Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 324

324

“Um, sorry if you wanted to disappear. You can’t disappear yet.”

―Huh?

“I received a request from your superior. Ah, I’m talking about your current superior, not your former one.”

―……Pardon?

Jin, unable to grasp the situation, repeated the question in a dazed tone. I was pondering how to explain it when I sensed a presence in the passing breeze. A distant murmur was growing louder. Clearly, the people who had fled were returning. I needed to leave this place before things got more complicated. Besides, there was another presence I needed to deal with first.

“Are you going to take him to the Spirit Realm as he is?”

Deron, who had been watching from the side, asked at that moment. I shrugged at the question.

“I was originally going to, but I don’t think I need to.”

“……? Shouldn’t you recover the sword and send it back?”

“Yes, that’s right. But it seems the retriever has come in person.”

“……!”

“Isn’t that right, Mine?”

I smiled and looked up at the sky, and as if waiting for it, a light gust of wind blew. It was the same wind that had been swirling around me a moment ago. Soon, a pure white girl riding the wind gracefully descended into view. In the pleasant breeze, her silver hair danced and scattered.

―Ah…….

A soft groan escaped. Jin, recognizing the girl’s identity at a glance, involuntarily let out the moan. As if that sound was a signal, the girl’s closed eyes fluttered open. Silver-white eyes, framed by thick eyelashes, stared directly at me.

“Hello, Mine.”

“Hello, El.”

The girl, who seemed to be made of moonlight from head to toe, replied in her characteristic indifferent tone. She seemed a bit troubled, and I soon found out why.

“For the second time, I apologize for making the same excuse, but I wasn’t trying to spy.”

“Haha, it’s okay. Now that Blaster has openly started acting, there’s no way Mine wouldn’t notice. I thought you’d be curious.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Mine, after offering a polite greeting, pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Seeing as she doesn’t usually make that expression, it seemed to hold some meaning, but it was hard to figure out what it was. As I stared intently, Mine’s eyes twinkled.

“Can you tell? I practiced smiling with my eyes.”

“……Oh, really?”

“Yes. I was told that smiling with my eyes makes my expression look softer. My contractor, Anea, advised me.”

It was certainly softer than a scowl. But it definitely didn’t look like a smile.

She looked like she had eaten something sour. So that was an eye smile. Deron’s eyes were shaking violently, as if he was thinking the same thing. Even Anea, that contractor, probably didn’t expect this result. I still need to do more research on Mine. Anyway, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes is an eye smile, right? I need to remember it well so I don’t make a mistake. I was firmly embedding the formula in my head like memorizing it.

―Anea……?

A dazed voice murmured. It was Jin, who had been momentarily forgotten while we were talking. He stared wide-eyed as if shocked by something, and when Mine’s gaze reached him, he panicked and lowered his head.

―M-My humble self greets the new wind.

All Spirit Kings are equal beings, but from the perspective of a lower spirit, the existence of their direct superior is bound to be more special. Jin, who had been relatively composed when dealing with me, had a completely frozen expression in front of Mine. Mine slowly scanned Jin’s tense figure.

“So you are the Blaster I’ve only heard about. Seeing you in person, your condition is worse than I thought.”

―……I am sorry.

“I wasn’t trying to blame you. Rather, the fact that you are still maintaining your reason is something to be praised. Now that I think about it, you seem to be reacting to Anea’s name. I will also praise you for remembering her.”

―How does the King know Anea…….

“The Silver Dragon Anea is my contractor now.”

Jin’s face, which had been frozen with agitation, slowly relaxed. It was a wistful expression, recalling a fond memory. Is Mine’s contractor personally acquainted with Jin? It seems like it was a very close relationship. Just mentioning her name makes him have such a tender expression. Jin was making the most comfortable face I had ever seen. He seemed genuinely relieved to hear about the well-being of an old acquaintance.

―I see. Anea has become the King’s contractor. That child always wanted to contract with Minerva [Mine’s original name]. I’m so glad.

“Is that so? It seems a little different from what I knew, but let’s just say that’s the case for now. Was she the intended recipient of the last message you wanted to leave behind?”

