CH 43.1

４３.1  An Unreasonable Demand

「… Man, what a disgrace. This Shidar tips his hat to you.」

Shidar bowed with a business-like smile on his face.

「To be able to make the saint yield in that kind of form is…」

The saint(Liliana) was hiding behind Jilbagias. She sat on the floor on her rear, peeking from behind Jilbagias’ leg as if waiting for Shidar’s next action.

And hiding behind Jilbagias’ figure again when she saw the smile on Shidar’s face. There was no vestige of the saint left on her. It seems her ego was truly destroyed―― Thought Shidar as he tried to hide his annoyance.

The possibilities of her losing her power along with her ego was what stopped the night elf from destroying her ego.

Remodeling her brain was actually the last step that they didn’t dare to take and yet―― Jilbagias had actually succedeed in recreating her ego. Though the result was for the best since she retained her power, he shuddered imagining the situation in which Jilbagias had failed.

Oh whatever.

We succeeded in making the saint yield to us.

And the one who succeeded in doing that was the prince before me.

""

But then, it doesn’t mean that we will just let go off the 『Healing Power』 that our race is yearning for――!

「Your Highness, if you wish for it, we can remodel this noble room to become your exclusive room so that you can come to visit and relax anytime―― Naturally, we will give you our greatest hospitality. Your HIghness can enjoy the body of the saint as much as you want whenever you come to visit this room.」

So Shidar tried to make an offer like that of a merchant.

「Hohou, don’t be so modest, Shidar. So you’re going to enjoy the fruit of my labor without asking for the permission of the one who achieved this result, me. Can I take it as that is what you mean?」

Jilbagias sneered as he asked with an extremely haughty attitude.

「I want to enjoy this woman anytime I want. And it’s not like we don’t have a solution for this matter. She doesn’t really have to stay in this prison, right?」

「About that, Your Highness.」

As a stingy prison warden, Shidar didn’t step back even though his smile twitched as he spoke.

「This miraculous body of the saint is a reward from His Majesty, the Demon King himself for us, the night elf. We paid a huge price when she raided the Demon King’s castle along with the Panhumanity alliance seven years ago. Your Highness might’ve no idea since you have yet to be born at that time but…」

Shitty brat. This saint is given by your own father to us. She’s ours.

「I know. You seem to have lost a lot of personnel to stop the hero and co. Thanks to that my father could eliminate the remnant with ease. It was obvious from the trace of the splash of the blood in which place the battle had happen.」

Give it up, small fry. I know that you guys aren’t actually participating and just enjoy the leftovers of the demon race.

「In addition, it’s none other than you guys who gleefully chopped up the body of the saint, the gift from my father… For the last seven years.」

Suddenly, the smile on Jilbagias’ face vanished as if he didn’t bother to hide his real feeling anymore.

「――Seriously, just what have you been doing in these seven years? You got all the time in the world, and yet still failed.」

He showed a cruel smile on his face. His prideful eyes were looking at the night elf before him as if the other party was an inferior species.

「I’ve already heard about your research a while ago but, for me, what you are doing is nothing more than wasting time by playing around with torture. You say that you want to research a method to use her blood right? Sure, let me tell you that even though I found a way to use her miracle, that’s actually the only possible way. Reality is shit, not everything in reality went according to your wish… Is what I want to say but…」

Jilbagias then motioned to Liliana who was lying down on all four.

「Do I need to explain to you about her current situation?」

In short, it was an unprecedented case, Jilbagias had Liliana perfectly under his control.

「How long has it been since I came to this room? 5 minutes, 10 minutes? I managed to accomplish what you, the night elf, failed to accomplish for the whole seven years in mere minutes, Shidar. If this isn’t proof of you guys’ incompetence, then what?」

Jilbagias strike back with the look of a carnivore toying with their prey. Shidar felt humiliated to be looked down upon by a mere 5 years old kid, and yet he couldn’t deny the prince’s mockery either since he did achieve what they failed to achieve for years in mere minutes. He could only clench his fist, trying his best to endure his anger.

