Even someone as tough as Kaor couldn’t withstand being stomped by Ghislain, Belinda, Gillian, and the others all at once. Alfoy added to the chaos by casting reinforcement spells on everyone intermittently. "Argh! Stop! I’ll let you go if you stop now! Just hold on a second—gah!" But his desperate cries were futile; no one wanted to pass up this opportunity. After a prolonged beatdown, Kaor finally lost consciousness and had to be carried away. Piote, who could have healed him, did not. Most of the elves seemed indifferent, as though they were detached from worldly matters and too lazy to care. But a few paused their activities to watch the commotion, even cheering. “What’s going on? This place really knows how to have a wild time!” “Ooh, this looks promising. We know how to party, too!” “Is that the lord? He’s decent-looking but seems like he’s got a temper. That could be romantic in its own way.” They laughed, throwing in all kinds of crude remarks and gestures. Some were merely throwing up or puffing on smoke, which was the least of the problems. One male elf even winked at Belinda, biting his lower lip in a way that could only be described as greasy. Another male elf licked his lips while looking at Alfoy, who was too innocent to understand the gesture and merely blinked in confusion. Finally, Ghislain couldn’t take it any longer. He stepped forward and shouted, "Attention!" The elves stopped what they were doing and looked over at him. Ghislain paused, considering his words, before he asked, "Does anyone here know how to use spirits?" The elves, initially blank-faced, suddenly burst into laughter, clutching their sides. “Spirits? What’s that? Something you can eat?” “Our ancestors supposedly knew how to use those, but we don’t. A spirit-wielding slave? That’s so romantic.” “We know ‘spirit,’ but not *that* kind of spirit!” They laughed and joked, their behavior so ridiculous that no one could think of what to say or even scold them. Ghislain could only rub his temples in frustration. *“What is this... Why are all these elves like this... What did that slaver bring me...?”* Caught in a whirlwind of confusion, Claude turned to Ghislain with a pitiful look. “My lord... I don’t see how we can use these kinds of people. Shouldn’t we just sell them off? They’re too inefficient to be used as laborers or soldiers. They’re so expensive that we can’t even kill them or harm them. It’s a waste of money.” Belinda nodded in agreement beside him. “This really doesn’t seem right. They’re nothing like the elves we’ve heard about in stories.” Ghislain had no words in his defense. He hadn’t expected this level of disorder. He looked up at the sky, exhaling deeply. *“Unbelievable! The elves I met in my past life were nothing like this!”* They had been dignified, noble guardians of nature and companions to spirits. They had been trustworthy, honorable warriors who had stood beside him to face the calamity that engulfed the continent. *“I knew they’d be a bit different after being enslaved among humans for so long... but this is beyond anything I could’ve anticipated.”* He had planned to convince them differently than he had with the dwarves, given their dignity and pride. But this situation didn’t even call for persuasion. The situation was far worse than he’d anticipated. If anything, he’d guessed correctly that the elves brought to him were indeed “sick,” but not in body—rather, they seemed damaged in spirit. *“Did that slaver really scam me? Is that why he ran off so quickly? Did he dare scam me, the Mercenary King? Should I hunt him down and kill him?”* Galbaric and the other dwarves, who had come to watch, burst into laughter at the sight. “Haha! Looks like the lord didn’t know what he was getting into with these elf slaves! Even a genius has things they don’t know!” Ghislain glared, clenching his fists, and Galbaric quickly raised his hands defensively. “No, no, I mean... it’s just that people don’t realize that most elf slaves are like this!” “What?” “To be precise, it’s the older elves who turn out this way. Even if they’re living among humans, there’s not much for them to do but indulge. Basically, they’ve absorbed all the worst human habits over time.” “Are the younger elves different?” “The obedient, naïve ones are never sold. Nobles would never part with them. The elves that end up on the market usually aren’t in the best shape. It’s different for us.” Unlike the elves, dwarves, even when reduced to slavery, didn’t lose their identity. Their skills and craftsmanship were still valued by humans. But elves, outside their forests, had little practical use beyond their beauty. As a result, elf slaves became a sort of luxury item, akin to living dolls. Their long lifespans meant they reproduced slowly, so they couldn’t increase their numbers easily. And due to their high cost, they couldn’t be treated carelessly. Thus, the elves who made it to market were those who had become hard to manage or too apathetic to function. The dwarves, being in the same high-end slave market, were well aware of these circumstances. *“Damn it, I didn’t know all that. I never cared enough to look into it in detail. So the slaver didn’t exactly scam me, huh?”* Elf slaves were rare, expensive, and rarely traded. The nobles who owned them were also very secretive, so it was rare to even see them. Now that Ghislain understood the situation, he knew he couldn’t let them continue in this mess. *“Alright, I’ll just stick to my plan. Let’s try talking things out and see if we can get them to cooperate.”* After a few calming breaths, Ghislain addressed the elves again. “You all seem to have grown close during your journey here. Who’s your representative?” All the elves turned to a male elf who lay sprawled, exuding an air of boredom. Realizing he was the center of attention, the elf sighed and rose lazily. