Chapter 10: Obedient Elf

*FUCK... Fuck, fuck... What a creepy little fucker...* A young man muttered out of breath as he sat on the ground with his back against the alley's wall.

He didn't move even after he noticed a group of foul-looking people surrounding him. Just as the biggest of the bunch took the initiative to come forth while playing with a shabby knife in his hands, the young man got up.

"Hello, there. You seem pretty distressed, huh?" The man with a scar on his upper lip said with a sly smile on his face.

"You know, a nobleman like you shouldn't really go around buying your own stuff all alone..." He shook his head as he started to size up his opponent.

Sigh

"Did your parents not tell you how dangerous the world is?" He said as he walked closer.

The others started smiling as they took his words and actions as a positive sign. As they did, however, they noticed a red flower in the young man's hand.

"Oh, my, what do you have there? Is that for your mommy?" One of the men said.

Giggles, giggles.

"Are you really going to keep ignoring me?" The eyes of their 'leader' twitched slightly as he brushed his blonde hair back.

"I would recommend that you leave me alone." The young man said, as he looked up at the man in front of him, the moon shone in his eyes.

"So, you can talk, huh?" He smiled in response.

"Come'on, we mean you no harm, noble boy. You just have to hand over the bag, and we can all go home peacefully..." Said the blonde man while he attempted to press his free hand on the noble's shoulder.

He did, however, commit a grave mistake, since as his hand landed on the boy's shoulder, the flower in the young man's hand turned into a sword with a spider-like hilt.

Thud!

As their boss's head fell towards the floor and blood gushed out of his severed neck, the men froze in fear. Some dropped their weapons as they noticed the change in atmosphere.

"So, this works, huh?" He said to himself as his bloodred eyes started to emit a scarlet hue upon the men in front of him.

"What are you waiting for? Fuck off." After staring at them for a few seconds, a reddish aura came out of his body, making even the men who had fallen to the ground quickly get up and run away.

"I guess I'm not the only coward in this city then..." He said out loud as he stared at the bloodied, thin sword in his hand.

Sigh

'How can a place whose residents can destroy whole countries with a spell, or cut souls with their swords have so much crime?'

Tsk

'Whatever...' His lips twitched slightly in a sign of guilt as he took one last glance at the dead man in front of him.

Snap.

As he walked away, the body behind him burned to ashes.

'Conjuration sure is handy, but this is too draining for now... I'll have to change my plans for tonight.' As he thought about it, the sword in his hand turned back into a flower and disappeared.

...

As a beautiful woman with platinum blonde hair and deep blue eyes walked through the old alleys of the capital, most couldn't help but glance, giving her an odd look or two before noticing her long ears and quickly walking away.

*Mama, look an elf lady!* A boy pointed outside the window to show his mother.

*Don't point at her...* His mother, however, quickly took him inside and closed the window with a worried look.

Sigh

"This place never changes..." The elf woman, thought out loud with a bitter smile on her face as she entered her house unbothered.

Creak.

She closed the door behind her and walked towards a shabby looking kitchen, took an empty glass, and opened the tap.

Sloshh.

"...?" As she drank the water, she couldn't help but think the taste was different than usual.

*This city just keeps getting worse and worse...* Thinking the water quality must've gone down, she muttered while walking towards the cupboards to grab something to eat.

As she tried to open the cupboard, however, her hand felt limp. Before fainting, she felt a presence behind herself and tried to look back; her body didn't respond, and she fell limp on the ground.

"This was easier than I thought..." Said a dark-haired man as he slowly started to walk towards the unconscious elf.

When he was about to pick her up from the ground, his brows furrowed as he glanced at her neck. An obedience seal was burning on her nape.

'So, she's obligated to obey that guy's orders...? That makes more sense than an arrogant elf helping a shady noble.' His eyes twitched as he noticed that something was wrong.

'But how could he possibly seal an elf...'