Even as Abiyang burst into tears, the man appeared unperturbed.
He merely stared at the sobbing elf girl with hollow eyes.
It was only after some time had passed that the man, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
“Every time you resist from now on, an interesting mark will be engraved on your body… Of course, it must be troubling to be asked to immediately divulge your kin’s secrets.”
As he said this, the man glanced casually into the darkness of the cramped room.
It seemed as if he could make out his surroundings even in this pitch-black place. That brief glance alone revealed the considerable gap between him and Abiyang.
After gazing at some point on the wall, he slowly rose to his feet.
“I’m not asking you to betray your kin. I merely wish to have a conversation about your body. I’ll be stepping out for a while, so take your time to consider.”
With that, his words came to an end.
The man then left the dark room without even sparing her a glance.
His demeanor was utterly nonchalant.
His retreating back seemed to say, “Someone like you is nothing at all,” causing Abiyang to suppress a breath.
He apparently didn’t feel the need to invest much time in her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left her alone like this.
This was the value Abiyang held—nothing more than a replaceable elf pawn, one who could be obtained again at any time.
And if it became evident that she was entirely useless?
The outcome was obvious.
Hadn’t Abiyang already experienced firsthand the cruel inclinations of this man?
The girl trapped in the darkness was being torn apart by all sorts of dreadful imaginings. Abiyang had never imagined that loneliness and solitude could become such terrifying adversaries.
Of course, her bewilderment also played a role.
Though the situation had been unfolding for several hours now, the actual time during which Abiyang had been conscious was exceedingly short.
Each time she closed her eyes and opened them again, the world seemed to have changed.
It was too sudden and frightening.
Unrestrained violence had extinguished her burning hatred, leaving behind only anxiety.
To make matters worse, a voice whispered in her ear.
“…Can’t you just confess and get it over with already?”
It was unclear whether the words were mockery or persuasion.
At the sensation of breath licking her neck, Abiyang jumped in shock. Her hazy blue eyes turned toward the side.
There, behind Abiyang, a woman had emerged, her face peeking out as she whispered.
A flawless complexion, an adorable hairpin adding charm to her fringe.
Though her appearance was cute and endearing, her gaze and voice were profoundly cynical.
“Neoris,” wasn’t it?
The man had clearly called her that.
“I’m off-duty today, you know, but I’ve been summoned. Do you understand how terrible that is? So, let’s wrap this up quickly, okay? While I still have an ounce of mercy left in my heart.”
“…What… nonsense!”
Abiyang’s cry was impulsive.
A small ember of resistance still burned fiercely in her chest. After all, whether human or elf, creatures are most fiercely resistant just before they completely break.
Neoris let out a strange sound—“Hmph”—before closing her mouth, as if daring her to speak.
“I’m… I’m a proud elf! There’s no way I’d hand over even the smallest bit of information to your kind!”
“…Pfft.”
However, Abiyang’s final defiance was quickly interrupted by Neoris’ laughter.
Neoris stumbled back, trying hard to suppress her laughter, but soon burst into uncontrollable fits of giggles.
“Pfft… Ha… Hahaha! Pride?!”
“…W-What?”
With that devastating mockery, Abiyang grew even more flustered. Regardless, Neoris continued to laugh, banging on the chair’s backrest.
“Do you know how many people have said that same thing? Pfft… Hahaha! Wasn’t I one of them once? Huh?”
At this heartfelt retort, Abiyang’s face grew increasingly pale.
The scene she had witnessed just moments ago replayed in her mind: Neoris obeying the man’s instructions without a single objection.
There was not a single trace of doubt in her actions.
Anyone could see that Neoris was obedient to the man.
And yet, she had once acted like Abiyang?
There was more to Neoris’ erratic behavior.
She pulled a dagger from within her clothes and traced a black trajectory in the air.
At the sharp sound it made, Abiyang was about to scream.
But the result of her action was completely unexpected.
The ropes binding Abiyang slackened with a dull sound, releasing her.
Freed unexpectedly, Abiyang gazed in disbelief at Neoris.
