Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 169

169

“A-Are there any other stories? Wasn’t there anything else?”

“Anything else? Oh, come to think of it, there was another anecdote. The story of the Water Spirit King making a friend for the boy.”

“A friend?”

“Yes, the boy had no friends other than animals. The Water Spirit King, feeling sorry for him, turned the boy’s most beloved white horse into a human. So, they became the best of friends. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Ugh, no. That guy didn’t make him; he was originally human, right?”

“Huh? Originally?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Quickly shaking my head, Celius turned to me with a flushed face. Seeing his eyes sparkling with anticipation, I swallowed hard. I didn’t know what kind of expression to make at this moment.

The content in the book was almost identical to the story of ‘El’ that Celius had told me. The white horse that appeared in the second anecdote must be referring to Celius. That was quite shocking. Even though I already knew the story, I was surprised anew, which probably meant I hadn’t fully believed his words until now.

In fact, that was natural from my perspective. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t accept that there was a human who summoned the Water Spirit King in the past. My instinct was telling me that Isana was the first human contractor. So, I must have been secretly hoping that the existence of ‘El’ itself was fictional.

But if even this book remains, wouldn’t that be a different story? At least, this seemed like more solid evidence than the vague instinct I felt in my incomplete state. It was like a character in a painting suddenly appearing in a photograph. With a troubled feeling, I frowned slightly.

“Where did you get that book?”

“I didn’t buy it. Someone gave it to me.”

“Who?”

Confused, I asked, and Alisa suddenly blushed. Her sudden change in demeanor left me and the others looking bewildered.

“I don’t know who it was. It was someone I’d never seen in the village before. Probably a passing stranger. Anyway, he was a really handsome guy.”

“A guy? It was a man?”

“Yes, his skin was as dark as chocolate, and he had very pretty golden eyes. His hair was like the night sky itself. He was a very beautiful person.”

“……!”

Trowel.

The only person who came to mind with that description was him. There couldn’t be anyone else who looked like that. Isana’s gaze, as surprised as I was, reached me in a fluster.

“…That person gave you the book?”

“Yes, he said it would be helpful to me someday. Come to think of it, I found Muldane’s summoning ritual in that book too. To be exact, someone had written it down. It was written like a scribble in one corner.”

That was probably written by Trowel. He would have sensed Alisa’s existence even before she was born. Giving her the book was probably to tell her the summoning spell. Was it also his intention to choose that particular book from among so many?

“…This is driving me crazy.”

The words I muttered unintentionally must have been loud. Feeling everyone’s eyes on me, I quickly composed my crumpled expression.

“Sorry, just talking to myself. I’d like to read that book in detail sometime. Is it at home?”

“No, it crumbled and I threw it away.”

“Crumbled?”

“Yes, as soon as I summoned Muldane, light suddenly started coming out of the letters, and it turned into fine powder. So, I just swept it up with a broom and threw it away.”

That wouldn’t be a natural phenomenon. Trowel probably took measures in advance to prevent the summoning ritual from being exposed to others. Maybe he even knew that Alisa would meet me in the future. Of course, he never mentioned it, so it might just be my speculation.

‘What do you want from me?’

I keep leaning towards negative thoughts. I had no idea how much he knew or what he was thinking. That’s why this moment felt even more frightening.

* * *

“Come to think of it, I wonder how that guy has grown up now? He was really beautiful. He must have become incredibly handsome.”

Once she brought it up, Alisa couldn’t stop thinking about it and remained lost in her memories. Seeing her unusual appearance, Celius looked at her with a strange expression.

“Was he that impressive?”

“He was really pretty. Come to think of it, that was probably the first time my heart fluttered when I saw a man. I guess that was my first love.”

“Didn’t you say you don’t like pretty people?”

“He’s an exception.”

Alisa replied with a sulky face to Celius’s teasing question. Seeing her cheeks flushed red, it seemed she really had fallen in love at first sight.

“Ah, I wish I could meet him again, even just once. I think I’d recognize him at a glance, no matter how he’s grown up.”

“Well, you’ll meet him someday. Judging by how he recognized your talent, wouldn’t he try to meet you to check on your progress?”

