Chapter 46 (2/2)

“I am brainwashed no longer. Actually, even if I am, if the one controlling me is Oluri, then such would be my heart’s desire! Therefore please quell your anger, my lady!” (Leiha)

“Ogu?!” (Gio)

(T/N: Yep, that ‘my lady’ there implies the connotation of ‘wife of my lord.’ Go grab your popcorn.)

Hold on a-, just wait a moment. For various reasons, give me a moment.

If my memory serves me, we were supposed to be interrogating this dark elf whom we suspect of attempting to poison me and kidnap Mora on behalf of the Demonists that she works for. Right?

So how on earth did the conversation jump to the dark elf wanting to become my slave and Claura being my wife?!

“Th-, this person’s…… I, I’m n-, not rea, really……” (Claura)

“No, as someone capable of conversing so casually with my lord, who holds as much power as he does, who else can you be but my lady?” (Leiha)

Aren’t there many other possibilities?

Claura’s usual sharp tongue appears to be failing her, as she is mostly just fiddling with her long hair while her face is all red. The corners of her eyes, which had been drawn up to the very limit just a while ago, are now drooping down as if she is close to tears.

I'm the one who’s going to have to listen to all her complaints later, aren’t I.

“Alright, listen. She is not my wife. She is Claura, a friend and nakama. Same goes for Sedam over there.” (Gio)

“............ Th-, that’s right! This person and I are friends. Friends, you understand?” (Claura)

“As they’ve said. Nice meeting you, [s.h.i.+]-san of my friend.” (Sedam)

Anyways, my first priority is in defusing this situation.

Afterwards, we need to draw out as much information as we can from this dark elf—she’s called Leiha.n.a.luka, right?—for the sake of capturing the mastermind. There are still 4 more dark elves out there, and the mastermind might be attempting to flee the city already.

Ignoring Sedam, who had thrown in that unnecessary comment as an attempt to calm everyone down, Leiha.n.a.luka turns and speaks to me directly.

“So that is how things are. Please pardon my earlier discourtesy.” (Leiha)

“...... Exactly why on earth do you think of Margils as that Oluri?” (Claura)

As if that ‘my lady’ remark earlier had drained all the poison from her fangs, Claura’s question was posed in a small voice.

“For several decades, my everything had been ruled by the demon that had been lurking inside my heart. The one who schemed to poison my lord was that demon. What I now find most repulsive is how, after so many years, I myself had grown acceptive of the demon’s rule. However, as of just now, I have been set free through my lord’s tremendous Power.” (Leiha)

Demon…… was it really the doing of the anki after all?

Is it that anki have managed to slip into human society and are scheming from within the populace, or are there humans somehow borrowing the power of anki? Either way, the situation is grave.

“The fear I felt when the demon was obliterated, and the joy I felt when I was saved—neither of these can be fully expressed with words. Dark elves value the continuation of one’s clan above the fate of the individual. However, when an individual is done a favor weightier than the fate of one’s whole clan, the individual is free to accept that benefactor as their Oluri and enter the benefactor’s service.” (Leiha)

“The logic seems sound, doesn’t it?” (Claura)

“I, I suppose……” (Gio)

“......” (Sedam)

This is Sedia, not j.a.pan.

Sedia has Sedian standards of ethics, and I shouldn’t press my own on these people.

That logic, I can see how it flows.

But still……

“...... Either way, you will cooperate with us from here on, right?” (Gio)

“Not just from here on, but forevermore I will swear my allegiance……” (Leiha)

“Let’s leave that aside for now. Firstly, provide us with information so that we can find the mastermind who manipulated you to feed me poison. After we safely capture that person—Ahh, if your nakama are in the same situation, then we ought to save them too—we will have you receive this city’s judgment. After you’ve made up for all your sins, if you still wish to come to me, then feel free.” (Gio)

Umu.

Before anything else, drawing out the necessary information is the highest priority. Afterwards, whatever the judgment is, some time will have pa.s.sed, and she will most likely have changed her mind by then.

“Good for you.” (Sedam)

“Well…… if she earnestly swears her allegiance to you, you can’t really reject her, can you?” (Claura)

“Th-...... Thank you so much! Thank you so much! I will prove my usefulness, definitely!” (Leiha)

In this world, aside from the primary frameworks such as family and country, there is also the concept of [allegiance], where one fully devotes oneself to another by their own will. Looking at the Carbanera Knight Order, I thought I had already known that fact though……

Now I feel like a petty person for having entertained the thought “Let’s read her mind with the ESP Medal just in case.”

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