Scroll 63: Pocket Bleeding
The elf’s gaze fell on Elise. She looked so helpless, so utterly desperate, her face washed in tears, that Alaster felt a genuine pang in his heart.
"You bastards!" he spat, his voice heavy with disdain. "Real brave against women and children, aren't you?"
Alaster's mana surged all at once. Standing in that ruined yard right on the pathway to the entrance, his iridescent irises shimmered brightly. The ambient temperature plunged ten degrees in a single beat.
The bodyguards halted in their tracks, overwhelmed by the elf's terrifying presence. The threat was plain to see, but his sudden appearance left them momentarily paralyzed.
"What are you waiting for?!" Nomec shrieked, completely out of his mind. "Kill that mage! Before he casts something! Hurry!"
The merchant's mind was racing. He weighed the situation in a flash: «At least he’s a mage. Up close, he won't have time to cast spells.»
At their boss's command, five warriors charged forward. Alaster unsheathed his blade just as the first attacker swung a lethal strike straight at his neck.
CLANG!
Steel clashed against steel with brutal force. The elf felt the raw impact vibrate up his arm and had to step back to catch his balance. «Shit! These guys have to be at least level forty!»
The attacking warrior staggered back in surprise. He hadn't expected a mage—even an elf—to hold his ground against a direct blow. Losing no time, he unleashed another vicious slash, but this time his blade hit an invisible wall.
[Magic Shield: -150 MP]
The warrior's sword bounced off a translucent barrier, sending him stumbling backward. The other mercenaries rushed in without hesitation, but Alaster, safe behind his barrier, merely smirked. He raised his off-hand.
"Let's see if this teaches you thugs to stop harassing the ladies."
The dirt beneath the bodyguards' boots rapidly turned to frost. The men noticed it, but chose to push through to maintain their momentum. The closest attacker activated a skill—his blade ignited with a reddish glow before he launched into a powerful leap that cracked the ground. He landed, slamming his full weight against the barrier.
BANG!
The magic shield flared violently as shockwaves rippled across its surface. It absorbed the blow, but visible fractures spread across the barrier.
"Now that looks dangerous," Alaster muttered. "Too bad I have a shield."
That very second, a massive spike of solid ice erupted from the frozen earth beneath the men rushing in behind him. Two warriors were caught dead-on; one was impaled straight through the torso by the jagged spire. Blood immediately stained the crystal-white ice as the surrounding attackers were sent flying by the lateral impact, hitting the dirt with agonizing groans.
Alaster dismissed the ten-foot barrier. Though cracked, it remained firm while he fed mana into it to repair the damage.
"Is that all you've got? Typical... you can only handle little girls and women."
Enraged by the elf's taunt, the lead warrior surged forward, charging up a fresh skill. Alaster felt a brief flash of alarm and threw up his barrier, but the man leaped unnaturally high, cleared the shield entirely, and landed directly behind him. He unleashed a blue arc of energy that tore through the air like thunder.
CLACK!
The shield repositioned itself at an impossible speed, intercepting the blade at the absolute last millisecond. It held firm against the onslaught, and the sheer force of the rebound threw the warrior onto his back, leaving him gasping for air. As the man scrambled to rise, the elf made a subtle flick of his wrist without even turning around: an ice spear materialized out of thin air and drove straight through the warrior's shoulder, pinning him motionless to the ground.
The men groaning on the dirt tried to push themselves up. Alaster fixed them with a ice-cold glare and clenched his fist. Two new ice spears materialized at his sides and shot forward on his command. They slammed into the remaining attackers, rolling them across the dirt; though the ice didn't pierce their heavy armor, the sheer blunt impact rendered them completely out of commission.
Alaster turned a furious gaze toward the last two guards. Each held a hostage with his free hand: one held Elise, and the other her younger brother. Their mother had retreated inside the shack.
"Don't move!" one threatened, pressing the edge of his blade against the archer's neck. His partner mirrored the gesture, threatening the young boy. "Drop the sword, elf!"
Alaster watched them in silence for a second. Instead of complying, he casually sauntered toward the merchant, who happened to be much closer to him than to his own bodyguards.
