“Without further ado, the bidding will start at ten thou—”
“One million.” By the time he realized it, Zagan made that proclamation.
What is this violent beating in my chest?
Lovely... Was it fine to use that expression?
He wanted to save the elf girl who was standing there. He wanted to see her smile. And then, he wanted to touch her skin.
Such impulses that Zagan had never felt before were stirring up within him.
The venue had fallen completely silent. And then, with a creak, Barbatos spasmed as he looked over to Zagan.
“Th-The hell, Zagan...?”
“That’s one million Curiothes gold coins.” That was Zagan’s entire fortune.
Eventually, the bewildered host got over his shock and raised his voice while wiping away the sweat on his brow with a handkerchief.
“Thank you very much! That is a rather magnificent sum of money! One million! Is there anyone who wishes to continue? Anyone at all?” Since sorcerers immersed themselves entirely in the research of sorcery, they had a strong tendency to accumulate wealth.
However no matter how much they accumulated, one million wasn’t an amount that came up all too often. If it came to the possession of that amount, there were several who did, but if they used that up then they would be unable to continue their research. It was that high a number.
“Look, Zagan, what are you thinking? Even if it’s for an elf, throwing out that much money is a little...”
“There’s something I’ve always wanted, but I never knew what it was. And finally, I feel like I’ve found it.” Without knowing how to explain that sensation, Zagan was muttering as if in delirium.
However, looking at his eyes that were shining with a fiery blaze from the side, he appeared extremely evil. Though it was to be expected when he was being driven by his desire.
And as if frightened by that, Barbatos opened his eyes wide.
“You... The hell kind of sorcery are you planning on using...?” Barbatos seemed to be misunderstanding.
However, Zagan cleared the air by shaking his head.
“That’s not it. I may have bought her because of something other than sorcery. I can’t really describe it, but it’s something like that.”
“Are you saying, you’ll grasp a power on a different level from sorcery...?” It seemed the way Zagan explained it was a little wrong, and Barbatos began trembling in fear.
He realized that if he were to continue speaking, Barbatos’ misconceptions would only grow. And so, Zagan smiled as if saying there was a different meaning, but even that seemed to frighten Barbatos to death. It only resembled the smile of the devil.
With a thud, Barbatos sank to the floor. It was as if his spine had been removed.
Did he misunderstand again? As the rationalization to his undesirable friend was steadily drifting away, eventually, the sound of the wooden hammer declaring the winning bid rang out in the venue.
“Congratulations! The winning bid for the white-haired elf goes to the sorcerer, Zagan!” Zagan didn’t recall naming himself, but the host had correctly guessed his name upon seeing his face. It just showed how well-known he was in such circles, but none of that mattered.
As Zagan got up off his seat, he left behind Barbatos, who had sunken down to the floor, and invoked flight sorcery.
Leaping over the spectator seats, he landed gently atop the stage.
He stood before the girl, but she only continued to look downward without raising her face.
What do I do? How should I call out to her? It was fine to so vigorously leap forth, but he hadn’t spared a single thought about what to do next.
And as he was suddenly perplexed, the host began talking to him in a coaxing voice.
“Please hand over the payment. She is a lucky elf to have the winning bid go to the renowned sorcerer Zagan, isn’t she? By the way, the dress and the mana sealing collar are free gifts. If you ever remove the collar, there is a risk that she will run away, so please do be careful.”
“Yeah.” Zagan wasn’t actually listening to what the host had to say, but he just gave a noncommittal agreeable response regardless.
Will she at least look at me? No, I guess she’s scared after all. Rather, she hasn’t gone through a bitter experience or anything, right? Since she was such a beautiful girl, there were likely many repulsive experiences that she could have gone through. There was also the case of the girl in the morning too, which drove Zagan’s thought to rather horrendous places.
Filled with anxiety, Zagan stretched out his hand to the girl’s chin.
She had skin that was smooth like silk. Zagan now understood the unease of whether he would leave a wound just by touching her.
Nevertheless, he tried touching her as gently as he could, and tilted the girl’s face slightly upward.
Those hollow eyes gazed at Zagan.
A sigh involuntarily leaked out of Zagan’s lips. As expected, she was a lovely girl.
However, she didn’t seem to be focusing. It was suspicious whether or not she could even see Zagan. No, before that, he couldn’t even sense anything like a will within her.
Is she alright? She’s not being manipulated or something, right? Sorcery that tore away and stole one’s will wasn’t all that strange.
And as Zagan turned pale, the host let out a nervous voice.
“Master Zagan? Is there something... that you find fault with?”
“...Well, does she have her own will?” What leaked out of his twitching throat, rather than an anxious voice, was a bad tempered one. It was to the point where he felt like asking himself what angered him to such an extent.
However, the host nodded as if he came to an understanding.
“Please do be at ease. This elf was docile upon her capture, and was kept in custody in her natural state. In the first place, the mana of the specimen is tremendously high, and any ordinary sorcery would be useless on her. As such, I myself can guarantee her freshness.”
