"Good evening!"
Looking at the two men warily staring at her, Elise smiled faintly. At that very moment, the power of charm revealed itself.
There was no warning, no buildup. Elise did not even need to approach them. The charm had already succeeded.
The two men in the distance could only stare blankly as Elise walked toward them, completely unable to move.
"I had some guesses about a goddess' charm before, but this is still a bit exaggerated... As expected of Freya."
Back in Heaven, Freya had been feared by countless deities precisely because her charm exceeded that of ordinary gods.
Now, Elise finally understood why. This ability was truly terrifying.
When she had faced Freya before, even after equipping a Stigmata specifically meant to resist charm, she had still fallen for it.
Although she could break free using her own power, she had inevitably been affected.
"I heard everything you said just now."
"So... how should I punish you?"
Tilting her head at the two men standing before her in a daze, Elise pondered. These people were clearly not good men. The feedback from her skills confirmed it.
She had no intention of letting them live. But how should she deal with them?
"If I remember correctly, there were more than just the two of you when you entered Melen, right?"
Had the others gone out?
Elise did not intend to spare this group. This was human trafficking. If she let them go this time, who knew how many more would suffer in the future?
"So... I'll have to make a little use of you. It might be somewhat excessive. I'm sure you'll forgive me, right?"
"After all, I'm the saintess, not some demon."
The expressions on their faces were no longer vacant, yet a strange pink hue still clouded their eyes.
They remained under Elise's charm, but had regained their original manner of movement. This was far more convenient than devouring souls.
Elise then walked alone to the cage and looked at the golden-haired elf inside.
"Mm, quite a young elf. And rather pretty. Do you have the key?" Elise turned toward the two men she had charmed.
"Yes. To be safe, Boss has one key, and I have another," one of them replied, pulling a key from his pocket.
"Good. Open the cage."
Click!
"Hm hm~"
Humming softly, Elise stepped into the cage and crouched down, examining the golden-haired elf.
In an instant, she understood the elf's current condition.
"She only fell asleep because of the anesthetic. And she's weak from not eating properly for a long time. There's basically nothing serious..."
"A little purification and she'll wake up."
Elise placed her palm on the elf's head. A white glow began to shine. But just as she was about to act, she suddenly stopped.
There were few people nearby, so no one noticed the expression on Elise's face.
She looked shocked, her lips parting slightly.
"This is..."
In the next moment, she grabbed the elf's face with both hands and began squeezing it from side to side.
"Heh! Haha!"
"I never expected it. I never expected to run into you at a time like this!"
At first, Elise had not examined her closely. Back in Melen, she had only caught a fleeting glance.
Now, while checking her before waking her up, Elise finally noticed something off.
Why did she look so familiar?
It was only after getting close and observing her face carefully that Elise realized.
Well, well—wasn't this her?
How had she ended up captured and sold by these people?
There was no doubt. The elf inside the cage was one of the future members of the Astraea Familia—and the only one who would survive among them.
Ryuu Lion.
In the future, Ryuu would have short green-dyed hair. Right now, however, she had long golden hair—just like a certain someone from W&W.
No wonder Elise hadn't recognized her immediately. If she hadn't gotten this close, she might have missed her entirely.
Who would have thought she would run into her at such a time?
Since this was such a rare moment, Elise naturally had to preserve it properly.
Click!Click!Click!
The camera had already been prepared. In just a few seconds, no fewer than ten photographs appeared in Elise's hands.
"An elf in a cage... unexpectedly artistic, isn't it?"
Under the moonlight, the black iron cage gleamed faintly. The golden elf, bound all over, leaned against the edge of the cage with her eyes closed.
Especially the tear stains at the corners of her eyes and the faint expression of despair on her face—they elevated the scene further, forming what looked like a timeless masterpiece.
"Now then... for the rest, let's turn their own plan against them."
...
Under the moonlight, several men walked along a narrow path toward the seaside warehouse. Though they chatted and laughed like ordinary people, there was an indescribably strange atmosphere about them.
"The fish here really tastes great. A bit expensive, but that's the only downside."
"Relax. Once we sell that elf, we'll make a huge profit!"
"Alright, enough talking. We're almost there!"
"Yes, Boss!"
As they rounded the corner, they saw the two men waving at them.
"Hey! We brought food back! Come try it—it tastes pretty good!"
As the distance between them shrank, the two continued waving in an oddly exaggerated manner.
The leader had already sensed that something was wrong. Though confused, he thought they were his own men. Nothing should go wrong... right?
"What are you doing? Why are you just standing there waving?"
Only after getting closer did the others begin to realize something was off.
Had they lost their minds?
"Aaagh!!"
Before anyone could react, the two who had been waving suddenly burst into action, attacking the three unsuspecting men without warning.
"Have you gone insane?! Stop!"
Seeing four of his subordinates locked in a chaotic brawl, the leader was stunned. What on earth was happening?
It didn't matter. As their boss, a simple show of authority should be enough to stop them.
But...
"They've turned against us! They've rebelled!"
"You're not even listening to me anymore?!"
The leader instinctively began backing away. He knew his subordinates' strength better than anyone.
But those two—why were they fighting like they'd taken some kind of stimulant?
They were completely suppressing the others!
Their strength even seemed to surpass his own.
No good. I have to run!
Anyone capable of becoming a boss was no fool.
He assessed the situation instantly. If things looked bad, he would flee.
And then—a golden figure blocked his path from behind.