Chapter 29

Partner leaving the elf's floating island.

Inside the airship, I watched the shrinking floating island while talking with Luxion.

"The elves not being a monolithic group is interesting. It seems that the values of the men who go out to work and the women who stay on the island are different."

"It's good that there are normal elves who don't want to make their male children slaves. I wish the girls at the academy would learn from them a bit."

We decided not to make the series of events public.

In exchange for entrusting the punishment of the captured male elves to me, I obtained Yumelia.

She was holding a travel bag and looking around the ship nervously.

"Um, what will happen to me from now on?"

I waved my hand.

"You'll go to my hometown. They seem to be looking for servants, so you'll work there as a live-in."

"But, but, I—"

Yumelia, who has low self-esteem, is always passive and timid.

"An elf's beauty or ugliness doesn't matter to humans, you know?"

"…In the village, I was called slow and clumsy. I'm worried if I can be of any use."

Thinking about the dark side of the elf village makes me sad.

Well, seeing the elves at the academy would make it understandable.

"Don't worry. Besides, there are various reasons on my side—"

Just as I was about to speak, Kail interrupted, his face showing anger as he approached.

"What do you mean!"

Kail, who seemed to want to protest against me, was quite assertive.

"What do you mean?"

"About taking your mother out of the village. Do you understand the meaning of this?"

Yumelia clung to Kail's arm.

"Wait. Kail, this person is concerned about—"

"Shut up! You've always been deceived like this! Do you even know what kind of person he is! He's the biggest scum in the academy!"

Kail's outburst drew the attention of people nearby.

"Being called the biggest scum is harsh."

"It's the truth. If you're not scum, how could you beat up the prince in public!"

Yumelia was at a loss and couldn't do anything.

Kail was getting frustrated with her attitude.

"Always hesitating and being deceived. It's the same in the village. Because you're so naive, you're cheaply exploited and end up poor!"

Kail, as if his frustration had exploded, blamed Yumelia—his mother.

Just as I was about to stop him,

"What's that attitude!"

It was Livia who stepped in.

"What's your problem? This doesn't concern you. Stay out of it!"

"No, I can't just stand by. What kind of abusive words are you saying to your mother? Apologize!"

The usually scary Livia made Kail flinch, but—

"You don't know anything. Because of this person, I was poor. Do you understand why I'm a slave at this age? Do you know what kind of treatment I received in the village! You act so superior, but you don't know anything!"

Kail left the scene, crying.

His usual attitude was nowhere to be seen, and thinking that this might be his true self made me a bit scared.

He had been playing the role of a cute younger brother.

Livia, who was about to chase after him, was stopped by Yumelia.

"Wait. It's my fault. As you said, I was no good, and I made you suffer."

With the surrounding gazes, I took the two of them to an empty room.

◇

What Yumelia told me was about her position in the village.

"I am a mixed one. My magic power is mixed, so I can't use ordinary magic, but I can use special magic."

She showed me a scene where, by placing her hand on a pot, a seed sprouted, grew, and bloomed.

"Amazing."

When I said this, Luxion agreed.

'This could solve the food problem, couldn't it? It's hard to believe that her position in the village was one-sidedly weak.'

Yumelia seemed happy to be praised and blushed a little.

"It's not that amazing. There are limits to what I can do. Besides, I am a mixed one, and I gave birth to a half-elf, Kail."

Livia didn't understand this.

"Why is that bad?"

Yumelia, after a moment of hesitation, spoke calmly.

"…Mixed ones are disliked, but because of their power, they can survive in the village. However, I left to see the outside world. After that, I was captured in a noble's mansion and went through various hardships."

Livia seemed to imagine what had happened.

"When I returned to the village, I was pregnant with the noble's child… The people around me strongly opposed the birth. If a half-elf was born, the value of elves as slaves would decrease, they said."

"That's—"

Livia looked disbelieving, but Luxion understood.

'Elves with a chance of pregnancy are indeed a risk when seen as exclusive servants. It's understandable that it would affect the price. However, it wouldn't be noticeable if kept quiet.'

Yumelia shook her head.

"Kail's growth rate is the same as a human. He grows quickly."

It seems that the half-elf is identified by growth rate rather than appearance.

"Then, why did you sell him as a slave?"

When I asked this simple question, Yumelia covered her face and cried.

"…Our family was poor, and we couldn't survive the winter that year. So, Kail sold himself without telling me."

I thought the people around her didn't oppose it, but apparently, some were glad he was gone.

What a sinister and foolish thing.

…Just like humans.

"Kail is harsh to me because he's frustrated. But he's a good kid. Even though he doesn't earn much, he sends money to me."

Livia's shoulders drooped.

"Mr. Leon, I didn't know anything about Kail—"

I sighed.

"…I'll talk to him."

Why do I have to take care of Kail?

It's Marié's job, fundamentally.

But I don't think she can handle this kind of problem… I have to move.

◇

A narrow corridor inside the ship.

I found Kail sitting there, hiding, and called out to him.

"Hey, brat."

"…What do you want, scum knight?"

This kid is not at all cute.

"It's about your mother."

Kail, whose pointed ears twitched, listened silently.

"My family, the baron's house, has just rebuilt the mansion. It's bigger now, so we need new help. I'll arrange for her to live and work as a live-in servant."

"…Can I believe you? You probably just like her appearance and want to keep her. I can't trust you or your family."

Her appearance is indeed excellent, and it's understandable to be worried.

"I can't go back to my hometown often. The baron—my father—is rough in appearance but pure at heart. He cherishes his wife and won't cheat on her. …Probably."

Saying "probably" made Kail look up and glare at me.

A bit scary.

"I can't trust you."

"I'm a man who keeps my promises. Besides, there's a reason for keeping her close."

When I took her, there was some resistance from the elves.

After all, she's a woman who gave birth to a half-elf.

What if she goes out and gives birth to another half-elf?

The men resisted a lot, but the village chief silenced them.

"A trump card against the elves. If they do anything to me, I'll expose their secret. Her presence alone has value. I won't treat her badly."

Exposing the secret might not have much meaning, but it's enough to make the elves cautious.

I just need to make the elves think, "He has our weakness." If I can annoy the arrogant elves, I'll be satisfied.

Kail was silent.

"If you want to see her, go ahead. I'll allow you to enter the territory. But not Marié."

Because I dislike her.

Kail was wiping away his tears.

"…She's a good person and easily deceived."

"Yeah."

"Low self-esteem, timid… but she's kind, so I can't hate her. She's really a bad parent."

He doesn't really hate her.

Kail stood up and bowed to me.

"Viscount, please take care of my mother."

He must have been worried about Yumelia, his mother, in his own way.

I nodded, putting Kail at ease.

Then, I asked a question I wanted to know.

"Hey, you used to change masters frequently, right? Maybe—"

Kail answered with a slightly exasperated tone, hiding his eyes.

"Of course, to find a trustworthy master. I had a great master, the prince, but it's all your fault."

"Sorry."

When I apologized lightly, Kail glared at me but sighed.

"You're really a bad guy. If things had gone on, my life would have been secure."

This kid seems to have been calculating a lot.

"Are you not giving up on Marié?"

"…Finding a new master is tiring. Besides, she's now a saint, so being with her would be good for me. And, she seems reliable despite being a bit of a mess."

But isn't Marié in debt and can't make ends meet?

Kail, who knows this, might actually like Marié.

Kail warned me.

"By the way, be careful of the princess from that principality. She seems to be up to something."

"Heltrude?"

"I don't know the details, but after you and the others left, she approached us