But Laine understood these things too. He signaled Amelia to take Miranda for a bath, change into clean clothes, and have a good rest.
"So, next..." Laine turned his gaze back to the Dark Elf.
The Dark Elf made no response.
"What's your name, Dark Elf?" Laine stood up and walked to the Dark Elf's side.
The Dark Elf still showed no response, not even looking at him.
Evidently, she didn't understand.
"What's your name, Dark Elf?" Laine then switched to the High Gothic Language. At this, he noticed the Dark Elf's amber eyes flicker, indicating she understood but still refused to answer.
A Dark Elf who understands High Gothic?! Laine pondered, and under the Dark Elf's shocked gaze, he switched to another language: "State your origins, Duruzi!"
The Dark Elf finally spoke in a deep voice, her face full of surprise: "You... you know the Elf Language?!"
"My Godfather knows eight languages, and I know nine." Laine said flatly, then directly reached out to grab the Dark Elf's throat, making her almost unable to breathe: "Quickly, my patience is limited."
"Hmph! Lowly, filthy human!" Yet, the Dark Elf wasn't fazed by this at all, instead using a hoarse voice to speak, then continued to show no reaction, completely ignoring Laine.
Laine spoke a few more words in Elf Language, but the Dark Elf still refused to answer.
"What a disappointment~" Laine didn't mind, as the master need not care about a slave's perceptions. He picked up a Magic Scroll, a blood-red chain linking Laine and the Dark Elf, cruelly tearing her soul. This way, no matter where she fled, she couldn't escape Laine's pursuit.
After being worn out by hunger, cold, and other unknown reasons, the Dark Elf was extremely weakened in both body and soul. She resisted only for a moment before collapsing under Laine's mighty soul power, thus completing the contract.
"Ollica? Your name is Ollica." Through the contract, Laine learned the true name of the Dark Elf.
The Dark Elf named Ollica was ashen-faced. She hadn't expected the human before her to have such strong soul power; she had no power to resist. Bound by the Slave Contract, unless her power could surpass the person before her, she had no chance of resistance.
But this human's strength...
"Ollica, the contract is complete. From today on, you are my slave," Laine said in Elf Language as he approached the Dark Elf: "This will be your home from now on. I don't have the leisure to go out and catch you again because it's safer here, and living conditions are much better than outside. Or do you prefer the filthy slave traders, being pressed in haystacks by dirty, lowly creatures, doing all kinds of things?"
The Dark Elf's eyes flickered constantly, as if going through continuous weighing. In the end, she reluctantly nodded.
Marinburg is the human's world; she, a Dark Elf, had no place here. Walking down the street, she was like moving gold, tempting anyone to seize her. Her soul was already in tatters due to the harm from High Elves, further bound by the Slave Contract, weaker than a regular person. Escaping here was incredibly hard. Fresh chapters posted on novel⚑fire.net
Even if she escaped, where could she go? How far could she flee? If caught, she would face an even more tragic fate. Between a rock and a hard place, the Dark Elf finally chose the lesser of the two evils. At least the human in front of her seemed cleaner, with better living conditions.
"Very well, long live understanding!" Seeing the Dark Elf submit, Laine smiled and began to unlock the shackles on Ollica. A slave trader placed the heaviest and strongest shackles on her to prevent escape; heavy chains and manacles made it almost impossible for her to raise her arms.
But in Laine's hands, the shackles and chains, which the slave merchants found "absolutely reassuring," seemed like paper. The man didn't even use the key from Hadrian, directly tearing the chains as thick as a child's arm and forcefully breaking open the manacles.
The Dark Elf was finally free of her bindings. Laine noticed that even after being removed from the manacles, Ollica's body was weak to the point she could barely walk, with frostbite developing in many places.
Yet even in these circumstances, the Dark Elf remained proud, stubbornly enduring. Clearly, she had no intention of revealing any weakness in front of Laine. She merely clutched her wounds, sitting curled up as much as possible to avoid freezing.
By now, it was nearly nighttime, with the skies outside gradually darkening. The winter sun always set a bit faster, and Winter Festival brought daily snowfall. Seeing this, Laine placed a blanket near the fireplace, then served freshly baked bread and milk on a plate in front of the blanket, signaling her to enjoy it.
The Dark Elf suspiciously eyed Laine, as if questioning if he could be so kind?
"A living, healthy slave is a valuable slave," Laine said in Elf Language: "I have no need to harm you, as you are my property."
Only then did the Dark Elf crawl onto the blanket, picking up the knife and fork with trembling hands, eating small bites. Despite her hunger, she maintained her manners.
This point was quite elvish. Although Laine wasn't entirely sure about Dark Elves, he knew that High Elves, who mature at a hundred years, are very particular about etiquette and culture.
Amelia also brought Miranda out. After her bath and change of clothes, Miranda had washed away her dust and frailty. In a white dress, she looked like a delicate white flower. Upon seeing Laine, she immediately lifted her skirt: "Master!"
Laine smiled slightly, noticing how quickly the bankrupt knight's daughter assumed her role.
"Amelia, I'll trouble you in the coming days to teach them the rules and duties of being a maid. Remember, unless necessary, they're not allowed to leave the house, understood?"
"Understood." Amelia nodded.
"Take their measurements. I'll order some more maid outfits from the Kunisberry Tailor Shop... In the meantime, don't rush them into work; they need to recuperate. It's winter; don't let them get sick," Laine continued. "Regarding residence, I recall there's a servant's room?"
"Yes, there is one more."
"Hmm~ then let Ollica and Miranda share a room. Amelia, you'll have your own room. That's how it will be arranged. Now, it's dinner time, my maids!" Laine was about to continue when Ollica, sitting by the fireplace, looked up in surprise after hearing Laine's arrangement.
"Human, you would actually leave me to that human maid...?"
"I intended to buy a maid!" Laine looked at the Dark Elf amusedly: "Even if you're a Dark Elf, well, you're just a Dark Elf maid. Is there something special about that?"
Ollica's gaze was filled with caution and distrust, but she didn't refute.
Dinner was abundant, with both Laine and Amelia having excellent cooking skills. The girl Miranda couldn't help but shed tears as she ate. The Dark Elf remained silent, but Laine could tell she was reasonably satisfied with the meal.
Later, the two new maids were sent back to the servant's room to rest, with Laine having no other intentions throughout.
During the remaining holiday time of the Winter Festival, Laine allowed the two new maids to observe and learn patiently. Under his care, the maids gradually recovered their health. Miranda quickly adapted to her role, taking only a few days to get into the swing of things. However, Ollica progressed more slowly; she barely understood Low Gothic, and was unwilling to use High Gothic for communication, learning at a slow pace. Nonetheless, Amelia was very patient, teaching again and again.
What truly surprised Ollica was that Laine had no intention of touching her; he merely inspected the maids' bodies, dispelled their varying levels of Chaos Corruption, and then busied himself with his own affairs. During this Winter Festival period, he frequently engaged in various social activities to expand his network.
As the Winter Festival drew to a close, he needed to begin preparations to scout the Secret Silver Vein.
Thus, on the last day of the Winter Festival, Laine arrived at the only Enclave of the High Elves in the Old World— Iphita.