"Your Majesty, please rest assured—I will carry out the task flawlessly."
Kurose Akira made his solemn pledge to the Elf Queen.
Today, I'm hitting 1,000 pulls no matter what.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready."
At that moment, an elven elder approached and offered a respectful reminder.
"Very well."
The Elf Queen gave a slight nod, then turned to Akira with a gentle smile. "I'll go preside over the banquet first. We'll speak again shortly."
"Mm!"
With that, she turned gracefully and departed.
And almost at the exact same moment—
Lucia reappeared behind Akira, having reverted to her original identity.
Akira didn't notice her at all.
Not until Lucia lightly poked his side with her fingertip did he finally snap his gaze away from the Elf Queen.
"Lucia? When did you get here?" Akira asked with a quick smile.
"Just now." Lucia cast him a faint glance, her tone as indifferent as ever.
"Since everyone's here, let's take our seats."
Akira smoothly changed the subject and led everyone to sit down.
Their table was positioned only a dozen meters from the Elf Queen's seat of honor. Around her sat the council of elders and several elven princesses.
But the elders' gazes toward Akira were… unmistakably off.
There was a subtle hostility there.
The Elf Queen's closeness with him had clearly displeased them.
After all—how could their queen be so intimate with an outsider? A male outsider, no less.
If rumors spread, how would the Elven Kingdom maintain its standing on the Magic Continent?
"Everyone!"
The Elf Queen slowly rose to her feet, her voice flowing like a clear stream, reaching every ear present.
Tens of thousands of eyes turned toward her at once.
"Today marks the most worthy celebration our elven kind has seen in a thousand years!"
"The Undead Lord that plagued us has finally been defeated—through the united efforts of us all!"
"This victory belongs to every citizen of the Elven Kingdom!"
"My people—raise your cups, for victory!"
She lifted her goblet high, declaring the official start of the feast.
"Long live the Queen! Cheers!"
The elves rose in unison, raising their cups and drinking deeply.
Even Fuli and Floro, who had low tolerance, only took small sips—and were immediately stopped by their mother, Beiyalela, when they tried to drink more.
Akira took a sip himself.
Sweet—with a faint, refreshing forest aroma.
Elven wine was uniquely crafted. Light in alcohol, almost like a flavored drink.
"This second cup—"
The Elf Queen's voice rang out again. She raised her glass once more, her beautiful face touched with a faint blush beneath the moonlight.
"I thank you—my people! It is you who protected our homeland!"
"And I must also thank Guild Master Kurose Akira and his companions."
As she spoke, her gentle gaze fell upon him.
At the same time—
Tens of thousands of elven eyes followed.
They didn't know exactly what Akira had done on the battlefield.
But they had seen him step forward—placing himself between danger and their queen.
That alone was enough.
In that moment, he had become one of them.
…So long as he didn't taint their queen.
Even allies had limits.
"They have given their all for the Elven Kingdom. This cup is for you."
The Elf Queen smiled softly, swirled her wine—and drank it in one go.
"To you!"
The elves followed her lead, offering a collective toast to Akira.
Akira raised his glass in return, smiling.
Though—
Being stared at by tens of thousands of people…
Was honestly a bit overwhelming.
He was still just a college freshman, after all.
Not exactly used to this kind of spotlight.
"And now~"
"Please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest~"
With those words, the celebration truly began.
The elves reveled in their victory, laughter and joy filling the air. From time to time, some would approach Akira to express their gratitude.
Though strangely—
They seemed even more drawn to Virole.
Perhaps because her domain had saved hundreds of lives.
Or perhaps because the elders' hostility toward Akira subtly influenced the crowd.
After all… those old fossils clearly couldn't stand seeing their queen get close to a man.
Time passed.
Before long, it was deep into the night.
Akira rubbed his slightly drowsy eyes.
He'd only had a few bottles of elven wine—but the aftereffect was hitting him now.
So it's stronger than it tastes…
Looking around—
Elves were sprawled everywhere, lying in disarray, completely drunk.
The banquet had been held beneath the Mother Tree.
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, spilling softly over flushed faces, giving them an almost intoxicating allure.
The scent of wine mixed with the elves' natural fragrance—
And in an instant, Akira felt wide awake.
"…Is everyone really this bad at drinking?"
He muttered under his breath.
Even the elders were tipsy, slurring nonsense—though at least they hadn't passed out completely.
Still—
There was no danger here.
With the Mother Tree watching over them, the Elven Kingdom was always safe.
Unless…
The threat came from within.
Yes.
Him.
Akira turned to his own guild members.
Lucia sat quietly beside him, sipping her drink little by little.
Even now, she'd barely finished a single cup.
Likely afraid of getting drunk.
After all—the Pope herself had a low tolerance.
Virole and Alice, on the other hand, had blended right into the crowd, dancing drunkenly with the elves.
Only Loserine was different.
She sat still, unmoving—like a statue.
The lively atmosphere clearly wasn't her element.
"Hm? Where did the Queen go?"
Akira suddenly noticed her absence.
He stood up immediately.
But wandering aimlessly wouldn't help, so he turned to the Dark Elf Queen seated nearby.
"Where did she go?"
The Dark Elf Queen understood instantly.
She silently pointed in a direction.
"Thanks."
Akira headed off at once.
When he found her—
The Elf Queen was standing alone by a stream.
