"Hehe. We didn't think we'd be able to catch a big fish in our net this time."
A charming elf who seemed to be in her early 20s appeared in front of Eren when the isolation barrier was completely erected. She addressed him in a flirtatious tone, sizing him up with her provocative gaze.
This elf had off-blonde hair that cascaded down her pretty face and covered her entire back. She had cherry-red lips and icy blue eyes. She was wearing two circle-shaped earrings that made her elf ears stand out even more than usual.
This elf was dressed in a body-hugging suit that covered her from toe to neck, leaving only her face seemingly unprotected. She was also wearing leg and arm guards over the suit that gave off distinct mana fluctuations. It was apparent that she was wearing military gear.
This young elf was also holding a broadaxe that seemed too heavy for her stature and body weight. It looked like the broadaxe had a tremendous weight. That's because when the elf casually swung it, the gust that it generated was not a scoffing matter. And yet, she could handle it as if it didn't weigh anything to her.
Altashia could carry an oversized weapon with absolute ease thanks to her weapon mastery and her class. But this elf looked like she had something else working for her that enabled her to carry this heavy broadaxe with absolute ease.
"Why do you think you caught a fish in your net?"
Eren asked casually while looking at the elf. He could tell that the elf was not alone. There were two more shadows with her. They had used military-issue artifacts to mask their presence. However, they couldn't keep themselves hidden from Eren now that they had gotten so close to him.
"Mister Eren Idril, no use pretending to play the innocence card anymore. We saw you talking with that half-blood rat not too long ago. Although we couldn't decipher what you were saying, the body language you showed was enough to let us know that you were aware of who she really was."
Eren looked at Alephee when the elf told him that she couldn't decipher what he had talked about with Fiona. The latter smiled before nodding her head. It was clear that the homunculus had deployed an interference array without anyone noticing to prevent the info leak.
The elf didn't know what Eren and Alephee were thinking about. She swung her weapon around her before continuing.
"She also gave you that weird tracker they all use to find the uninitiated half-bloods. And she'll only give you that when she knows that you are half-blood yourself.
Usually, we refrain from getting too close to the target when she's around. Sometimes we let them go just to keep her under the illusion. Hehe.
But you… hehe. The guild master of the White Raven guild being a half-blood is a big deal for the kingdom. There is no way we can let you go. We are ready to sacrifice the pawn we had been using to take care of an influential figure like you."
The icy-blue-eyed elf spoke in a tone coated in unmasked excitement. One could tell that she was expecting a handsome reward from the kingdoms for taking care of someone like Eren under the rules set by the Blood Punisher Force.
Eren summoned his transcendent Labrys this time. He adjusted his grip on the weapon's handle and swung it around him a few times to get familiar with it. The weapon mastery he had absorbed thus far coupled with the practice he had been doing all this time kicked in at this moment. He manifested the innate elemental attainments of various elements as he carried the weapon around with effortless ease.
The blonde elf was a bit stunned by Eren's elemental manifestations. She could see waves of Invi Blaze getting spread around him. A series of mini-typhoons of wind elements were spreading outward. The lightning streaks danced over his body. There were other elemental manifestations around him as well.
'This guy…'
The elf was a bit stressed by the mere elemental manifestations Eren had displayed in front of her. She wondered how a guy not too young her age was able to attain elemental attainments in so many elements at once. She wondered if the default data the kingdom had on him was forged and if he was an old monster who had regressed in his rank.
"You don't understand. I didn't ask that question to deny your allegations. I asked you why you were sure that the thing you caught in your net was a fish and not something else."
Eren flashed a genuine smile at the elf after he finished speaking. It took a while for the elf to understand what the butcher was trying to imply.
"Hehe. This is not the first time I have seen half-bloods speaking to me with such bravado. However, none of them survived to smile all the way to the end.
You won't be any different, mister Eren Elijah Idril. I will.."
With her verbal talk, the elf was trying to intimidate Eren a little more. She didn't feel scared even when Eren acted casual or that he had multiple elemental attainments. She had dealt with her share of half-bloods at this point. And they would always have had something up their sleeves. Some even managed to awaken their innate spells while battling with her for their life. But she had overcome them all, thanks to her unique element and the military issue artifact she was blessed with.
"Eren, I'll leave you alone with them. It would be an excellent practice for you."
Alephee said to Eren, interrupting the elf's conversation. Before the member of the Blood Punisher Force could call out to the nuisance that was standing beside her target, she disappeared into thin air.
This time, the elf was genuinely shocked. Because Alephee had disappeared on her after the isolation barrier was erected. And the barrier was still intact.
Alephee appeared to have left the barrier without leaving a trace behind.
