Chapter 80: Chapter 80: It Was Cheap, So I Bought It Again (1)

I contemplated how to properly convey the situation to Elisha and finally opened my mouth.

“Ta-da! Surprise!”

“…….”

Elisha replied with a cold gaze after my awkward laugh.

Ah, why? Don’t look at me like that.

I couldn’t think of a good line!

Regretting my choice, I scratched the back of my head.

Soon after, Elisha bit her lips so hard that they bled.

“You… wanted to play with my emotions this much?”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard by her sharp reaction, I listened as Elisha spoke in a hushed tone.

“You might’ve said those things to deliberately sound bad, fearing you’d be caught.”

“No, I wasn’t pretending. It really was like that.”

“But the smile you gave me in the carriage had sincerity. There was confidence in the words you said at the auction house.”

“That was…”

“The higher the fall, the deeper the despair. Did you want to instill hope in me?”

“Not hope—I wanted you to feel relieved.”

“Ha! Too bad. I won’t be fooled by you anymore.”

My goal was to deceive potential spies around us… Of course, Elisha was deceived in the process too.

With determination shining in her blue eyes, Elisha seemed fiercer than ever.

“Go on! Do as you wish! You might be able to control my body, but you won’t be able to control my heart!”

“Uh…?”

That line now?

Challengingly, with her arms spread wide, Elisha declared confidently.

“I won’t ever show you the reaction you desire!”

“Tch.”

I touched her suddenly.

“Kyaaa! Where are you touching?!”

“Where? Your chest.”

Then I touched her again.

Hmm. They seem slightly smaller than Carla’s.

Elisha’s thighs, though, seem a bit more pronounced.

I hadn’t realized I was so keen on comparing Carla and Elisha.

“Uh… uh…”

“Ah.”

I snapped back to reality with a soft moan from Elisha’s lips.

This wasn’t the time.

I hastily pulled away, but it was already too late.

Filled with misunderstanding, Elisha glared at me with a mix of humiliation and powerlessness.

“You… really touched me… groping mercilessly… in a place I’ve never allowed anyone else…”

“Wasn’t it a bit less than that…?”

“Do you plan to ruin me?! Like the protagonist in that book from the library who becomes a stray cat after 100 days?!”

Had she read that too?

I wondered what sort of place the academy’s library was and whether it had taught Elisha, who only knew about generic sexual knowledge, such concepts.

“But don’t underestimate me, Elisha Sylvan Glenchiel! Even if 100 years pass, I won’t ever bow down to you, Yandel…uh, uh!”

“Enough of this foolishness, my student! Like it or not, we’re in a slave’s position. Why are you always provoking him?!”

Iris quickly subdued the rampaging Elisha, bowing her head apologetically toward me.

“Master. Elisha’s mistake is my mistake as her teacher. So please, punish me instead of this child.”

“First off, Elisha and I are the same age, aren’t we?”

“If you think about the lifespan of a High Elf, in human terms, it’s like a 5-year-old child.”

What kind of nonsensical talk was this?

It was like saying that because a duck-billed platypus lived up to 17 years, a 16-year-old platypus was equivalent to an 80-year-old human.

It was just a 16-year-old platypus!

“Sigh…”

A sigh slipped out unknowingly.

Seeing my state, Carla leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“Master, Master.”

“What?”

“The words Elisha said earlier are slightly modified from a line in ‘The Lady Who Becomes a Female Cat in 100 Days’. It seems she really enjoyed watching it.”

“……”

“True, the first time seeing an adult… ah no, an adult’s romance novel can be a bit stimulating.”

When I returned to the academy, I had to visit the library first.

I wasn’t curious about the fantasy world’s adult novels; I was just excited to see what books were available at the continent’s best educational facility.

Anyhow, the situation was becoming increasingly confusing.

It was time to organize things properly.

“[Everyone, quiet down.]”

“……..”

With that command, the surroundings fell silent.

The only sound that remained was the anxious breathing of the slaves, acutely aware of who held their leash.

I gazed deeply into Elisha’s blue eyes and spoke.

“Let me say this again. The elf farm story is a lie.”

Despite my firm statement, Elisha still appeared doubtful. Iris and the other elves shared her skepticism.

Well, even though I knew Elisha had been unjustly enslaved, it seemed they had never contemplated the possibility of someone framing her.

It was a natural assumption. After all, there was no corruption among the followers of the Church of Righteous Radiance.

The moment a follower became corrupt, they lost their divine power, were expelled from the church, or, in extreme cases, met with divine punishment and death. How could they ever be corrupt?

Thus, the pervasive belief in this world was that they were beyond reproach.

…Someone must have exploited that trust.

“Do you think that the inspectors made a wrong judgment because of Elisha’s bad reputation at the academy?”

The elves silently nodded, and I firmly rejected that notion.

