"Guildmaster… is this really okay…?"
"Mmm~"
"Trust me, alright? When have I ever lied to you?"
"Mhm, we'll always trust you, Guildmaster… ah!~"
"Uwaaah~ c-can you go a little lighter?"
"M-my butt hurts…"
Fuli and Fulu's tearful sniffles rippled through the guild hall as the elf ruler painted faint rosy marks across their snow-white skin.
[Elf Ruler: +2!]
Seeing the number rise, Kurose Akira allowed a small, satisfied smile to curl at the corner of his lips.
Compared to the target of 1000, it was still a long way off—but even the slightest increase was enough to please him.
More importantly, the sisters' obedience and meek compliance brought him a sense of gratification.
These two little elves… were just too adorable.
"What are you doing?"
At that moment, Lucia stepped into the guild hall, her feet brushing lightly against the ground with a soft white glow.
The instant she saw Fuli and Fulu kneeling on the sofa with their hips raised—and Kurose Akira standing there holding the elf ruler—her expression froze.
Especially when she noticed the faint red flush on their skin.
It was obvious what had just happened.
Stare.
Lucia shot him an icy glare, her anger impossible to conceal.
"Lucia!?"
Caught off guard, Kurose Akira immediately panicked. "Wait—listen to me!"
"Pervert."
With a single cold word, Lucia walked over and lifted the elf sisters off the sofa.
She even leaned down and warned them, "Don't just listen to everything the Guildmaster says. He's a pervert."
"The Guildmaster is a huge pervert? Really?"
"N-no way… right?"
"But Sister Ivsha always says the Guildmaster likes doing perverted things…"
"Oh, that's true~"
"…"
Their innocent conversation left Kurose Akira at a complete loss. He had no idea how they had arrived at that conclusion.
"Mr. Kurose Akira, are we preparing to depart?"
At that moment, Ivsha arrived at the guild hall as well, her eyes filled with anticipation for today's mission.
"Yeah, we're heading out soon." Kurose Akira nodded. "As long as the Dark Elf Queen is ready, we can leave for the Elven Kingdom."
But before that—
He needed to wake up two certain freeloaders.
BANG!
He kicked the door open and shouted inside, "Wake up!"
"Don't disturb this progenitor's sweet dreams!" Kanlutia snapped from inside her coffin, jolted awake and clearly furious.
"Get up already!"
Kurose Akira reached in and grabbed her ear, yanking hard enough to make her bare her fangs in pain.
"Aaaah! Let go of my ear!"
"Then get up!"
"Fine, fine! I'm up! Just let go!"
"Ahh~ nom nom~"
Mare Rhein also stirred awake, her plump dragon tail swaying lazily as she yawned.
"Human… I'm hungry."
"Once this mission is over, I'll take you to a feast," Kurose Akira replied, dragging Kanlutia out of the silver coffin.
"A feast? What kind of feast?"
Mare blinked curiously.
He knew very well that her only source of sustenance was beast milk.
Smiling, he replied, "I guarantee you'll be satisfied—but not now. For now, why not drink some beast milk to fill your stomach?"
"Alright, I'll just fill up first."
Without hesitation, Mare hopped off the bed and walked out.
Moments later—
Glug, glug, glug…
The sound of drinking echoed from outside.
By the time Kurose Akira carried Kanlutia into the guild hall, Mare had already finished an entire barrel.
"Haah~ that hit the spot!"
She tossed the empty barrel aside, planted her hands on her hips, and declared proudly, "I'm ready! Can we go now?"
"Just a moment." Kurose Akira shook his head, his gaze shifting toward the Dark Elf Queen's room.
Everyone else was ready.
Now, they were just waiting on her.
But…
He couldn't be certain whether the Dark Elf Queen would truly honor her word and march to battle with him.
All he could do was hope.
And just as his focus sharpened—
The door slowly creaked open.
The Dark Elf Queen stepped out with graceful elegance.
She had changed into a long black gown, and like Lucia, she wore a thin dark veil over her face.
The difference—
Her dark golden eyes remained visible.
That contrast lent her noble aura a subtle, dangerous allure.
"Let's go."
She walked toward Kurose Akira, signaling for him to depart.
Though she had no intention of willingly submitting to him, this was a matter concerning the survival of the Elven Kingdom.
As their queen—even if only a fragment of her will—she would never stand by and do nothing.
"Since everyone's here… let's move out."
With that, Kurose Akira led his entire guild toward the battlefield.
—
By the time they arrived at the Elven Kingdom, the army had already assembled, poised for war.
"You've arrived."
Elena stepped forward to greet them.
"When do we depart?" Kurose Akira asked.
"The vanguard has already left under Youlusi's command. The main force will follow shortly," Elena explained. "This time, Her Majesty will personally lead the army—six hundred thousand elves marching into battle. You only need to observe from the side. I'll instruct you when needed."
"…"
Kurose Akira didn't reply. He simply cast her a brief glance before scanning the area.
"Where's the Queen?"
After failing to find her, he asked again.
"She's with Paslow, discussing some matters," Elena replied.
