Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 69

69.

“I’m sorry, but I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

I said as carefully as possible, trying to be considerate. But he frowned, looking like he didn’t understand at all.

“What nonsense are you spouting? You know who you are! Anyway, you… your appearance has changed too much. If my memory isn’t wrong, Elquines was definitely male, so why have you become female in the last few decades? Well, I don’t really care which one you are.”

“I’m not female, okay? No, that’s not it… um, let me say it again. I’m saying you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“What?”

Only then did he realize something was wrong, and his once gentle red eyes turned cold. I felt nervous at the sight, but I calmly continued.

“Nice to meet you. I am the newly born Elquines. There has recently been a change of generation in the Water Spirit King. So… the being you know is the previous Elquines who has already passed on.”

“…What did you just say?”

My shoulders flinched at his chilling voice.

They say you can kill someone with just a look. His intensely blazing red eyes seemed to drip with blood. Then, sensing my distress, Lapis Lazuli’s eyes flashed even more dangerously.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who do you think would fall for such a childish trick? I told you it’s no use refusing like this, didn’t I? Do you still need more time? Fine, then I’ll summon you again. Until my heart’s mana runs out, as many times as it takes!”

“Sigh, even if it’s hard to believe, I can’t help it. If you insist so much…”

“Don’t you be stubborn!”

He didn’t seem to be willing to accept anything I said. Well, who could blame him when someone they loved has died? This reaction might be natural. But that didn’t mean I wanted to continue this tedious fight. I said firmly again.

“It’s true. This disaster happened because I was born late due to a mistake in the Underworld. If you don’t believe me, ask the other dragons. There must be dragons who had contracts with the previous Elquines, right? Their contracts must have been terminated already.”

“……”

“If you still think I’m lying, should I call the other Spirit Kings? Would you believe me then?”

Perhaps he had finally realized something. He looked dazed, as if he had been hit hard. His eyes, blinking slowly, were filled with bewilderment. He held his head and groaned softly.

“…So, what. Really… Elquines disappeared?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying repeatedly.”

“And you’re the newly born Water Spirit King?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He was silent for a while. I couldn’t guess what he was thinking with his hardened face, but my heart felt lighter. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, I wouldn’t need to deal with him anymore.

“Then I’ll be going now. Actually, I was summoned while I already have a contractor, so I was flustered. I forgot that dragons have different rules than humans. Goodbye.”

With a simple farewell, I tried to remove the summoning circle beneath my feet. But at that moment, Lapis Lazuli raised his head with a fierce expression.

“…Where do you think you’re going?”

“Huh? Well, of course, back to my companions…”

But I couldn’t finish my sentence. He cut me off as if he didn’t want to hear it.

“No, you can’t go.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t think you understand the situation very well. Elquines was the first being I ever desired since I was born. I couldn’t get my hands on him no matter what I did, constantly making me anxious, and now you’re saying he disappeared? So? What about it?”

“What do you mean, ‘what about it’…”

“You just said it yourself. You’re Elquines. If the previous one disappeared, can’t I just contract with the current Elquines? I summoned you. I have enough right to demand a contract, don’t I?”

That was true. Whoever summoned a spirit was given the right to contract with them. Ellyuen’s case was quite unique; originally, most spirits didn’t refuse contracts once summoned. I, for one, didn’t even know who Isana was and readily made a contract.

Faced with such a natural demand, I was speechless and stared at him. It was natural, but it was completely different from what I had expected, and my mind was in chaos.

“Wait a minute. Weren’t you obsessed with the previous Elquines because you loved him? Then why contract with me?”

“Pfft, love? Me, love that guy? You’re saying some pretty funny things.”

“Pardon?”

“I just liked the unique energy that the Water Spirit King possessed. So I’m trying to possess you as my own. Do you guys consider that love? Stop talking nonsense and fulfill the contract.”

His tone was so brazen and off-putting that I was completely disgusted. Just wanting to possess me because he liked me, what kind of guy is this? Besides, he had been rude to me from beginning to end, even though I was trying to be as polite as possible. I must have been out of my mind to even try to sympathize with such a guy. I glared at him, feeling a surge of anger.

“Do you think a Spirit King is some kind of object? What do you mean, possess! Besides, I told you I already have a contractor.”

“I don’t really care.”

“I do care! I have no intention of making another contract besides my current one. Especially not with someone like you.”

“You’re just as disobedient as the old Elquines. I’m warning you, don’t make me angry. I’m only being patient for now.”

*Would anyone want to contract with you after hearing that?*

I bit my lip, swallowing the words that were rising to my throat. Now I knew why Ellyuen had refused to contract with him. Of course, he wouldn’t, being such a rude jerk. It was a wonder Ellyuen hadn’t killed him until now, given his personality. Of course, I had no intention of complying with his demands either.

“What if I still refuse?”

“You shouldn’t. Not if you want to maintain a peaceful life. I plan to interfere with you in any way I can.”

“I-Interfere?”

“Yes, interfere. For example… I could kill that human you’re contracted with. Then there wouldn’t be any problem, right?”

“…You really have a nasty personality. Are all dragons like you?”

I didn’t need honorifics or anything anymore. I snapped back in annoyance, and he chuckled. He didn’t seem to care how I provoked him.

“We’re the best race on earth, so this much is natural.”

“Ha… the best race on earth? Dragons? Your self-praise is top-notch. Then, why is such a great dragon showing such great interest in a mere, lowly Spirit King like me?”

“I told you, I liked Elquines’ unique energy.”

He didn’t react at all to my sarcastic remarks. He was a formidable opponent. I gritted my teeth and answered clearly.

“I don’t like you. I don’t know how great a dragon you are, but I will never contract with someone who takes other people’s lives and destinies so lightly like you. If you even touch my contractor, I won’t stand still either.”

“You’re quite unreasonable.”

“Same to you.”

He smiled beautifully, as if amused by my refusal to back down. Seeing that, I forgot the situation and was momentarily stunned.

I had been thinking that my eyes were being spoiled too much since I came to this world, but this dragon named Lapis Lazuli was on a different level from the beings I had seen so far. He was so beautiful that his dirty personality wasn’t a flaw at all. That’s probably why he grew up with such a selfish and confident personality.

*‘Oh, that’s not it. Why am I evaluating the enemy’s face in this situation? It’s all because of Korea’s useless obsession with appearance!’*

I had no intention of wasting any more time in this place. I glanced at the summoning circle beneath my feet. If I could just get rid of this, it would be easy to return to my original place. I was worried about the aftermath, but for now, I planned to escape from this place.

But that was when it happened.

“Shall I tell you why I haven’t summoned Elquines for a while?”

“……What?”

“I wanted to possess that arrogant Water Spirit King, who remained unmoved despite repeated summons, even by force. If compromise isn’t possible, force is the only option, isn’t it? So I devoted myself to magical research like crazy. A way to cage the beautiful bird named Elquines.”

“Wh-What?”

“Something like this.”

He smiled leisurely and raised one hand. I could feel a strong flow of mana from his outstretched palm.

“You shall become a bird that cannot escape the cage, within the area I desire. Bind!”

“What? W-Wait!”

It was too late when I felt an ominous feeling. I instinctively closed my eyes at the burst of dazzling light. And when I opened them again, a ridiculous sight unfolded before me. A transparent barrier of light surrounded me within a radius of less than a meter [approximately 3 feet].

“What is this……”

I reached out without thinking and felt a hard touch. Not just that part, but all sides were like that. Judging from the fact that I couldn’t feel any air currents, the top and bottom were also blocked. It felt like being trapped in a glass cup. And beyond that, the summoning circle remained in place.

Was it because of the strange barrier surrounding me? Despite my will to erase it, the summoning circle didn’t change at all. The problem was that as long as the summoning circle didn’t disappear, Lapis Lazuli’s mana would continue to hold me in this place. It was almost impossible to return with my physical body in this state. Lapis Lazuli said leisurely to me, who was flustered.

“It’s a birdcage I made for you. How do you like it?”

“What are you doing? Get rid of this right now!”

“You’re making an impossible demand. Even so, it took me over 15 years just to design the magic frame. I don’t think you understand what that means, but among the dragon race, no one can match me in the field of magic. It took me so long to finally complete it. Even a Spirit King can’t break it so easily, right? Especially since you can’t even draw out your full power here.”

“……”

I couldn’t refute it because it was true. I don’t have much power to use in the Middle World [the mortal realm]. Even more so if I’m summoned as clumsily as I am now.

Inevitably, I sighed. I didn’t really want to, but for now, it seemed like the only way was to return to my natural form and find Trowel. He would be able to come up with a way to defeat this detestable dragon. But the moment I thought that, I suddenly felt a strange sense of unease.

*‘……How long has it been since I came here?’*

I didn’t know exactly how long, but I knew that quite a bit of time had already passed. Even if others didn’t, Trowel would have noticed the change that had happened to me in enough time. He would surely be mobilizing all the spirits of the earth to find me by now. But there had been no news so far?

I hurriedly looked around. The forest, where only moonlight quietly permeated, and where no trace of people could be felt, stretched out so wide that it was difficult to guess its end. The space, where not even a breeze blew, was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard clearly. The only two people existing in this vast forest were me and Lapis Lazuli. Only two people. Only then could I understand the identity of the unease that surrounded me.

*‘There are no lower spirits.’*