The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 42: Whispers of Suspicion

Instead, he asked, "Have you noticed anything suspicious about the fake king? Any strange behavior?"

Narae recalled carefully before responding hesitantly, "The fake king’s mental state seems off. He sometimes talks to himself, which looks quite odd. However, he never lets me get close to him. Although I hold the title of his personal knight, in reality, I’m no different from an ordinary knight."

Suddenly, he clapped his hands, as if remembering something.

"I just recalled—he frequently visits the dungeon alone. He always checks his surroundings first, as if sneaking around."

"Don’t misunderstand, I only found out because I happened to be on duty near there one time," Narae added.

Illiya nodded his head, piecing things together.

The only thing that could make the fake king so anxious was the real king.

It seemed that the dungeon was their next destination.

After getting the information from Narae, Illiya had no intention of staying there any longer.

It would be bad if someone with a sharp eye noticed him.

Moreover, he had attended the banquet alongside Darius, a well-known figure.

In others’ eyes, he and Darius were a package deal.

Leaving for a short while could be explained as needing fresh air.

But if he stayed away too long and was found with the king’s personal knight, it would inevitably raise suspicion.

Now that their goal was to rescue the real Seoryun, it was best not to cause any unnecessary complications.

These thoughts flashed through his mind.

Illiya didn’t dwell on them and prepared to bid farewell to the knight, Narae, before leaving this inconspicuous corner.

Before he could make a move, Narae, as if possessing the ability to foresee the future, bid him farewell first.

"If there’s nothing else, then I’ll take my leave. Although I am a rather useless personal knight, being away from the king for too long will inevitably raise suspicion," Narae said politely. "Your Esteemed Elf, you should hurry over to Captain Darius. I’ve noticed that some people are already paying attention to this area."

Before Illiya could react, Narae gave a slight bow and walked in the direction where the king had departed.

Narae’s actions left Illiya somewhat surprised.

In his impression, Narae was a knight without much scheming, a peculiar existence among knights.

Who would wear their thoughts so plainly on their face?

And believing whatever was said—such a rare trait.

But today, Narae was acting as if he had activated some kind of intelligence boost.

Illiya sighed inwardly.

Humans truly were a strange species—one that left elves feeling perplexed.

Just like before, Illiya quietly left the banquet hall and then just as quietly returned, making it seem as if he had merely stepped out for some fresh air.

A noble who had noticed Illiya conversing with the king’s personal knight approached and "casually" probed, "Oh? Your Esteemed Elf, are you quite familiar with the king’s personal knight?"

Illiya couldn’t be bothered to play rhetorical games and directly countered, "Why would you say that?"

The noble’s smile stiffened for a brief moment upon hearing this.

A flicker of anger flashed through his eyes—angry that the elf had broken the "rules" of conversation.

But considering the nature of elves, he didn’t dare to openly offend him.

The noble quickly regained his composed smile, as if nothing unpleasant had happened. "I was simply surprised to see you speaking with the personal knight for a while. There isn’t a noble in the capital who doesn’t know that His Majesty’s newly appointed personal knight is quite the misfit."

"And he lacks experience," the noble added, smoothly shifting the topic to Darius. "Of course, he is far beneath Captain Darius."

His words carried a veiled insult, suggesting that an elf associating with such a lowly knight was just as unworthy in their eyes.

At the same time, he flattered Darius, a favorite of Seoryun.

Illiya felt only contempt and grew even more disdainful of the noble class.

Back in the Elven Forest, his teacher had told him that in human kingdoms, so-called "nobles" were often nothing more than disgusting self-serving opportunists.

Their dealings were full of filth, and their greatest skill was praising some while belittling others, speaking in layers of hidden meaning.

At the time, he hadn’t taken it too seriously, but today, he witnessed it firsthand.

It was truly repulsive to his elven sensibilities.

Illiya had no intention of saving the noble from embarrassment—after all, what could he do to him?

Everyone on the continent knew that elves fiercely protected their own.

"Oh? So, you’re looking down on His Majesty the King?" Illiya’s expression turned to one of surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to hear such treasonous words.

Seeing the noble’s face instantly drain of color, Illiya pretended not to notice and continued fanning the flames, dragging the entire noble class into the pit.

"According to what you’re saying, all nobles look down on the king’s personal knight, yes? But you should know that the king personally chose his personal knight. If you look down on His Majesty’s knight, isn’t that dissatisfaction with His Majesty himself? If that’s the case..."

Illiya deliberately lengthened his words, his tone laced with meaning. "It seems that the nobles of the capital are quite discontent with His Majesty."

With this implicating remark, not only did the noble who had tried to belittle Illiya turn deathly pale, but even the other nobles watching the scene with amusement found their expressions darkening.

They were indeed watching the situation unfold, deliberately choosing not to speak up.

After all, if someone else took the lead in confronting the elf, why should they interfere?

If the elf failed to catch the underlying meaning in the words, it would mean that this elf was an inexperienced fool—an easy target.

But if the elf fought back, it would indicate that they were not someone to be trifled with.

In that case, it would be best to either form a good relationship or avoid provoking them in the future.