It is unbelievable.
There is not a single casualty to the ranks of elves. Zeraya is still in total disbelief as she idles in the inn of the Zaun barony. She rocks her chair back and forth recalling the raid on the Jeremy barony.
The elves are efficient hunters, and this alone makes them effective killers. Still, it doesn't make sense to her of the ridiculous survivability of her elf kin.
Zeraya is not a good person and she knows this to her core.
In her adventures, she most often engages in shady deals all thanks to her demi-human features forcing her into it. Humanity is quite averse to demi-humans. Despite the empire spearheading the anti-discrimination policies, it just only serves as fuel to the discrimination.
Elves aren't the only demi-human races in the world. In the Ezelea continent, orcs are rare, but they do exist. There are also goblins that have the most primitive communities, and even kobold races that are living nomadic lifestyles.
There are more demi-human races outside of the Ezelea continent too.
The point is in all of Demi-human society, it is said that Elves have the weakest survivability which makes the Lorekleim Elves a very curious subject.
It is an established fact that elves are weak. In her adventuring days, the chances she will meet a fellow half-elf are almost zero. Meeting a pure elf is more than just impossible. It was because the elven society is an envied race. For the humans who had only a fifth of an elf's lifespan, the existence of elves must be a great source of envy for them.
The envy is so destructive elf tribes decide to divide themselves into smaller units such as villages. Following this is the irreversible decision of the elven society to engage in reclusive lifestyles.
The instances of elven villages being annihilated are even more often than the destruction of goblin settlements.
This makes the elves a very weak race.
But what does that make the Lorekleim Elves?
They have a King. It was a very simple difference, but it makes everything else. Not even counting the Molotov and Crossbows, just the existence of a King changes lots of things. The humans have Kings, so why Elves cannot?
Zeraya stops her brooding as dusk approaches. She meets up with Ririn, a quarter elf, and makes the necessary arrangement. Since they have an insider, the infiltration is far easier.
Using the escape passageways of the Zaun manor, the elves infiltrate with ease. In this operation, they don't have any plans to commit genocide. They at least don't have plans to bring down the whole barony to ash.
Zeraya understands how the King thinks a little bit…
Borrowing his own words, the King seems to want to prop the quarter elf as a baroness which necessitates them to not destroy the Zaun barony.
Ririn is unlike Wisley who possesses assets.
But still, it begs her to ask… Why do this now? Zeraya cannot really see the big picture the King was imagining. She understands that their objective now is to take revenge, but what then afterward?
The King did say that after accomplishing their revenge, their next priority would then be their escape. Would they peacefully return to Lorekleim? And hide from the Beyronald Kingdom? Is that really safe? Would they risk it?
The Beyronald King only needs to check on them, and investigate a little to know the truth.
If they choose to run, where will they flee? There is no place for demi-humans here in the Ezelea continent. So, would they run to the sea? That is more impossible. They lack the ability to sail to the vast sea.
That aside, the more urgent problem is the secretly captive elves in the Zaun manor. Zeraya doesn't know how to exactly tell his majesty what is it like down in the dungeons.
Zeraya glances at her serious Elf King who is crouching under the passageway.
…
I feel Zeraya's gaze on me. She has been staring at me for a while, so I ask her. "What is it? Did you fall in love with my beautiful looks?" I only say it in jest, but Zeraya doesn't even bother to reciprocate my teasing.
So boring.
Zeraya didn't look at me anymore, but just leaves me a word of warning. "I think… It will be difficult for us to improve our numbers… The situation of the elves in the dungeon is quite terrible.
That is hateful bad news to hear.
I can only hope we get lucky…
My elf kin easily suppresses the servants and soldiers inside the manor. Killing them during the night is really the best method for the lithe elves whose more like assassins than just merely hunters.
I swing my sword at baron Zaun taking his life with a single strike. The coca leaves are quite potent. After learning of the commotion, the baron goes into a rampage as to how he will dismember the disruptors. He is quite irritable, and signs of addiction are evident in his skin. His eye bags are thick and his wrinkles are more prominent according to Zeraya than she remembers.
We proceed on slaughtering what remains of the people from the Zaun manor. Ririn, the self-proclaimed quarter elf coldly watches us do her dirty work.