Neoris twisted her lips into a cruel smile.
“Go ahead then, if you’re so confident… But if you get caught, you’ll experience something far worse than you can imagine.”
Warmly placing both hands on Abiyang’s shoulders, she continued her whisper.
“It’ll feel different, like being reborn… Your fingertips will start to hurt one by one, or maybe… they’ll be burned by fire. That’s what happened to me, and coincidentally, I know how to use poison…”
With a twirl, the dagger Neoris held spun through the air before she caught it effortlessly with a click.
Because her hands had been resting on Abiyang’s shoulders until a moment ago, the entire motion took place right next to Abiyang.
Leaving behind a faint scratch.
A tingling burning sensation spread from the spot. It wasn’t just pain.
It was poison.
A shiver ran down Abiyang’s spine.
“You’ll feel far more pain than that. Why don’t you rebel as much as you want? To Lord I-an…”
At that, a thunderclap echoed in Abiyang’s mind.
The mockery and threats were frightening, but nothing compared to the impact of that name.
“…L-Lord… I-an?”
“Yes, Lord I-an… Oh, you didn’t know? How pitiful.”
Accompanying a sneer, Neoris delivered the final blow.
“The person who brought you here is Lord Ian Fercurus. Have you heard of him?”
Have you heard of him?
How could she not have?
Even though acquiring financial support was her main purpose, Abiyang, as a pawn, was naturally attuned to rumors and news discussed by the masses.
Among them, the tales about ‘Ian Fercurus’ were unparalleled.
He had surpassed the successor of Yuridina and won the Hunting Festival.
In the process, he had captured a monster worthy of fame, and it was rumored that he had later exterminated a mage and mythical beasts.
At the Return Festival, he had faced a dark priest.
And just recently, he had also fought against the retinue of an evil deity, hadn’t he?
It was nothing but a catalog of unbelievable stories.
He was different from Abiyang in every conceivable way.
He was the rising divine light of humanity, a true hero who could rival the monsters of myth.
She, who hid like a cat among the cracks of human civilization, could never measure up to him.
To someone like Ian Fercurus, someone like Abiyang would be at best the equivalent of a stray cat, disposable and unworthy of significant attention.
Someone he could torment at will, and lose with little more than a sigh.
Stammering, Abiyang muttered absently.
“How… how…”
After all, she had only deceived someone once.
Among the hundred years of her long existence, that was the first occasion she had ever deceived someone. And the person she had tried to deceive just happened to be the shining new star of humanity. What were the odds that her true identity would be discovered by him?
And what were the chances she would be dragged to an unknown place, only to be tortured?
The fateful encounter sent shivers down Abiyang’s spine. Another tear rolled down her cheek.
A snickering laugh teased her ear.
Neoris tempted her, almost invitingly.
“Go ahead, run! I’ve already said, I won’t stop you… For now, there’s some mercy left in me, or maybe it’s gone and that’s why I’m like this?”
Abiyang’s body quaked pitifully.
Now it was time for her to make her decision.
When I returned to the interrogation room, I found an unexpected scene.
“Even my meager body… if it can be of any help, please… Just don’t make me betray my kin!”
There was one elf girl kneeling, bowing her head in pleading.
And standing politely with her hands clasped, acting completely nonchalant, was Senior Neoris.
I could do nothing but ask in bewilderment.
“Why is she like this?”
“I’m not sure.”
At which, Senior Neoris added another word.
“Perhaps she’s been moved by Lord Ian’s reputation.”
I swallowed and remained silent for a moment.
It was slightly puzzling. The change in attitude was too sudden.
But since the interrogation had ultimately become easier, I decided it was enough.
“First of all, I’m not interested in your body, so stand up.”
My interest in Abiyang’s body was purely academic.
I wasn’t so starved for women that the mention of a frail body would excite me.
If someone wanted to seduce me with their body, they’d have to be at least a holy virgin.
Or someone like Liya, perhaps?
I smirked faintly, suppressing an incomplete smile born from idle thoughts.
It was time for the serious questioning to begin.
