Prologue :
*Clang! Clang!*
"Ugh, damn it..."
Simply because he was a half-elf, Silian had been ostracized and mistreated in elven society his whole life.
From menial chores to grunt work, he'd done it all.
In elven society, the hierarchy was clear: High Elves at the top, followed by Elves, and at the very bottom, Half-Elves.
But half-elves weren't even treated as people they were used as slaves.
Silian, a half-elf, lived as a slave, but he was something of an anomaly among elves. Why? Because his appearance had once caused a stir in elven society.
His looks had drawn the attention of both high elves and regular elves, sparking envy and jealousy. Even in a society of elves, known as the race of beauty, Silian's appearance was so striking that people would come just to catch a glimpse of him.
White hair. A sharp, refined nose. High cheekbones and lips like cherries. His eyes, once soft and kind, had grown sharp and piercing over time. Standing at 182 cm with a toned upper and lower body, he was practically a work of art.
But no matter how breathtaking his looks, he was still a half-elf. Even with his unparalleled beauty, he couldn't escape the fate tied to his bloodline.
Now, Silian was stuck toiling away in a mine, his former glory nowhere to be found.
"Hey! Silian! You slacking off or what?!"
*Smack! Smack!*
"Urk! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
His once-white hair was now darkening with soot from the mine, and his face was gradually being overtaken by a scruffy beard—something elves rarely grew. The half-elf who had once captivated everyone's gaze was now dressed in rags, swinging a pickaxe in the depths of a mine.
That was Silian now.
"Ugh..."
There was no time to dwell on past glories. Behind him, the slave overseer stood, whip in hand, glaring daggers.
Silian's job was to swing a pickaxe and mine ore. It sounded simple, but he worked 15 hours a day with only a 20-minute lunch break.
Fifteen grueling hours of backbreaking labor, and what did he get for it? A single potato, barely the size of a child's fist.
( Damn bastards... )
The working conditions were abysmal. The benefits? Nonexistent.
Nothing about this job was good.
And the pay? Hardly worth mentioning. He earned a measly 10 coppers a day. A single meal cost 2 coppers, and lodging took another 5. After eating just once a day, he was left with a pitiful 3 coppers.
( Even I think this is pathetic. )
Was he earning money, or was he here doing charity work? He couldn't help but wonder. Half the profit they generated probably went straight into the overseer's pocket.
( At least I get one extra potato for free... that's something, right? )
He nibbled slowly on the tiny potato he'd stuffed in his pocket, swallowing it down with saliva. Believe it or not, this was a trick he'd learned over 15 years of slaving away.
*Clang! Clang!*
The rhythm of swinging the pickaxe was becoming second nature, though it came with a bitter sense of resignation.
Born a half-elf, he'd been doing this grueling labor for 15 years, ever since he set foot in this land. Now 23 years old, he'd been at this miserable work since he was 8.
Back then, he'd had it all: skill in martial arts, aptitude for mana, and exceptional looks. Silian had lacked for nothing. So how had it come to this?
Anyone who heard his story might've thought he was destined to be a legendary hero. But now? Far from wielding a holy sword, he was just a miner raising a pickaxe.
( Damn it... I can't just die here swinging a pickaxe. )
He hadn't chosen to live in this hellish environment. Naturally, he'd tried everything to escape.
He'd attempted bribing guards, playing dead, even begging and pleading. But the response was always the same: cold mockery. They laughed at him, treated him like a joke, and chewed him up like a bar snack.
That left him with one inevitable conclusion.
( Escape is the only way... )
It wasn't like he hadn't considered it before. But who was he up against? Elves.
With eyes sharp enough to pierce through hundreds of meters from a treetop and ears so sensitive they could pick up the faintest sounds, elves were natural hunters. Their heightened senses, especially their ears—considered an erogenous zone for most—made them unparalleled trackers.
If he tried to escape, an arrow would likely find the back of his head before he could blink.
But this time, there was a chance. No, there *had* to be a chance.
