The day after I took Agnes' virginity for the first time and recorded her name in the corruption status, I arrived at the parade ground at 7:30, well before the usual gathering time of 9:00.
I had woken up early for no particular reason, simply because there was nothing to do in my room.
'It's so early that I'm the only one here.'
"Hello!"
"Huh?"
As I heard a greeting from behind, I turned around to find a small elf standing there.
She gazed up at me with bright eyes and exclaimed, "My name is Fine! I've been assigned to the Wings of Dawn Knights starting today!"
Her spirit was undeniably fierce, befitting a soldier, yet her voice was as delicate as a sparrow's, and her youthful appearance made her seem even smaller.
Her face was too youthful to be considered that of a knight and she resembled a lively little sister from the neighborhood.
Given that the kingdom doesn't accept underage elves into the knights, she was likely around the same age as Princess Iril, who had just recently come of age.
"Uh… Hi. I'm Dayke."
"You're senior Dayke! Please take care of me, senior!"
I could say it took a lot of effort, since it was her first training, but what surprised me was that she didn't hesitate to treat me well, even though I was human.
Even after the greeting had ended, I noticed her eyes still sparkling with excitement, so I asked out of curiosity, "I guess you don't mind talking to humans?"
"Yes! I'm actually really excited!" she replied eagerly.
"Excited?"
"Dayke might become the next Alvin warrior!"
"Me?"
Since it was such an unexpected story, I found myself asking again without thinking. Fine nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! Even though Hero Alvin is a human who can't use magic, he joined the Elven Knights and fought for Elora. Not only that, he jumped into a fireball with the Demon King to protect Elora! Senior Dayke is also the only human in the Knights, just like Alvin. I believe you can become a great person like the hero!"
I couldn't help but wonder how much she admired my past life, considering how she poured out her words without stopping.
Like the princess, she had also mistakenly believed that I had committed suicide with the demon lord, but despite that, I felt a sense of happiness deep inside.
'This is the first time I've seen an elf react like this.'
"Did you apply to the Knights Templar because you wanted to become like Hero Alvin?"
"No!!"
She answered without hesitation, and my joy quickly faded.
"I respect Hero Alvin, but I like Captain Agnes more!"
"Captain?"
"Yes! Isn't it amazing that, at such a young age, she's the leader of a knight order directly under the kingdom?"
"Yes, of course."
When I gave a light cheer, Fine's excited mouth became even busier.
"Furthermore, the leader has successfully overcome the prejudices of those around her towards dark elves. Ever since I was young, I dreamed of becoming a brave knight, but I was often told that I would not be able to do so because I was too small. Like the leader, I overcame the prejudices around me and became a great knight. She is my inspiration!"
I have to say that her personality is very pure.
It feels like watching an anime character full of passion.
I also felt sorry because I had fucked her favorite leader yesterday, and I was going to fuck her again.
Of course, I had no intention of stopping just because of that.
"I see. I'll support you, so try your best."
"Thank you, Senior Dayke! Have you ever trained with the leader? How was it? Is she cool…!"
The conversation that I thought was over continued again, and I had to listen to Fine's praise for Agnes the remaining 90 minutes until the meeting.
—
[POV Change]
Agnes checked the armor on her body in her room.
There wasn't much time left until the knights gathered at the parade ground. It was her habit to leave on time, as she feared her subordinates might feel uncomfortable if she arrived early.
"…"
The dark elf's reflection in the mirror was somber. Today, she had decided to put her all-encompassing plan into motion. To protect the life and honor she had earned through blood, sweat, and tears, she knew she had to eliminate the humans blinded by their own pleasure.
'I can never fail again.'
It was then that she steadied herself, left the room, and made her way out of the barracks.
"Hello, Captain!"
"…Ah. Is it Fine who joined today? Please take good care of me in the future. But why are you here instead of the military parade ground?"
"I'm sorry! I was waiting at the parade ground and came because I wanted to see you quickly!"
Her sudden behavior, unexpected in a place where group life was highly valued, might not have been welcomed. However, Agnes was a warm leader to her subordinate elves.
"Then let's go together. But next time, wait at the parade ground."
"Yes!"
The Knights' schedule for today was investigation training.
To be exact, since Dayke and Fine had no experience in actual research, the two of them were practicing in the field while the other Knights were investigating the mysterious existence that had recently been heard.
For the training, they all moved to a forest where tip-offs were frequent, and the knights formed groups of three and five.
"Dayke, Fine. You will act as I do. Since this is your first time investigating outside the kingdom, I will guide you step by step. Focus on acquiring practical skills rather than achieving immediate results."
"All right."
"Yes, Captain!"
'Good.'
Up to this point, everything had gone according to Agnes' plan. A strategy to lure him into a trap and kill him, making his death appear as an accident.
Even though there was Fine in the same group, there was no need to worry about her as she didn't know her plan and would just think it was an accident.
'Never… I must never fail. If I fail, I don't know how that filthy human will retaliate.'
Whispering to herself, Agnes led the two newcomers into the forest.
—
[MC POV]
Agnes took the lead, with Fine following closely behind. When we ended up in the same group as Agnes, Fine jumped up and down with excitement, but I wasn't as enthusiastic.
I knew Agnes' intentions, thanks to the danger warning message.
"This should be good. Here, I will teach you how to conduct fieldwork."
There had to be a trap set up to kill me.
According to the app, the trap was laid by the Knights to catch the mysterious entity that had been rumored lately. Agnes's plan was to drown me there and make it look like an accident.
In fact, the plan itself was plausible. The location was far from the other groups, and Fine, who was unaware of anything, would serve as a witness to the "accident." The only issue was that I knew all the tricks.
'How should I play this?'
