The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 66: Testing Loyalties

What mattered more was figuring out how to soothe this sulking Light Elf.

Seoryun looked utterly resigned. The way he gazed at Illiya was filled with tolerance—like a parent looking at a mischievous child.

Yes, he had figured out that Illiya wasn’t actually mad. The elf was merely pretending to be angry. Most likely, this was all just a bout of mischievous teasing.

Come on—he was the King of Areuseon Kingdom. There was no way he couldn’t see through such a petty little act. But would he call Illiya out on it directly?

Of course not. Instead, he chose to play along.

Letting himself be "accused" like this could help smooth over any hidden tension between them. Why not go with the flow?

"So, Illiya, just tell me what you want me to do. After all, I was the one who made the mistake first."

Illiya no longer kept up the act.

He had only wanted to test Seoryun—try to see if he could get a better read on him.

The dark elf, Drow, was a fairly low-profile individual.

Illiya could sense that Drow had no ill intentions toward him personally, even if he wasn’t sure what it was in him that Drow found so desirable.

Darius’s relationship with him was based on mutual interest, but after everything they’d been through together, it wouldn’t be too much to call them friends.

The situation with Eoryun, who was heading toward the Merfolk territory, was quite similar to Darius’s.

But Seoryun? He was different.

He was the King of Areuseon Kingdom, someone who had manipulated the fake, "fallen" king from behind the scenes like a puppet.

There was no way a person like that could be simple. And sure, Seoryun and Darius seemed close, but that didn’t mean he would treat him the same way.

Anyone could put on a good front.

Humans were especially good at that.

Illiya understood this very clearly.

Given that, this time he simply went with the current. On the surface, it was a bit of playful revenge—but deep down, it was a way to probe Seoryun’s attitude.

And the result? Very satisfying. Thankfully, it hadn’t ended badly.

So Illiya followed the "ladder" Seoryun had kindly extended and climbed down from his high horse. "Well, you said it yourself. I didn’t force those words out of you."

Seoryun chuckled, "Yes, yes—I said it myself."

Hearing that, Illiya didn’t hold back at all. "Then about all our expenses during this time..."

Seoryun immediately understood and couldn’t be more pleased. As a king, wealth meant very little to him—it was probably the least valuable thing he owned.

Still, he made a show of being pained by the request.

After all, a performance should be complete from start to finish.

"Well... The prices in the Nubilian Union aren’t cheap," Seoryun said, dodging the question. "But since it was my fault to begin with, I should pay for my mistakes."

And just like that, the little test had yielded results that pleased them both.

Illiya and Seoryun exchanged a glance—silent, but entirely in sync.

From the sidelines, Darius watched this scene: "..."

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had missed out on a lot of plot developments.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

After returning to the inn, the group decided it was time for a full disclosure session.

The main focus was on the issue of going to the demon race’s territory—everything else could wait.

Illiya was the first to speak. "Everyone should already know my goal. Seoryun, the Fallen that appeared in your royal palace caught my attention. And the fake king—he didn’t fall to corruption on his own. It felt more like he made a deal with it, even going as far as sharing his body."

"What’s more important is that the one corrupted wasn’t a human—it was a demon. The fake king didn’t pray to be corrupted, he prayed to the Demon King. That really raises suspicions about the demon race."

As soon as Illiya finished, Drow immediately made his position clear.

"I came for Illiya," Drow emphasized. "Only for Illiya. Wherever Illiya goes, I go."

When he said this, Drow’s tone was unusually firm. His black eyes were filled with sincerity—so much so that it was hard for anyone to doubt him.

Darius scratched his head awkwardly, looking a bit embarrassed. "Well now, that kind of declaration makes my reasons for going to the demon realm seem pretty shallow."

"My contract with Illiya still hasn’t ended. Once this deal is over, I plan to stick with him. After all, I have to protect my employer."

"And besides, Illiya is a very generous elf!"

Everyone present: "..."

So that was the real point of his speech, wasn’t it?

The others offered Darius fake smiles, quickly humoring him before shifting their attention elsewhere.

Darius: ...

You guys are this close to making me throw a fit!

Ignoring the red-haired swordsman who was quietly stewing in frustration, Illiya turned his wide eyes toward the king seated beside them, silently signaling him to begin his "explanation"—no, more like his excuse.

Seoryun smiled patiently. "I planned to go to the demon realm because of the war that happens every fifty years."

"You all know about it, right? The Continental Allied Forces and the Demon Legion would go to war every fifty years," Seoryun said, looking completely innocent. "That being the case, you can understand why we would planting spies on the other side, can’t you?"

"With the war approaching, it’s only natural to be on high alert. And especially at a tense time like this, the demons suddenly made a major move. You can understand why I’d want to investigate, right?"

A string of "You can understand, right?" statements practically knocked Illiya out.

Help. He really didn’t want to understand.

But reality gave him no choice.

The hatred between the demon race and the other races of the continent had existed for over a thousand years.

Although no ancient texts remained to explain the exact origin of that hatred, it had endured through the ages.