Past Relationships (2)

「Eyes resembling starlight」

「Lips that look like pomegranate」

「Cheeks that look like honey」

「Forehead lovely as that of a newborn child」

「A voice as delicate as a chirping bird」

The most beautiful creature created by God.

「Pure, without lies」

「Innocent, uncontaminated」

A kind nature that could not harm even the lives of small creatures.

「A flower that blooms for a thousand years」historical

「A lifespan that compares to giant trees」

Forest beings that live between 300 to 1,000 years.

Beautiful, pure, kind.

That was what people commonly think of Elves.

There is a fatal mistake at what they thought.

Elves were by no means pure, innocent, and selfless.

They were insidious, calculating, and at the same time, terribly self-righteous.

The myth about the good and benevolent Elves was a fantasy created by those who were smitten by their angelic appearances.

I knew them better than anyone else.

I’ve been with them many times in the past.

They were a cruel tribe that could ruin others using their beauties as baits.

Among such elves, there are especially more dangerous ones.

「High Elf」

They were the [Heroes] of the Elven tribe.

In front of me was not only a [High Elf] but an [Elder High Elf], one who has lived for nearly a thousand years.

「Dancing Magic Swordsman, Sigrun」

Sigrun was a member of the expedition that killed Gwangryong in the past.

She was such a maniac that even in my sword form, she bothered me to a terrible degree.

She looks exactly the same as she did 400 years ago.

Her eyes had a persistent gaze on them.

I have been a sword for hundreds of years, and I have nothing to be afraid of.

Except for Sigrun. This Elf is not completely sane.

[If your master dies, will you go with me?]

[We will have fun for life.]

[Forever. No one could handle you better than I.]

When I recalled her ecstatic expression as she touched my slender body, I felt chills down my spine.

Sigrun licked her lips.

“I didn’t think there was someone who remembered that poem,” she said.

I didn’t expect that she was here, so I used Muhun-si.

However, she knew it well and recognized it immediately.

I turned my head away, hoping she wouldn’t recognize me.

Fortunately, she didn’t. Her face didn’t show any suspicion.

I am completely different from what she knew me in the past.

I am now the eldest son of the Leonberger family, not a sword.

A sigh of relief came out of me, unconsciously.

“It seems that the descendants of the Dragon Slayer have not yet forgotten that victory.” She smiled sweetly. “I apologize for the late introduction. I am Sigrun, representative of the delegation who visited to confirm their friendship with your kingdom.”

I took her greetings as calmly as possible.

“I am Idrian Leonberger.”

Sigrun had a curious expression on her face.

“Hmm?”

She tilted her beautiful head.

Instantly, the noblemen clutched their chests and looked hungrily at her.

I felt uncomfortable at the behavior of the nobles who were easily deceived by her appearance. What would they look like if they found out that inside that fresh appearance is a thousand-year-old monster?

I quickly tried to dispel the wary look from my face. It wouldn’t be good to stimulate Sigrun.

She has one of the best swordsmanships within hundreds of years, and at the same time, she was unpredictable.

I didn’t want to bet my life against her.

Nope.

It seems that today’s banquet was also ruined for me.

Yesterday, the imperial ambassadors, today, a chance meeting with an insane elf.

As I quietly began to step away from her, Sigrun stepped closer.

“By the way..” her head was still tilted with an inquisitive expression. “Where have we met?”

Goosebumps crawled all over me.

“You feel strangely familiar..” She added.

“This is the first time I’ve seen an Elf with my own eyes,” I told her.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Her eyes searched mine as if she was trying to look inside me.

High Elves already have the [Hero] characteristic since birth. I couldn’t guess what her rating, which was already high 400 years ago, could be now.

I just hoped she hadn’t reached the point where she could see through all things.

“You’re lying,” she said in a quiet tone, but her words shook me.

“There are two different reactions that a human seeing an elf for the first time would do.”

Her expression was light as she continued to speak with a quiet tone.

“Fascination. Or, like Your Highness, caution. The usual reaction is the former, while those who have reached a considerable level fall into the latter. Strangely, you look too young to reach that level..” She was smiling, but I found it was terrifying.

“Ah.. my taste is different,” I managed to blurt out.

It didn’t sound convincing. Elf’s beauty is transcendent. Even wicked orcs fall for their appearance.

To say that you have a different taste in front of such an absolute beauty.. what a rubbish excuse.

But what else could I say? As she said, there was no man who doesn’t get fascinated with her.

Sigrun, I know, was a woman of extreme pride.

