When Dark Elf Beck asked me for help, I was quite calm. After all, it seemed that we were the only ones who could help him right now. In fact, I was even a little excited.
"Finally, I've finally met a proper storyline! I, Roland, actually have a day where I can save a damsel in distress and defeat a slave trader! Could it be that the world is finally going to change? I'm finally going to walk on my path of greatness? "
If my guess was correct, and this family's eldest daughter had been kidnapped by a certain elf slave trader, then from a certain standpoint, this would be a very cliché fantasy storyline. Later on, I would just have to fight the slave trader and the mastermind behind the scenes. Perhaps I would even be able to obtain a few servants who were completely loyal to me. This storyline would be quite boring, but it would also be a rather proper development.
"No, this obviously isn't the right storyline. We should think more about it."
If she was deeply in love with a certain man and decided to abandon her family and species in order to pursue her own love, then this would probably be a Korean or Japanese drama. And if she caught the eye of a certain domineering prince or CEO, then this would probably be a female-oriented storyline. If there was a sequel about a royal power struggle, then it would probably be one of the most popular harem dramas in the past two years … But it seemed that the storyline was even more wrong.
"My eldest daughter's name is Yolanda, and she's already sixty-seven years old …"
Alright then, a sixty-seven-year-old eldest daughter? It seemed that it was a bit too much for her to have a harem fight at such an age. Could it be that she got too high from dancing in the plaza and was arrested by the Town Security? Actually, I heard that there were also harem fights and grudges, as well as love killings and love triangles … Cough — cough — I should listen to the story more seriously.
Reality would always be more bizarre than stories. This was because there was no need for logic in reality. There were so many weirdos in the world, and using a normal person's logic to guess the actions of weirdos was basically asking for trouble. Even without meeting her, I was certain that this half-elf named Yolanda was definitely a weirdo.
"You're saying that she's a half-elf with a market value of over ten thousand gold coins, and she ran off to join a certain prince in pursuit of wealth? Doesn't she know that her Dark Elf bloodline will cause suspicion? Perhaps she'll directly be sold to a slave trader. Slave trading in this country isn't illegal, and Dark Elf slaves are forever top-selling goods with an average price of over sixty thousand gold coins. There's no market for them! "
The moment I said this, all the dark elves present looked at me in astonishment. The half-elf girl even took a step back and looked at me with a dangerous expression.
Alright then, it would seem that I accidentally exposed something … Fine, fine, I admit that I was indeed tempted to buy a Dark Elf to "corrupt" myself. It wasn't that I had any special expectations, but rather that my maids weren't by my side right now, which made me feel rather empty. It was quite displeasing to have to do everything by myself.
Not only that, I didn't have any servants to help me, but I also didn't have any. I didn't need to be so much. I didn 'need to feel so empty, so that I had to do everything by myself.
What's wrong with heroes and legends? Heroes don't have to wash the dishes after eating, and legends don't have to sharpen their knives and mend their clothes … I really miss the corrupt life in the past. At least I don't have to worry every day about whether to eat black bread dipped in milk or to drink milk with pieces of black bread.
I couldn't help it. How could I possibly have a sumptuous meal prepared whenever I was outside? Bread and milk were the staple foods of the entire world, yet I didn't like either of them, which made me feel even worse.
Yep, I admit that I wasn't a staunch revolutionary. I had already been corrupted by the sugar-coated bullets of feudal society … Who said that I had a maid complex? I had a maid complex! So what!? I was a feudal landlord, and I was proud to have a maid complex! At the very least, I would pay her wages!
As for why I was considering elves, wasn't it because humans were too weak and had too short a lifespan? An elf could be used for several hundred years … Cough, that wasn't the only use, so don't get the wrong idea.
What, the silly cat could do it? I had to prepare milk and eggs for her every day, and if I forgot, she would go around telling everyone that I was a cat abuser. I was even starting to wonder who the real owner was.
