"I couldn't speak to them because… they were scary. Bad people… they were all bad people."
As Rey heard Esme mutter those words, he began to understand a little more about her.
'She must have seen their Alignments and noticed the Evil attached.'
Rey wasn't so sure if 'Alignments' properly made a person Good or Bad.
He remembered feeling frustrated after seeing that Billy had a 'Good' Alignment, thinking it had to be a farce.
But, in actuality, Alignments were based on the personal values of an individual and how they interacted with the world around them.
To Billy, his actions were good, but he did them in evil ways, which made him have the [Chaotic Good] Alignment.
It was his own subjective definition of 'good' mixed in with the actions of the opposite proportions.
'I think men like Asher know what kind of actions they engage in. Still, they indulge in it because it's the only path they can take or desire to take to get to their goals.'
For Asher and many members of the KariBlanc Group, Rey assumed they operated on self-interest, and they would do anything to gain profit… as long as it was in accordance with their code.
'That's why… I don't think there's any good or bad people here.'
Rey could never proclaim himself as a good person.
And he could never completely label Asher as a bad person.
In the end, they were just performing good or bad deeds using their own subjective motivations and interpretations to guide them.
'I can't tell her any of that, though.' Rey sighed internally and nodded slowly at her words.
"I understand." He could only mutter.
"I trust you because you're Neutral Good. You also saved me, so…"
As her voice trailed, he founded gaze wandering.
'Is she worried about the other slaves?' Once he had this thought, exude to comfort her a little.
"Don't worry. I saved everyone. They were taken to the Royal Estate, so they should all be with their families shortly."
Rey knew life wasn't as simple as that, but for the sake of the innocent-looking girl in front of him, he had to make it seem so.
"A-ah… that's a relief." Esme smiled, though her gaze still seemed distracted.
'That isn't it? Then why is she looking like that? Come to think of it… I know nothing about her!'
Even though the System said she was a Half-Elf, she looked pretty human to him.
She didn't even have pointy ears or blond hair that Elves were known for.
She just looked like a really, REALLY pretty girl. Perhaps even a princess of some faraway kingdom or something.
'But her Stats don't lie. She's definitely special.' With that in mind, Rey proceeded with his question.
"Could you tell me your story? How did you end up where I found you?"
There were a bunch of things he was curious about, that was the first and foremost.
'I can at least get a glimpse into her background and figure out her origins. Maybe even learn more about Elves…'
"My story, huh? To be honest, it's nothing too special." As Esme spoke, her gaze seemed to be on something far away.
Her emotionless face made it seem like a statue was speaking.
"I never knew my real parents. I was found and raised by the Orphanage where I grew up. Many times, families would want to adopt me, but I refused each one."
"Why? Because they were bad?"
Esme nodded with some hidden enthusiasm the moment Rey asked the question.
It felt a little endearing seeing her, with her stoic face, display so much energy.
"I told the Orphanage of my gift, and I aided them in properly appraising anyone who wanted to adopt a child. I became indispensable to them, to the point that they finally agreed to let me remain there."
Her small smile showed Rey that she indeed enjoyed her time in the Orphanage. They were probably the only family she wanted.
As such, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both sides.
"Once I became an adult, I took on more important roles in the Orphanage and took care of the kids there. Most of the people I grew up with had gone, but a few of us remained."
Esme went on to explain some mundane activities that they did in the Orphanage and how it was managed.
Rey thought she would go on forever, but he didn't stop her.
He couldn't.
"I… was happy then."
The fond eyes she used to look into the distance, and the sweet smile that radiated from her face as she recollected the good times… Rey took all of them in.
However, all of those were soon discarded as soon as she continued her story.
A dark cloud came over her bright face, and her eyes darkened almost instantly.
As she explained the horrors that came next, even Rey felt his chest tighten.
"Our town was pillaged by Bandits. They called themselves members of the Mercenary Gang."
Rey recognized the name.
They were rumored to be the strongest force in the Criminal Underworld, and were often hired by top players—including the Obsidian Council.
Rey didn't think they would be mere pillagers.
"They slaughtered so many people before my very eyes. The men were mercilessly executed on the spot, and the women were… were… violated."
Rey could see Esme tremble as she shared the story.
It seemed she was trying her hardest to control her emotions, and despite how pained she looked, not a single tear fell from her moist eyes.
Her tone also seemed clear despite how many times it trailed.
She was so hard to hold herself together.
'Should I do something? No…' Rey decided to just watch.
'I really am no good at these things.'
"I was separated from my friends as we tried to escape. Unfortunately for us, we were caught and taken as slaves—just as all the viable young adults and children."
Rey didn't know why he felt relieved that Esme didn't experience the 'violation' that the other women encountered.
She was plenty attractive, and any man would desire her body the moment they laid eyes on her.
Despite all of this, she remained untouched.
Rey could already guess why.
'They probably thought she looked too pure and didn't want to sully the goods. I can only imagine how much she was going to be sold for.'
Considering her looks, and the fact that Evals Redart could see the potential of the slaves he wanted to sell, it was probably going to be at an astronomical level.
"I remember thinking: why are they doing this? What did we do wrong? We were just living our simple lives when they chose to ruin our lives…"
As Esme spoke once again, Rey narrowed his eyes.
'If I had to guess, the Mercenary Gang was hired by Evals to obtain a whole bunch of slaves from their insignificant settlement while disguising it as a raid or pillage.'
It was done for profit—nothing more, nothing less.
"That was when I looked at their Stats and found the true reason. It's because they're evil. Good people would never do such things!"
Rey didn't know what to tell her. He knew he personally wouldn't engage in such atrocities, but…
'No one is truly innocent. Not even the good ones.'
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Thanks for reading!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I hope to show you that this Half Elf has layers and she isn't just the usual 'Ice Queen'
