Episode 4

---Elijah An Quers & Co. POV---

I already forgot how long I've become a slave, ever since my small old kingdom was defeated in the heat of wars, my own kin, my own race, my own family has thrown me under the wheel. This foolish self even willingly offers to be the sacrifice, just to save those who I once called beloved, at first I thought what I did was noble, selfless, and I as a Queen and a High Elven were supposed to do, but instead of honoring my selfless act, my own kind disowned me. Words saying I was weak, tyrant, foolish, selfish, and a harlot spreads to the whole world and this hideous rumor was spread by my own beloved.

I've become a slave, sold again and again, become toys for lust or torture for anyone who bought me. I've long cursed this long life of mine!, I despise this beauty of mine!, I cursed this world!, I cursed everything!!.

Each day's I hope someone will end my life yet death never come to me, 2 months ago I was sold to another slave trader, as usual, I was brought around to be sell, but as the slave caravan I was with were traveling to the Kingdom of Hallerus the caravan was robbed by Bandits, almost all the slaves were killed, even I was badly injured, I was brought over to their Keep and become their captive.

Here, I met with the others, Mina she's a Minotaurus, although she was the biggest amongst us, she was the most gentle and kind-hearted, and there's Bina, a Female Warrior Orc, she was fierce, get caught in the war as she was defeated in a death duel against Orc General. Amongst us, there's a unique girl Rafaela, a demi-human more accurate half human half Bird kin, unlike normal demi human she doesn't have feathers or beak on his physique, but she has beautiful pairs of wings on her back, which make her look like an angel, the last one was Andrea, a beautiful and wise human who was sold by her husband. All of us share a bond, we console each other, help each other, since we were bound to slavery by the slave magic, we can only cling to this measly hopes, hopefully, someday death will invite us.

A few weeks ago, the keep was under attack by a Nobles force, yet yesterday I've heard that the Nobles has been defeated and captured. Once again, the hopes of freedom were shattered, as if the disappointment wasn't enough, at night the bandits have come to us, to taint us. They savagely ravish whatever they can lay their hands on, the newly captured teenagers was their first victim, not enough with raping those girls, they beat them to death, As the girls died, they turned to me.

I loathed these animals! I hope they die!, God's! Demons! Whomever! Whatever!. Kill. This. Animals. Funny, even though I was always wanted to die, but Every time this kind of thing I happened, deep in my heart I always wanted to be saved.

< BBOOMM!! >

Suddenly the door was broken to pieces, all the bandits were shocked by it, and somebody came in. A Man, wearing weird black clothing, the man was stoic and firm. He was holding a black metal object, as he pointed towards the bandits, fires come out and the next instance the bandit's heads were blown off, just like that the bandit was killed.

He was strong, far stronger than anyone I've ever seen. In just a few seconds all the bandit was killed, cut into half without being able to shout or do anything to him. What I saw at that moment, feels as if a burden has been lifted, and hopes have finally come.

The man was silent; I can see his looking at us then look at the 2 dead girls. He doesn't say anything, he walks towards the girl's dead body and kicked the bandit corpse away. He then noticed me, his eyes were deep blue, his gaze was warm and gentle but at the same time it was frightening it was as if he can see right through my very soul, Suddenly he spoke to me.

"…So You're The Banished High Elven Queen Elijah An Quers…huh..…". (The Man)

The man's voice was calm and proud, though he just said a few words it's was enough to shake my very being. Because the language he spoke was the lost ancient language far older than High Elves and Dragons, I remember studying this language back when I was royalty, it was so difficult to master even Grand Scholar took 100 years just to learn to read their writings. I wasted 260 years just to learn and master them; I thought it's just a waste of time, who would've thought I heard them here. The entire world called them with many names the language of first, Language of Power, Words of Destroyer, Language of The Origin, but all of them were the same thing, which it can only be spoken by the wisest, the strongest and the brightest amongst the living, The True Language of High Human.

There's a famous saying that goes like this "Behold o Mortals, for our Tongue and hand, we gave you wisdom and power, share it amongst you, learn it, master them and the world of magic will be yours." But amongst the wisest and sweet saying left by High Humans there also a famous saying which scares everyone, "For those who heard us and spoke our tongue, remember! Be respectful, Be humble, Be Noble, for Us, we despise discourteously, Remember we are the one who breaks the continent to pieces, we are the first to burn the seas, For our Language able to save the world, Believe that We High Humans can bring disaster to it.". Although they were already gone from Fantasma, the Legend of High Humans and its marks stays, never in my mind, a real-life High Humans was standing in front of me.

"….I know you can hear me, woman…".

What he said woke me up from my daze; I can't believe I was being disrespectful towards a High Human. Still, I wasn't able to move; also I was showing a shameful sight of myself. I can only close my eyes and answer him.

"O Great Master, this lowly being…Wouldn't dare to be disrespectful towards you, O great High Humans…Please forgive this lowly Slave…".

I can only muster a few words, the man still standing before me, showing a complicated look by scrunching his brows.

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"(T.A.S …how does she knows I'm a High Human?.. didn't you say that I'm the only High Human in this world?..)".

(Yes, you are the only High Human in this world…at this time though…actually High Human do exist in the Past, and all of them were just like you…more accurately your stats, not the origin. As for how she knows, it's because you speak a True High Human language…which was considered a lost language now…).

"(So that means I've been speaking a lost Language the whole time?..)".

( Yes. aside from me, the only one who can understand you is that High Elven…As a high Human you can understand any languages, but you can only speak High Humans for now…which almost no one can understand…but, Don't worry you can still speak any languages…as long as you study them..).

Now that I know I can't communicate easily, I guess this will hinder my plans to exploit the Duke's. Wait! These slaves will be Master-less if I killed all the Bandits right?, By the way, because of me all of them will be saved, should I use them?.

(Sir, actually all the slaves in this keep already become part of the reward for completing the hidden quest++, even if you force them, they have no choice but to follow your order…the only thing that makes the difference was if you act along and try to show that you help them, their Loyalty parameter will easily increase, but if you force them and treat them like how the bandit does, the parameter will drop..)

So, the reward systems were actually implied like this, it was given in real-time instead of things just simply falls from the sky like games. Looks like the only one who can understand me was this Ex-Queen, it seems that I have to revise my plans a little bit; I guess it's better to flush out all the Bandits first.

"O Great Lord!.... Please wait!…". ( Elijah An Quers)

As I was about to leave the room, Elijah An Quers called me. I turned and looked at her, who's now being a help to sit by a Minotaurus woman named Mina; she seems pretty serious by the look of it.

"Great Lord, i know we slave isn't deserved of your

kindness….but…please, help us…free us from this misery....please!!, I'm not asking for myself ...t for my fellow slaves, they were still young.. Release t and for that.. Although it wasn't much, i would gladly give my life for you O great Lord…".

With pleading tears, I can feel that she finally throws her last strips of honor for this demand. Actually, she doesn't have to say it, I was actually about to do it.

"...Then stay put,…no one can leave the room until I came back…".

It would be messy if they start running and making sounds before I handle all the Bandits though. After saying what I want, I leave the room and headed for the top floor.

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-Elijah An Quers & Co. POV-

"Sister Elijah, what were you saying to that man?...and why is he killing all the Bandits??..".(Mina)

All the ladies start to circle around Elijah, as the man silently left. The man's action was weird and it's worried them, as the only one who spoke to him was Elijah.

"Don't worry…that man is the one who will save all of us...I know he will…".( Elijah)

She smiled at the ladies, but for some reason, the others can feel that it wasn't that simple. They all know that she probably tried to save all the slaves and them by sacrificing herself, they know that this kind-hearted Elf was always like that, that's why deep in their hearts they decided to stay together with her if what they thought was true.

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THIRD FLOOR

(Sir there's 7 Target's on this floor, 3 were on the hallway and 4 inside the Center room. My suggestion is to lure the guards first from the door before going inside the Center room. )

"..Fuck that, I'm going in now…".

There's no need to go safe now, now that I know what my full capabilities were, I confident that I can handle this bunch of barbaric bandits. If they actually got any fighting skills, probably I will be more careful, but based on my observation these guys were just a little bit stronger than average people and as to why they managed to become notorious is due to their numbers and their savageness.

As soon as I step in the hallway, I aim my muffled SCAR-H rifle towards the 3 guards who are nonchalantly standing in front of the doors by the end of the hallway. Like always, the destructive power of modern weapon never ceases to disappoint me, the 3 guard's falls effortlessly as the bullets drill through their body. Not stopping, I hasten my steps and closing on the door, as was about 2 meters away from the door, it suddenly opens.

"Be Quiet will ya?!!..<BUUKKK!!>….< CRASH!! >…".

"Huh?!!…< PPSSHHUPPP! >…..AAARRGGGHHHHH!!!…".

The angry unlucky bandit who opens the door received the full strength of my punch, sending him flying into the room and crash to the wall at the end of the room. Inside the room there are another 3 men who were sitting comfortably, discussing something. Barging into the room, I aim at all of them and open fire. Instead of going for the killing, I purposely shot their knees and body; I want them alive for my plans. The whole action only last for 40 seconds, I picked up all of them and tie them up to the chairs then stuff their mouths with dirty rags, I lined them up in a single line before me, it's easy to do as, all of them have already fainted. I also used [Identify] on all of them.

The 1st Man was actually the One Snakes Bandit their 'Snake Head Norton, 2nd Was One Snakes Number 3 'Venomous spit Pungi', 3rd man was One Snakes Vice leader 'Rattlesnake Loise', and the most surprising amongst all of them was the 4th man, Baron Larson Medika a noble of the Hallerus Kingdom and retainer of Duke Merrica Murr.

"(Hmmmm...i smells conspiracy in here..….anyway…T.A.S which one is the slave's contract holder?..)".

(The 3rd man from your left. All you have to do was put your hand on the slave master mark on his left chest, to make sure that the marker was transferred to you as you kill him. ).

Just like what T.A.S said Rattlesnake Loise really do have a tattoo on his left chest, the tattoo looks like a tribal hand that was bound by a chain, I put my left hand on the tattoo, and put my gun on his temple then pulled the trigger. A few seconds has passed, yet I felt absolutely nothing but there's a difference on my body, a Sakura flower tattoo appears on my forehands, it looks neat and kinda to my liking actually.

(The Slaves Ownership of 20 Slaves has been transferred successfully. The loyalty of All slaves has been set to 70% (Loyal/ Beloved/Trusted), Congratulations Sir. )

"Thanks…Looks like, I already got free workers now…...time to put that Ex-Queen to work..".

Since the base was practically cleared already, aside from the 2 wardens in the basement. Wait, I can use those 2, yes I can use them. After fully secured the 3 captives, I left the room after throwing all the bandit dead bodies out to the Courtyard.