Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 592

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“Wow, who is it? Who did this wonderful thing?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, it seems like El’s wish came true. Go quickly. Whoever it is, you should give that brave dragon a blessing, shouldn’t you?”

“Okay, I got it! Mine, I’ll be back!”

“I hope you have good results.”

I glanced at Mine waving her hand and immediately stepped into the summoning circle. I just wanted to meet and make a contract before the Lamias found out.

The place I arrived at was a small lake surrounded by a lush forest. But the shapes of the trees were a little different from ordinary forests. The trunks were abnormally huge and thick, and the branches were spread out wide like plates, with one or two houses built on them as if woven from tree trunks. It looked like fruits were hanging on an upside-down tree.

The giant trees were arranged in a circle around the lake where I was standing. Rope bridges were placed between the trees so they could go back and forth. As far as I knew, this type of housing structure was characteristic of the forest elves, also known as normal elves. In other words, I was summoned from an elf village.

‘Why in a place like this?’

The summoning location didn’t matter, but I was a little embarrassed. There were even a lot of elves gathered in front of the lake, as if they came out to see the spectacle. Everyone had a surprised and blank look on their faces.

“How could this happen…”

“Oh my god, Creasia [likely a reference to their creator deity].”

Moaning sounds were heard from all directions. The summoning place was a bit strange, but was it really necessary to invoke the elf’s creator god? Still, I could tolerate it up to this point. They might be surprised to see the Spirit King for the first time. The problem was what came next.

“It’s a curse! A curse from God!”

Huh?

“A curse has befallen our clan!”

The surrounding air fluctuated greatly at someone’s desperate cry. I was momentarily speechless, looking at their faces filled with confusion and fear. They’re talking about me, right?

“…The way you pick a fight is quite novel.”

Out of the blue, what did I do to deserve this reaction? To treat the Spirit King like a curse—they’re quite brave. I smiled crookedly, and only then did the elves seem to realize what they had done. Their faces, which weren’t in good condition to begin with, became even paler. Then I heard a voice filled with laughter.

“Don’t frown like that. I’m not talking to you.”

“What?”

When I turned around, I saw an elf smiling nonchalantly among the frozen elves. Could he be barely an adult? His light green hair resembled new sprouts, and his dandelion-like eyes gave him a warm, spring-like appearance. But what I paid attention to was something else. The energy of the summoning circle beneath my feet was connected to him. In other words, he summoned me.

“What is it? A dragon playing around with an elf?”

The green elf smiled at my casual mutter.

“No, just an elf.”

“…You must be joking.”

“What if I’m serious?”

It was nonsense. At least, according to common sense. Elves have good compatibility with spirits, but they can never summon the Spirit King. That’s because they are a race of harmony. A race that follows the principles of all things and maintains the balance and order of the world. Therefore, they are a race that can never perform miracles. That was the most basic characteristic of elves that everyone knew. But now that elf summoned me?

I was about to laugh it off, thinking they were making a fool of me. But the reactions around me bothered me. There’s usually a reason why they think they’re cursed, right? For example, something that shouldn’t have happened, or something like that.

“Wow. Could it be? Really?”

“You can see it, right? But aren’t you going to make a contract? Even for me, maintaining the summoning state here is too much.”

“Oh, right.”

“Heh, you’re still the same.”

“What?”

When did you see me to say I’m still the same? I was dumbfounded and stared at him, and the elf smiled and tilted his head. He looked like he was asking why. Did I hear wrong? No, he definitely said I was still the same. I swallowed the uneasy feeling and unfolded the contract.

“Are you really an elf?”

“I told you I am.”

“I don’t think I need to confirm your intention to contract. What’s your name?”

“Noel?”

Isn’t that his name? Why is he asking a question?

I wasn’t possessed by a ghost, but I couldn’t understand anything since a while ago. Even in this situation, my subconscious was diligently engraving the seal on his forehead according to the contract procedure. After seeing the snowflake crystal pattern engraved on his smooth forehead, I finally came to my senses.

“Ah, but shouldn’t I not make this contract?”

“What are you talking about after already doing it?”

“But you’re an elf!”

“It’s no use regretting it. It’s already too late.”

The green elf, no, Noel, smiled, showing the water seal engraved on his forehead. I also smiled. You don’t know that you can cancel the contract. In a contract with the Spirit King, the spirit is always the boss.

“Water King, you have made a big mistake.”

But before I could say that, another voice interrupted. When I turned around, a woman was walking out from among the elves. She seemed to be a leader, judging from her clothes and atmosphere. Like the other elves, she also had a pale face.

