Arthur stopped at the edge of the clearing and stared.

Dozens of elves lay sprawled across the grass in crooked, uncomfortable poses. One was folded over a broken fence, another was face‑down with his legs still caught in a bush, and two had collided so hard they were stacked on top of each other, ears twitching even in unconsciousness.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and walked toward Yuna.

"Now what the hell is going on here?" Arthur said loudly, gesturing at the scattered elves.

Yuna glanced over her shoulder at him, completely casual.

"Oh, you’re back," she said.

Arthur sighed.

"Who are these clowns?" he asked, pointing at the unconscious elves.

Yuna tilted her head.

"You wanted to know about her, right?" Yuna said.

She pointed toward Erica and Luna.

The tiny fairy was clinging to Erica’s head like a terrified koala, fingers buried in Erica’s white hair as if her life depended on it. Erica herself was trying to pry Luna off gently, whispering reassurances.

Yuna looked at Erica.

"Can I tell him?" Yuna asked.

Erica hesitated.

Her fingers tightened slightly in her torn sleeves, eyes flicking between Arthur and the ground. For a moment it looked like she might refuse, but then she drew in a breath and gave a small nod.

"Alright," Yuna said, smiling faintly. "Well, from her name you can already tell she’s not an ordinary elf."

Arthur folded his arms, listening.

"She’s the last heir of the Elvania Kingdom’s king," Yuna continued. "Before both the king and queen were assassinated. It happened about a year ago."

The words hung heavy in the air.

"The bastards who killed her parents were after her too," Yuna said quietly. "But she managed to escape. Since then, she’s been living like this—out in the forest, moving every month so no one can track her."

Yuna jerked her chin toward the unconscious elves.

"But today, those bastards finally managed to find her," Yuna said. "So I took care of them."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

Inside, his thoughts raced.

’So that’s the reason,’ Arthur thought. ’In the game, she was a dead character—her name only used to start conflicts in her own country. Here... she’s alive.’

Yuna went on.

"So the situation is this," Yuna said. "She wants revenge for her parents, but she has no backing."

She folded her arms.

"And now, with no one left to rule the kingdom, all the powerful nobles—and even distant relatives who share a single drop of royal blood somewhere in their long history—have come to an agreement."

Yuna’s expression hardened.

"They’re all pushing their own candidate forward," Yuna said. "Competing among themselves to become the next king or queen. Each candidate will have a representative—one contender who will fight on their behalf in a do‑or‑die contest."

Arthur could already see where this was going.

"Many elven noble bastards are trying to find Erica now," Yuna said. "To use her as a puppet. A royal bloodline they can parade around while they rule from behind the scenes."

Arthur listened in silence.

Yuna looked at him sideways.

"You know where I’m going with this, right?" she asked.

Arthur looked from Yuna to Erica.

The elf girl met his gaze.

There was fear there, and exhaustion—but beneath that, a quiet, burning stubbornness.

Arthur’s expression turned serious.

"Do you trust me?" Arthur asked.

Erica flinched.

She shook her head immediately.

"No," Erica said.

Arthur nodded.

"Good," Arthur said. "Never trust anybody."

Luna’s jaw dropped.

"Now, second question," Arthur continued. "Do you want to become queen?"

Erica’s fingers clenched at her sides.

"If I can get revenge for my father and mother," Erica said, voice low but firm, "I will do anything."

Arthur inclined his head slightly at her answer.

"Third question, then," Arthur said. "I know you’ve almost saved my life. But let me tell you this—we are all wanted figures right now."

His gaze swept over Yuna, Elizabeth, then back to Erica.

"If I help you," Arthur said, "you’ll have to help us too."

Erica looked at Luna.

The fairy nodded vigorously.

Erica faced Arthur again.

"What do I have to do?" Erica asked.

"I’ll tell you when the time comes," Arthur said. "For now—"

He paused.

Everyone leaned in slightly, waiting for some grand declaration, a detailed plan.

Arthur’s stomach growled.

"But first," Arthur said, "let’s eat."

The tense atmosphere shattered instantly.

Erica’s lips curled into a smile despite herself.

