"Nightmare?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Kurose Akira's face when he heard the Elf Queen's reply.
Curiosity stirred within him. What kind of nightmare could it be?
Thinking back to what the Elf Queen had said earlier…
Could it be…?
His thoughts flashed like lightning, and in an instant, realization struck—could it be that the memories of the High Elf Queen and the Dark Elf Queen had, for some reason, been transmitted to her?
And that so-called nightmare… could it possibly be his?
Akira's brows knit slightly. Never in his life had he imagined that one day, he himself would become the nightmare haunting the Elf Queen.
Yet while his attention was fixed on her, the noble queen's inner world was anything but calm. It churned like a storm-tossed sea, chaotic and unsettled.
She knew this much clearly—ever since ascending to demigodhood as the ruler of the Elf Kingdom, she had never once dreamed.
Which meant those sudden visions could not be dismissed as mere dreams. More likely, they were something that truly existed within the dreams of the World Tree itself…
At the thought of those images, a faint blush rose to her cheeks. Her azure eyes would occasionally drift toward Akira, only to dart away the moment their gazes met.
"Hmm?" Akira noticed something was off.
The queen didn't seem troubled by a nightmare at all—if anything, there was a trace of shyness, even avoidance, in her demeanor.
That sparked a curious thought in his mind. Could it be that what she experienced wasn't a nightmare… but something far more suggestive?
"Hehe~"
Realizing she had lost her composure, the Elf Queen quickly steadied herself and shifted the topic.
"Let's head out first. The dark elves will be arriving shortly."
With that, she turned and walked gracefully toward the door.
But before she could take more than a few steps, Akira reached out and gently caught her wrist.
The moment their bodies made contact, Tina's sculpted, jade-like figure trembled ever so slightly. A soft flush spread instantly across her snow-white skin.
That subtle reaction confirmed Akira's suspicion—the pure, dignified, and noble Elf Queen had long been suppressing her emotions deep within.
And at this moment—
She was utterly irresistible.
"Is there something else?"
The Elf Queen turned back, forcing herself to remain composed as she looked at him. Yet a faint tremor betrayed itself in her voice.
Her azure eyes quivered like ripples across a lake stirred by wind, and her legs trembled ever so slightly. The mere touch from Akira had triggered a cascade of reactions within her refined, regal body.
"Your Majesty, I happen to have an adventurer in my guild who specializes in purification magic. Perhaps they could help you rid yourself of these nightmares." Gathering his courage, Akira extended an invitation for her to visit his guild.
If she were to come to his guild, then things might just… ahem—
"Is that so? Guild Master Akira, I appreciate the thought."
The Elf Queen parted her lips into a gentle smile, gracefully freeing her wrist from his hold. Then she pushed open the door and stepped out with light, elegant strides.
Akira remained where he was for a moment, lifting his fingertips to his nose.
That brief touch had left behind a lingering, enchanting fragrance.
"So fragrant…"
With a faint smile, he quickly followed after her, exiting the side hall together.
The moment they stepped out one after the other, Lucia's gaze immediately locked onto them.
Her emotions were complicated. She couldn't be certain whether the queen had recognized her true identity—but one thing she knew for sure:
Something was definitely off about Akira.
Not only did he know the Elf Princess, he was also this close to the Elf Queen!
Was it all built through commission quests? Or…?
Countless possibilities swirled through Lucia's mind. Yet strangely, none of it felt particularly odd to her. She didn't even notice that her thoughts were now entirely occupied by matters concerning Akira.
At that moment, Elena appeared once more before the group.
She approached the Elf Queen, dropped to one knee, and respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, the dark elves have arrived. They request an audience."
The Elf Queen nodded with a gentle smile. "Let them in."
"Yes~"
"Let them in~"
Elena relayed the queen's command to the elven guards, who then guided the dark elves into the palace.
Throughout all this, Akira's gaze never left the Elf Queen's face.
She… clearly hadn't expected Paslow to come in person.
Before long, a group of dark elves entered the palace in orderly formation. Their arrival instantly shattered the previously peaceful atmosphere, replacing it with tension.