“Noel! You finally did it!”

The woman glared at Noel with wide eyes and shouted sharply.

“Breaking the given order and disrupting the balance! You’ve finally gone crazy! Are you finally trying to destroy our clan!”

It was a terrifying voice that I was worried would appear in my dreams. But Noel only picked his ear as if it tickled.

“You’re saying such frustrating things. If a disaster is born, isn’t that also the order of things? Why do you only try to swallow the sweet things?”

“What, what did you say!”

“Don’t get angry. High blood pressure is the root of all diseases. You’re not young anymore, so you should think about your age.”

“You!”

I have no idea what’s going on. What is this situation?

“Let’s go, El.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

The next moment, Noel, who was smiling playfully, grabbed my arm and pulled me. I started running, following the pulling force. I could feel the elves behind me panicking at the sudden situation.

“Shoot, shoot him!”

At first, I thought they were just saying anything out of panic. But arrows really started flying. I reflexively reached out and knocked away the arrow that was about to hit Noel’s back. What, are they really shooting arrows? He’s their kin. They even saw him making a contract with me right in front of them?

I was dumbfounded and turned around, and the elf who seemed to have shot the arrow hiccupped. The other elves also stopped attacking and froze. The elf who seemed to be the leader had an even more enraged face.

“Water King! Don’t stop us! That is the seed of chaos and disaster! A dirty thing that should never have been born has taken flesh! You, the Spirit King, must not protect it!”

“What the…”

“Hand it over to us! You will surely regret it if you take it!”

When I turned around, Noel shrugged. His attitude of leaving the decision to me made me feel strangely stubborn.

“To hand over my contractor? You’re saying ridiculous things. Do you think I’m easy to deal with because I’m staying still?”

“That’s not it!”

“If you guys attack my contractor one more time, I won’t let you off. You’ll see what a real disaster is. If you don’t want to see your entire village submerged, behave yourselves while I’m being nice.”

It was obvious that they wouldn’t understand if I just talked, so I moved the water and broke all the bows the elves were holding. The elves, who lost their weapons in an instant, couldn’t even breathe and froze. After confirming that the surroundings were quiet, I turned to Noel.

“Now, let’s go.”

Noel, who was looking at me with eyes sparkling to the point of being burdensome, smiled happily and nodded. I grabbed him and jumped high into the sky. Among the rapidly receding elves, a desperate cry echoed.

“You will regret it! You will regret it!”

He was a very persistent elf until the end.

“Wow, that was really cool, El! I’m totally in love!”

After getting far enough away that they couldn’t catch up and landing on the ground, Noel burst into laughter for a long time. He had a refreshing face as if ten years of indigestion had gone away. On the contrary, I became troubled. I caused an accident, but making a contract with an elf is really an unprecedented situation, so I don’t know if this is okay. Besides, when did this elf see me to call me by my nickname? I didn’t even tell him my nickname. Does he just shorten other people’s names as he pleases?

“Why do you have that face? Just give up on what you’ve already done.”

“This isn’t such a light situation…”

“Tsk, tsk, you don’t know anything. Situations can look heavy or light depending on how you feel about them. If you think it’s nothing, it’s nothing. A Spirit King shouldn’t be swayed by others. Since we went out so cool, let’s go cool until the end. Huh?”

You’re the one swaying me the most right now?

Does he even know I’m the Spirit King? Why is he so casual? Besides, is it just my imagination? I get a sense of déjà vu as I talk to him. There was someone who used to talk like this before. This tone, which is familiar with orders, optimistic, and seems thoughtless, is like…

“You’re like Kanos.”

“Oh, did you notice?”

“…”

No, wait a minute. What did you just say?

My body froze in the same posture as I was looking at him. He seemed surprised that I answered reflexively, and he covered his mouth with one hand. But I couldn’t just ignore the words I had already heard. I didn’t hear it wrong.

“…Kanos?”

“Oh, um, that’s…”

“Kanos!?”

He averted his gaze for a moment as if trying to play dumb, but soon made an awkward expression. His golden eyes, turning to look at me, curved softly.

“It’s been a while, son of Ellyuen.”

My legs gave way and I sat down. He looked at me dumbly and smiled with a slightly troubled expression. I knew that kind of smiling face. Ah, it’s Kanos. It really was Kanos.

“How did this happen, Kanos? What’s going on? Why are you…?”

