Chapter 627 A Bet Laced With Cruelty
"Y-you… you're so cruel."
Gratiana was left at a loss for words as she looked at Rey with shocked eyes. It would have been filled with nothing short of disgust in the past, but right now it showed nothing but downright confusion.
She didn't know what to think.
"H-how can someone… of your stature… I don't understand…"
All her life, she had been taught of how sacred the Divine territory was. The Oracle was in that realm, and they guided the Elves on the path of Nature.
No other entity of such a stature was a member of H'Trae, and that was the truth.
And so, the emergence of an entity that oozed divinity was something that discombobulated Gratiana and altered a lot of her perceptions of reality. She wouldn't have believed it if she didn't feel it in her body and soul.
… Especially in her body.
Even though she now recognized this individual as a higher entity than she was, she could not understand why he was acting in such a cruel and fiendish manner.
"Why would you go that far? Why punish those girls like that?" She murmured, unable to grasp the process of his mind.
"Do you really consider it to be a punishment?" His response was so nonchalant, almost as if was completely detached from the severity of what he had just proposed. Did he truly not implications of his actions?
"Yes. Life is sacred for us Elves. Placing those girls in a situation where they have to take a life, even if it is staged, is tortuous for them."
"Is it, really? I can't help but wonder about that…" Gratiana couldn't help but be further confused about his response. Surely, he had to have a reason for his confidence.
"I've been observing them for some time now. They're a bunch of bumbling idiots who have no idea what they're doing. That's because they've always been told what to do all their lives." He began, his voice smooth as silk.
Gratiana fell silent as she listened intently.
"Even with those qualities, I can see what they really are inside. They're curious and inherently sadistic in nature. They've been deprived of violence their whole lives that, after being exposed to it for such a short period, it has become so intriguing to them."
"W-what are you trying to say?"
"That taking a life will be easier for them than you realize. It isn't punishment, but release from their ever-growing thirst for it." He smiled at her.
Gratiana didn't know this, but when Rey was testing out the Divine Tier weapons with the Elves, using himself as their target practice, he could see the looks on their faces as they sent all manner of normally lethal attacks to him.
He was certain that they had never been exposed to such power before.
"Their wild grins, widened eyes, and amused expressions as they sent volley upon volley of assault to me… I could tell that they enjoyed it."
It was reminiscent of how Esme suddenly snapped and killed so many people during the Dark Undertaking Arc—at least, that was what Rey thought.
"I-I don't believe that. They're not like that…"
"Then you have no problem making the bet with me." Rey threw his arms in the air as he chuckled amusedly.
"I could always be wrong, you know? If you have such faith in them, then surely you don't mind being on the winning end."
Gratiana gulped as she looked at Rey, who was now waiting for her response.
Normally, she would have taken the bet with such confidence in her Little Sisters, but… after hearing some of the things he observed, she was beginning to panic.
'When I was a Young One, I remember the sinful cravings I felt. It was a secret struggle for me, but I managed to hold it in and only fantasize about it… until the day I became an Elder.'
After meeting the Oracle, those urges of hers vanished, and she never again desired to take any life.
'What if some of the girls are also going through similar struggles?' She couldn't help but wonder.
No one spoke about such things in the Elf Community, so she thought it was a problem only she had to deal with. But what if she was wrong?
What if some of the Young Ones were secretly being tempted by the allure of violence?
"If you agree to the bet, I'll let you sniff me. I'm sure you're curious about—"
"F-fine. I agree. I'll believe in my girls."
Rey smiled as she said this, and Gratiana looked away with blushing cheeks. She couldn't even look him in the face.
"Let's… let's just get it over with. I'm just curious, a-and… it's only because you insisted." Gratiana didn't know who she was trying to convince with her murmurs—the man before her, or herself. She fidgeted more on her seat as she braced herself for the reward of the bet.
"Ready?"
She gulped hard as soon as she heard those words, preparing herself for what would hit her next.
'My dear girls… please be strong.' Shutting her eyes tight, she swallowed her saliva once again.
The bet she made with Rey was simple:
If the Young Ones executed the Boss Monster, rather than finding another way to escape, then it would be his victory.
However, if they preserved their dignity and the rules of Nature, escaping without sullying their hands, it would be his loss and her victory.
'If he loses the bet, I'll be able to have access to more Items that'll aid us in the war against the Dragons, and they will leave this land.' Gratiana thought it was a very generous offer, especially considering the simple reward for his victory.
'If he wins, I will have to lead him to the Community myself, and I will personally guarantee his safe passage—as well as an audience with the Esteemed Elders.'
It wasn't that difficult to do, but it was also too big a risk.
Still…
Gratiana couldn't help but take the risks, given what was placed on the line.
"Aaah…" She moaned slightly as she began to feel the aroma he emitted reach her nostrils. Even though she sat a considerable distance from him, she could feel its intensity permeate her body.
"I'm only letting it leak out in small doses, so I don't overdo it. Tell me if you want—"
"More." She whispered, feeling her legs go weak.
"Alright. Tell me when to stop."
"M-more…" She fell to her knees, her hands clasped, as if in prayer. Gratiana's shiverings continued as tears slowly began to leak from her eyes and her body grew accustomed to the sensation.
Her mental faculties began to get overwhelmed, and she slowly began to lose all sense of reason. 'I feel it… I… I feel it…!' Her tongue was out now, and her body arched forward, moving towards the source of her pleasure.
She could feel herself so close to the new peak she so desperately craved.
Then—
"Ah! It seems the girls are here already." —The sensation suddenly stopped, and Gratiana was deprived of a climax she had nearly attained.
"A-ahh… n-no…" She mumbled, her face fully distraught as she watched Rey rise from his chair with a sinister smile on his face.
"Why don't we go out to meet them?"