Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 534

534. Prophecy

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I didn’t expect him to recover so quickly…”

The Emperor’s eyes were red, a mixture of shock and delight evident in his expression. Despite placing his last hope on Elquines, he clearly hadn’t anticipated such potent healing abilities. His gaze toward Ellyuen was filled with complex emotions.

“Thank you so much.”

“I’m only doing this much out of consideration for my contractor’s reputation.”

The icy response immediately dampened the overly sentimental atmosphere. Those who had been crying uncontrollably stiffened, looking up in surprise. Ignoring them, Ellyuen fixed the Emperor with a cold stare.

“You’ve benefited from your position; now you must prove you are worthy of it.”

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. The Emperor swallowed hard, nodding stiffly.

“I, I understand. I will never act rashly again.”

Ellyuen turned and walked away. I quickly said my goodbyes and hurried after him. He could have simply teleported, but he was walking to accommodate me. Fortunately, no one tried to stop us; Lamias must have intervened.

It was late, and the hallway leading to the exit was deserted. Outside the glass windows, heavy rain continued to fall, promising days of the same. I watched the streaks of water race down the glass before addressing his retreating figure.

“Um, thank you, Father. I hope I’m not too much trouble…”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I didn’t already know.”

So, I am a bother. Typical of my father, never one for empty words. But if he says it doesn’t matter even if I’m a bother, I guess I can ease my conscience. Not that I have much of a conscience left anyway. I’m becoming more shameless by the day. Just then, he stopped abruptly and turned to face me.

“By the way, are you really not involved with the Demon God at all?”

“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Why is Kanos [a powerful, malevolent deity] coming up now? Does he suspect I traveled through time? Flustered, I stood there as Ellyuen’s gaze dropped to my lower arm. I reflexively looked down and paused. There were unfamiliar words inscribed on my glove.

On the day the light of Balteum [a god of light] descends,

The ascending steps scatter in red rain.

The tears of the foolish soak the ground,

The clock of Ladeca [a mythical artifact] will find the way.

“…What is this?”

It used to be plain brown leather with no markings. These words weren’t there when I took it off to examine it. Ellyuen stared at me, as if trying to decipher the meaning. Then, realizing I truly knew nothing, he wore a complicated expression. His next words complicated my feelings as well.

“It’s a prophecy.”

“…Huh?”

I looked up blankly as Ellyuen sighed softly.

“I don’t know what you were doing before you met me, but you should stop now. Even if you deny it, the Demon God seems to think otherwise.”

With that, he started walking again. He seemed to have sorted things out in his own way, but I certainly hadn’t. I stood there dumbly, watching his retreating figure. As the distance grew, Ellyuen stopped again.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Huh? Oh, no! I’m coming!”

I hastily gathered my scattered wits and hurried to his side. Only after matching his pace did I finally grasp the situation.

So, Kanos had given me a prophecy.

* * *

As promised, the Emperor convened a large-scale cabinet meeting and began the process of ending the war. He announced that the Crown Prince’s curse had been lifted and that he would soon return to his duties in good health. Although some felt it was premature given the unsettled state of the empire, most welcomed the long-awaited good news. Rumor had it that the Crown Prince’s recovery was due to Elquines’ healing.

Even though it was supposed to be confidential, news always leaked out. People who had been fearful of Minerva’s [a goddess of war and wisdom] wrath now interpreted the fact that another Spirit King had helped the Crown Prince very positively. Despite the tragic accident, they had gained a reliable new ally. The fact that this Spirit King had also saved people trapped in the building during the incident only fueled the misunderstanding. And all of that led to increased interest in me, the contractor.

“Hunter El is a Spirit King’s contractor. Isn’t he the first person after Duke Sepion to master two transcendent abilities?”

“Considering his age, it’s even more amazing. He wasn’t born in the Empire, was he? Where is he from?”