After his disappearance, I heard that Kanos’ soul immediately entered the orbit of reincarnation. He was born in Arkadon, and it was a bit unexpected that he became an elf, but it was possible. But why does he have his memories? And why were the elves so hostile to him? What does it mean to be the seed of disaster?

“Hmm, that’s…”

I unconsciously swallowed my breath at his serious voice.

“I don’t know either.”

“…”

“Nyahaha~ Just kidding, just kidding. Um, I guess it’s the grace of the Chief God. I should have done a lot of good deeds when I lived as a god. So he specially allowed me to be born like this, right?”

“…As an elf who destroys harmony?”

Is it the grace of causing miracles as an elf? Is being misunderstood as a cursed child and running away an additional option? How grateful I should be? I stared at him silently, filled with many meanings, and he seemed to know that he had overdone it and awkwardly laughed it off.

“Nyahaha~ But it’s cool, right? The first elf to summon the Spirit King! Doesn’t it make your heart flutter?”

“What heart flutter…”

“Ah, but it’s really not easy. How did you recognize me right away? I didn’t know my identity would be revealed so quickly? You’re quite something. Your senses have gotten faster.”

“Don’t lie. You didn’t intend to hide it from the beginning.”

How was that an attitude that didn’t know it would be revealed? Anyone could see that you were acting like Kanos on purpose.

“See? Your senses have gotten faster.”

“No, but wait a minute. This isn’t the time to be making jokes…”

“Okay, okay, stop complaining. Anyway, you’ve made a contract with me, so you’re mine for a while!”

I was momentarily speechless at his confident declaration.

“Who says so?”

“Why, I say so. How is it? Are you happy? Are you happy? Are you honored? Yeah, I knew it. I’ll give you some time to be fully moved by the luck of being with me.”

“…”

“Why don’t you say anything? Is it because you can’t believe it? Well, how many chances would you have to serve me? You can cry if you’re too happy. I’ll make an exception for that much.”

…Can’t I just cancel the contract?

It seems that the elf from before had foresight. I’m already starting to regret it. I should have listened to him until the end. Shouldn’t I have backed out when I didn’t know it was Kanos?

“In that sense, I have something to tell you.”

“What, what is it?”

“Give me some pocket money.”

“…”

“As you can see, I left the village, right? I don’t have a penny to my name right now. I have to starve from tonight. It’s so sad, right? So give me some money to buy something to eat. I want to eat meat.”

“No, you’re a forest elf now, right? What meat…”

“It’s a prejudice that forest elves only eat vegetables? Because of that ridiculous prejudice, I’ve only eaten plants day and night since I was born here! Do you know how painful that was?”

At that point, it’s not a prejudice, it’s a fact!

“Are you going to be so stingy to your father’s friend and senior?”

“That’s not the problem right now!”

“Tsk! So that’s how it is! Sniff! Chief God, can this be? I made up my mind and sacrificed myself to save the world, but my friend’s son and junior is now, well, he won’t even buy his father’s friend and senior, who has lost everything and become a beggar, a piece of meat…”

“Okay, I got it! Let’s go! We can go eat meat!”

“You thought very well.”

I swallowed a sigh as I looked at his face smiling brightly as if he had never pretended to cry. Spirits don’t have blood pressure, so why does my neck feel so stiff? No, come to think of it, is it already a foregone conclusion that we’re going together? I was dumbfounded and sighed, then laughed in vain. Well, yeah, when else would I ever make a contract with an elf? It bothers me a bit that it’s Kanos, though.

No, let’s be honest. It’s okay because it’s Kanos, right? Yeah, I have to admit what I have to admit. I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from going up since a while ago. I still don’t know what’s going on. I don’t even know if this is okay. But I was happy just to have met like this. I could postpone any other complicated thoughts as much as possible.

‘Well, if this is a happy ending in its own way, it’s a happy ending.’

His greeting, which said to see each other again when fate allows, came to my mind. It was just a painful word at the time, but I never thought it would really happen. Did he already know at that time? A deep bond of fate that we will definitely encounter. We were also in it.

“Oh, meeting me is a secret from Ellyuen.”

“Yes? Why?”

“He’ll try to use me. I’ve finally been freed from the demon god and am enjoying true freedom. Got it? It’s a secret.”

“Hahaha, I will.”

I organized my thoughts, which were separate from my answer, and smiled sinisterly inside.

The weather was very nice today. It was a good day to reunite with a longing relationship and start anything. I stretched out to my heart’s content, looking at the clear blue sky without a single cloud. It seemed like this would be a wonderful adventure again.