Chapter 4: The Queen’s Pet and the Elven Outcry

Queen Sisi led me towards another massive tent.

I had little experience with formal dressing; in fact, I had merely changed into what passed for local formal wear. It was a black tuxedo of sorts, yet my neck was adorned with a collar, the other end of its rope held firmly in Queen Sisi’s hand.

Queen Sisi herself was resplendent in a purple, form-fitting evening gown. The slit of her skirt, however, seemed daringly high, each step a brazen display of her dazzling beauty. Above, her shoulders, smooth and rounded like ivory, were left bare, reminding me of Ellen from Leo Tolstoy’s novels—though perhaps even more stunning.

Queen Sisi’s beauty was likely on par with Vilya’s, the Hero. Yet, the Queen’s allure was more overtly flaunted, radiating an absolute confidence that only amplified her charm.

She proudly showcased her flawless figure and exquisite face to all, a testament to her undeniable power to captivate any observer.

To be by her side in any normal capacity would surely be a wonderful experience. Instead, I was being led like a dog, a rope around my neck. Queen Sisi, beaming with pride, pulled me along, while the soldiers around us cast peculiar glances my way.

Their expressions weren’t solely astonishment; there was also a hint of pity, suggesting I wasn’t the first to endure such treatment from the Queen.

From the outset, it was clear this Queen possessed an extreme sadistic streak, harboring powerful desires to inflict torment upon anyone. My misfortune was to be cast aside by Vilya into her care, thereby becoming the Queen’s personal dog.

Yet, perhaps this wasn’t entirely a bad turn of events. After all, I had survived Vilya’s blade; after my refusal, she had chosen not to kill me, but rather to bind me and drag me away as a trophy.

Though my current state was deeply humiliating, I was, at the very least, alive in this world. To be frank, I felt a strange detachment from my present circumstances, as if it were all profoundly unreal.

Even walking through this military camp, led by a collar around my neck, a sense of unreality persisted.

If I were to survive in this world, how would I even begin to live? Alone, I was certain to perish.

I absolutely needed someone to guide me through this life, and whether that person was Vilya, the Hero, or this sadistic Queen, it made no difference to me. I simply wished to live.

While I wouldn’t fear death if necessary, if there was a chance to live well, then I would seize it. If possible, I even wished to live with dignity.

However, that was a concern for another time. For now, my sole aim was to endure this evening’s banquet. If I could manage to keep the Queen sufficiently entertained throughout, perhaps I could carve out a more ordinary existence.

Having worked as a secretary, I was confident in my ability to please even this Queen.

But first, I needed to survive the banquet itself.

The protagonists of this banquet were undoubtedly Vilya, or perhaps the Queen herself, or even humanity as a whole. After all, based on previous discussions, it was humanity’s Hero who had personally slain the Demon King, without the involvement of elves or gnomes.

This feat secured humanity’s leadership within the alliance, having single-handedly severed the head of the Demon King who threatened the world.

I believed that even as Vilya’s comrades fought valiantly, disregarding their racial differences, those in power behind the scenes were undoubtedly calculating. The elves and gnomes, too, must have harbored similar ambitions, wanting their own heroes to be the ones to decapitate the Demon King.

To the Hero’s party, they were allies and the Demon King was the enemy. To those observing from the rear, however, their fellow allies were the true adversaries, and the Demon King merely a medal to signify their own victory.

It was even possible that these individuals had already conspired on how to divide the world after the Demon King’s demise. Such was the nature of those in the rear: even before victory was declared on the front lines, they were already deliberating future arrangements. However, this was also their designated duty, so there was little room for criticism.

I trailed dutifully behind the Queen, not daring to utter a word, as she led me into the banquet hall. It was an immensely large tent, its center not dominated by a single long table.

Instead, three tables were arranged along the two sides and at the far end of the square tent, leaving a vast open space in the middle. Already, the tables on both sides were filled with guests.

I observed that the humanoids on one side were quite short, roughly the height of human children, while those on the other side were dressed in opulent attire, slightly taller than humans but appearing somewhat slender. ‘These must be the elves and gnomes,’ I mused.

