Chapter 402: Humans Adapt Quickly
"...And so... hic, with the help of the Demon King’s Army orcs who were advancing nearby... we were able to survive the witch... hic!"
Sola finished her story in tears. The other dark elves behind her wept silently, their faces heavy with grief. Marquis Leo covered his face with his hand and lamented inwardly.
There was no evidence. It was nothing but the elves’ one-sided claim. But the circumstances spoke for themselves.
There was exactly one piece of evidence. Evidence plain as day, visible even to Marquis Leo’s own eyes.
"Their skin color is the evidence, Marquis."
"...."
Could it actually be that they’d gotten involved with orcs? The thought briefly crossed Marquis Leo’s mind, but the idea of elves being intimate with orcs was, by his common sense, an utterly unthinkable delusion.
It was hard to believe, but it was more plausible than the outlandish alternative. The witch Levis had raped four elves and turned them into dark elves.
’A windfall for them, perhaps.’
The Demon King’s Army surely hadn’t set out to rescue the elves.
It was logically sound that they had simply sent forces to capture Levis, only to join hands with the elves after witnessing the atrocity she committed.
No matter how much demons loved violating humans, they wouldn’t witness a human violating elves and then gleefully assault the elves in turn.
’But no matter how I look at it, this story has too many holes.’
Should he believe it, or shouldn’t he?
Marquis Leo had to make a decision caught between experience, prejudice, and circumstantial evidence. Should he believe the elves and apologize as a representative of humanity? Or, following Levis’s account, brand the elves as traitors who had consorted with monsters and betrayed humankind?
"The Queen took us in despite our corruption... sob...!"
Fat tears rolled down Sola’s cheeks. The transparent droplets soaking into the red carpet were steeped in sorrow and anguish.
"I apologize once more. I don’t represent all of humanity, but as one of its people, I offer my sincerest apologies."
In the end, Marquis Leo bowed once more. Nifela signaled to the dark elves, now drowning in tears, and the Cream Elves at their side led them out of the reception room.
"Understood. The one at fault is the witch, after all."
In the end, the only elves remaining were Nifela and the large-breasted elf guarding her side. Even at a glance, the guard appeared to possess formidable skill.
"Elder."
The elf woman handed Nifela a note. Nifela’s expression hardened briefly after reading it, then she turned her gaze to Marquis Leo.
"A message from the Elf Queen. Although we have formed an alliance with the Demon King’s Army, the elves have no desire to fight the entire human alliance. We cannot condemn all of humanity for the sins of one person."
"Thank you."
"However."
Nifela reached into her clothing with a stern expression and produced something. On the table she placed the Goddess Church’s emblem, caked in blood.
"The Goddess Church alone we cannot forgive. In opposition to the wicked conspiracy that falsely invoked divine authority and sought to drive elves to their deaths, the elves have sworn to wage war against the Goddess Church. In the name of the Goddess."
"....Pardon?"
Marquis Leo was genuinely stunned.
"The Goddess has bestowed an oracle upon the Elf Queen. She said that those who truly believe in and follow her should prove it through divine power. That she can no longer abide false prophets usurping her will and blaspheming against her."
"Th-That’s...?!"
"The elves will fight alongside the Demon King’s Army until the Goddess Church falls. This has already been agreed upon with the Demon King’s Army. Until the deeply rooted source of evil within the Goddess Church is eradicated, the elves will stand and fight alongside the Demon King’s Army. Even if that means standing against the human alliance. This is...."
Bang.
Nifela slammed her palm on the table and rose to her feet. The sheer force of her presence silenced the marquis’s people, silenced the humans.
"A holy war to make the Goddess’s true will known."
The elves had declared war not on humanity, but on the Goddess Church.
***
[At that moment, Spica Castle of the former Barony, now Raspica.]
"Mister, quit drooling all over the place-ras."
"I’m not drooling, I just want to talk for a sec...."
"I know my voice sounds like this, but I’m a guy-ras."
"Aaaagh!!"
They say humans are creatures of adaptation. The humans who survived their encounters with monsters gradually blended into the legion before long.
"God damn it! Why do all the Andras look exactly the freakin’ same!"
"Just check their chests-ras."
"They’re all bundled up. How am I supposed to tell?"
