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Chapter 49: Collar
── “Elves”
They were a race with a lifespan seven times longer than that of humans and possessed extremely high magical aptitude.
A certain passage in a book described them as a “race blessed by the spirits.” While they had abilities that far surpassed humans, elves also had fatal weaknesses.
One such weakness was their lack of reproductive ability.
Some scholars speculated that this was a drawback of their longevity, as they could only have children once every three years during their breeding season.
In addition, there was no such thing as an “Elf Country.” They were divided into several tribes and formed settlements in various parts of the Isprit Forest to live.
While some tribes were friendly and had members who traveled to human countries, from the perspective of the elven race, such individuals were considered “eccentric.”
Most tribes were closed off, and there was no interaction with humans. However, because elves were often beautiful, they were highly valued by humans in many ways.
As a result, it was not uncommon for them to be kidnapped. If an elf was spotted in the Myrstia Kingdom, they were most likely a slave.
No matter how excellent their abilities were, elves could not surpass humans in “quantity.” In most cases, they had no choice but to accept their fate.
Most elves were moderate, but there were also those who held extremist views and did not like their position as a weaker race in the eyes of others.
──The terrorist organization “Vritra”
In ancient times, this organization, named after the evil dragon that was said to have covered the world, was working towards the ultimate goal of establishing an independent state for the elves.
“What about the flute?”
“Sorry
 Arthur. I hired humans to search for it, but they haven’t found it yet. I was watching the battle from a distance, but I think there’s a high possibility that the ice dragon swallowed the flute.”
“I see. You’ve gone through a lot of trouble, Marius. But that dark magic
 that’s not something that humans should be able to handle.”
“I thought the same thing. There were rare cases of humans who could manifest rare attributes, but I wonder if there was anyone who had that much power
 especially a newborn baby who had only been born for a dozen or so years.”
The leader of Vritra, “Arthur,” pondered. There was only one thing that elves were inferior to humans in, and that was numbers. Numbers were the only absolute difference that could not be overturned.
So, if they could overcome that, there would be nothing that elves would be inferior to humans in.
And what they created was the magical tool “Flute of Domination,” which could dominate and manipulate monsters. If they were content with the current situation, humans would continue to become more and more insolent.
That’s why, at times, they don’t hesitate to use military force against humans.
“Well, that magic will self-destruct if anyone other than elves uses it. Even if it fell into the hands of humans, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
“
Yeah, that’s true.”
“What’s wrong? If you have something on your mind, let me know.”
“No
there’s no particular reason, but I have a bad feeling about that human.”
“I feel the same way. He seems to be liked by the spirits, so we should be careful. Your intuition is usually spot-on.”
“Why would the spirits like such a human
”
“That’s not it, Marius. The spirits are just here with us. They don’t have any ulterior motives.”
“You’re right
sorry.”
The magic tool “Flute of Domination” was not yet complete. While improvements had been made to it, allowing for the control of even stronger magical creatures, it had not yet reached the desired level of permanent domination they sought.
Only when that became possible would they truly begin to move.
“
”
However, Arthur had only one concern. It was still only an uncertain possibility and voicing it would only cause anxiety among his fellow brethren. Therefore, he kept his mouth shut.
(
Dark magic, huh?)
For now, he would keep this concern to himself.
But the worst-case scenario must be avoided. He needed to observe the situation and act swiftly when necessary.
The young elf gazed into the distance for a moment before beginning to contemplate something else.
In order to fulfill his, no, their long-cherished desire

“I will definitely!! Definitely forge a sword that is worthy of Luke-sama!! With my soul on the line!!”
“I see. I’m looking forward to it, Dalkin.”
“Uhh
 uwoooon!”
“
Don’t cry over everything, it’s unbecoming. Well then, see you later.”
I quickly left the blacksmith’s shop because I had a feeling that I would be bothered even more if I stayed any longer.
Zach wasn’t around either. So I didn’t want any trouble to come.
“He’s such a noisy human. If you’re not interested, I’ll
”
“For once, stop trying to kill everyone you see.”
