With tension written all over her face, Florin made her way to the reception hall where the so-called 'Dark Elves' were waiting.
Her mind was flooded with thoughts.
What if they truly were Dark Elves?
What would she do if they demanded their rights?
Though she felt bad for making them wait, she had reviewed the 'Protocol for When the Dark Elves Appear' left by her predecessors, just in case. However, it was of little help.
The kings before Florin barely governed, existing solely to commune with the World Tree. They had such little sense of responsibility that they might have handed over the throne if the Dark Elves had simply asked for it.
But Florin was different.
She took the responsibilities and duties of her role as queen more seriously than anyone.
In this rapidly changing era, humans, dwarves, and countless other races were advancing ceaselessly. If elves alone remained secluded in the forest, they would inevitably fall behind in the distant future.
'…If the Dark Elves dream of a brighter future for this kingdom, I'll gladly step aside.'
But what if they weren't?
If they had returned merely to covet the throne...
Lost in her thoughts, Florin eventually found herself standing before the reception hall.
As she reached for the doorknob, she suddenly flinched, her shoulders trembling.
'This feeling…?'
Possessing a strong connection to nature's energy, she could detect traces of corruption to some extent.
Of course, completely concealed Dark Mages, like Baek Yu-Seol, would be harder to distinguish. However, within the World Tree, her senses were as sharp as those of a Class 9 mage.
And she could feel it clearly now.
A cold, sharp, eerie, and oppressive energy seeped out from beyond the reception hall door.
'Dark Mage.'
If not, this energy was simply unexplainable.
Calming her expression, Florin gripped the door handle tightly and pushed it open.
Click!
"Ah! You've arrived!"
As Florin entered, three individuals sitting on the sofa smiled brightly and waved at her. Their greeting was far too casual to befit a king, but this wasn't the time to dwell on such matters.
They had pointed ears, silvery-gray hair adorned with ornaments made from woven vines, green eyes, and tree-like tattoos etched on their shoulders, waists, and cheeks. By all appearances, they were unmistakably elves.
If not for their skin, which was as dark as the shadows, and the oppressive aura surrounding them, one might have mistaken them for High Elves.
Without a word, Florin walked to the opposite side and took a seat. The so-called Dark Elves beamed at her and began to speak.
"Well, well, it's an honor to meet you. We'd heard that the throne had passed to a new ruler, but we didn't expect someone so beautiful."
"…You say you heard the news?"
"Haha, yes. We had the privilege of meeting your predecessor."
"Pardon…?"
That was news to her.
Of course, she hadn't been privy to everything about her predecessor. The previous Elf King had passed away suddenly, leaving Florin, still young, to inherit the throne without any proper transition of power.
From this point on, it already felt as though she was being drawn into a game of wits.
The Dark Elves exchanged meaningful glances, their smiles carrying an air of mischief.
"Hmm, judging by your expression, it seems you weren't told about this."
The male Dark Elf, with his fingers interlocked, spoke next.
"My name is Dalion. Long ago, as though cursed by the heavens themselves, we Dark Elves found it increasingly difficult to reproduce. Our numbers dwindled to the brink of extinction, forcing us to hide in the shadows to avoid those who bore great grudges against us. But even so, I am a prince of the Dark Elves."
A prince of the Dark Elves.
The moment she heard this, Florin had a good idea of what he was about to demand. Anyone could guess.
"It has been a long, long time."
Dalion's interlocked hands trembled slightly.
"We've endured endless years of humiliation and disgrace, hiding in the shadows. But no more. The time of our promise has come, High Elf King."
Notably, Dalion referred to her as the 'King of the High Elves,' rather than the 'King of the Fairies.'
"Now it is time for everything to return to its rightful place, Your Majesty. We Dark Elves were the first to protect the World Tree, even before the High Elves or any other fae. Therefore..."
Florin closed her eyes. She had anticipated this. She wasn't surprised.
'They are Dark Elves.'
And…
'They are also Dark Mages.'
Why exactly the Dark Elves had been forced to live in hiding all this time, Florin did not know.
But why had they chosen now - this time of upheaval and change, when she had only recently established a stable royal system and begun building the Elf Kingdom as a unified nation - to resurface so suddenly?
The answer was obvious.
Now that she had laid the foundation, they likely intended to take advantage of her hard work and bend the kingdom to their will.
Her sharp mind quickly simulated possible outcomes.
Having seen the Dark Elves with her own eyes, it was all too easy to predict what might happen next.
'A noble system for the Dark Elves will emerge, along with a caste hierarchy.'
