Chapter 209: I’m a True Pacifist, You Know. (2)
Feeling something strange, Ascon spoke irritably.
“Ha, the Lord really doesn’t get it. You can’t even afford to kill us because you’re stingy with your money, so what’s with all the bluster? So what if I become the representative and lead? What’s next? We’re the best at slacking off.”
“You guys are going to be soldiers now.”
“……?”
The Elves looked at Ghislaine in disbelief. Did he really say they would be used as soldiers, knowing how much they were worth?
Ascon, seemingly not understanding, chuckled and asked again.
“What did you say we’d become?”
“Proud soldiers of the territory.”
“After knowing our worth, you tell us to do that?”
His words got shorter. Ghislaine still responded with a kind expression.
“Yes. And a healthy body harbors a healthy mind, so starting today, let’s cut off alcohol and smoking for a while and focus on stamina training.”
“What stamina training! We’re not doing that!”
Ascon yelled, and the other Elves nodded in agreement. After spending their lives loafing around, nobody would want to suddenly do things like that.
And if you’re going to use them as soldiers, then why spend so much money to buy the Elves in the first place?
It made no sense whatsoever.
Ascon soon seemed to get it and nodded, saying,
“Aha! So you’re doing that as a tactic because you think we won’t listen, right?”
“I don’t waste my time on things like that.”
“Then why talk about training and soldiers? Ever seen an Elf fight? Huh? We’re a race specialized in idling around. That’s why we all look so good.”
Claiming that being beautiful allows them to loaf around? What kind of ridiculous logic was that? But convinced by their appearance, everyone nodded in agreement.
Of course, Ghislaine completely disagreed. He didn’t need those who only wanted to slack off in a territory where there were hardly any entertainment areas.
He had a special plan for training the Elves into a unique form of soldiers.
“Elves can be trained, you know. They can fight very well. So from now on, we’ll start military training. Let’s see if we can be reborn anew.”
“And I’m supposed to be the representative of this ridiculous soldier act?”
“That’s right. I want your enthusiastic cooperation.”
“Ha, damn it! My Lord! I’m so frustrated I could die! I told you I won’t be the representative! Why can’t you understand a simple thing? Do I look like a slave to you? Do I look like I’d be the same as those other human slaves?”
“Oh……”
Ascon’s statement finally crossed the line. Ghislaine had a genuinely amazed expression.
Ghislaine’s close associates stepped back, choosing to ignore the rudeness and instead gazed up at the sky as if in deep contemplation.
Unaware of the atmosphere, Ascon shouted with rage, “Why are humans like this? What’s with elves doing military training! We can’t fight worth a damn! Is it crazy? And if I had only succeeded in my first love, you’d be a grandchild the size of your little finger, so what’s with this rebirth nonsense!”
“Ha…”
Listening to Ascon’s rant, Ghislaine couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re laughing? Is what I’m saying funny? Do you know how many times my master has changed? Huh? It’s the seventh time, the seventh! Damn it, I’ve got anger management issues, you know? If you call me Anger Control Ascon or Cursing Ascon, it’s enough for the nobility to know me! Are you a noble who hasn’t even heard my name?”
‘Never heard it, but I should ask Meriel or Rosalyn later if they know this crazy elf. What? Anger Control? Cursing? Really, an elf with a nickname?’
Looking closely, Ascon’s face was turning red as he shouted, showing that he lived entirely recklessly.
They say all elf slaves are like this, but if they were allowed to live comfortably as they wished like this, it would be like getting scammed by the slave trader.
Ghislaine absolutely hated the idea of turning herself into a fool.
‘Ha, humans don’t listen unless you speak nicely. You’re seriously doomed. I really wanted to treat another race well… Hmm? Another race?’
She wasn’t a racist nor did she pursue non-violence peace. She wanted to live that way as much as possible.
However, just because she lived that way didn’t mean she could eliminate the rampant racism in the world. People’s perceptions needed to be completely transformed.
