The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 141: The Cold Pool and Cautious Steps

"Even though I was born with a heavy burden, I never forgot the people around me who loved me. They looked forward to my growth. No matter what I became, I knew they would be proud of me."

"Never ignore the people beside you."

Anos fell into thoughtful silence after hearing that.

Illiya let out a small breath of relief. That was enough. After all, his personal experience couldn’t apply to everyone, and every problem needed to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

Still, by sheer coincidence, he had now fulfilled Sebastian’s request — he’d figured out the reason why the Demon King Anos kept a certain distance from those around him.

It was because the expectations placed on the Demon King were too heavy.

Anos had difficulty accepting them, afraid he would disappoint the very people who treated him with such kindness.

The one in the situation is often confused; the bystander sees things more clearly.

Illiya didn’t say anything more, nor did he ever bring up the matter again. Anos was the same. The two of them tacitly agreed to bury this conversation deep in their hearts like a shared secret.

And just like that, the banquet would begin tonight.

Everyone was waiting in anticipation.

Eoryun was hoping to take advantage of the crowd moving about before the banquet started, to slip away unnoticed and sneak over to the Cold Pool east of the Demon King’s palace — all for the purpose of confirming his connection with the Ice Flower.

But he wasn’t the only one making plans. Everyone else was also waiting in anticipation — waiting for Eoryun to make his move. Or rather, from the very beginning, everyone had consciously focused their attention on Eoryun, except for the person involved himself, who remained completely unaware.

Eoryun still smugly thought his plan was absolutely flawless.

Illiya and the others had no interest in what Yun was thinking internally. All they wanted was to see what exactly he intended to do.

The banquet was scheduled to officially begin at 7 p.m. But as early as 5 p.m., guests began arriving at the Demon King’s palace.

Each one brought with them a congratulatory gift — although no one really knew what exactly they were supposed to be congratulating.

Not that it mattered. Ke’Oth and N’zall, the two demons in charge, had no intention of rejecting any gifts. If you gave them something, they’d gladly accept it, regardless of the reason behind your offering.

Those who gave gifts were delighted, and those who received them were equally pleased. Both sides felt respected.

The atmosphere was quite friendly.

Time passed quietly, and Illiya and the others never once took their eyes off Eoryun. Then, at 6 p.m., Eoryun finally made his move. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

He began by nonchalantly edging toward an inconspicuous corner — a spot that just so happened to be a "blind spot" in terms of visibility. Most people wouldn’t normally pay attention to that area. If their eyes hadn’t been glued to him the whole time, even they might’ve missed his actions.

Clearly, this had been premeditated.

Coincidentally, that very corner was right next to a window. Without a moment’s hesitation, Eoryun climbed out of it — completely disregarding what little decorum a nobleman should have.

Since he’d made his move, Illiya and the others naturally had to follow. But unlike Eoryun, they didn’t need to sneak around. They simply used magic scrolls to create illusory "shadows" of themselves to stay behind and maintain appearances.

Illiya followed through the window, and when he landed outside and saw the familiar faces (or demons) around him, he was briefly speechless. But he understood. After all, everyone really was just curious about what Eoryun was up to.

After exchanging glances, they said nothing and silently fell into step behind the young master with practiced coordination.

Eoryun led the way ahead, while Illiya and the others followed not far behind.

Anyone who understood the situation would immediately recognize they were tailing him. Anyone who didn’t might assume they were chasing down some wanted criminal.

The scene briefly descended into a state of comedic chaos.

Fortunately, he move quickly. It wasn’t long before Eoryun reached his destination.

There weren’t many guards stationed around the Cold Pool. Just a few scattered demon attendants watching over the area. But they weren’t strict guards — their presence was more like caretakers looking after the Ice Flower.

So, when Eoryun arrived, it just so happened that the attendants had left their posts to replace the magic stones embedded around the area.

Eoryun let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness — his luck really was something.

Hiding behind him, the rest of the group also breathed a collective sigh of relief, especially Ke’Oth and N’zall. Fortunately, they had arranged in advance for the attendants to find an excuse to leave the area around 6 p.m.

Everyone: What incredible luck.

...

After seeing the guards at the entrance of the Cold Pool leave, Eoryun still felt uneasy.

After all, the plant being nurtured here was an extremely rare magical species—especially since this one had even developed sentience.

Even if today was the day of Ke’Oth and N’zall’s banquet, the level of security here shouldn’t be this lax.

Could it be that the guards leaving was just a clever ruse?

He’d read about such tactics in novels: how some people would intentionally station weak-looking guards in plain view while hiding deadly traps behind the scenes.

He understood now. He had comprehended. A great epiphany had struck him.

The demons were, indeed, unfathomably devious. This whole Cold Pool area must have been rigged with offensive magical arrays. The lax guards were nothing more than bait. The moment anyone walked in unsuspectingly, they’d be sliced into pieces by hidden spells.

"The demons really are cunning."

To prevent himself from becoming the victim of such a brutal demise, Eoryun decided to hold back for now. After all the guards had completely left, he planned to test the area.

Maybe he could pick up a rock and throw it in to see if it triggered any traps—or use magic to simulate a human figure and send it forward, since maybe a rock alone wouldn’t be enough to activate anything.

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