Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 335

335.

“Wait a minute!”

Sibelius, who had been blankly listening to the conversation, hurriedly snapped out of it and shouted. Trowel turned to look at him with a calm gaze as he approached closely, almost rushing.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“Did you really regain your memories? Do you remember El, and me too? Is that right?”

“……Well, is there any reason for me to tell you that?”

The answer was indifferent, but Sibelius was already convinced. More than anything, the look in his eyes was completely different, so he couldn’t fail to recognize it. Until just now, it had been mere curiosity about an old race he was seeing after a long time, but now it was filled with cold wariness and dissatisfaction. It was the same look he used to give him in the past.

The joy that his memories were not incomplete and that someone who shared the same past had appeared turned his world from hell to heaven in an instant. It was good enough that the other party was the most hateful Spirit King in the world. But now, there was something more important.

“What are you trying to do by meeting El? You’re not going to say something strange, are you?”

“Strange things, you say?”

“You remembered the other ‘El’! You’re not going to treat the current El as a fake, are you?”

“…….”

“Don’t do that. I understand that you’re confused because the two look so much alike. I was like that too. I’m warning you because I’m afraid you’ll follow the same path as me. Maybe, just maybe, the current El is a reincarnation of the El from back then.”

“……What?”

“I know you won’t believe it. Logically, it doesn’t make sense. But it’s true. Of course, I don’t care anymore if that’s not the case now. But if you don’t want to regret it later like I did……!”

“Regret, you say?”

Trowel, who had been listening silently, cut him off with a light chuckle. Sibelius flinched at the somewhat pathetic look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that will happen. You must have gotten dumber in the meantime.”

“……Huh?”

“Reincarnation? That’s impossible. Who resembles whom? Haha, you’ve been hanging around with ‘El’ so much, and that’s the conclusion you’ve come to? It’s unbelievable. Well, that’s probably why you’re in that state even though you escaped from the ‘rift’.”

“You…….”

“Don’t get me wrong. Then and now, you and I are in completely different situations from the start. Of course, our experiences and knowledge are incomparable.”

*If there’s anything I regret, it’s that I forgot these memories until now. Even though I knew in advance, I couldn’t stop them from being erased so helplessly. I foolishly forgot everything and took the distorted flow for granted. That’s why I didn’t like the lucky guy in front of me who had escaped the veil alone.*

“If I were you, I wouldn’t have been confused from the start.”

“…….”

The color slowly drained from Sibelius’s face. Trowel looked at him with a gentle smile as he openly revealed his agitation, unable to close his mouth.

“Too bad, Sibelius. If you could read my mind, you would know how stupid you were just now.”

* * *

The day of the D-day began with difficulties from the start. No matter how urgent the task, a minimum amount of preparation time is required. The celebration banquet hosted directly by the Grand Duke was scheduled to be held late at night. In fact, the reason for accepting the banquet invitation was solely for the purpose of infiltration, so I didn’t care much about what time it would be held. But how naive that judgment was; I had no choice but to realize it as soon as the day came. In the most unwanted way.

“Are you there?”

People from the Imperial Palace came as soon as it dawned. They said they would come to pick me up, but I naturally expected it to be in the late afternoon, so I couldn’t help but look at them with a bewildered gaze as they visited early in the morning as if they were barging in. When I received what they handed me without hesitation, I couldn’t even manage my expression.

“Um, what is this……?”

“His Highness has bestowed it.” The man who introduced himself as the chief of the Imperial Palace or something answered with a pleased face. Even at this moment, huge boxes were being stacked neatly under his command. Every time I peeked into them, they were full of colorful clothes and accessories.

“Why these things……?”

“I heard that the main guests of today’s banquet are nobles from foreign countries. His Highness was considerate, thinking that you would need attire suitable for the Empire’s banquet.”

He answered with a polite smile, slowly scanning my attire. “I thought your clothes would be simple since you are traveling.” *I felt the pressure in his added words, ‘You weren’t planning to come in that attire, were you?’* For me, who was actually planning to do so, it was like a bolt from the blue.

