BANG!
I grabbed the elf girl’s ponytail and slammed her down onto the desk.
Various magical devices began to glow, casting a thin protective field over her skin. It was probably some kind of defense barrier.
Thanks to that, she had no injuries, but it seemed unavoidable for her eyes to widen in confusion, not understanding what had just happened to her.
Waving a dagger in front of the nameless elf, I continued, “You seem to be mistaken; I’m not here to ask you anything.”
“W-wait! You think you can do this to me and get away with it?!”
“I’m saying that from now on, you’ll find out for yourself. And whether you get away with it or not isn’t up to you… it’s up to Lady Lydia.”
BOOM!!
The noise was so loud it dwarfed even the sound of the elf girl’s head slamming down. It was practically an explosion as one wall crumbled.
This elf wasn’t just decked out in magical devices; she had a fairly competent bodyguard with her. So, of course, they would intervene the moment I grabbed her hair.
But hey, I’ve got my own guards too. I’m talking about a knight strong enough to be listed as one of the best in all of Pangrave.
“You shouldn’t have drawn your bow.”
“B-but I didn’t really mean to stab her…”
“Shut it.”
WHAM!
“Gah!”
The big elf archer crashed into the wall and coughed up blood. True to her elven nature, she had no breasts, but her enormous pectorals had been pumped up. Before she could mutter anything, she got hit again and was knocked out cold.
As I looked down coldly at her fallen body, Lydia turned to me and waved cheerfully.
“Thank you, Sir! I won’t kill her, but could you help make sure no one else interferes?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, Lydia stood firm beside me. However, how many people would dare to step in after seeing this scene?
All those gathered here are merely promising prospects from well-known clans, and even the seniors among them aren’t regarded as frontline members.
On the sixth floor… not even the fifth floor, just a briefing to catch a Guardian of the Second Floor. Even the guild staff briefly explained and moved on; why would a high-ranking adventurer even show up here?
There should be plenty of newbies I could make run errands. The fact that Lydia actually followed me this far is the real oddity.
Well, hey. Adventurers affiliated with the guild will eventually come running in response to the commotion, but it wouldn’t matter if I wrapped this up first.
Amidst the cold atmosphere, I slowly opened my mouth in the now quiet room.
“As I said earlier, I’m not planning to kill you. Not yet, anyway. So you should think carefully about how you speak.”
“Ugh!”
“I’m looking for Eve. And you know where she is. So what should we do now?”
“W-what do you mean by that?!”
“Hmm. You’ve got your understanding a bit wrong. I’m the one asking the questions. You just need to answer. Got it?”
“Pffft!”
What’s this? The guy’s trembling so much, he spat on me. I quickly ducked to avoid it, but feeling disrespected really soured my mood.
“I just want to resolve this through conversation—why are you being so uncooperative?”
With a heavy sigh, I hung my head. After three seconds, when her bewilderment peaked, I lunged with the dagger.
My target? Just above her left eye.
CLANG!
Of course, no matter how impressive the Unicorn Dagger is, it won’t just shatter a barrier stacked that thick in one go.
With a crisp sound, sparks flew in all directions.
“Eek! Noooo!”
The elf in front of me flailed as if being welded right in front of her eyes.
“Stay still!”
“GYAAAH!”
After calmly restraining her thrashing limbs, I retrieved the dagger that had been scratching at the barrier above her eye.
“Y-you freak…!”
“I can’t just leave it at words now, can I? Sis, let’s do this peacefully, okay?”
I shook my head and began to saw the edge of the Unicorn Dagger under her neck.
CLUNK. KNOCK. CLUNK!
Light shards poured out like a waterfall. One of the barriers, already weakened by earlier shocks, finally shattered.
CRASH!
“HYAAAH! I-I’ll talk! I’ll tell you, so just stop!”
“What?”
“Anything! I’ll answer whatever you ask!”
“…Tsk.”
Three layers of protection still remained, and she’s already so obedient. If she’d just cooperated from the beginning, it would have been easier.
As I licked my lips and retrieved my dagger, the mad girl’s gaze fixed on me like I was some monster. I gently caressed her frazzled hair with the dagger, asking,
“What’s your name?”
“R-Rosemary.”
“How old are you?”
“125 years old.”
“Isn’t that because you’re a long-lived species…?”
“Eh?”
“Forget it; next question… what’s your height?”
“177 cm….”
“Wow, you’re taller than I thought. So what are your measurements?”
“W-why do you want to know something like that?!”
“Just answer since I want to know.”
I tapped her forehead with the dagger, and a panicked Rosemary hurriedly answered, “I don’t know! I only wear clothes enchanted with size adjustment magic, so I’ve never paid attention to that!”
