Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 16

Episode 16

“If you understand, then right now I…”

“I’m sorry.”

“……!”

I could see Ifrit gasp at the sudden confession(?).

He seemed completely speechless and frozen, so I bowed my head repeatedly.

“I was wrong, so please stop being angry. It was definitely my mistake to try and play with someone’s feelings. I’m really sorry.”

“You, you… right now…”

“I was originally going to apologize as soon as I arrived, but somehow it turned out like this again. Haha, I’m usually like this. Sorry.”

Oh? But why doesn’t his expression look like he’s accepting the apology?

I noticed Ifrit’s crumpled face and sweated nervously. I thought that if I came out humble, he would be happy and jumping around, or at least say with a shrug, ‘Of course, you should act like that!’ But instead, he was trembling with both arms and emitting an even stronger murderous aura.

Could it be that I did something wrong again? No, that can’t be. If I had to make something up, my only crime is apologizing!

But strangely enough, it seemed that was a crime to Ifrit.

“Why are you apologizing!”

“Huh? Why, why are you asking…”

“Are you stupid? Why are you apologizing? Don’t you have the pride to wait until I come to you? Why are you coming to me? Why are you bowing down first!”

“Umm, Ifrit?”

Is apologizing first such a big deal that I’m being reprimanded? I didn’t know what to do with his sensitive reaction, so I could only stand there. Meanwhile, Ifrit continued to shout.

“Your attitude is too bland! If you’re angry, then keep being angry! The previous Elquines wouldn’t have let this go so easily! Instead of coming to me, she would have turned her head and pretended not to see me even if we met by chance! She wouldn’t have budged for a hundred or a thousand years until she received an apology! Regardless of whose fault it was!”

“Well, but I’m not the previous Elquines. There’s no need to think like that…”

“Why not! You inherited his abilities! You have the same energy as him! The same blue eyes and the same water-colored hair! So why are you saying you’re different?”

“Even if you ask why…”

I hesitated, not knowing what to say. Then Ifrit shouted as if he had gained more strength.

“Always be arrogant and act like you’re the only great one! Don’t smile or talk to the other guys! If someone picks a fight, don’t just let it go, even if it means making them half-dead! Even if it ruins your relationship with the other guys, never apologize! If the other lower spirits make even a small mistake, annihilate their very existence!”

“……Wow, are you trying to turn me into a psychopath?”

“That’s right! A psychopath! That’s exactly it!”

“…….”

Okay, I get it now. Ifrit, you… you’re not normal.

Watching Ifrit nod his head so confidently, I was lost in regret for a moment. Why did I come all the way here to suffer like this? If I had known it would be like this, I would have just pretended not to know. It seems I have a unique talent for digging my own grave.

‘But seeing him push this hard… could it be that the previous Elquines’ personality was like that?’

That thought suddenly flashed through my mind, and I paused and looked at Ifrit. Well, if you really wanted to get close to someone, you wouldn’t wish for that kind of personality. Besides, the examples are too specific for just a vague explanation.

I already guessed that he was unusual for being an outsider, but I didn’t expect him to be such an amazing guy. The previous Elquines was great, but Ifrit, who liked such a guy, seems even greater. And to top it off, he’s trying to make even the innocent (?) successor like me have the same personality… What’s wrong with your mental world!

Trowel, you were wrong. Ifrit did like the previous Elquines!

“Hey, Ifrit? Just so you know, I’m not the previous Elquines.”

“……? I know that.”

“No, you’re mistaken right now. I have nothing to do with the previous Elquines, I’m a completely separate existence. So there’s no need for me to have the same character as him, and I have no intention of doing so. Even if my awakening as the Spirit King is slow because I’m bound by the memories of my past life, I know that what you’re doing right now is wrong. You’re trying to find the image of the previous Elquines in me. Your actions are like… yes, like shouting at someone who has lost their memory to remember, even though that person is just similar and completely different.”

“…….”

As the story continued, Ifrit stood still for a long time, just listening blankly. For some reason, he looked like a glass doll that would break at any moment, so I was restless inside.

