"Sorry for not giving you a heads-up that I was coming. You know how it is, I was hunting a group and ended up stumbling here," Eva casually revealed, sipping her tea with a lightness that contrasted with the intensity of her words.
"He seems pretty... self-taught," Eva commented, observing Kael, who was absorbing every word of the book with concentration. He gave a quick glance at the woman's attractive figure before returning to the text with silent determination.
"You should stop provoking him," Elion said, her voice carrying a hint of discomfort as she absentmindedly stirred her tea with a spoon.
"Yeah, sorry," Eva replied, her smile now soft and sincere, making her face look even more like Elion's.
[Confirmed. The skill 『Charming』 has been activated on "Eva Sparda."]
"Again..." Kael thought, feeling a familiar frustration. "Although the first time I didn't get the message, I'm sure it worked on my mom too."
[Wrong! The 『Charming』 skill can only be used on people who have some kind of interest in the user, making them more attracted to them. In the case of "Elion Scarlet," from the beginning, there has been a monstrous affection for the user, going beyond a simple mother-child relationship!]
"Oh, of course, now it responds to me," Kael agreed internally.
Elion cast a penetrating glance at Eva but quickly looked away, ignoring her. She wasn't willing to deal with her at that moment.
"So, why did you come?" Elion asked, her voice calm as she continued savoring her drink and went back to flipping through her newspaper, maintaining an indifferent tone.
"I already told you," Eva replied, her eyes gleaming with cold intensity. "I was hunting a group. It seems people are once again involved in the illegal slave trade."
"What's the race this time?" Elion asked, not taking her attention off the newspaper but with an evident curiosity in her voice.
"Elves," Eva revealed, and Elion's reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened slightly, a hint of nervousness overtaking her posture.
"How did this happen?" Elion asked, her voice heavy with tension, her gaze fixed and piercing, trying to grasp the depth of the information.
Eva leaned forward, her eyes serious and straightforward. "Elves are rare around here, but not impossible to find. What's happening is even worse. A dissident faction of the Elf Kingdom, traitors to their own people, has started trading with human merchants. I never thought I'd see something like this. They are... trafficking elves, turning them into slaves."
The air around them seemed to grow heavier, as if the weight of the revelation had altered the atmosphere. Elion, now in complete silence, looked at Eva with an intensity that almost felt cutting.
"Traitors," Elion murmured, hatred lacing her voice. "And why would they be doing this? Elves aren't known for their ease of corruption."
Eva paused, her hands tightening around the tea cup. "The reason is still unclear. Some say they're being manipulated, others speak of a scarcity of resources and a silent war between internal factions. Whatever the reason, they can't be left unchecked."
Elion's gaze narrowed, tension evident in her expression. "And how exactly do you plan to handle this?"
"I'm tracking the source of the trafficking," Eva replied, her voice firmer. "The faction is operating through some little-known trade routes. If I can locate them, I'll put an end to it once and for all."
She paused, her eyes focused on Elion, as if considering her words before continuing. "I won't ask for your help, but... any information you can share, any clues you have, would be very useful."
Elion kept her gaze fixed on Eva, her expression unreadable, but her eyes said more than any words. "You know I never do favors without a reason."
Eva smiled with an ironic glint in her eyes, as if she'd already expected this response. "I know, Elion. I'm not asking for a favor. I'm just... offering an opportunity. You know what it means to have quality information."
Elion remained silent, her eyes distant, as if she were evaluating Eva's proposal with the focus of a predator watching its prey. Finally, she spoke, not taking her eyes off Eva. "Don't expect me to do more than that. If you want something beyond clues, you'll have to work for it."
Eva nodded, unfazed by the cold response, the mischievous smile still at the corner of her lips. "Understood. I know we can't expect free favors, but each clue is a step closer to ending this threat."
Silence fell once again over the space, broken only by the sound of the wind gently passing through the trees in the garden. Kael, still sitting on the floor with his book, couldn't avoid feeling the weight of the conversation. Though his words were few, the implications of everything going on were vast and complicated.
"So, what do you intend to do now?" Elion asked, changing the subject with a slight movement of her hand. "Keep hunting shadows, or do you have something more concrete in mind?"
"Both," Eva replied, her voice now lower and filled with a cold determination. "I first need to be sure where exactly those bastards are hiding, but after that... I'll exterminate them. I'll burn everything until nothing remains."
As their conversation continued, Kael, on the other hand, leaned in to listen to what the older women were saying. Hearing every word, every tiny detail... Not that he was going to do anything, he just wanted to understand more about this world.
Meanwhile...
Not far from that place, the atmosphere was completely dark.
The view now shifts to a small child, locked in an iron cage, their expression twisted in terror. Their large, bright eyes are filled with fear, and their rapid breathing echoes in the empty space around them. The cold, dirty floor surrounding the cage contrasts with the faint, flickering candlelight that casts distorted shadows on the stone walls of the cell, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
The child, seemingly very young, tries to curl up as much as possible, their small arms hugging their knees in an attempt to find some semblance of safety. They look around in desperation, trying to make sense of the situation they find themselves in. The cage is small, more than enough to restrict their movements, and the cold metal surrounding them seems to symbolize isolation and abandonment.
The sound of distant footsteps echoes through the corridors, but the child doesn't dare to call for help. They know no one will come, they know that here, the only thing they can do is wait for the worst. Their small body trembles and shrinks further when a shadow passes by the cell window, and they recoil, fearing that whoever it is might decide to give them another "visit."
The feeling of helplessness consumes them, and for a moment, they close their eyes, trying to block out the reality surrounding them.
'Mommy...' They thought, searching for comfort in their few memories...
However, the sound of the door opening breaks the silence, and the child immediately curls up even more, as if trying to disappear into the dark corner of the cage.
---
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