“What.”
What a bougie brat.
I barely managed to calm my heated emotions before asking the most important part of her personal details.
“Last, what’s your experience level?”
“Experience?”
“Yeah, you know what I mean.”
“W-why the hell are you asking that?!”
“Hmm. Not going to answer?”
“…Two—no, three! There’s no way I could still be a maiden at this age!”
“Then pull out a hair. The judgment won’t be mine; it’ll be the dagger’s. Oh dagger, dagger, will you reveal the truth?”
Even as I presented the Unicorn Dagger, it remained nonchalant due to the thin barriers enveloping her. I asked her to pluck a hair.
With a confused expression, Rosemary plucked one hair from her head.
I brought the dagger close to the hair she held. And then—
WHOOSH!
“Hmm. So you’re a maiden at your age.”
“W-what! That’s a ridiculous slander! I’m not a virgin!”
“Bragging won’t help here. This unicorn horn dagger is made entirely from a pure unicorn horn. It’ll tell the truth about purity for sure.”
“Unicorn…? D-don’t lie. If that’s really a unicorn dagger, how are you holding it intact?”
“Because I’m pure!”
“I can’t believe that!”
“If you don’t believe me, check with Eve’s request at the Mage Tower and the crafters. There’s a request to make a dagger from pure unicorn horn!”
“……!”
Rosemary opened her eyes wide as if she already knew that. Her gaze became transfixed on the pristine blade.
I teasingly ran my fingers down the blade in front of her.
WHOOOSH!
The Unicorn Dagger shone brighter than when she first touched it.
“Now do you understand? I’m not the scummy guy you think I am.”
“Then… why did the Queen…?”
Rosemary slumped, looking disheartened. Now that she seemed ready to converse properly, I couldn’t help but smirk.
“Now that our misunderstanding has cleared up, let’s get back to business. Where is Eve, and what is she doing?”
“……She’s still in Pangrave. She said she had some tasks to finish here before heading somewhere, but it’s confidential, so I don’t know where.”
“Hmmm. And after that?”
“What do you mean?”
“After she finishes her tasks, do you know what she plans to do next?”
“I didn’t hear much, but she mentioned going to the Elven Forest. She’ll sit on the throne once more and lead the elves to greatness…”
As Rosemary spoke, her face flushed slightly. She looked almost fanatical in her loyalty.
Assuming Rosemary genuinely cares for Eve, it makes sense why she was so aggressive with me.
…Honestly, I recognized I’d been a bit harsh with Eve.
However, I can’t fathom why she disappeared without a word or what she’s planning by hiding somewhere in Pangrave.
If the Eve I know is anything to go by, she’d be sulking alone or would come back in a day or two even if she wandered off for a short time.
“Are you really sure you don’t know? Should I start cutting again?”
“I-I’m telling the truth! It’s a top-secret facility, so I don’t know anything, but she’s definitely there!”
“Hmph. Alright, let’s say that’s true. How did I end up here anyway?”
“…Are you trusting those dumb twins?”
“…….”
When it comes to that, I’ve got nothing to say.
Lemon and Apple aren’t bad, but calling them smart would be a lie.
They probably just let slip some information without realizing it.
“Ugh…”
With a sigh, I turned to the nervous Rosemary.
“I get that you don’t know Eve’s location or purpose. So here’s the last question.”
“Phew….”
Perhaps because there weren’t any unexpectedly deep questions, Rosemary let out a sigh of relief. But it’s too soon for that.
“There must be a gathering of elves in Pangrave, right? When and where is that happening?”
“…….”
“You’re not going to claim you don’t know about this, are you? Given the information you’ve provided so far, you seem like part of that gathering.”
“Ugh…!”
Rosemary’s expression faltered, her brows knitting together in panic.
Little does she know, the higher-ups among the elves are aware of Eve’s whereabouts. They must have whispered it around, which is why she’s been so evasive all along.
So, if I find those bastards, I can learn the way to Eve.
It may require a more aggressive approach than initially intended, but as long as I reach Seoul, who cares how I get there?
Yet, Rosemary’s reply was not what I’d expected.
“If I successfully end the Minotaur subjugation, there’ll be a gathering to celebrate it.”
“? You getting a gathering thrown for you by those heavy-hitting, stubborn elves? Who do you think you are?”
After mumbling for a while, Rosemary’s attention fell on the gleaming dagger, her eyes distressed.
“I-I’m the daughter of the Cradle Association’s leader!”
“Oh.”
The daughter of the most successful elf in the current age, huh?
This coward?
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