The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 140: Burdens Shared, Bonds Forged

And so, this peculiar sight came to be: a golden-haired elf following the Demon King Anos closely, never leaving his side.

When the Demon King first noticed Illiya tailing him, he was surprised.

He had thought Illiya had come to him with some matter to discuss. But after asking, he received the explanation above.

Anos was both amused and helpless, but he didn’t stop Illiya—in fact, he became even more proactive.

He enthusiastically introduced everything about the Demon Realm to Illiya and even picked out some harmless tasks to explain in detail to the silent golden-haired elf trailing behind him.

Anos said, "Actually, the work of a Demon King is quite similar to that of a human king on the continent. But there are still differences here in the Demon Realm. Perhaps because demons are born with deep reverence for the Demon King, the frequency and volume of petitions submitted are unusually high. They range from major diplomatic affairs between cities to trivial complaints like two demon friends dividing food, with one getting a sliver more the size of a fingernail. Though minor ones like that never actually reach me. I only found out about that one while bored and flipping through the petitions on Sebastian’s desk."

"Although I haven’t been in power long, ever since I ascended the throne, I’ve come to realize that the Demon King is more than just a ruler of the demons — he’s an important symbol, a spiritual emblem, really. I’m not sure if you can understand this, Illiya, but while the Demon King governs the demon race, his true role is more symbolic in nature."

"The Demon King means a lot to the demons — so much, in fact, that I found it hard to comprehend at first. It felt ridiculous to carry such immense expectations on one person’s shoulders. But later, I began to face it seriously. I figured that since I became the Demon King, I ought to bear that responsibility properly."

"But I’m still scared — no matter how much time passes."

...

Anos spoke these words when his chief steward Sebastian wasn’t around.

He would never reveal his vulnerable emotions in front of his subordinates.

Yet he didn’t know why he ended up saying all this to an elf he’d only known for a few days.

Maybe it was the good weather, or maybe it was the natural sense of acceptance that elves gave off — something that made it easier for him to speak.

"Just take it as something to listen to. Whether human or demon, everyone experiences those oddly sentimental moods from time to time," he said, brushing it off.

After that, Anos fell silent, not knowing what more to say.

These emotions had been buried deep inside him for a long time, and he’d never had a chance to express them.

The truth was, he was afraid. Deeply afraid.

If you added up the time since he became Demon King, Anos would still only be the age of a recent university graduate in his original world.

When he came to the Demon Realm, he had just become an adult.

An 18-year-old teenager had arrived in an unfamiliar world and was suddenly burdened with such overwhelming expectations — expectations that had been waiting for over a thousand years.

To Anos, that weight was crushing.

After hearing everything Anos said, Illiya remained silent for a long time.

He didn’t quite know how to comfort the Demon King, but in that moment, he finally understood what Sebastian had meant when he said that Anos didn’t fully trust those around him... and why, beneath it all, there was an undercurrent of unease in his heart.

The Demon King was not at fault. Nor was Sebastian, nor anyone else. No one was to blame.

The demons had waited for the arrival of their king for a thousand years.

They had truly, deeply longed to see the Demon King again.

From resisting at first to gradually accepting his role, the Demon King had been doing his best to shoulder his responsibilities.

The only issue between them was that neither side had given the other enough time.

Time was the greatest remedy — like water wearing down stone, it would gradually wash away all problems.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Illiya finally spoke for the first time while accompanying the Demon King in his work.

"That’s perfectly normal. It’s natural for you to feel this way," Illiya said in his usual calm tone. He didn’t try to console Anos. Instead, he began to speak about himself. "Let me tell you about my life."

Anos, intrigued, turned around to face the tall, straight-backed, golden-haired elf.

The place where the elf stood was untouched by sunlight.

The light there was dimmer than in other parts of the room, as though he were standing in a shadow.

For once, his face did not carry its usual expressionless look; instead, there was a faint trace of reminiscence in his features. His honey-golden eyes appeared hazy and unfocused, lost in memories.

He was choosing his words carefully.

After a moment, Illiya decided to start from his childhood.

"Elves are mostly asexually reproduced — we’re born from the World Tree. But there are exceptions. I belong to the former group. You could say the World Tree is both my mother and father."

"An elf’s growth period is very long. But from the time I can remember, I was raised by my teachers. They treated me well and taught me everything without reservation. Since I was chosen by the World Tree to be the next High Priest, I had much more to learn than other young elves. Likewise, I carried a much heavier burden."

Anos instinctively asked, "Didn’t you feel suffocated by that?"

As soon as he finished, he realized his wording might be misunderstood and quickly explained, "That’s not what I meant. I meant—didn’t you ever feel overwhelmed by the expectations others placed on you?"

Illiya shook his head. "Not at all. I had excellent teachers and wonderful companions. The elves treated me well. While they did have expectations for me, those expectations came from a desire to see me grow and improve."

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