I shouted with emotion, but there was no way the elf would stop. It was because the elf in front of me was the one who would do anything if she could create a number of cases to be punished.
As evidence of that, even though I told her to stop, the elf just trembled with an expression of incomprehension.
"Lord, master. I-I am...."
It's disgusting, so she can't even speak. Why are you making excuses for being difficult when you can just put the research journal aside?
Still, I shouldn't provoke the elves. As long as the research journal was held hostage, it was my loss to act recklessly.
Taking a deep breath, I calmed down again and glared at the elf calmly.
"Blow out the candles and put the study journal aside. Right now!!"
"I want to do that too. But yesterday, after drawing so many pictures, my hands weren't strong enough..."
Shit really! How did you move the research journal all the way to the top of the candlelight when your hands were weak?
I wanted to shout, at least, but if I did, there was a possibility that the elf would drop the research journal in the name of being started.
Then, if the candle is moved to the research journal and burned, it will be a catastrophe.
'... Let's think.'
How can I rescue the research journal from the elves' demons hands?
I stared at the flickering candlelight and the dangerous research journal above it, immersed in anguish.
'Should I lie about having a copy?'
She might be able to discourage them by saying that the research journal she is holding is actually a copy and that the original is separate.
But this is a very risky choice. If the elf thinks that since I have the original, she can burn it, it will be a perfect self-killer.
'What if she gets more angry here?'
What if I tell her that I am very angry even if she doesn't burn the research journal? In the first place, the purpose of the elf was to be scolded by me, not to burn the research journal.
No. Come to think of it, this was all risky. It would be a disaster if the elf, realizing that the research journal was a valuable item to me, decided to set fire to make me even more angry.
'What if I was rather kind?'
Wouldn't the elf's actions be slow if I showed a generous side, such as allowing her to burn them?
If I buy a moment's time, I can run right away and take away the research journal. Even so, it's just a candle.
It would take quite a while to burn all the research journals, so I just had to delay the elf's actions for a while.
'Also. Let's choose the last method.'
No matter how I thought about it, the rational treatment was the last. What happened after that was pretty good. It was best to save the research journal right now.
"Good job."
When I changed my expression and smiled benevolently, a question mark appeared on the elf's face.
"Master?"
"I said it was good. It was meant to be taken out and burned, but you found it in advance."
"Yes?"
Uh? Isn't this A look of bewilderment appeared on the elf's face. It seemed that she was not properly grasping the situation because of my sudden change of attitude.
If that's the case, I should be able to push forward. I smiled benevolently as I moved slowly.
"Even your sow-like bitch has a compliment or two, I guess. Come here; I'll stroke your hair in return for saving me the trouble."
"What is that?"
The elf freaks out and raises her arm. I didn't miss the moment, and I kicked the ground. When I suddenly rush in, the elf is startled and takes a step back from me.
"Cheeky!"
I reached over and snatched the research journal, pushed the elf aside, and backed away. The elf who had been pushed away was looking at me with a meaningful look, but I had no time to care.
I hurriedly opened the journal and looked closely at the first and last pages. Fortunately, there were no signs of being burned or damaged.
"Ha…"
As the tension eases, a sigh of relief escapes. At the same time, a certain kind of anger toward the elves slowly sawped into my heart.
'... You don't think of me at all.'
This research journal was more precious to me than anything else.
My father was alive when I first wrote the research journal, so I wrote this journal while doing a lot of research, and every time I got a lot of comments from my father.
So this research journal was not my own. It is one of the few items that contain memories of my father.
The elf in front of me tried to burn it for her own amusement. Like, it doesn't matter what happens to me.
'Also. I hate you very much.'
I could tolerate interrupting my relationship with Esily and forcing me to sell. However, I could not hide my anger when she tried to burn the objects with memories of my father without any hesitation.
"Lord, Master...."
Even so. Despite having done such a terrible thing, this elf was acting pitifully in front of me.
"I'm sorry. Because I made a mistake..."
My teeth are grinding. I accidentally raised my hand and slapped the elf on the cheek.
Slap!!
The elf's jaw turns, and a brief silence forms.
Before the elf could turn her head to look at me, I pointed to the door and shouted loudly.
"I don't even want to look! Get out of here!"
But the elf didn't move. The elf, who had been in place for a while, raised her head at an angle and looked up at me.
Red eyes resembling corundum capture my face. The elf opened her small mouth, closed it again, and bowed her head to me.
"I'm sorry. Master…"
The elf spits out the words in a weak voice and turns around to walk away. After leaving the door, the sound of footsteps slowly faded away.
"Damn it."
I bit my lip, put my research journal down on the desk, and put my hand on my forehead. As the elf disappeared from sight, my anger was naturally diluted.
"What am I doing, the hell?"