But when considering my personal image, especially since the Town Security elves were treating me like a saint more and more, even if I coincidentally met a country where slave trading was legal, this little hobby of mine had never been realized. I had originally thought that I would be able to openly obtain an elven maid by cracking down on slave traders, but now that I heard that the plot was so strange, I was naturally quite disappointed.
Of course, Beck didn't know about these changes. He was only feeling conflicted about his strange daughter.
"Yolanda felt that she could hide her identity."
"To summarize, she was addicted to Knight novels, so she disguised her identity and joined a certain prince's assassin squadron. If it wasn't for the fact that she failed the maid test, would she have become a maid? "
Dark Elf Beck felt rather helpless when talking about his disappointing eldest daughter. There were many things that he couldn't say out loud. For example, his eldest daughter had been quite normal in the mountains, but she became a cripple who was addicted to Knight novels after coming to this city. She didn't go to work or go out every day, and only stayed at home thinking that some tyrannical prince would take a liking to her … Recently, she finally left home, but it was to chase after her "true love."
In fact, when Beck tried to stop her from leaving, she said, probably because she had seen far too many stories of people pretending to be in love with each other being exposed.
"Are you worried that you'll be exposed? That won't happen. I'm the true daughter of destiny. Just like in the stories, all dangers will transform into opportunities. When I'm exposed, I should be able to meet my beloved prince. "
"Sigh, can't my daughter be a little more normal?"
"Sigh, I really wish I had a maid."
The two men sighed at the same time, but the content of their sighs was quite different. However, the troubles in their sighs faintly resonated with each other, causing me to have a better impression of Beck.
As for me, although I didn't understand why Beck's expression was so complex, I could more or less understand his helplessness and worry. After all, any family would encounter naughty children, and the current situation was indeed quite dangerous. No wonder Beck was begging me to save Yolanda.
By now, everyone knew that Prince Mills had been assassinated by a dark elf. It was only natural that the entire city would be on the lookout. And if Yolanda was discovered to be a dark elf, she would be killed. And if Yolanda discovered that her father and younger sister were actually involved in the assassination, it would be quite easy for her to do something. And if her identity was exposed, it would be the end of the world.
"This is her contact address. I'm afraid that we won't be able to enter the city right now. Please give her a message … No, please bring her out, no matter if she's willing or not. This city will become even more dangerous in the future, especially for elves like us. "
This was quite a small matter, so how could I possibly refuse?
"As expected of the romantic elves. Perhaps you'll have a half-elf granddaughter in the future."
Seeing how awkward the atmosphere was, I casually joked as I accepted Beck's contact address. Old Beck could only smile wryly and didn't say anything. However, little Ria, who had been biting my hand and wouldn't let go, suddenly spoke up.
"That's impossible. Us sisters would never have a human as a husband."
I chuckled upon hearing this.
"Little girl, don't hate humans because of this. There are good humans and bad humans. There are evil bastards who want to kill you, but aren't there also people who want to save you? At the very least, I'm a human as well (probably). "
If this little girl had nodded innocently or directly retorted that "humans are all bad", it would probably have been a normal scenario, but she …
"Are you an idiot? What does this have to do with humans being good or bad?"
Ria rolled her eyes and looked at me as if I was an idiot, just like how Harloys sometimes looked at me …
Only now did I recall that half-elves were a famous species of fake loli. Their physical bodies grew at a speed comparable to elves, but their souls were only slightly slower than humans'. A half-elf who looked like a young girl should already have the knowledge and personality of an adult. Perhaps that older sister who was poisoned by Knight novels also didn't look like an adult.
"Ordinary humans have such short lifespans, while we have such long lifespans. This was destined to be a tragic relationship from the very start. How could I be so foolish as to touch it?"
Ria was angrily glaring at her father as she said this.