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎 He was strikingly handsome, with a tall, well-built frame and a sculpted face that left the Fenris citizens awestruck. Brushing his hair back, he spoke with an arrogant tone. “I’m Ascon. I suppose I’m the representative... for now.” Elves typically chose their eldest member as the representative. Though they didn’t have strong bonds, Ascon had ended up as the leader by virtue of being the eldest. Ghislain regarded him coolly. “From now on, you’ll act as the leader for the elves here, to help everyone settle into the territory...” “No thanks.” “...What?” “I said, I don’t want to be the leader. It’s annoying, and I have no interest in doing it at my age. My bones ache enough as it is.” “...” Ascon’s words were so drenched in disinterest that Ghislain was momentarily speechless. If not for his pointed ears, no one would have thought he was an elf. He looked every bit as jaded and worn as any human who’d endured countless battles. *“This level of insolence... it’s been a while since I’ve seen it.”* Ascon sneered at Ghislain, his gaze filled with contempt. *“What, did you think we’d obey you just because you paid a fortune? How pathetic.”* It was obvious. To buy so many elf slaves at once, Ghislain must have planned to flaunt them as lavish gifts for his subordinates and neighboring nobles. Elf slaves were the ultimate status symbols. *“Must be because he’s young. This guy’s itching to show off his wealth.”* After spending so long in human society, Ascon didn’t bother hiding his derision. “Young lord, you must be new to all this, so here’s a bit of advice.” “...What advice?” “We’re not as easy to control as you might think. We’re a proud, dignified people. I take it you didn’t know that when you bought us?” Ghislain looked around at the elves, bewildered. Did they really believe their behavior embodied dignity and pride? Ascon, however, didn’t let Ghislain’s reaction deter him and continued. “Well, you seem to have plenty of money, so let’s get along. Just don’t ruffle my feathers, and I’ll make sure you have a good time. But let’s drop this talk of leadership, alright?” Ascon’s insolent attitude caused Ghislain’s aides to start frowning. While they had initially been amused, they now saw it as blatant disrespect. The knight who had once suffered at the hands of a dwarf seized the chance to redeem himself, stepping forward. “You wretch! How dare you speak like that to the lord—!” He suddenly choked and coughed. Seeing Ghislain’s incredulous stare, the knight coughed nervously. “Ahem! I just... swallowed wrong, that’s all... Cough, cough!” “...Just go back inside.” “Apologies.” The knight retreated, and Ghislain once again looked to the heavens. *“Why is it that only weirdos are drawn to me? Surely it’s not because I’m strange. I’m perfectly normal.”* Setting aside this uncomfortable thought, he sighed deeply. Self-reflection could wait—he had to finish dealing with the elves. “I don’t plan to keep you as mere slaves. If you cooperate with me wholeheartedly for the next ten years, I’ll grant you your freedom and even establish a self-governing district for you, with a forest, if you wish.” It was the same promise he’d made to the dwarves. Ghislain didn’t intend to keep them as slaves indefinitely. In the future, during the time of calamity, status distinctions would lose their meaning, and everyone would need to unite to survive. But Ascon and the other elves just scoffed at his words. “He’s young, isn’t he? Does he even know how things work?” “Who would live in a forest these days? What’s there to do? Sure, our ancestors did, but they just wasted their lives.” “Wow, our lord is a romantic. Talking about freeing slaves? So poetic.” “He wants our cooperation? Does he expect us to dance for him? Our bones aren’t what they used to be, you know.” Ghislain’s patience was wearing thin, especially as Belinda and Gillian moved to intervene. But he stopped them with a slight shake of his head. *“They’re a different race, and they’ve had a tough life. Let’s try to be understanding. I’m not a bigot, after all. Look at how tolerant I am.”* Suppressing his frustration, Ghislain tried to maintain a friendly tone. “Believe it or don’t. It doesn’t matter. Think of it as the compensation you’ll earn over time. You’ll see for yourselves eventually.” “Yes, yes, whatever. Pick a new leader. I’m done.” Ascon turned away dismissively, his body language signaling he couldn’t care less. *“This guy...”* Ghislain forced a smile, his teeth clenched. He needed the elves’ cooperation, just like with the dwarves. “You’re the leader. It’s part of respecting elf culture.” “Really? I said I’m not doing it, so don’t bother respecting me.” With that, Ascon flopped down on the ground. Belinda and Gillian’s gazes grew fierce. The tension in the air became palpable. The elves, however, just chuckled. *“What? You think they’ll hit us? They know how much we’re worth.”* *“Like we haven’t been through worse.”* *“New place, same old dominance games. Can’t they just relax?”* Ignoring the growing tension, Ghislain looked down at Ascon lying on the ground. “Get up and lead the elves. Gather your things at the quarters and wait there.” “Nope. Too much trouble. Maybe I’ll just go to jail instead. It’d be less hassle. You could die, and I’d get out eventually.” Ascon chuckled from where he lay, forcing Ghislain to keep his smile in place. “Why don’t you just stand up? I don’t like forcing people. I’m a peaceful, nonviolent person, you know.” “Oh, wow, no respect for elders here? Well, it’s nice to see our new master has such a creed. I guess you pass the first test?” “Yeah, I’m a pretty nice guy.” Ascon rose lazily, meeting Ghislain’s gaze with an infuriatingly smug look. “I’m still not going to be the leader. Find someone else.” “Can’t we all just get along? I’m really a pacifist, you know.” As Ghislain continued to smile, a hint of menace began to seep into his gaze.