Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 371

371

“What kind of relationship?”

I was taken aback by the obvious question, but then I quickly recalled that I hadn’t explained our relationship to Diagon in detail. There hadn’t been an opportunity to introduce us, and Diagon hadn’t seemed particularly curious. Since they already knew each other, the focus was more on their reunion.

“At first, I thought Eluien was here in advance because of the barrier Eluien was setting up? But looking at the atmosphere, that doesn’t seem to be the case. So, you came because of friendship. Gods and Spirit Kings can interact, but for that God to be Eluien of all people… it just doesn’t seem to fit.”

“Ahaha, is that so?”

“Probably everyone thinks so? I thought Eluien’s personality had changed, but when he gets angry, it doesn’t seem like it. But he seems particularly affectionate towards El. No, he definitely is affectionate. How did you two become friends?”

Eyes full of anticipation were pressed close to my face. It wasn’t just my imagination that it felt like he was asking for a secret technique. He seemed to believe I had some special skill, treating me like a trainer who had tamed a wild beast. I wondered if being close to Eluien was that surprising, but I nodded inwardly. I had a conscience; I had to admit it. Even I feel strange when I look back on it sometimes, so how much more would others?

Looking around, the other dragons were staring at us, waiting for an answer. Only Lapis, who knew the situation, kept his mouth shut and avoided looking at us. I glanced at Eluien. He didn’t seem to want to answer, maintaining his usual indifferent expression. He didn’t seem to care what answer I gave. That made me hesitate less.

“He’s my father.”

“……Huh?”

Diagon and the dragons’ eyes widened simultaneously. Seeing them react in such a uniform way made me laugh.

“Eluien is my father.”

“Huuuuuuh?”

The returning voice was even louder. It seemed like this was the first time I had formally introduced him as my father in front of others. Now that I had done it, I felt nervous. As the Water Spirit King, I shouldn’t be feeling this way, but my throat felt dry. I glanced at Eluien’s reaction. I expected him to still have an indifferent expression, but he looked surprisingly surprised. The line of his lips, which had been almost straight, curved softly as our eyes met, like a scene from a movie. I felt my cheeks heat up and clenched my fists tightly. I was embarrassed and shy, but also secretly excited, so I was a mess. I wanted to hide in a hole, but I didn’t regret saying it. Rather, I felt relieved and more confident in the world.

“Heh, that’s something I didn’t know. So, a High God gives birth to a Spirit King?”

“…….”

In the midst of all this, Diagon said something absurd and earned the scorn of those around him. He quickly made a gesture of surrender as gazes of disbelief poured in from all directions.

“Just kidding, just kidding. Of course, I know that can’t be true. Everyone seemed so surprised, so I was just trying to lighten the mood. Isn’t this fun?”

“Well, I don’t know about fun. It’s the most original reaction I’ve seen so far.”

“Haha, but I really didn’t expect it. I’d be surprised even if you were friends, but a father-son relationship? You’ve never called him father before, have you?”

“Th-that’s… because I’m not used to it yet…”

“So, Eluien proposed the relationship first? Ah, is that too obvious? He wouldn’t suddenly adopt someone as his son if they asked, so Eluien must have made the first move. That in itself is amazing.”

“Eluien did propose it first, but…”

“I see. If it started with an offer, then you’d need time to adjust. Well, what does a title matter? Lapi is his own son, but he only calls me by my name.”

Like a father who has the only ruler in the heavens and earth as his son, Diagon accepted the situation nonchalantly. But I couldn’t help but feel a hint of sadness in his tone. Even though I knew it wasn’t directed at me, I felt a pang of guilt.

‘I guess I should call him Father, too, right?’

My fingertips itched, and I reflexively clasped my hands together. Once I became aware of it, I felt a little anxious. The words that had come out so easily a moment ago were now just circling in my mouth. But suddenly, someone pressed down on my head. I was startled and looked back to see Eluien looking down at me.

“It’s enough. Don’t force yourself.”

His low voice whispered just loud enough for me to hear. I was speechless for a moment, unsure of what to do, when Diagon called out to him and gestured. He seemed to want to discuss future plans. Eluien stroked my head a little more and then walked towards him. As I watched him go, I bit my lip slightly.

‘I’m not forcing myself…’

That’s definitely not it. Why can’t I still call him Father directly?

The excitement I had felt just a moment ago plummeted to the bottom. The smile Eluien had given me when I introduced him lingered in my mind, making me feel even more uneasy. Would it have been better not to say anything in the first place? The thought that my reckless heart, driven by impulse, had ruined things made me feel guilty. The gap between happiness and unhappiness was so short. And in between, I was a foolish and pathetic guy who couldn’t even choose the path I could clearly see.

* * *

The process of creating the four barriers continued smoothly. Following the Wind Barrier, the Earth Barrier was also completed without any problems thanks to the dedicated participation of the dragons. With only the Water Barrier left, I moved to the Karif Sea, which had been designated as the location. Lapis strongly opposed this, but it couldn’t be helped. The participation of the Spirit King wasn’t essential in creating the barrier, but it was undeniable that it would increase efficiency. And now was an emergency situation where even one more person helping would make a difference.

The Fire Barrier and the Wind and Earth Barriers were all created with the participation of the Spirit Kings, so I couldn’t be the only one left out. Of course, Lapis wasn’t considerate enough to understand these circumstances, so it was difficult to persuade him. Even if I had just left without him, he couldn’t have done anything about it, but considering the aftermath, prior consultation was the best option. In the end, I managed to appease the grumbling guy only after repeatedly promising that I would never make a contract. He was truly a demanding master.

“Nice to meet you. I am Okal.”

