Chapter 208: I’m Really a Pacifist (1)

No matter how tough Kaor was, being trampled on by Ghislain, Belinda, Gillian, and others simultaneously left him helpless.

Alpoi even cast enhancement spells on the attackers intermittently.

"Stop! If you stop now, I'll forgive you! Just hold on for a second! Gaaaah!"

His screams were useless. No one wanted to miss this opportunity.

After being stomped on for a long time, Kaor eventually lost consciousness and had to be carried away. Piote didn't bother healing him.

Most of the elves, indifferent to the world, were lazing around, but a few paused to watch the commotion, cheering excitedly.

"What's this? This place knows how to party!"

"Oh, this could be fun! We really know how to party when we start."

"Is that the lord? Decent face, but seems temperamental. That's romantic in its own way."

They laughed and chattered among themselves, doing whatever they pleased.

The ones simply vomiting up their drinks or puffing on tobacco were the better-behaved ones.

One male elf winked at Belinda and bit his lower lip suggestively, dripping with sleaziness.

Another male elf licked his lips at Alpoi, who blinked in confusion, not understanding the gesture.

Unable to bear it, Ghislain stepped forward and shouted,

"Attention, everyone!"

The elves stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Ghislain asked,

"Does anyone here know how to use spirits?"

At that, the elves, who had been wearing blank expressions, suddenly burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.

"Spirits? What's that? Something to eat?"

"Our ancestors supposedly knew how, but we don't have a clue. A spirit-user slave? That sounds so romantic."

"Not spirits, but stamina, we know that well!"

They broke into crude jokes and laughter, making a scene. Everyone was too shocked to respond to their blatant disrespect.

Even Ghislain could only sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose.

'What is this…? Why are all the elves like this? What on earth did that slave trader bring me…?'

As Ghislain stood amidst this disaster, Claude turned to him with a distressed expression.

"My lord… These people are completely useless. Let's just sell them off again. They're too inefficient to use as laborers or soldiers. They're so expensive that we can't even kill them or damage their bodies. It's a waste of money."

Belinda nodded in agreement.

"This really seems like a bad deal. They're nothing like the elves we've heard about in stories."

For once, Ghislain had no rebuttal. He truly hadn't expected them to be this much of a mess.

Looking up at the sky for a moment, he let out a deep sigh.

'Unbelievable! The elves I met in my past life were nothing like this!'

They had been dignified, elegant guardians of nature and friends to spirits—reliable and noble warriors who had stood against the calamities sweeping the continent.

'I expected them to be different after living as slaves among humans for so long, but… this is beyond my imagination.'

He had planned to persuade them differently than he did the dwarves, considering their pride and dignity. But persuasion wasn't even an option at this point.

Their condition wasn't just bad; it was catastrophic. His earlier suspicion that the slave trader had brought sick elves turned out to be correct—though it wasn't their bodies but their minds that seemed ill.

'Did that trader really scam me? Is that why he ran off so quickly? Did he dare cheat me, the Mercenary King? Should I track him down and kill him?'

Galbarik and the dwarves, who had arrived late to watch the commotion, burst out laughing.

"Puhahahaha! Looks like the lord really didn't know anything when he bought these elf slaves! Even a genius can't know everything, huh!"

Ghislain clenched his fists and glared at Galbarik, who hastily waved his hands in denial.

"No, no. Most people don't know this, but elf slaves are usually like this!"

"What?"

"To be precise, older elves are like this. Even if they live among humans, they don't have much to do besides playing around. In short, they've been corrupted by humans over a long time."

"And younger elves?"

"Young, obedient elves are never sold. Nobles would never let go of them. The ones who get sold are always in bad shape. It's just how it works."

Unlike the elves, dwarves retained much of their identity even as slaves because humans needed their skills and craftsmanship.

However, elves who left their forests were valued only for their beauty. Over time, they were treated as mere decorative items or living dolls.

Because of their long lifespans and low birth rate, their population couldn't grow quickly. Their exorbitant price also meant they were handled with extreme care.

Thus, the relatively normal elves were kept out of the market, and only the difficult ones were sold.

As fellow high-end slaves, the dwarves were well aware of this dynamic.

'Damn it, I didn't know that. I wasn't interested enough to learn more. So, the trader didn't actually scam me?'

Elf slaves were so rare and expensive that even seeing them was unusual. With nobles keeping them secret, it was nearly impossible to encounter them by chance.

While he now understood why they were like this, he couldn't let them continue their chaotic behavior.

"Fine. As long as I stick to my plan, it'll work out. Let's start by trying to gain their cooperation."

After sighing a few times, Ghislain looked at the elves again and asked,

"You all seem pretty close, judging by how well you're getting along here. Who's your representative?"

At his words, all the elves turned their gazes toward a male elf who looked as if he embodied every ounce of the world's weariness.

The elf, sensing the attention, groaned and reluctantly stepped forward.

As expected of an elf, his appearance was strikingly beautiful. His tall stature, well-proportioned physique, and sculpted face stunned the people of Fenris.

The elf ran a hand through his hair, seemingly basking in the admiration, and spoke arrogantly.

"I'm Ascon. For now, I suppose I'm the representative."

Elves often chose the eldest among them as their representative, though not always.

In this case, they weren't particularly close, so Ascon, being the eldest, was reluctantly thrust into the role.

