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TL: ALT
Chapter 12 – Elf Slave
Guided by one of General Etgar’s subordinates, Wataru entered a separate room.
It was a more compact space than the reception room he had just been in, but it was furnished with the bare essentials and had a calm atmosphere.
The man took some documents out of his briefcase and placed them on the table.
“We need your signature on these documents for the slave transfer. Please review the contents. Broadly speaking, the exchange involves the family’s alchemist slave, the liquor vessels from the other day, the cost of liquor from the previous and current transactions, and a continuing liquor sales contract. The consideration is the slave herself. Alchemy equipment is not included. You will be responsible for the slave’s treatment after the transfer.”
“Understood. Mariel, I trust it will be fine, but could you review the contents for me?”
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
As always, he can speak and read, but he still can’t write.
Mariel is accustomed to complex phrasing and handles all matters in this field.
She is a reliable woman.
While she traced the text with her slender fingers and read each clause aloud, Wataru addressed the man beside him.
“In the meantime, would it be all right if I met with that alchemist?”
“Yes, since all that remains is exchanging documents, it’s fine. Go fetch her.”
The man smiled faintly and gave another order to his subordinate. Without delay, a woman arrived.
Oh, she has long ears!
Wataru’s eyes were immediately drawn to them, a feature he’d only ever seen in fictional works.
His gaze shifted to her beautifully sculpted face, where he noticed her eyes were different colors.
Heterochromia.
Her right eye was a fiery crimson red.
Her left eye was a deep, ocean-like blue.
Her figure was voluptuous, with breasts as large as, if not larger than, Aire’s.
Her face had a gentle, soft expression with drooping eyes that seemed to envelop others in a warm embrace.
She was a forest mediator, a master archer, and a powerful user of spirit magic.
Elves are known for their arrogance and hostility toward humans.
She didn’t match any of the typical images one might associate with elves.
If anything, she resembled a gentle, refined mother who would say, “Ara, ara.”
“I am Stella… I see that you are the new master I shall serve. I look forward to serving you.”
“Ah, hello.”
The elf slave named Stella stood before Wataru and his companions, bowing deeply.
A deep cleavage was exposed through the gap in her blouse, though she seemed oblivious.
“I’m Wataru, your new master. These are your seniors: Mariel, Aire, and Cloche. Please get along well from now on.”
She’s incredibly unguarded—or rather, completely unaware of where people are looking.
While Wataru was distracted by Stella’s appearance, he suddenly noticed that Aire and Cloche had lifted their hips and assumed a battle stance.
“What an incredible amount of magic power…”
“Truly befitting an elf, I suppose. A terrifying quantity and density.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, I see. Since you have no magic power, you can’t sense it. Cloche and I, however, possess enough magic power to become mages.”
“Even combined, our quantity and quality of magic power pale in comparison to hers.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course. Besides, she doesn’t seem hostile either.” I said.
“Indeed, she doesn’t seem hostile. Once the transfer is complete, she won’t be able to interfere, even if she wants to. We’ll just stay alert for now.”
“You needn’t worry so much. I have absolutely no intention of defying anyone, you know?”
Stella said in a leisurely tone.
Her relaxed voice made staying alert seem ridiculous.
Aire had once said something about being unbeatable in close-range combat against mages.
She always insisted that she could detect hostility from an enemy beforehand through scent or heart rate.
Still, it was surprising that Aire and Cloche considered it necessary to take even minimal precautions against Stella.
She was assumed to be a purely technical entity.
“You really let go of such a valuable slave? Didn’t you consider using her as a combat asset?”
“Hm?” Ah, the contract, you see. We couldn’t use her even if we wanted to.”
The man briefly explained the circumstances.
Stella, an elf vanguard, had clashed with General Etgar.
While the overall outcome was still undecided, Stella was brought back to General Etgar as a prisoner.
Elven clans have strong bonds of camaraderie and are usually eager to exchange prisoners.
Etgar was surprised that Stella wasn’t exchanged.
Despite the high cost of compensation, he thought they would normally try to get her back because she was highly skilled in combat.
Ultimately, it was decided that Stella would become a slave owned by Duke Etgar, and several contracts were drawn up.
She would not participate in warfare.
Because she possessed exceptional aptitude for magic, including elemental magic, and was proficient in archery, pharmacology, and alchemy, she would contribute all her skills.
Once she had worked off the equivalent of the reparations, she would be freed from slavery.
“By the way, how much is ‘the equivalent of the reparations’?”
“Hm? About two thousand gold coins. Most of a slave’s earnings go to the master, Duke Etgar. So, even for an elf, it’d probably mean working for several hundred years, wouldn’t it?”
“It feels strange for me to say this since I’m the one who gained such a valuable slave, but was it wise to let go of such a precious asset?”
“That’s not for me to know. It’s the general’s decision. He must have had a reason for letting her go. Sorry, but I can’t say anything more.”
The man’s mouth suddenly tightened.
Judging from how readily he’d shared details about Stella, Wataru wondered if it involved a scheme concerning territories or nations.
Keeping her close would be profitable and convenient, but the long-term disadvantages of holding her outweighed the benefits.
That must be the gist of it.
Wataru preferred not to delve into politics.
Small personal deals were fine; he didn’t need big business.
Without pressing further, he obediently backed off.
“I heard about how you became a slave. I want you to live in the best possible environment. Do you have any wishes?”
“Then… please don’t take me to the Elven Forest. I’m sure I’d only be a burden to you.”
“Huh? So it’s not that you want me to take you, but rather that you don’t want me to?”
“They say Stella is a disgrace to her clan.”
Stella lowered her gaze.
Moisture slowly gathered in her two differently colored eyes.
The sorrowful face of this beautiful woman stirred a desire to protect her.
Wataru sensed that the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.
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For her to be labeled as a disgrace… stereotypes or anything she did, I’d guess…
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Prejudice and discrimination should be ended everywhere.
Thanks.
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