Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 116

116

Three days had passed since that incident.

The mere thought of that moment made my head throb. Reluctantly, I contacted El to warn him to be careful, though my expectations were low. El was an innocent, naive child, while the Demon King was a cunning trickster capable of outsmarting even the most seasoned schemers. He’d likely have his heart stolen right before his eyes without even realizing it.

I desperately wanted to retrieve him, but I was buried under a mountain of work. That meticulous Demon King had not only made a request but had also specifically designated me as the public acquirer. Consequently, documents from the Demon Realm continued to flood my office daily.

‘I’m going to kill him,’ Elluen thought, inwardly seething as he replayed the events of that day. Shannon, who had been observing him, suddenly asked with curiosity, “Does Elluen really believe Kanos went to Arkadon for that reason alone?”

“……What are you talking about?”

“There are suspicious movements within the Demon Realm. Is it possible Kanos is unaware of this?”

No, that couldn’t be. The Demon Realm was a world created by Demon King Kanos himself. There was no way he wouldn’t know what was happening within its borders. Elluen remained silent, which Shannon took as agreement, and he smiled wryly.

“Even after all these years, I still don’t truly know Kanos. Did you know he was very different when he was the Spirit King? He was just like you are now, Elluen.”

“……That’s not a pleasant thing to say, even as a joke.”

“Haha, it may be hard to believe, but it’s true. Perhaps that’s why he’s showing so much interest in you. Honestly, I was surprised when I heard he had passed his work on to you. Despite his appearance, he’s quite meticulous and would rather let things fall apart than entrust his work to someone else.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Of course, it’s a compliment. But that’s precisely why I’m even more worried about you.”

Elluen stared at Shannon blankly. Even that expression mirrored Kanos’s from long ago. Shannon’s expression turned bitter once more.

“Kanos, the Demon King, trusts no one. That’s the one thing that hasn’t changed from his time as the Spirit King. In fact, I’m relieved he’s absent. I was afraid of how Kanos would react if I mentioned this. I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to ask him directly.”

“……”

“Please be careful of him, Elluen.”

Even after Shannon left, Elluen remained in the drawing room for a long while. He could feel the guardian angels around him watching him with uneasy eyes, but he paid them no mind. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead, which ached from dealing with Shannon.

“……What on earth are you doing?”

* * *

The Alfonse Empire was predominantly desert, so it was no exaggeration to say it was built in the heart of the desert. Even before the Ten-Year Calamity [a period of immense hardship], it was notorious for its barren landscape of endless sand, making it a place travelers generally avoided.

The deserts there were classified into five categories, with the Baron Desert boasting the most favorable climate. Compared to other regions with extreme temperature fluctuations, the temperature was generally mild, wetlands existed in some areas, and the largest oasis on the continent was located there.

However, the Baron Desert was also infamous for being the most dangerous place in the empire. It was the habitat of the hell-earth spider, a monster that hid beneath the ground and devoured people.

Because people avoided it, the empire launched several expeditions, but none returned alive. Now, it was essentially an abandoned land, shunned by all.

“How long does it take to get to the Alfonse Empire? Including transit time, it’ll take at least nine months, right?”

“Ugh, that long?”

“That’s a quick estimate. Departure is heavily dependent on the weather. To be safe, you should expect it to take a year.” The sailor selling tickets at the port, where I had inquired about passage, answered nonchalantly.

In this world without mechanical ships, the distance one could travel directly was limited. To travel long distances, such as between empires and continents, it was necessary to go through several transit points, finding separate ship passages each time. The rowing method was slow, and you could be stuck in one place for days if you were unlucky.

To reach the Alfonse Empire, you had to go through at least six intermediate ports, but even that was faster than traveling by land. Traveling by land would take at least two to three years, even on horseback. The others took it for granted, but to me, who had lived in a world where you could fly to the other side of the world in half a day by plane, it sounded like a story from another world.

“……The analog world has a lot of inconveniences. The industrial revolution was a stroke of genius.”

“Huh? What kind of code is that, El?”

“No, it’s nothing.” I simply gave Isana, who was staring at me with a puzzled look, an awkward smile. I didn’t want to tell him about another world. It was natural for civilizations to develop over time, but somehow it seemed like this world wouldn’t undergo such a reform, no matter how much time passed. To be honest, I preferred it that way. The values that could be obtained here were too precious to lose for the sake of convenience alone.

“Anyway, no matter how I think about it, the distance is too far. Are you really okay with going like this?”

“We have no choice. You said only that black human [a person with dark skin] can bring it.”

“That’s true, but……”

“Yeah, then I’ll go. I don’t care as long as I can save my brother.” Isana’s eyes, as he answered firmly, shone with resolve.

After paying the fare, the sailor silently handed over a wooden tag. It was a ticket that allowed passage for me, Isana, and Kaitin.

“Is it all done?” A large shadow suddenly approached and asked. It was Lapis, who was standing sullenly in the back. I nodded.

“Then Lapis, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Okay, just get going.”

“Thank you so much.” He made an even more displeased expression but didn’t say anything. I turned my gaze to the sea that stretched endlessly beyond the pier. It was a scenery I would be seeing a lot of for a while.

When I first received the map, I didn’t think the situation was difficult. I knew the cave was in another empire and that I had to cross the sea, but those weren’t big obstacles. The spirit of the ether could move instantly, no matter how far away it was (of course, it took some time to locate it). I thought there was no need for everyone to suffer and that I could just go and come back quickly by myself.

But the unexpected fact that Ifrit told me threw me into despair.

“Only humans can enter that sword.”

“Huh? What do you mean? Only humans can hold it?”

