Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Arehis looked surprised by the sheer volume of work.

“I’ve heard the duties of a High God are demanding, but this is truly astonishing. What brings you to me?”

“You must have some idea.”

“Some idea?”

He feigned ignorance, but his stiff expression betrayed him. Ellyuen couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. He subtly arched his eyebrows, a cold smile playing on his lips as he clasped his hands together.

“I dislike prevarication. Let me refresh your memory. When the time of annihilation arrived and I descended to the Underworld, you presented me with two paths: godhood or the afterlife. Correct?”

“Yes? Ah, y-yes, that’s right.”

“I’m pleased you recall. Do you also remember my choice? I sincerely hope you do.”

“…You chose the afterlife.”

‘Huh?’

I was taken aback by Arehis’s answer, which followed a brief pause. This man, seemingly destined to be a god, opted for the afterlife at the crossroads of destiny? More importantly, how is he a god now?

Ifrit appeared equally astonished, his eyes darting between Ellyuen and Arehis.

“I despise complications—that’s what I said. Becoming a god entails numerous responsibilities, and despite any potential benefits, I wished to decline. I experienced enough of that as the Spirit King.”

“That’s right, Lord Ellyuen. I countered that no one was better suited for the position of God and implored you to reconsider.”

“Indeed. But I refused again. Even with another chance, I would still choose the afterlife, at least once. At the time, you seemed to understand my decision. However…”

Ellyuen paused, fixing Arehis with a piercing gaze.

“Why am I a god?”

“Ahaha… W-well, that’s…”

“It was unbelievable. As I traversed the path you guided me on, I sensed something amiss, but dismissed it as my imagination. Yet, upon my rebirth, I was a High God… Furthermore, I was bestowed the name Ellyuen. Subsequently, as if prearranged, I was promptly assigned to oversee the fetid land of Byton. From that moment, I eagerly anticipated our reunion. You should be flattered. This is the first time I’ve longed to see someone so intensely.”

His smile was evident, but a chilling aura emanated from him. I glanced at Arehis, who was perspiring profusely, utterly bewildered. Could it be that Arehis, you…!

‘You tricked Ellyuen?!’

If true, it was an act of remarkable audacity. Arehis dabbed his soaked forehead with a handkerchief before speaking.

“Well, in my defense, I was left with no choice. I’m revealing this now, but a formal directive arrived from the higher echelons.”

“…A formal directive?”

“Yes, it stated that the number of High Gods was critically low, necessitating the forced ascension of qualified souls. As Lord Ellyuen is aware, there are currently fewer than 20 High Gods in the Divine Realm, correct? If all souls with the inherent potential had become gods, there should have been at least 50. Even that is a relatively small number. But everyone insists on choosing the afterlife…”

Souls with the potential to become gods will face the same choice in their next life, even if they initially choose the afterlife. In essence, they can experience the afterlife as much as they desire and become gods later. Conversely, once they choose godhood, the process of returning to the afterlife is quite complex.

Consequently, most potential gods opt to explore the afterlife first, leading to a severe shortage of personnel in the Divine Realm. The duties of the High Gods, in particular, cannot be delegated, causing prolonged hardship for the Divine Realm.

Therefore, regardless of their initial choice, they were ultimately compelled to become gods. Ellyuen was the unfortunate first victim of this policy.

Upon hearing the explanation, Ellyuen wore an incredulous expression before spitting out his words as if grinding his teeth.

“Then why was I assigned to ‘Byton’?”

“The Chief God determines the High God’s assigned dimension. The Chief God apparently deemed your abilities suitable for it.”

“…Damn it.”

Ellyuen cursed under his breath, nervously running a hand through his hair. He was clearly furious, but his reaction was surprisingly subdued. I whispered to Ifrit beside me.

“Hey, Ifrit. Is the Chief God that powerful?”

“Idiot, of course. The Chief God is the God of Gods and the creator of all Gods. His command is the law and truth of this world. Do you think you can defy him and survive? No, you wouldn’t even consider defying him in the first place.”

“Hee, I see.”

Ultimately, even the most powerful individual becomes a docile lamb before the Chief God.

‘So, you turned out to be quite a pitiful guy.’

But that didn’t excuse his actions towards me. In fact, hearing this story in this context alleviated the decade-long feeling of indigestion. Feeling somewhat vindicated, I muttered under my breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear.

“That’s what you get.”

However, I underestimated the perception of a God. He glared at me murderously. Startled, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“W-what? I didn’t say anything wrong, did I? What’s wrong with saying ‘that’s what you get’ when it is what you get!”

“…Do you wish to die permanently this time?”

“W-who said that? B-but I didn’t do anything wrong. How can I stand idly by when you inflict such a cruel and incomprehensible punishment? Is that all you are just because you’re a god! This is tyranny! Dictator, step down!”

At my rapid-fire accusations, Arehis covered his face, while Ifrit looked as if I had ingested something foul. Ellyuen, having heard everything, tilted his head slightly and regarded me with an indifferent gaze.

“A dictator…”

I anticipated an immediate divine strike, but for some reason, he seemed amused, reminiscent of his quiet observation of me in the Blue Sky Chamber. This only fueled my frustration.

“Yes! So, either provide a convincing explanation or apologize! Is it acceptable to simply strike and knock me unconscious! Because of you, I even recalled suppressed memories! It was a nightmare! So, you’d better offer at least an excuse! Otherwise…!”

“Otherwise?”

“Uh? …Ah, otherwise… Ah, yes! I’ll become angry! I’m going to become incredibly, extremely angry and curse you!”