“I, Ifrit?”

Could it be that he’s in shock and fainted while standing?

I couldn’t help but think that because he hadn’t moved at all for a while. He wasn’t even blinking, and I wondered if he was even breathing.

The moment I looked at Ifrit again with concern, I froze. Tears were welling up in his eyes, as if they would spill at any moment.

Ugh! Why is he crying again!

“……Am I stupid?”

“What?”

“Yeah, I think I’m really stupid too. But you know, I really didn’t know that Elquines would disappear like that. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said those things I didn’t mean, like telling you to disappear quickly.”

“Cough. I, is that so?”

“Yeah, isn’t it strange? I definitely liked him. But why were the words that came out of my mouth always curses and criticisms? I was too busy asserting my pride and fighting instead of confessing my love. It’s the same now. Actually, I was happy that you came to apologize first. But I can’t help but treat you like this, I’m a contradiction.”

Ifrit, who was shaking his head bitterly, looked sad for the first time. Enough to want to go over and hug his shoulders and tell him it’s okay.

Of course, I wasn’t bold enough to put that into action. After all, the reality is that I’m a born-again solo who hasn’t even held a girl’s hand.

‘Ugh, what should I say in this situation?’

It might be better to just remain silent than to offer useless comfort. But unlike these thoughts, my mouth started rambling on its own.

“It’s, it’s okay, Ifrit. Everyone has contradictory aspects, not just you. Why is there that famous saying? Humans are animals of contradiction!”

“……We’re spirits, though?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s right. Hahaha! Hey, what does it matter? There’s no law that says spirits have to be honest with their feelings. You can say you hate someone even if you like them, and you don’t have to show your true feelings. It’s too much of a headache to worry about those things one by one. Above all, the other person has to be reasonable. Anyone in your situation would have no choice but to hide their feelings. Yeah, that’s right.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Huh? I’m talking about the previous Elquines. I don’t think it would have been easy to admit that I liked such a psychopath. In that sense, I respect you a lot, Ifrit. Your taste is very strange… no, unique. Um, yeah. Very individual.”

I nodded and raised my thumb. Then Ifrit’s already sharp eyes became even more fierce.

“What? Do you want to die?”

“Haha, I just meant it in a great way…”

“Hmph! Still, the previous Elquines is much better than you!”

“What? What’s wrong with me?”

“What’s wrong! You’re clumsy and stupid! It’s better to have someone with a firm will, even if they’re a bit annoying, than to be indecisive and frustrating! Do you know what I’m most curious about when I look at you? What the previous Elquines would think if he appeared here and saw you. A family that has been carrying on the tradition of rudeness for generations, so it’s probably quite dumbfounded that such a foolish guy was born?”

Tch, I’m not jealous of that kind of rudeness.

I grumbled quietly to myself as I watched Ifrit insult me to my face. I had just comforted him with good intentions(?), but he was repaying kindness with evil. That’s why you shouldn’t take in black-haired beasts [a Korean idiom referring to people who betray kindness].

To make matters worse, Ifrit waved his hand with a bothered expression.

“Anyway, since you apologized first, I’ll admit I’m sorry too. Now go back. I have something to think about alone.”

“What?”

Is that really the attitude of apologizing? It’s not ‘I’m sorry,’ but what does it mean to ‘admit’ that he’s sorry? I wanted to say something, but I just closed my mouth. Ifrit’s expression as he turned around looked a little lonely. Come to think of it, if he’s going to think alone in this situation, it can only be about the previous Elquines.

He was probably trying to satisfy the absence of Elquines through me, but I cut that off firmly, so Ifrit must be very empty even if he doesn’t say it. If he had confessed even once, he wouldn’t have any regrets. Rather, it seems he fought until just before he disappeared, so how pathetic and resentful would he be of himself?

The previous Elquines probably doesn’t even know Ifrit’s feelings and is happily living a new life. Thinking about it that way, I suddenly felt resentful towards that guy.

What was it? They said that a spirit king who disappears becomes a god? Come to think of it, I heard that even if you reincarnate in the human world, you’re likely to be born as a dragon. Feeling my head clear suddenly, I immediately asked a question.

