"W-Wait… g-give me a moment to breathe…"
The Elf Queen gasped softly, her voice trembling as her snow-white breasts rose and fell in sharp, uneven rhythm. Beads of crystalline sweat slid quietly from her brow, trailing down her flawless skin like strings of pearls rolling across fresh snow.
She was keenly aware that she could no longer withstand Kurose Akira's power of domination. Even within the secret realm she herself controlled, that mysterious force still held absolute sway over her body, compelling her to perform actions that filled her with shame and confusion.
['Corruption' trait is growing…][Current progress: 75%]
"Only seventy-five percent?" Kurose Akira muttered under his breath, clearly dissatisfied with the result.
An entire hour had passed, yet the progress bar had climbed to merely 75%. That alone was enough to tell him that his methods were still far too gentle.
Worse yet, the growth rate of the trait was visibly slowing. If he wanted to achieve the effect he was aiming for, he would need to adopt far harsher—perhaps even more despicable—measures.
As that thought crossed his mind, his gaze drifted back to the Elf Queen.
At this moment, a faint blush colored her cheeks, softening her originally noble and sacred bearing with a touch of bashful vulnerability. She looked less like an exalted monarch and more like a delicate woman in need of care—someone one might cradle in their hands and slowly toy with.
Cough, cough…
Kurose Akira felt a flicker of confusion.
He had only issued a few corruption commands. He hadn't expected her to fall into such a state so easily.
Was the Elf Queen… surprisingly weak? Could it be that she wasn't even as resilient as his own dark impulses?
"Do we… continue later?" Kurose Akira asked. He didn't mind pressing on, but given her current condition—
"Let's stop here for today, little one~"
The Elf Queen shook her head lightly. Her eyes were still hazy, as though she hadn't fully come back from the abyss of corruption she had just experienced.
"…Alright."
Kurose Akira had no intention of forcing anything upon a queen who stood so far above him. He didn't have that ability anyway.
But if this had been the Elf Queen's dark impulse instead, then the outcome would have been very different.
He would have made her understand, deeply and viscerally, what the original sin of lust truly meant.
"Your power of domination is truly… unique~"
The Elf Queen slowly rose to her feet, a faint smile curving her lips.
"To think that even I could sink into it… after a thousand years, it allowed me to feel something once more, from the depths of my heart…"
Her words suddenly trailed off.
Her gaze wavered, and at the corner of her eye, a single, perfectly clear tear trembled, on the verge of falling.
Kurose Akira froze.
He had never imagined that this noble, sacred Elf Queen could ever show such fragility—let alone shed tears.
That helpless, delicate expression stirred an instinctive urge to pull her into his arms, to offer comfort and warmth.
And warmth… was something Kurose Akira happened to be very good at providing.
He spoke gently, "I don't know if I'm qualified to understand a queen's worries. But if you don't mind… you can tell me."
"You…"
A flicker of surprise passed through the Elf Queen's eyes, and she seemed momentarily lost in thought.
But soon, she reined in her emotions and began to speak, her voice calm yet heavy with memory.
"That was a thousand years ago—a catastrophe for the elven race. An Undead Sovereign launched a war against the Elven Kingdom. Millions of undead surged forth, all for one purpose: to seize the World Tree upon which we depend for survival. They intended to use its boundless life force to resurrect their lord from death."
Kurose Akira said nothing, listening in silence.
"We fought with everything we had… and in the end, we won. But the price was devastating. Hundreds of thousands of elves were lost forever in that war."
She paused, a glimmer of tears flashing through her eyes.
Kurose Akira quietly etched this history into his mind.
After a moment, she continued, "After that war, our race was gravely weakened. Many surrounding tribes began to eye us like predators. The Elven Kingdom was plunged into constant crisis. In order to survive, I began to consider invoking the forbidden power of the World Tree… and that was one of the roots of my dark impulse."
"At the time, there were two voices within the elven race. One advocated negotiation and peace. The other believed only war could secure the kingdom's safety."
She turned her sapphire-blue eyes toward Kurose Akira and asked softly, "Can you guess which one I chose?"
"War," Kurose Akira replied without hesitation.
"Oh?" The Elf Queen tilted her head, intrigued by his certainty. "Why are you so sure?"
"Peace negotiations with other races would amount to handing over elven resources," Kurose Akira said calmly. "The elves possess abundant mineral wealth and unique agricultural products. But to other races, the most desirable resource is a beautiful, capable elf. With a single order from the Elf Queen, elves would willingly become slaves of foreign nations. There's nothing more tempting than that."
His answer left the Elf Queen silent for a moment.
It was, unmistakably, the correct answer.
Long-lived elves were far more coveted on the slave market than ordinary humans—or even adult male beastmen.
That said, under the Elf Queen's rule, true elves had long since vanished from those markets. So-called "elf slaves" were mostly impostors. The few genuine cases involved elves who had defected from their race, and their numbers were negligible.
