The dark elf was less than 1.7 metres tall, her silky black hair hanging straight down to her waist. She had a pair of amber eyes, an exquisite pointy nose, a small mouth, and an impressive figure that was comparable to Teresa and Veronica's.
Her pointy ears were pierced with golden rings, and her simple black dress accentuated her slender and beautiful legs.
More importantly, this Dark Elf's face was mixed with many different auras: cold, indifferent, and disdainful. These were the three typical elven auras. Apart from that, the scars on her face and the unhealthy complexion, as well as the hardships in her eyes, indicated that she was someone who had fallen on hard times. The hint of wildness in her eyes indicated that she still hadn't given up hope of escaping.
It was a kind of wounded beauty, a beauty that stubbornly bloomed after weathering and destruction.
Under the protection of a few guards, the dark elf was forcefully dragged up. "Mister Hadrian! Mister Laing! "
Hadrian nodded, and the rich merchant took out a magic scroll. "Mister Laing, this is the slave contract of this female dark elf. It was made by Master Elliot himself."
Laing reached out and took it. In order to prevent the slave from escaping, the master had to use some means. The slave contract was a rather vicious one. This magic seal would tear out a part of the enslaved person's soul and leave it in the master's body. Through this method, the enslaved person would not be able to escape.
Apart from that, the cute girl called Miranda was also brought forward. However, she did not have the right to 'enjoy' a high-class item like the slave contract. The girl's lips were purple from the cold, and her face was blue. She was showing signs of being unable to stand properly.
"Alright, leave the rest to me." Laing narrowed his eyes.
"Then be careful, Mister Laing. This female dark elf is very wild. She was a captive during the war between the high elves and dark elves. The high elf ambassador used her to exchange for a high elf captive in the hands of a slave trader. It's strange. The high elves rarely exchange captives like this. They usually just take the captive away and pay the ransom …" Hadrian was a little worried, but Laing just waved his hand casually. "Leave it to me."
"I've always believed in Mr. Laing. Then, I'll take my leave." Seeing how confident Laing was, Hadrian didn't say anything more. So he took the initiative to leave and handed over a business card made of gold. "Mr. Laing, feel free to visit me at the Luigi Chamber of Commerce. I welcome you at any time."
"Alright, I got it."
Hadrian left with his men, leaving behind a shivering Miranda and a haughty Dark Elf bound by chains and shackles.
"Then, first of all … Miss Miranda?" Laing first waved his hand, gesturing for Miranda to come over.
In such a cold winter, the girl was only wearing a pure white dress. Her face was pale and she walked unsteadily. When she smelled the smell of toast, she subconsciously licked her dry lips and answered timidly, "Yes … Master!"
"You are the daughter of the Angel Feather Knight?"
"Yes, my father went bankrupt. He chose to sell me to repay his debts." Speaking of this matter, the girl could no longer shed any tears. She could only numbly speak.
"Hmm …" Laing stroked his chin.
The knights of the Southern Kingdoms were different from the knights of the Empire and Brittany.
In the Southern Kingdoms, as long as you had money, you could buy a set of armor and weapons, get a horse, and pay a sum of money to any knight order to obtain the title of a knight. These knights were very weak in combat, and most of the knights in the Southern Kingdoms were bandits and thugs.
Establishing a knight order was even easier. Laing remembered that in the Kingdom of Estalia, the kingdom's organization in charge of reviewing knight orders was open twenty-four hours a day. As long as you paid a hundred gold coins, the organization's bureaucrats would accept any reason for establishing a knight order, any mission, any insignia, and any members. In other words, as long as you filled in a form, the applicant could announce the establishment of a new knight order in Estalia!
The Empire and Brittany did not recognize these knights. In their eyes, it was simply child's play, especially in Brittany. The Knight King's law stated that if a southern knight dared to knock a shield or shoot an arrow in the Knight King's territory, even the serfs could legally kill them.