“I don’t know. Hunter El is such a mysterious figure. No one has ever been able to uncover his true identity. But what does his origin matter? If he lives in the Empire, he’s an Imperial citizen.”

Everywhere I went, the talk was all about me. It had been a hot topic when it was revealed I was a Sword Saint [a master swordsman], but it quickly died down because the Crown Prince had collapsed. I thought it would fade away easily this time too, given all the major events, but instead, the rumors seemed to be growing.

As Lamias had warned, the situation was completely different from before. The power Ellyuen had displayed that day was too intense to be forgotten easily. The sight of the sky being covered by the sea would be a lifelong memory.

“By the way, did you hear? There’s talk that the Emperor is pushing for a marriage between Hunter El and the Eclair ducal family.”

…What?

I was so surprised that I dropped the item I was about to pick up. It fell onto a pile of goods, causing a brief commotion. I quickly apologized to the clerk, who gave me a sharp look, and fixed the collapsed display.

“Is that true? That would be great.”

“Right, Hunter El can refuse a title. Seeing as he’s been hiding his abilities, he probably isn’t interested in advancement. Marriage is the best way to get him properly settled.”

‘Not on my watch.’

A sigh escaped me at their presumptuous chatter. So, the Emperor’s casual remark that day had been serious. I had heard of the Eclair ducal family. The Emperor’s sibling had married into that family, so their children would also have a claim to the throne. I knew this because the news of the duchess’s first pregnancy had been in the newspaper recently. That’s right, she’s pregnant.

“But isn’t the ducal couple’s heir still in the womb? They don’t even know the baby’s gender, so they’re already pushing for marriage?”

“Well, do nobles care about such things?”

“True, it’s a political marriage anyway.”

I care, okay?

Is this how far they’ll go to push for a marriage? I steadied myself, feeling dizzy. The clerk approached, looking concerned.

“Sir? Are you alright?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll take this one.”

“Okay, that’ll be 2 Lua [currency].”

I paid for the item I had chosen, feeling like I would lose my mind if I listened any longer, and quickly left the store. After exiting the shopping district and entering an alley, I pretended to walk for a bit before leaping onto a wall. Waiting there for a moment, I saw people appearing and looking around in confusion. They were undercover reporters tailing me.

“Damn it, where did he go?”

“He was just here!”

I looked down at them, shaking their heads, never imagining I would be above them, and then turned in the other direction. I guess there’s a limit to just wearing a hood. The reporters are getting more cunning every day, and it’s not easy to shake them off. I sighed involuntarily.

A prophecy needs interpretation, even if it’s easy to understand. It was obvious that the prophecy I received from Kanos needed interpretation, especially since I couldn’t understand it at all.

I asked Ellyuen, but he didn’t seem willing to tell me, so I went to Aira and Edith. They had studied theology since they were young, so they would be better than the average person. I didn’t reveal that it was a Demon God’s prophecy, but the two of them showed great interest in the prophecy itself.

“This is a poem of praise.”

“What’s that?”

Aira told me a story about a man named Verus who lived in a kingdom long ago.

“He was born as the eldest son of the king, but he received a prophecy that he would not become king. Concerned that the existence of the eldest son would cause future strife, the king sent him to the countryside to grow up as an ordinary person.”

However, as he grew up, Verus learned the truth and couldn’t accept it. He felt extremely wronged that he had been deprived of his rightful claim as the eldest son because of an uncertain prophecy. He struggled to change his fate. He offered sacrifices to Balteum, the god of miracles, and after countless wars, he finally seized the crown, changing his fate as he desired.

But after that, Verus began to lose many things. His wife, whom he had loved since childhood, was caught up in the schemes of families vying for the queen’s position, was deposed, and died of illness. The child born between them resented his father for not protecting his mother and left the country, dying abroad. The closest friend he had relied on betrayed him and stabbed him in the back, and the child he had through a political marriage grew up and started a rebellion.