“Does that mean he might come looking for me again?”

“Maybe?”

“Gasp! No way! I’ve already left the village!”

Amused by Alisa’s despair, Celius laughed playfully. In contrast, Isana looked very dejected for some reason. But neither of them seemed to have any intention of telling her the truth. And neither did I.

‘There’s no need to reveal the boy’s identity here.’

If she knew all the facts, she might recklessly try to summon the Spirit King, which would be disastrous. And Alisa was highly likely to do just that.

No matter how overflowing her talent may be, her small body would never be able to withstand the shock of the Spirit King being summoned. It seemed better to pretend not to know until she had a more solid foundation.

“Oh? Who’s this cute young lady I haven’t seen before?”

“……!”

At that moment, I reflexively gasped at the face that suddenly popped up in front of me. A man was hanging upside down in the empty air, looking down at me. Lucarim. The demon who kept appearing to harass me when I least expected it had reappeared.

“Kyaa! W-What is it!”

Startled by the sudden appearance of the man, Alisa screamed and clung to Isana next to her. Celius clenched his fists as if he was about to pounce at any moment. I sighed and pushed his face away with one hand.

“…I thought you’d gone back since I haven’t seen you lately.”

“Oh, come on. We’re just getting to the fun part. Besides, I wouldn’t be so rude as to leave without saying goodbye.”

“No, you can just go.”

“Oh my, why are you being like this? After all we’ve been through.”

What do you mean, ‘all we’ve been through’? While I clicked my tongue lightly, he spun around in the air and landed lightly next to me. Alisa’s face hardened at his gravity-defying behavior.

“Hey, El. Who is that guy? Is he even human?”

“Excuse me. My name is Lucarim. I come from the distant Demon Realm.”

The one who answered was Lucarim himself. Alisa gasped again at his brazen answer.

“D-Demon Realm? Don’t tell me, a demon?”

“The only race that lives in the Demon Realm is the demon race. But we don’t look much different from humans, do we?”

He asked with a smile, but Alisa didn’t seem to be listening anymore. She looked at me with a pale face.

“Oh my gosh. Why is a demon here…? E-El. You said you were a priest, but were you a demon follower?”

It was natural for Alisa to think that. The only humans who were close to demons were the priests of the Demon God. That’s why most people regarded demon followers as fearful beings. Seeing the wariness starting to settle in Alisa’s eyes, I quickly shook my head.

“I’m not a demon follower.”

“Then what is that demon?”

“…Just a demon with nothing to do?”

“What does that…”

“A priest… So that’s what that young lady thinks of me.”

I glared at Lucarim at the quiet muttering next to me. If you say anything unnecessary, you’re dead! Despite the warning in my gaze, he just smiled without any tension. I felt an ominous feeling at his meaningful look.

“You’re being too harsh. If we’re a group, you should reveal all the facts properly. Okay, now that it’s come to this, I’ll tell you.”

“What? Wait…”

“The truth is, dear young lady, I fell in love with El at first sight and have been chasing after him.”

“Stop… Huh?”

What is he even saying? I stared at him in disbelief, and he winked at me. Realizing that he was deliberately joking, I felt all my strength drain away. He really was an unpredictable demon.

But why did he have to give me such a ridiculous backstory out of all the possible excuses? I quickly tried to explain, thinking that things had become even more complicated. But to my dismay, Alisa seemed to genuinely believe what he was saying.

“S-So, that’s what it was. But El is a man?”

“Ah, yes. When I first found out, it felt like my heart was being torn apart. But it’s okay. One of the spells I can use is a spell to change genders!”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes! But that spell can only be performed with the person’s consent. So, in that sense, El! Please, be my woman!”

“What are you saying!”

I pushed away his approaching face in anger, and he pretended to cry in the corner. Alisa burst out laughing at the sight.

“He’s a funny guy.”

The wariness had completely disappeared from her face as she spoke in a bright voice. I couldn’t understand it, but she seemed to like this childish farce quite a bit. Gaining courage from that, Lucarim, who had been pretending to sob, came back to my side. He was a naturally glib [smooth-talking] man, but he seemed even more brazen today. And it felt like he was sticking closer than usual, but was that just my imagination? Just as I was about to say something about the unsettling feeling, Lucarim spoke first.