Suddenly struck by an overwhelming realization, Ghislaine felt a shiver run down her spine.
‘If elves are just humans covered in elf dust… they’re just long-lived humans with pointy ears!’
Right, she could just think of them as humans, not elves. That was true racial equality.
She reflected on the inherently discriminatory mindset she had been harboring. Every race is now human.
Ghislaine smiled brightly and said, “From today, you’re human. A human with pointy ears.”
“What? I’m a noble elf!”
“No, you’re a human from today. I’ll consider all elves here humans too! That’s true racial equality!”
As Ghislaine started rambling, her close associates took a few more steps back.
Ascon, with a look of disbelief, replied, “Wait, what? Is this guy crazy? Why am I a human?”
“Nope, you’re a human. And humans have a different way of communicating than elves. It’s a very fast and efficient method.”
Due to their long lifespans, elves generally had relaxed and laid-back personalities. Therefore, it took them forever to make decisions and change was slow.
That was just a characteristic of the race, and it wasn’t wrong. But Ghislaine didn’t have time to wait for them to open their hearts slowly.
She genuinely needed the elves’ proactive cooperation.
So, the quickest answer was but one thing.
‘Mental remodeling.’
Ghislaine slowly rolled up her sleeves and continued, “You still haven’t heard about me, have you? I’m a famous doctor in the kingdom. Especially good at treating things like anger management issues. That’s what I specialize in.”
“Ha ha ha! You blockhead! What do you mean treatment? How are you going to treat me? I was born like this! Got any good medicine?”
“Are you there?”
“I’ll proceed with physical therapy instead of medication.”
“What?”
“Just to clarify, I have no bad feelings towards you. I’m not that small-minded. This is just… me trying to treat you as a fellow human.”
“What the hell are you talking about…?”
“Bite down on this. Your tongue might slip out.”
Puh!
“Gack!”
As Ghislaine’s fist moved, Ascon’s scream echoed.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
“Kuh! You crazy bastard! Do you think I’ll give in to a few hits? Kuh! Do you think I’ve lived for decades without getting hit? You, damn it! Aaaargh!”
Ascon kept cursing even as Ghislaine hit him.
He had indeed been beaten by nobles trying to fix his temper. But their attempts had been utterly futile.
They couldn’t kill him or make him a complete fool, so the punishment wasn’t harsh enough.
In the end, the nobles had no choice but to sell Ascon off again.
“Go ahead and hit me as much as you can! Kuh! The pain that doesn’t kill me just makes me angrier! I didn’t get this old for nothing! You little punk with blood that hasn’t even dried yet! Khuhh!”
Knowing that it wouldn’t last long enough to leave lasting damage, there was no reason to be scared. It was clear he’d be sold again when Ghislaine got tired.
What the elves feared was getting stuck with a true lunatic with strange tastes. Those guys would torture you while appreciating the hell out of you until you died.
But most couldn’t do that because of money. And after a long life of slavery, elves had a keen eye for distinguishing those types.
“Khuh! You’re only doing this because you’re worried about your money, right? You think I’ve been a slave for this long without figuring that out? A truly cruel guy would have already killed a few examples by now.”
Ascon sensed victory. After all, humans are all the same. As long as you’re not a true lunatic, they’d hit you a bit and then sell you off again.
However, Ascon and the elves were unaware that there existed a type of lunatic completely different from anyone they had encountered so far.
Puh! Puh! Puh!
“Khuh! What the hell? Why does it keep getting worse? No, why isn’t this guy getting tired? How long is he going to keep hitting me? Aak!”
If you’re a person, you’d normally stop when you’re tired or the anger has subsided.
However, the lord in front of him was quietly doing his own thing.
“Shouldn’t I have already turned into a fool or died after taking this much? Why is it just pain and my body’s still fine? Aak! This hurts too much!”
No one likes getting hit. Ascon was no different.
He knew that if he resisted just a bit, his life would be easier from then on, so he was deliberately causing a bigger fuss.
