"How could this be…"
The Elf Queen lay quietly at the entrance of the tree hollow, peering inside.
The sight of Kurose Akira—wielding the Holy Sword stirred a faint blush across her face. Yet what drew her attention even more was Lucía's posture as she invoked the Holy Light. That devout, reverent bearing—though not quite reaching the level of a sacred silver saint—was still hard to reconcile with the image of the aloof and dignified Pope of Light described in legend.
If it were her instead…
Heh~
There was no "if" in this world.
"Speaking of which~"
The Elf Queen's gaze softened as it fell upon Lucía, a growing curiosity blooming within her toward this newly crowned Pope. Though Lucía was barely in her early twenties, her achievements already rivaled those of any Pope in history.
From what the Elf Queen had heard, even before ascending to the papacy, Lucía had single-handedly defeated seven commanders of the Demon King's army. And after taking the throne, she had even severely wounded the Sloth Demon King.
It was said that since the birth of the Seven Thrones, the occupant of the Sloth Throne had never once been replaced—a testament to that Demon King's overwhelming power.
And yet, even such a being had suffered defeat at Lucía's hands.
Because of that, the Elf Queen had long wanted to meet this new Pope.
But now that she had…
Mm~
There seemed to be… a slight discrepancy from what she had imagined.
Perhaps the only things that matched the rumors were her breathtaking beauty and her voluptuous, graceful figure.
As for that cold, elegant temperament likened to a snow lotus atop an icy peak… the Lucía before her seemed rather different. At this moment, she was anything but distant and untouchable.
If anything, she resembled a blooming rose—vivid, alluring, alive.
And yet~
The Elf Queen's attention was soon captured entirely by the intertwining radiance of Holy Light. The breathtakingly intense scene left her lips slightly parted, as though she had forgotten to close them.
Her sapphire eyes trembled faintly with each flicker of light, her heartbeat accelerating in a way she hadn't felt in ages.
For a queen who had lived for ten thousand years, she had never once witnessed something so profoundly stirring to the soul.
And yet recently… she seemed to be seeing far too much of it.
Akira and Lucía.Akira and Beatrice.Akira and Yulushi.Akira and… her own wicked thoughts.
"That little one, honestly~" the Elf Queen sighed softly. Akira's image in her mind had long since solidified.
As expected of a man who kept company with succubi—anyone near him would sooner or later be devoured completely.
Just as the Elf Queen was quietly savoring the beauty of the "holy battle," Akira suddenly raised his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the cracks of the hollow.
"Hm?"
A strange sensation of being watched crept over him. Yet no matter how he searched, he couldn't detect any trace of the observer.
"Why did you stop?" Lucía turned, sensing his pause, and asked in confusion.
"Do you feel like someone's watching us?" Akira asked in a low voice.
"How could that be? Impossible!"
Lucía's cheeks flushed instantly at his words.
There was no way she would allow anyone to see her in such a shameful state—she'd sooner sentence herself to copying the Holy Scriptures a hundred times as punishment!
As for whether someone was truly watching… her senses detected nothing.
She was confident that no being below the level of a demigod could possibly spy on them unnoticed.
And anything above that level…
This was the sacred land of the elves, protected by the Elf Queen and the World Tree. No demigod-level entity would ever be permitted to peer inside.
As for the Elf Queen or the World Tree themselves…
That was even more impossible!
The Elf Queen was hailed as the most perfect woman in existence—her dignity and virtue beyond reproach. How could she possibly stoop to voyeurism?
"Stop overthinking it. Finish already!" Lucía urged. If they delayed any longer, the elves' activities would be over!
"Alright, alright!"
Smack!
Akira laughed, his hand coming down against Lucía's soft hip.
The crisp sound echoed through the hollow, followed by a melodious, nightingale-like cry drifting into the air~
Even so, the sense of being watched lingered.
And—
It wasn't just one pair of eyes.
Still, with Lucía so certain, he didn't dwell on it further. After all, her perception was among the sharpest in the guild. If she said it was fine, then it probably was.
"Phew~ That was close, almost got caught~"
The Elf Queen cautiously peeked in again, her gaze slipping through the hollow.
Even she couldn't quite understand why she found herself so fascinated by all this.
Or perhaps… it wasn't the act itself that interested her, but the people involved?
One was the adventurer guild master who had once helped free her from her dark impulses. The other was the current Pope of the Holy Church.
Both intrigued her deeply—even if what they were doing was… undeniably stirring.
"Lucía!"
"Wait! Outside—outside!!"
"Don't—!"
"!!!"
With the final notes of the sacred song fading, the "holy battle" came to an end.
Lucía hurriedly took out holy water, cleansing the traces of the encounter. Meanwhile, Akira stood nearby, a lingering dissatisfaction flickering in his eyes—he wanted more…
Ahem.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, he felt it again—that gaze.
He snapped his head up, scanning toward the entrance of the hollow.
Still… nothing.
He frowned slightly, unease stirring in his chest.
Before he could think further, Lucía's voice broke the silence.
"Akira, could you help me? There's something here that's a bit… hmm, actually, I think I can handle it myself."
At her call, Akira immediately responded, "Where? Where do you need help? Let me take a look!"
He was always like this—eager to lend a hand, never stingy with his assistance.
He quickly moved toward her.
And the moment his gaze shifted away, the Elf Queen once again leaned forward, quietly watching their interaction.
Seeing them playfully banter, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.
"They really do look like a young couple…"
She murmured her assessment.
"Mhm~ I agree."
A voice suddenly whispered by her ear.
Her body trembled.
"When did you…?" she murmured in surprise.
Turning her head, she found that at some unknown moment, the World Tree had silently appeared beside her.
No—
The Elf Queen narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, studying the figure floating in midair.
