As soon as I entered the underground prison, I frowned. The damp air and foul stench made it clear this was no place for anyone.
"They keep such an expensive Elf in a place like this?"
I could understand if she were an ordinary prisoner. But the Elf whose release I was about to secure was a politically valuable captive, worth at least several billion Ner.
What if she fell ill in this wretched place? The prison warden would be held responsible.
Moreover, the original story described the Elf being imprisoned in a more luxurious chamber, not this squalid dungeon.
A prisoner of her value should have been kept somewhere far better.
"Newly arrived captives receive some basic orientation here before being moved to their designated cells," the warden explained.
He was a tall, slender man with eyes as lifeless as frozen fish, and he led me deeper into the underground prison.
"Has the orientation not been completed yet?" I asked.
The orientation couldn't be anything elaborate just teaching the rules to be followed here, I assumed.
Physical torture or humiliation? Those would only make the transfer harder. Conparod wouldn't be foolish enough to resort to such tactics.
"That female Elf was particularly fierce. But she's improved significantly since her arrival. We were planning to move her out of here in about a week, before your visit."
I glanced sideways. In the narrow prison cell sat a male slave, naked and staring blankly at me. He looked mentally broken.
"Are you interested in that slave?"
"What kind of slave is he? He doesn't look expensive."
"He's a serf. He knocked his master unconscious and tried to escape, but he was caught and sold to us."
"Do customers actually want him?"
Even the record of rebelling against his master would significantly diminish his value as a slave.
"Yes, some do. Just because he's a serf doesn't mean he can only farm. Though his value is low, he can still be sold as hunting prey."
"Hunting prey?"
"Human hunting. Slaves are released into a vast area, and the hunters enjoy the sport."
"What a pathetic hobby."
I couldn't understand what pleasure anyone could find in hunting defenseless humans. Wouldn't it be more profitable to hunt a monster instead?
"Yes, human hunting has become quite dull lately. That's probably why this slave hasn't sold. If serfs are your goal, there are many more suitable slaves available."
"What happens if he never sells? Do you kill him?"
"We rarely dispose of them ourselves. We usually sell them to mages at a discount."
"Mages buy them?"
"For experiments. Some mages are very interested in humans."
"Hmm. How much is this slave?"
"30 million Ner. That's quite cheap compared to other similar slaves. Would you like to purchase him?"
This slave is known for his rebellious nature, which explains his low price.
"No, I was just asking."
Most of the slaves here are men. There are some women, but most of them seem to be mentally unstable. Beautiful women are rare.
"You bastards! I'll kill you all! If I ever get out of here, I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A burly male slave roared at us, pounding on the iron bars of his cage.
"Impudent slave," I remarked.
"My apologies," the guard replied. "He's a slave from a renowned mercenary group, making him difficult to tame. As a lower-tier Aura Expert, even we can't handle him easily."
"A lower-tier Aura Expert? Impressive that you've managed to keep him imprisoned."
"We can easily contain mid-tier Aura Experts. Anything higher... becomes quite challenging."
There was also a female slave who caught my eye. She had brown hair and pale skin, and she lay listlessly on the floor, completely naked, her breasts and genitals fully exposed.
Even as I watched, she made no attempt to cover herself, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"She's quite a looker," I remarked.
"She arrived two days ago," the guard replied.
"What did she do before?"
"She worked at a general store, but she became addicted to drugs and turned to loan sharks. When her debt became unmanageable, they seized her and sold her to us."
"A drug addict..."
"Are you interested?"
If I had to answer yes or no, the answer would be yes. She had a rather attractive face.
"Is she a virgin?"
"No. She reportedly worked as a prostitute for about a month to pay for her drugs."
"Then that's settled."
I lost interest.
If she were a breathtaking beauty, the kind that would make your eyes pop out, it might have been worth considering. But a woman of this caliber was quite common.
There was no point in buying a drug-addicted prostitute slave; it would only be a waste of money.
"We have an Elf whose transfer can be arranged from this prison," the Warden said, gesturing toward a reinforced wall and a steel door.
Unlike the other cells, this one had no bars. The Elf was being guarded even more strictly than the other slaves.
My heart began to race.
An Elf! And the Elf Heroine from the original story!
Being an Elf guaranteed above-average beauty. But the fact that she was also the heroine of a story made her even more intriguing.
This is going to be fucking amazing.
The Warden inserted the key into the steel door. But instead of turning it immediately, he glanced at me.
"As I mentioned earlier, this Elf is extremely fierce."
"But isn't she still just a prisoner?"
"She's an Elf who used to be an adventurer. Her name is Elnora Kreiper, she's 20 years old, and she's a mid-tier Spirit Master. Her transfer preparations haven't been properly completed."
"No problem."
