Position, Not Quite Right...

Bang!

The sound of something being smashed—and it clearly hadn't hit the ground, but rather "flesh."

The one smashing things was a male Dark Elf. He wasn't wearing any equipment, but was dressed appropriately: a white shirt beneath a finely tailored suit jacket. His hair was already graying, clearly showing that he was quite advanced in age. His appearance could no longer be described with the usual handsome elegance associated with Dark Elves. Instead, he looked refined and scholarly. From his appearance alone, it was easy to tell that this Dark Elf was a butler—and the butler of a major family at that.

A male Dark Elf being able to rise to such a position was enough to show that his abilities in every respect were extraordinary.

Of course, at this moment, all the refinement, the dignity accumulated with age, and the bearing developed from handling major affairs over many years had been replaced by the ferocity on his face. Or perhaps this was what he had truly looked like in his youth.

"Useless! It's almost been a full day, and you still haven't found any trace of the Third Young Miss. Tell me, what's the use of keeping you around?" He took a new cup from an attendant's hand. Steam still rose from it. This wasn't ale, but a beverage from the Surface World called tea. It was said to be extremely rare even in the Surface World, something only nobles could drink. Yet just moments ago, the old man had thrown away a cup of tea along with a glass cup—something the underground world couldn't produce at all. Now, those words had clearly stirred up his anger again. His hand trembled, and he nearly lost control and threw this cup as well.

Not far from him stood three Dark Elves dressed in tight-fitting outfits. The one standing slightly ahead in the middle had a deep gash in one side of his forehead. His originally handsome face had also been reddened by the scalding water, but he didn't dare show the slightest resentment. Though somewhat anxious, he worked hard to steady his voice and answered quickly, "Lord Stefano, please calm down. It's not that we have no trace of the Third Young Miss at all. We simply haven't been able to find her inside the city or in the surrounding areas."

"What do you mean?" The old man Stefano's expression tightened slightly as he asked in a deep voice.

That Dark Elf hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Among the people we questioned, someone saw a person who looked like the Third Young Miss. It was on a trade route, and that person who may have been the Third Young Miss was heading... heading..."

"Heading where? Tell me exactly!" Stefano said coldly.

"She was heading toward the Yumaas Region." The Dark Elf sounded somewhat guilty.

"The Yumaas Region?" Stefano repeated the name, seemingly puzzled. As someone who had served as the Vol Family's head butler for more than a hundred years, the old man was extremely familiar with the Vol Family and its surroundings. Even so, he still felt unfamiliar when he heard that name.

"It's... it's the territory of the Fourth Young Master of the Isis Family?" The last word came out somewhat indistinctly, because it was truly unfamiliar to him. Territory and lord—like tea and glass cups, these were things that simply shouldn't exist in the underground world.

"What?" Upon hearing this, the old man's voice rose by a full octave, and his face, which had regained its refined appearance, once again turned ferocious.

"The... the famous... bastard of the Isis Family..." That Dark Elf clearly knew what would happen if he let the old butler hear that name, so he could only grit his teeth and repeat it.

Bang!

The second glass cup, tea and all, still flew out despite his restraint. As a result, another gash opened on the poor Dark Elf's forehead, perfectly matching the one on the other side.

"What do you mean, the family keeps you useless fools around for?" Stefano had seen plenty of major situations and quickly controlled his emotions. He ordered, "Continue sending more people. I'll double your manpower. Have everyone enter the Yumaas Region and search for the Third Young Miss. Also..."

His voice trailed off. After pondering for a moment, Stefano waved his hand and said, "For now, don't let the Matriarch or the other Young Misses know about this. You may leave."

"Philip Isis Landon, you bastard, what are you doing? Hurry up and let go of me!"

The female Dark Elf glared furiously at Landen as she spat out the words.

She had started with his full name, saying it so smoothly. More importantly, that word "bastard" afterward wasn't really an insult. It sounded more like... a catchphrase. Landen's personal catchphrase, at that. It came so naturally, as if they were two familiar people addressing each other: "Hey, Zhang San!" "Hey, Wangcai!"

"You... know me?" Landen was stunned when he heard that and instinctively asked, while examining her more carefully.

The wad of cloth had been removed from her mouth, allowing her to close it properly again. Her face also looked normal now. And, to be honest, she was quite a beauty. Of course, there were hardly any ugly Dark Elves. But aside from being exceptionally beautiful, she also possessed an extraordinary air. It was the mixture of the nobility that came from living in a high position for so long and the youthful vitality in her. There was a hint of innocence, a hint of nobility, and even a hint of willfulness.

Looking at her, Landen naturally thought of Taiga Aisaka from Toradora! Well, one had to forgive the imagination of a former anime-obsessed shut-in, but the resemblance in temperament was truly striking.

Not only did she look very similar—she also felt... very familiar. As he looked at her, Landen naturally felt a sense of familiarity, but even after searching through all his memories, he genuinely couldn't remember where he had met her.

Thus, Landen added, "Have we... met before?"

The Dark Elf girl, who had been holding out her hands and waiting for Landen to unlock her chains, froze when she heard him. She completely forgot about the chains on her hands and feet, staring blankly at Landen for a long while before asking, "You... don't remember me?"

"Should I remember you?" Seeing how serious she looked, Landen had no choice but to check his memories once again. He still only felt that she was familiar, without any actual recollection, so he asked again.

Then, right after his voice fell...

"I'll kill you, you heartless bastard!" The Dark Elf girl instantly transformed into a little leopard. The heavy chains on her hands and feet couldn't restrain her at all, and she pounced straight at Landen.

"You still dare attack him? You're courting death!" Hogg had been standing guard nearby. Cold light instantly burst from her two claws as she prepared to attack.

"Wait, Hogg, don't attack!" Landen hurriedly reached out to stop her. However, he wasn't blocking the Dark Elf girl—he was blocking Hogg.

He stopped Hogg with one hand, but at the same time, a powerful impact came at him and knocked him directly to the ground. Right after that, his abdomen sank as a petite body sat down on top of him.

"Urgh..." Landen couldn't help making a sound. It wasn't because the body was too heavy, but because...

She had sat in a position that was... not quite right.