Chapter 59
Part 58
In the end, Woojin had no choice but to let Yugeon push him into his room.
Four days passed.
It had now been exactly two weeks since they returned from Alvheim.
BZZZZT.
Four people stepped out from the Tower entrance in Alvheim.
"Works perfectly."
"Wow, Woojin really is amazing."
"If you get rich selling those necklaces later, don't pretend you don't know your noona, okay?"
"Noona, Woojin is already rich. He's the son of a chaebol family..."
"Ah, right!"
The four were Yugeon, Mincheol, Hwarin, and Woojin.
They hadn't spent the past two weeks doing nothing.
As Yugeon had instructed, Mincheol, Hwarin, and Woojin had entered Sector 4 whenever they had free time.
At first, they had struggled quite a bit because of the underwater combat.
But thanks to the gills, boats, and other items Yugeon had prepared in advance, they adapted quickly.
By now, all three had finished clearing up through Floor 40.
And the moment exactly two weeks had passed, they came straight back to Alvheim.
Of course, they had already told Eilen that they would be arriving today.
"On top of that, you made custom ones for us? Thanks, Woojin."
"Come on, it wasn't that hard."
"My pendant has a skull with angel wings?"
Hwarin played with her pendant.
Its design was certainly unique.
"You're both a Saintess and a Necromancer, so I thought it suited you. Mincheol Hyung got a shield!"
"Now that's good taste. What about Yugeon Hyung?"
"I made a custom one for Yugeon Hyung too."
"Thanks. I like it."
Yugeon smiled as he looked at his necklace.
His pendant was shaped like a sword.
A sword with a star embedded in its blade.
"What about yours?"
"Mine is this."
Woojin took off his necklace and showed them.
Beside the World Axis Ore hung a new pendant.
It looked like a black sphere surrounded by two or three thin rings.
"That really suits you."
Mincheol burst out laughing.
"Noona's suits her too. It's pretty."
"Right? Yours suits you too."
"But didn't you say necklaces were uncomfortable and you didn't want to wear one?"
"Come on, Woojin gave me this one. I like it. It's comfortable too. It doesn't get in the way."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Huh? You two are talking casually to each other now??"
Woojin stared at them in shock.
Until yesterday, back at the house, they had still been speaking politely to each other.
"Ah, well..."
At that moment...
WHOOOOOSH!
A Ravion came flying toward them from far away with a powerful gust of wind.
It was moving at nearly twice its usual speed.
"Yugeon!"
Eilen was standing on top of the Ravion, waving her hand.
Yugeon had expected her to be angry after they didn't come for two weeks.
Instead, her face was bright with a welcoming smile.
Flap.
Whoooosh.
Whoosh!
"You've all been well? Why did you take so long?"
Eilen jumped down from the Ravion and approached the four of them.
"It's only been two weeks. How is that late?"
"Well... I suppose that's true."
Eilen chuckled and nodded.
It really had only been two weeks.
Hardly long enough to call it a long separation.
Though His Majesty didn't seem to agree.
"His Majesty has been waiting for you this entire time."
"I thought he'd already be standing here waiting for me."
Yugeon joked with a faint smile.
"He actually tried to come. His retainers stopped him..."
"Ah... He really was going to come?"
When Eilen made an exhausted expression, Yugeon let out a disbelieving laugh.
Perhaps he had kept the king waiting a little too long.
"I wanted to come sooner too, but I've been busy."
Yugeon lied smoothly without the slightest change in expression.
"We're going straight to His Majesty. Is that fine?"
"Yeah. That's fine."
"Then let's leave immediately."
At Eilen's gesture, the four climbed onto the Ravion.
But there was something strange about its size.
"Doesn't this one look bigger than the one we rode before?"
Mincheol tilted his head.
Last time, he had been too busy admiring the scenery to pay much attention to the Ravion itself.
But now that he was standing on it again, this one definitely seemed larger.
"It didn't grow. This is a different one."
"Ah, I knew it."
"This one is used by the royal family."
"That's why it's bigger."
"Is it faster too?"
Eilen smiled at Mincheol's question.
At that moment...
Grip.
Yugeon tightly grabbed the handle attached to the side of the passenger compartment.
"Everyone, hold on tight."
"Pardon?"
"This handle?"
"Why? Ravions move smoothly."
"This one probably won't."
The moment Yugeon finished speaking...
"Let's go quickly."
Tap.
Eilen stomped lightly on the floor of the pilot's area.
Light began shining from the royal Ravion's body.
Then...
BOOOOM!
With a sonic boom, the Ravion shot forward at tremendous speed.
WHOOOOOSH.
As the Ravion arrived at the royal palace, it gradually began to slow down.
They had flown for three straight hours at speeds exceeding the speed of sound.