"Look at the beaks carefully-ras. If you really can’t tell ’em apart, just go with a harpy-ras. I guarantee, Andras or harpy, same pussy-ras."
"...That so?"
The man wiped his nose and turned on his heel. The Andras, who had suddenly become the object of the man’s advances, sheepishly picked up its spear and went back to guard duty.
"Well, I’ll be."
The young man scratched his head with a hollow laugh. Just a month ago, everyone had been in shock over monsters assaulting humans, but now some humans were going out of their way to hit on the monsters themselves.
"They’re just roaming around without a care in the world...."
Those looking to get with monsters were hardly few. The humans continued living their lives within the castle walls just as before; monsters had simply mixed in among the residents.
"Hey there, pretty harpy. Wanna lay some eggs?"
"Oh my. Are you asking me for Ras right now?"
A sleazy-looking man winked at a harpy flying overhead. The harpy, who had been carrying food supplies, excused herself from her companions and descended to the ground.
"Excuse me, Mr. Orc! What do you like?"
"I like training. It’s the only way to protect what matters."
"Then would you like to... train with me in bed?"
"...If it’s training, I can’t refuse."
The innocent-faced woman linked arms with the broad-shouldered orc and disappeared down a secluded alley.
The young man, who had been sitting by the fountain in the square observing the daily life of the castle’s residents, blankly raised his head and gazed up at the sky.
"Broad daylight and everyone’s just screwing left and right...."
"It’s different from sex, you know."
A passing high elf corrected him with a pouty face. Among the already rare elves within the city, there was only one high elf with particularly pointed ears.
"Ras, you see, is an act overflowing with love and happiness. It’s totally different from just mindlessly going at it out of lust. When you share a sense of emotional fulfillment with each other, physical pleasure naturally follows."
"Is that why you’re always having Ras with the Legion Commander at all hours?"
"Yes! Because I love Master!"
The high elf proudly shouted it right in the middle of the square. Every passerby’s attention snapped to her, and residents stopped in their tracks at the unusual, rarely seen outfit she wore.
A white blouse and black skirt. Black stockings reaching almost to the top of her thighs. A black jacket over the blouse. And a dark green necktie running down its center.
"What kind of outfit is that supposed to be?"
"Oh, this is called a school uniform!"
The high elf made a V-sign with both hands and grinned sheepishly. The young man clutched his head in frustration.
"I hate myself for understanding what that outfit is for...."
"Oh my. The girls told me about you, and you really are clever. No wonder Eila had her eye on you. With that in mind, have you thought about working at the castle?"
"Huh?"
The young man’s ears perked up at the high elf’s words.
"Y-You mean the castle...?"
"Raspica Castle, of course. The Baroness is recruiting retainers."
"The Baroness...."
The young man gulped. Just a few months ago, he’d been jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else badmouthing the baroness, but the current Baroness of Virgo was like a saintly angel to the residents.
"Our legion wants to leave territorial management to the humans, you know. Since this is where humans live."
"U-Um. Can I ask you something?"
The young man swallowed hard and asked quietly.
"...If I serve well as a retainer, can I go there?"
"There?"
"Ras Vegas."
"...Hehe."
The high elf smirked.
"Even if you want to come to Ras Vegas, you won’t get in without some serious skills~"
"I-I can do it!"
"I know you’re good. The girls told me. But being good in bed alone won’t get you into Ras Vegas. If that’s all you can do, you’ll just get sent to the ranch. You need skills that can actually contribute to the legion..."
Aaaaagh!!
A man’s scream rang out from somewhere. The high elf immediately spun around and dashed toward the source, and the young man scrambled after her.
"My arm!! It’s tearing, it’s tearing apart!!"
At the end of the alley, two women were pulling a man’s arms in opposite directions. Both of them tugging at him were human women.
"L-Lady Lune!!"
"Oh my. Isn’t that Jack?"
"Y-Yes, it’s [Rapid-Fire Jack]. More importantly, Lady Lune, please calm these people down."
Rapid-Fire Jack gestured at both sides with his eyes, begging for rescue. The two women clinging to his arms looked so alike they could have been twins.
"What’s going on here?"
"This man is mine!"
"No, Lady Elf! He’s mine!"
"Aha."