To be fair, a hierarchy already existed.
There was a distinction between Elves and High Elves.
However, there were no noble classes.
High Elves simply possessed a natural ability to absorb the energy of nature more efficiently, allowing them to access places ordinary Elves couldn't enter. But this did not grant them any special rights or privileges.
Moreover, while there were Elders and a Council, they were simply wise High Elves who had lived for a long time. There was no discrimination in their system… at least, not anymore.
Why?
Because during Dusk Soil Moon's Uprising, the corrupt Elder Council had been completely uprooted and abolished.
The current Elf Kingdom, aside from her royal authority, was a perfectly equal society without a caste system.
Would the Dark Elves desire such equality?
No.
They would not.
The Dark Elf Prince before her clearly desired for his race to regain prominence, to make their presence known in the world once again, and to rule above all other fae as they supposedly had in ancient times.
"It was promised the day we departed. That when we returned someday, the throne would be returned to us. After all, isn't the position of the Fairy King merely about protecting the World Tree?"
Despite knowing the truth, he spoke these words with shameless confidence.
"So, why not return the throne to us now?"
If—just if—
The Dark Elves truly were the ancestors of the fae as described in legend, and if they genuinely intended to nurture and protect the World Tree with a kind and noble heart…
Florin would have handed over the throne without hesitation.
As king, she enjoyed no special privileges.
Her life was simply far busier and more exhausting than that of any other elf.
If someone else were willing to take on this burden, wouldn't it be a relief to her? Wouldn't she welcome it with open arms?
But the man before her was not such a person.
This man sought only the advancement of the Dark Elves as a singular race.
And so, Florin made one of the most resolute decisions of her life.
She slowly raised her hand to her face, brushing her fingers across the veil she wore. It was the first time since her encounter with Baek Yu-Seol.
'The blessing of Pink Spring Moon.'
Revealing her face while imbued with the soft, pink glow of that blessing was no trivial matter.
Swish—
As she gently removed her veil and let it fall back, Dalion's curious gaze turned into one of shock. His eyes widened as he stared, stunned.
Florin's pupils shimmered with a radiant, soft pink glow.
Everything was different now.
No longer did she use the power of seduction to make others lovesick, forcing them to surrender their lives.
She had learned to suppress that deadly power.
The ability she now employed was nothing less than pure enchantment.
A power that shook a person's heart so deeply it compelled them to submit entirely to her will.
It was the power to turn someone into a slave of love.
It was such a terrifyingly potent ability that she had never used it on anyone before.
She had vowed never to use it in her lifetime.
'One day, there might come a time when you'll need to use it. When that time comes, don't hesitate or fear. Use it, because you are the king.'
As Baek Yu-Seol had once told her, Florin did not mistake this moment for when her power was necessary.
"Now…"
Dalion tried to speak, but the words never came out. His pupils dilated slightly, his arms hung limp, and he could do nothing but stare blankly at Florin.
The same was true for the other two Dark Elves. As she had anticipated.
"Even against Dark Mages, it seems my eyes of enchantment are effective, aren't they?"
"I..."
"Answer me."
"Y-yes... they are..."
Dalion nodded, his expression dazed and foolishly adoring. Seeing his face filled Florin with discomfort, but she pressed on with her questioning.
"Elves have no concept of honor. But our pride in guarding the World Tree was higher than anything else. How could the Dark Elves, who once held such pride, have fallen into such corruption?"
"We... we did not... fall..."
"If you want my love, don't lie."
Enslaved by his love for her, Dalion was now in a state where he would offer even his heart to Florin. Yet, even in that state—
"It's not... a lie..."
With an expression as if he would give her his very soul, Dalion answered, "We were born... with dark mana from the very beginning..."
"What… Did you just say?"
To Florin, his words were utterly shocking.
***
Upon arriving at the Waning Moon Plains, Baek Yu-Seol's first destination was the Starcloud Trading Company's forces.
Joining forces with Stella's knights would undoubtedly be the most efficient way to proceed.
They would undoubtedly be friendly toward Baek Yu-Seol.
But convenience and preference are two different things. If he was going to be active here, wouldn't it be better to work alongside one of the world's top beauties instead of sweaty men?
"Oh, Jeliel!"
"…You've arrived."
The location Baek Yu-Seol arrived at was the middle of a vast plain, where four Persona Gates had burst open simultaneously.
Four enormous spheres of ominous crimson energy flickered in midair, emitting a sinister aura of magic.
All around, temporary barracks and various cutting-edge magical devices were set up to analyze the Persona Gates, while mage-warriors stood guard, prepared to act in case of emergency.