"Paslow is going to the battlefield too?"
"Mm." Elena nodded. "They've reached an agreement. The Dark Elves will also join the war."
"I see…"
Kurose Akira nodded thoughtfully.
In the face of extinction, even fractured factions would unite—if only temporarily.
It made sense.
After all, the Undead Lord's target was the World Tree.
If it were destroyed, the Dark Elves would lose their source of power as well.
Their interests aligned perfectly.
Just as he was thinking—
The Elven Queen appeared.
Standing atop a high platform, her azure eyes swept across the vast army below.
She spoke only a single command:
"Move out."
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
"All elves—advance!"
"Yes!"
The elders immediately mobilized the army.
And their method of advance—
Was far from ordinary.
Fire elves mounted elf dragons, charging forward like blazing cavalry.
Wind elves lightened their bodies with magic, translucent green wings forming behind them as they flanked the formation.
Wood, water, and earth elves stood atop massive leaves from the World Tree, flying toward the battlefield.
Five great legions surged forward at once.
But compared to them—
Kurose Akira was more interested in the Dark Elf forces.
Strangely… he didn't see them.
Only Paslow, accompanied by a handful of Dark Elves, ascending slowly on a single leaf.
"Let's go too."
Elena waved at him. A World Tree leaf had already stopped beside her.
"Alright."
Kurose Akira nodded, about to board with his guild—
When suddenly—
"Guildmaster Kurose Akira, ride with me."
The Elven Queen called out.
He turned—
And saw it.
A massive leaf, far larger than the others.
It was like a floating yacht, capable of carrying over a hundred people.
And yet—
It held only the Queen, two elders, and ten guards.
The rest of the space was empty.
"Don't mind if I do!"
Kurose Akira immediately led his guild aboard.
The giant leaf was even furnished with vine-woven chairs.
As for the Queen's seat—
It was crafted entirely from crystal, radiating authority.
"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate!"
Elena immediately objected.
The elders followed:
"No outsiders may come within ten meters of you!"
"You are our Queen—you must not sit with a man!"
"Your Majesty—!"
The Queen dismissed them calmly.
"Do you fear that Guildmaster Kurose Akira will assassinate me? Or do you doubt my judgment? He is not merely human—he is an honored guest of the elves."
"…!"
Her words left them speechless.
In the end, they had no choice but to allow it.
But just as Elena tried to board—
"Go to your own leaf," the Queen ordered.
"…Understood."
Unable to disobey, Elena shot Kurose Akira an unhappy glare before returning to her own platform.
He frowned slightly.
What did I do this time?
He looked at the Queen, seeking an answer—
Only to find her smiling faintly.
There was a hint of mischief in that smile.
"Depart."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The great leaf rose into the sky.
—
Throughout the journey, Kurose Akira sat beside the Queen in silence.
It wasn't that he didn't want to speak—
The atmosphere was simply too tense.
Behind them, Alice and Virola laughed and chatted freely.
But here—
Under the elders' watchful gaze—
He felt like a wolf surrounded by sheepdogs.
Until—
The Queen finally broke the silence.
"Guildmaster Kurose Akira… have you completed the small task I assigned you?"
"…Not yet."
He paused, then realized—
She meant the Elf Ruler progress.
"I see~ there's still time," she said with a soft smile. "Once this war is over, you can focus on it again. I'll even create opportunities for you."
"…?"
Kurose Akira raised a brow.
He was genuinely curious what kind of "opportunities" she meant.
Interesting.
—
Soon, they arrived at the battlefield—
A mountain range over a hundred kilometers from the kingdom's borders, shrouded in eerie blue mist.
"So this is the Undead Lord's domain…"
Kurose Akira stepped to the front of the leaf, gazing ahead.
The mountains were completely obscured.
But from within—
Came the wailing of spirits and flashes of blue lightning.
"Master… something bad is inside…"
Virola said uneasily, her four deer legs shifting.
"Don't worry."
The Queen approached her and reassured her gently.
"This time, we are certain. We will defeat the Undead Lord… and bring this thousand-year war to an end."
The moment her words fell—
The two elders raised their staffs and began chanting.
A massive magic circle bloomed across the sky.
Multicolored light descended—
And in an instant—
The mist vanished.
Revealing the horror within.
Millions of skeletons.
Swarming across the mountains like ants.
A suffocating, chilling sight.
Above them—
More than a dozen bone dragons circled the peaks.
"Bone dragons…"
Kurose Akira frowned.
Each one was above level 80.
If they entered the battlefield, they would pose a serious threat.
Suppressing them with ranged magic alone wouldn't be easy—
Unless the Queen herself intervened.
"Begin."
The Queen issued her command.
The elders waved their banners.
And from the rear—
A sharp, piercing roar rang out.
"?"
Kurose Akira turned—
And froze.
Behind the elven army—
A colossal elemental dragon emerged.
Over a thousand meters long.
Its body was composed of swirling, multicolored elemental energy.
Like an elf dragon—
But tens of thousands of times larger.
As for its power…
"Level 99…!?"