Luna let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, someone with priorities," she muttered.

Arthur turned and spotted Elizabeth leaning lazily against the side of the house, watching everything with half‑lidded eyes and a faint smirk.

"You’re up," Arthur said, pointing at the unconscious elves. "Take care of these elven bastards. Throw them somewhere far away so they stay away from us out of fear."

A vein popped on Elizabeth’s forehead.

She gritted her teeth but pushed herself off the wall.

"One day," she muttered under her breath as she grabbed an elf by the collar and began dragging him. "I’ll throw your dead body into a river too."

Arthur glanced over his shoulder.

"What was that?" he asked.

Elizabeth turned with a sharp, sweet smile.

"Nothing, Master," she said.

And with that, the strange new alliance—between a hunted elven princess, a furious instructor, a sarcastic blood monarch, and the most unfortunate fairy in the forest—took its first, chaotic step forward over the bodies of unconscious elves and the promise of grilled fish.

After that They ate in peace.

The small clearing behind Erica’s rundown house filled with the smell of roasted fish and herbs. Yuna and Erica moved naturally around the fire—one turning skewers, the other sprinkling crushed leaves and powdered spice over the sizzling meat. Grease hissed as it dripped into the flames, sparks rising into the evening air.

Arthur sat cross‑legged on the grass with a wooden plate in hand.

And then he attacked the food.

He ate fast—too fast—like someone who had not seen a proper meal in weeks. Fish disappeared from his plate at a terrifying rate. Bones appeared where entire skewers had been only seconds before. He barely paused to breathe between mouthfuls.

Erica watched him, eyes wide.

Luna peeked out from behind Erica’s hair, tiny hands gripping the strands tightly.

’Is he human or some kind of beast...?’ Luna thought, a shiver running down her spine.

Even Yuna and Elizabeth, used to Arthur by now, exchanged a look.

After a while, Arthur slowed, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and set his plate aside.

He turned to Erica.

"From when does the event to choose a new king start?" Arthur asked.

"From tomorrow," Erica said.

Arthur clicked his tongue.

"Well, we have no time, it seems," he said.

Erica smiled faintly.

"You guys can back away if you want," she said. "I won’t hold a grudge against you."

She looked down at her hands.

"I’ve been lonely all this time," Erica continued. "Helping you was something I did for myself too. I wanted someone to talk to. Someone to listen to me and Luna."

Her smile turned bitter.

"Technically, the throne belongs to me," Erica said. "But those bastards keep claiming I’m a bastard child—that I’m not the king’s. Every time I try to prove my legitimacy, they interfere."

Her eyes grew distant, full of old exhaustion and a flicker of new hope.

"I had almost given up," Erica admitted. "But with you all here... maybe, just maybe, I can still get back at those bastards for what they did to my father and mother."

Arthur looked at the fire for a moment, then back at her.

"I can’t guarantee you the throne," Arthur said. "But for saving my life, I can guarantee you this."

His eyes hardened.

"I’ll take one life for you," he said. "No matter who it is. You can call it in any time you want."

Erica’s throat bobbed.

She swallowed and nodded slowly.

’This guy...’ Erica thought. ’No matter how many times I look, I can’t see through his emotions at all.’

Her unique eyes—eyes that could read emotions as colors—had always worked perfectly. Red for anger. Pink for love. Orange for excitement. Yellow for happiness. Blue for sadness. She could glance at someone and instantly know what they felt.

She had tested them on Yuna and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth radiated a mix of red and yellow—anger and a strange kind of pride. Yuna flickered with orange and a mischievous splash of pink whenever she teased Arthur.

But whenever Erica looked at Arthur, there was only one color.

Black.

An endless, consuming black veil that blocked everything behind it. She could not understand it. Could not pierce it. It was like staring into a bottomless pit.

After the meal, the fatigue of days of running, fighting, and healing finally caught up with them.

They all slept in the broken little house.

Some on the floor, some against the wall, wrapped in thin blankets. Wind whistled softly through the cracks, but the warmth of nearby bodies and the lingering heat from the fire kept the night from feeling too cold.

