Chapter 151 Witness

The elf's eyes were open, staring at them.

Since she had been unconscious until now, it was the first time Lucien had seen them.

They were a pale violet, strangely calm beneath the weight of her exhaustion, framed by a narrow face that differed subtly from a human's.

Her hair, which Lucien had first mistaken for muddy brown beneath all the dirt and grime, now looked closer to a lighter ash-brown after Alicia had washed it.

She immediately pushed herself upright, wincing as her body shook from the strain.

Alicia started toward her, only to stop in her tracks when the elf froze at the movement.

Seeing her reaction, the maid remained where she was, hands held carefully in front of her.

Her most distinctive feature, the knife-like ears, twitched as she looked toward Alicia and then the open door. Either something about Alicia had made her relax slightly, or Dorian's decision to leave the door open had been the correct choice.

That fragile calm vanished when her gaze moved to him next, her posture tensing once more.

'Right...I did have that sort of impression on others.'

Her gaze remained fixed on him as she spoke, the words coming out in soft, flowing syllables.

For a long moment, he stared at her before shaking his head.

He exhaled softly even as the elf's brows drew together. She tried speaking slower this time, each word carrying a delicate rise and fall that sounded almost like song to his ears.

Of course an elf who had likely been captured young wouldn't know how to speak Arcencia's language. Perhaps elves didn't speak the same language regardless of age, given the hostility between the races.

And the reason no one had thought to warn him?

Why would they when it would have been common knowledge to this world and its denizens?

The elf let out a soft breath before speaking again, likely saying the same words, though he couldn't be sure.

Alicia blinked, then glanced at him. "My Lord, I think she is asking for something?"

He turned to the maid, brow lifting. "...How do you know?"

The maid's brow scrunched as she tilted her head. "If I try to think about it...I can almost see it somehow? Oh! Perhaps this is..."

Lucien's eyes sharpened. "Your blessing?"

She gave a slow nod, turning back to the elf, who had been watching them closely.

At the maid's attention, the elf spoke the same words again, though there was a trace of urgency within them that even Lucien could detect despite the difference in language.

Keeping the elf within the corner of his vision, Lucien watched Alicia as she bit her lip before slowly speaking.

"I think...she wants to make sure of something."

She shook her head. "Apologies, My Lord. I can't make any more sense of it beyond a vague impression."

"It's fine, Alicia. Don't strain yourself when we still don't know what using it will do to you."

The elf seemed to understand that she hadn't managed to convey the meaning of her words. Her shoulders lowered as she drew the sheets tighter around herself.

For a time, Lucien and Alicia could only wait as the elf gathered herself, the silence in the room growing heavier.

It was no surprise that all of them jumped when the door swung open.

Sera stepped into the room, pale eyes sweeping once before resting on the elf.

The elf, whose guard had lowered just a little, began to tense up again at the sight of an armed stranger carrying two bows. Her gaze flicked to the red case at Sera's back, though it soon fixed on the hunting bow that rarely left the hunter's grasp.

Pale eyes met violet ones, the two girls staring at each other for a long moment.

As Sera made to step forward, the elf drew back until her back was against the headboard, a few Elvish syllables spilling forth from her lips.

The hunter immediately stopped even as Alicia spoke up worriedly. "Sera. I think she's telling you to stay back..." Her words trailed off, glancing at Lucien. "Don't worry, My Lord! I wasn't using it this time."

He rubbed his temple. "I know. We should come up with a way to tell when you are using it after we have solved this...conundrum."

At some point, Sera had turned to look at him expectantly. The elf followed the direction of her eyes and began to do the same as well.

Under their combined gaze, Lucien's brow twitched. "...What exactly do you expect me to do with this?"

As expected, he should have just brought Talia along and let that nosy junior handle this.

Sera exhaled faintly before gesturing to the elf, then pointing toward the window.

Lucien followed the direction of her finger, then glanced back at the elf, who was still warily watching the hunter.

"...You want her to follow you outside?"

Sera inclined her head and immediately turned around to walk out of the room. At the threshold, she turned and touched two fingers lightly to her own chest before pointing outside again.

The elf's gaze flicked to the window, then back to Sera as her fingers tightened around the sheets, caution warring with something else in her eyes.

Sera continued to wait patiently at the threshold even as a headache started to form behind Lucien's eyes.

'How am I going to bring an elf out of the manor...can she even walk?'

"Sera, is it really necessary to bring her out now? She had just woken up and..." Alicia stopped speaking when Sera briefly met her eyes and gave her a firm nod.

That headache only grew when the elf started to get off the bed, short breaths leaving her lips as she struggled to stand.

Alicia went to her side immediately, a hand hovering over her shoulder. "Please, at least let me help you."