The moment Queen Sisi entered, everyone on both sides rose to their feet, erupting into thunderous applause that welcomed the world’s hero. The Queen beamed with satisfaction, raising her hands high to accept the respect and blessings from her allies.

Across from us, Vilya stood by the human table, rising to offer the Queen a perfectly executed military salute. ‘At least, I think it was a military salute,’ I thought.

Immediately after, the Queen dragged me towards that side. She stroked my head, then pointed to the floor beside her. I gazed at her, utterly mortified, but the Queen merely offered a slight smile and gestured again for me to sit on the floor at her feet.

‘This is utterly humiliating, just like a dog!’ I thought. ‘In front of the elves and gnomes, is this truly acceptable?’

Knowing the Queen had little patience, I simply closed my eyes and plopped down onto the carpet beside her. The Queen chuckled, then reached out to pat my head before picking up a piece of meat from the table and popping it into my mouth.

Next, she seized a goblet of wine, red as blood, and rose to her feet. Her foxy eyes, gleaming with an unusual light, swept over her allies as she declared with a booming laugh:

“Now that everyone has arrived, I shall propose the first toast. This is for all of us! For too long, we have been harassed by the demon race; countless brothers and sisters plundered, harmed, and killed by their monsters. But from this day forward, no monster shall ever harm us again!”

“Together, we have slain the Demon King, brought the flames of war to their lands, and impaled their Demon King’s head upon our banners to proclaim our victory! This toast is for our efforts, for the most glorious victory we have achieved, and for all those who sacrificed their lives in this war.”

“The departed are gone forever, but we must continue to move forward! Come, let us toast to the victors, and to the fallen!”

“To the victors, and to the fallen!”

Everyone, save for me—who was, at this moment, nothing more than a dog—raised their glasses. The Queen lifted her goblet, and her allies on both sides rose in unison, holding their own cups high.

Though the two races were undoubtedly speaking languages other than human, I found it strangely, inexplicably, that I could comprehend every word.

With humanity’s leader having raised the first toast, the banquet officially commenced. The Queen did not offer a toast to Vilya beside her, which was entirely normal. Even if Vilya was a war hero, the Queen remained her sovereign and would not initiate a toast to her.

Vilya, still clad in her white and blue military uniform, sat ramrod straight and impeccably proper beside the Queen, her gaze steady and fixed forward. Her entire demeanor was as solemn as a statue.

Despite the war having concluded—indeed, perhaps an entire era had ended—Vilya showed no signs of relaxation. She remained utterly serious, staring intently ahead, even though nothing stood before her. She hadn’t even touched her food, simply sitting there.

Her figure, however, was truly exceptional. Even without expression, her delicate face remained strikingly beautiful.

Many elves and gnomes, however, approached her to offer toasts. She refused none, downing each glass of wine before placing it back on the table and sitting upright, patiently awaiting the next.

The Queen, all the while laughing and conversing with those around her, intermittently fed me morsels of food. Whatever it was, I had to consume it. She constantly stroked my head, treating me like a cherished pet.

Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this display wasn’t truly bringing the Queen joy.

I sensed something amiss in the Queen’s gaze towards me.

The next dish arrived: a large, whole steak. The Queen eyed it, then abruptly snatched it up and tossed it into the center of the tent, directly between the three tables.

All sounds ceased instantly, every eye fixed on the spot. A sudden, unsettling premonition gripped me.

“Go on, puppy.”

The Queen stroked my head, then pointed at the steak lying on the ground, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke.

‘Pick up a steak from the ground, in front of all three races?’

I stared at the Queen in shock. Her smile was disarmingly innocent, as if she had issued the most ordinary command, as if this was precisely what I was meant to do.

Vilya glanced at me, said nothing, and then turned her head away. I looked at the Queen before me with a desperate plea, hesitant to take even a single step. Was I truly expected to eat the steak the Queen had thrown, like a dog, in front of the most esteemed individuals of three races?

