I Became My Elf King Character In A Game-Like World
Chapter 54: The Price of Arrogance

Chapter 54: The Price of Arrogance

As Renjiro rode atop the Unicorn Leader, he mulled over the potential arrogance of the Ironcrest Merchant Guild.

If they dared retaliate, they would soon find his nature elf army at their city walls, and by then, he wouldn’t settle for a mere two million gold coins—he’d demand much more.

Part of him almost hoped they were foolish enough to try. It would only justify taking everything they had.

His gaze drifted to the floating corpse of the Dark Wolf Leader, its massive body eerily suspended in the air. This wasn’t some supernatural force at work, Elaria was controlling it with magic.

A strong beast was far too valuable to leave behind. Not only was its body worth a fortune, but the elves had already gathered thousands of magic cores from the slain Dark Wolves.

All of it would be hauled back to the territory and, if things went smoothly, sold right back to the Ironcrest Merchant Guild for an even greater fortune. The irony wasn’t lost on him.

With his latest mission complete, he had unlocked the Hunter’s Hall, though the system was frustratingly vague about its purpose.

When he asked, it simply stated that he could use gold coins to strengthen his elves, but it refused to specify how or how much it would cost.

It had only given him one order—build it first, and he would find out. Renjiro let out a breath. "Figures. This system sure loves its gold coins." Whether it was summoning elves, strengthening them, or unlocking new abilities, gold was the only resource that mattered. Without it, he would be stuck, no matter how powerful he was.

....

Meanwhile At Other Place:-

A massive caravan pushed through the dense foliage on the outskirts of nature elf territory, moving with purpose but also caution.

Unlike the previous visit, they hadn’t arrived as mere merchants. This time, they had come prepared, with over a thousand knights and mages, all heavily armed and alert.

At the head of the caravan, a towering mount, over ten meters long, slithered through the underbrush, its dark scales gleaming like polished obsidian. Golden reptilian eyes scanned the shadows, wary of any movement.

Perched atop the beast, Miss Lyra held the reins with ease, her hair flowing behind her as she guided the caravan forward.

Though their official purpose was to finalize a trade deal, the sheer number of armed men present suggested otherwise. Their goal might have been gold, but they were prepared for something far more dangerous.

Before they could advance much further, the trees came alive with movement. In an instant, hundreds of elf archers and huntresses emerged from the foliage, surrounding the caravan with practiced precision.

The knights barely had time to react before the elves had already taken their positions, arrows nocked, bows drawn tight.

The air was thick with unshakable and surprised archers and huntresses, and even the magical panthers prowling through the undergrowth seemed ready to strike.

Lyra remained composed, raising a hand. "Lower your weapons." The knights and mages hesitated, but after a brief pause, they obeyed.

Even so, their hands hovered over hilts and staffs, poised for the slightest sign of aggression. Turning to the elven warriors, Lyra’s voice remained calm yet firm.

"We are from the Ironcrest Merchant Guild. We were here yesterday, and now we’ve returned to finalize our trade with your King."

The elves remained silent, unmoving. Then, one of the huntresses, a tall, sharp-eyed woman mounted on a sleek black panther, rode forward. Her expression was unreadable as she spoke. "You will wait here until His Majesty gives his orders. No one enters our territory without His Majesty permission."

Lyra exhaled quietly but didn’t let her frustration show. "Then please, send word to him. Tell him the Ironcrest Merchant Guild has arrived—and that we have plenty of gold coins ready for trade." Despite her even tone, the elves didn’t so much as blink.

What Lyra didn’t know was that Renjiro and his army weren’t even in the territory at the moment. Reports from the south indicated that they wouldn’t return for at least another hour.

A voice called from behind her. "Lyra, what’s happening?"

She turned to see a strikingly elegant woman approaching, flanked by a tall, robed mage.

Lyanna, her older sister, carried herself with the effortless confidence of someone who expected to be obeyed.

Clad in a flowing noblewoman’s gown, she was the kind of beauty that turned heads, refined yet commanding.

At her side, Gorren, a mage of ninth-Circle ranking, observed the elves warily, his deep blue robes marking him as one of the strongest spellcasters in their merchant guild.

Lyra quickly explained the situation, and Lyanna’s lips curved into a slight frown. "Are they deliberately making us wait? Is this their king way of showing disrespect to the our Merchant Guild?"

Gorren shook his head. "No. The Elf King values gold coins too much to waste time on petty insults. If he were here, he’d be at the negotiation table already." Lyanna hummed in thought before gesturing to the caravan.

"Then we wait." At her command, the knights and mages relaxed slightly, though none let their guard down completely. Some took the opportunity to meditate, while others studied the elves with open curiosity.

And they noticed something. Every single elf was breathtakingly beautiful. They had heard the stories, how elves possessed an otherworldly grace, their features impossibly flawless, but seeing them in person was another matter entirely.

Even the lowest-ranked warriors among them had an elegance and presence that rivaled noblewomen in high society.

A younger knight leaned toward his companion, smirking. "No wonder nobles pay a fortune for elves," he muttered. "If I had that kind of gold, I’d want to buy one too—"

He never got to finish.

A sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by the sickening thud of an arrow burying itself into his throat.

The knight gasped, eyes wide with shock, as he staggered backward before collapsing to the ground. Blood pooled beneath him as his fingers twitched once, then stilled.

For a long moment, no one moved. Then—

"DEFEND!!"

The entire caravan erupted into chaos. Knights drew their swords, mages raised their staffs, and in an instant, the forest crackled with the hum of magic. The air grew thick with with overwhelming pressure, one wrong move away from plunging into an all-out battle.

Lyanna stormed forward, her face dark with fury. "What the hell was that?!"

An elven archer, unfazed by the hostility, lowered her bow. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable edge of finality. "This is Elves territory. No outsider has the right to speak of enslaving us here. He spoke filth, so he died."