Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 602

Side Story. 9

“I’ve never seen a kid who doesn’t even flinch after taking my energy head-on. He has every reason to be confident. I tried to provoke him a little, but I got a taste of my own medicine.”

“Provoke?”

“Ah, please forgive Yuvia for what she said earlier. It’s all my doing. She doesn’t usually talk like that.”

Yuvia, feeling the attention on her, bowed her head. Ellyuen was briefly speechless at the fact that the angel had been ordered to say rude things on purpose to test his reaction. He knew it would be strange, but it was more insane than he had expected. The words that followed were the same.

“But you came sooner than I thought. I expected it to take quite a while. Are you surprisingly impatient? Or just that diligent? I was wondering what else I could do, but I’m a little deflated. But this kind of twist isn’t bad either. I like kids who catch me off guard.”

“…Are you saying you were waiting for me to come?”

“I wanted to see your precious face.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you know? Your reputation precedes you. The strongest Elquines [a powerful race of divine beings] in history. A god of punishment born with divine power as mighty as the Supreme God. And since becoming a god, you’ve been holed up in your palace, never showing your face or accepting meetings, a true enigma, right? So, naturally, I’d want to drag you out and see what you’re like.”

Ellyuen rubbed his throbbing forehead. He didn’t care what rumors were going around about him, but he wasn’t deliberately reclusive. He was simply too busy with the endless stream of work that came with being a god. And the majority of that overwhelming workload was due to the demon god in front of him.

“But are you really of demonic attribute?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hair like yours, as if made from sunlight, is rare in this realm.”

Ellyuen immediately slapped away the hand that reached for his hair. Seeing the demon god’s hurt expression, he regretted taking time out of his schedule to come here.

“I’m very busy. I don’t have time for these silly games. Control those lunatics you created. This is my last warning. If you can’t even cooperate with the most basic extradition requests, I won’t just stand by and watch anymore.”

“If you don’t watch? Are you really going to invade the Demon Realm directly?”

“I could. I might even use a method to erase the Demon Realm from this dimension.”

“Wow, scary. I think I’m starting to like you even more.”

“Shut up.”

“I mean it. Let’s be friends, Ellyuen. I think I’ve fallen for you at first sight.”

“That’s your problem. I have no intention of being friends with you. Let me make it clear. If you want to talk to me, show some respect. Do your job properly first.”

After replying coldly, Ellyuen grabbed his collar and yanked him close. The angels watching nearby, as well as Kanos himself, were surprised by the sudden rough action. Regardless, Ellyuen glared coldly into the black eyes in front of him.

“Until then, don’t even say my name. It’s too much of a burden for someone as noble as you to call it. I don’t know what to do.”

He released his collar and shoved him away. Then, without looking back at the dumbfounded demon god, he turned and left.

“Uriel, let’s go back.”

“Yes, Lord Ellyuen.”

Ellyuen left the demon god’s palace as confidently as he had arrived. He ignored the sound of insane laughter behind him. He wasn’t one to regret his decisions. But he rarely regretted visiting the demon god’s palace as much as he did today. There was no sense of accomplishment from the face-to-face protest, only the unpleasant feeling of stepping in filth.

But the demon god seemed to think differently. Some time later, a formal document arrived from the demon god’s palace, stating that they would cooperate with the extradition of demons who had committed crimes. The document even included a groundbreaking permit stating that they would unconditionally accept any requests for the extradition of demons requested by the God of Punishment and that he could even arrest them directly in the Demon Realm.

Can I call you Ellyuen now?

“Is he crazy?”

Ellyuen crumpled the document in his hands as he read the playful note at the bottom. That was the beginning of his full-fledged bad relationship with Kanos.

* * *

Recently, Ellyuen had a concern. It was about his only son, El. Because they lived in different worlds and had busy schedules, he didn’t have many opportunities to meet with El. Lately, he could barely find time to communicate. El, knowing this well, always welcomed his calls no matter the situation. But these days, his reaction was more often one of embarrassment.

“El? Wait, son?”

Ellyuen’s expression became serious as he looked back at the call that had been unilaterally cut off again today. As he pondered the cause, his mind soon arrived at one conclusion.

“…Is he going through puberty?”

“Is that so?”

Crochen, who was across from him, retorted in disbelief.

“You know that’s a stupid thing to say, right? Even if it’s a joke, it doesn’t sound normal, but if you really think that, go see the God of Healing. You’re sick right now.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m just giving you advice, but you’re making a fuss. Anyway, you’re kind of scary every time this happens, you know? Who would believe that the God of Punishment is such a fool for his son?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

It was only natural for a father to love and cherish his son. Crochen, who seemed to have lost his words for a moment at that answer, smiled.

“But do you remember? 4,000 years ago, you…”

“I told you to shut up.”

While Troel still often recalled old memories, Ellyuen had almost no memory of what happened back then. The sight of him buying a hair tie while looking around the festival flashed through his mind, but that was it. That’s why he felt even more sorry.

