Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 342

342.

“Tch, you should have taken me with you. See, things go wrong when you leave me behind. This is what happens when you don’t have an eye for talent. Well, I guess it worked out for me in the end, though?”

“Wh-What……!”

“Ah, that. Don’t touch him. I froze him, but he’s not dead yet. His consciousness is still alive, actually. But if you touch him and he falls over, he’ll shatter. Like that arm from earlier.”

“……!”

At those words, the others reflexively backed away from their frozen comrade, then turned to me with stiff faces. They finally realized the connection, understanding who was behind what was happening.

“W-What have you done?”

“The same thing you guys did.”

“What?”

“It’s so easy to turn someone into a living corpse, isn’t it? But you’re not the only ones who can do it. I thought you should experience how disgusting it feels to be on the receiving end. I believe they call it ‘putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,’ right?”

“……!”

“Ah, but don’t think just anyone can do it. I can control it, so good children shouldn’t try this at home. People usually die when you freeze them, you know.”

“Y-You’re insane……!”

Yeah, honestly, I know. I’m aware that I’m acting a bit out of character right now. It felt like a locked gate had been opened, and my mind was losing control. In fact, even maintaining a calm expression was difficult. If I didn’t have an instinctive aversion to killing, if that aversion wasn’t putting even a tiny brake on my unraveling reason, none of them would have survived. Instead, there would have been chunks of minced meat rolling on the floor.

I slowly clenched and unclenched my fists to control the rising irritation. They deserved to die, but I wouldn’t kill them. That was a kind of boundary set before me. It wasn’t that there would be problems if I crossed it, but I had a feeling that many things would change if I did. It was the last warning from something remaining inside me. Maybe I could never go back to the way I was before. I was still hesitant to ignore that.

But that didn’t mean I intended to stop the anger surging through me at this moment. Fortunately, if I just didn’t kill them, I was less averse to other things. And there were many things in this world worse than death. There were plenty of ways to be cruel without spilling blood.

“It wouldn’t be fair if only one person experienced it. Let’s have everyone experience it equally.”

As I smiled again, the servants’ faces turned even paler. They clearly realized what was about to happen next. I couldn’t tell if their hesitant, backward steps were unconscious or not. But their intention was clear.

“It won’t work, though.”

I muttered, and their shoulders visibly twitched.

“Wanna bet? Which will be faster, you guys running away or me freezing you?”

At that moment, as if they had been waiting for it, they turned and started running. I thought they were more than just ordinary servants; their movement speed was really fast. Even in the midst of that, it was impressive how they scattered in different directions, probably to divert attention. They hadn’t exchanged signals, but the fact that they were coordinating simultaneously showed that they had been trained for emergency situations. Unfortunately for them, it was a completely useless attempt against me.

Soon, all four men stopped moving at the same time. Or rather, they were forcibly stopped. Frozen in their running postures, they gasped with disbelief. White vapor trickled from their panting mouths. Their faces contorted with despair as they realized the frost covering their bodies.

“I told you it wouldn’t work.”

I deliberately approached at a leisurely pace and slowly stood in front of one person. His pale face stared at me as if he were looking at something terrifying. When the situation was reversed, he probably never imagined this would happen to him. Of course, he didn’t realize that he was making the same expression as the nobles they had been about to slaughter. Just as they had ignored that despair, I decided to treat them the same way.

“Do you feel a little bit how it feels to be on the receiving end now?”

“Ugh, ugh……! S-Save……!”

“Seriously, I told you you’re not going to die.”

You won’t die. If left alone, they would slowly thaw and eventually be released. It’s just that they would never be able to return to their previous physical condition. Maybe they would never be able to move again, or their intelligence might be greatly reduced. Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t be a happy ending, but that was none of my concern.

