The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 35: The Missing Stone Pile

He glanced at the king, who was already walking quite far ahead, and immediately called out loudly, "Swordsman Darius, what are you still doing here? Look how far His Majesty has gone already! Don’t you want to see the new palace environment? And besides, you haven’t seen His Majesty in over ten years—you must have a lot to catch up on, right? Now’s your chance!"

Darius: ??????

Before he could open his mouth to refute, a sudden force from behind pushed him forward.

He stumbled two steps, nearly falling.

"You..."

"Swordman Darius, you’re actually feeling shy now?" Eoryun blatantly lied with a straight face, completely ignoring Illiya’s murderous glare.

He thought to himself, Better you than me.

Then, raising his voice, he called out to the king, "Your Majesty, you’re walking too fast! The shy swordsman Darius can’t keep up!"

Hearing this, the king stumbled but managed to regain his balance just in time.

However, after steadying himself, his pace noticeably quickened.

Darius rubbed his shoulder and flashed Eoryun a brilliant, albeit dangerous, smile. The tension between them suggested an impending battle.

"Ahem."

Seeing this, Illiya immediately interrupted.

After all, elves were a peaceful race.

If they had to fight, they could at least wait until he wasn’t looking. Perhaps after he turned around.

Elves never looked back, after all.

"We all understand, Sir Darius, that returning home after so many years makes you feel a bit nervous," Illiya added hurriedly, trying to smooth things over. "But if you don’t hurry up, His Majesty will be too far ahead."

Darius hesitated, glancing warily at the black-haired knight before falling silent.

Without another word, he quickly stepped forward, chasing after the king.

Only then did Illiya turn to the bewildered knight and offer an explanation.

"Don’t be surprised. You know how it is—Sir Darius hasn’t been back in over a decade. Now that we’ve called him out on his feelings, of course, he’s going to act a little flustered."

The knight nodded blankly, though it was unclear if he truly understood.

He murmured, "I’ve never seen Captain Darius act so lively before... But then again, it has been more than ten years. People change."

Illiya swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue.

So humans are just capable of convincing themselves like that?

Elves didn’t understand it, but they appreciated how convenient it was.

Illiya and the others didn’t dawdle for long.

Before they knew it, they had caught up with Darius and the king.

As they approached, they overheard the two discussing the palace’s environment and reminiscing about the past.

Or rather, it was just the red-haired swordsman doing the reminiscing.

"...The palace does look very different from before," Darius sighed. "And it definitely looks wealthier."

The way he said it was tactful—just short of outright calling it overly extravagant.

But to Seoryun’s ears, Darius’s words automatically translated to praise for his governance, as if he were commending how well he had managed the kingdom’s finances.

Though inwardly smug, Seoryun maintained a humble front. "Darius, you’re mistaken. Are you saying the palace didn’t look good before? And besides, after more than ten years, of course, the treasury has grown significantly."

Darius merely smiled without responding.

Silence fell over the group once again.

They continued walking along the stone path until they arrived at the royal gardens.

The garden was filled with an array of vibrant, expensive flowers.

Even the trees lining the area were spiritual trees that bloomed with dazzling blossoms.

The moment they stepped through the entrance, a surge of magical energy filled the air.

Surrounded by such rich magic, Darius felt his entire body relax, his pores opening as if soaking in the energy.

His steps felt lighter.

However, as he took in the scene, he quickly realized something.

Not a single ordinary plant could be found here.

Every flower, every tree was a spiritual plant—some of which were incredibly rare, to the point of being priceless.

This was no longer mere luxury.

Darius frowned slightly, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

His gaze roamed the extravagant "garden of wealth," searching for even a single familiar landmark from his memories.

He took two steps forward and realized that the stone pile, which should have been in the center of the garden, was gone.

In its place was a bed of flowers.

Seeing this, his heart sank.

The one possibility he had been most reluctant to consider had become a reality.

The king he knew might truly be in trouble, and the "king" standing before him was a fake.

But Darius refused to give up just yet. He struggled to keep his voice even as he tentatively asked, "Huh? Wasn’t there a stone pile here? Your Majesty, did you have it removed?"

Seoryun frowned in confusion, searching his memory for any recollection of a stone pile in the garden.

But no such image surfaced in his mind.

He couldn’t help but suspect that Darius had made it up to test him.

Yet at the same time, he feared it was true—that something significant had once happened here.

At least, something significant for both Darius and Seoryun.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

Should he pretend to have forgotten, or go along with the claim? freёweɓnovel.com

Underneath his cloak, Seoryun’s hand clenched involuntarily, his fingernails digging into his palm so deeply that crescent-shaped marks appeared, blood seeping from them.

Taking a deep breath, he forced a surprised smile onto his face, his expression shifting to one of just the right amount of astonishment. "That pile of stones? When the garden was being rearranged, someone must have thrown it away. You know, common laborers aren’t exactly obedient. Oh, what I mean is, those lowly people always have a habit of stealing and sneaking things away. The stones were probably stolen and sold."

A wave of unease surged within Darius.

From the moment he stepped into the palace, something had felt off, as if its arrangement no longer matched his memories.

Now, he finally knew what was wrong.