## Chapter 76 – 76. Are You Going to Talk or Not?!
#76. Are You Going to Talk or Not?!
To deflower a dark elf maiden?
Honestly, I could resist drugs, but this was hard to resist, but there was one thing that bothered me.
“…She’s not an adult?”
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Isn’t this dangerous?
“Hehe, you don’t have to worry. The coming-of-age ceremony that dark elves talk about is different from human coming-of-age ceremonies.”
“How is it different?”
“Human coming-of-age ceremonies are celebrations of reaching marriageable age, but dark elf coming-of-age ceremonies are tribal rituals that determine whether they can do their part. That’s why I’ve heard that there are many who haven’t had their coming-of-age ceremony even at an older age.”
Iris’s clear answer eliminated unnecessary worries, but that didn’t mean I had decided to deflower that woman.
Just as permission and acceptance are subtly different, it was difficult to see Iris’s permission as accepting it deep down.
“Hyunwoo?”
I let out a heavy sigh in my heart and bit down so hard that my molars felt like they would break.
No matter how I thought about it, this seemed like the right answer.
“I’m not going to do it.”
“Yes?”
“It’s true that I like women, but I’m not so crazy about women that I’d be distracted by another woman in front of you.”
I hugged Iris tightly.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but if I live diligently, another opportunity will come.
For now, I had no doubt that following the advice my Korean language teacher gave me in high school was the best thing to do.
-Hey, you morons! I tell you guys that if you just study, your wife’s face will change, right? But really good women don’t just follow you because you have a lot of money. The really important thing is! To grab a woman tightly and know exactly what she wants and 맞춰주는 (match) it. Well, I doubt you guys would know a woman’s heart.
I thought this was that moment.
Iris may have given permission, but I thought there was something she wanted even more, and she was waiting for me to notice it implicitly.
“…I’m really okay with it.”
The corners of Iris’s lips, buried in my chest, were softer than ever.
I cheered inwardly.
Ah, Korean language teacher… you’ve saved me again.
He was a really good teacher, except for the fact that he used to beat students whenever he had the chance.
However, according to rumors, his wife was having an affair and he was preparing for a divorce lawsuit. Even the person I know who knows women best ended up like that, so I can’t be so sure that my future will be bright.
If I didn’t want to get stabbed in the abdomen when I later came out as having a harem after recklessly increasing the number of women, I needed to prepare thoroughly in advance.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Just in time, the dark elf girl woke up too.
“Iris, do you want to go to the tent and rest? I’ll finish up quickly and go.”
Iris hugged me as tightly as she could, as if she was disappointed.
“…Just don’t be too late.”
The moment Iris fell out of my arms, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed by the sight in front of me.
“I’ll be waiting for you, not sleeping♡”
Suddenly, Iris pulled on the front of her clothes with her finger, revealing her bright pink nipples.
That alone made my mind go blank, but Iris’s expression was more seductive than ever, with her eyes curved.
At this moment, Iris was not an elf queen, but a femme fatale who was seducing a man.
Even the back view of her returning to the tent was extremely lewd, and she was deliberately wiggling her butt to seduce me.
Who on earth made her, who was so pure, like that?
That’s right, it was me.
I felt a strange sense of superiority in the fact that the woman who would proudly take the lead when all the women in the world were ranked in order of appearance was my woman.
As Iris disappeared from view, I turned my gaze to the dark elf girl.
“You’re awake.”
I met the dark elf girl’s eyes, who was still glaring at me, panting heavily as if she was exhausted.
I think I know what she’s thinking.
She must be worried about her chastity.
But the grand finale had already moved on to the next stage a long time ago.
“We’re both busy, so I won’t say anything unnecessary.”
Gillenim’s sword shone under the moonlight where the clouds had cleared.
“If you value your companions’ lives, answer my questions.”
The tip of the sword was pointed at the neck of another elf tied right next to the dark elf girl.
I had subdued them without hurting them, thinking of Iris, but now I had no time or reason to do so.
Even though I said I wouldn’t touch them sexually, I asked Iris to leave. There was no way she didn’t know what that meant.
The fact that she didn’t stop me and left meant that she implicitly agreed.
“I’m going to untie the rope that’s blocking your mouth now, and if you hesitate without answering my questions, I’ll kill your companions one by one.”
“…”
I slowly untied the rope blocking her mouth and took out the piece of cloth.
“Ptooey.”
The dark elf, with clear red marks on the corners of her mouth, spat on the floor and looked at me with rebellious eyes, but she didn’t try to commit suicide like before.
Perhaps she realized the weight of her companions’ lives as time passed.
“…If I really answer your questions, will you not harm my comrades?”
“Of course.”
“How can I believe that?”
“I’ll make a Mana Oath.”
Mana Oath.
It refers to swearing an oath by using one’s right to control mana as collateral.
The moment you break the promise made through this oath, you will not be able to control mana for the rest of your life, and of course, you will not be able to use magic power that uses mana as fuel.
“I have a total of three questions, and you must answer them truthfully and to the best of your knowledge. In addition, you must not let anyone know that you found us. Even if one of your companions is awake now and has heard our conversation, you must prevent today’s events from being known to others no matter what. In return, I swear that I will not only spare your life and the lives of your companions, but also not touch a single finger.”
