Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 148

148.

“Huh? Already?”

Taken aback, I accepted the backpack, opened it, and gasped. Instead of the ordinary interior I expected, a pitch-black void occupied the space. When I reached in, I felt a chilling emptiness, as if groping through thin air. It was as if the bottom didn’t exist at all.

‘What? Is it really connected to a subspace? In that short amount of time?’

I knew that ordinary magic required considerable time just to prepare the formulas. Especially with higher-level magic, failure was highly likely unless one went through the process of chanting the spell and completing the circle. The exception would be dragons like Lapis. But now it seemed that the Demon was quite skilled as well.

I tried putting a set of clothes into the backpack. The bundle of clothes disappeared without a sound, as if swallowed by the darkness. I reached in and stirred around, but couldn’t grab anything. Panicked, Lucarim advised me to visualize what I was looking for. Following his advice, the effect was immediate! No sooner had I focused my mind than the clothes were caught!

“Wow, this is really amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Very much. Thank you, Lucarim. I owe you one.”

“Do you really think so? Then, how about slowly accepting me into your group…”

“Wow, the weather is really nice today, isn’t it? Ahahaha!”

As I played dumb, Lucarim chuckled, his shoulders shaking as if something was funny. But the fact that his behavior didn’t feel as unpleasant as before made me think I was quite the snob. He nodded, tears welling up from laughing so much.

“Yes, yes, I understand. You can’t expect to be full from the first spoonful. It’s a shame, but I’ll aim for the next opportunity.”

“Does that mean… you’re planning to keep following me?”

“You speak the obvious.”

After answering nonchalantly, Lucarim suddenly stared intently at my face. More precisely, he was looking at the circlet I was wearing. I sent him a wary look, wondering what kind of ominous things he was going to say this time. But what came out of his mouth was completely unexpected.

“By the way, did you know that there’s a subspace inside that circlet too?”

“Huh? Really?”

The fact that there was a subspace inside the circlet was something I had never even imagined. I reflexively touched my forehead. But other than the hard sensation of the jewel, I couldn’t feel any special energy.

“Then can I put things in here too?”

“No, the purpose is different. This subspace seems to have been created for a special purpose.”

“Special purpose?”

Is there another use for subspace besides storing things? While I was wondering, Lucarim stroked the circlet with a languid expression. I could feel his long fingers slowly tracing the surface of the jewel. Then, crimson magic circles began to appear in his eyes, one by one.

“Let’s see… complete sealing, a sealed solitary room, the cessation of time, an alien who cannot return, isolation from the world, terrible solitude… Hmm, not very friendly keywords.”

“What are all those things?”

“The conditions that were established when designing the subspace. It seems to be a solitary confinement cell for the eternal punishment of a sinner.”

“So that means…”

“In short, it’s a prison.”

“……!”

I felt the blood drain from my head. I felt goosebumps all over my body and pressed my lips tightly. At that moment, Lucarim smiled with a meaningful look.

“Besides, there’s already an existence occupying that space.”

“Th, that means…”

“A sinner from 4,000 years ago is sleeping inside that jewel.”

Ugh! I didn’t hear it! I didn’t hear anything!

I jumped up and frantically took off the circlet. The blue light of the jewel, which I had only thought was pretty until now, felt grotesque now that I understood the whole situation.

Not only was it stolen goods, but it was also a prison sealing a criminal! And there’s even someone trapped inside! Lapis, you bastard! Did you know all along and give it to me on purpose to mess with me? As I glared at the circlet, grinding my teeth, Lucarim shrugged and said.

“Well, the jewel is just a passage anyway. The actual place of confinement is in an unknown, deep darkness. You don’t have to feel so repulsed. However…”

“However?”

“It’s an old spell, so there are many loopholes. You’ll have to handle it carefully. The seal will break if it’s shocked.”

“Br, break, what happens if it breaks?”

“You ask the obvious. The prisoner trapped inside will be released.”

“……”

Suddenly, I felt like crying. I looked at the circlet in my hand with a miserable heart. I didn’t know before, but I couldn’t bring myself to wear it again as if nothing had happened. But if I got something new, it would seem like I was ignoring Lapis’s sincerity (although the purpose is very suspicious now), so I couldn’t easily make a decision. Then, as if reading my hesitation, Lucarim said with generosity.

“If you’re so uncomfortable, why don’t you just break the seal altogether? Then it’ll just be an ordinary circlet.”

“You said the prisoner will be released if the seal is broken!”

“Just kill him as soon as he comes out.”

Is that what you’re saying right now?

I opened my mouth blankly at the shockingly cruel words, wanting to doubt my ears. Isana also seemed dumbfounded and froze. But he didn’t seem to know what the problem was, and instead looked puzzled.

“Aren’t you curious? What terrible crime did he commit to be trapped in there forever?”

“I’m not curious about that at all, okay?”

“That’s a shame. I’m curious.”

A greedy gaze openly stared at the circlet. Seeing his increasingly intense eyes, I thought he was really going to do something. I thought about putting it in the subspace, but I soon stopped. If he was capable of taking the backpack and casting a spell on it without me noticing, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to steal the circlet. And Lucarim was more than capable of doing that.

Reluctantly, I put the circlet back on. Once I put it on, the magic that Lapis had cast would activate, preventing others from forcibly taking it away. Besides, I calculated that even Lucarim, no matter how quick he was, wouldn’t dare to challenge me directly. As expected, he clicked his tongue and stepped back.

“Aww, it would have been fun.”

“Just be honest. You just want to make me uncomfortable, don’t you?”

“Surely not. I’m just enjoying your flustered appearance.”

Isn’t that what you’re saying?

