"So, milord, we are approximately three hours away from the Sloane Theocracy. I presume you have your reasons for delaying our arrival into the Kingdom, given that you could... hmn, fly us there directly." Yuna asked the question everyone wanted to ask.
"That's right, Yuna. Unbeknownst to you all, I have been running a scan all over the continent" I confessed.
"Scan?" Alana frowned, they all perked up.
"Yes, to put it in simple terms; it is a magic that would allow me to know where every one of the elves held captive around the continent are; and even those who are merely astray".
!!!
"S-Such powerful magic exists?" Yuna twitched.
"As expected of a god" Merluna commented, "Does that magic have a deterrent? For it to have such a wide scale, it can't be free-to-use".
"It is, in fact,~" I huffed in pride, shamefully taking Katsuyu's credit. Although I have been told by her that the only reason what we're doing is possible, is because of the wide abundance of energy that I possess and the fact that it is sun energy. Otherwise, this would be no different from a pipe dream.
"The whole continent, Ray?" Alana asked again just to be sure, it was as if her mind couldn't comprehend the scope.
"Yes, the whole continent. But as powerful as I am, this process takes time" I said and took Katsuyu out of my clothes. Before I even told her to, clones of katsuyu came out of their clothes too.
"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Katsuyu, I am Ray-sama's pet" Katsuyu said as she snuggled against my hand, I couldn't help but smirk, 'Tsuna-chan, she's yours no more~'.
"E-Eh?! When!?" The five saintesses all picked their own katsuyu in shock, they hadn't even known that she was there.
"I can conceal my body and aura seamlessly. As per Ray-sama's order, I have stayed with you for protective measures. I apologise for my invasiveness" The little slug bowed.
"Kawaiii!!!" Finally, something got Anna's attention out of that group chat, she got her own Katsuyu and started to pet it.
"Katsuyu, please give them the report that you created for me" I commanded Tsunade- no, MY pet.
"Yes, Ray-sama. Out of 78% as of current metrics of continent territory scanned; more than five hundred thousand elves have been found in population of which four hundred thousand live out of the Elf Kingdom's borders. Around fifty-three per cent of all captive elves are held in the Sloane Theocracy in horrible physical and psychological conditions. 20% are Forest Elves, 10% are Dark Elves, and 70% are hybrids between elves and humans byproduct of sexual abuse. 22% of the population are Dark Elves who have formed tribes in the outskirts and are experiencing extreme hunger due to famines while the rest, a massive minority are Forest Elves, are held captive within the Elf Kingdom itself in deplorable conditions".
It wasn't a cute report, to say the least. The atmosphere that had previously been bubbly, had turned sour. Alana clenched her hands tightly and somehow I was grateful Anna wasn't paying attention.
"Due to Ray-sama's increase in power, we have a lot more energy to work with. However, my processing capabilities are no longer able to catch up to Ray-sama's energy and I need at least two months before I can finish scanning the entirety of the continent. I do so by continuously replicating myself and sending aura waves that my clones catch and replicate, like a web of signals. As per our preliminary plans, I would leave a clone of me in every elf to make it easy for our rescue mission. Right now, with my capabilities, I can only create a slime that would allow you to sense its location and protect the host from a single attack. How do you wish to proceed?" Katsuyu asked in the end as she had previously when she reported to me, but I hadn't answered yet.
"As you can see; what I am doing now is buying time before I can accurately pinpoint all of the elves before we can execute an operation to get all of them. Before we head to the Elf Kingdom, we are going to rescue all the elves. It is safe to say that a rescue operation of the elves in the Sloane Theocracy would severely disrupt the theocracy's nobility and even put its existence at risk" I sighed and spread my arms lazily, "But frankly I don't give a fuck. If in the process of rescuing the elves, we have a wide-scale war with the theocracy, then so be it".
Alana's lips shivered, all their eyes were watery as if they couldn't believe a word I was saying, but their minds were forcing them to believe.
To believe I was capable of it.
"Y-You thought that far?" She stuttered in sobs, "Thank you, Ray... words can't convey how much you have done for us already and now this... at this rate we won't be able to repay you".
"I am not doing this to be repaid, Alana. I'm doing it because I can, simple as that. I did promise I would help the elves, didn't I? What is the point of freeing the kingdom if its citizens still suffer? Now it is no longer for you, for Galadriel too. We will fix the kingdom, we will return all the forest elves home and we will create a world in which they can leave their home freely without having to worry about being enslaved by some anarchists... at least, that's what I hope. I hope dark elves and forest elves could live together too".
"That was my parent's dream" Alana mumbled.
"I don't care if you're a dark-skinned elf or a light-skinned elf. All I see are long-eared beauties who are sweet, strong and dedicated~" I said honestly. It was difficult for me to tell who was more attractive and charming: either angels or elves.
!!!
"Oh my, you can't say that all of a sudden!" Yuna screamed, flustered.
"Lord Ray, please beware your words!" Merluna concealed her blush.
"M-My heart..." Nocturna held her heart.
All of them sent me a complex glare with emotions; all I could do was smirk, I was just telling the truth.
"You make it sound so easy... but if it is you... it must be possible if it is you" Alana smiled in relief... I had just said and proven the elves were going through their worst time ever. But I was also the solution.
My words for them were like fresh water poured on a wound. It would itch a bit a first, but eventually... the pain would stop.
Without even needing to snap my fingers; the girl's eyes flickered and opened in a completely different world filled up with mist and stars.
"Woah..."
A crystal-mirror ground, all too beautiful. Walking around there were dozens even hundreds of humanoid slimes that were setting up what looked like tents.
"Once we enter the Sloane Theocracy and settle we will begin our secret operation. We will start heading out swiftly to save those elves, we will bring them here where they will be treated by Katsuyu. Although Katsuyu can only treat physical issues, sadly... when it comes to psychological, I'll have to personally step in, I'll do everything I can–"
"It is enough!" Alana screamed, she hugged me from behind so hard that I thought she wanted to crush me.
"You are doing enough... please don't stress yourself. We elves are more resilient than you think! The moment those elves are saved, the moment they see this paradise-like world and just with the sight of your countenance... that will be enough for them, trust me on this!"
"... alright, I will trust you~"