―I-I am sorry. You are correct in your assumption.

“I won’t ask what you were going to leave behind. But whatever it is, I don’t think it’s something I should convey.”

―Ah…….

Jin, who had been flushed, slightly clouded his expression at those words. He seemed to have taken it as a refusal. But Mine’s words didn’t end there.

“It would be better to convey your message in person. Fortunately, there will be plenty of time. Dragons are a long-lived race, after all.”

―What do you mean by that?

“I plan to take you to the realm of wind and purify you.”

Jin’s mouth dropped open at the following words.

―……Pardon?

“I mean that I will give you another chance to live as a spirit. I don’t know how long it will take, and it will probably require a lot of patience. But if you disappear as you are, you will carry your accumulated karma with you, so it will be better for you that way.”

Although the explanation was over, Jin didn’t say anything. To be precise, he didn’t seem to realize the situation itself. He blinked, like someone who had been suddenly hit, and then blankly looked back at me. His face seemed to be asking for confirmation, so I smiled and nodded.

“That’s why I told you. You can’t disappear yet.”

―……B-But, how…….

“Mine proposed it first. She said she wanted to give you back your previous life. As a free spirit, before you became a Blaster.”

―H-However, how dare I…… Why would you do this for someone like me…….

Jin’s face crumpled. Knowing the weight he had carried, he couldn’t believe the sudden good fortune. As I watched his agitated appearance with pity, Mine walked towards him. Jin, flustered by the King standing before him, knelt down. Thanks to that, their eye levels matched, and Mine reached out and caressed his cheek. She wiped away the flowing tears and stroked his disheveled hair like a beggar.

“I thought you had become so corrupted that you were completely lost, but seeing you like this, you are definitely Jin. Just hurt and festering. You are definitely Jin. My spirit, belonging to me.”

―Minerva-nim [Your Majesty Minerva, a term of respect for a Spirit King].

Jin, accepting the touch reaching him with an expression of disbelief, blinked in confusion.

“I can’t say that I was favorable to you from the beginning. Purifying you was simply a decision to please my people. But Jin, you are my family, closer than anyone else. There was no need to find a reason to save you.”

―Ah, no, Minerva-nim! Please, withdraw your intention. I am not worthy of receiving such grace. I am so humble……!

“It is my authority as the King to determine qualifications. And I have clearly said that you are my spirit. No matter who you are, you cannot regard what the King cherishes as humble.”

―Minerva-nim…….

“And, if you don’t return, the one waiting will be disappointed.”

-……Pardon?

“Anea, I mean. She has been waiting for you all along. In the very place where you always used to be with her.”

Ahhh― Jin, who had been crying, closed his eyes as if he couldn’t bear it any longer. The tears that flowed down his cheeks fell incessantly. The tears of the wind were an illusion, so they didn’t maintain their form for long and turned into light. Each time they fell, a small light burst out, making the surroundings sparkle. It was like a scene of stars falling, and I unknowingly let out an exclamation that didn’t fit the situation.

“Something similar happened once before. When I said I would purify you, Anea cried as much as you are now. I want to say to you what I said to her back then.”

Mine gently stroked Jin’s hair again. It was a gentle and monotonous touch, like comforting a crying child. Jin, who had completely collapsed, knelt down and sobbed.

“I sincerely hope that your life will be happy.”

* * *

Afterward, Blaster was handed over to Mine in the form of a sword. Mine held Jin, who had lost his spirit form and become a shabby sword again, preciously in her arms.

“You kept your promise. Thank you so much, El.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad it worked out well.”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to El. El seems to be the Spirit King of Healing as ever.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“We’ve had a similar conversation before. Blaster was the festering, rotten part of the wind. If El hadn’t stepped in, he would have been left unattended and followed the path of the planned rampage. I would have taken it for granted to cut him off. I think El healed the result that would have left everyone with scars.”

“Oh, I’m embarrassed to receive such excessive praise. I just received a request from the previous generation…….”

“But that was a request that was possible because the other party was El. Just like I did.”