My action just now wasn't a false rage to sell. Unknowingly, with sincerity, I slapped the elf on the cheek and spat out words I shouldn't have said.
As a result, I succeeded in getting the elf out of the office, but I was not at all refreshed. It makes my mind uncomfortable, like a tangled skin of unexplained discomfort.
'I have to go and apologize.'
Thinking in vain, I wiped my face and shook my head.
Elf would see this as part of the sell-off, so no apology was necessary. The moment I apologize, she may become angry.
'It's good. Rather.'
I bought time, and the elf was punished briefly, so we both were winners. I sighed deeply and sat down at my desk, looking through my research journal.
I couldn't waste time worrying about nothing.
Three days ahead. In order to live up to the expectations of His Excellency the Count and Princess Benelia, it was necessary to compile research records and create a report worthy of presentation to the Imperial Family.
Somehow, I feel tired.
*
Three days have passed.
For three days, Theorad was stuck in his office and couldn't step out.
This means that the guy who usually lived a life close to a clean wall spent his time without changing clothes, without washing, and taking care of all meals in the office.
The elf didn't like that.
'On the subject of toys.'
When Theorad was genuinely angry with her, she was so startled that she ran out of the office as if running away.
'On the subject of toys...'
Her teeth are grinding. Elves are not the type to keep their irritation inside.
And she had planned to get angry if he didn't come out of the office today. The elf opened the door of the office and stuck out her face as if it were a matter of course.
"Master. Because I smashed three of the plates the master cherished..."
However, Theoard, who would accept the prank, was just trying to sleep soundly. The sight of him falling asleep on his face on his desk is annoyingly carefree.
"...."
The frowning elf closed the door and walked forward.
Crossing the black carpet embroidered with cardinal birds, the elf looked down at Theorad with cold eyes.
The diamond ring on the ring finger of the left hand of Theorad, lying on his side with his arm as a pillow, is seen shining brightly.
'A ring for decoration?'
The first time she heard it in Theorad's mouth, she thought she'd break his fingers. But she didn't because there was a chance it wasn't an engagement ring.
By the way, she doesn't understand why it keeps climbing her mind like a monkey these days. She thought of breaking his arm right here and now as an example, but soon gave up.
'Not yet.'
He has value as a toy, so she didn't want to kill him out of simple remorse.
The elf looked down at Theorad for a while and sat down on a chair made with magic.
Theorad's dark circles were visible on his face, as if he had not been able to sleep properly and had been working hard on his studies.
'Did he say research?'
Research journal. She remembers Theoard getting angry when she tried to burn it.
Because what the hell is that? Curious, the elf used his telekinesis to gently pull out the large magic paper from under Theorad.
When unfolding it in the air, a rather clumsy magic circle appears. All over the magic circle, letters written by Theoard himself were scattered in a mess.
'Did he draw this as a magic circle?'
It's so awkward that it's frustrating.
In a total of 378 circuits, virtual circuits that failed to perform their functions because they did not mesh with each other were frequently seen, and various symbols that act as catalysts for magic were shiny on the outside and lacked substance.
In addition, three of the 17 patterns that act as a problem for magic collide with each other, making an error.
He is incompetent in magic research.'
However, the endless effort to become competent was engraved on the front of the magic circle.
Even after going through countless trials and errors, he did not give up, and the elf could see every trace of his hair being wrapped up to see if there was a better way.
The elf closed her eyes on a whim. I imagined how the world would change when this magic was completed. The world that Theoard wants to realize through this magic.
'....'
As the rain falls on the heads of farmers suffering from drought, their parched lips smile in praise of God.
The thirsty child gets up and runs around, and the daughter, who is worried about the water she will drink tomorrow, takes out her jar with a bright face.
The villages that were dying from drought came alive one by one. It gave hope for her life to her tramp, who could not hold back her thirst and tried to end her life.
The anger of the common people against the aristocrats who monopolize water subsides, and a shadow falls on the faces of the vicious merchants who tried to fill up their sarira breeding by selling water at high prices.
Indeed, flowers have bloomed in a withering world.
It was clear that numerous conflicts would be eliminated if this magic were spread throughout the empire.
'You.'
The elf who opened her eyes looked at the sleeping Theorad. In both eyes, there were fragments of distant memories if they were far, and close if they were close.
'He's still pathetically nice.'
In an era where it is natural to use each other to fill selfishness, a weak being like him will soon be broken.
The tongue-tied elf turned her head and began correcting the errors in the magic circle one by one.
Theoard's ability to perfect the magic that would require ten years of research was complete before the morning passed.
If he starts avoiding me by using the completion of the magic circle as an excuse, it will be a headache.
'This is the only time I'll put up with the defiance, Theoard.'
"Yes..It's just the process of repairing a toy."