In the case of using her as a sacrifice, if she was brainwashed using sorcery, then it would cause an impurity in the ritual and lower its potency. The host likely thought this was the point that Zagan was worried about.
However, looking at the elf girl who was gaudily dressed up like a noble lady, she didn’t appear to have any wounds. Even if she was being treated as a slave, the management behind the auction was not foolish enough to leave a wound on such valuable ‘merchandise.’ It seemed it was fine to trust them at their word.
Zagan finally let out a sigh of relief.
“I shall trust you. I would be troubled if she is unable to at least chirp in a good voice.” For the time being, he tried to speak in a way to make his intentions clear... but it came across in a rather pretentious, and frankly dangerous, manner.
The host then shrank back with a pale face.
He also felt like the elf girl twitched as she trembled in fear.
Ah, good. It seems she can hear what I’m saying, at least.
Finding peace of mind in that fact, Zagan was unable to understand just how misleading the things he had been saying were.
This was the very first love of the man who was thinking mere hours ago that ‘women are just tiresome.’
Chapter II
The First Love of Someone With a Communication Disorder is Similar to the Taste of Moldy Bread
And so, back to the present.
After finishing his payment without a hitch, Zagan felt fine up until he returned to his castle. However, after not knowing how to talk to her and worrying endlessly for half an hour, the first thing that the girl said aloud was—
“Just how... will you be... killing me?”
With a voice that sounded like a chime, she said such a thing — and he had no time to immerse himself in its lingering memory.
The shackles around her hand and feet were removed, but the collar which sealed her mana was still attached around her neck.
He wanted to rem
ove that as well, but even for Zagan it wasn’t something that could be so easily unfastened. It seemed the auction’s host also did not know the way to remove it, and there wasn’t anything like a key, either.
It was likely a relic of the original buyer, Archdemon Marchosias. The only option was to spend time investigating the collar.
It didn’t show in her facial expression, but the girl appealed to Zagan in a depressed tone.
“If I know the manner in which I’ll die, I think I can muster my resolve... a little.” Her expressionless face didn’t appear to be something that came from tension, but was because she had clearly resigned herself.
Zagan then raised his voice in a fluster.
“Wait, wait, wait! I don’t intend to kill you. Rather, it’d be troublesome if you’re not alive!” He said that to try and reassure her, but for some reason her expression seemed to have clouded over even more than before.
“In other words, you won’t allow me to find rest in death... you mean?” The girl was looking up at the chains dangling from the ceiling, as well as the skeleton stuck up there, when she said that.
Cold sweat ran down her cheek.
That’s wrong. It was troublesome to tidy it up when I was using sorcery here, so I just ended up leaving it where it was! This castle was originally the dwelling of another sorcerer.
The fortune used to make the winning bid on this girl was also something that sorcerer left behind. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t something that Zagan had in stock.
However, for better or worse, the former owner was a stereotypical sorcerer, and within the castle they had torture devices, sorcery apparatuses, and even skeletons scattered around all over. The bones hanging from the ceiling were also not to Zagan’s tastes, but even if he said that aloud, he likely had no chance of persuading her.
Though she was practically frightened to death, Zagan spoke as if to smooth the situation over calmly.
“Be at ease. I have no intention of using such disturbing things on you. I don’t plan on tormenting you, either. There is not a single thing... for you to be afraid of.” He wasn’t able to say it in all that gentle a voice, but considering it was Zagan, he thought that he managed to convey what he wanted to say... Whether or not she’d been convinced was an entirely different story, though.
And perhaps as expected, the girl tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“Huh...? Then, why did you... buy me?”
“Well, that’s...” It was an obvious doubt.
However, because of Zagan’s personality, there was no way he could say that it was because he fell in love at first sight.
What exactly am I supposed to do at times like these? I should’ve asked Barbatos...
Zagan left him behind at the auction venue, but for some reason he didn’t follow.
Barbatos didn’t appear to have an abundance of experience with women himself, but even so, it was at least at the level where he could naturally say ‘women of your choosing.’ At the very least, he likely knew more about dealing with women than Zagan, or so he figured.
Zagan let out a groan as if driven into a corner, and what rushed out of his mouth were the following words.
“There is no need for you to know.”
What the hell am I saying!? He was shrieking within his heart.
However, unexpectedly, the girl’s expression did not change. She did appear to be slightly dejected, but it was only at a meager level.
Isn’t this calmness... a little strange? It may just have been that expressions didn’t really show on her face, but before this he felt like the girl looked to have given up on everything.
After being captured, he heard that she had nothing done to her body, but what exactly happened to her...?
“You...” He tried to speak to her, but Zagan then realized that he didn’t even know her name.
Which means she likely also knows nothing about me huh?
And finally, he felt like he grasped the thread to begin a conversation.
“My name is Zagan. Just as you can see, I’m a sorcerer, but it’s not really my hobby to torture people.”