Ghislain regarded him with a flat expression and said,

"For now, you'll act as the representative of the elves to help them adjust to the territory."

"No thanks."

"What?"

"I said, I don't want to. It's too bothersome. At my age, do I really have to do something like this? My bones ache these days."

"…"

Ascon's response, dripping with laziness, left Ghislain speechless.

If not for the pointed ears, no one would even think he was an elf. He looked like a human who had been through all the ups and downs of life.

'This kind of defiance… it's been a while.'

Ascon, noticing Ghislain's momentary bewilderment, smirked with disdain.

'What's the matter? Did you expect us to obey just because you paid a fortune for us? Pathetic.'

It was obvious what this human wanted. Purchasing so many elf slaves meant he likely intended to flaunt them as expensive gifts for subordinates or nobles. Elf slaves were the ultimate status symbol.

'Must be young. Desperate to show off his wealth.'

Having lived among humans for a long time, Ascon made no effort to hide his mockery.

"My lord, you seem young and naive about the world, so let me give you some advice."

"…What advice?"

"We're not the type to be controlled easily. We're a proud and noble race. Did you not know that when you bought us?"

Ghislain looked around at the elves with an incredulous expression.

Does this behavior reflect pride and nobility?

But Ascon, oblivious or indifferent to Ghislain's thoughts, continued his smug remarks.

"Well, since you seem wealthy, let's get along. As long as you don't irritate us, we'll entertain you properly. But forget about me being a representative."

Ascon's audacious attitude made Ghislain's aides begin to scowl.

At first, they had been too shocked to react, but now even the high-priced slaves were becoming intolerably rude.

One of the knights, who had vomited blood the first time he stepped forward to address the dwarves, cautiously stepped forward again, hoping to redeem himself.

"You insolent fool! How dare a slave speak to the lord in such a manner—cough, cough!"

Ghislain shot the knight a sharp look, causing him to cough awkwardly and stammer.

"Cough, sorry! I suddenly choked while speaking… Cough, cough!"

"…Just stand back."

"…Understood."

As the knight retreated, Ghislain once again looked skyward.

'Why do I always attract the strangest people? Surely, it's not because I'm strange myself? No, I'm normal.'

Unwilling to face the reality of his situation, Ghislain let out a deep sigh. He decided to postpone his self-reflection for later and focus on resolving the situation with the elves.

"I don't plan to treat you as mere slaves. Cooperate fully with me for ten years, and I'll grant you freedom and establish an autonomous elf region for you. I'll even create a forest if you want."

It was the same offer he had made to the dwarves. Ghislain had no intention of exploiting them as slaves.

The coming age of tribulation would render social hierarchies meaningless. Survival would require everyone's cooperation.

But the elves, led by Ascon, merely scoffed at Ghislain's words.

"Are you serious? You really think that's possible?"

"Who even wants to live in a forest these days? What's there to do for fun? Maybe our ancestors enjoyed it, but it sounds like a terrible deal to me."

"Wow, our lord is such a romantic. Freeing slaves? How poetic."

"Cooperate? How much fun are you expecting us to provide? We're old, you know. Our bones aren't what they used to be."

Their responses were no different from the initial reactions of the dwarves. They didn't believe Ghislain would keep his promises.

Belinda and Gillian, irritated by the elves' increasingly disrespectful behavior, were about to intervene when Ghislain gestured for them to stop.

'They're a different race and have been through a lot. Let's try to understand them for now. I'm not a racist, after all. See how considerate I am?'

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ghislain spoke again, kindly this time.

"Believe it or not, that's your choice. Consider it the reward I'm offering you. You'll see for yourselves in time."

"Sure, sure. We'll see later. In the meantime, pick someone else to be the representative. I'm out."

Ascon turned away and flopped onto the ground, clearly unwilling to engage further.

'This bastard…'

Ghislain forced a smile, gritting his teeth. He needed the elves' cooperation just as much as the dwarves'.

"You're the representative. It's a way of respecting elven culture."

"Wow, you're persistent. Fine, don't respect me. I'm not doing it."

With that, Ascon sprawled out on the ground, refusing to move.

Belinda and Gillian's eyes darkened with anger. The tension in the air was palpable, and everyone around began to feel uneasy.

The elves, however, merely sneered at the sight.

'What? Are they going to hit us? They can't damage merchandise this expensive.'

'It's not like this is the first time we've been in a power struggle.'

'Every time we move to a new place, it's the same boring drama. Why can't they just relax and have fun?'

Amid the growing tension, Ghislain looked down at the lounging Ascon and said,

"Get up and lead the elves. Take them to their accommodations and settle them in."

"Nope. Too much work. Maybe just lock me up. That way, we can both avoid the hassle. I don't mind being released after you die."

Still lying down, Ascon replied with a smirk. Ghislain, smiling tightly, said,

"Would you just get up? I don't like using force. I'm a pacifist, you see. A believer in non-violence."

"Oh, really? No respect for elders here, huh? Still, I like your philosophy, my new master. That earns you a passing grade, for now."

"Yeah, I'm pretty kind."

Ascon slowly stood up and looked at Ghislain with a smug expression, as if to say, What are you going to do about it?

"I told you, I'm not going to be the representative. Too much trouble. Pick someone else."

"Can't we all just get along? I'm really a pacifist, you know. It's a shame no one seems to appreciate that."

A faint, ominous aura began to rise from Ghislain's smiling face.

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