"What are you doing?! Protect me, you idiots!" Nomec shrieked.
Alaster casually rested the tip of his blade right against the fat man's chest.
"Drop your weapons... or I'll carve a second blowhole in this whale."
By now, a crowd of onlookers had gathered in the street to watch the spectacle unfold.
"What happened here?" an old man asked a passerby.
"Not sure, but looks like those thugs attacked that family and the elf stepped in."
"Hey, isn't that fat Nomec?" another resident chimed in. "The loan shark?"
Nearby, a young woman whispered to her friend, "Look how handsome that elf is..."
Her friend giggled shyly.
THUD!
The guard holding Elise suddenly collapsed flat on his face. A second later, his partner suffered the exact same fate.
THUMP!
Alaster glanced behind them: Syrus had slipped up silently from behind and knocked both men cold with a couple of precise strikes. Meanwhile, Pina was desperately trying to haul down the warrior impaled on the ice pillar, hopping up and down in a futile attempt to reach him.
Elise checked her brother to make sure he was safe, then locked her eyes on Nomec with pure hatred. The merchant flinched in terror as he saw her advancing with steady, purposeful steps. Alaster lowered his blade and glanced at the tank.
"I had it under control," the elf said.
"Of course you did..." Syrus grinned.
Alaster walked over to the ice pillar and delivered a swift kick, collapsing the structure onto the ground along with the man pinned atop it, who was now unconscious or dead.
Elise seized Nomec by the collar of his silk jacket just as the fat man tried to scramble backward to flee.
"Not so fast, Master Nomec. We haven't settled the debt yet," the girl said, sporting a smile that didn't look friendly in the slightest.
"What in the blazes is going on here?!" a loud voice bellowed.
Alaster looked away from Pina—who was already trying to cast healing magic on the wounded—and looked toward the crowd, which was parting to make way for Norde.
The town mayor took in the scene: seven men laid out on the dirt, the shack surrounded by ice structures, and the slender blonde archer gripping a wealthy merchant with a sinister expression. In the middle of it all, the elf stood with absolute tranquility.
Norde took a deep breath and addressed the curious onlookers:
"Everyone back to your business!" he commanded, raising his voice. "Nothing to see here!"
The crowd began to disperse with disappointed murmurs: "Something good finally happens and they ruin it," "Party pooper," "I wanted to see how it ended."
Norde shook his head with a suppressed smile.
"There will be an official statement later. Move along!" he feigned irritation.
Once the street cleared, the mayor walked up to Alaster. Nearby, Pina was muttering healing chants while Syrus dragged the fallen mercenaries closer to make her work easier. Elise was still busy shaking the merchant by his lapels.
"It's a misunderstanding!" the fat man squealed. "Miss, please don't be angry!"
"You almost hurt my family! You call that a misunderstanding?!" she snapped back.
Norde looked at the frozen ground, the ice spires, and finally at the elf.
"Alright, fill me in," he whispered into Alaster's ear.
"Nomec here and his goons assaulted Elise and her family, so we put a stop to it," Alaster replied smoothly. "Though to be fair, Syrus did most of the work."
The tank, currently dragging a mercenary by his armpits, silently shook his head. Norde stared at the lingering frost magic and marvelled at how shameless this mage could be.
"Don't listen to him!" Nomec yelled. "That kid attacked us first! We were just defending ourselves!"
Alaster shot him a glare dripping with rage. His irises flickered faintly as he remembered the girl begging him to accept her payment and how this scumbag had humiliated her. Nomec turned pale and tried to hide behind Elise, though his round belly could hardly be concealed behind her slender frame.
"A true brave soul," the elf muttered.
"What actually happened?" Norde pressed.
"This guy refused to take her payment so he could seize the property," Alaster explained. "Elise's little brother got defensive and pulled a rusty sword that posed zero threat to seven armed men. I had to intervene to prevent a tragedy."
"And this looks like preventing a tragedy to you?" Norde pointed at the destruction around them.
"Yep, looks perfectly reasonable to me," the elf smirked.
Norde raised a hand, and a large squad of town guards stepped into the yard. Alaster raised an eyebrow.
"Am I under arrest?"
