Chapter 14: The Silver-Haired Mischievous Loli Elf
Al, preparing to undertake his very first mission, began by accompanying Seles to pay a visit to the other court magicians.
And what awaited them there was───
“My name is Estella. I serve as a court magician of the Grass attribute.”
Standing before them was a silver‑haired, unmistakably loli elf who introduced herself as Estella.
Without a word, Al casually slipped his hands beneath her arms and lifted her tiny body straight into the air.
“………………”
“Hm? What is the meaning of this?”
“Hey, Seles. Looks like some elven kid wandered into the castle.”
“This might be a case where we should kindly escort her back outside.”
They were treating her as if she were a completely lost child.
“I am a full‑grown elf adult, thank thee very much‼ Put me down this instant, you blockheads!”
Estella flailed with all her might, but her short limbs rendered her struggles tragically ineffective.
Seles then reached into a gap in her armor and pulled out a cookie.
And in the manner of a mother soothing a toddler, she cooed:
“Here, Estella‑chan. Do you want a treat?”
“W‑whaaa!!! A cookie!!! A cookieee!!! So sweet!! So good it is!!!”
Estella devoured the treat with single‑minded fervor. Apparently, she had no resistance whatsoever to sweets. Her innocent enthusiasm made both Al and Seles soften with helpless smiles.
But moments later, Estella snapped back to herself.
“You think you can win me over with sugary offerings?! Cunning, devious schemers, the both of you‼”
“I’ve got candy too. Want one?”
“I shall partake‼” slurp
A few minutes later, the three of them sat on sofas, Estella positioned across from Al and Seles.
“Good grief… treating me like a child is absolutely outrageous.”
“But the candy’s good, right?”
“Indeed. Most delicious it is‼”
Though her cheeks puffed up in indignation, she kept rolling the candy on her tongue with desperate dedication.
Truth be told, by this point, both Al and Seles were thoroughly enchanted by this tiny elf.
“I’m Al Dragals. A newly appointed court magician who mainly handles dream‑attribute magic. Pleased to work with you.”
“I’m Selestaria Levian. I was assigned to the Royal Guard just a few days ago, also fresh to service. It’s nice to meet you, Estella‑san.”
“Likewise, you two.”
(Hooh… so this lad is the one who successfully reconstructed ancient magic… interesting.)
They had come here for business, after all. Setting aside the playful banter, they shifted to hearing the details of their mission.
“Your main task is the eradication of the Dragon God Cult.”
───The Dragon God Cult.
A massive cult organization that worshipped dragons, the legendary and near‑mythical magical beasts.
Their obsession with dragon worship led them to regard humans as inferior creatures. They engaged in assassinations, slave trading, and amassed fortunes through illicit dealings—a religion notorious for all the wrong reasons.
They infested the entire continent, and rumor had it that even within the Luxion Empire, several branches lurked in secret.
“…I didn’t think the first assignment would be something this enormous.”
“That simply means the upper ranks hold high expectations for thee. I described it briefly as ‘eradication,’ but to be more precise, your mission is to destroy their branches and prevent a particular scheme of theirs.”
Al tilted his head.
“Destroying a branch, sure—but what scheme?”
“You know their doctrine, yes?”
“As the name implies, they worship dragons as divine beings. Seems straightforward enough.”
“Indeed. Dragons and wyrms are closely related creatures, but in the cult’s doctrine, wyrms are considered mere servants of true dragons.”
Dragons and wyrms were distinct species.
If wyrms were kittens, then dragons were lions.
Though their lineage overlapped, their nature differed greatly.
“A report came from the Empire’s covert division infiltrating the cult. They claim the cult has obtained an Ancient Dragon’s egg.”
““An Ancient Dragon’s egg⁉””
Both of them exclaimed in shock.
Ancient Dragons were the absolute apex among all wyrm species—creatures of terrifying power said to have gone extinct in the distant past. And yet, inexplicably, the cult had managed to acquire one of their eggs.
“Their true objective remains unknown. But they may be plotting to control the Ancient Dragon and use it to topple nations. I have been investigating them alone for several years, yet this time the situation has grown too grave for me to manage. When I petitioned His Majesty for assistance, he promised to send an excellent helper.”
“So that helper would be me.”
“Just so. Will thee accept the task?”
“If left unchecked, it could escalate into a national crisis. Of course I’ll help.”
At that response, Estella released a long, relieved breath.