He didn’t know if that time remained in his subconscious and led him to adopt El as his son. He just couldn’t deny the subtle attraction he felt when he first saw El. He couldn’t just ignore something he would have ignored at any other time. It was definitely unlike him.

But as he mentioned once, it was also true that he came to cherish El after adopting him as his son. Considering that cause-and-effect relationship, the Ellyuen of 4,000 years ago was probably not a very good contractor. Knowing his personality well, he could easily guess how he would have treated him. But it was another matter for a third party to bring it up.

“Have you heard anything from El? How he’s doing these days.”

“No, nothing. He’s too busy avoiding my questions. I’m telling you, he’s hiding something.”

Ellyuen’s brow furrowed at the unnecessary remark. His son, who had grown significantly in the past few years, was now able to use the power of the Spirit King more skillfully. In the past, he would have been able to see his appearance through the contract, but now he couldn’t see anything. He was controlling the contract. No one would let him look at them whenever he wanted, but the fact that he was trying to hide it so much made him even more suspicious. Even though he thought it was unlikely, his thoughts turned in a bad direction.

“El still doesn’t know anything, does he? Shouldn’t you at least tell him?”

Ellyuen paused for a moment at Crochen’s words that followed.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I’m asking. Aren’t you worried about that right now?”

“Be specific.”

“I’m talking about the demon god, Kanos.”

The cold blue eyes sank even lower. Crochen shrugged his shoulders.

“I saw the record of his soul being tracked in the Underworld. The highest probability was that he was born in Arkadon. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if he ran into El?”

“…”

“He wouldn’t be able to pretend he didn’t know with his personality. He followed the demon god well anyway. You should warn him in advance…”

“So, what are you saying I should explain?”

“What do you mean?”

“That a god who disappears for an evil god bears all the sins on his behalf and is cursed? That he must be born into an unwelcome birth without the freedom of oblivion, live a life of wandering aimlessly, and repeat death forever? That he is nothing more than a cursed mass that brings bad luck just by being near him?”

Even the Divine Realm had only recently learned about this. Some time ago, while organizing data related to the evil god, Shannon discovered that there were incorrect parts in the interpretation at the time. Because it was a form of reading the will left by the Supreme God rather than a written record, it could be interpreted in several ways.

It was true that the life of one high-ranking god was needed for the destruction of the evil god, but it wasn’t just life that was needed. The existence itself was needed. The sacrificing god was the role of a sacrifice that fully accepted his sins. It wasn’t just a matter of being erased from the divine register, but of taking on all the curses and karma directed at the evil god and falling into an endless cycle of suffering. It was exactly as the words ‘for the evil god’ meant. A life of forgetting everything and living normally was impossible from the beginning.

So he knew. Why Kanos prevented coercion even by breaking the clock of fate. Why he willingly went down that path even knowing that the repercussions after losing the demon god would be great. He must have known everything from the beginning. Ellyuen forcibly suppressed the unpleasant feeling. The bones in his clenched fist turned white.

“What good will it do to tell him that? Will anything change if I reveal the truth? What do you think El will do if he hears that story?”

“Well…”

It was something he didn’t even need to imagine. Crochen’s face contorted.

“…With that nosy personality, he’ll try to find him even more.”

“If you know that, don’t talk unnecessarily. No, don’t even bother El in the first place. Mind your own son.”

“He’s also my friend?”

“He’s a kidnapper.”

Crochen, who had been dragged back into work hell because of that incident, clicked his tongue slightly. Ellyuen’s gaze as he glared at him was fierce. He had been working diligently, so he had let him off the hook for a while, but he had already caused an accident. Even now, he was amazed when he thought about that moment.

“If you ever bring my son to the Divine Realm without permission again, you will pay the price.”

“You’re funny. What are you going to do?”

“I can double the amount of paperwork you’re processing right now.”

“…”

The extremely realistic threat immediately silenced Crochen. Ellyuen, who snorted, gestured to the angel next to him. The angels who bowed their heads in response began to place the documents they were carrying in front of his desk. Crochen’s expression hardened at the frighteningly accumulating amount.

“Damn it, wait a minute! What’s all this? I’m sure I finished it all?”

“That’s the amount for the morning. There’s always paperwork for the afternoon in the afternoon.”

“It’s piled up this much already?”

“Ask your demons for the reason.”

“Damn it! I worked to death yesterday too! Do you think I’m the God of War to fight with documents? How long are you going to make me do this!”

“Until you die.”

Crochen screamed at the sight of him asking such an obvious question. The usual struggles, such as saying this was a scam and that he would never have become a demon god if he had known this would happen, continued steadily today.

Before going back to work, Ellyuen stared at him for a while. Black hair covering his shoulders, eyes containing the night. It was a color that was painfully familiar, but the person with that color was not someone he knew. That fact still felt strange to him sometimes. It was the same now. As the image of the one who originally had that color overlapped with the sighing figure, Ellyuen suddenly recalled a conversation he had once had.

“I heard that a high-ranking god has to sacrifice himself to destroy an evil god.”