Okal, the Blue Dragon chosen as the cornerstone of the Water Barrier, had the appearance of a beautiful boy. His grayish skin, the patterns etched on his face, and the ornate jewelry adorning his hands and ears were striking, but the most noticeable thing was his sapphire-blue hair, which was short and shimmering. His sharp, cool eyes also held a beautiful blue color that resembled his hair.

I knew that blue hair was uncommon, but since my own hair was blue, I didn’t feel anything special. But seeing it on someone else, it definitely felt different. It felt alien and stood out. As a dragon with the water attribute, I felt a lot of familiarity with his energy, and I naturally felt drawn to him.

“I have always wanted to meet the newly born Water King. I am very happy to be able to greet you like this.”

“Ah, I’m happy to meet you too. You can call me El.”

As I greeted him, Okal paused for a moment before smiling softly and nodding. The smile seemed to instantly change his impression, which had seemed cold. I admired him inwardly and was about to offer a handshake when someone suddenly cut in and grabbed my outstretched hand first. I was flustered and looked to see Trowel. He had not returned to the Spirit Realm after completing the Earth Barrier and had participated in the creation of the Water Barrier.

“Trowel? Why…”

Perhaps because he had used a lot of power, the energy I felt from his hand was weaker than usual. I could feel that his energy was significantly depleted. Knowing that I was worried, Trowel curved his eyes gently as if to say he was okay.

“Okal is a direct descendant of Elder Lamias.”

“Lamias?”

“The oldest dragon in the dragon clan. He is currently in a state of hibernation. Except for him, Okal is currently the strongest among the Blue Dragons. Even though he looks like this.”

“I see.”

“…Why did you add, ‘Even though he looks like this’?”

Okal narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t like the expression. Trowel didn’t seem to care about the retort and continued to speak, looking only at me.

“Lamias was, to put it nicely, friendly, and to put it badly, a Lapis-type.”

“Lapis-type?”

“It means he was a little crazy and obsessed with Elquines.”

“…….”

I could easily guess how Trowel usually regarded Lapis from his answer. He’s treated so insignificantly wherever he goes; at this point, I should start feeling sorry for Lapis. Of course, most of it is his own fault, so there’s nothing to defend him for.

“Anyway, when Lamias went into hibernation, he saw the same side of himself in the young Lapis. He knew that the guy would grow up to be someone no one could touch and that he would monopolize Elquines. Feeling a sense of crisis, he cast a spell on his grandson Okal before falling asleep.”

“A spell?”

“A spell that awakens Lamias when the Water Spirit King and Okal come into contact.”

What, is that all?

I relaxed because it was a less significant spell than I thought. Rather, if the ancient dragon woke up, it would be helpful in the current situation, so I thought it would be better. As if reading my thoughts, Trowel smiled and held my hand tightly.

“El, I mean, I’d like Lamias to sleep a little longer.”

“……Huh?”

“This is also for you, El. That guy is really annoying.”

“R-really?”

“Can you imagine Lapis being doubled?”

“…I’ll never touch him.”

Just thinking about it made my spine tingle, and I felt like I had chills. Unfortunately, contact with Okal should never happen. Trowel looked satisfied with my repeated vows. Okal, who had suddenly become the number one person to avoid, was frozen with a dumbfounded expression.

“W-what kind of magic is that? I’m hearing about it for the first time now?”

“That’s probably right. The magic loses its effect if the person who cast it mentions it. So, he couldn’t say anything and just fell asleep.”

“How did Trowel know that?”

“Do you think there’s anything I don’t know?”

“…That’s true. Ugh, Grandfather, what on earth did you do…”

Okal’s face was contorted with grief. From his perspective, it was a bolt from the blue since it was something that happened without him even knowing. I felt sorry for him and was about to feel bad when Trowel made an even more serious expression.

“Anyway, Okal, don’t even think about touching El’s fingertip by accident. If you have a sense of responsibility for this, you shouldn’t cause any more trouble for El.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

“What are you talking about?”

Don’t cause any more trouble. The conversation seemed strange. He was just unilaterally harmed by his grandfather, but it felt like he was being treated like a criminal. I felt like there was something I didn’t know, so I asked, and Trowel made a slightly bitter expression.

“That guy is involved in this incident.”

The answer came from elsewhere. It was Diagon, who was informing the other Blue Dragons who were assisting with the magic circle of precautions.

“Involved?”

I was flustered and looked back at Okal, who avoided my gaze with a gloomy face. And I learned some rather unexpected news. He had once interacted with the Demon King, or rather, the former Demon King, Karyuan.

“You were friends with Karyuan?”

“No! We were definitely not friends. I just traded with him as a customer and merchant a few times.”

“Traded?”

“He said he was collecting Unicorn Eyes… I happened to be dealing with those kinds of special gems at the time. He said he would exchange them for magic stones of the same grade, so I collected as many as he needed and gave them to him.”

“I-is that so?”

“That’s not all, is it?”

I was showing a bewildered reaction when Diagon sighed and pointed out. Okal just bit his lip and couldn’t answer. His clouded face was full of regret and self-reproach. When he just stammered and couldn’t open his mouth, Diagon continued as if he couldn’t help it.

“It seems this guy was the one who told him that Elquines was about to disappear.”

“……!”

“In fact, the disappearance or birth of a Spirit King is not a well-known event. Besides, how would a guy living in the Demon Realm know about that? Unless he heard it from someone. At that time, Okal was contracted with the previous generation, so he could predict the timing of the disappearance faster.”

“That means…”

“He probably made this plan as soon as he heard that story. So, he started collecting Unicorn Eyes. He also succeeded in contacting the Guide of the Underworld using them and hypnotizing him. That Guide prevented you, El, from being born.”

“That…”