Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 365

Chapter 365

Isana sighed deeply. It might sound like an excuse, but he had only intended to summon one Ciel that day. That would have been enough to handle the situation. However, humans are creatures governed by memory, and the worse the memory, the longer the aftereffects. His past experience of being severely harmed by a demon had reflexively made him tense. Because of that, he had overreacted without realizing it. By the time he realized his mistake, two water wolves had already been summoned. He maintained a calm face as if he had intended it from the start, but cold sweat ran down his back. It was truly an accident, but it was also something that could not be undone.

“I, too, understand the implications of summoning multiple spirits. The two spirits His Majesty summoned that day were clearly high-level spirits, Ciels.”

“Hmm.”

At that moment, Duke Cael rose from his seat and knelt before Isana. As Isana widened his eyes in surprise, the Duke opened his mouth with a stern face.

“I have dedicated this body entirely to Your Majesty. The life Your Majesty saved—my life—exists to protect Your Majesty. Until the moment my breath ceases, no, even after I am dead and only bones remain, I will be Your Majesty’s man.”

“…Brother.”

“I do not dare to fathom all of Your Majesty’s deep intentions, but please, tell me the truth.”

His expression was so grave that he seemed ready to commit suicide on the spot if he didn’t get an answer. He couldn’t *not* answer when he went this far. Isana, unable to hide his embarrassment, smiled vaguely before sighing and nodding. It was an unexpected time, but he had no intention of hiding it forever anyway.

“I have no choice, then. I apologize for not saying so sooner.”

“Does that mean…”

“Yes. I have a contract with the Water Spirit King.”

“……”

A loud gasp echoed in the silent space. Isana smiled lightly at the sight of Duke Cael stiffening.

“Are you surprised even though you already suspected it?”

“I-It is an honor. It’s just hard to believe…”

“Haha, I understand. Even I, who made the contract, sometimes find it hard to believe.”

“There is one more thing I would like to confirm.”

“You may ask.”

“Perhaps, is the Spirit King’s identity… the boy named El who stays by Your Majesty’s side?”

This time, Isana gasped. At the reaction that could only be interpreted as affirmation, Duke Cael slowly nodded.

“How did you know?”

“Actually… I had suspected him before.”

“You suspected El?”

“I couldn’t imagine that Your Majesty would summon him directly, so I thought you might have met the Spirit King while he was amusing himself. High-level spirit mages are rare, and his appearance didn’t seem human at all. But I dismissed it as absurd speculation.”

“Hmm, I see. Still, it’s amazing that you guessed that far. I can’t ignore the senses of the one called the Empire’s Shield, after all.”

“Perhaps, is the reason he left Your Majesty’s side related to the urgent news from this morning?”

Again, Isana was struck by a direct question and clicked his tongue. He was glad he was an ally; imagining him as an enemy made his head spin.

“…Brother, didn’t you choose the wrong path? You could have been a prophet.”

“It is an honor. When I saw Your Majesty didn’t seem very surprised when you saw the messenger bird, I suspected you might already know the Archduke’s situation.”

“I can’t stop you, can I? Well, I don’t know the details either. That matter has been out of my hands for a long time.”

“So, it’s not something Your Majesty initiated.”

“There is a proper role for everyone in the world. El and I are walking the most suitable paths. Human wars are for humans. Everything else is for everything else. The Archduke is no longer my domain.”

The words, spoken with a smile, were calm but full of meaning. Duke Cael’s eyes shook greatly as he interpreted that meaning. At that moment, a presence was felt at the entrance of the tent, and the head of the Royal Guard, Kay, entered.

“Your Majesty, there are those who request an audience.”

“An audience?”

“It is Crown Prince Laon Hwizen and Asel.”

This is another unavoidable situation. Isana smiled, unable to erase his troubled expression. He knew exactly why they had come without even asking. And once the conversation started, it would lead to even deeper topics than before.