「Alas, I guess we’ve some misunderstanding in this regard.」

Jilbagias added so with a completely different air from before.

「The reason my father rewarded you guys with the saint isn’t just for you to toy with her, his main reason is for you to find a way to use her miracle. Reason being you guys―― The night elves who are the only ones with the knowledge about the forest elfs. But… I guess he overestimated you guys.」

Jilbagias shook his head without even trying to hide his disappointment as he brushed the head of Liliana who was sitting obediently on the floor, like a dog.

「Woof! Woof!」

Liliana, who looked up at Jilbagias with her bright, blue eyes, seemed like she was so happy to the point that she might wave her tail if she was a real dog.

「There there, you adorable girl… This woman is honestly wasted in your’ hands. I who can dominate her in mere minutes is a more appropriate owner for her than you guys who wasted seven years in vain. Rather, I shall take over that research as well――」

Jilbagias continued on mocking them unabashedly.

「――You guys wasted so much time, labor, and money for nothing. Well, thanks to that I met her though.」

「…I’m honored but still, Your Highness.」

Shidar barely managed to speak while enduring his wrath.

「Speak. I’m not such a petty person to prevent my subordinates ability to refute me.」

Jilbagias kept speaking with his arrogant attitude as if trying to fan Shidar’s anger again. Vigne who stood beside Shidar had suddenly felt a chill running down her spine seeing Jilbagias’ current attitude. She even wondered if the person who stood before them was… Really Jilbagias? Reason being his speech and conduct was far too arrogant if you compare it to the usual mild Jilbagias.

But, the most terrifying thing of all was the fact that Vigne couldn’t interrupt him. She could only watch in silence―― As the conversation between the two of them unfolded――

「Your Highness, you won the gamble…」

Contrary to Vigne who tried her best to maintain her expression, Shidar didn’t even bother to put on his business smile anymore.

「But, it was an extremely reckless gambling since you’ve no idea whether you will succeed or not!」

「Hou? Are you trying to say that I’m just lucky, is that it?」

Jilbagias crossed his arms behind his back.

「Let me humbly say―― That excessive modification of her ego might have affected her power. That’s why we’re being really careful from attempting to modify her memories or brain! That was the final means that we never dared to try after all!」

「So you’re saying that you guys can do the same anytime you want. Your fear of taking that last step is the very reason for this defeat. This can actually be a good lesson for you guys. No need to be very careful next time.」

He might say next time but―― That was followed with a giggle.

「Yo-You Highness! You must’ve no idea just how valuable that saint is to us!」[TL: You Highness isn’t a typo since Shidar uses a rather rude tone toward royalty.]

Shidar already blew his top.

「We can’t get something like that again once we lost her! You Highness dare to take the last step because she’s not your thing!」

「Are you trying to say that if it’s not a failure, you can take her back? How dare you say that when you can’t even take the last step? That’s too pathetic.」

「… The healing power of the saint is the hope for our tribe. Your Highness Jilbagias, a huge conflict broke in the front line last week, twenty member of our clansmen lost their life in that conflict.」

Colour vanished from Shidar’s face due to anger and irritation. His speech was already filled with maliciousness.

「The quota of using transpose curse for us is far from enough to save all of them. They’re dead since the basic treatment can’t keep them alive for too long, it’s only prolonging their suffering instead…!」

Yes. The one who got the priority to be treated with transpose curse was the demon race. Night elf only received a few quota for treatment. They usually have to wait for more than one week which results in a majority of them dying due to the severity of their wound or infection.

「… Your Highness. The night elf race has pledged our loyalty to the demon kingdom. We’re prepared to risk our life for the demon kingdom! But, is it wrong for me to wish for our warriors to live a long life!?」

Shidar who spoke with bloodshot eyes then glared at Liliana. She hid behind Jilbagias’ leg again, and then looked up at her master with a longing gaze filled with passion.