The next day, Kurose Akira logged into the game early. After a full day of reviewing coursework in the real world, all he wanted right now was to relax inside the game.
The moment he arrived at the guild, he noticed that Ivsha and the others were already gathered—but instead of chatting, they were clustered tightly around something.
"What's going on?"Akira walked over, puzzled.
"Mr. Kurose, look…"Ivsha and the others stepped aside, clearing a path for him to see what had happened inside the guild.
The instant Akira understood what he was looking at, his brow furrowed sharply.
He stared in disbelief.
The Snow Porpoise Egg was now wrapped in a layer of fiery red silk—so completely enveloped that it had transformed into something resembling a… cocoon?
"Chirp-chirp-chirp~"
The Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly fluttered happily onto Akira's shoulder, its gorgeous wings beating as if proudly showing off its handiwork.
"..."
Akira stared at the egg cocooned in crimson silk, then at the butterfly perched on his shoulder. For a moment, he was completely speechless.
What shocked him even more, however, was the life state inside the egg.
[Snow Porpoise Egg (Epic): Catalyzed by flame, it is currently evolving… (Who knows what the hell it'll evolve into!)]
Akira froze.
He slowly turned his gaze to the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly, disbelief filling his eyes.
This little thing… just how did it do that?
It had restored vitality to an egg that had already lost all signs of life?
"Chirp chirp?"The butterfly continued flapping its wings cheerfully, clearly waiting for praise…
"You're amazing~"Akira finally said, smiling as he gently stroked the butterfly's antennae.
The soft touch sent a ripple of pleasure through the creature. Its wings beat even faster in delight!
Then—the very next second—
Pop~
The butterfly's proboscis suddenly stuck firmly to Akira's fingertip and began siphoning his mana.
"Wait—hey, wait!"
...
Within the borders of the Elven Kingdom, a female elf stood beside a lake.
She had long silver-white hair tied into a high ponytail, decorated with a pale blue butterfly ribbon. Her delicate face was pure and adorable, radiating youthful vitality.
She extended her slender, snow-white fingers, scooped up a handful of grain, and lightly scattered it across the lake's surface. Instantly, countless fish surged forward, scrambling for the food.
At that moment, another elf approached from behind and reported in a low voice,"Princess Elina, Princess Yuluxi had a private meeting with that guildmaster. It seems they reached some kind of agreement."
"You didn't hear what they agreed on?" Princess Elina asked softly.
"They appeared to use some kind of special method to communicate. I only saw Princess Yuluxi standing still, trembling a few times, and then…" The elf described the scene hesitantly.
"Oh~"
A bright glint flashed through Princess Elina's eyes—as though everything had clicked into place.
"I understand. You may leave."
"Yes, Your Highness."
After the elf withdrew, Elina produced a sheet of paper from seemingly nowhere. She wrote something on it, folded it carefully into the shape of a paper crane, and gently tossed it into the air.
In that instant, the paper crane seemed to come alive—flapping its wings as it flew toward the distant sky.
Once she finished, Elina sat down on a nearby swing. Her snow-white toes brushed lightly against the ground, setting the swing into a gentle sway.
A faint smile curved her lips as she murmured softly,"This is getting more and more interesting… what's happening here should probably be made known to her as well… oh~ right, her body was destroyed by the Elven Queen. She should still be in the middle of reconstruction~"
...
"Guildmaster, are you all right?"Beiya Flie and Beiya Flora supported Akira on either side, worry etched across their faces.
"I'm fine… just a bit mana-depleted…"Akira forced a smile, though his legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Even so, he was desperate to resolve the situation surrounding Beiya and her three daughters as quickly as possible—he'd even skipped Loserine's knight training for this!
The Elven Queen would awaken in just two days. He had to speed things up.
"Guildmaster, what's wrong?"Seeing Akira's shaking body, Beiya Leila looked deeply concerned.
"Mom, it looks like something completely drained the guildmaster's mana…"
Since Flie and Flora had arrived at the guild after the Demonic Flame Silver Phoenix Butterfly had already eaten its fill, they had no idea what had happened.
"Mana exhaustion?"Beiya Leila smiled gently upon hearing that.
"Please wait a moment."
After speaking, she immediately headed into the kitchen. Akira watched her go, puzzled.
Before long, Beiya Leila returned carrying a cup of black tea.
The tea gave off a rich, creamy aroma that instantly soothed the senses.
"Please, drink."
Her voice was warm and tender as she handed the tea to Akira.
How could he possibly refuse a cup of such fragrant tea?
"Thank you."He accepted it politely—and drained the cup in one go.
