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n

n—Meanwhile, Igelto looked around the auction house in a stupor.

nIt occurred to him that he didn’t know what he was doing in this mess. He wanted to get out of this place just like everyone else, but he didn’t move because of what Serina had said.

n-There could be a noisy situation. Don’t leave the auction house and hide in a deserted place.

nAs if she had foreseen this situation.

nA tumultuous event unfolded as she said.

nSuddenly, humans in armor-clad colorful costumes and took the attendees by force.

nMany slaves escaped in the ensuing confusion.

nIgelto wondered if he should join the group, but he decided to trust Serina and wait.

nAlthough this decision might hold him back, he decided to remain steadfast in his dangerous decision.

nStupidly.

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n

nHe looked down at his wrist. A blue bracelet, to be exact.

nHe hid behind a curtain and waited for the screams to cease.

nIgelto crouched down and blocked his ears with his shaking hands.

nNevertheless, he pretended that he could not hear the sound.

nEven so, he heard everything but pretended he didn’t

n‘What am I doing?’

nIgelto laughed at himself.

nEven when faced with such a situation, his curiosity was ignited, and he could only lament.

nIgelto had been curious since he was a child. His personality was to pursue something until he could solve his curiosity–until the end.

nIt was that trait of his that got him into so much trouble.

nFor instance, he has long been interested in the human race.

nThe elves say that the human race was greedy, selfish, and evil.

nMany are extremely disgusted with humans, not only because of the incident from 30 years ago but also from before then.

nGreedy humans had long ago earned the distrust of elves, who valued their clear conscience.

nThere was often discord between Elves and humans.

nElves insisted on justice regardless of power and status, while humans only spoke of profit with gilded tongues and horrible actions.

nIgelto was curious.

nWhy are human interests so different from the values of elves?

nHe wanted to explore the human world. There were so many things in the world he is ignorant of..

nSo, Igelto secretly escaped the barrier between the Elf and the human world late one night.

nAnd he was immediately captured by a slaver.

nIgelto’s gleaming eyes, which sparkled beautifully with a curiosity of the world, have long since died.

nLike the stars shining in the sky die after their lifetime.

nBut Igelto’s life was a little faster than the myriad of stars in the sky.

nIt had been a while since his eyes had dimmed, and saw the beauty in everything.

nHe was too jaded and knew too much to have those shining eyes again.

nStill, he didn’t know why elves and humans were so different and where the human’s greed came from.

nIn the end, Igelto was convinced it was simply their nature.

nBut, ·····. Serina. Why did her words sway me?

nIf she had wrapped her words with glib expressions, it would be somewhat convincing to understand why I decided to believe in that human being.

nBut she didn’t bother to be shrewd.

nThere was never a human I believed in. So this was even more strange.

nIt was then when I was hiding my body and pondering over my dilemma.

nThe curtain I was hiding behind rolled up abruptly.

n“You……! Elf!”

nA nobleman wearing a white mask shouted.

nHe approached me cautiously, afraid of tipping off the knights.

nI backed up and ran into the wall.

nSurprised, Igelto glanced behind him. The masked man, in that very moment, savagely grabbed him by the hair.

n“Let! Go!” “Ugh……!”

nIgelto was being dragged away.

n“Let me go… Human!”

n“You’re too noisy! I’m going to take you–“

nWhen Igelto struggled, the man smashed his face into the ground.

nIgeltio’s body, lacking energy, collapsed powerlessly.

n“*Cough*···! *Gag*!”

nThe man brutally kicked Igelto’s stomach relentlessly.

nIgelto, struggling with overwhelming pain, lost the will to fight.

nHow much more miserable must I be?

nIn the past, I would have done anything–whether it was shouting, punching or kicking–to get out of this situation.

nBut now Igelto couldn’t find the strength to rebel.

nAfter being brought here by the slavers, he was thoroughly educated by cruel overseers.

nHis body has long forgotten how to rebel.

n“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

nThe man in the white mask screamed and shrieked painfully.

nAt the same time, the ruthless violence ceased.

nIgelto opened his closed eyes to see what had happened.

nThe man’s hand was on fire.

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n

nIgelto’s eyes were wide open, surprised at the sudden fire.

nWhen the man in the white mask struggled, the fire struck Igelto.

nIgelto cried at the burning pain.

nThe hot flames started to swallow him as well.

n“Save me! Save me! Water! Water right now……! Somebody bring water!”

nThe man gave Igelto a cursing look as he was dying by the flames.

nThe man cried out for help to the end, and the raucous havoc buried he pleas in the auction house.

nIgelto quietly closed his eyes.

nAlthough there was terrible pain, I thought I could rest comfortably.

nI never thought that death could be a haven…

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