CH 44.1

４４.1 Pitiful Pet Dog

――Loving a high elf, and to be loved by her in return?

That was definitely an impossible feat.

Just imagining it alone was enough to almost make Shidar vomit on the spot due to just how unbelievably revolting it was.

The psychological disgust aside, whether it was from cultural, religion, or political reason, there was no reason for the night elf to do that.

Shidar could pretty much say that after all those trial and error that they did up to this point, thus――

Jilbagias revealed a victorious smile.

Because he knew just how ridiculous the night elf’s futile attempt to harness the saint’s power was without even understanding that they’re already taking the wrong step since the very beginning.

「In fact, there’s no need for such deep affection either.」

Jilbagias added so with a pitying look on his face upon seeing the vexed look on Shidar’s face.

「It doesn’t really matter even if it is just friendship or a mere gesture of goodwill. The biggest failure in your part, the night elf is coming from the fact that you guys utterly reject the existence of the forest elf.」

There was no way the saint would favor people who had been malicious to her. The miracle of light exists only for those who wished for it from the bottom of their heart. As for the insolent creature who only wanted to study it’s mysterious law――

「… What do you think, Shidar? I won’t tell you to go as far as loving her but, do you really think that you and the rest of the night elves can get along with the high elf from the bottom of your heart? You might be able to enjoy the benefit of her miracle if you can.」

Shidar pondered for a while when the prince asked him that question. He was currently considering such a possibility, considering the profit and service to his race.

Can I really cast aside my personal feelings and get along with the high elf? Can I really force myself to lie in my own heart like that? I might be able to do so if I use drug――

And managed to achieve that impossible feat. Was what he wanted to say but then―― He couldn’t speak about it at all.

The unpleasant disgust that stuck like thousands of needles in his skin was the only thing that stopped him from giving that answer. Their goal was to make the forest elf suffer as much as possible and erase their existence from this world―― Was the raison d’etre of the night elf that drove the night elves this far.

「… Impossible huh? What about you, Vigne?」

「Impossible.」

Vigne didn’t even spend a second considering that option before rejecting it.

「It seems your hatred for the night elf runs deep in your blood huh…」

Said Jilbagias as he patted Liliana’s head with a troubled look on his face.

「… Indeed.」

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Shidar could only reply with a bitter look on his face.

「Those guys―― The forest elves are our nemesis, the ones who robbed us of our life span and power that should belong to us. Honestly speaking, a temporary united front with them when facing the same enemy―― Might be possible. But, asking us to feel any goodwill or friendship toward them is impossible…」

I’ve heard about the historical feud between the night elf and forest elf, the reason for their separation, and the bloody feud that followed after that――

「Uhm. But Shidar, this woman is…」

Said Jilbagias as he poked on Liliana’s cheek.

「Not the one who robbed you and your race of your lifespan and power. It’s something that happened long before she was born after all. Now then, will you cast aside the hatred toward her race and take a revenge on the unrelated future generation of the forest elf?」

「Surely, it’s something that happened a very long, long time ago in the past but we’ve built mountains of corpses to arrive at this point. Now you’re telling us to stop and forget our past feud? You sound like one of those pacifists from human race…」

「Fufu. I agree.」

Jilbagias suddenly revealed an atrocious smile upon hearing Shidar said so with a dumbfounded look on his face.

「For some reason, your remark just now resounds deeply in my heart, Shidar. You’re right, revenge is something that you can do by yourself, or by borrowing the hand of others.」

His bright red eyes, which colour was even more brilliant than a night elf’s eyes, look like it is shedding pale, bloody light.

At that moment, Shidar felt as if he stood before a bloodthirsty beast. The moment he felt as if he just accidentally stepped on the tiger’s tail――

「Ku~n…」

Liliana still embraced Jilbagias but her pointy long ears drooped down as if she was frightened by the remark of her master.

「Oops. My bad, I have no intention to scare you… So that’s the gist of the situation, Shidar. I’ll take this woman back with me.」

Jilbagias withdrew his pressure and stood there, acting as if nothing happen.

「… My apologies but, I cannot allow that.」

And yet, Shidar blocked the exit of the room.

「How persistent. What now?」

Said Jilbagias, he didn’t even try to hide his irritation.

「Surely, we already failed on the first step to use that woman’s miracle. But, it doesn’t change the fact that the woman is a reward given to us, in short, she’s our 『Property』. If your highness feel like it, we’re willing to give you premium grade elf skin.」

The moment the word “Skin” came out from Shidar’s mouth, Liliana’s body started trembling nonstop. Despite losing her memories, the pain had already etched so deeply in her soul――

「Stop beating around the bush.」

「In short, we cannot just let her go unconditionally like that. You have to offer some sort of compensation for us.」

Yeah, that was only natural, he did try to bring their property back with him after all.

（Like hell you can just bring her out of this place for free!）

Despite managing to keep the resolute look on his face, Shidar had already sweat a bucket inside. The power of her blood aside, losing the premium grade skin of the saint was a fact, not to mention that the one who invited the prince to come into this very room which resulted in him wanting to take the saint with him was―― Shidar himself.

（I have to get equal compensation――）

His status would surely fall after this. Though knowing the fact that they would never be able to use the saint’s miracle was truly a shock for him, it could be said as a blessing in disguise.

「Good grief…」

Jilbagias brazenly heaved a sigh but he was aware that what Shidar had said was the truth.

「――What do you want then?」

Maybe because he knew that he had the upper-hand, Jilbagias asked first.

”This was the moment of truth”―― Said Shidar in his mind, licking his lips as he abandoned his previous pretense.

「I’ve already said before but allow me to say it again, we’re troubled by the loss of the brave warrior from our race.」

Previously, he regarded the saint as nothing more than ingredient for all purpose treatment, and then saying the following,

「We have a hard time to find the way to use the saint’s blood as healing agents and that’s the truth but―― The fact that Your Highness managed to harness the very miracle that we have been looking for is also the truth. Using that miracle to heal your body and keep the scapegoat for you at minimum is simply a foolish idea――」

How can you stop using  the transpose curses after having the miracle of the saint in your hand?

「What do you think? I won’t ask for an open quota, just part of it―― Will you put a good word in with the Reiju clan… To lend their power to us, the night elf?」

――We might have lost the saint, but we have to at least secure an absolute priority spot for using the transpose curse.

In that way, I can at least save my face. I have to at least get his promise in this place.

「Your greed is like that of a hobgoblin eh.」

But, Jilbagias’ reaction made him uncomfortable.

「In the first place, the only one who can use her is me, she’s a literal good but useless decoration for you guys. The matter of you guys asking for an equal compensation when I literally got nothing in return is―― A little bit too selfish, right? My value is too high even if you add those skin for me.」

「… But Your Highness, there’s an almost infinite source of that skin. Don’t you think that it’s value is also infinite?」

「It’s the exact opposite. Overproduction will only lower the value of an item as they become more and more common. If you want to raise their value, you should keep the production under a certain number to keep their rarity. It can produce almost infinite product but, your overproduction has already lowered their market value.」

Jilbagias replied with a nasty grin on his face and added,

「In the first place, if the market value of that product is really that high, the first thing that you should would be exchanging those skin for quota for transpose curse.」