“Verus despaired and deeply regretted becoming king. Then he woke up and realized it was all a dream. He was still a young prince, in the rural mansion where he had grown up. So he offered a prayer of thanks to God and decided to accept his fate.”

Verus, who grew up that way, later received the title of Duke. He married the woman he loved without incident, and their lives were respected and envied by all the people. Their children, born of love, grew into fine young men and became the pride of their parents, and his family became one of the five great houses leading the kingdom. It was a satisfying and happy life that could not be compared to the life of a king. was the last poem Verus was known to have recited as he ended his life.

“In a good interpretation, it’s a lesson that what seems unfair in life may actually be the best thing. God guides those he loves to the right path, so don’t doubt it.”

“What about a bad interpretation?”

“…It means that it’s no use trying, so give up early. It’s also used as a taunt, asking if you have to taste the bitterness to come to your senses.”

“…”

This guy, really.

I pressed down on the hot anger rising from within. For some reason, I had a strong conviction that Kanos would have used the latter meaning rather than the former. He was a god who would do that.

“But there’s another interpretation of this story.”

Edith, who had been listening, opened her mouth.

“Another interpretation?”

Edith, receiving the attention, nodded with a serious face. The hidden story that followed was this. After waking up from his dream, Verus lived a normal life as he had decided. But living a normal life wasn’t easy. The king had many enemies, and there were many people around Verus who wanted to enthrone him. Those who had been stepping stones in his dream became obstacles to Verus, who did not want to become king. No matter how much he said he had no desire for the throne, his brothers always suspected his sincerity.

“That’s…”

“It means that it’s not easy to just follow the given path. It also means that you have to work hard to not lose what you have to protect.”

You lose what you have to protect if you don’t try.

What does that mean?

Everything I was trying to change has already gone wrong. All that’s left is to follow the flow I know. But does it mean that even that could be difficult? I had a bad feeling. I swallowed my heavy mood when I felt an intense gaze. When I looked up, I saw Edith and Aira with strangely sparkling eyes.

“Why, why?”

“No, I’m just a little surprised. It’s rare for an individual to receive a prophecy unless they are someone who can influence the fate of the nation, like an emperor or a king. But it feels natural for El to have something like this happen.”

“Well, El is someone who can influence the fate of the nation. He’s a Spirit King’s contractor.”

“That’s right. He’s a Spirit King’s contractor.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you…”

They were definitely smiling, but it felt like they were angry. I was about to sweat at the sidelong glances, but the two of them quickly changed their expressions and giggled, saying they were just joking.

“Actually, I wasn’t that surprised. I just felt like it would happen.”

“Oh, really?”

“Everyone who knows El probably thought so. I guess you could say it just felt natural. It made me think that you had to be this capable to contract with a Spirit King.”

It was similar to what Chris had said before. Was I showing it that much? …Maybe I was. At least I didn’t pretend I couldn’t do what I could do. Anyway, I’m glad everyone seemed to accept it easily. Although I couldn’t laugh along with the words that followed.

“More than that, I heard that the Emperor is pushing for El’s marriage. Is that true?”

“…”

“I heard that he’s pushing for it with the Eclair ducal family. I heard that the ducal family welcomed it very much.”

Could that ridiculous rumor have spread this far? I steadied myself, feeling a headache coming on.

“The person to be married is still in the womb, so the age difference would be enormous. But what happens if the child born is a son? The people of the Seik Empire are particularly sensitive to bloodline issues, so if there is no way to have children between males, are they making a separate agreement?”

“Ha, I don’t know. Either way, there’s no way I’m getting married.”

“Ah, is that right? Duke Sepion was very angry. He said that the Emperor was out of his mind, coveting someone else’s precious child, and he didn’t hesitate to hurl insults at the imperial family.”

Why is that dragon acting like that again? Does the Spirit King’s rampage affect the emotions of others? It seems like everyone is out of their minds. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs.