Back at the Main Barony

As Dorian got down from the carriage, the first thing he saw was Seraphina standing in front of him, her head bowed, with Diggy and Lili flanking both her sides.

In the near distance was the village meant for housing the rescued elves.

Many of the elves who had spotted the carriage were already peeping from afar, trying to figure out who the new guest was.

Now standing in front of Seraphina, with Maria and Tai Hun right beside him, he uttered,

"I figured you'd be here." His words were directed at Seraphina.

Seraphina in turn smiled bashfully before raising her head to look at him.

"I wanted to help Mother with the elves, and the mining ground has been in a good state lately, so I had time to kill."

"Is that so?" Dorian turned his gaze to Diggy. "You as well?"

"Yes! I wanted to see Master as well!" Diggy jumped.

Dorian couldn't help but smile.

Lili was supposed to act as a bodyguard for Seraphina since she was now the leader of the Third Division soldiers, but to think Diggy would show up here as well.

Once he had gotten the greetings out of the way, he moved on. "Can you gather all the elves? I would like us to do something. Rather, tell them I have a cure."

"A cure?" Seraphina tilted her head to the side, then moved her eyes to Tai Hun. Immediately, she recognized who that was, which had her widening her eyes in rage. "Darling, why is she here?!"

"That is kind of a long explanation. You don't have to worry; she is not going to do anything stupid. I can guarantee that," Dorian tried to put her mind at ease.

But after noticing not once did Tai Hun look away from Dorian, Seraphina couldn't help but feel more uncomfortable at the thought of this woman standing so close to him.

On the bright side, Maria was there, so she was certain nothing could happen. Seraphina soon sighed.

"If Maria is with you, then I'm sure all is well." She continued, "As for our trip to the kingdom, it's ready. The culprits have been gathered, and the product—my father called to inform me it has been perfected. We are good to go."

Dorian smiled. "I expected nothing less from the Montelis."

"Tee~ hee~" Seraphina giggled and wiggled her hips. "Don't tease me so much."

"Seraphina. You should probably get a move on. We don't have much time to waste as it is," Maria chimed in from the back.

"Oh, right, right. I'll be on my way. Please excuse me." Seraphina bowed her head and walked away. Lili did the same before she followed behind her.

…

Later that same morning, Seraphina had done just as Dorian had requested of her.

The elves had all been gathered at the village square.

Tall, short, women, men—all gathered to watch Dorian address them as soon as Seraphina told them of his coming.

They all stood there, watching as he climbed the platform with ease.

Maria stood at the bottom, acting as a guard.

The only person who followed him on the platform was Tai Hun, who, of course, immediately began receiving death stares from the masses.

After noticing this, Dorian looked at her. "Is your illusion magic down or what? They don't seem to like or respect you one bit."

"Expected. The effect has drifted to another source since my thoughts no longer wish to hold them captive to me. Most likely, it has drifted to you."

Dorian sighed.

"Figured that had to be the case. Even now, they all gathered like obedient pupils. Sigh."

Tai Hun had a crazy smile on her face. "If you wish, I can gather a bigger fan base for you. All you have to do is ask, and I'll do whatever you want."

"Calm down."

Dorian stepped forward, and instantly, every elf that had been staring at Tai Hun looked at Dorian, their faces etched with respect and adoration just at the sight of him.

"Uhm… so…" he stammered for a while, the gazes fixed on him, overwhelming him.

He looked to the side just as quickly, only to end up meeting Maria's gaze as well.

For a brief moment, he almost forgot his exact reason for standing before the elves, an issue he had had since his former world.

Back when he was still Jacob, he often found it hard to speak in front of a large crowd, despite the fact his confidence was always over the roof in a one-on-one conversation.

That said, it was still something he could control, as long as his mind didn't drift too far into the crowd watching him.

Suddenly, he took a deep breath and regulated his mind, calming himself that very second. Then he began.

"My name is Dorian Aurelian."

As he introduced himself, a proud smile hinted on Maria's face. She knew he was having issues when he stepped on the stage, but at the same time, she knew he could handle himself.

And he proved her right.

"I am sure many of you already know who I am: the current acting lord of this territory, and also the one who saved you from your former predicament. Of course, I feel deeply sorry for what you went through. No one should have to face such hardship."

Dorian continued,

"Which is why I chose to keep you here, under my own supervision, until I had figured out a way I can help you. For starters, as of this moment, you are still under the spell that once made you vulnerable to being kidnapped.

Right now, I know many of you with stronger wills must have noticed your minds are not fully yours to control, but worry not. I have brought the culprit here to dispel it."

As those words left his mouth, Aurelian soldiers surrounded the entire place, ready to act if the elves were to suddenly turn violent.

After noticing the soldiers had all stood in position and more were surrounding him, he stepped back and gave Tai Hun the spotlight so she could cancel the spell.

Without so much as resistance, she stepped forward and stretched her arms towards the crowd.

A small black light glowed at the tip of her fingers, and then suddenly, it spread into multiple tiny waves, reaching every single elf present in the gathering.

Dorian remained silent at the back, using his Analysis skill to make sure Tai Hun wasn't trying to do another trick.

So far so good, he had not noticed anything suspicious. In fact, it was the total opposite. The elves were slowly coming to their senses.

The once-mysterious dark glow at the back of their pupils faded, replaced by a new, refreshing light, hinting at their confusion and sudden relief of freedom.

One by one, some of the female elves began dropping to their knees in tears as memories of what they had witnessed and endured began to resurface in their heads.

As for the men, most of them were etched with anger, their fists clenched as their rage was directed towards Tai Hun.

But for some reason, they refused to attack, even though they wanted to make her pay so badly.

Once she was done eliminating the spell, she lowered her arms and turned to Dorian with a smile on her face. "Are you satisfied now? I did as you asked."

Seraphina and Maria, standing at the side, watched her every movement with seriousness. If she were to so much as make a move on Dorian, they were going to attack.

But rather than giving her the attention she was looking for, Dorian ignored her and walked back to the center stage to address the elves.

"I know many of you wish to return to your homes, and I don't internally blame you for wanting that. Home is a powerful place; I know that as much as you. But your home can't be safe if this many of you got abducted so easily."

The elves listened half-heartedly.

The only reason why they were taking his words into any type of consideration was because he was the one who saved them and still showed them hospitality.

Dorian's words continued to ring through their ears.

"Which is exactly why I have come with an offer: an offer to make you all citizens of the Aurelian barony. Jobs, food, protection—everything will be provided.

Yes, I can understand your doubt, the hatred between the two races. But I assure you, my land has nothing to do with racism. If that were the case, whoever is found racist towards another will be banished immediately."

"Furthermore, if you agree to stay here, you are free to bring others who might be vulnerable to the same fate and live a life here, free from dangers, under my watchful gaze. You have my word. I swear to the God of Gamble, you will not be hurt in any way. This I promise you."

..

[A/n]

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