The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 47: The Two Kings

"Darius, you really are so heartless," Seoryun said. "To tell you the truth, I actually don’t want to leave. Just look at how nice the cell is—it has everything I need, and there’s a whole flock of sheep here for me to fleece. Isn’t that happiness?"

The other prisoners in the dungeon: "..."

Even though they knew it in their hearts, did he have to say it out loud like that?!

Seoryun was used to doing things his own way, and couldn’t care less about whether others felt hurt by his words.

He just kept talking: "Once I’m out, I’ll have to wake up early, handle all kinds of work, and deal with big and small matters waiting for me. And seriously, how messed up are those nobles who come crying to me for judgment just because they wore the same outfit?!"

"They’re totally nuts!"

"What’s so great about being a king anyway? Are people envious of the joyous 24/7 grind? Or are they envious of the endless assassination attempts, poisonings, and love scandals? Or maybe they’re envious of constantly having to balance the power struggles between nobles?"

"Forget it. I think it’s great having someone take my place." Seoryun concluded loudly, "Isn’t it wonderful when someone does all the work for free on your behalf?"

Everyone present: ...

Damn, that... kind of makes sense.

Darius had to admit, he was a bit convinced by Seoryun’s twisted logic. Sure enough, he’d never once won an argument with this man—he always got tricked into falling into the pit.

With a sigh, he lowered his expectations, "Okay then, at the very least, can you go out and expose the fake king? I really don’t want to become a wanted wandering swordsman. That would make me very sad, alright?"

Seoryun immediately replied, "Is it sad because being wanted would mean you can’t drink good wine anymore?"

Darius: "...I strongly suggest that we include ’shutting up’ as one of the core virtues."

Illiya had imagined what kind of person the real king might be, but most of it was inferred from little character details Darius had let slip.

When he finally saw the man in person, he felt a bit disillusioned.

It was honestly a miracle that Areuseon Kingdom hadn’t fallen.

This was the only thought in Illiya’s mind.

He suddenly felt that his teacher was right.

Although humans possess many traits or behaviors that elves dislike, they also have qualities that are worth appreciating—like humor and wit, kindness without being naïve, enthusiasm and righteousness...

And the real Seoryun happened to fall into the "funny and interesting" category.

No wonder he became friends with Darius.

Humans really are quite fascinating.

In the end, Seoryun still decided to leave the dungeon with Darius. After all, being nagged constantly was a terrifying thing.

Before leaving, Seoryun flashed a big grin at the others in the dungeon. His dark eyes narrowed slightly, as if even the corners of his eyes were smiling.

But the brighter Seoryun’s smile, the more the prisoners trembled.

Just as they were inwardly begging their ancestors for mercy, Seoryun delivered the final blow.

"Don’t think about running from your debts. Each of you better write me an IOU. Don’t worry—I’ll collect from your descendants or relatives if I have to," Seoryun said breezily, but to everyone else, his words hit with the force of a forbidden magic explosion.

After finishing the handover, Seoryun finally left with satisfaction, completely ignoring the wailing and confessions coming from behind him.

The prisoner: My dignity is completely gone this time.

They retraced their steps and flew out again from the same cave entrance using magic.

Before they could even adjust to the bright light, a high-pitched scream erupted not far away.

"Why there are two kings?!"

Hearing the voice, Seoryun looked in that direction—and saw another "Seoryun" standing directly across from him, looking exactly the same.

Ignoring the livid expression of the fake king, he said casually, "Ehh, you didn’t expect this, did you? I’m out again."

When he first heard the sharp voice, Illiya was alert. But after hearing what the real Seoryun said, he became bewildered.

Good grief, wasn’t that a bit too much information in just one sentence?

What did he mean by "I’m out again"?

Could it be that before they came to "rescue" the real king, the real king could come and go from the dungeon at will?

And he was discovered by the fake king more than once—even possibly walking out in broad daylight right in front of him?

Illiya didn’t know what kind of expression he should make now. Best to stick with a blank face.

Human behavior really is unpredictable.

Seoryun blinked his eyes innocently, seemingly baffled as to why the fake king was angry.

"What? Really? So you can steal my throne and throw me in a dungeon, but I can’t just walk out on my own?"

"I got out by my own abilities. You couldn’t keep me in. You should really take a look at your own shortcomings."

"Anyway, it really makes no sense for you to be mad about this."

Everyone present: "..."

Wait, that was... a lot of information to process all at once.

The fake king could no longer keep his calm composure. His expression turned extremely ugly—ghastly, even.

A faint red shimmer appeared in his black eyes, making him look less and less human.

The aura of nobility that had surrounded him dissipated completely, replaced by something heavy and gloomy. It was as though the decaying, corrupt side that had always been hidden beneath the splendor was finally showing itself.

At this point, no one would mistake the two kings anymore.

Although they had identical faces, the impressions they gave were completely different.

From the real king’s every gesture and bearing, you could sense the heritage and grace of noble lineage.

The fake king, no matter how hard he tried to imitate, failed to capture the essence. Standing face-to-face with the real one, his shortcomings were magnified to the extreme—impossible to ignore.