In an instant, the dense milky flavor surged through his stomach. Akira's eyes widened in shock.
His mana… had fully recovered!
"What an incredible effect!"
A single cup of milk tea restoring all of his mana?
"Do you feel better now?" Beiya Leila asked softly.
"Uh… much better."Akira nodded, savoring the lingering milky sweetness on his lips and tongue.
So this is an elven wife's—
"Then please, have a seat. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you."Beiya Leila gently looped her arm through Akira's, guiding him to sit.
"..."
Unable to resist her warmth, Akira sat down. Almost immediately, he felt her softness—like flowing sand—pulling him in before he could react.
"What is it?" he asked once seated.
"Ever since your visit yesterday, the elves led by Yuluxi have stopped coming to cause trouble. Truly, thank you so much, Guildmaster~"Beiya Leila thanked him sincerely.
"I just conquered her with my overwhelming charisma~"Akira waved it off with a grin.
Then, as if remembering something, he took out the Elf's Tear and asked,"Lady Leila, is this yours?"
Beiya Leila frowned slightly and shook her head.
"No, Guildmaster."
Akira was taken aback."Not yours?"
If it didn't belong to Beiya Leila, then whose was it?
"Do you have a guest today, Beiya Leila?"A graceful voice sounded as an elegant figure stepped into the wooden cabin.
"Elina?"Beiya Leila looked surprised by the elf's arrival.
Akira immediately turned his gaze toward the silver-haired elf with the single ponytail. She gave him a distinctly different impression.
There was a subtle sense of holiness about her—and at a glance, one could tell she was an elven princess. More precisely, among the three princesses, she carried the most authentic royal elven aura.
"What brings you here?" Beiya Leila stood and asked.
"I came to—"Elina began to speak, but her eyes suddenly landed on the Elf's Tear in Akira's hand.
Her voice cut off abruptly.
For a fleeting instant, shock flickered across her beautiful eyes—as though she'd seen something unbelievable.
But it vanished just as quickly.
She smiled and said lightly,"I came to check on you… and to take a look at that human from afar. You know, Leila—I've never seen a man before."
"Now~ my curiosity is satisfied, so I'll be going~"
Elina gave Akira a gentle smile, then turned and left.
At that very moment, an ethereal female voice echoed in his mind:
"If you wish to see me, come to the elven lakeside."
"?"
Akira frowned, watching Elina's retreating figure.
She was inviting him to talk—openly and directly.
That alone surprised him.
And although she was younger than Beiya Leila and Yuluxi, his instincts told him something unsettling:
This elven princess might be the most troublesome of the three.
After lingering briefly in Beiya Leila's cabin—his mouth still filled with milky sweetness—Akira set off.
Following Elina's guidance, he arrived at the elven lakeside.
Elina was already there, standing by the water, holding a fishing rod formed entirely of condensed ice.
She wore a long emerald-green dress that fluttered gently in the breeze, blending seamlessly with the surrounding scenery. Her features were refined, her eyes shining with intelligence that naturally drew one's gaze.
"Please wait a moment,"Elina said softly as Akira arrived.
Akira quietly watched the lake's surface, wondering what kind of fish she might catch.
Suddenly, the fishing rod jerked violently—as if something massive had taken the bait.
With a light pull, Elina reeled in a fish nearly half a meter long. Its scales shimmered with faint light—clearly no ordinary creature.
She gently blew on it.
A sphere of water formed instantly, enveloping the fish and suspending it in midair.
Turning to Akira with a smile, she explained,"This is a Luminous Spirit Fish. Its flesh is delicious—but it carries a certain toxicity."
She released the rod and lightly tapped the floating water sphere with her fingertip, sending it drifting toward Akira.
Akira stared at the fish, carefully gauging her intent. He didn't believe she was offering him a poisonous fish, but he remained cautious and didn't accept it immediately.
Just as the fish was about to reach him—
A magical beast suddenly lunged in from the side and swallowed the Luminous Spirit Fish whole.
Then it turned toward Akira, letting out a low growl, baring sharp teeth.
"Is that… a dragon?"Akira stared in astonishment.
The creature's body flowed with seven-colored elemental energy, semi-transparent, with dragon wings and a long tail—yet its length was barely over a meter.
"This is an Elven Dragon," Elina said with a smile."It's a dragon-type magical creature unique to the elven race. Only pure elves can command it—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Because she saw her Elven Dragon suddenly stick out its tongue—and start licking Akira's face like an excited puppy.
"Hey—hey! Stop it! That tickles!"
Akira hurriedly tried to fend it off, excitement exploding in his mind:
So this is a dragon…!Dragon Knight—activation!