The elves grew visibly wary, their expressions tightening with caution.
Only the Elf Queen and a select few maintained their composure. Elena even wore a faint smile the entire time.
But when a towering dark elf—over five meters tall and clad in a white robe—stepped into view, the tension was instantly replaced by shock.
The elves' eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of such an unusual dark elf.
Even the Elf Queen froze for a brief moment, a flicker of confusion passing through her eyes.
She had never expected Paslow to come personally.
"Oh, this is going to be interesting~"
Elena slipped beside Akira, a gleeful, almost mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
Akira glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to Paslow.
This time, she wasn't just wrapped in white bandages—she also wore a white robe. Though her skin bore that unique starry-gray hue, the contrast with the pure white fabric gave her an oddly captivating charm.
"Your Majesty~"
Paslow stopped about ten meters in front of the Elf Queen and respectfully dropped to one knee.
The other dark elves followed suit, bowing in unison.
"Paslow…"
Seeing that it was Paslow herself who had brought the demigod-tier artifact, the Elf Queen fell silent.
Her azure eyes shimmered faintly, emotions surging within them—too many to put into words.
"Pfft~"
Hidden off to the side, Elena's lips curled upward as she stifled a laugh.
Standing beside her, Akira shot her a glance, silently thinking: This woman definitely has some weird quirks.
But Elena's smugness didn't last long.
Suddenly, the Elf Queen turned her head and shot her a cold glare.
In the next instant, it was as if invisible chains bound Elena in place, rendering her completely immobile. At the same time, an unknown heat ignited deep within her, making her skin hypersensitive, as though every inch of it was being scorched by invisible flames.
Oh no!
Elena's heart jolted. She immediately realized something was wrong.
She had only wanted to enjoy the spectacle, but instead, she had drawn the queen's punishment upon herself!
Meanwhile, Akira remained completely unaware of what was happening to Elena.
He reached out and lightly patted her pale shoulder, murmuring, "If the queen ends up blaming you later, don't start crying."
"Mmm—!"
That single touch sent a jolt through Elena like an electric current. Her body trembled slightly, and a flush spread across her skin.
Her reaction didn't go unnoticed by Akira, leaving him thoroughly confused.
Just moments ago she had been grinning mischievously—why was she suddenly acting so subdued?
"What's wrong with you? Your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?"
Elena tried to steady her breathing, though her voice still trembled. "N-No… it's nothing!"
Her beautiful eyes quivered, her thoughts now in complete disarray.
"?"
Akira was about to press further, but the conversation between the Elf Queen and Paslow drew his attention.
"Your Majesty, this is the demigod-tier artifact you once bestowed upon the dark elves. We have come to return it."
Paslow presented a special item.
It was a small, delicate blue seed, no larger than a thumb, yet it emitted a soft, profound glow.
Despite its size, the power contained within it sent a shock through Akira.
[Seed of Elemental Essence (Demigod Artifact): Contains a fragment of the Elemental Goddess's law.]
"The Elemental Goddess's law…?"
A trace of astonishment flashed in Akira's eyes.
Though still categorized as Mythical in quality, a demigod artifact far surpassed ordinary Mythical equipment—likely due to the divine laws it contained.
"Thank you for your efforts~"
The Elf Queen gently raised her hand. The seed floated up from Paslow's palm as if summoned, drifting into the queen's sleeve before vanishing from sight.
Then she spoke softly, "Paslow… how have you all been lately?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, we've been quite well~" Paslow replied with a faint smile.
"I see…"
The Elf Queen lowered her gaze slightly, countless unspoken words lingering within her.
She could sense it—the other dark elves, aside from Paslow, still regarded the elves with caution, as though they remained irreconcilable enemies.
…
After a brief exchange between the two leaders, the Elf Queen arranged for the dark elves to stay temporarily within the palace in preparation for the upcoming activation ritual of the Elemental Seed.
Akira learned that activating the seed required the power of two demigod-level beings.
With the corruption-enhanced strength of Paslow pushing her close to demigod level, her assistance was essential.