“The place is sealed. To break the seal, you have to awaken the sword, but only humans can awaken it.”

“Ugh……”

Even if it was a demon sword, I never thought it would have such a restriction. I couldn’t hide my dismay and looked at Ifrit.

“Why does it have to be a human? Can’t I forcibly break the seal?”

“It’ll be difficult. That’s the method the sword chose itself.”

“The sword made a choice on its own?”

“In short, it has a self. The sword’s mission is to make weak humans strong with its power and dominate the world. But if a transcendent being owns it, it’s no fun. So it seems like it decided to only allow itself to be used by humans.”

“What kind of sword is that……”

“Anyway, keep that in mind. I’m telling you this specifically so you don’t go alone and waste your time. You know that the spell of movement can’t move anyone other than yourself, right?” His smiling face seemed to be rebuking me for judging the situation too easily. In the end, I had no choice but to return to the group with a heavy heart. Just thinking about telling Isana, who must have a glimmer of hope, made me sigh.

“I’m against it!” As expected, as soon as she heard the words Alfonse Empire, April shouted with a pale face.

“To have to go so far! And to the Baron Desert of all places! No, Your Majesty! That place is really dangerous! It’s a place where even the army can’t return alive! You absolutely can’t go!”

“But the demon sword that can save my brother……”

“Isn’t there another way, even if it’s not a demon sword? There must be another way.”

“What way is that?” The person who asked the question was Lapis. Of course, she had no answer to give, so she closed her mouth like a clam. Seeing that, the expression on Lapis’s face darkened.

“If you’re going to object, you have to bring another alternative. Does the situation solve itself if you just say no?”

“B, but…… it’s dangerous, it’s dangerous. Why are you even telling us this? I think it would have been better not to tell us. It’s too cruel to make His Majesty make this choice.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? This is your job. Who’s going to make the decision if you don’t decide your own job?”

“Why are you talking like that? Aren’t you in a position to assist His Majesty?”

“Huh? If I’m in a position to assist?”

“I was taught that subordinates should prioritize the safety of their lord.”

“So you’re saying we should make it so they don’t even have to make their own judgments? Why don’t you just play dolls? There’s a reason why this kid grew up to be so incompetent.”

“Y, your tone is too disrespectful.”

“Mind your own business.”

I wondered if she would collapse. It was the first time I realized that a person’s complexion could change from moment to moment in one place. I looked at April, who was trembling, with pity. Isana also had an uncomfortable expression, as if he was sitting on thorns.

“Sister, stop it. These people are just helping me; they’re not my subordinates. Please refrain from making any more rude remarks.”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty? Aren’t all the people of the empire Your Majesty’s subordinates?”

“I’ll tell you the details later. But what’s clear is that if it weren’t for these people, I wouldn’t have made it this far alive.”

April shut her mouth. She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t open her mouth because of his firm expression. In the meantime, Lapis and I unfolded the map and discussed it.

“The sword is sealed?”

“Yeah, only humans can awaken it.”

“Tsk, that’s annoying. Those are usually swords with a self [a sentient weapon].”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Oh, right. Can’t you teleport all the way here with your magic?”

If that was possible, there would be no need to worry in the first place, and this whole situation would be easily resolved. I looked at Lapis with a glimmer of hope. Then everyone else started paying attention to him (especially April, who seemed interested in the word magic). But was my expectation too high? Lapis scanned the map with his eyes and frowned slightly.

“Impossible.”

“Hmm, is it too far after all?”

“No, the distance itself isn’t a big problem. It’s just that it’s a place I’ve never been to before. In this case, I have to rely on the map to calculate the coordinates, but these maps usually don’t accurately mark the location. I could end up in a completely different place.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be faster to start from there?”

“It depends on how much the margin of error is. The farther the distance, the greater the margin of error. Even if I take that into account, the map itself is so crude that it doesn’t work well. If I’m unlucky, I could end up in the middle of the ocean. It’s more likely to take up more time.”

“Hmm, so it’s basically a gamble. Then, what’s the closest place you know accurately from here?”

“There isn’t any. I’ve never been there.”

“……What have you been doing all this time?” If he’s lived for thousands of years, shouldn’t he have traveled all over the world? When I looked at him in bewilderment, he replied haughtily, “I don’t like traveling in the first place.”

“……Right, now that I think about it, you were far from normal.”

“Isn’t that obvious? I’m special.”

Now I could listen to these words with one ear and let them flow away without any emotion. But then a burst of laughter came from somewhere else. It was April.

“Now that I see it, you’re quite a boastful person. You could have just been honest from the beginning and said you couldn’t do it.”

“Boastful?”

“There are only a handful of people among the sages of the continent who can use teleportation magic. And you’re such a great magician that you can do that at such a young age? You can even calculate the distance and teleport just by looking at the coordinates? You seem to be mistaken for a dragon.”

She probably doesn’t even dream that she’s hit the nail on the head.

I carefully watched Lapis’s expression. He was smiling as if he found it amusing.

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

“Yes?”

“There aren’t many dragons who can do that. It’s only possible because I’m me.”

I was a fool to think he would hesitate even a little. April also had a dumbfounded expression. Lapis shrugged his shoulders and turned to Isana, who was laughing (he seemed to find this situation funny), and asked, “So, what are you going to do? Are you going to go or not?”

“I will go.”

“Your Majesty!” April shouted again with a flustered face at the immediate answer without hesitation. Isana looked at her with a serious expression.

“There are very few cases where the location of a demon sword is known. It’s impossible to find something else now. Besides, it’s what we need most right now. If we can get it, we have to do whatever it takes.”