"Then whether you are willing or not, you are already my maid." Laing gestured for Emilia to come over. "Please follow her and learn well. If you do things well, I will guarantee that you will not have to worry about food and clothing. There will also be rewards. If you don't do things well … I heard that there are many porters and sailors at the port who can't find a wife …"
"No!" She subconsciously knelt down. "Mr. Laing! I will serve you with all my heart! I swear … Ugh!!! "
The girl, of course, knew how lucky she was. Laing was young, handsome, and had a high reputation and powerful strength. To be able to serve him and not be taken home by an old man was already the best ending. The girl immediately made a promise. But just as she knelt on the ground, she felt a piercing pain in her legs. She could not help but cry out in pain.
Laing was not surprised. The girl who was sold as a slave must have suffered a lot of bumps along the way. Considering the value of the goods, the slave trader would not do anything to her. But first of all, her legs must be shackled for a long time. Then, the slave trader would certainly not let her have enough food because she would not have the strength to escape. Keeping slaves in a state of hunger and cold was the basic common sense of the slave trader.
But Laing also understood this. He gestured for Emilia to take Miranda to bathe and change into clean clothes so that she could have a good rest.
"Then, next …" Laing turned his gaze back to the dark elf.
The dark elf did not respond.
"What is your name? Dark Elf? "Laing stood up and walked to the dark elf.
The dark elf still did not respond. She did not even look at him.
Obviously, she did not understand.
"What is your name? Dark Elf? " Laing switched to the Gothic language. This time, he noticed the movement in the dark elf's amber eyes. It seemed that she understood, but she still refused to answer.
A dark elf who can understand the Gothic language?! Laing thought for a moment. Then, under the dark elf's shocked gaze, he switched to another language. "Tell me your origin, Duruqi!"
The dark elf finally spoke in a low voice. Her face was full of surprise. "You … You know Elf-Elf-Elf-Elf-Elf-Elf-Language?!"
"My Godfather knows eight languages, and I know nine." Laing said indifferently. Then, he reached out and grabbed the dark elf's throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. "Hurry up. My patience is limited."
"Hmph! Lowly and filthy human! " Unexpectedly, the dark elf did not fall for his trick at all. Instead, she said in a hoarse voice. Then, she continued to ignore Laing without any reaction.
Laing said a few more words in Elf-Elf-Elf-Language, but the dark elf still refused to answer.
"What a bummer." Laing did not care. After all, the master did not need to care about the slave's feelings. So, he picked up a magic scroll. A blood-red chain connected Laing and the dark elf and cruelly tore her soul apart. Through this method, she could not escape Laing's pursuit no matter where she fled to.
After a long period of hunger, cold, and other unknown reasons, the dark elf was extremely weak from body to soul. She only resisted for a while before collapsing under Laing's powerful soul power. The contract was thus completed.
"Olica? Your name is Olica. "Through the contract, Laing learned the dark elf's true name.
The dark elf called Olica's face was ashen. She did not expect the soul power of the human in front of her to be so powerful. She could not resist at all. After being bound by the slave contract, unless she was stronger than the person in front of her, there was no way she could resist.
But this human's strength …
"Olica, the contract is complete. From today onwards, you are my slave." Laing walked to the dark elf's side and said in Elf-Language, "From now on, this is your home. I don't have the time to go out and capture you because it's safe here and the living conditions are much better than outside. Or rather, compared to me, do you prefer those dirty slave traders? And then be pressed down on a pile of straw by those filthy and lowly creatures? Do such and such things? "
The dark elf's eyes flickered. She seemed to have weighed the pros and cons repeatedly before finally nodding with difficulty.
Marlin Castle was the world of humans. There was no place for a dark elf like her. She was like moving gold when she walked on the streets. Anyone would want to snatch her. Her soul had been damaged by the high elves, and she was bound by the slave contract. Her strength was even weaker than a normal person's. It would be extremely difficult for her to escape.
Even if she did escape, where could she go? How far could she run? If she was caught, she would face an even more tragic fate. Between two difficulties, the dark elf finally chose the lighter option. At least the human in front of her looked cleaner and had better living conditions.
"Very good, long live understanding!" Seeing that the dark elf had given in, Laing smiled and reached out to undo the shackles on Olica's body. Afraid that she would escape, the slave traders had shackled her with the heaviest and sturdiest shackles. The heavy chains and shackles made it difficult for the dark elf to lift her arms.