When I glared at him in dismay, Lucarim smiled sheepishly. Even so, his gaze was still fixed on the circlet, as if he couldn’t let go of his lingering feelings. Until he left, he couldn’t shake off his regretful expression. I even felt an ominous aura in his persistent, clinging gaze. Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t shake off the *jjipjjiphan* [unpleasant, lingering] feeling even after he had completely disappeared. I had a feeling that I would have very bad dreams for a while.

I take back everything I thought was thankful for a moment. After all, demons were the most evil race in the world.

* * *

The southern forest was an untouched jungle. The climate, scale, and types of flora, fauna, and insects were all completely different from the forests I had seen in the Swalt Empire. There was nothing that could be called a road, so a path was created in the direction we were walking. It wasn’t difficult to walk, but I walked in front and had Isana follow behind me in case of an emergency. Fortunately, he adapted to the completely different environment without complaint. He was definitely outstanding in terms of patience.

It was about two days after entering the forest that I felt someone was following us. It was a strange and suspicious energy that was distinctly different from Lucarim’s presence, which he deliberately revealed, and it was closely following us. Moreover, the number was gradually increasing over time.

“El.”

Isana, who had shrunk his shoulders, carefully called out to me. He seemed to have sensed the pursuers as well. As he became more accustomed to spirit magic, Isana’s ability to read his surroundings was improving day by day. I nodded slightly to him, who was looking tense, and then stopped walking completely. At the same time, the forest, which had been vibrating with the sound of insects, became eerily quiet.

“These are really strange people. Why are they following us secretly?”

“……”

When I looked around, I saw dense groves of trees. Of course, that was just the environment on the surface. I sighed and then said in a slightly louder voice.

“Hey, you’ve already been found out, no matter how well you hide. Why don’t you come out if you have something to say? We’re a little busy, so I don’t think we’ll have time to deal with you for long.”

The reaction was immediate. Shadows began to appear one by one from behind the tall tree trunks. As if they were suspicious people, they were all wearing the same black clothes and masks on their faces.

A round encirclement was formed in an instant. It seemed that there were more than twenty people, just counting lightly. When I frowned slightly, one of them slowly walked forward. He seemed to be the one leading the group.

“I didn’t think you’d notice at all, but you’re more perceptive than I thought.”

The low, muttering voice was unfamiliar. Although he was wearing a mask, I could be sure that I had never seen him here before.

“Who are you?”

“Are you the Pope of Punishment?”

“……”

At the sudden question, I swallowed slightly. I never thought I would hear a mention of the Pope. I had braced myself for some commotion when I revealed my identity on the ship. I had fully expected that someone would spread the rumors. But even so, I couldn’t understand this situation at all. Just because I’m the Pope, there’s no need to chase me, right?

Seeing my flustered appearance, the man made some kind of judgment and lifted his cloak in a grand gesture. I hardened my face at the red insignia that was revealed in the meantime. I remembered seeing an insignia with the exact same shape somewhere. The priest of the Demon God I had passed in front of the Claymore Duke’s mansion. It was definitely the same insignia he was wearing.

When I glanced at Isana, he looked horrified as if he had recognized it as well. Through that reaction, I could only be more certain of my judgment.

“…What business does the Order of the Demon God have with us?”

“You know that better than I do.”

I closed my mouth for a moment at the blunt reply. As he said, there was only one reason why the Order of the Demon God would come to find me. If they were thinking of putting pressure on the Order of Punishment, there would be no more perfect hostage than me.

“Traveling with only one follower at a time like this. You’re a very carefree Pope. Or is the Order of Punishment not aware of the situation?”

I didn’t answer the mocking voice. Fortunately, they seemed to think of Isana as just a mere attendant. I don’t know how much Deron reported after returning to the Demon Realm, but it was clear that Isana’s changed appearance was not known.

“You’ll have to come with us.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“The higher-ups said it’s okay to kill you if you resist. It’s best not to resist unnecessarily.”

As if to emphasize that it was not an empty threat, the momentum of those surrounding me suddenly sharpened. I clicked my tongue slightly and guarded my surroundings. Since the other side knew me as the Pope, I couldn’t use the power of the spirits in front of them. The problem was that there was no other way to defend myself. If I had known this would happen, I should have learned swordsmanship in my spare time. I regretted it in my heart, recalling the days when I was waiting to be summoned in the Spirit Realm. Well, I wouldn’t have been able to learn high-level swordsmanship in that period of time anyway.

‘Hmm, what should I do? Should I just kill them all and destroy the evidence, even though I don’t want to?’

I didn’t like it, but it seemed like there was no other way in this situation. I took a deep breath and then stared intently at the masked men. The human body is 70 percent water, and all water is my domain. Using that, it wouldn’t be too difficult to stop their hearts at the same time.

Come to think of it, even when I was on the ship, I could have taken care of it myself without having to wait for divine punishment, right? I sighed inwardly at the belated realization. It seemed that the reason why Ellyuen didn’t respond immediately was probably because of that.

‘Okay, then let’s execute it immediately…’

“Ugh! My eyes! My eyes!”

“……!”

At that moment, I had the illusion that the scream I had heard sometime ago was echoing again. I was startled and disrupted the energy I was concentrating on. I felt a cold sweat break out on my back for a moment.

“El?”

“Huh? Oh, no… it’s nothing.”

I smiled awkwardly at Isana, who was looking at me strangely. The hand I had slipped into my sleeve was trembling. The desperate screams and the horribly flowing red blood were vivid in my eyes. I thought it was nothing, but it seemed that the scene at that time had become a trauma.

I was dumbfounded by my own appearance. When I was with Troel, I had seen many scenes that were more brutal than that. At least the Champagne Mercenary Corps didn’t cleanly butcher monsters. I even killed monsters myself. But just because the target was changed to humans, I was trembling, which is an absurd double standard. But even as I thought that, my hand didn’t move as if it was frozen.