“This isn’t a misunderstanding; it’s a false charge. And it was falsely placed on her by a cultist hiding within the Church Union.”

“!!!”

Elisha and Iris were so shocked that their tongues were visibly frozen, their mouths hanging open.

Suppressing the sudden urge to tease them, I was poised to explain in detail when…

Tug tug.

A gentle pull on my sleeve came.

Carla was looking up at me with a pleading expression.

“Do you want a kiss? I’m in the middle of an important conversation. Just wait a bit…”

“Ngh! No!”

Carla vehemently shook her head, indicating that wasn’t her desire.

“Sigh... Just a moment, okay?”

I tickled Carla’s chin, and her tense expression softened.

She seemed to lean into the gesture, if only for a moment.

Regaining her composure, Carla grasped her chin and nodded firmly.

“That’s not it either? Why won’t you just speak… Ah, you’re under a command to not speak too?”

“Yes, yes!”

“[Carla, you can speak now.]”

“Pfft! Did you all see? My master isn’t someone you should be too afraid of! As Elisha mentioned earlier, he doesn’t set false expectations only to stab you in the back.”

“…Did you untie me just to say that? It’s a bit after the fact.”

“No, not really? Since I brought up the act at the auction, I thought it would be better for me to explain. More than anything, our master’s current image is quite unsettling, don’t you think?”

“Whose fault is that… Well, okay. If you can explain on your behalf, it spares me the trouble. Go ahead.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Carla laughed heartily, her spirits lifting.

“Let me see… If I were to first explain the purpose of the Boiling Silence Church…”

Carla’s melodious voice filled the room.

“That’s how it happened.”

Carla concluded, her smile beaming.

Her explanation was accurate… although she had overly glorified me.

Asking Iona for a leave of absence and deciding to come here meant I was ready to graduate from the academy. Bidding actively at the auction indicated my willingness to risk my safety after graduation.

The nonsense about the elf farm essentially meant to hunt monsters after becoming one myself… or something along those lines.

She had glorified it so much that it was embarrassing to listen to.

Trying to cool my flushed face with a fan, I noticed Elisha seemed lost in thought.

“[You can speak now.] What’s on your mind, Elisha?”

“Um… Yandel? So… you really…”

She struggled to articulate her thoughts, so I waited patiently. But she continued to fidget without making her point.

Iris, perhaps out of frustration, interjected.

“Though it’s a bit late, it’s been a while, Lindelhiet Young Lady. I didn’t expect to see you like this.”

“Just call me Carla now.”

“Alright, Carla. Thank you for the explanation. I’m genuinely relieved that Lindelhiet’s magic hasn’t been interrupted.”

She turned to me and bowed respectfully.

“My Lord. I understand that we greatly misunderstood. However, the fact remains that I am a slave, and you are my master. Therefore, I must ask… why did you purchase us?”

“There were several reasons, but mainly it was for Elisha.”

“For Elisha?”

“Elisha is a talent that the Boiling Silence Church would want to break, even if it meant using their full power. That’s one reason, among others.”

“…You spent 100,000 gold just for that? Wouldn’t it be fine just to buy Elisha?”

“It’s not a minor matter to me. Plus, one high-ranking mage and three mid-ranking mages can be quite useful in various ways.”

“Speaking of which, Carla used magic before. Perhaps…?”

“Yes, I plan to leave your mana cores intact. Didn’t you say earlier? You would give up everything, including your vision and magic. Elves, though not as powerful, have a high affinity for elements. Be prepared because I plan to utilize that to its fullest.”

“Oh, that’s what I hoped for. Given the crisis at the Sylvan Magic Tower, this might be a good way to continue our legacy.”

Seeing Iris nod with a slightly anxious face, I waved her off with a chuckle.

“Don’t be too happy about it. I’ll primarily use you for research and protection… but remember, you’re still slaves. Okay? Not only are you hostages for Elisha, but she is also a hostage for you.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve already accepted that.”

Iris nodded calmly, and the other elves echoed her expression.

It seemed they had accepted the outcome since they had tried to summon spirits. That was the right attitude.

“I sent the horses back, but before returning to the academy, remember that the Boiling Silence Church might be watching. Act accordingly.”

“We’ll be careful not to draw attention.”

“Good. That’s all I wanted to say! Now, the three of you can go to the next room and have some family time.”

They looked a bit puzzled but nodded and headed to the adjacent room.

Watching them leave, Elisha, who had been silent all this time, asked in a nervous tone.

“Yandel…? Why did you leave me and the master here?”

“Oh, I’m not really into NTR.”

“???”

Seeing her confusion, I decided to clarify.

“Even if I went easy on you… you’re still a slave, and I’m your master, right?”

“Yes…?”

“And I bought you at a high price, didn’t I?”

“Wait… you don’t mean…?”

As she began to cover herself, I chuckled.

“Since I bought you, I should get to enjoy it, right?”