Chapter 293

At the gates of White Maple Castle.

The patrolling soldiers stood tall on either side while a lavish four-wheeled carriage, adorned in black with gold accents and intricate hollow carvings, made its gradual entrance into the castle whilst being accompanied by a retinue of numerous knights.

The carriage bore a shield-shaped coat of arms on its side, featuring a majestic black lion and vibrant red maple leaves. This emblem is the very symbol of the noble household of the Borderlord of the Maple Leaf Territory.

Each accompanying knight is mounted on a white steed and clad in silver armor, as they radiated a formidable aura, bearing the ranks of a Silver Expert.

The carriage smoothly entered the castle's premises, before coming to a stop in the courtyard. Following this, a man in his forties descended from the carriage.

Otto von Cappadocia.

As one of the seven imperial candidates for the Empire's throne, he bears the titles of the White Knight, Borderlord, and Count of the Maple Leaf Territory.

With many of such glorious titles under his portfolio, Lord Otto is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and influential people in the entire empire.

Moreover, his unfathomable strength and powerful army in his arsenal also made his name very popular amongst the surrounding territories.

Nevertheless, at this moment, the Borderlord, who was respected and envied by countless people, did not seem to be in a very good mood.

"C-Count, Borderlord, Your Highness!"

The moment the Borderlord descended from the carriage, an old man in a steward's attire adorned with a wig hurriedly approached him, as his voice laden with joy and anxiety echoed through the premises.

However, the Borderlord's eyes narrowed slightly upon seeing the approaching figure.

"Anders..."

He slowly called out with a tone devoid of any emotion, a clear indication known to those familiar with the Borderlord that his current mood was far from good.

"Y-Your Highness..."

Anders stammered nervously.

"We'll talk later."

The Borderlord's hand swept in a commanding wave, prompting the accompanying knights to disperse in swift succession, while the coachman skillfully guided the carriage away.

However, one attendant remained in place, respectfully following behind the Borderlord.

It was a middle-aged man dressed as a mercenary. His face was a little pale, and the armor on his body showed recent signs of combat, as well as some faint traces of blood.

If the players were here, they would then immediately recognize that this was one of the seven silver experts who had originally pursued them, and he was also the only mercenary from the Sauron Chamber of Commerce who managed to escaped!

"Mr. Hawk, what are you doing here?!"

Anders' eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the mercenary but the latter only gave him a disdainful look and sneered.

"What do you think?"

Anders: "..."

The mercenary's expression soured further after seeing the old steward's dumbfounded face.

Ignoring their exchange, the Borderlord, while being accompanied by four elven-blooded maids, removed his cloak and changed into an indoor boots.

He then walked straight further into his castle and came to his own personal study.

Seated upon his favored elven-styled wooden chair, while sipping on a high-quality Aries coffee served by his steward, the Borderlord idly toyed with a delicate black ring as he listened to the head butler's report on recent affairs in his domain.

Meanwhile, Anders and Hawk stood respectfully at the door, avoiding unnecessary words.

About twenty minutes into the head butler's report, the man briefly paused as his gaze casually shifted towards Anders and with a feigned nonchalance, he remarked:

"Additionally, these days, there seem to be some rather... unpleasant incidents occurring within the commercial district of the territory. Since you've already met Mr. Hawk, I presume you're familiar with the details, Your Highness."

This damned old coot!

Cursing silently, Anders shot a hateful look at the head butler, who then tactfully added pressure to Anders, before politely excusing himself, leaving only Hawk, Anders, and the Borderlord himself alone in the room.

"Speak, what exactly happened? I only briefly went to the capital, and now so much has occurred in my territory?"

The Borderlord's voice was deep and laden with dissatisfaction as he interrogated the visibly shaken steward.

"Almost all of the establishment in Maple Leaf City's blackmarket industry have suffered massive losses while at the same time, the elves they've prepared for the upcoming auction have been swindled...Anders, tell me, what is the meaning of this?!"

He glared coldly at Anders.

While the steward holds only a few shares in some businesses, including Sauron Company, being the Borderlord of Maple Leaf himself, Otto naturally holds more significant shares in various business firms that operate within his territory.

To say that he is mad is an understatement, as this time, in fact, almost half of the goods that the swindlers have stolen actually belong to him.

Under the Borderlord's reprimand, Anders shivered.

Regretting his choices, the panicking steward hastily explained:

"I-It's the work of those nobles from the south, Your Highness! All the schemes were orchestrated by those damned southern nobles! I was deceived by them too!"

"Nobles?"

The Borderlord scoffed, turned his head, and looked at the mercenary from the Sauron Trade Company.

"Hawk, tell Anders what you saw."

"Yes, Milord."

Hawk bowed to the Borderlord, then looked at Anders with a cold snort.

"Nobles? What nonsense! I tracked them along with six other Silver-ranked experts from various groups. Those swindlers... none of them would compromise, even choosing suicide over surrender. And the way they fought was quite shameless too! You're saying they are nobles? Horseshit! They're nothing but desperate criminals!"

"...They aren't nobles?"

Anders opened his mouth wide.