“Yes.”
“And so, what about...” Even though he just wanted to ask her name, Zagan was unable to speak any further.
You idiot...! I’m just asking for her name! Why do I become so nervous just from being conscious that she’s a girl! Zagan already possessed much power as a sorcerer.
And despite that, he was searching for courage as if he was challenging certain death with no chance of victory.
Courage was a word that was completely unrelated to him.
However, if he didn’t make his stand, he wouldn’t be able to make a single bit of progress here.
“What’s your—” And as he opened his mouth, the girl raised her voice with an ‘Ah.’
“Excuse me... for saying it so late. I am called... Nephelia.” A warm feeling blew through Zagan’s chest like a refreshing wind.
It seemed that she was able to guess what Zagan was trying to say. It made him think that she was a fantastic and attentive girl.
“Nephelia... Huh?” He felt like he could hear the echo repeat itself many times over.
Within legends, the word Nephelia meant ‘one who has fallen from heaven.’ It was that sort of female form. He found it to be a mystical and beautiful name.
Just like her appearance, it’s a lovely name.
Simply learning her name made Zagan feel like he was soaring. He bitterly came to an understanding of the meaning behind the words ‘love brings man to ruin.’
He was already in a state where he could be described as high. If one remained in such an abnormal mental condition, no matter how outstanding the person, they would likely fall to ruin.
Wait, is Nephelia her first name or her family name?
Straining his face that had softened up, Zagan cut forth with his question.
“Nephelia... what, exactly?”
“Just Nephelia. I have no family name. If it is difficult to say, you may just call me Nephy.”
“Is that okay!?”
“Yes?” The name Nephelia had a beautiful ring to it, but her nickname Nephy was also adorable.
Zagan unintentionally raised his voice, and the girl, Nephy, tilted her head to the side.
Rather, having no family name is just the same as me... By the time he was aware of his surroundings, Zagan was performing highway robbery to amass rubbish.
Forget a family name, he didn’t know his parents’ faces. The name Zagan was slang from the city slums, and it was something attached to him as he grew to be seen as something akin to the devil.
Thinking back on it, that was the most enjoyable time of my life. I properly spoke to my fellow highwaymen and the people of the town then. And even though I was beaten black and blue many times over, it was somehow fulfilling.
He committed vile crimes, but he was still in a place where the sun shined. And naturally, he was able to talk to girls too. If there was a sunny spot in Zagan’s memories, then it was that period.
Realizing Nephy was staring at him in puzzlement, Zagan shook his head.
“For an elf, um, is that common? Not having a family name, I mean.”
“No. It is because I am a cursed child.”
“A cursed child...?” Having heard a rather inexcusable term, Zagan knit his brows.
Nephy then pinned down her mouth as if she made a slip of the tongue.
“Um... Why are you asking about such a thing?”
“No reason, I’m just a little curious is all...” Zagan hesitated to say that he didn’t only want to know her name and the meaning of cursed child, but else everything about her as well. And after Nephy nodded as if she came to an understanding, for some reason she pulled up at the hems at the front of her skirt.
Her milky thighs were exposed, and Zagan could even catch a glimpse of the delicately woven lace of her shorts.
“Do be at ease. I am a virgin.” Zagan was conscious that
his face was reddening.
“D-Do you understand just what it is you’re saying?”
“Oh...? I am told that a virgin has more mana. Were you not talking about whether my value as experimental material was damaged?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t have any intention of using you in experiments or torturing you.” Nephy made a face like she was even more confused than before.
“Then, why did you buy me?”
“...” Zagan pinned down his brow and kept silent.
“There is no need for you to know that.” Then, he once more repeated the same words as before.
Or rather, he couldn’t answer her. No matter who it was or how they heard of it, if they were told that Zagan purchased a slave at a dark auction after falling in love with her at first sight, they would think that he was a pervert. If Nephy looked at him with eyes like that, Zagan would be unable to recover. Even if sorcerers had perpetual youth, it was entirely possible to consider death due to shock.
Having said that, if I don’t answer at all, then Nephy’d feel anxious too, huh?
So just what was he to do? Would it have been better to just send her back home for the day...?
No, in the first place, does she have somewhere to return to? Earlier, she called herself a cursed child. She spoke out with a turbulent expression on her face, and he didn’t think he was going to be able to ask her about it. Zagan himself also had nowhere else to return to, and he felt the same presence from her.
Of course, if she wanted to go back to her birthplace, then he wanted to help her, but it didn’t seem like an atmosphere where he was able to rashly ask her that.
In which case, since Zagan had purchased her, it would mean that on the surface, they would end up living here together, but...
Wait, living together? He, who was even now unable to properly say anything, was supposed to live under the same roof as this adorable girl? Zagan was struck by a slight wave of dizziness.
What outrageous situation had he gotten himself into?
It was true that he was actually happy about it, but for some reason he felt like he had done something he shouldn’t have.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride - Volume 01 Page 3