The elf froze at the maid's close proximity at first, studying her for a long moment. Then she inclined her head, one hand gripping Alicia's shoulder lightly.

With Alicia's help, she slowly stood upright before turning to give him a small nod.

He couldn't help but wonder why exactly she was so desperate to go outside, or even follow Sera, someone she barely knew.

'Maybe she remembered Sera's face right before she collapsed yesterday?'

Lucien met the elf's violet eyes, and something within them caused him to exhale faintly as he realized what would come next.

They had decided to cover the elf with a robe to hide her ears. Even with that, it was obvious that their little entourage would draw attention from the villagers as they made their way through Ashridge.

Sera led the way, walking slower than usual to account for the elf's pace.

Two men holding their own bows were about to approach her until they saw him, then the maid helping a robed figure beside him. They exchanged looks before wisely turning away, only slowing to dip their heads toward him.

Lucien returned the gesture, trying to keep a neutral expression on his face as he wondered what sort of image this little group must present to anyone watching from afar.

Even beneath the robe, it was clear that the figure was feminine, and both Alicia and Sera were known to live at the manor by the rest of the village.

He could already hear the rumors that would be circulating around the village before long.

It was fortunate that the village seemed quieter than usual today. Perhaps Dorian wasn't the only one to have had a late night.

"Apologies for not escorting you properly, My Lord," Alicia said softly from beside him.

The elf stiffened slightly at the sound of Alicia's voice but soon recovered, her attention returning to Sera's back. Ever since they had left the manor, she had remained focused on the hunter, and it was that desperate look in her eyes that had finally made Lucien relent.

Lucien shook his head. "It's fine, Alicia. Whatever this is, it is clearly important to her."

Besides, he preferred being able to keep an eye on the elf while she was so close to Alicia. So far, she had not shown any sign of hostility, but with what he had heard of her people thus far, it only made sense to be cautious.

They continued to speak quietly as they followed Sera, both to calm the elf and to give off a sense of normalcy so the villagers wouldn't approach them.

Even if the elf might not know their language, they still avoided sensitive topics like blessings.

In the midst of that, Lucien couldn't help but wonder where exactly Sera was leading them. Though judging by the direction they were heading, a suspicion began to take form in his mind.

As they approached the storage sheds, Lucien and Alicia fell silent not long after.

Sera came to a stop, exchanging a nod with two guards who had been stationed at the entrance.

One of the men let out a soft breath. "Another one, Sera? I will open..."

His words trailed off when he spotted Lucien coming toward them.

They dipped their heads. "My Lord."

Lucien inclined his head. "From your words just now, I take it we aren't the first ones she's brought?"

The guard who had spoken first gave a slow nod, glancing at the robed figure being supported by Alicia. "Yes, My Lord. Sera brought a few of them over throughout the morning."

"I see. Give us some space then. I will let you know when she is done."

At his order, the guard unlocked the door behind him.

The two guards saluted before moving a distance away, far enough to be out of earshot while still maintaining visual range of the entrance.

Sera opened the door and went in ahead of them.

Inside, the musty scent common to old storage rooms filled the air, mixed faintly with canvas, wood, and oiled metal. Crates lined the sides of the shed, some stacked neatly while others had been pushed aside to clear the center.

Most of the sensitive items, such as crossbow parts and weapons, had been covered with canvas.

The elf ignored all of it, her focus shifting from Sera to the figure placed all the way at the back of the shed.

Sera walked up to it before glancing back at them. She met the elf's eyes and gave a firm nod.

With Alicia's arm still draped around her shoulders, the elf walked closer to it while Lucien remained where he was.

The corpse had been strung up to allow easier processing, and from this close, he could finally see how truly large it was.

'A little taller than Gerald...'

His attention was drawn by the sound of someone stumbling.

After removing Alicia's arm from around her shoulders, the elf tried to walk forward on her own.

The maid moved to help her at first, only to draw her hands back when the elf shook her head sharply.

Alicia gave a slow nod before stepping back to stand beside Sera, her hands twisting faintly at the edge of her apron.

The elf stumbled forward, her legs shaking beneath her with every step. By the time she came to a stop before the variant, her breathing had grown uneven, and for the first time since she had woken up, her violet eyes trembled with something other than caution.

For a time, she simply stood before the corpse of the variant.

Then her hand rose abruptly.

Thump.

Her fist struck the variant's abdomen with a weak, dull sound. A cry slipped from her lips, the rise and fall of her voice breaking apart with every breath.

Thump.

She hit the corpse again, the sound nearly swallowed by her cries as they filled the storage shed.

Lucien looked away from the sight, at least giving her some semblance of dignity as the elf's broken song filled the room.