As I pondered my options, Agnes' guidance began.
"Before an investigation mission begins, it is important to understand the characteristics of the object you are looking for. According to reports, there is a mysterious entity seen around the kingdom…"
"Whoa. Serious leader, you're so cool!"
It might have seemed that way to Fine, but I didn't share the same impression.
Although Agnes pretended to focus on the explanation with a serious expression, I was certain that deep down, she was probably thinking about how to deal with me.
I was starting to get sick of imagining the contrast between Agnes' front and back—the way she acted outwardly compared to her hidden intentions.
"Then, let's start by examining the trees. It's said that mysterious beings sometimes carve marks on the bark with sharp stones. There might be other clues as well, so observe carefully. Fine, you will move over there, and Dayke, you will move this way, looking for anything unusual. Let's take a look."
"Yes, Captain!"
While Fine answered enthusiastically, I glanced in the direction Agnes pointed. Then, a spot with more subtle leaves than the rest caught my eye.
'There it is.'
The trap matched one of the "How to set up an elf trap" methods I had searched for on the app. The subtle arrangement of leaves and the floor slightly tilted down so it couldn't be seen from a normal height—everything fit.
To increase its effectiveness, it was positioned at the intersection of several crossroads.
It was so cleverly set up that if you didn't know what to look for, I wouldn't be able to spot the difference at all.
'She is planning to kill me by making me go that way on purpose.'
Since it makes no sense to send subordinates into a trap that one set up, that trap was probably set up by an elf other than Agnes.
"Dayke, what are you doing? Fine has already started. Are you really planning on falling behind the newbie who came in today?"
"No, let's get started right away."
For now, I proceeded slowly, looking at the surrounding trees as I had learned.
Every time I take a step, it feels like Agnes was staring at my back.
In reality, it was obvious that she was nervous looking at my side.
I continued forward, pretending to search for clues, but stopped right in front of the trap.
"Why? What are you doing, Dayke?"
I pretended not to hear Agnes' nervous question and called out to Fine.
"Oh! Fine, there's something in this tree here!"
"Really?! Let me look!"
A motivated newbie ran toward me.
'How would Agnes react if Fine, not me, approached the trap?'
Just as I was expecting to hear Agnes' surprised voice from behind, something unexpected happened.
I had planned to stop Fine when she got closer, but she was so quick on her feet that she reached the trap in an instant.
"No, Fine! Stop!"
Crack!
"Aaaaah!"
Agnes' cries were futile as the floor gave way, pulling Fine's body in. However, by instinct, my hand shot out and grabbed the armor at the back of her neck.
"Senior!"
"Stay still!"
At the bottom of the deep hole, about four meters down, dozens of blades were set in place. Just imagining Fine's small body falling onto them sent a chill through me.
"I'll lift you up, so don't move!"
She nervously raised her arms, worried that I might miss them by mistake. It was a weight I could easily manage on my own, but before I knew it, Agnes had rushed over and pulled Fine out with her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes! I survived thanks to my senior and the leader! The leader clearly told me to pay attention to my surroundings… I'm sorry."
The little elf, who had nearly lost her life, was the first to apologize for not applying what she had learned.
I was both dumbfounded and relieved, letting out a sigh.
"What are you sorry for? It's because I called you needlessly. I'm sorry."
Before I could calm my heart, which was just as shaken as Fine's, Agnes grabbed her shoulder.
"Fine! Are you okay?"
"It's okay! But I couldn't follow the leader's instructions…"
"That doesn't really matter! I'm sorry, it was because of me…"
"No! It's all because I'm not good enough!"
"Wait a minute, your arm is chafed and bleeding. Group B and Group C have the herbs, so go there quickly and get treatment."
"Yes! I'll be right back!"
Agnes' worried gaze never left Fine as she ran away. However, now that we were alone, it was time to face the consequences of her evil plan.
"Agnes!!"
"…"
"Why did you tell me to go this way?"
"I never set a trap here. Another sister of the Knights probably set it."
Should I continue to interrogate her and force a confession?
No, I think it would be more effective to scare her so they don't try anything else.
"It's no use trying to deny it. I knew what you were planning today."
"What?"
"During sparring training, you tried to cut my body with a wooden sword, right? Under Nermedia's orders."
"Well, that's..."
She trails off and avoids eye contact.
The fact that she didn't make any excuses meant that she acknowledged what I said.
"I know what tricks you're going to do. So don't do anything useless in the future."
"Really… Did you really know everything?"
"Yes."
"So that means you called Fine even though you knew there was a trap."
"I was just trying to gauge your reaction. I was planning on stopping her when she got close."
"An innocent elf almost died because of you."
I could feel the anger in her low voice.
Honestly, I admit that mistake.
My heart felt heavy, and I was sorry for Fine, but I couldn't show those feelings in front of Agnes right now.
"But she's not dead. Didn't you see I caught her right before she fell? More than that..."
"…"
"You're not the only one who's angry right now. I'm also really angry because someone almost killed me."
"That's you..."
"What did you do? Didn't you try to kill me?"
Agnes realized her disadvantage and fell silent. Her gaze dropped to the floor, unable to meet my eyes.
"Should I tell the queen everything so that we can just die together? I am going to die anyway, so I have nothing to regret."
"No! Do not tell her!"
"Then I have to relieve my anger so I don't think like that. What do you want to do?"
"…What should I do?"
'It is convenient that she came out obediently.'
Well, since her life was at stake, she wouldn't be able to make a fuss.
With a dark smile in my mind, I quietly whispered into her ear, knowing she had nowhere to retreat.
"Come to my room tonight. Without the other elves knowing."
Agnes remained silent instead of answering.
But as if she had a premonition of what would happen tonight, her amber eyes trembled dangerously.