But... if they aren't nobles, then how could those youngsters maintain such good appearances? And how do they seem to lead such an leisurely lives?

Moreover... if they are really nothing more than desperate criminals, then how could they appear so knowledgeable and sophisticated?

C-Could it be... I was deceived from the beginning?

"And...clearly their main purpose is to take our elven slaves. Throughout our pursuit, they consistently protected those elves, even at the cost of their own lives! Obviously, they are in league with those elves!"

Hawk added.

They've protected the elves even at the cost of their own life?

Anders was momentarily stunned.

"B-But I heard those swindlers were...reselling those elves, right?"

He felt his mind getting scrambled.

"Nonsense! The elves they resold all committed suicide! Not a single body left! Thinking about it, I'm not even sure whether the elves they sold are elves or not! Did they really killed themselves or merely faking it...no one even know!"

"But according to the Golden Apple Trade Company, when those fully tamed elves committed suicide, their company's defensive magic array detected traces of spatial magic. So maybe... they were all teleported away instead!"

Hawk sneered again.

T-Teleported?!

Anders widened his eyes.

"S-So... So you mean... Those stolen goods from the blackmarket establishments..."

"Hmph, everything touched by those criminals vanished into thin air! The Sauron Trade Company had also already sent some people to investigate this incident and based on their findings, these criminals are probably using... an extremely sophisticated teleportation spell!"

Hawk continued to sneer.

A sophisticated teleportation spell!?

Hearing this, Anders widened his eyes.

But... their strength isn't that particularly strong!

"S-So..."

Anders's voice was somewhat dry.

"So...you're telling me, the actual culprits aren't nobles from the south but rather, an unfamiliar mysterious force?"

"What do you think?"

Hawk taunted.

Anders: "..."

"Wait a minute..."

Suddenly, Anders noticed another thing. He looked at Hawk, as his expression showed a look of confusion.

"Since you've returned, what about those people who went along with you to pursue them?"

Hawk sighed.

"Dead...They're all dead."

"D-Dead?!"

Anders's gaze was slightly dazed.

Seven Silver-ranked Experts!

The group that chased after the culprits was quite a formidable force, fully capable of dominating anyone below the Golden-rank.

How could they died like this?!

"We encountered a black dragon."

Hawk looked at him deeply and continued:

"And that black dragon is in the same group as those guys."

"B-Black...Black dragon?"

Upon hearing this word, Anders was left utterly astonished.

"Anders..."

At this moment, the Borderlord finally spoke.

Startled, the steward's gaze swiftly turned respectful as he faced his lord.

"Do you know why I didn't kill you on the spot when I saw you just now?" The Borderlord said with a sly smile.

However, his smile held no emotion, and his gaze towards Anders was cold and indifferent.

Upon catching the undertone of threat in the Borderlord's words, Anders instantly broke into a cold sweat. Desperation consumed him as he clung tightly to the Borderlord's thighs, tears streaming down his face in cries of anguish.

"Your Highness! P-Please spare me, Your Highness!"

"It was indeed my greed that led those people to the blackmarket, but... but I am sincerely loyal to you! And... and I also have important information to report to you!"

As the unsightly steward spoke, the Borderlord chuckled and promptly delivered a swift kick, sending the man sprawling to the ground.

"Hmph!"

He then took out a white handkerchief from his chest, wiped the spot where Anders had clung to, before throwing the handkerchief onto the steward's face.

"Was it that black dragon?"

"You... you know?"

Anders was astonished.

"Black dragons aren't common..."

The Borderlord said casually.

Afterwards, he took a sip of coffee, put on the ring he had been playing with for a while, and continued, "I heard that the territory suffered an attack from a black dragon some time ago, and you were abducted by that black dragon. This time, the territory was infiltrated by an unknown force, and Hawk and his group also encountered a black dragon..."

Saying this, the Borderlord pointedly looked at Anders, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Anders, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Hearing the Borderlord's words, Anders was greatly shocked.

"My lord! Do you think it was me?!"

The Borderlord remained silent.

Tears streamed down Anders' face as he instinctively tried reached out to embrace his Lord's thighs once more. Yet, under the cold glare from his master, the steward quickly altered his course, opting instead to hug a nearby chair while he sobbed.

"My lord! My lord! I'm completely loyal to you! After escaping from the black dragon's clutches, it took me almost two months to come back! My lord! Haven't you noticed how thin I've become?"

"Sob... My lord! I indeed have some important information to report to you! It's about that evil black dragon! But...please believe me, I absolutely have no connection with it!"

Listening to Anders, the Borderlord lifted an eyebrow slightly.

"Well, tell me then, what do you want to report?"

Upon hearing the Borderlord's words, a surge of joy lit up Anders' expression. He poised to speak, but as his eyes landed on Hawk standing nearby, an abrupt hesitation seized him.

"Hawk is on our side."

The Borderlord said indifferently.

"On... our side?"

Anders widened his eyes.

By the Grace of the Eternal Lord!

Does my lord also have planted spies inside a Behemoth-like organization like the Sauron Trade Company?