“It’s a good thing, actually. Let them in. Let’s resolve everything at once.”

The aftermath of the accident was still crashing in like a tidal wave. Isana, who had already surrendered, decided to entrust himself to the flow of the situation.

Inside the Emperor’s tent, the second round of uncovering the truth began.

From now on, it was the main event.

* * *

Sibelius stood in a pure white space. Everywhere he looked, there was only a hazy mist. He unconsciously raised his arm to clear his vision but soon frowned. His palm felt too small. Reflexively, he looked down and saw short legs and small feet like a child. It seemed his body had shrunk.

“What is this?”

As he was bewildered by the incomprehensible phenomenon, he felt a strange presence from somewhere. Sibelius narrowed his eyes. There was something in the mist.

“Is anyone there?”

The thing in the mist reacted to his shout. The figure turning towards him looked like a person. Whether it was because he had shrunk or it was originally like that, it was quite tall. It felt unfamiliar yet somehow familiar, as if he had met it somewhere before. However, he couldn’t see its face clearly because of the mist.

“Who are you?”

“…So you were here.”

The other party seemed very happy to have met him. His voice was filled with laughter and a sense of familiarity. Sibelius unconsciously tried to smile, but then he flinched and bit his lip. How could he be happy when he didn’t even know who it was? Was it because his body had become younger? He felt like he was about to do something unlike himself.

“I’ve been looking for you a lot.”

The other party took a step closer and reached out as if to caress him. It was a hand that seemed like it would make him feel very good if it touched him. A sense of longing filled his chest. He knew the feeling of entrusting himself to that touch—a feeling of being cozy and happy, like after a sweet dream; a feeling of being able to entrust everything and feel safe….

‘…Crazy! What am I thinking right now?’

Sibelius, who had been momentarily dazed, quickly regained his senses and hurriedly stepped back. The hand that had been almost within reach moved far away again. The other party smiled awkwardly, looking disappointed.

“Can’t you forgive me yet?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. You may not believe it, but I love you very much. Please forgive me.”

It was an incomprehensible, meaningless sound. But when he heard those words, his eyes felt hot. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he wanted to hear those words. To suppress the feeling of wanting to cry, Sibelius clenched his fists tightly, but still, tears welled up.

*Don’t be fooled.*

At that moment, Sibelius’s eyes widened at the voice he heard. Suddenly, something seemed to be shining from his body. Only then did he discover that something was wrapped around his entire body. The things that looked like chains were actually in the form of letters. All of them were regularly brightening and dimming as if they were alive.

“This is…”

Because it was such a familiar form, he recognized its identity at once. It was a spell made of letters. When he reacted, the chains that had been wrapped around him began to spin around him as if they had been waiting. Sibelius blankly stared at the spectacle of letters filling his eyes.

*You’re being used.*

*Have you forgotten those tiresome days?*

*You’ll go through the same thing again.*

*I’ll end up being abandoned too.*

*…Like.*

*Yes. Like… happened.*

As he read, the light slowly disappeared from his eyes. Ah, that’s right. This is just a trick. I’ll end up being abandoned anyway because he abandoned… too, because he didn’t help with anything. So there’s no way what he’s saying is sincere. If that weren’t the case, why would he be looking for me now?

“No, that’s not true. I…”

“Don’t come closer!”

The person trying to approach stopped at the scream-like shout. No, in fact, he had been in that spot from the beginning. It seemed like he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. Perhaps he was made so that he couldn’t move a single step unless he was allowed to. He didn’t know what this strange world was, but he liked that one thing. At the same time, he felt sad. It was as if two selves were colliding inside his body.

“What is it? Who are you, anyway? Why are you doing this to me?”

The chains of letters created a round wall as if to protect him. Sibelius felt a deep sense of relief as he looked at the wall of chains that completely surrounded him. Inside this, he could be safe. He would not be hurt or used.

“…I see. It seems you need more time.”