But this pain was something he had never experienced before. Nothing was broken, it just hurt.
He wished he could faint, but instead, each hit sent sharp pain coursing through him, making him more alert.
Ascon, in agony, asked, “H-Holy shit! How long are you going to keep hitting me? Kuh!”
Ghislaine, who had been quietly hitting him, responded, “Until you actively cooperate with my work. So you should have cooperated when I was being nice.”
“If I end up dead or broken, you’re losing money! That’s a huge loss!”
“Don’t worry about my money. I can treat you well enough to keep you alive. That’s what I’m best at.”
“D-Damn it! I’m not cooperating! Go ahead and see whose lifespan lasts longer! Kuh!”
“Let’s see whose lifespan is longer! Ugh!”
“A severe case indeed. I like that kind of competition too.”
Before they knew it, the sunset was beginning. Still, Ascon held on valiantly. Well, he tried to hold on.
“Young Master, it’s mealtime.”
As the servants hurriedly brought simple dishes on trays and stood beside them, Belinda handed one item at a time to Ghislaine.
Both of them were skilled, so they exchanged and received the dishes without a hitch while in motion.
Ghislaine slapped Ascon with one hand while using the other to eat.
Once the meal finished, Lowell approached and handed over a few documents.
“My Lord, this part needs your approval.”
Ghislaine skimmed through it and, once again, slapped Ascon with one hand while signing with the other.
The Elves were left with their mouths agape watching the scene.
‘Seriously? Doing all that while still slapping him?’
‘And everyone’s just watching without a care?’
‘Is everyone here… crazy?’
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that none of them were normal. Even in such a situation, that Chief Officer was crouched down, drawing on the ground with a stick.
Wendy shook Claude’s shoulder, saying, “Chief Officer, you should really be going now. We’re really behind on work.”
“Wait a minute! A masterpiece of the century is in progress here! The title is ‘The Fall of the Elf Race is Upon Us!'”
It was a bizarre illustration of Elves being squashed by a grotesque demon.
Meanwhile, the Mages and Dwarves were betting on how long Ascon would endure.
The sturdy-looking man with white hair standing behind the Lord hadn’t moved an inch since the beginning; he just looked like a wooden block.
No matter how much one looked around, there didn’t seem to be a single sane person in sight.
Ascon, who was trying to endure until the end, realized a new fact as he witnessed this scene.
‘This guy… he’s an expert among experts. I’m in over my head. At this rate, my life will be ruined. The people around me aren’t exactly normal either.’
He didn’t even know how many times he had been hit. The watching Elves also began to turn pale.
For the Elves, their way was about pulling and pushing to get what they wanted.
But hitting a person like that, and with no visible damage while they were still fine? Continuing with their business while smashing away?
Things were getting very troublesome.
After a bit more beating, Ascon finally couldn’t endure it any longer and yelled out.
“Stop! I give up! Just stop! I’ll be a soldier! Isn’t that enough? Let’s settle this through dialogue! Like civilized beings!”
Puh-ack! Puh-ack! Puh-ack!
Still, Ghislaine didn’t cease his fists. At the same time, he was practicing mana manipulation while hitting Ascon.
‘Hmm, what if I move like this while hitting?’
“Kyaaa!”
In fact, Ghislaine’s mind was already filled with thoughts on the best way to manipulate mana. Ascon had long been forgotten.
“Please, spare me! I made a mistake!”
‘Oh, is this technique even more effective?’
Puh-puh-ack!
“Ugh!”
Ascon felt he was going insane. Something was definitely entering his body each time he got hit. But every time it scrambled within, agonizing pain surged in.
On the outside, he looked alright, yet on the inside, he was being wrecked—superior torture technique among the best.
“Please just stop! I’m begging you! I’ll do everything you say! I’ll cooperate actively!”
In the end, Ascon lost. In the face of overwhelming violence, his rage was effortlessly controlled.
For the first time in his life, he began to plead.
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