The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 33: Old Grudges and Easy Money

Darius began to reflect on whether he had somehow offended the king.

Was it when they first met as children, and he punched the then-crown prince?

That really shouldn’t count—he got beaten up in return anyway.

Or was it when he broke a vase in his teenage years and framed the crown prince for it?

No, that couldn’t be it.

His wages had been docked to pay for the vase.

Could it be from when he was seventeen or eighteen, secretly exposing the king’s terrible personality behind his back, only to be caught and noted down in a little grudge book?

That didn’t seem likely either.

He knew all too well that despite his outwardly generous appearance, the king was actually incredibly petty.

He firmly believed in immediate retaliation—delaying payback for even a second was a loss.

Maybe it was from when they traveled together at twenty?

But in the end, he had taken the blame for everything, and there was even a rumor that he had eloped with the crown prince.

Darius ran through all his past "misdeeds" in his mind but couldn’t find a single one that hadn’t already been repaid in full.

Since everything was settled, why was the king still secretly ruining his reputation?

Was this just the king’s twisted sense of humor?

...Wait.

That actually seemed quite possible.

Enlightenment dawned upon Darius.

After the shock came resignation. He sighed, exasperated. "Your Majesty, a person must learn to let go." Stop being so entertained by this.

"There are many other interesting things in the world." Stop using this as your personal joke.

"There are plenty of amusing people too." You don’t have to keep milking the same target—take the new bodyguard, for example.

He seems like a good choice.

"You get what I mean?" Don’t even think about playing dumb.

He knew everything.

The king averted his gaze, refusing to meet the red-haired knight’s eyes.

Of course, he understood.

And because he understood, he had to pretend he didn’t.

The new bodyguard was too naive (stupid), making him absolutely no fun to tease.

Still, appearances had to be maintained.

"Hahahahaha! Darius, what are you even saying? I was just curious! The whole capital is talking about it, you know? Some people even started a betting pool—wagering on whether you came back for me or for something else. The odds are nine to one." The king lowered his voice mysteriously at the last part.

Darius: ...???

He hadn’t expected the people of the capital to be this idle, opening bets over something so trivial.

"Oh, so... you placed a bet too?"

The king’s lips curled into a knowing smile, exuding an air of an enlightened sage.

"Hey now, don’t misunderstand me. Do I look like that kind of person?"

Darius deadpanned. "Are you saying you’re not?"

"So, a 60-40 split? I take sixty, you take forty?"

The king shook his head with a serene smile. He raised a hand, wagging a finger. "No, no. At most, fifty-fifty. We split evenly. Money should be made together."

Darius instantly changed his expression, responding without hesitation, "Deal! I recorded that! Don’t even think about backing out!"

The king froze.

A miscalculation.

How did he get caught so fast? He had indeed planned to weasel out of it.

"Sigh, how could I be that kind of person?"

Darius merely laughed twice, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Heh. Heh."

Illiya who is standing nearby, was completely dumbfounded.

He had just watched them go from bringing up old grudges to gambling, and then to splitting the winnings on the spot. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

This was beyond his imagination.

Then again, anyone who could get along with Darius this well was bound to be far from ordinary.

So this was where Darius’s twisted sense of humor came from—the king himself.

After the "small talk" (loot division), the king’s attention finally shifted to the people standing beside Darius.

An elf and a human.

Elves are not to be provoked—after all, if you fight one, a whole group will come after you.

What’s more, this elf appeared to be a juvenile, and underage elves were even more untouchable.

According to the intelligence report, that human was related to the City Lord of Haneulseong City.

The City Lord of Haneulseong City had previously been one of his personal knights.

That meant this human was also someone worth interacting with.

These thoughts quickly cycled through the king’s mind, and he soon came up with an appropriate approach for dealing with them.

He nodded his head at the elf in greeting and said, "Everyone already knows my identity. But there’s no need to be so formal with me—just treat me like an ordinary person. And when we’re outside, don’t call me ’Your Majesty.’ I still want to have some fun, after all."

"My name is Seoryun Jinmu."

Illiya frowned slightly, a flash of doubt appearing in his eyes.

No matter how uneasy he felt, he maintained his composure and didn’t let any emotion show.

Even though the king had told them there was no need for formalities, that didn’t mean they could truly act that way.

"There’s no need for courtesy, Your Majesty. My name is Illiya Faelorien. Just call me Illiya," he said.

Seoryun’s eyes flickered with an unreadable glint upon hearing that name.

Illiya Faelorien...

Faelorien...

Wasn’t that the surname of the current Elf King? Could this elf be related to the Elf King?

Should he try probing for information?

It would be best if he could get something out of him.

This thought circled in Seoryun’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it himself.

His smile nearly faltered, his expression stiffening for a moment before he swiftly masked it.

Forcing a smile, he said, "So your name is Illiya Faelorien. That’s a good name."

Illiya’s sense of unease grew stronger.

Was there something wrong with this king?

Was his name strange in some way?

Realizing his own lapse, Seoryun coughed lightly and covered his mouth with his hand, feigning discomfort.

"I was merely complimenting your name. ’Illiya’ has an air of nobility. It seems the elder who named you had high hopes for you," he said.