“Ah…… I appreciate the consideration, but we could have taken care of the clothes ourselves.”

“Well, of course, I didn’t think you wouldn’t be able to prepare. Still, please don’t refuse since he bestowed it with good intentions.”

“No, but…….”

“You don’t have to worry about the sizes. We have prepared plenty of each type. Please feel free to choose what you like. These people here will help you dress.”

Only the tone was polite, but in reality, it was no different from a unilateral notice. Immediately after, as if they had been waiting, the maids rushed in. As I looked at their beaming faces, telling me to leave everything to them, cold sweat dripped down my back. I couldn’t refuse when they went this far, and even if I did, they would probably say it was against etiquette. It’s okay to receive the clothes, but the problem is the type. If I’m not mistaken, every outfit in the boxes I glimpsed was a dress. That’s right. It was a ‘dress.’ Lapis and As, who had been curiously examining the boxes, seemed to have noticed the situation and wore strange expressions.

“Excuse me…… What about men’s clothing……?”

“Ah, clothes for the young master are naturally prepared as well. However, the place is too small to put them all here, so we have put them in another place. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to move there.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yes, I’ll guide you. Now, young master, please come this way.”

The situation that followed happened in an instant. The maids who rushed out swarmed As, took him away, and disappeared like a receding tide. Only As alone. And I remained there with Lapis.

“…….”

“…….”

In the space where a strange silence flowed, the man called the chief of staff looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Is there any problem?”

“That…….”

“No, there isn’t.” Before I could say anything, Lapis quickly retorted first. Then, he even waved his hand at the chief of staff, who was immediately agreeing, telling him to step back. The chief of staff followed the order as it was, and the remaining maids skillfully began to prepare for the makeover. In front of the situation that ended in an instant, there was nothing I could do. When I looked at him in embarrassment, he smiled with the most annoying face in the world.

“I don’t really like dresses because they’re uncomfortable to move around in. Not to mention these fancy party dresses.”

“……So?”

“I don’t want to be the only one wearing it.”

“…….”

In his hand, as he said that, was already a dress. It was an ivory dress that seemed to suit him very well, who looked somewhat innocent since he became a blonde, blue-eyed girl. “Oh my, miss. You have a really good eye!” The maids who approached nearby continued like background music, chattering fussily. As I blankly stared at the bustling scene, I soon let out a long sigh. I repeatedly vowed to punish that damn lizard someday.

* * *

The preparation process, which I thought would only help with the makeover, was somehow full of strange things. At first, they made me take a bath in the water they had prepared (surprisingly, they brought the bathwater directly from the Imperial Palace), and then they made me drink an unidentified cold tea. After that, they made me chew on a bitter-tasting piece of wood, and immediately after, they soaked a large branch in water and tapped it here and there on my body. I wondered why these things were necessary in the makeover process, but since I didn’t know the bathing culture here, I had no choice but to leave it to them. At the end, they sprayed a transparent liquid of unknown origin. At first, I thought it was perfume, but it didn’t smell at all.

“What is this?”

“It’s holy water.”

“Holy water? Why that…….”

“It’s a method enjoyed by young ladies. It is said to prevent bad luck at the banquet.”

The maid who explained had a nonchalant face. Apparently, there is a superstition popular among noble women, but I have no way to confirm this either, as I do not know their lives. But even if I try to understand and move on, the feeling of unease was not erased. The fact that it was proceeding as if there was a set order made me feel like I was gradually taking certain steps.

“That’s probably right.”

Lapis was also going through the same process as me. I secretly told him my impressions while the maids were away for a while, and he nodded nonchalantly.

“Right?”

“What we’re doing now is a purification ritual. It’s quite an old-fashioned format, so not many people know about it these days.”

“Purification ritual?”

“A ritual performed before offering a living sacrifice to the altar.”

“……!”

The wandering puzzle pieces were put together in an instant. Only then did I think I knew the reason for this fussy visit. Giving clothes suitable for the banquet is just an excuse, and the real purpose was to perform this ritual. I thought it was suddenly excessively kind, but there was a reason for it.

