"What is it? Go ahead and say it."
Through telepathy, Kurose Akira directed his question to Elena.
[Come to the Elf Kingdom. I'll tell you in person.]
"…Now?"
Akira blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Elena to summon him there so abruptly.
He glanced at the clock—just around eight. There was still plenty of time.
After a brief moment of consideration, he replied, "Alright. I'll head over now. Wait for me a moment."
Without delay, he stepped into the teleportation array and set his destination to the Elf Kingdom.
A flash of white light engulfed him, and in the next instant, he appeared inside the Queen's palace of the Elf Kingdom.
Akira swept his gaze across the surroundings, searching for Elena.
But the night was hazy, and his field of vision was limited.
Under the soft glow of moonlight, he vaguely spotted a silver-haired elf standing beside a pond, gently scattering feed into the water for the fish.
"Elena."
Without thinking much, Akira assumed it was her and walked straight over. At this hour, the only one who would be waiting for him here should have been Elena.
But as he drew closer, he realized something was off.
This elf's attire—and even her height—were entirely different from Elena's.
Then—
"Guild Master Su, it is quite late in the night. For you to suddenly visit the Elf Kingdom… may I ask what urgent matter brings you here?"
A voice as melodious as a nightingale rang out. The silver-haired elf slowly turned around, her face exquisitely beautiful and refined.
The moment Akira saw her clearly, his expression stiffened.
He immediately bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, my apologies for disturbing you so late at night. May I ask why you have not yet retired?"
Yes.
The silver-haired elf before him was not Princess Elena—but the noble and peerless Elf Queen herself.
This unexpected encounter caught Akira completely off guard.
A wave of confusion rose in his heart. By all logic, given the Queen's usual schedule, she should already be asleep by now.
"I…"
After a brief silence, the Elf Queen spoke in her signature gentle tone.
"There are… matters on my mind that keep me from sleep."
Akira probed carefully, "Matters on your mind? If Your Majesty doesn't mind… perhaps you could share them with me?"
Ever since what had happened between them in the dream within the World Tree, an indescribable subtlety had taken root in their relationship.
"You…"
The Elf Queen frowned slightly, hesitating for a moment. But soon, a soft smile curved her lips.
She raised her hand, her fingertips brushing lightly across Akira's cheek. Her eyes shimmered with gentle light as she said with a smile, "Some things… I shouldn't trouble you with. You've already done so much for me. I can't burden you any further."
"I don't mind," Akira replied, shaking his head.
"Alright~" The Elf Queen withdrew her hand, her tone warm. "Then tell me—what brings you to the Elf Kingdom? Or… are you looking for someone?"
Just as her words fell, another figure quietly appeared beside them.
"Your Majesty, he's here to see me."
Akira turned his head—Elena had arrived, rather inopportunely.
"So you've come to see Elena~ Then I won't disturb you two~"
With a gentle smile, the Elf Queen turned and walked away with graceful, elegant steps.
"Wait—"
Akira hurried to call out to her, but before he could finish, her figure flickered—and vanished without a trace.
"That was only a residual image of the Queen. Not her real body."
Elena explained calmly.
"A residual image?"
Akira frowned slightly, confusion surfacing on his face.
He hadn't noticed anything unusual at all. She had seemed exactly the same as always—gentle, dignified, untouchably noble.
"The Queen has been troubled lately. Because of that, fragments of her presence sometimes linger in places she's been," Elena elaborated. "At this moment, she should already be asleep."
"I see…"
Akira nodded thoughtfully.
So that conversation just now… had been with a mere afterimage?
"This isn't the place to talk. Come with me."
Elena turned and led him toward her private chambers.
When Akira stepped inside, he was immediately struck by the sight—
The room was filled with flowers.
Blooms of every color flourished vibrantly, their fragrance thick in the air.
But before he could take it all in, a small figure burst out from inside—
The spirit dragon lunged at him excitedly, licking his thigh with its damp tongue as if welcoming him.
It barely managed a few licks before Elena's cold voice cut in:
"Go back to sleep."
"Wuu…"
The spirit dragon whimpered and flew off, clearly reluctant.
Akira glanced down at his pants.
They were already soaked… completely covered in the creature's saliva.
"Sit."
Elena gestured for him to take a seat, while she herself walked toward her crystal bed.
Akira looked around. Her chamber bore a strong resemblance to the Queen's—most of the furniture was crafted from crystal.
But there were differences.
The Queen's crystal furnishings were perfectly clear, like pure ice—elegant and serene.
Elena's, however, carried a faint tint of sky-blue, as if infused with the color of the heavens.
Moreover, her chamber was filled with a distinct fragrance—almost like an abundance of perfume.
Compared to the Queen's subtle, refreshing scent, this one was far more alluring.
It caused Akira's heartbeat to quicken ever so slightly.
"What exactly did you want with the Elf Queen?"
Elena reclined lazily on her bed, resting her cheek on her hand as she looked at him with curiosity.
Akira sat in a crystal chair, casually picking up a delicate crystal cup and pouring himself some tea.
He took a sip, savoring the fragrance, then answered calmly, "Can't say. It's a secret."
"A secret?"
Elena's beautiful eyes locked onto him, as though trying to see straight through his thoughts.
After a moment, she shrugged lightly.
"If you don't want to say it, then forget it. I'm not interested in your affairs anyway~ But if you want to see the Elf Queen, you'll have to help me with something first."