( I heard the Great Chieftain of the elves is visiting during this time... )
After 23 years as a half-elf, Silian wasn't just good with a pickaxe—he'd been sharpening his mind too.
( How many plans have I made for this day... Tonight, I make my move.)
( And then, I'll head to a city where I won't be discriminated against. I'll find a beautiful wife who loves me, have a daughter who looks just like her, and live a quiet, happy life...)
To others, his dreams might seem trivial, but to Silian, they were infinitely better than this slave life.
Amid the clanging of his pickaxe, he overheard something.
"Ugh... I told you not to touch me there in public..."
"Sorry, but when they perk up like that, how can I resist?"
*Throb.*
Despite his half-elf status, Silian felt a surge of desire pulse through him. At full arousal, he measured an impressive 19 cm, with commendable thickness and firmness to match. His proud "son" carried a fitting level of desire, but with no woman to share it with, he was left scattering his seed in the wild.
At least five times a day, he paid his dues to nature. Honestly, five times barely scratched the surface of his urges, but any more felt like an insult to the natural world.
But no longer would he waste himself on the wilderness. He'd find a woman who looked at *him*, a woman who was his alone.
For five years, he'd gritted his teeth and planned this escape.
( Today's the day the Great Chieftain arrives after a hundred years. Security will be focused on him, and they'll be on high alert for outsiders.)
Which meant they'd have no time to pay attention to him.
As he mentally pieced together his escape plan—
"You idiot! Why are you so distracted today? Trying to get on the Great Chieftain's bad side, huh?"
*Smack! Smack!*
"Argh! No, sir! I'm sorry! I'll focus!"
The overseer's whip cracked beside him.
*Clang! Clang!*
The overseer only targeted those who slacked off, and the fear of his wrath drove the other slaves to work harder. Silian wanted nothing more than to swing his pickaxe at the overseer's head instead of the ore, but he held back.
It sucked, but what could he do? The overseer was probably on edge because of the Great Chieftain's visit. Knowing that, Silian felt the sting of the overseer's irritability—both figuratively and literally, as the whip lashed his skin.
The escape plan would go into action tonight, during the Great Chieftain's drunken dinner, when chaos would provide the perfect cover.
To conserve energy, Silian avoided the overseer's gaze and got back to work.
___________
*The Great Elf, the Wise Chieftain Davebrook, has arrived!*
The announcement echoed from a distance.
"He's here..."
At the news, the overseer turned his head.
"Oh, the Great Chieftain's return after a hundred years! Alright, you slaves! That's it for today. Wrap up and gather tomorrow by 6 a.m.!"
The overseer's booming voice rang out, dripping with excitement. With a final, dismissive comment, he bolted off.
Silian didn't get it.
(He's not some gorgeous person. Why's he so eager to see an old geezer?)
*Thud.*
The other slaves, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, collapsed in exhaustion. They were truly pushed to their limits.
To meet the Great Chieftain, the overseer had rushed them to finish early, far ahead of the usual schedule.
But Silian had conserved his energy for the escape.
"It's barely enough, but it'll do for getting out of here."
After taking a few hard hits early on, he'd made a show of working diligently to throw off suspicion. The overseer, satisfied, had turned his attention to other slaves. From then on, Silian worked as lazily as he could get away with.
The other slaves carefully collected their pickaxes and headed home. For them, a pickaxe was a valuable possession. Losing one meant harsher work and docked pay.
And the price of a pickaxe? Let's just say it was suspiciously inflated.
One by one, the slaves left with their tools. But Silian carefully set his pickaxe down.
"No telling what'll happen out there, but I'm not lugging this thing around just to bash someone's head in."
To save energy, he'd travel light.
"Alright, let's scope out the weakest point in the outer perimeter."
He'd spent five years planning this escape, and he wasn't about to waste his one shot at freedom. Moving cautiously, he headed toward the least guarded area.
As he slipped through a shadowy, narrow alley, he heard it.
*Smack... Smooch...*
"Ha... Melina..."
This was the least patrolled spot. Two guards, secretly lovers, were caught up in their moment.