"Ever since Mom's wrinkled face interacted with Dad, I felt that this might not be the correct choice. From the day that Mom abandoned us ten years ago, I swore that I would never find a human as my future partner. Only that mischievous older sister of mine would be so foolish and naïve. When she returns, I'll properly teach her a lesson! "
Beck's father had an expression of helplessness and guilt when faced with his younger daughter's anger. In his opinion, it was enough for him to spend a lifetime with the person he loved. But for his daughters, watching their mother die of old age was a great deal of trouble.
However, I suddenly thought of another problem …
"Then why did you bite me when you actually have the thought process of an adult?"
"I hate people who treat me like a child the most, especially someone like you who's obviously an idiot."
"Idiot? Me? "
"I'm already sixty years old, and I'm about to become a Master Alchemist and Enchanter (Gold). I know twelve languages, and if it wasn't for my special circumstances, I would have long since obtained the title of Scholar. You're at most twenty years old. Didn't you obtain a high status because of your birth? What else do you know? If you're not an ignorant idiot, then what are you? "
From a certain standpoint, half-elves were indeed a species favored by the heavens. Their growth rate was comparable to that of humans. Plus, elves had a reduced lifespan. As long as they weren't too lazy, they would sooner or later reach the peak in a certain area. However, perhaps it was precisely because of their natural talents that surpassed the two species from which they came from, that they weren't welcomed by the two species.
Since their bodies weren't fully developed yet, it was only natural that they would be unable to achieve anything in their combat job class. If they wanted to learn magic, there was no way for them to do so. Indeed, it would be more suitable for them to work hard in the field of knowledge. However, the fact that she was able to become a Master Alchemist proved that her natural talent and hard work were both excellent.
This was the first time that someone had ever accused me of being ignorant and incompetent. I was immediately angered and amused, but then I thought of some other trivial matters.
If this Ria really had the intelligence of an adult, why would she be so foolish as to offend me in my territory? She was only trying to show off her own value and make us pay more attention to her. A Master Alchemist who was about to break through to the Gold rank would be quite valuable, while a Master Alchemist who didn't have the ability to protect herself would only be a precious treasure.
Perhaps she also saw the current situation and thought of the possibility that she would be treated as a murderer and handed over to the authorities. Being exploited for her value was better than being burned at a stake. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked her life to reveal her value. Considering things this way, her intelligence and actions far surpassed her immature outer appearance.
"Harloys seems to be the same type of person as you. She seems pure but is actually a black-bellied fake loli. Why can't I meet someone who's a little more foolish, cute, and normal? "
"Tsk, she's far inferior to me. However, she's indeed a good seedling. I intend to do a few small tests. If it's possible, perhaps you'll have a junior sister."
"Forget it, I have plenty of juniors and juniors. Only a few of them are still alive. If you're acting like a teacher again, you can play with little girls by yourself. "
I tossed the silly cat, who was rolling and screaming in midair, to Ria and said, "Little girl, don't overthink things. The Bardi Empire doesn't have the ability to make me hand over anyone. By the way, I'm already more than three hundred Gold Coins, while the silly cat in your hands is at least ten thousand Gold Coins." I didn't even look at the astonished Ria as I went about my own business.
Since I had already reached a preliminary agreement with the "Bardi royalty", there was naturally no need to hide in a cramped assault airship. While I had them make some adjustments, it was also time for me to check on the situation of the people who had stayed behind in the Bardi Empire's residence.
The people who stayed behind in the Bardi Empire's residence were all true "diplomats" from the Mage Country. Envoys wouldn't be killed in a battle between two countries, so they stayed behind to test Bardi's attitude.
The moment that I left the residence, someone chased after me.
"Grimm … Glina?"
"I want to go out for a walk as well. I met with such a situation as soon as I arrived. I haven't even had the chance to tour around the Bardi Empire yet."
Compared to the past, even though I still wore an eyepatch for my evil eyes, my complexion was much better. Even though I still looked young, the way I dressed made me look more feminine and cute. This wasn't just the effect of my blood transfusion to suppress my magic veins, it was also the tacit understanding between Karwenz and me.
