The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 575- Felix Merchant Guild

Within the house, her mother lay soaked in blood, a dagger buried deep in her stomach, the place torn apart since the intruder couldn't find their target.

"Mother!"

Cecilia wailed and clutched the woman in her shaking arms.

Maybe a spark of life lingered in the woman still, as her gaze shifted to the one embracing her.

"Cecilia, my child."

"Mother! W-What’s going on? Who did this to you? Why is our home burning? Where is father?"

A trickle of blood slid from the woman’s lips, creating a poignant, sorrowful scene. Gathering all her remaining strength, she spoke with desperate urgency.

"Listen, my daughters."

Her eyes drifted to Lirae in the background, accepting her fully as her own.

"There is no time. You two must flee from here right away. After you both left the house this afternoon, human soldiers passed through the forest and stumbled upon our home"...

"I don’t know how they managed to find our home. However, they clearly had a goal."

With that said, her gaze settled on the two girls.

"This place is dangerous. Your father is battling them now and drawing them off. But no one knows when they might come back. Before they do, you two must escape and never come back here."

"No, mother."

Even Lirae sobbed. This marked the second time she endured the agony of losing her mother.

The two girls wept like helpless kids.

"My daughters."

The woman embraced them both and pressed kisses to their foreheads. Then, without hesitation, she shoved them away.

"No matter what, you two must run. You cannot let humans catch you. Especially you, Cecilia. The blood in your veins is far too noble. You may not realize it yet, but one day you will. Our ancestors, our land, and the blood pulsing through you"...

"You must not let humans taint it, for you are the last member of the royal family of Elfenheim. Your father is of royal lineage, and as his daughter, you carry the purest and noblest of Elfenheim’s blood"...

"You are our one and only hope. No matter what, you cannot let yourself die. Now go, before they return."

At the close of her words, the woman’s body went still and lifeless.

Cecilia and Lirae poured out tears, sobbing until their throats ached raw.

Ultimately, Cecilia regained her composure first. Tears still flowing, she stood up and helped the weeping Lirae as they dashed outside.

They raced through the forest, abandoning their home far behind.

Yet, their hunters were no ordinary foes. In the end, they managed to track the girls down.

Soon enough, the pair found themselves surrounded.

Dressed in leather and steel, the figures stepped out from the shadows one by one.

"Damn it, that male elf was a pain. Nearly took my head off."

One grumbled, rubbing the side of his neck.

"Haha, you got lucky. That bastard was strong. If not for the leader, your head would have rolled on the ground by now."

Another chuckled, delighting in his comrade’s close call.

Upon hearing this, the two girls stiffened in shock.

Cecilia demanded quickly, her expression filled with horror.

"What did you do to my father?"

Pfftt, hahahaha.

The hunters shared looks before erupting in laughter.

One seemed ready to speak, relishing her anguish, but a tall silhouette advanced first.

The leader.

"Enough, don’t waste time. Capture them. The Felix Merchant Guild wants them alive. They have paid a hefty sum of money, especially for these two. There can be no mistakes." He commanded in a cold voice.

Felix Merchant Guild!

It was the very guild that the adventurer they had rescued earlier belonged to.

In that instant, a terrifying truth dawned on the two girls.

"Kekeke, leave it to us, boss. We won’t make the same mistake we did with those two adult elves."

Without question, he meant their parents.

A fury Lirae had never felt before surged within her.

"You monsters!" She shrieked, pulling out her bow.

Lirae and Cecilia battled with all their might.

But the enemies they faced weren’t mere beasts driven by instinct; they were humans.

While monsters acted on raw impulse, humans used sly tactics. Moreover, rage clouded Lirae, making her easy prey for their deceptions.

Blinding powder exploded at her feet in a flash. Thick smoke billowed up, burning her eyes and choking her breath. Before Lirae could react, chains, heavy nets, and wires laced with barbs shot from the fog.

Spotting her sister’s peril, Cecilia rushed to aid her. Yet, that split in focus proved fatal. A hidden trap clamped her ankle, hoisting her upside down.

Within mere minutes, they were taken, revealing their dire lack of battle savvy.

The girls struggled fiercely, but it was futile.

"Place binding seals on them, suppress their mana."

Shackles forged from mysterious runes and rare metals clamped onto their limbs, and swiftly, their power ebbed away as darkness swallowed their sight.

.

.

When their eyes fluttered open once more, enveloping darkness met them.

A clammy, oppressive gloom. The air stank of mildew and rust.

"W-Where are we?"

Lirae, regaining awareness, scanned her surroundings.

Iron bars, lines of cages, and wall-mounted shackles came into view. Inside sat people—humans, demi-humans—all restrained by binding seals.

"Lirae."

A voice called from nearby.

It was Cecilia, chained in the identical cage beside her.

Then, recollections flooded back, and Lirae remembered their capture.

"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry."

Tears cascaded down her cheeks like a burst levee.

"This is my fault. If I hadn’t, if I hadn’t been so weak, so stupid, they wouldn’t have captured you. The humans wouldn’t have found your home. Your parents, your home, everything, it’s because of me."

Her fists balled tight. "I’m cursed. Anyone who gets involved with me suffers."

First her own parents, now Cecilia’s. She began to curse her destiny, convinced she brought doom.

Cecilia pulled her into an embrace, her gaze free of blame.

"Don’t say that. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I was the one who wanted to help that human. I was the one who brought danger to our home. I was the one who couldn’t protect my little sister when it mattered. So don’t blame yourself."

It took time, but Cecilia’s words soothed Lirae at last.

Eventually, they discovered the name of the horror that ensnared them.

The Felix Merchant Guild... A massive organization under noble control. It traded in countless items and services. Weapons, spices, ores, rare herbs, artifacts, and even slaves.

Whatever could fetch a price.

In the days ahead, Cecilia, Lirae, and fellow prisoners were held in a secret lair, hidden from the city’s eyes.

Regular meals, cleaning, and clothes were provided—just sufficient to keep them alive.

Naturally, the guild acted not from kindness, but because they were goods for sale.

The pair soon grasped the harsh reality. They were being fattened like cattle.

Every few months, guards would haul someone off.

Over time, they grew acquainted with other captives. Yet, they watched those same faces vanish one by one, gone forever.

Cecilia and Lirae could do nothing to alter it. Their own doom loomed similarly.

As elves, their maturation lagged behind humans. Their forms remained immature. That alone spared them for now.

The Felix Merchant Guild bided its time, awaiting their bodies’ ripening and skyrocketing worth.

Aware of this, Cecilia and Lirae refused to linger. Escape sounded simple, but knowing their location or the way out? Impossible.

Even so, they clung to faint hope and devised a breakout scheme.

For the young elves plotting flight, opportunity arrived via an auction.

As exquisite, rare elves, Cecilia and Lirae ranked as top-tier wares.

Overhearing guards’ chatter, the two committed every step to memory.

The binding seals that quelled their mana and locked their forms got lifted briefly upon sale completion, allowing a fresh slave mark to be etched.

A short window unbound. That slim opening, that instant of liberty.

Their sole shot.

A risky bet, yet worthwhile.

Thus, they readied themselves, mentally rehearsing the escape endlessly.

.

At last, auction day dawned.