I Became My Elf King Character In A Game-Like World
Chapter 57: Trap or Trust?!

Chapter 57: Trap or Trust?!

That wasn’t the story Lyanna had heard. Everything she had ever learned painted the dwarves as the elves’ closest allies. She had even read books about dwarf armies fighting alongside elven.

Her mind raced, but she quickly straightened, choosing her words carefully. "Your Majesty, I can assure you—the Ironcrest Merchant Guild will never betray the elves."

Renjiro waved a hand dismissively. "That’s not what concerns me." He smiled. "I just care about the gold."

Gorren shot Lyanna a knowing look. ’See? This was exactly what I had been talking about. The Elf King’s obsession with gold had reached absurd levels.’

Lyanna chuckled, stepping forward with practiced grace. "Your Majesty, I have good news. This time, I didn’t just bring the compensation. I even brought extra as goodwill of our merchant guild."

For the first time, Renjiro’s composed demeanor cracked—if only slightly. His heart skipped a beat.

Two million gold coins and extra. That was enough to summon many more thousand elite archers. An army of that size could shift the tides of battle in an instant.

But his expression remained cool, unreadable. He tilted his head slightly and said, "Extra?"

"Four Million Gold Coins!" Lyanna mentioned the extra and compensation amount together.

"Hmmm... that’s not much." Renjiro said with no smile or anything like it was normal or was supposed to happen.

Lyanna’s smile stiffened.

’Not... much?’

Renjiro continued, utterly unfazed. "After deducting the three million four hundred thousand you still owe me, that leaves you with just six hundred thousand. You can use that to buy elf equipment from us."

Lyanna inhaled sharply, her carefully maintained composure nearly slipping. ’Four million gold coins... and all she had left to work with was six hundred thousand? She had practically only practically not fully drained the Ironcrest Merchant Guild’s entire treasury to bring this sum, and he dismissed it like pocket change?’

Renjiro leaned forward, his gaze steady, his tone unwavering. "I have mountains of gold and silver treasures, high-grade magic cores, and even the corpse of a magical beast stronger than a Ninth-Circle creature. If your guild can’t meet my price in gold coins, I have no reason to waste my time here. I’ll take my business elsewhere."

’The body of a stronger than ninth-circle magical beast?!’

Lyanna’s breath hitched, her mind spinning. That was an invaluable resource! Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Your Majesty, our guild owns a gold mine worth at least ten million gold coins or maybe even more!"

Renjiro’s gaze sharpened. ’A gold mine?’

Just then, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[Ding!]

[One of your ultimate objectives is to build a mighty Elf Territory, conquer all the races of the forest and then continent, and rule those races and your land. To do this, you must expand beyond the forest, establish outposts, and extend Elven territory.]

[New Task Issued!]

[Mission: Reclaim the Ironcrest Merchant Guild’s gold mine by defeating the Kobold Tribe occupying it. Establish an outpost and plant a second Eternal Tree to secure your foothold.]

[Completion Reward: Unlock the Sacred Tree Guardian.]

[Failure Penalty: Sacred Tree Guardian permanently sealed.]

Renjiro barely had time to process this before another alert rang out.

[Ding!]

[The destruction of the Ogre Squad has enraged the ruler of the Ogre Tribe. The Ogres have sounded the war horn, preparing for battle. The Elves and the Ogre Tribe will now fight to determine the true rulers of the Forest and which one will live and which one will die.]

[Ultimate Beginner Task Issued!]

[Mission: Slay the Ruler of Ofre Tribe, eliminate the Ogre Tribe, and claim dominion over the Forest.]

[Completion Reward: Unlock the Elder Tree of Wisdom.]

[Failure Penalty: None.]

Renjiro’s expression shifted slightly. He hadn’t expected new tasks so soon. And the trigger for it all? The Ironcrest Merchant Guild’s gold mine.

"Take control of the mine and build an outpost?" he muttered. There was no decision to make. The system had already set the path—succeed and grow stronger, or fail and suffer the consequences.

His mind raced. Sacred Tree Guardian... They were among the Elves’ most formidable guardians. Slow-moving, but with strength rivaling that of mountains. If they protected his territory, even a sudden dragon would be crushed beneath their mighty limbs.

"When the Elf Empire fell, the knowledge of summoning Sacred Tree Guardian was lost, along with the Druid class." His eyes glowed with determination. "Now, if I complete this mission, I can bring them back."

Then, there was the second mission—the Ultimate Beginner Task. This was the final hurdle before stepping beyond the beginner stage and truly beginning his conquest.

"It won’t be long before my army clashes with the other races of the Continent," he murmured.

His thoughts turned to the Kobolds. They were part of the Beast Clan—a race of dog-headed, humanoid creatures. Like werewolves, pigmen, bearfolk, lionfolk, and foxfolk, they lived in scattered tribes. Only the royal family of the Beast Clan had the power to unite them.

Looks like the first strike will land on the Beast Clan’s head.

A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Your Majesty?"

Renjiro turned to see Elaria watching him with quiet concern. He glanced at Lyanna, still standing in the center of the hall.

"Lady Lyanna," he said, his tone even. "I’m curious—where exactly is this gold mine worth ten million gold coins, and why the sudden mention of giving it to us?"

Lyanna straightened. "It’s in the southeast part of the Forest, about five hundred kilometers from here. It’s hidden in a mountain range, and only the Ironcrest Merchant Guild knows the exact location."

Renjiro turned to Elaria. She nodded in understanding. "If I’m not mistaken, that mountain range is known as the Mountains. The Beast Clan named it."

Lyanna hesitated before forcing a smile. "Lady Elaria, you’re correct. The gold mine is in the Mountains. But don’t worry—it’s close to the Beast Clan’s border, and there aren’t many beastmen in the area."

Elaria’s expression darkened. "Thousands of years ago, the Mountains were ruled by the Beast Clan. Then a dragon came, its flames reducing everything to ash. The Beast Clan’s Golden Behemoths united to slay the creature, but its soul did not return to the Dragon God. Instead, it became a vengeful Dragon Spirit, haunting the ruins of the mountains."

Lyanna shook her head. "Lady Elaria, that’s just a legend. There’s no proof a Dragon Spirit even exists."

Elaria’s gaze was unwavering. "Elves do not risk their lives on unverified things."