Eon stood at the edge of the collapsing illusion, watching the last of the Denares baggage train disappear down the long road. Two men, the feared Marquesses of the Human Kingdom, knelt behind him, chains held loosely in Eon's hands.
"They retreat in confusion, just as commanded," Eon observed, his voice satisfied. He gave the chains a slight, sharp tug. "Now, for your new home."
He led the collared brothers deep into the oldest, darkest part of the Count's basement. It was a cold, damp area used for wine storage, hidden beneath layers of old stone and earth. Using his Matter Manipulation, Eon quickly reinforced the stone walls, making the space less a storage room and more a solid, inescapable cell.
Once the brothers were secured to separate iron posts by the heavy chains, Eon stepped back. He left them with only a pitcher of water and a bucket.
"No magical items, no complex tools, and no words," Eon commanded, looking directly at Alaric. "You will be fed just enough to survive. Do not attempt to communicate with the outside world, or my friend Hans here will receive a signal."
Hans stood at the entrance to the new makeshift prison. He was visibly tense, but his eyes were hard.
"I will guard this door, Master," Hans confirmed, bowing slightly. "No one enters, no word leaves. If needed, I will risk my life for it."
'Ehh. master? And what the hell is this old man saying, why would he risk his life for a command of elf?! Strange. Now that I think about it, he has been fully cooperative from the moment Teressa was abducted. Is he being this obedient because his mistress was in danger. But can't be it. If he was only cooperative for that, then he wouldn't need to be this respectful to me. He must have at least understood by this point my goal was from the beginning to save Teressa only for ensuring the safety of my elf companions. Does he think, now that I have taken control of this county, I will kick out Teressa, or is he being just cautious because it was related to Denares brothers? Who knows? For now let's just let him be. Having a capable person free of charge doesn't hurt.'
Eon gave a firm nod. He left the two greatest nobles in the Kingdom chained in the dark, damp, and freezing cold, their fear of the Mana Turmoil far outweighing their aristocratic pride.
Eon then gathered his core allies in the Count's library, which he had designated as the temporary command room. Elsa, Verra, Liam, and Hans stood around a heavy mahogany table, ready for instruction. The successful capture had solidified Eon's position as their undisputed leader.
Eon spoke with the clarity of a veteran commander.
"The greatest threat, the Denares army, has retreated. We have their two lords contained. We can't keep this up. People are bound to get suspicious. Now, we move from defense to structure."
He pointed to Hans. "Hans,you can carry out your usual job as the butler of the Edger house. Your primary task should be Surveillance and Maintenance. Maintain the tasks around the mansion and the basement cell. If any distress signal comes from those collars, even a minor one, you alert me immediately. Also, Use your whatever methods available to you, to monitor the activity of the retreating Denares army. We need to know what they are planning next."
Hans bowed deeply. "It will be done, Master."
Next, Eon turned to Elsa, the warrior. "Elsa, you are the Lead Scout and Security Chief. You will focus entirely on outside defense. Organize the perimeter watch. Monitor the gates and the surrounding woods. And most importantly, you will personally oversee all security around that basement cell. If anyone, anyone, tries to approach, you handle it."
Elsa nodded, her eyes fierce. "Understood. The perimeter is sealed."
Eon then turned to Verra and Liam. "Verra and Liam, you are the Enforcers and Organizers. Your tasks are administrative and physical. The elves need structure. Organize them into shift work for guarding, training, and maintaining the estate. Liam, start a training regimen. Verra, manage our dwindling resources and prepare the house for its new, permanent residents. And make sure no elf can be seen from the outside. Every elf should be inside the house. We don't any rumors going around, that elves have taken control of a count house. The result could become catastrophe."
Verra and Liam exchanged a look of astonished responsibility, then gave a unified, respectful nod. They knew in their hearts that, they were no longer slaves; they were the new command structure.
"The planning for our next step, the full takeover of the Denares Marquess's house, will come later," Eon concluded. "For now, stability is the main focus. Now, dismiss."
Before taking his rest, Eon went to check on Countess Teressa. He found her in her large room, sitting quietly by the window.
He entered the room with a gentle knock, waiting for her permission.
"Countess?" Eon said, his tone one of deep respect. "I wanted to ensure you are well. Are you comfortable? Do you need anything at all?"
Teressa looked up at him. The anxiety that had gripped her since her kidnapping was finally gone. Her eyes, usually haunted, held a quiet gratitude.
"Eon," she replied, using his name in a way she have never used. "I am perfectly safe, thanks to you. And those vile creatures, what happened to them?"
"They are secure, Countess," Eon confirmed, his voice cold and flat. "They are in a place where they can never hurt you, or anyone else, again. Please, relax. You are home now. You are safe."
The reassurance was absolute. The worry of her fate now that the entire house has fallen under elf rules, she was in a pickel. She didn't understand what she should do. But when Eon came personally and asked about her well-being, she was sure, she needn't worry in vain. Eon did all of this for her. Why would he now act against her. It was just in her head. After all it was Eon.