The ice dragon, or rather Dia, who spoke to me, has been like that. And as such, I easily predicted what she was trying to say without hearing her out completely.
“You move in a way that’s convenient for yourself. That’s where the benefit lies, you understand?”
“
 Uh, ha, yes
! That’s right
!”
“
”
This girl just doesn’t understand it at all.
Well, that can’t be helped. Our values as living beings are just different.
I gave up on trying to make her understand and then just decided to walk back to my mansion.
Nevertheless, the ecology of dragons is truly interesting.
Their ability to freely change their body size and the abilities she showed at the blacksmith were fascinating.
They were able to freely grow and replace their scales, claws, and fangs. That’s why I understood why she didn’t feel any fear from my words.
“──Dark Collar.”
“Hue!? W-w-what is this!?”
“
Kukuku, didn’t I tell you? I’m testing my magic.”
Just as my mansion came into view, I activated my magic without warning. At that moment, a collar made of condensed darkness appeared around Dia’s neck.
Watching her panic a little was satisfying. However,
“I-i-it hurts
!? It hurts, doesn’t it!? Uwaaaaah, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it──”
“
Hey.”
“I hate it! I don’t want to be in pain anymore! Uwaaaaaann──”
“
”
Dia began to cry out uncontrollably, immediately making me feel depressed. I was in a complete panic. Wait, is this my fault
?

Huh? Why am I the one to blame? It was this dragon who attacked us, and I just defended myself. I didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, I should be thanked for sparing her life.
“
Calm down. It won’t hurt.”
“Really
?”
But I can’t let this go on like this. I have to calm Dia down.
“Go to the backyard. We’ll try it there.”
“
Yes.”
We arrived at my mansion and went straight to the backyard without going inside. Dia looked uneasy and seemed about to cry again.
“Listen. You and I have a contract. As a result, you can feel the invisible connection between us, right?”
“
Yes.”
“I thought I could use it. My ‘Darkness’ magic steals mana. Using this connection, I should be able to take your magic no matter how far away you are. The magic that serves as the starting point for this is called the ‘Dark Collar.’ Do you understand it, even with your deficient brain?”
” 
So, I won’t feel any pain, just my mana being drained from now on
 is that right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“
I understand.”
“
”
Sigh
 This is exhausting. But this is an interesting magic. If it succeeds, I’ll be able to control ‘Ice’ magic in addition to ‘Darkness’.
Well, let’s hope it succeeds.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes
”
She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, trying to endure the pain. I couldn’t believe that Dia, the disrespectful dragon, didn’t trust my words that it won’t hurt at all.
I focused my consciousness, and I could definitely feel Dia’s magic power. All I had to do was to take it away from her.
“── Uh”
Through the connection established by the contract, Dia’s magic power flowed into me.
“Kuku
 Hahahaha!! As expected, I’ve── Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Haa
haa
”
Dia, who had been flapping her wings in the air, suddenly fell to the ground. She seemed to be struggling to breathe.
I had only taken a little bit of her magic power. What was going on?
“Dia, are you in pain?”
“This sensation
 I love it
 more
 please
 do it more
”
“────.”
Suddenly, I had a strong sense of déjà vu.
Who’s was it again? Ah, wait, I know the answer.
──”Say more
 haa-haa
insult me more
haa
”
“
 Alice.”
Yes, it was Alice.
Wasn’t this scene exactly like the night when Alice transformed for the first time? What was going on? Why was this happening to her too?
No, I couldn’t ignore the connection. Wasn’t this related to the “nature of those who possess the attribute of ice” rather than it being my fault?
Yes, it must be. It must be.
It would be interesting to study the relationship between the “attribute magic” and the “disposition” that the person possesses.
I should proceed with the study based on the four basic attributes. “Ice” is a derivative of “water”.
If so, does that mean that everyone who possesses water-based attribute magic has this kind of temperament hidden in them?
Then what about Mia, who has “Lightning”? And Yolande, who possessed a special attribute?
—Why the h**l am I even thinking?
“Sigh
”
I looked up at the sky and sighed deeply, still listening to Dia’s rough breathing.
Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Alice in a while. I wonder how she’s doing now.