"You're absolutely right," the Elf Queen said with a faint smile. "In their eyes, an all-female elven race is a treasure trove beyond compare."
"Thus, we chose war. I appointed an elven elder and tasked her with forming the Dark Night Elf Legion—elite warriors chosen from among the bravest and most formidable of our people."
"I granted them a special blessing from the World Tree and ordered them to annihilate, within ten days, the tribe most hostile toward the Elven Kingdom."
"They did not disappoint me. In just one day, that race was completely wiped out."
"At that moment, the Dark Night Elf Legion's name shook the world, serving as a warning to all nations that harbored designs against us."
"You know," she said, her smile radiant and proud, "they terrified those fools beyond measure. They were the strongest legion our kingdom had ever known—no weaker than the greatest armies of other nations. Take human kingdoms, for example: the Holy Guardian Legion of the Sun Theocracy, the Moonlit Council of the Moon God Empire, the Star Knight Order of the Star Kingdom… even the Dragon Knight Legion of the Dragon Holy State—hailed as the strongest army in existence—regarded our Dark Night Elf Legion with deep fear!"
Listening to her proud tone, Kurose Akira could vividly sense the overwhelming might of that legion.
At the same time, he gained valuable knowledge about the top military forces of various human nations—information he had never fully known before, aside from the Star Knight Order.
But then, the Elf Queen's tone shifted abruptly.
Pride gave way to deep sorrow.
"However… not long after, for certain reasons, I ordered the Dark Night Elf Legion to be disbanded."
"That decision… led to a schism within the elven race. Some members of the legion chose to leave. Over time, they became what you now know as the Dark Elves."
As she spoke, tears finally slipped from her eyes.
"Including the elder I personally appointed… she was my…" Her voice wavered. "My only friend—the only one I could truly confide in…"
As her words faded, Kurose Akira began to understand.
For the Elf Queen, standing at the pinnacle of her race, true friendship was exceedingly rare.
The female elves who revered her as absolute truth had been taught to lower themselves before her since birth. They could never truly be her confidants.
That elven elder, perhaps due to her personality or unique disposition, had become the Queen's sole close companion.
And yet… she, too, ultimately chose to leave.
"I believe you must have had your reasons," Kurose Akira said gently.
"Mmm."
The Elf Queen nodded.
"The blessing of the Dark Night Elf Legion drew upon the power of the World Tree's Divine Hollow. Overreliance on that power would cause elves to gradually lose themselves… and might lead to consequences even I could not foresee."
"So I had to steel my heart. I disbanded the legion and buried their glorious history."
Now Kurose Akira fully understood.
The legion was born from the World Tree's forbidden power, but that same power corroded the mind.
When the Queen sealed it away, some elves became obsessed with it, leading to division—and the birth of the Dark Elves.
"That wasn't your fault," Kurose Akira said softly. "Great power always comes with a price. That's unavoidable."
"But I couldn't save those elves who were consumed by it," the Elf Queen replied, a bitter smile forming. "That is my failure as their queen."
"Enough now, little one~ You don't need to comfort me. That was all a thousand years ago. Even the saddest stories lose their edge after so much time. I've long since come to terms with it."
Really?
Kurose Akira didn't believe that for a second.
She hadn't truly let go. She still blamed herself—and that lingering guilt was exactly what allowed her dark impulse to continue growing.
"Let's end today's conversation here," the Elf Queen said as she rose gracefully to her feet. "Your power is… extraordinary. It makes me believe you may truly be able to seal my dark impulse. I look forward to hearing good news from you."
She turned and walked toward the door.
But just as she was about to step outside, she paused, turned back, and smiled at Kurose Akira.
"In regard to everything that happened here today… you must not tell anyone else. You understand, don't you, little one?"
"Uh…"
Kurose Akira swallowed hard.
Though her voice was gentle as flowing water, a chill rose from the depths of his soul.
Looks like the idea of turning the Elf Queen into a… ahem—that would have to stay buried deep in his heart.
Cough!
Not there yet. Definitely not there yet!
As the dreamlike scene dissolved like mist, Kurose Akira slowly opened his eyes.
He felt refreshed, in excellent condition, his spirits high—ready to throw himself into another exhilarating battle alongside his guild companions.
Today's goal—
Another demon nest!
But the moment he took in his surroundings, he froze in shock.
He wasn't in the guild hall.
He was standing in a sea of fire.
Blazing flames devoured everything in sight, while the roars of vicious specters echoed from all directions.
And what shocked him even more—
Standing amidst the inferno was a woman.
Her appearance closely resembled Princess Vivian's, yet the golden pupils in her eyes radiated nothing but cold madness.
She stared straight at Kurose Akira, lips curling into an eerie smile.
"She is…"
Kurose Akira narrowed his eyes, his heartbeat surging.
The Witch of the Black Night.
Almost instantly, his suspicion was confirmed.
Her laughter rang out, crisp and melodious like silver bells.
"This is only the beginning, boy! Come—let us sink together into this betrayal born of the night!"