He took a deep breath, organized his words, and then said,

"My lord... The mastermind is definitely that black dragon! This incident must be that evil black dragon's doing all along!"

"That black dragon! It raised numerous elves! Moreover, the elves it raised are incredibly ferocious, completely unlike a typical pacifist elves! I personally witnessed them attacking the crocodile group, killing over a thousand mercenaries!"

"...A black dragon raising elves?"

Surprise flickered across both Hawk and the Borderlord.

"That's right!"

Anders exclaimed with excitement. However, as his words flowed, a sudden flash of realization illuminated his mind.

"...I understand now!"

"I finally remembered! Elves! It must be elves! Those southern nobles were definitely elves in disguise!"

"Elves in disguise?"

The Borderlord became even more surprised.

"Yes! My lord, I suddenly remembered that when those elves attacked the crocodile mercenary group, their bodies too would disappear once they died in battle... This matches exactly with Mr. Hawk's description and the experiences of other trade companies!"

"I'm afraid... they are all connected! That southern caravan must actually be elves who disguised themselves as humans!"

Anders exclaimed loudly.

"Swindled Elven slaves...Elves disappearing after death... A black dragon raising elves..."

The Borderlord tapped the armrest of the chair he was sitting in, as a subtle furrow formed on his brow.

Rubbing his temples, he cast a glance toward Anders.

"Do you know anything else?"

"What else do I know..."

Anders felt somewhat bewildered.

However, seeing the Borderlord's cold gaze, the steward quickly racked his brains to recall anything else of value...

"Oh, I remember! Those people... no, those elves, they eat meat!"

"Or rather, instead of saying they are elves, they are actually more like humans draped in elven skin!"

"Now that I think about it, when I communicated with them, I didn't realize anything unusual about their identity! It's just that they looked and acted so much like humans! Nothing like the typical elves we often encounter, you see."

"They... are completely different from the traditional elves! Now that I think about it, perhaps those so-called fully tamed elves were probably just pretending as well!"

"Moreover... those weird elves are completely not scared of death, nor are they afraid of pain! Back when they were fighting the Crocodile Mercenary Corps, I saw some elves being cut in half, yet they're still jumping around and laughing madly until their death..."

The elves raised by the black dragon aren't afraid of death?

The Borderlord furrowed his brows slightly.

In what circumstances wouldn't someone fear death anyway?

Perchance, if one would have unshakable beliefs like those religious fanatics...

But another case would be if...they cannot die at all.

—Or rather...they have some means to defy death!

For a moment, the Borderlord's thoughts diverged...

A brief silence ensues and after contemplating for a while, the Borderlord shifted his gaze back to Anders.

"Do you have anything else to say? Is there anything you're hiding from me?"

A tremor passed through Anders as he briskly shook his head.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!"

The Borderlord's eyes narrowed slightly.

Anders dropped his gaze.

"You can leave."

After a pregnant silence, the Borderlord declared.

Anders, feeling like he had received a pardon, excitedly bowed to him and then scurried out. However, just as he was about to leave the door, a long sword pierced through his chest.

His excited smile froze on his face.

"An Iron-rank strength? No wonder he could kill everyone who was traveling with him..."

A somewhat surprised voice came from behind the steward.

Hearing the Borderlord's words, Anders' eyes froze instantly.

He...H-How did he know?

Anders tried to opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only managed to spew out a mouthful of blood.

He then slowly fell to the ground, lifeless.

From behind him, came the Borderlord's indifferent voice:

"I can forgive your foolishness, and I can forgive your greed, but you shouldn't have kept from me the fact that you killed a few lowly people to silence them. I... dislike deception."

"Take him away."

After saying that, the Borderlord glanced at Hawk, who was totally taken aback.

As if sensing his cue, the mercenary saluted the Borderlord and then dragged the dead steward's body away...

A few seconds later, only the Borderlord remained in the room.

"Your control over soul magic is getting stronger. You can now even see the undead lingering around that foolish steward. It seems... you are indeed quite suited for the governing path of life and death."

At this moment, an old voice suddenly echoed within the room.

Nonetheless, the Borderlord appeared not surprised in the slightest.

Instead, Otto nonchalantly took a sip of coffee, and responded:

"As you said, I placed all the Oakhand elves in the blackmarket, but I didn't expect that it actually attracted a big fish..."

"Speaking of which... what's the connection between those strange elves and the Oakhand? Can our plan still proceed smoothly?"

The old voice chuckled.

"Of course."

His voice continued to resonate in the room:

"Didn't that steward said that he saw a large number of Elves?"

"Well, isn't our original purpose to find more elves? After all... only elves possess the bloodline of Yggdrasill!"

Upon hearing his words, the Borderlord squinted slightly.

"However... Anders said those elves are very peculiar."

"Even if they are strange, the means of detection I left in the blackmarket has confirmed they're real and my methods cannot be faked."

The old voice continued to laugh.

"In any case, these strange elves make me even more interested in them..."

"And just now... it seems they also killed one of my children..."

"Alas, the distance was too far, and I didn't perceive how they did it... but I did catch a familiar scent."

— 293 —

[ BORDERLORD ]

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