However, the shackles and chains that the slave traders had 'absolutely assured' were like paper in Laing's hands. The man did not even use the key that Hadrian had given him. The chains as thick as a child's arm were torn apart by his bare hands, and the shackles were broken by his brute force.
The dark elf finally broke free from the shackles. Laing noticed that even without the shackles, Olica was so weak that she could barely walk. Many parts of her body were covered with frostbites.
However, under such circumstances, the dark elf was still arrogant. She gritted her teeth and persevered. She clearly did not intend to reveal any flaws in front of Laing. She only sat on the spot and covered her wounds, trying to curl her body up as tightly as possible to ensure that she would not freeze.
After this ordeal, it was almost night, and the sky outside was gradually darkening. The sun always set faster in winter. It snowed almost every day during the Winter Veil Festival. Laing saw this and placed a blanket near the fireplace. He then placed the baked bread and milk on a plate in front of the blanket, indicating that she could enjoy it.
The dark elf looked at Laing suspiciously, as if questioning whether Laing was really so kind.
"A living, healthy slave is a valuable slave," Laing said in the elven language. "I have no need to harm you, because you are my property."
The dark elf climbed onto the blanket. She picked up the knife and fork with trembling hands and ate in small bites. Even though she was very hungry, she still maintained her etiquette.
This was very similar to the elves. Laing was not very clear about the dark elves, but the high elves, who only reached adulthood at 100 years old, were indeed very particular about etiquette and culture.
Emilia also came out with Miranda. After bathing and changing clothes, Miranda washed away the dust and weakness. Wearing a white dress, she looked like a white flower. When she saw Laing, she immediately lifted her dress. "Master!"
Laing smiled. This daughter of a bankrupt knight got into her role very quickly.
"Emilia, I'll have to trouble you to teach them the rules and work as maids. Remember, if it's not necessary, they are not allowed to leave the house. Understood?"
"Understood." Emilia nodded.
"Take their measurements. I'll order a few more sets of maid outfits from Queensberry Tailor. Don't let them rush into work for the next few days. Take care of their bodies and don't get sick in the cold." Laing continued, "As for living quarters, I remember there's another maid's room?"
"Yes, there's another one."
"Hmm, then let Olica and Miranda share a room. Emilia, you can have a room alone. That's it. Alright, it's time for dinner, my maids!" When Ryan was about to say something, Olica, who was sitting in front of the fireplace, raised her head after listening to Ryan's arrangement. Her face was full of surprise.
"Human, you, you're actually giving me to that human maid …?"
"I wanted to buy a maid in the first place!" Laing looked at the dark elf, amused. "Even if you're a Dark Elf, fine, you're just a Dark Elf maid. What's so special about you?"
Olica's eyes were full of vigilance and distrust, but she did not refute.
The dinner was very sumptuous. Both Ryan and Amelia's culinary skills were very high. The girl, Miranda, had tears flowing down her cheeks as she ate. The dark elf didn't say anything, but Ryan could see that she was satisfied with the meal.
At night, the two new maids were sent back to the maid's room to sleep. Laing did not say anything else.
During the rest of the Winter Veil holiday, Leon asked the two new maids to watch and learn well. Under his care, the two maids gradually recovered. Miranda got into the role of a maid very quickly. The girl only took a few days to get the hang of it. Olica, on the other hand, was much slower. She didn't understand the Low Gothic language very well, and was unwilling to communicate in the High Gothic language. She learned things very slowly, but Amelia was extremely patient. She taught her again and again.
What really surprised Olica was that Laing did not intend to touch her at all. He just checked the two maids' bodies and expelled different degrees of Chaos corruption from their bodies. Then, he began to do his own things. During the Winter Veil Festival, he frequently participated in various social activities and expanded his network.
As the Winter Veil Festival came to an end, he began to prepare to investigate the Mithril vein.
Just like that, on the last day of the Winter Veil Festival, Laing came to the only enclave of the high elves in the old world — Ifetau.
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