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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Walter Argent
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Walter Argent.
He was renowned as the most peculiar figure among the current heirs of the Argent Family, who had long dominated the continent's underworld.
Slave trading, drug smuggling, all sorts of illicit deals.
True to their reputation as rulers of the shadows, every drop of Argent blood carried its own insatiable greed.
The eldest, Wolfram, craved overwhelming military might; the second, Seratina, pursued a beauty so flawless it bordered on cruelty; and the fourth, Syl, placed her endless personal happiness above all else.
To them, sharing the same blood meant nothing.
In the race for the next family head position, even siblings were mere rivals to trample on the way up.
But.
Walter stood apart from that brutal contest.
He was the only heir known to have zero interest in the family head's seat.
The reason was simple.
He despised standing out.
"That's such a hassle... I just want to hole up in my room and research magic..."
He meant it literally.
Walter spent most of his life indoors.
More precisely, in his room converted into a laboratory.
Wealth and fame were mere luxuries to him.
As long as he could immerse himself in research without interruption, like now, that was enough—and he was content with it.
A textbook shut-in hikikomori.
The other three heirs saw no need to keep tabs on such a man.
A young master from a dark family with no interest in power struggles, lost in his hobbies.
In a way, it wasn't an exaggeration to say Walter lived the most satisfying life in the Argent Family.
In truth, his talent for magic was quite impressive.
He had accumulated solid, if minor, research achievements, and thanks to them, even Family Head Agram spared no expense on his funding.
And when research fatigue set in and he sought other amusements, this was the 'Argent Family'.
Any pleasure in the world, legal or illicit, could be procured with a snap of his fingers.
Gambling, black-market deals, anything... even women.
Yes, women.
No matter how introverted or magic-obsessed a genius he was, he was still a man.
Walter enjoyed women's company during his breaks.
Or, more accurately.
True to his Argent blood, every time he gazed upon the shame, pain, and underlying sorrow in women who caught his eye...
"Ah... I was feeling so stifled just moments ago, but now I'm all refreshed thanks to you. Isn't it great that even a worthless thing like you can be useful to a genius like me?"
He was a man whose tangled mind cleared up at that particular hobby.
Slap! Slap!
Thud. Thud.
Crack!
His way of treating women was always the same.
Forcing their clothes off was less appealing than making them strip voluntarily, piece by piece.
Resistance midway made it all the better.
Of course, he had physical means to compel obedience if needed. But what truly thrilled Walter wasn't crude violence.
His tastes ran far more insidious.
First, if they refused, he'd name a living friend or family member of theirs.
Their expression would change in an instant.
Beyond shame, a face gripped by terror.
The kind that swallowed sobs only to burst into tears.
Everyone across the continent knew the fate awaiting anyone named by an Argent heir.
One could vanish their entire family or circle of friends.
Not quietly, but in a way so gruesome that word spread far and wide.
Or he'd mention his magic research.
Especially if he added that they could serve as subjects for forbidden black magic experiments—resistance crumbled there.
The reactions were always identical.
A face saying they didn't want to, yet resigned to the inevitable.
Naked, weeping, yet forcing a smile.
That bizarre clownish sight drove Walter wild.
By the time they begged for mercy amid sobs, his pants were already soaked.
'A female's role is to please the male, after all. Especially if she's already got a 'mate'—that makes it all the more delicious!'
If the woman had a fiancé or lover, his excitement doubled.
Just dragging the man before her eyes nearly perfected the moment.
That was how Walter Argent had always seen it.
He believed he'd savored every pleasure the world offered.
But not today.
His desires were tilting in an entirely new direction.
"You... what's your name?"
"Aira... My name is Aira."
"Aira... Even your name is beautiful."
"...?"
An elf slave.
Elves lived only in the eastern forests of the continent, making them rare as slaves.
And Walter had long known elves generally possessed striking beauty.
Yet rarity meant little in this family.
Elves, beastkin—slaves from exotic races filled the Argent halls, broken one after another.
