How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World

Chapter 179: Trap (3)

I’ll say it again, I currently have the authority to make immediate decisions regarding these elves. Not only is it specified in the law, but there’s also no one here who would say anything about killing thieves.Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

However, just as you need to use bait to catch a fish, I must use these elves well in order to destroy the Council. Nevertheless, the Council isn’t completely foolish and meticulously planning our moves wasn’t a choice but a necessity.

First and foremost, the ‘pact.’ The pact was difficult to use because it requires the consent of the other party, but in a situation where their lives are at stake, it can be useful. Of course, the owner could die or take advantage of the flaws in the pact to escape, but it didn’t matter since Cecily will handle it.

The problem lies with the elves. I’ll say it again, in order to establish a pact, you need the consent of the other party. Arwen accepted it willingly as a token of her sincerity, but whether these elves will accept it is doubtful. As everyone knows, elves, especially the older ones, have a terribly strong pride. Many tales circulate about them needlessly provoking fights and ending up dead or humiliated, leading to a mental breakdown. Considering such a race, how would they react to a pact that is akin to a slave contract?

“We refuse! Are you telling us to become slaves of demons?”

“Such disgrace... It might be better to die.”

Naturally, the moment I mentioned the pact, they loudly refused with defiant voices. They know well what kind of magic the pact involves, and they are adamantly rejecting it.

Above all, the subject of the pact is not me but Cecily. Given that she’s a demon, the older elves would start with disgust with no room for pride to allow it.

However, I didn’t fail to predict this either. As I watched the defiant elves with irritation, I turned to their father who stood behind them and asked,

“Father, do you have a sharp knife?”

“Are you planning to cut their ears?”

“What else can I do? They don’t listen. I have to cut them.”

“Wh, what! Not the ears...!”

“We were wrong!”

When I used their strong pride against them and threatened to cut their ears, the elves flattened themselves on the ground. Why are you making such a fuss?

As a result, the elves entered into a pact led by Cecily. Since they couldn’t use mana, we proceeded by unbinding them one by one, just in case.

Every time they made a pact, the embarrassed expressions on the elves’ faces were quite amusing. Of course, they got upset, so whenever that happened, I pointed to my ear with my fingers.

If necessary, I would threaten to cut their ears, and they would contemplate and relax their expressions. Honestly, I had no intention of actually cutting their ears, but given the situation, they had no choice but to believe it was true.

So, having made the pact, I faced Kalas for the experiment. Kalas had a cold expression, as if he had never experienced such humiliation before.

“Now. Shall we ask a few questions for the experiment? Tell me where Xenon lives.”

“That’s...”

Perhaps Kalas also knew the effectiveness of the pact, as he couldn’t continue his answer and hesitated. Arwen couldn’t participate in such an experiment due to lack of ill feelings between us, but Kalas could.

I stared fixedly at Kalas, whose lips were quivering, and quietly spoke as I exhaled deeply through my nose.

“If you don’t talk, you know what will happen, right?”

“Mm... Miii...”

In the moment when Kalas was about to respond to my threat, he suddenly widened his eyes and let out a pained scream before clamping their mouth shut. Just mentioning the letter ‘M’ from Michelle’s Domain was enough to have a tremendous effect.

A little while later, Kalas slowly lifted his head, seemingly having recovered from the pain, and took a slow, deliberate breath. How agonizing must it have been? His sweat flowed profusely even in that short span of time, causing his hair to suck to his damp skin.

This couldn’t possibly be an act. There doesn’t seem to be a need for separate confirmation.

“The pact seems to have been firmly established... What’s left is...”

“Should I implant an exploding spell in their ears?”

“Ehm!”

As I stroked my chin and mumbled, Cecily suggested from the side. Then, we heard a sound of someone clearing their throat from the front.

Implanting a bomb in their ear wouldn’t be a bad idea in itself, but since the pact has already been made, it wouldn’t hold much significance. Eavesdropping or recording spells would be more fitting.

However, eavesdropping spells were too conspicuous. While the pact wouldn’t be discovered even if their bodies were searched, eavesdropping spells would be detected in eight or nine cases out of ten.

When I withdrew my mouth from her ear, Cecily blinked, her expression tinged with puzzlement. Her acting skills, befitting a princess, were truly remarkable.

Although her face blushed a little at the words “I love you,” it was too dark for anyone to notice.

“Is that enough?”

“Is it difficult?”

“It’s not too difficult.”

“Then start right away.”

As soon as Cecily heard my words, she walked up to the elves and reached out her hand. The direction her hand pointed to was none other than the symbol of the elves, the ears.

With her long fingers, she lightly tapped Kalas’s ear, then quickly pulled back. A slight flow of mana entered, only subtly perceptible, but nothing more.

While Kalas gave Cecily a questioning look as if asking what she had done, she sequentially touched the ears of Mael and Lena. Unlike Kalas, the two men and women trembled all over as their ears were touched.

When Cecily finished the entire process and returned to my side, I examined the faces of the elves. Expressions of doubt, fear, and terror mixed together were evident.

“You must be curious about what Cecily Noona just did. It’s actually quite simple. You all know about black mana, right? The mana that demons use, the symbol of devils.”

“... ...”

“She injected that mana into your ears. Non-Demons might not know, but black mana is lethal to other creatures. Especially to elves. It might be fine for a few days, but just like dropping a drop of ink onto white paper, your ears will gradually start turning black. It’s not a curse, but pure mana, so divine power won’t work against it. To solve this, another demon needs to absorb that mana. Since no one else can absorb black mana. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Finally, I asked nonchalantly. The elves’ faces turned pale, and they looked as though they had lost their souls. Their ears didn’t turn a sickly gray like those of dark elves, nor did they turn a sickly yellow like those afflicted by a plague.

It was a gruesome phenomenon, to the point where cutting seemed preferable, but even that wasn’t a real option. In other words, it meant they had to seek help from the demons. For those who lived with the pride of being chosen by the gods, it was a punishment that completely crushed that pride.

However, there was something they didn’t know at all here.

‘It’s all a lie.’

I explained at length, but it was all a lie. While it was true that black mana harmed other races besides demons, it didn’t discolor their skin. According to records, it only generated a defense reaction within the body, causing a slight fever, similar to a virus or bacterial infection.

Furthermore, this applied only to the first-generation demons. Over time and through continuous prayer, the black mana of the demons became closer to pure mana. The difference lies in their nature, much like water and oil.

The reason this lie was convincing was that there was very little known about demons. Until Xenon’s Biography and the like emerged, demons were treated as devils, making it impossible to know the truth even if one wanted to.

Not to mention the older-generation elves. They already held a negative perception of demons, making them susceptible to such trivial lies.

“So, if you don’t want to cut your own ears, it’s better to listen well. It’s pure mana, so even if you search for it,you won’t detect it. Got it?”

“I understand... Fine...”

“Th-then, understood! So, please, at least as much as our ears...”

“Really, will you really heal us? Yes? Please say that you will...!”

Kalas despaired, and Mael and Lena began to plead while crying. Though it pricked at my conscience to see an elf with such a graceful appearance react like that, it was they who had first offered their conscience for sale. I’m just resisting and defending myself.

This world was infinitely lenient towards self-defense, so I could strengthen my resolve as well.

“Don’t worry. Depending on what you do, I’ll decide whether to take action or leave you be. Now then...”

Only one thing remained.

“I will inform Fieren of the report you will send. I’ll do it in your place.”

It was time to bait the fish.

Translators note:

Hello! I apologize for no uploads recently as I was busy with life stuff but now that I took a few days off for my birthday I will resume uploading again!

And so... 12 chapters today!!!

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