Chapter 88: The Urgent Task
“Hmm… the information you provided is somewhat useful,” Abyss nodded at the leech-man. “Next, tell me, how many elves have you killed?”
“I…” The leech-man started to speak, then suddenly became wary. “Aren’t you going to let me go? I’ve already told you everything I know!”
“Think back,” Leona sneered from the side. “We never once mentioned letting you go if you told us everything.”
Only then did the leech-man realize his mistake. In his haste, he had spilled everything, but Abyss had never mentioned a deal. He had foolishly assumed betraying his comrades would guarantee his safety, but things hadn’t gone as planned.
“Speak. How many elves have you killed? I will determine your punishment based on your crimes,” Abyss sat down casually in front of the leech-man, watching him lazily. “Don’t think about wasting my time. If you don’t tell me yourself, I have many ways to make you talk.”
“I… I…” The leech-man trembled violently, barely maintaining his last shred of dignity, managing not to wet himself. “I haven’t killed any elves; I’m new…”
“You’re lying. One more chance.”
“One, just one…”
“Let’s stop this tedious game. If you lie again next time…” Abyss’s eyes grew colder, a chill creeping up the leech-man’s spine, instantly clearing his mind.
“Five or six! Five or six!”
“Five or six… good.” Abyss finally nodded, confirming the man wasn’t lying anymore. “Have all you Iron Lilies killed that many elves?”
The leech-man burst into tears, saying desperately, “Yes, yes, the condition for joining is to behead an elf prisoner in front of everyone. Everyone in the Iron Lilies has killed elves! Everyone!”
“There’s one more thing I’m curious about. Why do you Iron Lilies hate elves so much… Just now, you were even gnashing your teeth at me, thinking my helping elves was utterly shameful,” Abyss stood up again and asked.
“I… I actually don’t think you’re shameful… really…” The leech-man quickly distanced himself from his earlier words. “We believe elves are the source of disaster on this continent. They caused the great catastrophe in ancient times. Humans have a responsibility to wipe them from this world and restore peace. The elves’ endless research into magic is shaking the foundations of this world. If they continue, a second great catastrophe is inevitable, and then it will be too late…”
“So, the crimes you accuse the elves of are actually baseless?” Abyss interrupted the leech-man’s tirade.
Although terrified moments ago, the leech-man spoke of the elves’ supposed crimes with a fervent passion. Interrupted by Abyss, he paused for a long time before whispering, “Our elders have conclusive evidence, but we’re not allowed to see it casually…”
“Someone must be funding you, right? I guess you can’t steal much from the elves. Firstly, elves from the Elven Kingdoms rarely venture out, giving you few opportunities. Secondly, elves distributed in other countries are protected by local laws; you wouldn’t dare plunder too openly,” Abyss asked again.
“Maybe… but I don’t know…” the leech-man said quickly. “Please, let me go. I’ll wash my hands of this when I get back. I’ll never kill again… no, from now on, I’ll treat elves with the utmost respect. Elves are my grandfathers, okay?”
“You’re lying again, but it doesn’t matter this time because I’m sending you to the nearby cemetery for the elves to judge you. But before that, I need to do something unpleasant to you,” Abyss suddenly smiled. “Of course, it won’t be painful. I hope you’re not too scared.”
Amidst the leech-man’s desperate screams, Abyss manipulated his skull. Two tweezer-like bones grew from the inner wall, perfectly extracting the crystal from his brain without damaging it and pushing it out of the cranial cavity. Rebecca had wanted this earlier, and Abyss hadn’t forgotten.
Then, Abyss summoned an undead minion and sent the pathetic man to the nearby cemetery. Under Abyss’s illusion, no one noticed the deceased in the cemetery forming a court and judging the captured Iron Lily member.
The final verdict was very elven – the deceased (including several elves killed by the Iron Lilies) didn’t advocate for immediate execution, believing it insufficient to compensate for the harm and suffering he had caused. Instead, they voted on a solution: Flora would cast a permanent Penance spell on him, forcing him to live the rest of his life in endless remorse, using his remaining years to help elves and atone for his past crimes.
As the leech-man, weeping profusely after Flora cast the Divine Art, left, Rebecca returned from the nearby village. Abyss was still in the underground cavity, studying the Sacred Tree and chatting with the others.
“The elves didn’t vote to kill him? They still dislike the death penalty, as always,” Rebecca said lightly as she stepped into the cavity. “I’ve completely healed that girl. Although it wasn’t convenient to open my alchemy lab in front of them, thankfully Keshel is a source of medicinal herbs; they have everything. You don’t need to worry anymore.”
“It’s good the girl is alright. I really didn’t want any innocent people to get hurt because of us,” Abyss said, collecting the Sacred Tree’s sap with a fist-sized round-bottom flask and a dropper. “I’ve also got a better understanding of the Iron Lilies – basically a bunch of lunatics who get their kicks from bullying the weak. Such people are everywhere, but the Iron Lily members are just the more extreme ones. Elves aren’t weak, but their way of doing things makes them seem easy to bully.”
Rebecca asked, “Didn’t he say earlier that even if he was fine, his comrades would start searching for the Sage’s Blood and attacking elves? Does that mean their attacks might intensify in the coming days? Do you have any defense plans?”
“And Prodo might make a move soon too,” Abyss added, turning his head.
“Exactly. What are your thoughts?” Rebecca asked.
“It sounds a bit passive, but I plan to let the Druids handle this,” Abyss said unexpectedly. “And these next few days, I will wholeheartedly focus on finding a way to resurrect Agnes. I feel we can’t delay any longer, especially with the new threat of Prodo and my potential former martial siblings. You might also need to contribute these days – while ensuring your safety, of course. I’m still unsure about the abilities of the enemy Necromancers.”
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