It was when the evil god was still a demon king, and Kanos, who had returned in a miserable state after sealing him, was recuperating in his palace. He was an uninvited guest who had trespassed without permission, but he just let him stay because it was a situation where he could do so. Still, he couldn’t help but feel murderous when he saw the man rolling around on his bed all day.

“Oh, really? A high-ranking god has to sacrifice himself? Wow, the ingredients are expensive.”

He was widening his eyes in surprise, but Ellyuen recognized at a glance that he was acting. His eyes narrowed as he sent him a dissatisfied look.

“You already knew.”

“I’m a god who doesn’t know anything.”

“If you know it, it’s meaningless if you can’t stop it.”

“Nyahaha, it’s no fun if it’s too perfect.”

Ellyuen quietly looked down at him as he stretched out his arms and lay down. There was only one reason he could think of why he was trying to pretend he didn’t know even though he knew everything.

“Is that your choice?”

“Huh? What are you talking about, Ellyuen?”

“You won’t feel relieved even if you let go of everything. You know that too.”

“…I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The smiling face was so calm that no emotion of agitation could be found at all. He was the kind of guy he hated from the beginning. He always smiled and stabbed you in the back without a care, planned everything alone, executed it alone, and handled it all alone, that damn bastard.

A person who dies for an evil god.

He will receive the sins of the evil god.

The last greeting was conveyed by El. He said that he smiled calmly even in the situation where he was scattering and disappearing. He asked him to tell him thank you.

Of course, he would have been grateful. How many things had he handled on his behalf in the meantime? The tasks he had handled to clean up the aftermath of his disappearance were also considerable. Just thinking about that made him want to catch the guy who had already been reincarnated and force him to sit back in the Divine Realm.

‘Sacrifice my ass.’

He had just thrown everything away. The connections that surrounded him and everything he had built up. But he couldn’t blame him with peace of mind because the Divine Realm had gained more from it. In comparison, he had gained nothing. Rather, he had only lost.

He abandoned everything and lost everything. He chose a path of wandering forever without ever settling down again.

The question he had asked for the last time that day came to his mind again. The expression on his face as he looked at him with a puzzled look, knowing what he was asking. In fact, there was one more thing he wanted to ask. Even when he knew that everything was over, Ellyuen wanted to ask him the same question. But the person who could hear the question was no longer there.

<...Are you sure you won't regret it.>

But even if he could have heard it, he would not have answered until the end. The given ending would not have changed either. Ellyuen sighed softly as he swept back his flowing hair.

He was really the worst friend.

* * *

“It’s your fault!”

Noel indifferently looked at the boy who was shouting at him. His eyes, filled with tears, were full of anger and resentment. The other children surrounding the boy as if protecting him also had similar expressions.

“I don’t know what you mean by saying that out of the blue.”

“Sella fell from the tree!”

“Oh dear, how did that happen? Is she hurt?”

“Of course she’s hurt! Don’t pretend to worry about Sella! It’s all your fault!”

Noel wasn’t even in the vicinity at the time Sella fell from the tree. But the children were acting as if Noel had deliberately pushed Sella out of the tree. Noel just shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t help it because it had become too much of a habit, even though he knew that this behavior would cause more misunderstandings. It was better for the children this way.

“Sella was nice to you! How could you hurt Sella like that? You’re a terrible person!”

“That’s harsh, *hyungnim* [older brother or respected male figure].”

“Who’s your *hyungnim*!”

Well, we’re the same blood, so I can’t help it. The boy, who was furious at Noel’s muttering, tried to pounce on him. The horrified children barely managed to grab the boy and stop him. Held tightly in his friends’ arms, the boy shouted with all his might.

“I can’t recognize someone like you as my blood! How can you say such a thing? Mom and Dad died too! Our grandparents are sick too! It’s all your fault if you weren’t born! It’s all your fault!”

“It’s really terrible and disgusting! There’s nothing good about being next to you! It’s just like the prophecy! You’re going to ruin our clan! You’re going to kill us all!”

The words he shouted while crying were so desperate that they were rather pitiful. Noel sighed and got up, causing the boy and the other children to flinch. Noel smiled bitterly. It was pitiful that they were so angry but also afraid of him.

“What’s all this commotion!”

Then, the adults who sensed the commotion appeared, scolding them. They found the children confronting Noel (in reality, they were just standing far away) and urged them to leave. At first glance, it seemed like they were preventing a majority from bullying one person, but Noel knew their true intentions well. In fact, it was an act to protect the children from him.

“You have to understand. Everyone is still young.”

One of the adults said with an uneasy face. He blamed the children’s young age, but he acted as if he didn’t know that Noel was also around that age. Rather, Noel was the youngest, but instead of pointing that out, he just smiled.

“I don’t really care. They’re doing that because they hear the adults whispering.”

It was a rebuke that asked what those little ones had seen and learned. The adults who flinched avoided his gaze with an uncomfortable expression.

“…It’s true that strange things are constantly happening around you.”

“They say I’m cursed. I guess that’s why.”

The complexions that had been trying to be calm immediately hardened. They were shocked at how he could say such a thing so casually, but Noel was still indifferent.