Elf in the Sunlight (5)
Elf in the Sunlight (5)
The beastkin surrounding the carriage—leading them was Ho-yang. Her tiger-patterned tail swished uniquely like a tiger's, and her feline ears perked up.
Dojin waved happily at the face he hadn't seen in ages. As Ho-yang approached, she frowned upon realizing that Arisa, whom she'd thought was separate, was pressed right up against Dojin.
"Skinny-eared freak, who the hell are you?"
"Skinny—? Thanks for the compliment, but among elves, I'm on the chubby side, you know."
"Who asked for your opinion? Who the hell are you, why are you all over our Dojin from above—!"
"You crazy bitch, watch your damn mouth."
At that moment, Sa-young appeared out of nowhere and flicked her chin up with his scabbard. Spotting Dojin, he looked at him with his sleazy eyes gleaming.
"Long time no see. Now you're seducing elves too?"
"Anyone hearing you would think I'm out seducing everyone."
"Well, you seduced Hoyeon unnie, seduced this bitch, seducing everyone."
"......Looks like your tongue's the only thing that's gotten longer. Has your swordsmanship improved any?"
"Curious? Wanna throw down?"
Even as Sa-young said that, he started grinning slyly. Then he glanced at the beastkin surrounding them and yelled.
"What are you all doing? Can't you see it's an elf? Get lost, now!"
At his words, the beastkin who'd come sniffing out human scent scattered in all directions. Watching them, Dojin realized Sa-young must have gotten promoted in the time they hadn't seen each other, or his status had changed.
"What's up, you retired from the assault team or something?"
"Reassigned. Now I'm the captain of the border guard."
"You?"
"You think that bitch Ho-yang looks like captain material?"
"What did I do!"
"See? This guy's something else."
Watching Sa-young effortlessly subdue the flailing Ho-yang, Dojin realized his swordsmanship had improved astonishingly. The scabbard nimbly struck weak points in the human anatomy, cutting off her strength before it could even transmit.
If she closed in and grappled, Ho-yang would rip into his nape one-sidedly... but really? Not sure she could even get close.
Sa-young played with Ho-yang until she settled down, then welcomed Dojin.
"Come on in. To this lawless zone."
It might not have been a real welcome.
Walking alongside the carriage, Sa-young guided Dojin into the beastkin city. Calling it a city was generous—this place where beastkin lived had only basic shelters from wind and rain, and everyone lived in harmony with nature.
Hunting livestock and practicing on monsters imported from the dungeon.
'How the hell did they bring those here.'
Dojin wondered how they'd transported the terrified goblins and orcs all the way here—and how they'd kept them alive.
"First, we gotta... see the chieftain."
"Hang on, we're in a hurry."
"So?"
When Arisa protested to Sa-young, he rolled his eyes at her. Even under that predatory gaze like he might devour her any second, Arisa responded nonchalantly.
"I don't remember this procedure last time. Are you ignoring us now?"
You couldn't tell from looks alone, but she was one of the top elites who'd reached Level 3.
Far from buckling under Sa-young, depending on time and place, she could hunt him like a toy.
Watching Arisa confront him without flinching, Sa-young clicked his tongue once before explaining.
"Protecting this plain is our duty. To take a human inside, we need the chieftain's permission no matter what."
"......So it's Dojin that's the problem, huh."
"Yep. Or, wanna leave him here? You elves can go in no problem, like I said."
"Ha, you trying to snatch something from the elves' grasp right now?"
"If you don't like it, shut up and follow. This is protocol. You picking a fight with the Beastkin Alliance? Elf?"
Tensions flared up in an instant. Seeing it, Dojin lightly nibbled the ear of Arisa, whom he held in his arms.
"Eek!?"
"We'll follow. That good enough?"
"Ah, no, this is about our pride..."
"What pride? You pervert elf getting turned on from having your ear fondled in front of a beastkin?"
"B-but..."
With nothing left to say, Arisa blushed and hung her head. Sa-young turned away, looking intrigued.
With that, the carriage entered without further fuss. Dojin soon spotted the largest building in the city.
An artificial mountain piled up like a small pyramid, and a hut built on top.
"From here, we go on foot. Get down. Dojin."
"...Arisa, wait a bit."
"Ah, got it. If anything happens, yell. I'll come right up."
Chuckling that nothing would happen, Dojin followed Sa-young up the stairs. At the top after a long climb, the hut was incomparably massive compared to the others.
Arriving in front, Sa-young knelt despite not seeing the face inside and reported.
"Border Guard Unit 3 Captain Sa-young reporting. I've brought a human trying to cross the border."
"—Oh? A human? What brings a human here?"
"They say he's elf war spoils."
"......Let him in."
"Yes. ...Cause trouble inside, and you're dead by my hand."