Soon, white frost completely covered their bodies. Filled with ice crystals, they looked like snow-covered ice statues. They weren’t much different in that they would shatter if knocked over. After glancing at them, I turned my gaze to the nobles of the council. Having witnessed everything from beginning to end, they seemed to be in shock in a different sense this time. My 고민 [worry] didn’t last long. I walked to the corner and used healing magic on the people there. It wasn’t that there was a particular reason for choosing them. It was just that when everyone else was showing a favorable attitude toward the Grand Duke, they were the only ones who looked uncomfortable.

“Uh……?”

The people who flinched at my approach widened their eyes as they were released from paralysis. They couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions even as they got up.

“Are you all alright?”

“Y-Yes! We, we’re alright!”

“That’s a relief.”

After moving their bodies for a while, they soon looked at me with strange faces. They looked like they had a lot to say, but they couldn’t bring themselves to speak. Pretending not to notice, I started the next action. I picked out the most concave bowl among the ones nearby and emptied all the contents inside. Holding the empty bowl, I focused my consciousness, and soon new contents began to fill it. Watching the transparent liquid fill the empty bowl, the people who were watching my actions swallowed hard. I handed it to the person in the front.

“Take this. It’s temporary, but it’s like holy water.”

“Yes? Ho, ho, holy water?”

“Not real holy water, but something similar. I’m too busy right now to worry about the aftermath. Divide this among yourselves and give a sip to the fallen people. Let me tell you, it’s temporary. The effect will disappear soon even if you save it, so don’t bother saving it to keep for yourselves.”

The person who had been shining his eyes at the word ‘holy water’ made a flinching expression at the following words. Seeing the regret in his gaze as he looked at the bowl, I chuckled. To be greedy even in this situation, I didn’t know whether to call it human-like or bold. It was a bit absurd, but it wasn’t bad. Since they seemed quick-witted, they would soon realize what this meant. Just now, they had gained the authority to save people. From now on, who to save and who to leave behind was entirely up to them. Either way, it would end with saving everyone, but those who received help would bear a debt of gratitude. Even if it was just a small fragment, that debt would become a tremendous weapon in relationships. This would be even more true in the noble world, which values honor. As expected, their eyes deepened as they looked at each other.

“Then I’ll leave the aftermath to you. It’s best to get out of here as soon as possible. Ah, come to think of it, you said you were going to strengthen security. Then it might be difficult to leave as it is.”

It would be useless if they were saved only to be caught and killed by the guards on the way out. They had to get out of here alive. That way, this reality would be known to the Grand Duke’s forces, and the course of the civil war would change. I happened to feel a presence lurking since earlier, so I thought there might be a way to solve it.

“Um, what exactly is the Young Lady…….”

“Deron.”

As soon as I called his name, Deron appeared as if he had been waiting for it. He seemed to have been waiting nearby, watching the situation inside the hall as it began to change rapidly. Suddenly, a man in all black appeared out of nowhere, and the people who were about to speak to me closed their mouths with surprised expressions.

“Can you help these people here escape after they’re healed?”

Deron glanced around with narrowed eyes and nodded. He seemed to be checking if it was something he could handle.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a difficult mission. I understand. What is the minimum number of people?”

“Minimum number of people?”

“The final number of people who will enjoy the benefits.”

“Benefits? Final?”

“……Do I have to save everyone?”

“Of course, right?”

I replied, wondering what he was talking about, and Deron’s face showed a little dissatisfaction.

“El, aren’t you in a worse mood than usual right now? I thought it was really cool to see you freeze all those humans earlier. The ending of dying at the hands of a celestial being isn’t bad, but I even thought that the end of dying at El’s hands would be very thrilling.”

“……What are you trying to say?”

“Saving everyone is too gentle. It would be more fun to have them compete against each other and have only the last few survive.”

I’m angry, not a psychopath, you know? When I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, Deron seemed to take it in a different way. His eyes sparkled with life.

“Can I do it?”

“If you don’t want to experience that thrilling end right now, shut up.”

“Yes, sir.”