…Yes, I know. I’m aware of how childish and absurd this sounds. Even I, the speaker, feel my face burning with embarrassment. How much more would Ellyuen, the listener, feel? Ifrit and Arehis shook their heads, their faces etched with disappointment.

‘But what do you expect me to do! How can I possibly defeat a High God with the power of the Spirit King!’

If I had foreseen this outcome, I wouldn’t have intervened in the first place. A wave of belated regret washed over me, but I swallowed my tears and stubbornly persisted.

“Ah, anyway, explain it now! Why did you inflict such a cruel punishment on that demon! If I’m convinced, I’ll forgive you for hitting me!”

“Without even cursing me?”

“Y-yes!”

“Are you aware that I am the God who governs curses and punishments?”

“…”

Huh, that’s right! He does! As I lost my train of thought and froze, I heard Ifrit muttering ‘idiot…’ beside me. Sob, wouldn’t it be better to say those things quietly? You don’t have to emphasize it so explicitly. I already know.

For a moment, an awkward silence filled the office. It was broken when Ellyuen sighed softly and spoke.

“…You are ignorant, emotional, possess a poor memory, and lack the discernment to know when to interfere. Yet, you possess a strong sense of justice and refuse to yield to threats against your life…”

“Ugh…”

Each word seemed to sting like a thorn. As I trembled, unable to meet his gaze, I heard him muttering as if looking down on me.

“This is the first time I’ve encountered such a type among the Elquinesses.”

“I, I know I’m somewhat lacking.”

“I didn’t imply that.”

Is he teasing me? He’s already said everything to suggest that, and now he denies it!

I was about to retort, but I missed my chance as Ellyuen immediately posed another question.

“Why do you believe that demon killed the humans?”

“Huh? Well… because they killed his child, right?”

At my answer, he looked dumbfounded and burst into laughter.

“That’s the most absurd reason.”

“What…”

“Demons are devoid of maternal love.”

“…Huh?”

I was about to accuse him of mocking me, but I paused at his subsequent words. Ifrit, standing beside me, elaborated.

“That’s correct. Demons abandon their eggs immediately after laying them. They have no interest in their offspring and don’t even consider the born child their own. They even consume them to enhance their magic power. In fact, such occurrences are frequent, aren’t they? That’s why the Demon Realm even has a dedicated class responsible for collecting and safeguarding the eggs.”

“Huh? Really? Then, is that demon exceptional?”

“…Now that I observe you, you are excessively optimistic.”

At Ellyuen’s sigh, I clenched my fists and glared at him.

“If not that, then why did he harm the humans who killed his child?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He simply relished the massacre.”

“…What?”

“Since regulations have been tightened since my appointment, he cannot harm humans without justification, so he fabricated a plausible excuse. Perhaps he was enraged that the humans ruined the young demon he intended to devour. Regardless, it’s not the affectionate revenge you imagine.”

“That kind of…”

As I stood there blankly, at a loss for words, Ellyuen silently highlighted my oversight.

“If he truly possessed maternal love, he wouldn’t have abandoned the egg in the first place. Since you seem unaware, should I inform you that for a normal child to hatch from a demon’s egg, an adult demon must periodically inject magic power into the egg?”

“…?”

“However, the hatched young demon was severely malnourished, so much so that he attacked the humans nearby. This indicates that the mother provided no care whatsoever.”

“Ah…”

Suddenly, I felt all the strength leave my body. In the end, was everything simply my misunderstanding?

Perhaps even as a god, he wouldn’t have inflicted such a cruel punishment without justification. The judgment must have been based on valid reasons, and I alone defied it and became angry.

‘It truly wasn’t my place to intervene…’

Was I perhaps presuming that I was always right, capable of making a more accurate judgment than a god? I’m such an idiot. I knew better than anyone that not all parents love their children.

Overwhelmed with shame, I dreaded remaining in that place. I didn’t know how to face Ellyuen.

“Is that explanation sufficient?”

“…Ugh! I, I apologize. I was unaware…”

As I hastily apologized, he tilted his head slightly instead of appearing satisfied. I looked at him, puzzled by his piercing gaze.

What is it? Why is he looking at me like that? Is he implying that I’m too brazen to think an apology suffices? How severely will he strike me this time!

But what he said next was entirely unexpected.

“Now that I observe you, you seem fixated on rather peculiar things.”

“…Huh?”

“You defended the demon, who was unrelated to you, because you believed he was avenging his deceased child, correct? And you seem quite disappointed to learn that this is not the case. Typically, one would simply be appalled by his cruelty, which extends to using his own child for his enjoyment.”

“W-well…”

“It was similar when we met in the Blue Sky Chamber. You mentioned envying the bond between me and the parents and children of the gods.”

Then Arehis and Ifrit turned to me, their faces clearly questioning when I had seen him there. I thought they would ignore it, but why did they suddenly bring it up? If their intention was to make me uncomfortable, they succeeded. I awkwardly avoided their gazes and stammered defensively.

“No, that time, it wasn’t exactly a statement with profound meaning…”

“You were observing it with a rather persistent gaze for something insignificant.”

“W-well, is that wrong? It was my first time seeing the gods, and my first time witnessing their birth. It was also my first time learning that the gods are a race that serves the gods. I was simply amazed that the gods personally named them and established a relationship of suzerainty.”

“Amazed… Well, I suppose it’s understandable. I heard that you were mistakenly born as a human during your missing years. It seems you lived without receiving much emotional support from your parents.”

“…What?”

Why is that being brought up now? Embarrassed, I unconsciously clenched my fists. Ellyuen was looking down at me with a calm gaze.