Vol 2 Chapter 70 – Enslavement Magic and an Intruder【Vol 2 – The Condemned Knight Edition】

The moment the jewel’s light reached Eleonora, her head dropped limply.

Seeing this, Natan grinned wickedly.

“Hmm… it seems quite effective.”

Natan smiled confidently, certain his magic had taken hold.

The magic he used was an application of enslavement magic.

Enslavement magic prevents others from defying the caster’s will or commands. By mixing in hypnotic elements, one can place another person completely under their control.

This was magic Natan had spent decades perfecting.

However, spells that invade the mind are naturally forbidden.

This forbidden magic was something that must never be discovered by anyone.

“Still, it consumes an enormous amount of magical power. Even with a jewel that’s been accumulating magic for decades, I can use it perhaps one more time at most.”

Natan gazed at the jewel with disappointment.

Its light had faded compared to before using the magic.

He would need to carefully consider how to use it one last time.

The fact that even with thorough preparation it came to this demonstrated just how difficult mind-invading magic is to control through human hands.

During previous opportunities to dine with Eleonora, Natan had been stealthily infiltrating her body with magical power bit by bit without her noticing.

Using the magic today was merely flipping the switch.

“However, the one most worthy of using that precious final charge is you, Eleonora.”

Natan chuckled darkly.

With this, he could continue using Eleonora, now a complete puppet, going forward.

Her combat abilities were extremely attractive. She could slaughter enemies with near certainty.

Recently an exception named Erik had appeared… but that was only because Eleonora had lost her will to fight—Natan believed that if she had intended to kill him, she could have.

“First, as a warm-up, I’ll have you kill the hero. You heard me, didn’t you, Eleonora? Go kill him.”

Commanded by Natan, Eleonora raised her face and…

“I… refuse…!”

“Wh-what!?”

Eleonora had retained her sanity.

Though sweat beaded on her face and blood trickled from her lips as she bit down hard enough to draw it, she had not become Natan’s puppet.

“Im-impossible! After all those meticulous preparations…!!”

Natan reeled in shock.

Eleonora wasn’t particularly gifted in magic, so she couldn’t have resisted his spell.

The reason she could maintain her sanity was purely her tremendous mental fortitude.

That was what prevented Natan’s mental interference.

“I-I can’t believe it. What kind of mental strength is this…? However, it doesn’t seem like you’ve completely escaped my control either.”

“Ngh… urgh…”

Eleonora couldn’t move.

While she had somehow managed to protect her mind, her body couldn’t move without commands.

Seeing this, Natan—though still shocked—grinned wickedly.

“Hmm… it seems I cannot make you my pawn again. In that case, my next best option is to make you a slave.”

“Wh-what…!?”

“Your appearance is quite beautiful, after all. If I sell you as a slave, buyers will be plentiful. Besides, isn’t it good that your mind hasn’t submitted? There are many who prefer strong-willed, dignified women like that.”

Natan laughed darkly.

He felt no resistance whatsoever to stripping away a woman’s—a human’s—dignity.

For his… for their purposes, the more money the better.

The price Eleonora would fetch when sold would surely be astronomical.

“Heh… how long will your magic last? The moment it breaks, I’ll kill whoever bought me, then hunt you down and beat you to death.”

Even when told directly of the horrifying fate of being sold into slavery, Eleonora showed no emotion like fear on her face.

Rather, she bared her teeth in a smile that sent chills down Natan’s spine.

“True enough. My magic won’t last forever. However, it will at least continue until you’re sold to a slave trader and bought by someone. During that time, I’ll make my escape.”

Besides, what would happen to someone who killed their master and escaped after being sold as a slave?

The chances of Eleonora remaining safe were low.

In the meantime, if Natan achieved his goal… if he succeeded in infiltrating the nation’s core, he could be somewhere beyond the reach of a fugitive slave like her.

The advantage was unmistakably Natan’s.

“Well then, shall we move along? If we stay in the same place, knights might arrive.”

Natan looked around as he spoke.

Though this was a deserted area, people certainly lived here.

Yet no one emerged because they didn’t want to get involved in trouble.

Who would want to jump into a combat scene where people were being punched and sent flying while spurting blood?

No one would intervene in a place where strangers were fighting to near-death.

More than that, no one would even try to report it to the knights. They were indifferent.

“Hmph. You protected your citizens well, but when the roles are reversed, no one tries to help you. You are alone.”

“That… may be true.”

Eleonora couldn’t deny Natan’s words.

Many had been saved by her. Even among those merely watching or averting their eyes, some surely owed her a debt.

Yet none tried to repay that debt.

Because her opponent was a noble. Because the combat was dangerous.

Making such excuses, no one tried to help her.

Eleonora hadn’t helped people expecting repayment. She’d only done it to satisfy her sadistic urges.

So she felt neither anger nor hatred.

However…

“It is… a bit lonely…”

Eleonora’s smile held a faint sadness.

Perhaps she hadn’t lost her composure because of Erik’s existence.

Because there was someone who accepted her true nature, her heart remained this calm.

I’m sorry. It looks like I won’t be able to keep tonight’s promise.

Eleonora apologized to Erik in her heart.

Just as Natan approached to make her a slave, it happened.

“…What’s that?”

A small explosion sound echoed.

Natan looked up at the sky in puzzlement, and…

“Wh-whaaaat!?”

A man was falling from the sky along with debris, bleeding.

“Bwah!?”

The man slammed face-first into the ground.

Furthermore, several small pieces of debris struck him directly, adding insult to injury.

This utterly sudden and unbelievable scene left not only Natan but even Eleonora dumbfounded.

The man didn’t move a muscle. Understandably so—he’d been slammed into the ground from considerable height, so it wouldn’t be strange if he’d died.

In fact, quite a lot of blood was flowing, and his legs and arms were bent at unnatural angles. It was quite a gruesome scene.

However, the next moment, warm light enveloped the man’s entire body.

After a while, his bent arms and legs began returning to normal shape.

“Urgh… that was a magnificent explosion…”

The man slowly stood up, his legs trembling.

He hadn’t completely recovered, as blood still flowed from his head.

“Ah, yes, Eleonora-san. You’re not alone. You’re my precious companion, aren’t you?”

In an M and S sense.

Seeing the man turn around with a beaming smile, Eleonora’s eyes widened.

“E-Erik-san…”