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EP.87 Elf Queen – 2 

The room, though called a noble’s parlor, was quite modest. 

A dignified woman and a languid-looking man sat facing each other. 

After the grand welcoming ceremony, Rania had requested to stay at Yujin’s mansion. 

“I look forward to staying with you.” 

“Yes. If you have any discomfort, please let me know right away.” 

Rania looked closely at Yujin. 

A man with black hair and an ordinary appearance. 

At a glance, you wouldn’t realize he was the Hero. 

‘But there’s something different about him.’ 

Despite his casual demeanor, there was a subtle wildness about him. 

“Do you have any plans while you’re staying here?” 

Rania had a purpose for coming here. 

She needed to learn about Yujin, now called the Hero, and decide how Neirn should act in the future. 

But she couldn’t say that directly. 

“For now, I’d just like to rest here for a while.” 

“Then shall I prepare things so you can relax?” 

“Rather than that, I’d like to have a little conversation.” 

Yujin carefully sipped the tea Karin had brought. 

Depending on his answers, the outcome of the alliance would be decided. 

Even if he failed, it wouldn’t erase his achievements, but it would certainly be troublesome. 

‘If possible, I’ll secure the alliance-and her.’ 

He figured Neirn didn’t have grand expectations. 

They’d inevitably become enemies of the Demon King, so they just wanted to confirm if he was trustworthy. 

“Ask me anything.” 

“What do you think of the Demon King?” 

“He’s a pain, annoying, and someone I want to smash.” 

“What if the Lumis Kingdom sides with the Demon King?” 

Rania’s question would have been so blunt and rude that most nobles would have stormed out. 

But Yujin heard it differently. 

She was asking if he’d be willing to abandon his noble status and kingdom to oppose the Demon King-if he’d truly fight as a hero. 

“In that case, I’d go into exile somewhere else and smash him anyway.” 

Rania met Yujin’s eyes. 

Behind his playful look, there was sincerity. 

“Besides, even if I surrendered, he wouldn’t accept me. From his perspective, I’m the person he most wants to kill on the continent.” 

“…Thank you for answering seriously, even though it was a rude question.” 

“It’s fine. I understand it was something you had to confirm, Lady Rania.” 

Yujin smiled at Rania as she apologized politely. 

In truth, the goal of forming an alliance was already as good as achieved. 

His mind was already moving on to his next objective. 

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” 

“Do you know about the dungeon that was recently ruled by a zombie dragon?” 

“Yes, I know.” 

Yujin couldn’t not know-he was the one who destroyed it. 

“There’s a rumor across the continent that the Hero defeated it. Is that true?” 

Even if it was a zombie, the idea of someone defeating a dragon was hard for Rania, an elf, to accept. 

But the dungeon existed, and the traces remained. 

‘Even if the rumor was false, I doubt she’d refuse the alliance, but there’s no need to lie.’ 

He quietly drew his sword and infused it with mana. 

The blade shone with a blue, brilliant aura. 

As a skilled magician, Rania could immediately sense how powerful the mana was. 

“So… the rumors were true.” 

Her face was filled with shock. 

Even among elves, who live longer than humans, she’d never seen anyone with such powerful mana. 

“Anything else you want to ask?” 

“No, I don’t think I need to ask anything more.” 

Rania’s goals had already been achieved beyond expectation. 

She’d confirmed the Hero wouldn’t side with the Demon King, and had witnessed his tremendous power. 

Her mind was firmly set on forming an alliance. 

“Then you must be tired from your journey. Would you like a bath?” 

“Oh… I’ve heard about that. Humans wash by immersing themselves in water, right?” 

Yujin suddenly felt a strange sensation run down his neck. 

There were cultural differences between humans and elves, who rarely interacted. 

It meant she didn’t know much about humans. 

‘This could be useful.’ 

In his mind, various ideas clicked together like puzzle pieces. 

She was in a favorable mood now. 

As long as he didn’t make any unreasonable requests, she’d likely agree. 

“Then, while you’re here, how about experiencing some human culture?” 

He planned to use the pretext of teaching her about human culture to create an opportunity. 

With Rania’s goals already met and her planning to stay for a while, she had no reason to refuse. 

“Alright. I’ve actually been curious about human culture.” 

“That’s great. If you’re thinking of forming an alliance, it’s good to learn about each other’s cultures.” 

Yujin struggled to suppress a grin. 

To him, Rania looked like a beautiful deer caught in a trap, stepping in without any wariness. 

As long as he didn’t make a fatal mistake, he wouldn’t lose her. 

“Shall we start with that bath I mentioned?” 

“Please do.” 

Rania smiled with anticipation. 

“I’ll make sure you’re as comfortable as possible.” 

It was no wonder she wasn’t suspicious. 

The man before her was the Hero, revered across the continent. 

He was also sincere about defeating the Demon King. 

The problem was, Rania was an exceptional beauty, and Yujin was extremely lustful. 

“I’ll tell Karin to help you, so enjoy yourself.” 

He had planned to have Karin attend her and gather information, but what Rania said next exceeded his expectations. 

“Aren’t you coming in with me?” 

Yujin could no longer suppress his smile and quickly covered his mouth. 

‘Better than expected.’ 

The elf queen wasn’t just ignorant of human culture-she was also naive about sex. 

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suggested bathing together. 

Realizing this, Yujin almost burst out laughing. 

‘I can’t pass up this opportunity.’ 

The idea of using Karin to gather information was long gone. 

He could be bold-she wouldn’t resist anything, as long as he claimed it was human culture. 

“I was worried you might prefer to enjoy it alone. If you’d like, shall I join you? If you permit me, I can explain all sorts of cultural things.” 

“I’d like someone to explain, since I know almost nothing about human culture.” 

Rania had never bathed with a man before. 

Usually, elves handled bathing simply with magic, and no one would ever suggest such a thing. 

But the man before her was no ordinary human. 

“I’ll do my best to make sure you enjoy it.” 

As Yujin stood up, Rania felt a strange sensation. 

The wild aura she’d sensed earlier seemed even stronger now. 

It was his lust, but unfortunately, she was too naive about sex to understand. 

She just thought he was enthusiastic about sharing his culture. 

‘He must be happy to introduce his culture.’ 

Yujin watched her naive misunderstanding as he stood. 

His instincts told him there was no need to hold back any longer. 

“Let’s go to the bath right away. I’ll explain everything from the start.” 

Yujin led the way, a broad smile on his face. 

But from behind, all Rania saw was an empty corridor. 

“There aren’t many people in this mansion.” 

“I like to live simply.” 

It was just laziness, but Yujin was glad. 

There were only four people in the mansion now: Yujin, Rania, Agnes, and Karin. 

That meant there was no one to help her. 

‘Well… not that she’d run or resist anyway.’ 

Feeling like a hunter driving prey, Yujin entered the bath with her.