She smiled once more before taking a couple of steps backward.

“I am very happy to meet you.” She said before putting her hood back on and walking towards her seat in the corner of the banquet hall.

“Ah..”

Men around the hall sighed when she covered her face with the hood. Their eyes followed her as if they were possessed. Some of them had eyes that were oozing with greed and longing.

It’s embarrassing.

Even if they were deceived by her innocent appearance, they should not attempt to touch her. An Elf’s retribution has no mercy.

I clicked my tongue and turned around.

I saw Uncle. It seemed that even he was defenseless against the Elf’s beauty. A sighed flowed out of his mouth as he watched her walk.

If Sigrun came today with evil intentions, this country was over.

“Her Majesty Queen Margarita, modest ruler of Leonberg, the benevolent and beautiful companion of His Majesty King Lionel Leonberger, is entering!”

The Queen appeared as I was deep in thought about the elves’ presence.

The Queen looked very impressive with her graceful and dignified appearance.

The somewhat cluttered atmosphere cleared up at once. The nobles knelt all at once.

“Ian,” The Queen walked straight to me with a cheery look on her face. “Looking at you like this, you really look like His Majesty when he was younger.”

She really liked my elaborate outfit.

“Come with me.” She took my hand and led me to the podium. “Don’t think about leaving early today.”

She sat on an impressive chair on the podium, and I took the chair next to her.

There were several empty chairs on the podium, among them, the King’s.

“His Majesty will be present tomorrow,” she told me. “So, if you want to take that chair today..” her eyes twinkled, “have fun.”

The Queen then rose from her seat to give a quick speech to the nobles.

Then, music began filling the hall again, as the high lords and nobles came one after another to pay their respects to the Queen.

Their words and actions were different from how they treated me.

So, this is the dignity of true royalty, I thought.

I smiled bitterly. She didn’t even have to use the power of Muhun-si. I still have a long way to go.

I wasn’t upset by what I saw. As I progress towards completion and transcendence, this dignity would follow anyway.

“What do you think?” the Queen suddenly asked me while I was deep in thought.

“About what?”

“The kid I was talking to just now?”

I inadvertently followed her gaze. I saw a young girl about ten years old. The child twisted her body as if she was shy as my eyes met hers.

“Her family is great, and there are no flaws with their character. She would have a lot of sophistication by the time she becomes a woman.”

When I finally understood what the Queen was talking about, my expression darkened.

“Can’t you see she’s too young?”

The child, who looked embarrassed that she had been considered a child rather than a woman, turned away.

The Queen started nagging at me, but I wasn’t listening.

After a few moments, the Queen introduced another candidate to me.

She was older than the first one, but still too young to be called a woman.

I shook my head.

Since then, the Queen continued to show me several other candidates, and each time, I shook my head.

“You are choosing a queen, Ian. They are not like the woman you’ve always dealt with..” she kept nagging at me as quiet as she could, as if not to attract attention. Wise, healthy, comes from a great family.. after extolling the virtues I need to consider, she called in the next candidate.

The candidate and the woman who appears to be her mother turned around after I shook my head again. Somehow, they looked relieved.

After that, several more candidates appeared.

I kept sighing and shaking my head.

The Queen also sighed deeply at every rejection.

We kept at it for a long time.

Then, a group wearing hoods approached the platform. It was Sigrun and the elves.

“Sigrun from the Mistletoe Clan greets the beautiful Queen Margarita,” she smiled sweetly and bowed.

The Queen was amazed at the Elves’ visit.

“It’s just amazing that you could come today. The Elves are a long-time friend of the kingdom since the time it was founded,” the Queen rejoiced.

“It seemed that the queen is looking for a woman to be His Highness’ companion, is that right?”

As the Queen nodded, she smiled.

“When our King sent us here, we didn’t know why. But now, I seem to understand,” her eyes fell on me.

“What does the Her Majesty think of our clan?” she asked.

“A close friend, and a friendly neighbor,” the Queen responded quickly.

“Don’t you think that it would be better to call us your family rather than your friends?”

Sigrun’s smile grew bigger.

I soon realized why I felt anxious when I saw her here.

“What does that mean?” The Queen asked.

“I am a High Elf. In a human setting, I am an aristocrat of a fairly mighty family.”

Oh, my God.

After I kept complaining to the Queen that she was showing me candidates who were too young, the oldest candidate in the world appeared.

“Fortunately, my age is not that different from His Highness’s age..”

The abominable Sigrun just said an outright lie.

I feel my mouth is getting dry.