She smiled faintly, a genuine look of relief washing over her face. In this simple act of compassion, Eon's heroism was sealed in her eyes. The last of her internal worry disappeared.
Eon felt a small but genuine lift in his own spirit. Protecting Teressa had been the catalyst for everything.
He bowed slightly. "Rest well, Countess."
Eon walked back toward the command room, and the second he passed the threshold, the exhaustion hit him like a physical blow. The adrenaline that had been pumping through his body since he murdered the Count, fought the guards, enslaved two Marquesses, and used immense amounts of mana for Matter Manipulation, vanished instantly.
He staggered slightly, leaning against the wall. He had been planning, fighting, and leading for days straight, sleeping only in small, rushed intervals. His mind was foggy, and his muscles screamed.
Not to mention he had taken various potions to maintain his nerves, and strength. All of those potions were now taking a toll on his body, now that he relaxed a little.
'I need some sleep', Eon thought, wiping the sweat from his brow. 'Just three hours to reset my core. There is so much to do.'
He walked back into the library, where Elsa was still organizing the final reports.
"Elsa," Eon said, his voice husky with fatigue. "I need a room. A private room, somewhere empty and quiet. No one is to disturb me for any reason. I must rest."
Elsa, focused on a list of guard patrols, pointed vaguely toward the main staircase without looking up. "Oh, Eon. You can go Upstairs. There are empty rooms on the second floor, the wing nearest the east garden. They are quiet."
Eon, too tired to look closely at the direction or question her vague gesture, simply nodded. He needed silence. He needed to be alone. He took the stairs two at a time, moving on sheer force of will, heading for the blessed sanctuary of sleep.
He found the room she pointed to. It was clean, dark, and thankfully empty. Eon quickly locked the door, throwing the deadbolt with a loud thunk. A heavy sigh of pure, physical relief escaped his lips.
He moved toward the simple, four-poster bed. As his body finally registered that the fight was over, he began to disrobe. He pulled the leather belt and tunic over his head, letting it drop carelessly to the floor.
Eon stood there, bare-chested, his powerful High Elf physique on display, lean, muscled, and incredibly resilient. He looked at his own reflection in the dim window glass.
"God, I'm running on fumes", Eon spoke barely a whisper, praising the strange, resilient shell he now inhabited. "If it were my old body, doing all the things I have been for the past few days, I'd have been in the hospital after the first day for sure".
He ran a hand through his dark, messy hair. "These last few days... since I woke up in chains... they've been the single hardest stretch of my entire life. Worse than the years after Grandpa died. Even working those fourteen-hour shifts back in Seoul were not as taxing as this."
He settled onto the soft mattress, finally relaxing his muscles. The contrast between his weak human life and this incredible Elven stamina was immense. "The wonders of the High Elf body are the only reason I haven't collapsed into a coma yet."
The room was silent. Eon closed his eyes, relief washing over him. He was beginning to fall asleep in just matter of seconds. That's how much tired he is.
CREAK
It was the sound of rocking-chair being moved. But in this empty room, there should not be any such movement.
Eon's eyes snapped open. Adrenaline, instant and fierce, pumped into his system, vaporizing the exhaustion. He jerked upright, his bare chest tightening, his mind instantly shifting from tired sleep to lethal combat mode.
He spun toward the sound, reaching automatically for the hidden knife he usually wore on his boot.
He found the source. In the dark corner of the room, near the small balcony, a figure was huddled. It was Elora Denares, the object of the entire ransom, sitting in a large rocking-chair behind a half-drawn curtain. She had been reading a book, hiding from the commotion outside, and Elsa, focused on security, must have completely forgotten to mention she had moved the high-value hostage to this specific room hours ago.
Elora was frozen, her beautiful noble face twisted in fear, shock, and a terrifying comprehension. She wasn't looking at his exposed body; she was looking past him, lost in the terrible words he had just spoken.
"He is not a normal elf,"her eyes screamed. He talked about his "life before this world...he talked about Seoul... he talked about 'Jin-ho's body'...."
Eon's mind went white with panic. His greatest secret, the one defense that had kept him safe, the fact that he was a transmigrator from Earth, was exposed for his carelessness.
Eon froze, half-naked, exposed, and utterly stripped of his carefully built persona.
'Shit. Did she hear everything? If she heard, then it's all over.'
Eon's voice dropped, deadly low and colder than the stone prison in the basement.
"You." He took a slow step toward her, his hand ready to fight or kill. "You heard everything, didn't you?"
Elora, huddled behind the curtain, her eyes wide as saucers, could only manage a silent, terrified nod.
The single truth which was supposed to be a secret for all his life, had been exposed to his hostage. Eon really was fucked now.
Author Note: Although the scene didn't came out to be as I hoped in my mind, for now I should be satisfied with this. With this I conclude my Volumn 1 of REBORN AS A HIGH ELF SLAVE. Wait for my next volume. Till then take care.
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