"Two descendants, one on each side. Whoever's disciple is more accomplished will be the strongest." That was probably what Cavendish was thinking.
Ignoring whether or not my chuunibyou way of thinking was correct, at the very least, Glina was able to sleep peacefully every night without her bloodline calling out to her. At the very least, her personality had matured quite a bit … As I watched her skillfully jump into the "Grimm style" armor, her fingers nimbly clicking on all the switches as she excitedly activated the armor, I immediately decided to take back what I had just said.
"Boss, the current 'Grimm' is more than five times more powerful than before. There's also a storage space for gunpowder, so its combat strength is at least three times more powerful than before. Give the order. Let's go all out. "
A deep male voice came from the armor as numerous lights lit up. All sorts of explosives and cannons were taken out and adjusted. The machine gun under Glina's arm automatically reloaded. As I listened to the young man's excited voice, I once again confirmed the rumor about Queen Sleuweir — Queen Glina had two personalities. As long as she put on the armor, her personality would automatically switch.
I shook my head and stopped thinking too much about it. I wasn't a chuunibyou like Cavendish, nor was I a pedophile like Harloys. I would rather let nature take its course as to what Glina would become.
But now, I could more or less understand why she automatically followed me. She probably didn't know that we were still negotiating with the Bardi Empire. Seeing that I had come out, she probably thought that there would be a chance to fight, so she directly followed me.
Still, I had no intentions of refusing. This was a perfect opportunity to learn more about the changes in my home. Although I had plenty of information, how could it compare to the personal feelings of the people involved?
As I expected, Glina was quite depressed when she discovered that there was no battle to fight.
"I need a chance to test my new weapon in actual combat …"
However, she became much more serious when talking about the situation in the Northlands. After all, she had already been the queen for almost a year. Unlike Renée, who had many helpers, Glina could mostly only rely on herself.
"As long as our new crops have a good harvest, this year's situation won't be too bad no matter how bad it is. Also, the barbarians' Holy Mountain seems to have discovered a new mithril mine. It's just that the old barbarians are still arguing against mining it. But I feel like it's only a matter of time before they agree with your merchant alliance's silver bullets. Of course, I'm guessing that you want to know the most about the Northlands' public opinion and the morale of the people. I can only say that it's much better than expected. Morale is quite high, and the people's hearts can be used … "
Glina endlessly talked about official matters while her small hands were playing with various firearms and explosives, disassembling, assembling, and adjusting them. She was multitasking and didn't make a single mistake. While I sighed at how strange this girl's personality was becoming, I was actually quite happy. After all, the Northlands had now become our base of operations. If everything went smoothly there, that would be the best news.
From a certain standpoint, Glina was far more normal than her cousin Renée. At the very least, compared to Princess Renée, who was becoming more and more known as the "Active Seal", Queen Glina's reputation for being an expert in government affairs and wise was becoming more and more widespread.
As a genius engineer, Glina had an incredibly deep understanding of magical engineering to begin with. In fact, she was already using magical engineering products to change the lives of the Sleuweir Kingdom's citizens. Not to mention, she was also quite talented in military and political affairs. Perhaps Cavendish's way of thinking was correct. Compared to Renée, who was becoming more and more "brute force", Glina was the most suitable successor for me, who had a lot of knowledge in miscellaneous fields.
Of course, this wasn't because I was intending to retire from the frontlines at such a "young" age. It was because it was necessary to have a backup plan. Nobody could guarantee that I wouldn't suddenly be killed by a True God on the streets, or meet with an assassin …
"Um, I suddenly feel like I'm a jinx."
"Heh heh, I think we're quite lucky … It's about time to show them our new equipment."
We were only one street away from our temporary base. However, there were suddenly very few people on the street. The intentionally concealed breathing and shadows in the darkness revealed the identity of the newcomers — assassins.
"Hey, Glina, remember to leave two people alive for interrogation."
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