Then Al crossed his legs and raised a brow sharply.
“And besides, I suppose working under you wouldn’t be too bad.”
A needlessly haughty remark.
“Why is this lad speaking as though from atop a throne…?”
“Sorry, Estella‑san. Al’s always been like this.”
“Ka‑ka‑ka! Impudent little brat, aren’t you?”
Fortunately, Estella only laughed it off.
Since Seles would soon be busy with training and royal guard duties, the ones actively working this case—for now—were just Estella and Al.
“According to covert intel, the cult has three hideouts. One branch is being infiltrated. Another handles slave trading. Their locations are known. But the last one remains hidden. And I suspect that final branch is where they keep the Ancient Dragon’s egg—and the high‑ranking officer guarding it.”
“My thoughts exactly. Sorry for the slaves, but the Ancient Dragon’s egg takes priority. First we hit the officer’s branch, then the slave branch, and finally the infiltrated one.”
But a simple question lingered.
“Wait, but if we don’t raid one of the known branches first, how are we supposed to find the officer’s hideout?”
Al’s mouth twisted into a wicked grin.
“Relax, Seles. This is exactly what dream‑attribute magic excels at. Just grab a random cultist, put them under hypnosis, and they’ll spill every secret they know.”
“…Dream magic really does sound like something a villain would use.”
“Flatter me all you want, but all I have are candies.”
“What!? Give me one too‼”
“Here. Don’t choke in your excitement.”
“Mmfff‼ Sweetness divine‼”
Seles let out a long, helpless sigh.
“Haaah…”
(Are these two really going to be okay?)
◇◇◇
While Estella rolled her candy thoughtfully on her tongue…
At the border between the Luxion Empire and the Kingdom of Orphelia, a lone carriage halted.
A knight opened the door.
“Out. Barnes Berry.”
The man who emerged was Barnes—shackled, hair wild, beard unkempt, and dressed in ragged clothes. To any outsider, he looked no different from a slave.
“Yes yes, I know, no need to bark orders.”
“Filthy criminal scum! Hold your tongue‼”
Barnes received a kick, stumbling forward.
A stronger man might have recovered his footing. But weakened as he was, he collapsed face‑first into the dirt, reacquainting himself with the foul stench of mud he had long forgotten.
“…How very progressive of the Imperial Army to condone such abuse.”
“Silence. You’re a disgraced noble abandoned by both the Berry Viscountcy and the Royal Guard.”
“………………” grind
At those words, Barnes clenched his teeth quietly.
(To think even my own family wouldn’t protect me. This betrayal will make my eventual revenge all the sweeter…)
A wicked smile crept across his lips.
“Stand. You are hereby banished from the Empire. Execution was on the table, but your decade of dutiful service as a Royal Guard saved your life. Be grateful for the Empire’s mercy.”
“So in the end, I can rely only on myself…”
“Hmph. Then begone. Cross this border again and the Imperial Knight Commander himself will lead the army to hunt you down. Engrave that into your skull.”
“………………”
Freed from his shackles, Barnes staggered off toward the kingdom.
(The Berry family who betrayed me… the Royal Guard… Al Dragals, who ruined my plans… and Seles, who trampled on my love. Mark my words. I will not die in this wasteland. I will return to the Empire, and when I do, I will carve every last one of you into pieces‼)
He made the vow in his heart—but his current funds were zero.
With no choice, he decided to camp outdoors. Fortunately, during his early years of hardship, he had trained extensively for wilderness survival. Building a fire and a bed was easy. His only concern was monsters.
“Heh… letting me live was your greatest mistake, Luxion Empire. I have countless ways to rise again.”
Barnes lay down on his makeshift bed and closed his eyes.
───But then.
“………………”
(I should’ve fallen asleep instantly after a week of torture. And yet I can’t. Not even a second. This is unnatural.)
The truth was that his greatest weakness right now was severe sleep deprivation.
“I understand being unable to sleep during interrogation. The pain kept me conscious. But why can’t I sleep now? Now that I’m free? Something is wrong… terribly wrong…”
(It feels as though I’ve been placed under a spell of sleeplessness. Hah. Ridiculous. No such magic— …wait. Magic? Don’t tell me…!!)
Only one person came to mind who specialized in sleep and dreams.
“AL Dragals‼ THIS IS YOUR DOING, ISN’T IT‼”
His furious howl echoed uselessly into the silent, indifferent night.