Watching them kiss so passionately, Silian couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
"They're practically dripping with honey..."
He observed their affectionate display for a moment before stealthily moving toward a blind spot out of their line of sight.
He'd wait here until the Great Chieftain started his drunken antics. The moment those two got lost in caressing each other's ears elves' most sensitive feature would be his chance.
Of course, Silian, a half-elf who'd spent his life slaving away, had never touched an elf's ear, let alone a half-elf's.
( There aren't exactly any female half-elves swinging pickaxes for 15 hours a day. If there were, I wouldn't be stuck relieving myself in the bushes...)
( God, when I get out of here, I'm marrying a woman who loves me. No matter what.)
As he steeled himself with these thoughts—
*Clang!*
"More wine! Bring more of this wine! Hahaha!"
The voice, more dwarvish than elven, signaled the perfect moment.
The two guards, deep in their romance, were now leaning against a tree, eyes closed, caressing each other's ears and kissing.
Now was his chance.
Carefully, Silian crept forward, slipping through a blind spot hidden by the trees. If they opened their eyes even slightly, they'd spot him.
*Thump, thump.*
His heart pounded wildly as he quickened his pace to calm it.
*Smack... Smooch...*
"Kamil... Ngh... Here, really?"
The guards, aware that most security was focused on the Great Chieftain, were getting bolder.
*Rustle.*
As he carefully made his escape—
*Thwack!*
An arrow struck the tree shielding him.
"Damn it, I'm screwed."
*Thwack!*
Realizing he'd been spotted, Silian broke into a sprint.
"Melina! Escape! The half-elf's escaping!"
"W-What? Escape?"
The female elf guard, still dazed from their kiss, lagged behind as the male guard climbed a tree.
( Damn it... Was I too hasty? They were both touching each other's ears with their eyes closed!)
*Swish! Swish!*
Arrows flew past him as he dodged, stumbling forward with increasing speed. But after 15 hours of grueling work, even his miner's stamina was fading.
*Swish!*
"Urk!"
An arrow grazed his face, drawing blood. The female guard, now alert, was shooting from a hidden position.
Her arrows, aimed with lethal intent, left his face bloodied, his vision tinged red.
"What, I'm just gonna die here? After all that pickaxe swinging, without ever holding a woman? No way, I'm not going out like this."
Fueled by sheer will, he scanned his surroundings with bloodshot eyes, desperate for an escape route.
*Hum...*
*Swish!*
"What was that? That wasn't just the arrow..."
His heightened senses picked up something strange, but he had no time to dwell on it. He ran blindly, his lungs burning with every breath.
*Thud... Thud...*
His run slowed to a stagger. His face and body, soaked in blood, betrayed his exhaustion.
*Collapse.*
He couldn't go on. His body was beyond its limits—anyone watching would've been shocked he was still standing.
He'd failed. Despite his frantic running and desperate searching, the relentless arrows and constant vigilance wore him down.
"Damn it..."
*Step, step.*
"Ugh, we were just getting to the good part, and this slave tries to escape? Doesn't he know his place?"
"Right? Should we just kill him now? I want to get back to you, babe..."
Apparently, his movements had been so pathetic that they'd been toying with him, holding back on purpose.
"No wonder the arrows stopped midway..."
*Smack...* "I love you, Melina."
"I love you too, babe... ♡"
Was this it? Was he doomed to die watching someone else's romance?
If he was going to die, maybe he should at least bite that male guard's manhood off.
*Hum...*
That sound again.
"Come on, let's finish him and get back. We're gonna be late."
"Yeah, everyone's probably drunk or fawning over the Great Chieftain by now..."
Their words faded as the humming grew louder in his ears.
*Flash!*
"What the—?!"
Before his eyes, a vast, swirling blue light appeared, pulsing as if beckoning him. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen or heard of, yet he felt drawn to it.
As the guards clutched their eyes, blinded by the light, Silian reached out, entranced, and placed his hand into the portal.
And so, he arrived in a world where the roles of men and women were reversed.
_________________________________________
Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id