Given her familiarity with the World Tree, it was very likely that from the moment Akira and Lucía entered the hollow, it had already been watching—like a spectator enjoying a captivating performance.
"They…"
Just as the Elf Queen was about to speak, the World Tree flickered and vanished.
…?
A hint of confusion crossed the Elf Queen's face.
And in the next instant, she froze.
Because a voice sounded behind her.
"Your Majesty… how long have you been watching?"
Akira stood silently behind her, looking at her with curious eyes.
"Akira!?"
Her voice carried both surprise and embarrassment.
She never expected the World Tree to leave without even warning her!
And more importantly… how had he discovered her?
She was certain she hadn't leaked even the slightest trace of her presence!
Could it be that Lucía sensed her?
The real reason, however, was far simpler—
Akira had recognized the unique fragrance emanating from the depths of her soul.
No matter how well she concealed herself, she couldn't escape his perception.
After all… he had already left a "mark" within her.
"You…"
Akira stepped closer.
He hadn't yet put his clothes back on, so the Holy Light swayed gently with his movements, casting a soft glow.
Combined with his lingering desire, it made the Elf Queen feel… distinctly uneasy.
"Little one, could you put your clothes on first?" she urged, narrowing her eyes slightly—the brilliance of that holy radiance was rather… dazzling.
But Akira ignored her.
Instead, he took another step forward, closing the distance between them to less than thirty centimeters.
Then he asked softly, "Your Majesty… you weren't watching the whole time, were you?"
Under his approach, the Elf Queen instinctively stepped back—only to find her back pressed firmly against the tree trunk. There was nowhere left to retreat.
At that moment, Lucía finished cleaning up and stepped out of the hollow, now dressed once more in her golden ceremonial attire.
Her gaze landed on the Elf Queen. Her expression remained composed, though she cast Akira a faintly resentful glance.
Inside, however, her emotions were in complete turmoil.
She could hardly accept it—
That humiliating display of hers…
Had all been seen!
And if the Elf Queen recognized her identity—
Then…
Lucía had already sentenced herself to death in her mind.
Of course, none of this was apparent on the surface.
"Guild Master Akira, perhaps we should continue this conversation in my chambers?" the Elf Queen suggested gently. "The event is about to end. If we linger here too long, it may attract the elves' attention."
"Good point!"
Akira nodded, quickly putting on his clothes before following her toward her chambers.
As they left, the Elf Queen and Lucía exchanged a brief glance.
Both saw questions in each other's eyes—
But neither spoke.
After they departed, a small figure quietly approached the hollow.
"Gulu gulu~"
It was the elf dragon, a twig clutched in its mouth as it returned to its nest.
But the moment it stepped inside, it froze.
The twig slipped from its mouth, rolling across the ground—into a pool of golden radiance.
"What the f***!?"
The elf dragon leaned in, sniffing the shimmering traces.
The familiar scent made recognition immediate—
Akira.
Its eyes lit up with excitement, gleaming with hope.
But soon, a hint of suspicion crept in.
It spun around and dashed toward its treasure hoard.
After confirming that all its treasures were still intact, it let out a relieved sigh.
Its worry vanished completely.
In fact, it didn't even mind that its treasures were stained with traces of Holy Light.
Instead, it extended its tongue and began licking the golden glow clean, savoring every last trace.
…
Meanwhile, Akira had already followed the Elf Queen back to her chambers.
He and Lucía sat side by side on crystal chairs, both silent.
The atmosphere was… awkward.
After all, being caught in such a scene left them both at a loss, wishing they could disappear into the ground.
The Elf Queen felt the same.
She had never expected to witness such a thing—
And then be caught red-handed!
The chamber fell into silence, broken only by the faint rhythm of their heartbeats.
"Ahem~"
Akira finally cleared his throat, preparing to explain.
"Your Majesty, about what happened earlier, I can give you a reasonable explanation—"
But the Elf Queen cut him off immediately, her tone apologetic.
"Little one, I did not intend to see those scenes. Please forgive my rudeness."
"…Huh?"
Akira froze, completely caught off guard.
He hadn't expected the Queen to apologize first.
Lucía, hearing this exchange, was equally puzzled.
She glanced at Akira, a strange thought forming—
Their relationship… might not be as simple as employer and contractor.
"There's also something else~" the Elf Queen smoothly changed the subject. "The commission I issued to the Adventurer's Guild should have reached you. Take a look."
"Really?"
Akira immediately opened his quest panel.
A new promotion quest had appeared.
[Special Quest Acquired: Undead Calamity!][Description: The Elven Kingdom is under threat from an Undead Lord. The Elf Queen hopes you can help end this thousand-year-long war!][Objective: Assist the Elf Queen in slaying the Undead Lord—Rein!][Recommended Level: 80][Rewards: 50 Gold, 500,000 EXP][Completion Bonus: Player rating increases to C+, and obtain one Adventurer Recruitment Scroll (Purple).][Note: This is a high-difficulty quest. Upon completion, you may randomly obtain an ultra-rare additional trait!]
"Mm, I've received the commission," Akira confirmed with a nod.
"Good." The Elf Queen smiled warmly. "With your help, I believe the Elven Kingdom will overcome this crisis."
At that moment, Lucía interjected, "Your Majesty, have you considered seeking assistance from other nations?"
"No~"
The Elf Queen shook her head gently.
"For certain reasons, the Elven Kingdom has not established deep diplomatic ties with other countries. And compared to those… potentially scheming politicians…"
Her gaze turned to Akira, a trusting smile on her lips.
"I would rather place my faith in brave and righteous adventurers."
"Ahem…"
Akira coughed lightly, a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Which only made Lucía even more confused.
She simply couldn't understand—
Why did the Elf Queen place such trust in him?
There had to be… some kind of secret between them.
…
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