An empty goblet rested in her hand as she gazed at the moon's reflection on the water.
Lost in thought.
Until his presence broke her reverie.
She turned slowly, smiling.
"Guild Master Akira—what brings you here?"
"Why are you here alone, Your Majesty?" he asked, stepping closer.
"I am mourning those elves who fell in the war," she answered honestly. "They have returned to the embrace of the Mother Tree… and now protect us in another way."
"Your Majesty…"
Akira was about to speak—
But she cut him off gently.
"This should be a joyful moment. Let us speak of something else, shall we?"
With a soft smile, she stepped closer.
"For example?" Akira asked, puzzled.
"For example…"
She leaned in close, her lips near his ear.
"…why haven't you unlocked my Elven Ruler yet?"
"Ask your soul—have you been slacking?"
"Ah? No, no! Of course not!"
Akira waved his hands frantically.
He definitely hadn't been slacking!
…He'd just forgotten for a bit.
"Then why aren't you getting to it?" she said, flicking his forehead lightly. "This is the perfect opportunity. The elves are entirely at your mercy, aren't they?"
"…But don't get carried away."
"You're absolutely right, Your Majesty!"
Akira nodded eagerly and pulled out the Elven Ruler.
Then—
Smack!
Before the Elf Queen could even react—
He struck her on the backside.
The Elf Queen: "???"
"Progress +1!"
Rather than anger—
She simply shook her head with a soft laugh.
"You little rascal… why do you enjoy bullying me so much?"
"Uh—"
Akira didn't answer.
He bolted.
"I'll see you later, Your Majesty! I'll finish the task right away!"
Watching his retreating figure, the Elf Queen covered her lips and chuckled.
Then she turned—
Toward the Mother Tree, which had appeared silently behind her.
"Thank you for waiting."
"Come with me," the Mother Tree said calmly. "There is much to discuss."
"…Mm."
...
After escaping the Queen—
Akira returned to the banquet.
Time to get to work.
He quickly spotted his targets.
Three drunken elves, leaning on each other as they staggered back to their lodgings.
"For the Queen!"
"Charge!"
With lightning speed—
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Three crisp strikes rang out.
Followed by three startled cries.
"Ah!"
"Who hit my butt?!"
"That hurt!"
"…Wait, that felt kinda nice?"
"Was that my imagination?"
"..."
The three elves clutched their rears, utterly confused.
The culprit?
Already gone.
Vanished into the night.
Progress +3!
Soon—
The entire Elven Kingdom echoed with sharp smacks and startled cries.
The drunken elves couldn't even tell who was attacking them.
The strikes came from all angles.
Different targets.
Different… locations.
By the next day—
The Elven Daily would run a headline:
[Suspected Mother Tree Punishes Overly Well-Endowed Elves! The 'Loli Form' Theory Gains Ground Again! Loli Faction Claims Total Victory!]
In just half an hour—
Akira had pushed the progress to 888/1000.
Only a little over a hundred left.
The markings on the Elven Ruler glowed faintly, like a filling progress bar—nearly complete.
"Almost there!"
Akira scanned the area again.
Searching.
Targeting.
Just as he locked onto two more elves—
And raised the ruler for another sneak attack—
A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
"What are you doing here?"
Akira spun around.
"Elena?"
"You… just finished bathing, didn't you?" he asked, surprised.
"Of course," Elena replied, arms crossed. "It takes me at least two hours to bathe. I only just finished."
"..."
Akira fell silent.
He looked her up and down.
White dress.
Moonlight.
A faint silhouette beneath the fabric.
Her silver hair still damp—
Adding to her allure.
And…
"…You're not wearing any, are you?"
"What do you mean 'not wearing'?!"
"Underwear."
"Of course I am!"
"Then why can't I see it?"
"Y-you idiot! How would you see it?!"
She lightly punched his chest, her strength soft and ineffective.
"Why not?"
Akira shrugged—
Then raised the ruler.
Smack!
"Ah! What are you doing?!"
"…Huh? No progress? Oh—right. I already hit you before."
"You—!!"
Just as she was about to explode—
Akira spoke seriously:
"Move aside. Daddy's got work to do."
And dashed off again.
Elena: "???"
"Kurose Akira!"
"You idiot!"
...
993/1000
A grin spread across Akira's face.
"Seven more. Just seven."
He scanned the area.
Most elves had already left.
The rest had already been… disciplined.
Except—
"…Hm?"
The Dark Elves.
They'd attended the banquet too—
But unlike the others, their alcohol tolerance was impressive.
Only slightly flushed.
"One, two, three… seven. Perfect."
Including Paslow—
Exactly seven.
But…
They weren't drunk enough.
This wouldn't be easy.
As he hesitated—
Paslow noticed his gaze.
"What is it, Guild Master Akira?" she asked gently.
"Uh…"
How was he supposed to say it?
"Hey, I need to smack all of you with this ruler"?
But before he could figure it out—
Paslow's eyes flicked to the Elven Ruler in his hand.
She had already seen what he'd been doing.
Understood instantly.
"I see what you're trying to do~"
She turned to the Dark Elves with a smile.
"Ladies, it seems Guild Master Akira is in a bit of trouble. Shall we help him?"
..
Want to unlock up to 60+ early-access chapters with NFSW Content and exclusive novels ?! Join my Patreon today and dive deeper into the adventure!
patreon.com/denji21