“Ifrit, are there any dragons in Arkadon?”

“What? Of course.”

“Then haven’t you heard any stories about a baby dragon being born recently?”

“A baby dragon… are you talking about a hatchling? Well, I heard that a red dragon hatchling was born a while ago. But why suddenly that?”

Ifrit turned to me with a very annoyed face. He clearly didn’t like that I was still staying and asking questions even though he told me to leave. But I didn’t give in and continued to speak.

“No, it’s just that they say that when a spirit king disappears, they might be born as a dragon. I was wondering if the hatchling that was born this time might be the previous Elquines.”

“……What? What are you talking about? A spirit king disappears and is born as a dragon?”

“No, it seems like not all of them are born as dragons. They either become gods or reincarnate in the afterlife, but then the probability of being born as a dragon is high…”

“How do you know that?”

I hesitated for a moment because of Ifrit’s wide-eyed question. Is he saying, ‘How did you learn that when you can’t even properly awaken as a spirit king?’ or is he saying, ‘How do you know something that I’ve never heard of?’ It seems better to assume the latter if I don’t want to be miserable. So I forced myself to assume it meant the latter and answered carefully.

“I heard it when I was in the underworld. From someone named Arehis.”

“Arehis? …Are you talking about Arehis, the god of the dead?”

“……God? Wow, Arehis was a god?”

It was my turn to be surprised this time. I thought he would be in a high position since he was the one the grim reapers (they called them guides) served, but I never expected him to be a god.

“He’s a mid-level god of the underworld. He’s the god who oversees the souls of the dead.”

“Well, then that must be him. He said he was quite high up.”

“But what did that god say to you?”

I explained everything to Ifrit as I had heard it from him. He didn’t seem very interested until a little while ago, but this time he was very enthusiastic and focused on what I was saying. And the moment all the explanations were over, he let out a groan as if he was exclaiming.

“Oh my god… so it was true that the spirit king is a trainee stage before becoming a god.”

“Huh?”

What is he talking about again? As I looked at him in bewilderment, Ifrit, who had a blank face as if he was shocked, began to explain calmly.

“Actually, there have been rumors like that before. The spirit king is the purest soul of God that the main god created to rule humans. After being created, they temporarily go through the term of the spirit king for the adaptation process, and then they are given the most suitable position of God in the future.”

“Hee, then I was right. Good for you, Ifrit.”

I said with a purely congratulatory heart. But what came back was a sharp voice.

“What’s so good about it?”

“Huh?”

“Whether you become a god or reincarnate, it’s the same in that you can’t meet anyway. Do you know that the divine realm is not a place anyone can go? Especially our spirit kings, we don’t have the ability to move to other dimensions other than Arkadon! Even if you were born as a dragon like you said. There’s no guarantee that it’s a dragon here in Arkadon. Do you know how many dimensions there are where dragons exist? Let’s say you’re lucky enough to be born in Arkadon. Everything, including your energy and appearance, would have changed, so how would you recognize it? Are you stupid?”

“Sniff, sniff! Why does this spirit king call me stupid at every chance? What did I do!”

“Then say something that makes sense! It’s not like you’re teasing me!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose! How would I know that we can’t move to the divine realm? Huh? Wait, spirit kings can’t go to other places besides Arkadon? Then can’t we go to the underworld either?”

“Of course not! Do you even need to ask?”

“Then what about the underworld? Can’t they come here from the underworld?”

At my question, Ifrit stopped being annoyed (it seems he finally gave up on me) and answered in a calmer tone.

“No, they can come from there. Spirits also disappear someday. If there’s a place with the souls of the dead, they can go anywhere.”

“Hoo… is that so.”

“……What, what is it?”

I could see Ifrit flinching at my small muttering. It seems he sensed that my eyes were unusual.

Heehee, Ifrit? I just had a good idea.

I smiled with satisfaction and faced Ifrit, who still had a clueless expression.

“Maybe… we can find out the current situation of the previous Elquines.”