“Could this ritual be part of the magic satisfaction conditions?”

“Otherwise, there’s no way they’d use such a cumbersome method.”

“Wow…… Aren’t they really crazy? He’s really blatant, isn’t he?”

“Why, it’s fun. Seeing him go to such lengths and reach out in a hurry, he must be very impatient. Isn’t it amazing that he’s holding back without kidnapping us right away?”

“Why are you so calm?”

“What’s there to be unable to calm down about? The fact that he’s in a hurry means that our plan is getting faster. It’s a good thing. I hate wasting time.”

Lapis was consistently calm. His relaxed attitude, as if he knew everything, seemed like it wouldn’t be disturbed even if someone died in front of him. Thanks to that momentum, I also suppressed my embarrassment and quickly regained my composure. In another sense, I also felt like I had come to my senses. Even though I was planning to infiltrate, I didn’t really feel it, but now I felt the reality that the confrontation with the evil god was just around the corner.

“What should we do, Lapis? I feel a little nervous for some reason. Can we do well?”

“You’re a Spirit King, but you’re timid.”

“……Sorry for being timid. But what can I do if I’m worried? I know almost nothing about the former Demon King, and I don’t know how strong he is now.”

“No matter how strong he is, he’s still incomplete. We’re just trying to pull him out of hiding and tie him up for a while. This operation is just a time-buying exercise. If you and I can’t even do that, we should return our positions as transcendents.”

“Still, the resistance will be severe. Won’t it affect the surroundings?”

“Well, in the worst case, this area will be blown away.”

“That’s the problem. How many people live in the capital? It’s a huge disaster. Shouldn’t we tell everyone to evacuate?”

“Really? Why, are you going to throw a notice that you’re going to fight the evil god?”

“N, not that…….”

My mouth closed on its own at the bewildered gaze. Honestly, even I think it’s close to unreasonable, so I can’t think of anything to excuse. Lapis, who was looking at me with a pathetic gaze, sighed deeply.

“I don’t know why you’re only assuming the worst. Anyway, there’s no one who will follow you if you tell them to run away. It’s a good thing if you’re not treated like a madman. And if the situation gets that bad, we’re just as dangerous, right? Don’t you worry about that?”

“Hmm, that’s true. If that happens, I’ll try to minimize the damage somehow. Lapis, you take As and Deron and run away in the meantime.”

“……You.”

“Um? Why?” I looked at him in bewilderment, and he stared at me with an unknown gaze. He seemed somewhat displeased, and somewhat uneasy.

“If you have something to say, say it. Don’t just glare at me.”

“No, it’s okay. Anyway, you won’t be able to think about anything soon.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Lapis’s prophecy, which seemed to be catching clouds, was soon fulfilled as it was. As the maids who had disappeared came back in, I could quickly understand the meaning of what he had said. Because I could see what was full in their hands.

“I’ll help you put on your clothes now. Please come this way.”

“…….”

The shimmering dress fluttered richly in front of me, who was staring blankly. Even though it was something I had already prepared for, the feeling when actually starting was different again. The soft fabric, which looked expensive at a glance, looked like a terrifying shackle as much as it does now.

The moment when the true asceticism began.

* * *

I’ve only heard about the life of a woman, but I’ve never actually experienced it. I’ve been mistaken for my gender, but that’s all. So I was somewhat careless. It was true that I felt sorry for only letting Lapis wear it, and I thought it would be easier to induce the opponent’s carelessness if I looked like a woman if possible. I thought it was just wearing a dress, and there was nothing I couldn’t do.

……I never thought I would have to try on countless clothes to choose one dress. Also, I had to choose accessories and shoes that matched the clothes. Furthermore, not only that, but what color of cosmetics to use, which part of the color and shape to emphasize more, whether it is better to twist the hair up or let it loose, whether to match the fan and ribbon color to the clothes or the hair color, or to match the eye color, whether to wear gloves or not; if I had known that all those minor things had to be considered in detail. No matter what threats Lapis made, I would have thought about it again. Really.