Chapter 79: Welcome to the Future!
"Do you eat 3 times a day?"
"Have you ever eaten a human before… or maybe an elf or two?"
"Is your name really Viel? That doesn't sound elvish"
Princess Sofia has been bombarding Viel with questions for hours now. Every since they have left from Albert's house, the Princess has not stopped talking. The only one that could contend to her talking was the gallops of the horses that were pulling the carriage.
But even with the excessive talking, Viel has not respond to even a single of her questions.
Princess Sofia could only sigh, it's not like she could physically torture Viel to find out what he knows. She saw the huge sword being deflected by his head, and she also experienced first hand, when her icicle spell was shattered meaninglessly from hitting Viel's body. So, all she could really do was wait for him to gradually open up to her.
He voluntarily went with her, after all. That has to mean something, Princess Sofia thought as she fixed her glasses.
Giving up on questioning Viel, Princess Sofia then turned her attention towards the elf that was beside him, Ilrina.
"What are you still doing here?"
"What? You bought me remember!?"
"I honestly expected you to escape already, you were just excess baggage anyhow", Princess Sofia then waved her hands, "Go on then, shoo. While we are still surrounded by trees. You won't be able to escape once we reach the more civilized part of the world"
Ilrina could not help click her tongue with this obvious mockery, "Hmph. I know your men will kill me once they see me outside the carriage. Also, where the Great Spirit is is where I will and should be!", said Ilrina before she stared at Viel with eyes of respect.
"Hmm", Princess Sofia placed her hand on her chin. Seeing as Viel really had no plans in answering her, then maybe she would have more luck with the female elf, "You call him Great Spirit, why exactly is that?"
Ilrina, however, did not respond. She just looked at Princess Sofia with a haughty look in her eyes. She was thinking that she had already said enough. Why would she even answer the questions of a human? She thought. Specially to the one responsible for creating the treants.
Clearly pissed at her female slave's arrogant demeanor, Princess Sofia slowly lifted the small orb that was connected to the binding collar.
Ilrina started to sweat as soon as she saw this, but still she refused to speak up.
But then the orb started to lit up.
"Because he is the Great Spirit!", Ilrina shouted before the Binding collar can be fully activated.
"What does that even mean?"
Ilrina was hesitant to answer, but seeing the small orb slightly lit up again, she had no choice but to answer.
"There is a prophecy in our tribe. That a Great Spirit will appear in our time of need", Ilrina started to tell the prophecy, her eyes full of reverence.
"The Great Spirit will appear from a bright light, saving us from those who wish to destroy us", Ilrina then looked at the Princess with her eyes furrowed, "From threats like you, humans".
"How typical of elves", Princess Sofia chuckled, "Needing some to save them from the war they started".
"Y-you!", Ilrina was angry, but she could not rebuke.
"So, is he a Half-elf then?"
Hearing the word "Half-elf", Ilrina's expression started to get serious, "The Great Spirit is neither an elf or a human. He is a higher entity than the rest of us and is not limited to the confounds of our world"
"Really? He looks mighty human to me", said Princess Sofia as she fixed her glasses, looking at Viel as she licked her lips.
"He is no- ugh!"
Ilrina was about to stand up but a flicker of lightning sparked from her neck, rendering her quiet. Princess Sofia then once again placed her hand on her chin, lost in thought and completely ignoring Ilrina who was sprawled on the couch like an octopus. Luckily, Viel caught her.
They remained like this for a few hours.
"Your Highness, we have a problem", it was then that a guard knocked on their carriage, "Elves are blocking our path"
Hearing this, Ilrina, who remained lying on Viel's lap even though she was already okay, immediately perked up.
"Oh? What are you waiting for then, kill them all"
Ilrina quickly stood up and grabbed the carriage's door handle. But before she could even open the door, she was once again electrocuted.
"I thought where the Great Spirit is is where you will be?", Princess Sofia taunted Ilrina as she shook the small orb that was in her hand.
"I…I will not sit idly by as my brothers and sisters are fighting!"
