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The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 39: The Fake King’s Banquet
Chapter 39: The Fake King’s Banquet
Long-term exposure to corrupted beings?
Wasn’t that obvious?
Who else would Narae be around all the time aside from the fake king?
Oh no, thinking about it like that... didn’t that make Narae’s situation even more dangerous?
Illiya fell silent.
...That was true.
Eoryun solemnly came to a conclusion. "Our objective has changed. Seoryun’s safety is no longer important. What’s important now is rescuing the poor knight, Narae! So we still have to go to the palace, huh?"
"Then why did we refuse the fake king’s invitation in the first place?"
Illiya, Darius, Drow: "..."
That was a good question.
Why had they refused again?
Darius raised his hand to admit his mistake. "That’s my bad. Mainly because the fake king’s acting was too terrible. Anyone familiar with the real king would immediately see through it. Sometimes, you can tell a person’s true nature from the smallest details.
"Look at how extravagantly the palace is decorated—Seoryun would never approve of this. He’d rather exchange all this for gold coins and stack them in his private treasury, counting them one by one whenever he had free time."
"Sometimes, I think he’s not even human. His race should be classified as a dragon, right? Stingy and obsessed with money—how is he any different from a dragon?"
The others: "..."
Illiya calmly reflected on his own mistakes.
"This is on me too. I noticed the problem first, but I got too focused on other things and completely forgot about the corruption issue. That was my mistake. So, should we start figuring out how to sneak back into the palace?"
Darius thought for a moment before hesitantly suggesting, "How about we go back to the palace now and tell the fake king that we’ve decided to attend the banquet?"
Illiya: "...Darius, your suggestion is so bold that even the fake king would be left speechless. I don’t know about him, but I sure am speechless."
Night had fallen, and the palace was illuminated by countless lights, once again basking in brightness.
Only one place remained shrouded in darkness—the study deep within the palace.
I
nside the study, not a single light was lit.
The massive window behind the desk was covered by thick curtains, blocking out any light from outside.
The room was eerily quiet—almost deathly silent. ƒreewebɳovel.com
But the faint sound of breathing betrayed the presence of someone within.
In the dim environment, a barely discernible figure could be seen.
It was the master of the study—Seoryun.
Seoryun sat motionless in his chair, as still as a statue.
His head was lowered, his expression devoid of any emotion.
"I told you, your plan wouldn’t work. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just kill that annoying red-haired knight halfway?"
A mocking voice suddenly rang out in the study.
Seoryun didn’t react with surprise.
He was already used to this.
It wasn’t surprising—because those words had come from his own mouth.
Suddenly, Seoryun erupted in fury.
With one sweeping motion, he knocked everything off his desk.
A chaotic clatter echoed through the room.
"What do you know?! Darius isn’t just some ordinary man!" Seoryun’s face twisted in rage, his hands pulling at his own hair. "Seoryun and Darius are best friends. My plan cannot afford to have any mistakes."
"But Darius is already suspicious of you." Seoryun’s lips curled into a sinister smile with a wicked glint in his eyes. "You were a fake from the start—how could a counterfeit ever pass the test? You’re a fake!"
"I’m not! I’m not a fake! I am Seoryun Jinmu! The King of Areuseon Kingdom is Seoryun Jinmu! And Areuseon Kingdom has not perished, so I am Seoryun Jinmu!" Seoryun shouted in a breakdown.
"Oh, really? Didn’t you personally lock that Seoryun Jinmu in the dungeon? He’s alive and well now, and Areuseon Kingdom remains intact. You should face reality, you impostor."
"I’m not an impostor! You disgusting, ugly demon are the real impostor!"
"If I’m a disgusting demon, then what are you?"
Seoryun’s expression became grotesque—one side of his face twisted in agony, while the other was filled with wickedness.
He looked like a being split in two, half human, half demon.
This state didn’t last long.
As soon as a knock sounded on the study door, it vanished.
The deranged Seoryun returned to his usual calm and gentle demeanor, once again becoming the benevolent and composed King.
"Your Majesty, the banquet is about to begin. All the guests have arrived and are waiting for you," came the voice of Narae from outside the door.
Seoryun responded indifferently, "Alright, I understand. But the most important person isn’t here yet. How can the banquet start without them?"
Narae stood awkwardly outside the door, unsure if the fake King meant that the banquet couldn’t begin because he himself hadn’t arrived yet or if he was sarcastically referring to Captain Darius’s absence, which left the event incomplete.
Either way, these weren’t matters for a personal knight to meddle in.
As the King’s close knight, sometimes playing dumb was a necessary skill.
Narae pretended not to understand and stood still outside the door like a wooden post, not responding to the King.
Speaking up now would only make him a fool.
Seoryun hadn’t expected a reply anyway.
When he chose to promote Narae as his personal knight, it was precisely because of his simple-minded nature—simple meant easy to control.
And sure enough, after more than ten years, this knight still hadn’t noticed anything amiss.
Thinking of this, a strange smile crept onto Seoryun’s face, giving off an eerie vibe.
He muttered under his breath, "You’re right. If I quietly kill Darius, wouldn’t that solve everything? As long as the person who knows Seoryun best is dead, what worries would I have left?"
With that, Seoryun smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes and put on the perfect, appropriate smile.
Killing Darius—wasn’t that the simplest solution?
...
Illiya and his group eventually arrived at the palace, albeit reluctantly.
They had no choice—someone was in danger, after all.