"Intense desire?"Kurose Akira stared at Beiya Leila's status window, his thoughts sinking into a quiet spiral.
Could it be that the effect of Lust was what made her look so unwell?And the trigger for that Lust… was most likely the impending trial. The fear that once she was thrown into the Umbral Prison, she would never be able to see her daughters again.
"Mom! Please don't worry—we'll never let them lock you in the Umbral Prison!"Beiya Fuli and Beiya Fulu spoke in unison, their voices overlapping with desperate resolve."Mom, let's leave the elf race together! We can rent a place first, and once we earn enough money, we'll buy a home that belongs just to the three of us!"
"I feel your concern and love more deeply than you know," Beiya Leila replied softly. "But some things… are unavoidable."
A flash of sorrow passed through her eyes. As an elven princess, she understood all too well that if she chose to flee, they would be branded as traitors by the entire elf race.
That was fundamentally different from elves who were merely exiled for crimes. Those elves lost the protection of the tribe—but she and her daughters would be hunted relentlessly, without end.
"Why?" Beiya Fuli clenched her fists, anger spilling over. "We could go to the Star Kingdom, or the Moon Goddess Empire—even the Beastman Kingdom! I refuse to believe there's nowhere in this world we can live!"
"Fuli…"Beiya Leila's heart trembled at her daughter's words, tears welling up in her eyes.
She gently wiped them away, forcing a small smile. Her voice carried unwavering resolve."Don't worry, my children. I will never leave you."
Kurose Akira stood quietly to the side, listening, his mind racing as he searched for a way to help them.
If Leila had truly conceived Fuli and Fulu without any cause—could it be ruled that she hadn't violated the clan laws at all?The problem was that no one could prove it.
That uncertainty was precisely why the elf race was divided. Some believed she was innocent; others insisted she had broken sacred law.
For ten thousand years, elves had reproduced solely through the World Tree. Suddenly, an elf giving birth to two daughters was something that shattered their understanding. Worse still, unions with other races were strictly forbidden—elves believed they should be born only from the World Tree. And Beiya Leila's status as a princess made the matter infinitely more complicated.
As for the judgment of the Elf Queen…Though Akira had never seen her, records described her as an absolutely just ruler.
He suspected the queen might lean in Leila's favor—but how could such a verdict convince the entire race? For a queen, bending the laws of an entire people for a single individual was a crushing dilemma.
There was another solution.
Let Beiya Leila live within his guild.It was an independent zone—one that even the Elf Queen could not easily interfere with.
That would eliminate any pursuit from the elf race.But it wasn't the optimal solution.
"Guildmaster… would you stay for dinner?" Beiya Leila asked softly as Akira pondered. "There are some things I'd like to discuss with you."
"…Alright."Akira nodded, accepting her invitation.
Because of Beiya Leila's condition, dinner was prepared by Fuli and Fulu themselves.
Elven cuisine was simple—mostly fruits and vegetables—so it wasn't too difficult to make.
After the meal, Beiya Leila asked the twins to go out and gather fragrant herbs for bathing.
Ivsha and the others took their leave as well, returning to the guild.
Only Kurose Akira remained behind, alone with Beiya Leila in the wooden cabin.
"I'm sorry~ My condition isn't great, so I haven't been the best host~"She apologized softly, handing him a cup of green tea that released a gentle fragrance.
"Not at all," Akira replied with a faint smile after a sip. "Your daughters' cooking suits my tastes just fine."
"As for the trial three days from now…"Her beautiful eyes shimmered, as if holding countless emotions."Even if the Elf Queen doesn't punish me severely, for the sake of the race, I'll likely be confined within the World Tree."
"The World Tree?" Akira echoed, puzzled.
"Yes. There's an inner realm inside it—the Elf Queen herself sleeps there," Beiya Leila explained."It's a beautiful place… but once confined inside the World Tree, I'd hardly ever be able to see Fuli and Fulu again."
Now Akira understood.
Elves imprisoned within the World Tree were personally supervised by the Elf Queen. Nominally, it was service to the queen—but in truth, it was a loss of freedom.
To most elves, such proximity to the queen would be the highest honor.To Beiya Leila, it was a cruel punishment—one that would separate her from her daughters.
"If there's anything you need my help with," Akira said simply, "just tell me."
"With those words, I feel at ease~"Beiya Leila smiled—then, suddenly, another blade appeared in her hand.
This time, it wasn't a fruit knife.
It was a mysterious rune-etched blade, carved with ancient patterns.
[Godslayer (Legendary): A rune weapon said to contain a trace of divine power. If it strikes an enemy's heart, it delivers a fatal blow.]
Akira froze.
Then her whisper brushed his ear.
"There's no other choice…~ They want to tear me away from my children, after all~ Perhaps this is the only way~ As long as I strike once…"
As she spoke, her fingertip traced the blade's edge.
A glint of death flickered across the runes.
Tsk—Akira sucked in a breath, forcing himself to speak."Leila—calm down! A single legendary weapon isn't enough to kill the Elf Queen!"
"Kill the Elf Queen?"She looked at him in confusion. "I never thought of that."
Akira fell silent.
"…Hehe~"She laughed softly, her voice gentle again."The guildmaster truly cares about us. Don't worry—I won't do anything I'm not absolutely sure of. But~"
Her gaze returned to the rune blade.
Her voice turned cold."As long as the opposing voices disappear before the queen awakens, we can stay together forever. I've prepared for nearly twenty years. Once I decide…"
Akira watched her in silence, stunned.
So this was her plan—a coup from within the elf race, silencing all who opposed her.
It was madness.
Even with many supporters—and someone as powerful as Red Lotus—the elf race hadn't known true internal conflict for nearly ten thousand years under the Elf Queen's rule.
Beiya Leila knew how insane this was.Her kindness as an elf and her fierce love for her daughters warred inside her—but with the trial approaching, her desire grew stronger, slowly drowning out her gentleness.
"Give me two days," Akira said suddenly."Sometimes, there are ways to silence people that don't involve killing."
The elf race wouldn't listen to a human—but threats?And perhaps they didn't know that one of their princesses was a witch.
Handle one… and the other wouldn't be far behind.
"G-Guildmaster…"Beiya Leila froze, surprise flashing through her eyes—then she smiled, radiant and captivating.
She stepped forward to embrace him.
Akira's instinct was to retreat—the legendary blade was still in her hand—but before he could move, she pulled him tightly against her chest.
His face vanished into soft, snowy white steeped in a rich milky scent.
"Thank you so much~ Guildmaster~ I can truly feel your sincerity~"Tears of happiness shimmered at the corners of her eyes.
Akira, however, was suffocating.
And now he finally understood why that scent was always there—
Wait… aren't your children already weaned?! Why is it still—
Cough—
He tried to signal his distress through certain very human reactions… but Beiya Leila didn't notice. Instead, she hugged him even tighter, burying his entire face deeper.
After a long while, she finally released him.
Akira gulped in air like a man reborn.
What a milky hell.
"Hah…"His nose was flooded with the scent, and his face even felt slightly damp.
At that moment, Beiya Leila gently cupped his cheeks with slender fingers.
She smiled tenderly, her voice like a spring breeze over strings."Then I'll leave it to you, Guildmaster~ If we can make those opposing voices disappear without force, that would be best of all~"
"My dear child… if you succeed, I'll give you the reward you desire most~"
As her words fell, a system prompt suddenly appeared before Akira's eyes.
[You are being affected by the Sin of Lust…]