The high elf clapped her hands, immediately grasping the situation.
"Got caught two-timing, huh!"
"That’s not it!"
"Then why are two women latched onto you?"
"Th-That’s because...."
Flutter. Rapid-Fire Jack fluttered the wings spread behind his back. His pupils were vertically slit.
"Draconian humans aren’t exactly common, so they said they could have Ras with me without any resistance...."
"L-Lady Elf! We’re having Ras out of love! We’re absolutely not doing it by force!"
"Then what’s the problem?"
"...We were fighting over who gets to go first."
Both women blushed at the same time and turned their heads. The high elf pressed her palm to her forehead as if nursing a headache.
"U-Um."
"What?"
The young man who had followed the high elf pushed his slipping glasses back up and spoke.
"I have a good solution."
"Oh, really? But it’s too late now."
Whrrrrr.
A birdman with enormous wings, Harpy Aello, arrived above the alley, beating her steel wings.
"I already called the cops."
***
[Raspica Castle, courtroom.]
"Twin sisters in a lovers’ quarrel over a single man, right in the middle of the street. A most lamentable affair."
The potbellied orc seated in the center chair of the courtroom fondled the breasts of Baroness Virginia Virgo, whom he’d seated on his lap, as he addressed the accused.
"What does the Baroness think?"
The orc licked the baroness’s cheek. The baroness, stripped bare and rocking her hips face-to-face atop the orc, swapped tongues with him as she pleaded.
"I’ll let you finish quick, so... please, show them mercy...."
""Baroness...!""
The twin sisters hung their heads with heavy faces. Because of their greediness, the baroness had to work her hips on top of the orc once again.
"Hrmmm. Considering the crime you committed, I’d love to send you straight to the ranch, but I’ll hold back for the sake of the baroness’s pussy. I shall now pass judgment upon you."
Slap, slap, slap. The orc smacked the baroness’s rear three times with his palm to draw attention.
"You sisters are hereby sentenced to ’synthesis.’ If the two of you are synthesized into one, you can both have your first time at once."
"What?"
Terror filled the twin sisters’ eyes. And at the same time, the bespectacled young man the high elf had brought along went rigid.
"Well then, counselor. If you have any objections to this judge’s ruling, speak now. Let’s start the defense before the baroness finishes."
Thwack, thwack thwack thwack.
"Haa, haa, hngh!"
The baroness clung to the orc and began to pant. The young man, whose mouth had gone completely dry, quickly shouted:
"These two are innocent! The real criminal is that draconian!"
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because he’s so good in bed that he made the twin sisters want him at the same time! If the sisters are guilty of anything, it’s being attracted to a draconian carrying your blood!"
The young man had no idea what he was saying even as the words left his mouth. The orc burst into roaring laughter and grabbed the baroness’s rear with both hands.
"Human, what is your name?"
"Salem."
"Right, Salem. Then let us charge the draconian instead. How about splitting his cock in half? That way he can fairly do them both at the same time."
Salem the young man gulped and gathered his thoughts. Realizing this was a test the orc was giving him, he offered one answer.
"Please impose a different punishment."
"And what would that be?"
"Blindfold the convict. Then place the sisters on either side of him. And whoever he goes into first is decided fairly, by whichever direction his shaft curves."
"Bwahahaha! Now that’s one hell of a sentence."
"Hnngaaah!!"
The orc slapped the baroness’s rear three times. At the sudden stimulation, the baroness threw her head back and screamed in climax.
"Send the convicts to the ’Room You Can’t Leave Without Having Ras.’ And carry out the sentence exactly as stated."
"Understood-ras."
The Andras guards led the convicts away. The orc lovingly stroked the panting baroness’s hair as he spoke to Salem.
"So. You’re the one behind the ’elf triple kill,’ are you?"
"What?"
"Nothing. I was just curious who managed to get those elite Cream Elves hooked on humans."
Salem hung his head. Behind the orc’s chair, three Cream Elves he knew all too well were snickering and giving him a thumbs-up.
"Salem. Congratulations."
The orc spread his arms wide.
"Welcome to the legion. I am the dictator of love who spreads the will of Ras, Legion Commander of Wrath, Rok."
Splurt. The trial concluded with the sound of the orc’s climax.