Chapter 248: The Great Raid (10)
Chapter 248: The Great Raid (10)
‘Why am I so nervous…?’
Irene was terrified that the frantic pounding of her heart might actually be audible to Han Shin.
It was truly strange.
Until now, Irene had never felt the slightest attraction toward men, to the point where she had questioned her own orientation. Throughout her long life, she had met countless male elves, yet not one had stirred any interest in her. She had never once entered a relationship.
It wasn't as if she was attracted to women, either.
On the surface, Irene was the Queen who led and represented all elves, maintaining a benevolent and caring demeanor toward her people. But in truth, she had never loved anyone. She had lived her life savoring a deep, persistent sense of isolation, as if she were always alone.
As her appearance suggested, she was a High Elf—a special existence even among her kind. It was an undeniable fact that she possessed abilities far superior to any other elf. From the beginning, the elves who looked up to her accepted that Irene was a being greater than themselves, and they had served her as their Queen of their own scorched volition.
Raised under the spotlight of all elvenkind since childhood, Irene was groomed to be a peerless being. The elves provided her with the highest level of treatment and education, and she improved so rapidly that she surpassed her masters in the blink of an eye. In the field of magic, she was a genius who, if taught one thing, would realize ten, a hundred, or even more.
However, because she mastered everything so quickly and excelled so far beyond others, Irene always felt lonely. She easily lost interest in most things and found little joy in the world.
The only thing she truly immersed herself in was magic.
Since it was a field where one could never truly see the end, Irene devoted herself solely to its study even after becoming Queen. Of course, she handled state affairs perfectly while doing so—and went beyond that, establishing a system that allowed the kingdom to function smoothly without her constant intervention.
In truth, the position of Queen was one Irene could have done without. Internally, she had no desire for the throne and had even voiced this once, but the elves rose up like a swarm of bees in protest. Ultimately, she chose to remain Queen.
Under Irene’s reign, the elves experienced an era of profound peace.
She never neglected the development of her military, wary of external invasions targeting her people. In her view, discussing peace without the power to back it up was nonsense. Elven history was rife with accounts of being targeted and attacked by other races out of greed, so the other elves empathized with her stance and followed her lead.
This was what eventually led Irene to meet Tiamat.
Knowing that demons were the subordinates of the Evil Gods, Irene realized that to prevent an invasion—or to have the power to resist one—she needed to make contact with the opposing Benevolent Gods. Thus, she researched magical methods to summon a god and, by chance, connected with Tiamat.
To Tiamat, Irene was a mere mortal.
The Dragon God was immensely intrigued that an elf had sent her a direct message and met with her immediately.
“Was it you who called for me?”
Even to Tiamat’s eyes, Irene was a being of exceptional talent, distinct from other elves. Moreover, Irene’s bold demand for protection for her people, offering herself as a servant in exchange, did not offend the goddess. Rather, Tiamat found it admirable and made Irene her very first follower.
Irene was Tiamat’s first follower.
Having become the follower of the mighty Dragon God Tiamat, Irene was slightly taken aback by how suddenly it had happened. She was even more stunned to learn she was the very first one Tiamat had ever taken. She had heard the Dragon God was a being of immense power, and meeting her in person only confirmed that.
In truth, the reason Irene had made such a bold proposal was that she genuinely wanted to become Tiamat’s servant and see other worlds. She had become a follower gladly.
But…
Contrary to her expectations, Tiamat did not call upon her even once.
After making her a follower, Tiamat simply told Irene to focus on protecting Elpion and to notify her immediately if the demons ever invaded. Irene grew even stronger as Tiamat’s follower and created various magical safeguards to protect Elpion. To the elves, Irene’s achievements were a miraculous feat that guaranteed the future of their race, and they praised her once more.
Of course, Irene didn't enjoy the praise at all.
‘I want to go somewhere else. I want to see something new.’
Deep down, she wanted to end this life that was so peaceful it had become tedious. Yet, Irene was not the type of person who could just throw everything away and leave. She worried about the chaos the elves would face if she simply vanished, and as long as Tiamat’s command to protect Elpion stood, she had to fulfill it.
Believing that Tiamat would eventually call for her when the war with the Evil Gods began, she prepared thoroughly for the day of her departure. She changed the kingdom’s structure piece by piece so that her absence wouldn't be felt—which naturally meant relinquishing her own power.
The elves grew anxious at her actions, fearing she intended to step down as Queen, and voices of opposition rose.
“Your Majesty, please rescind your orders. Do you intend to abandon us?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Please continue to lead us.”
“There is a contract between myself and Lady Tiamat that I must honor. You must follow these instructions. This is not a matter where you can afford to be stubborn.”
Faced with Irene’s sound logic, the elves could no longer argue. Everyone knew that the safety of the elves was guaranteed through a contract with the Dragon God Tiamat, and that Irene was the medium for that bond. Since she could be called away to fight at any moment, Irene’s words and actions to prepare for that eventuality were seen as a necessity.
If anything, the fact that Irene did not crave power and was instead preparing for the future only deepened the elves' respect for her.
Of course…
Irene’s true intention was simply to find something interesting and fun to experience.
As she made these preparations, time continued to flow by. Irene began to wonder if Tiamat had forgotten her, as the goddess almost never called. She would occasionally reach out under the guise of sending greetings, but…
Each time, the only response she received was a short reply saying that no help was needed and that everything was fine. It was disappointing for Irene, but she couldn't exactly throw a tantrum.
Then, about thirty years ago, Irene experienced a change: she lost contact with Tiamat entirely. She knew the goddess was still alive because the power she had received remained, but she sensed a great shift had occurred.
She spent her days in anticipation. Having waited for so long, waiting a bit longer didn't bother her much.
It was during this time that Irene became aware of Han Shin’s existence when he became Tiamat’s Proxy. Once Han Shin took that role, he became spiritually connected to the followers, and information about him was provided to them so they could be of assistance.
Irene was shocked by the unprecedented event of a human male becoming the Proxy of the Dragon God Tiamat, but she couldn't hide her excitement. It was something that completely surpassed her imagination, and Tiamat’s command was to assist him.
With this, she could finally end her peaceful life and head out into the wider world.
She immediately informed the elves that she would likely be leaving soon by Tiamat’s command and told them to prepare. Having spent years gradually relinquishing power and building a solid system, Irene had become something closer to a figurehead. She had transitioned the government to be run by a council, effectively becoming a constitutional monarch.
Unlike the fierce opposition of the past, the elves now felt that the inevitable had finally arrived, and many voices prayed for Irene’s safe return. This reaction was the result of Irene consistently reminding them over the years that she had to fulfill her duties as Tiamat’s follower.
Seeing this, Irene felt glad she had prepared in advance.
She then shut herself in her room, checking the updated information on Han Shin every day, working hard to research magic and gain knowledge that would be useful to him. The fact that she had been able to provide an immediate solution when Han Shin asked for help was the fruit of those tireless efforts.