Resistance? No problem. I have Yuria.
A mid-tier Spirit Master is roughly equivalent to a mid-tier Aura Expert. She's no match for Yuria, who's top-tier.
"...Understood. Oh, by the way, the Mana Suppressor is active in this cell."
I nodded.
Mana Suppressor.
As its name suggests, the Mana Suppressor is a magical tool that suppresses Mana. When activated, it restricts the use of Mana.
I bought a few and installed them in the prison myself.
The Mana Suppressor doesn't completely block Mana use, and it's largely ineffective against those with advanced skills or higher.
"Now, won't you open the door? I'm eager to meet the woman I'm here to take with me."
"My apologies. I tend to worry a lot... I've been rambling, haven't I?"
Click!
The key turned, unlocking the cell door. The Warden pushed the heavy iron door open with all his might.
Screech!
As the door swung open, the brightly lit interior was revealed.
It was a bare prison cell, its walls made entirely of iron. On one side, the Elf I had been so eagerly anticipating stood near the wall with restraint cuffs hanging open from her wrists and ankles, ready for transfer.
She was completely naked.
"Ooh..."
An involuntary gasp escaped my lips.
Radiant golden hair framed her face, revealing long, pointed ears. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes shone with an emerald-like brilliance.
Her figure was flawless, without a trace of excess fat. Her full, rounded breasts were a C-cup, slightly larger than my hand.
At the tips of her breasts were delicate, pale pink nipples.
Her smooth abdomen featured a lovely navel. Below it lay her golden-haired vulva. With her thighs pressed together, only the golden fur was visible.
Her arms and legs were like flawless works of art. Truly an Elf. Desire hit me hard, but if I ever touched those long ears, I wanted it to be because she chose to let me.
Elnora Kreiper.
The moment one of the five heroines from the original story stood before me.
As we entered, she instinctively covered her breasts and vulva with her arms. Her green eyes glared fiercely at me and the Warden.
"What do you want now?!"
Her voice was quite lovely, but it was laced with hysteria. The stress she'd endured here must have been unbearable.
"From today onward, he's the one arranging your release from this place. Hear what he has to say," the Warden said in a stiff tone. Elnora glared at me with eyes full of hostility and murderous intent.
"This human gets to decide my future? Do you think I'll accept that? I don't belong to anyone!"
I felt a strange sense of anticipation. The Elnora from the original story had been far calmer than this.
After being imprisoned here for half a year... well, it's not surprising her personality has changed.
And as far as I knew, she had originally been gentle and kind.
I slowly approached her.
"Sir, it's dangerous."
"It's fine."
Up close, she was even more beautiful, possessing an almost doll-like perfection.
"Don't worry. If you agree to come with me, I'll make sure you live well."
"Don't be ridiculous, Selec!"
Mana surged violently around Elnora. I released her hair and quickly retreated.
Her mana coalesced in the air, forming a distinct shape: a Flame Owl wreathed entirely in fire.
Is that Selec, the intermediate fire spirit?
Spirits in this world lack fixed forms. Even two intermediate fire spirits could manifest as different creatures a wolf instead of an owl, for example.
A spirit's rank is determined by its power, not its appearance.
The Flame Owl's body flickered uneasily, like a candle flame in the wind.
The Mana Suppressor is working properly. It probably can't unleash its full power.
I drew a dagger from my cloak.
"Guest! Step back!" the Warden shouted, stepping forward with an iron club in hand.
"It's fine. You step back."
Crackling.
I channeled Thunderbolt into the dagger. The Mana Suppressor made it more difficult, and the bolt was smaller than I'd expected.
"Selec! Burn him!" Elnora screamed.
At her command, the Flame Owl flapped its wings and swooped toward me, crimson flames raining down.
[Accelerate.]
[Accelerate activated. Duration: 10 minutes.]
Acceleration isn't a Mana-based technique, so it's unaffected by the Mana Suppressor.
I used the Youngcheon Style footwork to evade every falling flame, then plunged my dagger into the Flame Owl's torso.
There was a faint sensation of resistance. A normal attack wouldn't have worked on a Spirit, but my dagger crackled with Thunderbolt energy.
Discharge.
Thunderbolt surged outward, and the Flame Owl's body exploded.
"Selec...! Aaaah!"
Elnora screamed and fainted. I hadn't even touched her.
The Spirit was forcibly reverse-summoned due to the damage, causing her mental shock.
The Mana Suppressor's effects likely contributed, but she's remarkably inexperienced for a mid-level Spirit Master.
I tucked the dagger into my robe.
"...Impressive. Moving that quickly inside a Mana Suppressor..."
"Can you bring some clothes for this Elf? It's a bit awkward taking her away naked."
"She has her original clothes. I'll retrieve them."