Seeing the female elf's resolute eyes, Princess Sofia could not help but reveal a sinister smile.
"Let me see you smile when they bust through this carriage and wipe tha- UGH!"
"Is that right?", said Princess Sofia as she once again injected some mana on the small orb.
Ilrina could only grit her teeth. All she really wanted to do now was strangle this human with her bare hands.
But then, she heard screams.
The screams of her brethren.
"Die, you huma-!"
"Uggh!"
She sat there, not able to do anything but listen to the howls of her dying brethren. The sound of their flesh and bones being ripped apart, she could clearly hear it along with their screams.
"Sorry to say", Princess Sofia started to speak, "Each of my guards had their loved ones brutally killed by elves. Most of them watched as the elves pluck their families one by one, like cattle…"
"…do you know what that can do to a person?"
Ilrina could only look at the Princess directly in the eye. Tears started to fall from the elf's eyes as the howls of her brethren could no longer be heard.
Throughout all this, Viel just sighed.
It took a few more minutes of silence before a guard once again knocked on the carriage.
"Princess, it's over"
"How many casualties on our side?"
"…3, your Highness", the guard paused.
"And how many on the elves?", Princess Sofia asked, her eyes not leaving Ilrina's even a single second.
"12. We were able to capture 3 of them alive"
"Good. Put them in my cellars as soon as we arrive in the castle"
"What are you going to do with them?", Ilrina asked. This time, she no longer held any arrogant attitude and just asked sincerely.
"Don't worry", Princess Sofia looked at her straight in the eyes, "You'll get to watch firsthand once we arrive"
It took a few more hours before they arrived in the city.
And the Royal city really was different from Lord Fynn's territory. Activity was bustling here, with carriages driving back and forth the paved roads.
It took another hour before they arrived in the Royal castle, as some people noticed the Princess' carriage and started a crowd. Cheering and howling the Princess' name as the convoy passed by them. Princess Sofia also took her time to respond to the cheers of people, throwing waves and salutes as they go on about.
Ilrina was perplexed. How could someone so cruel be celebrated by humans? How barbaric, she thought.
Arriving at the castle, Ilrina's eyes opened wide. She could not help but be in awe with the humans' architecture. There was no other word to describe it but grand. So, this is our enemy, Ilrina could not help but compare their territories.
The elves' stayed inside the forest, secluded from the rest of the world. The humans, however, with their paved roads and bustling cities, were truly different. It was no wonder they were losing the war, there's just a huge difference in the way they were doing things, Ilrina thought. While the elves wished to preserve nature, the humans learned to work with it.
But Ilrina shook her head, why was she admiring the humans all of a sudden?
But then, they were escorted underground, to Princess Sofia's so called cellars.
It was then that Ilrina's earlier words were proven.
Her words about how barbaric humans were, no, one might even say that this was even more than barbaric…this was..
"What is this!?", Ilrina could not believe what was infront of her eyes.
She saw elves that were tied up, hanging on the ceiling. Some of them without their limbs.
The dismembered parts of her brethren were laid down on a huge table, being disgustingly organized.
There were bodies that were also in a huge tube of glass, probably drowned to death. Bodies that were squashed beyond recognition, burnt, or had their skins removed from their flesh.
There were also elves that were caged in a small cell, naked, making love to each other like rabid animals. She tried to call for them, but she could not help but step back when their only response was to smile at her.
She accidentally knocked down a glass jar as she was backing up, shattering it on the floor. She could not help but glance at the broken jar, only to see what looks like male genitalia.
With everything she has seen, Ilrina finally could not stop herself from puking. It was a good thing that she did not eat anything, because the contents would surely have landed straight towards the mutilated genitals.
"You!", Ilrina had a thousand things to say, but none were coming out of her mouth.
But the Princess did not even look at her, instead, she was just smiling. She was smiling as she looked at the fruits of her labors. And then, she stretched out her arms,
"Welcome to the future!"
But for Ilrina, it was hell.