Originally, the Elf Queen had planned to invite another ally, a female demigod, but with Paslow's presence, that was no longer necessary.
The activation process would take an entire week—which was also why Paslow required a special sealing.
A normal seal wouldn't suffice; during the activation, she could easily lose control and descend into madness.
And if that happened, it could trigger a massive conflict between elves and dark elves—something neither Paslow nor the Elf Queen wished to see.
After the meeting concluded, Akira didn't immediately return to his guild. Instead, he lingered within the Elf Kingdom for a while.
"Can't believe nothing happened. What a letdown~" Elena sighed, clearly disappointed by the uneventful outcome.
As for the punishment she had just received from the Elf Queen, she seemed to have completely forgotten about it.
"You're not afraid of making the queen angry?" Akira asked, glancing at her curiously.
Elena rolled her eyes. "What do you know? Sure, elves and dark elves seem like sworn enemies on the surface, but the queen has always wanted to meet Paslow again—to ease tensions between them."
"But unfortunately, reconciliation is still a long way off. This grudge has lasted thousands of years—it won't disappear overnight."
Akira raised a brow. "So what, you're saying you actually did something good?"
Elena puffed out her chest proudly, smiling. "Obviously."
"…"
Akira fell silent, unconvinced.
"Now that the queen and Paslow have met, all that's left is to ensure nothing goes wrong during the activation," Elena continued, then suddenly turned her gaze to him. "Wouldn't you say that responsibility falls on you?"
"Me?"
Akira looked bewildered.
What did this have to do with him?
"The most likely issue would be Paslow's seal," Elena explained. "If she loses control, wouldn't that be your responsibility?"
"???"
Akira was about to argue—but after thinking it over, he realized she wasn't entirely wrong.
He had personally performed Paslow's sealing ritual. If something went wrong during the activation and she went mad because of it… then yes, he would bear some responsibility.
"…Fine. I'll take responsibility for Paslow," Akira said with a shrug.
Then Elena abruptly changed the subject. "And if something happens to the Elf Queen, will you take responsibility for that too?"
Akira blinked in confusion. "What does the Elf Queen have to do with me?"
Paslow was one thing—but the queen?
"Of course~" Elena said with a smile. "Since you accepted her commission, you're technically one of her supporters. If something happens to her, shouldn't you care as one of them?"
"???"
Akira frowned. He had only agreed to accompany Elena to the Dark Forbidden Forest—since when had he become—
Mid-thought, he noticed Beatrice and her daughters watching him intently, their eyes filled with expectation.
After all, the relationship between elves and dark elves could determine the future of the entire kingdom.
Naturally, they hoped everything would go smoothly.
Faced with their gaze, Akira cleared his throat.
"I'll do my best to ensure the activation succeeds. But I can't stay here long—there's still a lot of work waiting for me at the guild."
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on the ritual and inform you immediately if anything happens." Elena smiled, leaning close to his ear. "For your women's sake, you'll give it your all, won't you?"
"?"
Akira froze, unsure who she meant.
It couldn't possibly be the Elf Queen…
Wait.
Did this woman know something?
But when he met Elena's gaze, she only frowned slightly, equally puzzled by what he was thinking.
Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't anything good.
"Scumbag!"
Elena suddenly spat the word, shot him a glare, and turned on her heel, striding off toward her chambers.
Akira stood there, baffled, then shrugged and turned to Lucia and the others.
"Let's head back to the guild."
"What's the rush?" Elena suddenly stopped ahead and turned back. "Tonight's a full moon. The World Tree will release its most concentrated elemental energy, and the elves will be holding a special event. Don't you want to join? It's a rare opportunity."
"Oh?" Akira's interest piqued. He raised a brow and looked at Lucia and the others. "You guys in?"
"Yes, yes!" Alice responded excitedly. Viola and Ivsha nodded in agreement.
Lucia hesitated for a moment before replying calmly, "I don't mind."
Akira turned back to Elena. "What's the event about?"
Elena smiled mysteriously.
"For a lecher like you?" she teased. "You're definitely going to love it."