“El, aren’t you pushing me away too harshly? I’m hurt.”

“Well, who told you to say unnecessary things?”

“I was just trying to help!”

“You’re helping by staying still, okay? Anyway, I don’t want to waste my energy on useless things, so just disappear. It would be even better if you went back to the Demon Realm.”

Feeling a rapidly growing sense of exhaustion, I waved my hand. But for some reason, the demon, who usually retreated as if he couldn’t help it by now, didn’t budge this time. When our eyes met, he grinned.

“What is it now?”

“No, it just seems like you’re not as wary of me being nearby anymore.”

“Huh?”

“For example, even if I grab your arm like this…”

As he spoke, he lightly grabbed both of my arms.

“You’re just standing still like this, right?”

“…So?”

“Don’t you think we’re getting along? I think it’s a good time to do a fun test.”

“A test?”

The moment I asked, a light shiver ran down my spine. It was because I felt a strange sensation from the parts he was holding.

“…What are you doing?”

“What am I doing?”

Lucarim echoed like a parrot, as I asked in a flustered mood. At other times, I would have felt annoyed by his nonchalant tone, but now was not the time to worry about that. It wasn’t my imagination. Strength was rapidly draining from the parts his hands touched.

Feeling a sense of despair, I quickly tried to shake him off. But his hands wouldn’t come off as if they were glued on. It wasn’t that he was holding on, but that I couldn’t push his hands away.

“What is this…”

As I muttered with a stiff face, the others seemed to have noticed the atmosphere here. The air that had been relaxed tightened again, and I could feel Isana and Celius taking a defensive stance.

“What’s wrong, El?”

“Wait, don’t come over here.”

Feeling Celius trying to approach, I quickly warned him. I didn’t know what was going on yet, but I couldn’t let the others get caught up in what was happening to me. When I glared at Lucarim, he still had a grinning face and spoke casually.

“Do you happen to know about the Echoing Wood?”

“Echoing…?”

“It’s a magical tree that absorbs the energy of anyone who touches it. That tree bears only one fruit every thousand years, and anyone who eats it gains the same ability as the Echoing Wood, its mother tree, for a few days. Isn’t that amazing?”

…Yes, so I understand that you ate that fruit.

Why was I being so careless in front of this demon? I calmed my bubbling insides and spoke in as calm a tone as possible.

“Let go of me while I’m asking nicely.”

“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. It’s beyond my ability.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m serious. Once absorption starts, it can’t be stopped voluntarily.”

Unlike his troubled tone, his face had a clear smile. He was clearly enjoying this situation. Seeing that expression, I seemed to know one thing for sure, regardless of whether what he said was true or not. Even if it was possible, he had no intention of letting go.

“Once absorption starts, there are only two ways to stop it. Either there’s nothing left to absorb, or you cut off the connected passage.”

“That means…”

“In other words, you either have all your maintenance mana taken away and be reverse-summoned, or you have to cut off my arm.”

His voice, whispering softly in my ear, was filled with laughter. The fact that he could say such terrible things with a smile meant that this demon was not in his right mind.

‘That damn demon.’

I sighed softly and looked towards the others. Fortunately, Lucarim was saying all of this quietly, so only I could hear it. In his own way, he seemed to be considerate of not causing a bigger commotion (though I wasn’t grateful at all). Thanks to that, the others, who didn’t know what was being said, were all just looking bewildered. I smiled at the gazes filled with concern, as if to reassure them. It seemed like I had fallen for a bad prank, but that didn’t mean there was no way to escape. After all, what I was holding onto had a physical form. If I just shed my form and returned to my natural state, it would be easily resolved. However, the problem was that it would be no different from openly revealing my identity to Alisa. And in the worst possible way.

‘I have no choice.’

I didn’t hesitate for long. I don’t know what the demon in front of me wants, but I can’t just be caught and have my energy taken away like this. Even if I have to clean up the mess later, I need to get out of this situation first.