Among them, the number of elf slaves who'd passed through Walter's hands alone surely exceeded three digits.
And yet.
This was the first elf to make him hesitate even to touch her, utterly captivating.
Golden hair flowing softly, as if infused with sunlight.
Pointed ears sharply defined yet perfectly harmonious with her facial lines, neither too prominent nor hidden.
And above all, emerald eyes holding the deep shadows and dew of ancient forests.
Meeting her gaze alone sent a shiver through his heart.
Each feature chiseled like sculpture, yet without any artificial feel.
Like the archetype of an elf crafted by the gods for mortals to behold—natural, perfect balance.
Even an Argent heir who'd seen countless women found himself instinctively stepping back.
'How did I never notice a girl like this before?'
Aira.
Just recalling her name made his heart skip a beat.
Even knowing the cold iron collar around her neck, Walter's eyes lingered.
Bitter saliva pooled in his mouth.
Like a starving epicurean before an unprecedented delicacy.
"So, Aira. You were wondering why an Argent heir like me was here? It was just a little 'game'."
"A game... you say?"
"Yes."
Walter snapped his fingers.
The magical chains binding Aira vanished into the floor.
He took a step closer, then stopped.
He knew rushing contact would spoil the flavor.
For later pleasures.
Walter swallowed hard, lips tightening, and continued.
"As you know, the Argent pantries are vast. So sometimes, maids sneak ingredients."
"...!"
"And I'm somewhat interested in 'candid shots'. I set surveillance spells only on expensive ingredients to punish them."
Lately, he'd noticed a strange pattern.
Not once every few weeks, but daily.
Someone targeting only the priciest meats and shellfish in the pantry.
Walter had caught it and planned to exploit it, forcing the culprit into a humiliating choice.
But.
He hadn't anticipated encountering such a treasure.
He'd stumbled backward into catching a prize.
"Aira. Who is your master?"
"I... I serve Lucas Argent..."
"Lucas...? That bastard son? Besides that monstrous little beastkin girl, he had another slave like you?"
Hearing the name, Walter fell silent for a moment.
Lucas Argent.
The illegitimate son who'd recently humiliated Syl, leading the official heirs to strip him of even slaves.
Yet when had he acquired such an absurd elf slave?
But his surprise was fleeting.
Soon, entirely different calculations spun in his mind.
Played right, this was an opportunity.
A prime one leading to immense pleasure.
Lucas... strutting over one new slave, but still a bastard.
So even an Argent bloodline resorts to sending his slave to pilfer pantries out of desperation.
The picture formed easily.
'No wonder. What could he have even tasted with that beastkin? Probably just some spoiled lamb grilled haphazardly.'
Those struggling with basics always had weaknesses.
For example—
Like that lobster sprawled on the floor.
Walter scoffed.
Food they'd toss if slightly overcooked or too salty.
But to Lucas, his beastkin slave, and this elf, it was likely a rare feast.
So Walter grinned, picking up a lobster.
Gazing down at Aira, he spoke in deliberate gentleness.
"This is what you wanted, right? To eat with Lucas."
"Yes, that's right..."
"Good. Then you can take it."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Don't worry. Our pantries have plenty more."
Aira doubted her ears at his words.
She'd braced for severe scolding or punishment, but this was utterly unexpected.
Relief softening her weary yet gentle face, Aira hurriedly bowed and reached for the lobster.
That was when.
Thud.
Walter dropped the lobster back to the floor.
"But in exchange, Aira—if you grant one simple request of mine, then yes."
"A simple... request?"
"Yes."
Saliva glistened unwittingly at Walter's lips.
He didn't bother hiding it as he continued.
"I'm a magic researcher, you see. And I have some interest in art."
Aira's gaze flickered faintly.
"Appreciating beauty is a hobby of mine, if not quite to Sister Seratina's level."
His eyes slowly roamed her body.
"So... I want to see your body."
"My body...?"
"Yes."
Walter smiled casually, adding as if it were nothing.
"It's simple. Take off all your clothes right here. Outerwear, underwear—everything."
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