Morning came.

Arthur woke up early, out of habit more than choice. His body still ached, but the river bath and the elixir’s residual effects had left him feeling better than he should.

He stepped outside, stretching, and glanced up at the sky.

Black‑feathered crows circled overhead, dozens of them, cawing and gliding lazily in the pale light. They had been there last night too, perched on branches and flying in slow patterns.

"Black‑feathered crows," Yuna’s voice came from behind him.

She stepped out of the house, tying her hair back, grey eyes sharp even this early.

Arthur smirked.

"Let me show you something good," Arthur said.

He bent down, picked up a smooth rock, weighed it once in his hand, and flicked it upward.

The stone shot through the air.

It struck one of the crows—not fatally, but hard enough to daze it. The bird squawked and tumbled downward, wings flapping awkwardly.

Arthur moved before it hit the ground.

He caught the crow in both hands.

The bird erupted in outraged caws, stabbing its beak in his direction.

"Caw! Caw! Caw!"

"Shut up," Arthur said. "Before I deep‑fry you."

The crow froze.

Its beak closed with an audible click.

Arthur smirked and bit the tip of his finger, drawing a small bead of blood. Crimson gathered on his fingertip, bright against his skin.

He held his hand in front of the bird’s beak.

"Drink it," Arthur said. "Or you’ll find out what I meant by deep‑fry."

The crow stared at him with beady black eyes.

Then, very carefully, it leaned forward and licked the drop of blood off his finger.

A notification appeared only to Arthur.

[ A contract has been formed ]

[ Beast Analysis ]

Species : Blackfeather Crow

Rank : F-Rank

Potential: F-Rank

Lifespan : 2 Years

Attribute: Wind

Status : Healthy

[ Evolution paths are open ]

[ Beast Analysis ]

Species : Blackfeather Crow

Rank : F-Rank

Potential: A-Rank

Age : 2 Years

Attribute: Wind

Status : Healthy

Contract Compatibility: 92%

[Evolution Paths Available]

1. Shadow Path

Blackfeather Crow

→ Night Crow

→ Shadow Raven

→ Shadow King Raven

Requirements:

• Shadow Attribute Crystals

• Continuous Night Hunting

────────────────────

2. Blood Path

Blackfeather Crow

→ Crimson Crow

→ Blood Raven

→ Blood King Raven

Requirements:

• Blood Essence

• Arthur’s Blood

• High-Rank Beast Blood

────────────────────

3. Storm Path

Blackfeather Crow

→ Swiftwing Crow

→ Storm Raven

→ Tempest King Raven

Requirements:

• Wind Attribute Core

• Lightning Attribute Core

• High-Speed Flight Training

────────────────────

4. Hidden Phoenix Path

Blackfeather Crow

→ Flame Crow

→ Blazewing Raven

→ Solar Raven

→ Crimson Phoenix

1st Evolution: Flame Crow

Requirements:

• Fire Attribute Core ×1

2nd Evolution: Blazewing Raven

Requirements:

• Fire Attribute Core ×5

• Reach E-Rank

3rd Evolution: Solar Raven

Requirements:

• Phoenix Feather Fragment

• Reach C-Rank

4th Evolution: Crimson Phoenix

Requirements:

• Phoenix Blood Essence

• Reach A-Rank

Potential Upon Completion: SS-Rank

[ Warning]

The Hidden Phoenix Path possesses the highest growth potential among all available evolution routes and also the highest risk.

Arthur’s eyes lit up.

’A phoenix, huh...’ he thought. ’Who wouldn’t want that as a companion?’

He didn’t hesitate.

He selected the fourth path.

A faint warmth flickered between him and the crow, like an invisible thread binding them together. The bird blinked, then hopped up, flapping its wings to perch on Arthur’s shoulder.

It settled there, surprisingly well‑behaved.

Yuna’s eye twitched.

"You can tame beasts now too?" Yuna asked, half impressed, half exasperated.

Arthur shrugged and offered a small smile.

"Let’s go," Arthur said, scratching the crow lightly under its beak. "It’s time to make Erica the queen."