn’t even lived half of a half of Aviang’s age!
They were fundantally different.
Yet from the mont she was born, Aviang was destined to lose to that man.
Imrsed in that profound sense of fear, Aviang hiccupped and began to shed tears.
The Elf girl’s bravado was gradually crumbling.
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