"You're way too much trouble, elf," Norde sighed. "No, but if Miss Elise files a formal complaint, I'm taking all these men and Nomec in while we investigate."
"I'm the victim here!" the merchant whined. "I was just collecting a debt!"
Syrus stepped up, pulled out a gold coin, and held it out to Elise.
"This is yours."
The archer took it and held it right in front of Nomec's face.
"We only owe you twenty silver coins. With this gold coin I can pay you off, and you'd owe me eighty silver in change. Why are you pretending you don't have change? I know you have enough silver."
The merchant swallowed hard. Alaster looked around the area. He couldn't wrap his head around why this guy was so desperate to refuse payment on such a humble dwelling. «Why does he want this old shack so badly?» he wondered.
Then he took a closer look at the main road. The street was packed with traffic—wagons and villagers streaming past; it directly connected the eastern gate to the town square. The shack itself was worthless, but the land was a goldmine. A shop built on this exact spot would make a fortune.
The elf smirked as the realization hit him.
"It's a misunderstanding! It's not that I wouldn't accept the money, I just don't have change!" Nomec repeated as Elise shook him by the collar.
"You're a scammer!" the archer snapped.
Alaster took a step forward and threw his arms out dramatically.
"Hey now, why don't we hear him out? It really could all be a big misunderstanding."
Pina stopped her healing magic and turned around, stunned. Norde's guards and the mayor himself stared at him with open mouths. «What is he up to now? God, this elf is an endless source of entertainment,» Norde thought.
Elise looked at him as if he had grown a second head.
"W-what?!" Nomec blinked, flabbergasted, before catching himself. "I mean, exactly! It's all a big misunderstanding!"
The girl's grip loosened. Alaster stepped up and threw a heavy arm around the fat man's shoulders.
"So, you wanted to snag this property because of its prime location on the main strip, huh?" he whispered into his ear.
Elise gasped softly as the play dawned on her. Nomec tried to play dumb.
"N-no... it's a misunderstanding," he gritted out through his teeth, thinking to himself: «How did he figure that out?! These elves are way too sharp.»
"Ten gold coins for the land," Alaster whispered swiftly.
The merchant blinked, his mouth agape in shock.
"Wh-what?! You're insane!" Noticing the others watching, he lowered his voice to a hiss: "That's ten times what this filthy hovel is worth!"
"What did you say about my house?!" Elise hissed back in a rage-filled whisper.
"What's with all the secrecy over there?" Norde interrupted.
Alaster smoothed his features and flashed an unnaturally fake smile.
"Oh, just ironing out the details between the involved parties. Right, Elise?"
The girl straightened up instantly.
"Y-yes! Just chatting."
Norde said nothing, but fought back a smile. «It's so painfully obvious they're shaking him down... Toel is getting way too interesting.» The guards and Syrus hid their chuckles as they saw the color drain from the loan shark's face.
"Come on..." the elf continued softly. "That's pocket change for a merchant as successful as you. You'll make a killing off this land."
Elise looked at both of them, hesitating.
"Al... I'm not sure I want to sell my parents' house..."
The elf glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. «Shit, she's gonna ruin the deal! If I explain right now that she can buy a way better house with that money and still have a fortune left over, this guy will use the pause to bargain.»
Alaster sighed and whispered urgently:
"Just agree, trust me. Ten gold coins... How much do you think a multi-room house in this town or in Sibar costs?"
Elise's eyes sparkled. Her lips parted in shock as she turned to look at Nomec as if he were a golden lottery ticket.
The merchant felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
"N-no... This is extortion!" he stammered.
"Of course it is... but who's gonna believe you?" the elf replied with a devilish grin.
Elise flashed her own accomplice smile.
"I won't give you a copper," the man insisted.
"Fine." Alaster shrugged casually. "Then you'll go to trial for attacking defenseless women to steal their land."
The merchant let out a brief, arrogant laugh, confident that the judges and magistrate in Sibar could easily be bought. Alaster read his mind instantly: «These nobles and the judicial system are corrupt; he thinks he can bribe his way out.»