"Hands are empty anyway."
Dojin raised both hands to show, then stepped past the hut's entrance inside. As he entered, a flurry of swishing tails came into view.
'......Fox?'
Nine platinum tails thrashing wildly, contrasting with jet-black hair.
"Hmmng......"
The moment his eyes met her amber ones, Dojin felt like his skin was being peeled off entirely. Like his raw flesh was being licked by a tongue.
"You're the human wanting to pass through here?"
She was the beastkin tribe's queen.
Owner of the nine tails.
The Gumiho.
"Human, human. Such a love-hate name, isn't it? Don't you think?"
People commonly say that beastkin dominate those vast plains, leading to food shortages.
That countless humans starve because beastkin monopolize that fertile, bountiful land.
"Isn't it ridiculous? Animals don't have kids if there's not enough food. Humans? They pop 'em out first and look for food after. Is that natural order?"
Swish, one tail swayed and softly wrapped around Dojin. Only after one tail peeled away did he realize—unlike other beastkin, she was completely naked.
Only her tails contributed to covering her body. They couldn't fully hide that alluring figure, so Dojin felt his lower parts twitching.
'......What?'
He felt his lower parts twitching.
He felt his penis getting erect.
How?
'Damn it, calm down.'
Dojin took deep breaths, trying to settle his penis. But he didn't know it was futile. His mind stayed calm like still waters, but his body alone reacted.
"Hmm—such strong self-control."
Even saying that, the Gumiho gently stroked Dojin's skin. As the soft fur brushed past, it felt like millions of tentacles licking his skin.
He wanted to bury his penis in that tail. Bury his face in that voluptuous body, defile that pure white skin with his white fluids.
It was a first. Even after gaining the Immovable Wisdom King skill and thinking he'd fully tamed his desires, this world was full of beings that exceeded his expectations.
"It's fine to cum, child. No need to hold back. Imagine how good it'd feel to shoot on this tail."
She kept caressing him while saying that. When her tail grazed the bulging front of his pants, Dojin nearly pounced on her.
If he hadn't tempered himself embracing countless women, he'd have jumped her long ago.
"Enough—please."
"Hmmng, not a virgin, I see. Knows lust yet can stay away from it."
Snap. She flicked her fingers, and the surroundings shifted—the tails swishing near Dojin vanished, clothes appeared on her naked body.
"With that much self-control, you won't cause trouble. Good. I permit you to go beyond."
"......Who the hell are you."
"Hehe, little one. Didn't they teach you to introduce yourself first if you want someone's name?"
"...I'm Kim Dojin. And you?"
"Just your run-of-the-mill beastkin. Oh, nine-tailed fox, so call me Gumiho."
"Miho."
"I didn't say to shorten it like that?"
Still, she didn't seem displeased. She felt intense fondness for this man who'd resisted her charm after so long.
Rummaging in her bosom, she pulled out an orb and handed it to him. Dojin sensed intense demonic energy from it.
"Show this to beastkin, and they'll let you pass most anywhere. Well then, safe travels."
Snap. She flicked her fingers again, and suddenly Dojin was bounced outside the hut. Sa-young standing beside him spoke before Dojin even realized he'd been ejected.
"Hey, snap out of it."
"Huh, what?"
"Enchanted?"
"......No."
"Sure looks it. If you were, you wouldn't have made it out."
Sa-young led him back to the carriage like that. Arisa, who'd been pacing anxiously waiting, relaxed seeing Dojin descend.
"Dojin! You're safe!"
"Y-yeah."
"......You seem off. You really okay?"
"I'm fine. Let's go."
Dojin said that and boarded the carriage. Sa-young no longer blocked their path inward.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage soon left the beastkin city, heading for the elf kingdom.
The great forest home to all elves, where the World Tree stood.
Passing vast plains perfect for croplands, they entered the domain of the great forest where trees soared high enough to block the sun.
Birds chirped already, beasts rustled through the trees.
A human set foot in the elves' realm, where spirits sang and elves danced to the tune.
"Halt...?"
Forest guardians spotting the carriage nocked arrows, then froze upon seeing the human Dojin.
A human. Loathsome human. Human we hate to even look at.
But why, like this.
"......Ugh!"
The forest guardian lowered her bow and blocked the carriage. Only then did she realize the drivers were the Ranger arrest squad, Arisa and Noel, and stepped back slightly.
Want to talk. Want to hold hands. Want to share affection.
The elf felt disgust toward herself for these unfamiliar emotions.
To a mere human?
But Dojin's allure couldn't be dismissed as "mere human."
Even as a human.
It was that level.
In the end, Dojin entered the elf kingdom without interference.
Dojin's first thought upon setting foot in the kingdom was, Are all elves just perverts?