The Queen caressed my face, then leaned in close, whispering with a soft laugh, “Go on, my dear puppy. Are you truly so incapable that you can’t even play the role of a dog? If you can’t even be a good dog, what use do I have for you? Go on, be a good puppy, quickly now… But remember, a dog doesn’t stand, and a dog has no hands. Be a proper dog and give me a good laugh.”

She extended her hand, patting my neck once more, sealing off my last escape route. I gazed despairingly towards the steak, then at the guests on both sides. The gnomes and elves remained silent, simply waiting, anticipating that I would indeed crawl like a dog and retrieve the steak with my teeth.

I looked around in utter despair; no one stepped forward to speak on my behalf. Even though I had just risked my life to protect the little girl, not a single soul seemed to care. In this moment, as my dignity was being crushed, everyone seemed eager to trample upon me further.

“Hurry, puppy, or else… I’ll be quite embarrassed, you know…”

Trembling, I extended my hand and took a crawling step, truly like a dog. A burst of laughter erupted instantly, and I felt all the blood rush to my brain. The immense shame tormented me, making me wish for death itself.

The steak lay less than five paces before me, yet it felt as distant as the horizon.

I wondered if I possessed the courage to take a second step. My rationality screamed at me to stop; if I continued to squander my dignity, I truly would become nothing more than a dog.

At that very moment, a dinner knife suddenly flew through the air, impaling the steak firmly to the ground. In an instant, all laughter in the hall vanished. I looked up in surprise, seeing a young woman rise from the elves’ side.

She fearlessly met Queen Sisi’s slowly fading smile, stating with earnest conviction, “Toying with one’s own kin is not the act of a true monarch. On one hand, you raise a toast to the fallen, yet on the other, you trifle with the dignity of your own kind. What has this man done to deserve such humiliation? Vilya, as a warrior, as a hero, can you truly stand by and let this happen before you?!”

“I apologize,” Vilya replied calmly. “I am a soldier.”

Vilya met her gaze with composure, stating earnestly, “I obey the King’s commands.”

“You…”

The elf angrily set down her wine glass. She glanced at her embarrassed companions and then at Queen Sisi, declaring seriously, “If this victory celebration demands that I witness such an unjust spectacle, then I cannot endure it. Please allow me to withdraw.”

“Don’t be like that, I was just joking,” Queen Sisi said with a light laugh, looking at the elf who had turned to leave. “You are also an elven hero, having accompanied Vilya all this way. However, this man protected the Demon King’s daughter, you know. There, as a human, he risked his life to protect a demon’s daughter. Do you truly consider him our kin?”

“To be able to step forward and protect a little girl from a blade, I believe he is nothing short of a hero.”

This elf must have been part of the Hero’s party as well. She answered Queen Sisi fearlessly and calmly, adding, “Vilya, can you truly tolerate this? Tolerate such crudeness from your Queen?”

“I am a soldier.”

“You are also a person!”

“Alright, alright.”

Someone from the elven side rose and whispered something into the ear of the indignant elf, but the elf angrily swatted their hand away and continued to walk out. At that moment, Queen Sisi stood up, smiling as she looked at Vilya, who had also risen, and the departing elf.

She then handed the rope tied to me to Vilya, saying, “Very well, I must admit, to act in such a manner before Miss Lucia, who always abhors evil, is indeed unacceptable. In that case, I shall no longer indulge in such excessive jokes. Here, I entrust ownership of this dog—oh, no, this person—to Vilya. From this day forward, this gentleman’s fate shall be managed by Vilya. Miss Lucia is also a very important presence at this victory celebration, and I hope we don’t spoil the atmosphere.”

The elf watched as Vilya stood up, taking the rope tied to me with both hands. Vilya then looked at the elf, who sighed in resignation. Pressured by her companions and Queen Sisi’s words, she finally resumed her seat.

Until the end of the banquet, although I still sat on the carpet beside Vilya, Queen Sisi indeed did not torment me further. However, I glanced at Vilya more than once, yet she never once looked back at me… In the future… if things continued this way…

Would I become Vilya’s trophy and s*ave, just like that little girl?