"Well," the mage continued in a quiet voice, "if you'd rather pay double that to a corrupt judge, be my guest. Pay up here, and you get the land. Otherwise, the courts will bleed you dry of every single copper before letting you go, and you'll still be left with nothing. Plus... do you know who we are? We're the party that took down the sandstone golem. If I say you tried to assault these girls, nobody in this town will ever do business with you again. Word spreads fast."
"You wouldn't dare," the man sneered.
Alaster raised his voice with a look of utter outrage:
"What?! You tried to assault the little girl?!"
Nomec turned white as a sheet.
"Shut up! Shut up, you stupid elf!"
"Nobody's gonna doubt my word," Alaster smiled, recovering his composure. "I'm a very trustworthy elf."
The man swallowed hard, completely cornered.
"Five gold coins," he bargained through gritted teeth.
Elise watched the exchange, utterly speechless. «How is this happening? I thought we were going to end up homeless, and now we're gonna be rich. This is insane.»
"Seven," Alaster corrected. "Plus one extra for the distress and emotional trauma caused to little Tiara."
The merchant scowled, squeezed his eyes shut, and surrendered.
"Fine."
He pulled a pouch from his belt, extracted two coins, and handed the bag to the elf. Alaster took the pouch, but the man clung to it desperately for a second. After a firm tug, the leather gave way, and a single tear rolled down the fat man's cheek.
Alaster took a step back and announced to the crowd:
"You see? It was all just a misunderstanding! Mayor Norde, he simply wanted to buy the house, and things got a bit out of hand."
The town mayor, Pina, Syrus, and the onlookers stared at Nomec—who was red with rage—and then at the beaming archer. It didn't take much math to figure out what had just transpired.
«I can't believe this elf and the girl managed to pluck that heartless fox clean,» Norde thought, thoroughly amused. «You picked the wrong person to mess with, Nomec. If you knew she was in the elf's party, you should've bought the land fairly. Now swallow your medicine.»
Syrus let out a stifled laugh. Pina, on the other hand, naively assumed everything was fair, believing the man was simply paying the usual silver coins for the property. The young girl lacked the street-smarts of Norde or Syrus to notice the heavy bag of gold or the agonizing pain etched across the merchant's face.
Alaster held his hand out toward Elise.
"Give me the coin you were trying to pay with."
The girl handed it over.
"Furthermore," the elf added, raising his voice for all to hear, "Elise will be paying for the treatment of the injured warriors."
Syrus nearly lost it right then and there at his companion's sheer theatricality. Onlookers and neighbors began whispering among themselves: "What wonderful people that girl's family is," "They're even paying for the attackers' injuries!" The townsfolk showered praise on Elise and her family as if they were angels sent from above. Norde, meanwhile, looked at Alaster as if he were a demon. A remarkably entertaining demon.
The elf stepped over to Pina and placed a gold coin into her hands—a small fortune in itself. The girl's eyes went wide as saucers.
"Th-this much?!"
Alaster offered her a mischievous wink. The girl flushed beet red as she clutched the gold piece in her palms.
At a nod from the elf, Elise darted inside the house. Minutes later, the paperwork was complete. Her bedridden father had hesitated at first, but upon seeing the gold, he signed at lightning speed. Nomec retreated huffing and puffing with the deeds tucked into his silk robes, kicking the dirt as he stomped off. They agreed the family would vacate as soon as they found a new place.
"What do you mean, extortion?" Alaster said to Norde. "Not at all. It was a mutually beneficial transaction."
Norde fought back a belly laugh.
"You say that, but what if Nomec tries to get revenge later?"
"Nah, he's gonna be way too busy building," Alaster grinned. "Besides, if he tries anything, we have a very capable town mayor to keep him in line."
"So now you're dragging me into this?" Norde smirked.
"You are the law around here, aren't you, buddy?"
Pina and Elise were chatting animatedly a few yards away. The archer's little sister had attached herself to them like a tiny blonde barnacle.
«Totally worth it... This glitch where an elf's word is taken as absolute gospel is amazingly useful, haha,» Alaster chuckled to himself.
Norde was about to reply when the clatter of rolling wheels cut off their conversation. A carriage pulled up right beside them: it was Liena's family wagon, driven by Remis, with Berona seated up front on the driver's bench.