At that moment, a clear smile was drawn on Mine’s face. It disappeared quickly, though. It was the first time I had seen her smile properly, so my mouth dropped open without me realizing it.

“Mine, you. You could smile comfortably.”

“Did I just smile?”

“……Um, yeah. I guess you shouldn’t be conscious of it.”

“I don’t know what you mean, but I’ll take it in a good way. Oh, and I forgot to say. Blonde suits you well.”

“Huh? Ahahaha, thanks.”

Come to think of it, I was still blonde. It was said to last about half a day, so it would take more time for it to disappear. As I touched my hair, feeling awkward, Mine stared at me with a curious gaze.

“Is it magic?”

“Yeah. Lapis cast it.”

“I should ask Anea to do it for me too. It looks fun.”

“Any hair color would suit Mine well.”

“I’ll come to show you first if I change it.”

“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.”

A burst of laughter came out at the face that fully revealed her anticipation. If I had a younger sibling, this is how I would feel. I had never thought that I wanted a younger sibling, so I had never imagined such a relationship. But meeting Mine and learning about new emotions made me think that this was also good. ……But I refuse to be called older sister again.

Soon, Mine, who had finished saying goodbye, returned to the Spirit Realm. She said she was going to start purifying Blaster as soon as she got back, so it might be difficult to see her for a while.

After that, people started flocking in earnest, so Deron and I couldn’t afford to relax. Feeling the murmuring sounds reaching close, we hurriedly fled the scene. We also took Duke Charybdis, who was still unconscious. I didn’t really want to take someone known as the Archduke’s subordinate, but he was also a victim in this incident. Besides, he was also Ray’s guardian, so there was no choice. Rather than him being harmed and Ray being sad, it was a hundred times better to save the Duke for now.

There was no other place to move to, so we ended up returning to the inn again. Even I thought it was a very unoriginal decision, but it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t leave the unconscious Duke outside, and I couldn’t go to the Duke’s residence either. If I were to find a new inn, that would be more likely to stand out. I hadn’t really thought about it much because of the situation, but not having a fixed residence was more inconvenient than I thought. Later, when I have time, I should prepare my own mansions all over the Empire. The good thing about being a Spirit King is that I have plenty of money! Isn’t the point of having advantages to use them?

But that was only for later, and now I had no choice but to frequently use the inn as a hideout. After laying the motionless Duke on the bed, I took off his shoes and cumbersome outerwear. It wasn’t a particularly small bed, but with the large Duke lying down, it felt full.

“He’s not regaining consciousness. Is there something wrong?”

“It’s because I healed him, so it won’t be. The shock of being forcibly released from mind control must have been a bit much. He’ll wake up soon if we leave him alone.”

“Hmm, I see. But somehow, only we have returned. Shouldn’t we inform As of the situation?”

“Oh, that’s right. I should send Cyciel.”

I immediately summoned Cyciel on the spot and told him to go to Lapis and deliver the news. But Cyciel quickly reappeared, not long after disappearing. He had a troubled expression.

―I’m sorry, Elquines-nim [formal term of address]. I couldn’t approach him.

“You couldn’t approach him?”

―There were too many people around.

Too many people. I was embarrassed because it was an unexpected reason. Lapis could have easily shaken them off and made contact. That’s how he delivered the message the other day. Cyciel must have sensed my question, as he quickly added an explanation.

―I made eye contact with the contractor, but he just gestured for me to go back. He seemed to be in a state where he couldn’t get out, or he didn’t want to.

“Was As there too?”

―He was there too.

“……What on earth are those guys doing?”

I looked at Deron, feeling dumbfounded, and he also had a flustered face. I sent them to lure Blaster, but it seemed they had been up to something else.

“I’ll go and find out the situation.”

Deron said hastily and opened the window, placing his leg on the windowsill.

“Hey! Did you hear? It’s amazing news!”

A loud shout was heard from outside the open window. Someone shouted as they ran into the pub on the first floor of the inn.

“The serial killer has been caught! The murderer has finally been caught!”

“……!”