Alvheim might be smaller than Earth.
Yugeon didn't know the exact size of the world.
But it felt slightly smaller than Earth.
"We're here."
BOOM.
The enormous Ravion spread its wings and landed in a vast open field.
"Haa... I'm alive."
The moment Woojin stepped off the Ravion, he rubbed his chest in relief.
Experiencing supersonic flight in a vehicle without a roof had been quite something.
Of course, a barrier had automatically formed around them the moment they departed, so they hadn't felt the wind pressure or the effects of acceleration.
Physically, it had actually been very comfortable.
Visually, however, it had been another story.
"We normally don't travel that fast."
Eilen scratched her head awkwardly.
Usually, Ravions traveled much more smoothly and at far lower speeds.
However, since His Majesty had been waiting, she had no choice but to push it.
"Let's go."
Eilen took the lead.
The four followed after her.
Step. Step.
Following Eilen into the royal palace, Yugeon looked around.
It was less extravagant than he had expected.
There were no gaudy decorations covered in gold or jewels.
There wasn't even an enormous throne.
However, everything made from wood and stone had been crafted with incredible precision.
Every pillar.
Every pattern carved into the walls.
There wasn't a single thing that looked carelessly made.
Very Elven.
The Elf knights standing along both sides of the corridor were the same.
Rather than gleaming heavy armor, they wore light armor fitted closely to their bodies and carried bows.
"They're humans."
"Is that Han Yugeon?"
"The one who rescued Chief Administrator Eilen..."
Whispers followed them as they passed.
News that Eilen had been kidnapped and returned safely...
And that a human named Han Yugeon had rescued her...
Had apparently already spread all the way to the royal capital.
Creeeak.
"Go in."
A massive wooden door opened.
Far more Elves than Yugeon had expected were gathered inside.
Royal mages.
Knights.
Even several people who appeared to be elders.
And at the very back...
One Elf sat on a chair, watching Yugeon.
Long silver hair.
The king of the Elves.
The ruler of all Alvheim.
He appeared to be in his forties by human standards, but his actual age was undoubtedly far greater.
After all, Elves could live up to five hundred years if they enjoyed their full natural lifespan.
Mincheol, Hwarin, and Woojin followed Eilen's example and gave a light bow.
Yugeon also lowered his head slightly out of courtesy.
The king silently observed them for a moment before speaking.
"You are later than I expected."
His very first words were a complaint.
Yugeon remained expressionless.
Eilen, standing beside him, lightly bit her lip.
She was worried Yugeon might take offense and respond sharply.
"I came as early as I possibly could, despite how busy I've been."
Yugeon answered without the slightest concern.
"As early as possible?"
"Yes."
"I received the report fifteen days ago."
"Exactly. And here I am after only fifteen days."
"..."
The king fell silent for a moment.
The Elves standing around them also gave Yugeon strange looks.
"I thought humans experienced time more quickly than Elves. Apparently, your sense of waiting is the opposite."
"Maybe that's because Your Majesty has lived for so long."
"..."
The king suddenly chuckled.
"Good. At the very least, you don't seem like a human who flatters others."
He adjusted his posture.
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat light until now, suddenly became much heavier.
"As king, I thank you for rescuing Eilen."
"I've already heard enough thanks for that."
"And I have also learned, to some extent, that you are different from other humans. You destroyed a facility belonging to an organization called Genocide and personally exposed to humanity that they had been using members of our race as experimental subjects. I find that courage impressive. You exposed the shame of your own kind."
"As you already know, humans don't have a very strong sense of racial unity. Personally, I don't consider humans who act inhumanely to be people at all."
"I think I have a rough idea of what kind of person you are. Then let us get straight to the point."
The king looked directly at Yugeon.
"I am told that you want an alliance between humans and Elves."
"That's right."
"What kind of alliance do you seek?"
Yugeon took a moment to organize his thoughts.
He had already explained this to the elders, but he didn't want a relationship where Elves stood beneath humans.
Nor did he want the opposite.
"I don't intend to make it complicated."
"Go on."
"Neither side interferes with the other's territory. Neither race declares the other an enemy. And if one side faces a crisis severe enough to threaten the survival of the entire race, the other side provides whatever help it reasonably can."
"Whatever help it reasonably can."
The king's eyes narrowed.
"So you are not asking us to send our military unconditionally?"
"Of course not. If an alliance meant having to die together no matter what, who would ever agree to one?"
"Hmm."
"We can exchange information and supplies. We can also share information gathered from the Tower. And when humans and Elves clash inside the Tower, it would be better to have an official channel for resolving the matter instead of everyone immediately drawing their weapons."
"Why would such a channel be necessary?"
"Do Your Majesty and every Elf standing beside you all have exactly the same personality?"