The person in the mist could only smile sadly. Suddenly, he felt a gust of wind, and the thick mist scattered a little. Sibelius, who had been fiercely glaring at the other party until then, unconsciously opened his mouth. He thought he had caught a glimpse of his face.

“I am…”

“…Ciel.”

He felt his body shaking. Something was faintly echoing in the distance. It felt like a stinging sensation, or a calling sound. After feeling a few more vibrations, Sibelius realized that someone was waking him up. He also realized that he had been asleep until now. However, his senses couldn’t keep up with the speed at which his mind was returning. It was as if he was submerged deep under the water. Or perhaps he was mistaken in feeling that someone was calling him. All boundaries were blurred as to what was reality and what was a dream.

“Sibyl! Wake up!”

“……!”

At that moment, all the senses in his body returned at once, as if he had been released from his restraints. A gasp burst out involuntarily from the shock as if he had been electrocuted. Before he even realized that he had opened his eyes, bright light poured in first. Sibelius slowly blinked. As his hazy vision quickly cleared, he gradually began to take in the things around him. In a familiar space, a girl was looking down at him. Only after seeing the deep orange eyes that seemed to have captured the sunset did Sibelius barely recall her name.

“Alice…?”

Alice’s face, looking at him, was somehow strangely stiff. The moment he realized that it was a look of bewilderment, he snapped to attention. Sibelius hurriedly got up.

“What’s wrong? What happened…!”

“Are you okay? Are you more awake now?”

“Huh?”

“Oh my god, look at all this sweat. Are you feeling really unwell? Is it okay for you to get up so suddenly? Do you recognize me?”

Before he could even adjust his posture, a flurry of bustling sounds poured in. Sibelius initially understood almost nothing of what she was saying. He was momentarily dazed, then slowly lowered his gaze and soon grasped the situation. As Alice said, his body was soaked. His entire body was damp with sweat, enough to believe that someone had deliberately poured water on him. But he was more concerned with another problem.

“When… did I fall asleep?”

It wasn’t night, and he wasn’t even sleepy. But at some point, his consciousness had flown away. At this point, it wasn’t just falling asleep; it was almost fainting. Even when he was tired, this had never happened before. Seeing him unable to hide his bewilderment at the phenomenon he was experiencing for the first time, Alice clicked her tongue softly.

“What, you didn’t even realize it? At some point, it was too quiet, so I turned around and saw you sleeping. But you were sweating so much. You looked like you were in pain, so I woke you up.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Sibelius looked around with a stiff face. Seeing that the brightness outside the window was similar to when he last remembered, he hadn’t been asleep for very long. But he had never taken a nap in his life. Moreover, falling asleep while leaving his protectee unattended was something that could never happen as Seraphin, the best warrior and guardian of the clan. He shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if an accident had occurred in the meantime. Sibelius swept back his damp hair and tied it up tightly, intending to get his mind right first. Alice tilted her head as she touched his forehead.

“You don’t have a fever, though. I’m worried because you’re sweating so much. Are you not feeling well?”

“Ah, I’m fine. I just had a bad dream.”

“Ummm.”

“Why?”

“Sibyl, haven’t you been saying that a lot lately?”

“Saying what?”

“That you’ve been having bad dreams.”

At those words, Sibelius looked back on his past words and actions. He hadn’t been aware of it because he had said it without much thought, but he felt like he had been saying it often recently.

“In the end, that means you’re having nightmares whenever you fall asleep. What kind of dreams are you having?”

“Hmm, in the dream…”

“In the dream?”

“…I don’t remember well.”

Alice’s expression, which had been full of anticipation, immediately turned dumbfounded. But as Sibelius, who was telling the truth, couldn’t help it. He wished he could remember something, but nothing came to mind as if it had been washed away. He vaguely felt like someone had been calling him, but he couldn’t call something like that a nightmare. There wasn’t anything particularly shocking or fearful left behind, but there was a rather unpleasant feeling.