I approach her with languid steps. "I trust that from now on, we are acquaintances."
Ririn shudders at my presence which I don't know the reason why. I just let her be as I leave her with a word of advice. "To grab the title of baroness from now on will depend on your own abilities. I wish you luck on your endeavor, lady Ririn…"
Zeraya accompanies me underground the Zaun manor. The initial plan was to have a helper guide us to the elf captives. The Zauns are very secretive about this. I don't wish to earn their suspicion so, I didn't use the coca addiction to manipulate them into admitting to this.
Though the Zauns are terribly bad leaders, they are still nobles who had received education in their youth. There is also an extent to how much I can underestimate my enemies.
The quarter elf is a lucky coincidence. I have to thank Wisley for that.
In fact, if it were not for Ririn, I was planning to burn the Zaun barony to the ground, but now, I decide to withhold my impulsive desire to cause wanton destruction to humanity. I will just say I am on sabbatical today.
It is not so bad either, because we don't have to spend more energy than necessary. After taking it easy in this barony, we'd start marching right away for the county and proceed on another night raid.
As we arrive by the narrow stairs with Zeraya leading the way and holding the torch for me, I smell this disgusting stench coming from underground. That is foreboding.
In confirming the elf captives, Zeraya has been here once already at Ririn's guidance. It is her second time here already, yet she is reluctant in coming. It is because of the things she witnesses underground.
I trail Zeraya's steps on the dark corridor. I can see light from a distance which I assume to be coming from lamps. I notice Zeraya's faltering steps, so I take over the torch from her and walk forward. My unrest pushes me forward without hesitation.
I have to see this.
As I come closer, I smell a weird scent in the air. I am not exactly sure what it is. In a straight pathway, iron bar after iron bar fills my sight. There are cages on my left and right along the pathway, and behind these iron bars are elves.
I see pregnant elves everywhere I pass by. Each cage either has a couple of pregnant elves or more. I walk forward with brisk steps and hear the slapping sound of meat. I don't even need to conjure the image in my mind to know what is happening.
There were elves copulating in cages. Pairs of male and female elves unleash their carnal desires on each other. The instinct is overwhelming their reason so much that they don't even notice my presence. Some elves even have more than a single male to accompany them.
It is strange though that all of them are elves. I was imagining something as horrifying as what is happening in the bandit village. Still, the sight before me is more fearful than I would like to entertain.
They are too into it.
They are like beasts on heat. The overpowering smell of lust spread in the air.
I kill my emotions and observe them more objectively. Most of the males are malnourished, but the females are plump as if purposefully fed well. I recall the strange scent in the air.
"It was aphrodisiac…" I mutter to myself in self-disgust.
Zeraya follows in my footsteps. I can hear her clattering leather boots following me in a panic. "This… is an elf farm…" She adds to my muttering.
"Why didn't you stop me from killing the baron?" I could have tortured him to relieve my anger.
Zeraya is silent at my rage. This just provokes my anger more. I turn to her and grab her by her throat. I feel overwhelming strength flowing in my veins as I lift her from the floor.
"K-khu~" She can hardly breathe. I don't know… but I am liking it.
I snap from the unreasonableness taking over my mind. I let go of her as I take back my self-control in a forceful manner. I stabilize my breath fearing that I might do something unthinkable. What did I just do?
I see Zeraya and her cheeks slightly blushing pink. "I… I also almost lost control when I was here. I don't know what it was, but this is a strange place. There must be a mystical force working here."
No, it is just aphrodisiac.
The aphrodisiac is so strong it elevates the hormone secretion of elves to the point their libido becomes out of control. I can imagine this kind of aphrodisiac to be a deadly poison for humans as elves had initially slower secretion of hormones.
I grit my teeth realizing my arrogance. This world isn't so weak I can act high and mighty as I like. The aphrodisiac is strong enough to make my basic anger amplify my ferocity and raw strength. This world surely has a technology unique to its own, and I must be careful around it.
My coca scheme looks like a small joke now.
I shouldn't dismiss the existence of the magical applications of alchemy as some folklore... as if it doesn't concern me.
I look at the pitiful dungeon elves that are no different than livestock. How can I save them? Is there even a way? Won't their minds be too broken already?