"What is it?"
Akira set down the cup and looked toward her.
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling perfectly across Elena's body, draping her in a silvery glow.
Her silver-gray dress, illuminated by the light, faintly outlined her graceful curves—
and…
"…You're not wearing anything?"
Akira raised an eyebrow.
Sure, wearing nightclothes at night was normal—but wearing nothing underneath?
Wasn't that a bit excessive?
He coughed lightly, trying to ease the awkwardness, yet his gaze couldn't help but linger on her alluring figure beneath the moonlight.
At that moment, Elena made an unexpected request.
"Stay the night. Spend it with me."
"Pfft—!"
Akira spat out his tea, eyes widening in disbelief as he stared at her.
Was he hearing things?
Who would've thought—Elena was actually coveting his body?!
"What? You're unwilling?"
She glanced at him, slightly displeased by his reaction.
She was the princess of the elves, breathtakingly beautiful—was she really not worthy of…?
No, no, no!
She quickly dispelled those thoughts.
When she said "spend the night," she absolutely did not mean anything improper!
"I don't mind… but you—" Akira began.
For the sake of completing the quest, he had already prepared himself to endure anything!
"I think you've misunderstood something."
Elena rolled her eyes, then patted the space beside her.
"Come here~"
"…?"
After a brief hesitation, Akira stood and walked toward the bed.
But just as he was about to climb on, Elena suddenly stopped him.
"You're not even taking off your shoes? Or washing up first?"
"Aren't you the same?"
Her expression darkened slightly.
"That's different!"
"How is it different? Let me see."
Curious, Akira leaned closer, lifting her delicate foot into his hands to examine it closely.
"???"
Elena froze.
A blush instantly spread across her cheeks.
She hadn't expected him to be this direct.
Embarrassment and anger surged at once as she quickly pulled her foot back.
"W-What are you doing?!"
"Let me take a closer look!"
"You shameless man! Let go!"
"…."
After a brief scuffle, Akira finally lay quietly on the crystal bed.
The two of them simply lay there—no further movement.
"Is all I need to do just stay the night with you? Nothing else?"
Akira stared at the ceiling, puzzled.
Elena closed her eyes.
After a moment of silence, she spoke softly:
"The Elf Kingdom hasn't been very peaceful lately. Unless it's something important… it's best not to see the Queen."
"…."
Akira hesitated.
Then said slowly,
"That's exactly why I'm here."
"…?"
Elena's eyes snapped open, filled with disbelief as she stared at him.
"How do you know about this? Aside from me and the Queen, no one else should be aware!"
"I only know the Elf Kingdom is in trouble. I don't know the specifics," Akira replied. "If possible, could you tell me more?"
"I see…"
She frowned slightly, her gaze complicated.
Then, in a colder tone, she said,
"This has nothing to do with you. Why insist on digging into it?"
Akira turned his head and met her eyes.
"I'm the guild master of Flia and Flora. If the Elf Kingdom is in danger, I have the right to know."
"…."
His words left her silent for a long time.
They lay on the crystal bed, barely a few centimeters apart.
Elena could clearly feel the warmth of his breath.
And Akira could smell her unique fragrance—fresh and elegant, like jasmine.
After a long pause, she glanced at him with faint resignation.
"So it's because of Beialela's two children… I thought you were…"
"…?"
Akira felt a strange unease.
It always seemed like Elena was deliberately steering him somewhere.
"Fine. I'll tell you."
Her voice rang out again.
"The crisis facing the Elf Kingdom is, in truth, a remnant of that war. Some elves fell into darkness, weakening the kingdom as a whole. On top of that, the Queen's condition isn't good… which has emboldened our enemies."
"Enemies?"
Akira's expression turned serious as he listened intently.
"You should know about the Undead Lord who invaded the Elf Kingdom a thousand years ago," Elena sighed softly. "Now, there are signs it may be returning. And our investigations have revealed that an orc kingdom is also involved."
"The Undead Lord…"
Akira's eyes narrowed slightly.
That war not only gave rise to the Dark Elf legion—it also seeded the Queen's darker impulses.
Even though the Undead Lord had been defeated, its remnants continued to harass the Elf Kingdom.
Princess Yuluxi had lost a close friend in that ongoing conflict, forcing her to inherit the power of a witch.
But that only deepened Akira's confusion.
Just what kind of being was this Undead Lord?
How could it threaten the Elf Kingdom?
After all, with the World Tree, the Elf Kingdom's overall strength should surpass even the Holy Sun Nation.
"Do you have any clues about its identity?" he asked.
"The Queen might know," Elena replied briefly. "If you want to help the Elf Kingdom overcome this crisis, you have only two options."
She raised two slender fingers.
"First: bring the Dark Elves back. If they return, the kingdom's overall strength will greatly increase—enough to resist the Undead Lord."
"Second: restore the Queen to her peak condition."
Akira fell silent for a moment.
Then he asked,
"Why not accomplish both?"
"That depends on your ability, little man~"
Elena lifted his chin with her fingertip, a teasing smile blooming on her lips.
"If you truly can save the Elf Kingdom from its suffering… I might consider giving you a special reward."
Her tone carried a hint of seduction.
Her finger slid downward, gliding over his firm chest… slowly descending toward the radiant warmth.
When her fingertip touched that scorching spot, a flicker of shock and admiration flashed through her blue eyes.
"So hot!"