The good thing is that Deron gives up quickly as much as he’s weird. That doesn’t mean what he said didn’t happen, so I let out a long sigh. Why are the demon race like this? I wanted to insist that Deron was particularly unique, but if that were the case, the gods wouldn’t have hated the demons in the first place. How such a lovely creature like As could be born within this race was the biggest question.

Anyway, it’s a good thing that there’s someone I can borrow a hand from at this point. With a lighter heart, I turned to look at the people, and the gazes that had been staring intently scattered in a hurry. They seemed to have been full of hope for survival just a moment ago, but for some reason, everyone’s faces were pale now. Seeing their eyes busily glancing at Deron, I immediately understood the situation. They had also recognized his extraordinary nature, which had been revealed without reservation even in the short conversation. Well, if they didn’t see him as a madman when he was openly talking about a survival game in front of them, that would have been even stranger.

“Well, he’s like this, but he’s more normal than he looks. He will safely protect all of you until you get out of here.”

“Wh-What kind of people are you?”

Encouraged by my words to reassure them even a little, one person asked cautiously. It was a natural question for them, but it was an unwelcome question for me, who hadn’t prepared for such a situation. After 고민 [worry] what to answer, I made a very appropriate and reasonable judgment. ……I decided to pass it on to someone else.

“Ask Isana later.”

* * *

Isana’s effect was tremendous, and everyone closed their mouths as soon as they heard the name. Even the people who were still paralyzed felt like they had stopped breathing at once. Everyone in the hall seemed to fully understand the meaning implied in that short word. While they were unable to escape from the shock, I was able to leave the place with peace of mind after entrusting the aftermath to Deron.

The way to go had been scouted in advance, so it wasn’t difficult to track the Grand Duke. He was leaving the castle through a side gate and getting into a carriage. The nobles who had been carried out earlier were already moved, or no one was visible.

‘As expected, he moved the location.’ Lapis testified that the altar was located in the basement of the main castle, but as I had watched the Grand Duke countless times in the past, that place was already empty. If anyone had been snooping around even a little, they would have been suspicious, but it had been completely closed off, and no one had set foot there. So there was an aspect of being careless, and the process of confirming the facts was strangely bitter.

Soon, the carriage carrying him departed leisurely. As I expanded my view along the direction the carriage was heading, I saw a small detached palace that seemed to exist hidden in a secluded place. Seeing the desolate scenery that had been almost abandoned, my face naturally hardened. I already knew that detached palace. It was a place where the Grand Duke occasionally went to rest when he put down his work.

The detached palace had a simple structure as small as its size. On the not-so-high single floor, the only rooms were a bedroom and a living room attached to it, and a study. It was no exaggeration to say that the only thing to see was the relatively large garden. To anyone, it was a resting space for one person. In fact, the Grand Duke always stayed alone, and during that time, he prayed, read books, or slept. I had never felt anything suspicious in the process.

But why is he going to the detached palace now?

“No way.”

Without even swallowing the groan that flowed out unconsciously, I hurriedly followed the carriage. As much as I had to avoid being detected, I threw away my form. But the moment I completely left the main castle, I felt something subtle falling away. It felt like I had passed through a thin air barrier.

‘What is it?’

I felt strangely uneasy and thought about going back, but it didn’t seem to have any particular effect, so I postponed the confirmation for now. While following the carriage in an almost floating state, I saw carts lined up in the forest near the detached palace. They had covered them with thick cloths so that the contents were not visible, but I felt like I knew what was inside without even looking. The carts were entering an old warehouse that seemed to be a supply depot one by one. The size of the warehouse was small, but the procession entering it was endlessly continuing, so it felt like watching a magic show.

‘A secret passage. Is it connected to the 지하 [underground]?’

I knew how the sacrifices had been brought in all this time. Instead of going to investigate that place, I watched the Grand Duke. I had a feeling that either way would lead to the same place.