“…I accept.”
The oath was established due to the conditions, compensation, and mutual consent.
As evidence, blue light flared in the location of each other’s hearts.
“First question. Do you know how to get to the Santala Kingdom while avoiding the surveillance of the Peledia capital defense forces?”
“…Santala Kingdom?”
The dark elf girl seemed to be lost in thought for a moment at my question, but soon nodded.
“The fastest way would be to go straight to the Santala Kingdom through the Great Forest, but it would be absolutely impossible to avoid the surveillance of the capital defense forces.”
“Then?”
“If you go southwest from here for about two days, you can get out of the Great Forest, and then you’ll find a plain. If you follow the road there, you’ll arrive at Wayble, a border city of the Vale Haven Republic, which is adjacent to the Peledia Kingdom.”
I untied the rope that was tying her at the dark elf girl’s gesture.
Of course, I only untied her hands in case.
She must not have expected me to untie her legs as well, and she continued to explain, drawing a picture on the ground.
“The best way would be to go to the Santala Kingdom through the Nivia Kingdom and the Orsia Principality, which are located east of the Vale Haven Republic.”
“…You’re not good at drawing, are you?”
“Shut up.”
In contrast to her fierce voice, the dark elf girl lowered her head as if she was embarrassed.
“Anyway, you’ll have to cross the border when you go from the Great Forest to Wayble, but aren’t there any Peledia border guards?”
“No. In the first place, the nature of the Great Forest itself is a natural border. Instead, you’ll have to cross the border a total of three times on the way from the Vale Haven Republic to the Santala Kingdom, and that’s going to be a problem.”
On the map on the ground, several large and small kingdoms and city-states were drawn above the Great Forest and the Santala Kingdom.
And there was the Northern Empire, which boasted a territory larger than all those countries and the Great Forest combined.
“Now, the Northern Empire has declared war on the Peledia Kingdom. Judging from the past actions of the Northern Empire, it cannot be ruled out that they will declare war on neighboring countries after occupying Peledia. No, it’s highly likely that they will. In that situation, it would be a natural move for the borders of the Vale Haven Republic, the Nivia Kingdom, and the Orsia Principality, which are located in southern Peledia, to be closed. Of course, the same goes for the Santala Kingdom.”
The dark elf girl was answering as faithfully as possible to the best of her knowledge due to the Mana Oath. Thanks to that, I learned quite a few additional things about the international situation that I didn’t know before.
By the way, how does the leader of the reconnaissance team know so much?
“Isn’t there a good way to cross the border?”
“Is that the second question?”
“…No.”
After thinking for a while, I decided not to waste my question rights on this.
The Mana Oath only requires you to answer faithfully to the best of your knowledge, so it was useless to someone who didn’t know anything.
It wasn’t certain, but I didn’t think the dark elf girl would know about this issue either.
‘Besides, the fact that the border is being closed means that the situation is likely to continue to change. It would be better for me to find a way by selling my feet in the border area.’
If it really didn’t work, I could just break through with force.
Even if they formed a pursuit team, I didn’t think anyone strong enough to threaten me and Iris would follow, given that war could break out at any time.
“Second question. Tell me everything you know about the domestic situation in Peledia.”
“…Are you serious?”
The dark elf girl looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“It would take all day to explain everything I know. If we don’t return by then, another reconnaissance team will be dispatched.”
She shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “Is that okay?”
Come to think of it, that was true.
I’m short on time right now.
Iris must be waiting for me anxiously, and it was too precious to waste time fooling around here.
“…Then briefly explain only about the current elf queen.”
“A heinous murderer, a crazy psychopath, a kinslayer. Do you need any more explanation?”
I just nodded my head lightly without saying anything.
“200 years ago, I don’t know what tricks that crazy woman used, but from the day she overthrew the former Queen Iris and ascended to the throne, Peledia has never escaped hell.”
Her voice was agitated.
The remnants of the murderous intent emanating from beyond her eyes were even stronger than when I touched her chest and teased her.
“She raised taxes and drafted young men to build useless temples. Many of them never returned.”
Increasing taxes and forced labor without considering the lives of the people.
If Iris heard this, she would foam at the mouth and collapse.
“Is that all? Under her tacit approval, the corruption and tyranny of the nobles are getting worse day by day. The people who rebel against this are disappearing as dew in the execution ground.”
After that, the dark elf girl continued to spew out curses and criticisms against Resilia.
At this point, it seemed like she was just saying what she wanted to say rather than answering my questions, but I didn’t know what to do if I stopped her, so I just kept listening.
Then, this time, it was said that Resilia was forcibly conscripting young men for the war with the Northern Empire.
“It’s ridiculous. If that bitch had just sent reinforcements to the Santala Kingdom 200 years ago, there wouldn’t have been this war with the Northern Empire.”
With that one word close to a complaint, the answer to the second question ended.
It was a bit long, but thanks to that, I could roughly guess the situation in Peledia.
The whole country was exhausted by 200 years of continuous exploitation, and what war? It wouldn’t be strange if a rebellion broke out like this.
And I thought that the war might come faster than I expected.
If the Northern Empire knew about this internal situation in Peledia, they would be more likely to push in with a blitzkrieg rather than worrying about military formation.
I slightly modified my future plans and asked the last question.