Most of them bore the emblem of Starcloud Trading Company. Seeing how much military force the company possessed, Baek Yu-Seol wondered why a nation hadn't stepped in to regulate them.
'Maybe it's not a big deal because Starcloud belongs to the Elf Kingdom?'
The Elf Kingdom had a faint concept of centralized royal authority, so it didn't seem to mind its people maintaining private forces.
'I'll have to address that sort of thing later...'
For now, it was fortunate that Jeliel was kind and cooperative. But what if one day she decided she wanted to be king and staged a coup to overthrow Florin? It could cause a massive internal collapse.
"You look good. Seems like you've been doing well lately."
"I stayed up all night."
"...My bad."
Jeliel made that comment while staring intensely at the documents she was holding.
Hmm.
Feeling somewhat guilty about his earlier remark, Baek Yu-Seol stole glances at her face.
For someone who claimed to have pulled an all-nighter, she looked surprisingly well-rested. In fact, her complexion was glowing, and her skin looked smoother and more radiant than ever.
As she felt Baek Yu-Seol's blatant gaze, Jeliel thought to herself:
'…Well, I heard in advance that he was coming.'
Before departing, Baek Yu-Seol had called Starcloud's headquarters looking for Jeliel. But since she had already left, he couldn't reach her.
However, the news of his visit had been quickly relayed by another staff member.
Having stayed up all night sorting out the situation and looking worse for wear, Jeliel had hurriedly concealed her fatigue with makeup.
Of course, this flawless appearance owed much to the craftsmanship of the most skilled coordinators.
Jeliel had simply told them, "Just make it so I don't look tired. Nothing fancy." But how often does a coordinator get to work on such a beautiful face?
Declaring it a waste to treat such beauty with anything less than perfection, the coordinators poured their heart and soul into their work, employing every technique they knew.
As a result, Jeliel's complexion now appeared naturally radiant, as though she weren't wearing any makeup at all.
While the process had taken annoyingly long, the effort proved worthwhile, allowing her to hide her fatigue without looking like she had tried too hard.
She had no intention of giving off the impression that she had dressed up in a rush just because Baek Yu-Seol was visiting.
In this situation, the subtle artistry of the coordinators was something she was grateful for.
Speaking in a deliberately casual tone, she addressed him.
"So, are you planning to enter the Persona Gates?"
"Of course. I'm not the type to stand outside tinkering with machines and analyzing data."
Jeliel instinctively felt the urge to offer to join him but quickly bit her lip to stop herself.
If it had been Eisel or Flame, they wouldn't have resisted their instincts. But Jeliel had plenty of responsibilities to handle here.
"Why? Do you want to come too?"
At his teasing question, she found it much harder to hold back.
"…I doubt I'd be much help if I did. I'm exhausted right now."
"I know. You also look really busy. I was just asking out of courtesy."
She had half-expected him to press the matter, but Baek Yu-Seol accepted her answer immediately. Feeling frustrated, Jeliel clenched her fists and forced herself to speak.
"Still, I've had some training as a mage-warrior. Sitting around like this just makes me restless."
With that, she set her documents aside.
In reality, there was no urgent reason for Jeliel to keep herself so busy at the moment.
Most of the critical tasks had already been handled. Mercenaries and mages from the towers had been hired and sent to their respective positions. Commanders had been assigned to each Persona Gate, and reserve forces were in place should more gates appear.
She had even stayed up all night to finalize the transfer of authority to the appointed representatives. She could finally afford to rest.
But she couldn't.
It was her habit.
Unless she did everything herself, she could never feel at ease.
That one habit 0 her inability to delegate and insistence on handling everything herself - was what kept Jeliel rooted here. If she ever found a good enough reason, she could easily walk away and do something else.
So, setting down the documents, Jeliel laced her fingers together and stretched, arching her back. Since no one else was watching, she allowed herself this moment of unguarded relaxation, but to Baek Yu-Seol, it was an unfamiliar sight.
Feeling his gaze lingering on her, she paused mid-stretch and glanced at him.
"… What?"
"Nothing, just watching."
Noticing his persistent look, Jeliel instinctively tilted her head downward. Her stretch had caused a slight glimpse of her abdomen.
Quickly lowering her arms, she spoke as if nothing had happened.
"I'll grab my equipment. Wait here."
"Uh, sure..."
It was clear to anyone that she was flustered and had hurriedly excused herself. Yet Jeliel's usual deadpan expression and shameless composure gave no outward sign of her embarrassment.