Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 606

Extranumeral 13.

5.

Time in the Divine Realm is uniform, but the environment given to each palace varies. Time zones, weather, and even seasons could all be determined according to the owner’s taste. For example, the Sun God’s palace was always sunny, while the Night God’s palace always maintained a deep darkness. Depending on the owner’s mood, taste, or whim of the day, the sun might rise or night might fall in an instant, and the weather might be as warm as spring or suddenly snow might pour down.

However, among those diverse palaces, there was one unique palace left to the flow of the Divine Realm. A pure white fortress that shone softly like moonlight. The scales and snake patterns were engraved at the highest point. It was the palace of Ellyuen, the God of Punishment.

“Lord Ellyuen.”

At the sound of someone calling him, Ellyuen looked up from his documents. The attending angel, who had called him, tensed up involuntarily as his icy blue eyes stared straight at him with a sculpted, delicate face.

“I have investigated the matter you instructed.”

“Yes, what did you find?”

“It seems the Water Spirit King, Elquines, has recently taken on a new contractor.”

Only then did Ellyuen put down the quill he was holding on the desk. The reporting attendant angel tensed up even more at the clear expression of interest.

“Ell has made a new contract?”

“Yes, it has been confirmed that he is currently traveling with that contractor.”

“…He’s been complaining about having only one contractor. Did you find out who the new contractor is?”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t obtained any information about that yet.”

“When was he summoned?”

“It seems to be about a month ago.”

Ellyuen narrowed his eyes. It coincided exactly with the time when Ell’s behavior became increasingly suspicious. A month was enough time for information about his companion to spread everywhere. Yet, the fact that the attending angel hadn’t grasped anything meant that he was either thoroughly hiding his identity or extremely refraining from going out. Of course, both could be true.

Ell also hid when he was with his first contractor. The contractor he met this time might have such circumstances. But no matter how much he thought about it, the feeling wasn’t good.

“Son, it’s me. Answer.”

Ellyuen gestured the angel away and immediately sent a signal to his son. After a moment, a clear voice responded.

‘Again.’ Ellyuen’s eyes narrowed even further at the unwelcome expression. It was true that he contacted him more often because he was upset that he was embarrassed every time he called, but that didn’t mean he deserved to hear such words. At least, that’s what Ellyuen thought.

“I heard you made a new contract. What have you been doing lately that you’re hiding your tracks?”

“You didn’t? Then am I just so incompetent that I can’t find you?”

“Spying, that’s an unpleasant expression. What’s wrong with a father keeping up with his son’s daily life?”

“To me, you’re always a child.”

And he was actually a child. Although his body’s time had passed three hundred years, the time Ell had actually lived was not even thirty years, including the time he spent on Earth. Moreover, it was absurd for a troublemaker who didn’t know what he would do or what kind of accident he would cause to complain about being overprotected.

“Anyway, what’s important now isn’t that. So who is your new contractor? Is hiding your tracks related to that contractor?”

“But?”

“…How should I interpret that?”

Ellyuen’s expression became even more fierce. At times like this, even gods of the same level found it difficult to look him straight in the eye. In the past, Ell would have immediately noticed that his mood was upset and tried to soften his words. But the son, who had been nurtured with enough affection, was brave even in the face of his father’s anger.

“What? What are you talking about…? Hey, Ell! Answer me! Ell?”

However, unlike Ellyuen’s flustered call, there was no answer. Ell had unilaterally cut off contact. Considering that the continuous ringing voices would be annoying, it was clear that he had completely blocked the signal.

“This kid…”

Could it be puberty?

Ellyuen became serious this time.

* * *

“Wow, you’re brave. Is it okay to talk back to your father like that?”

The pattern engraved on his forehead contained a hot heat because the energy sent from Ellyuen was forcibly reversed due to the unilateral blocking of the signal. That meant that Ellyuen’s communication was still coming in. He must have been very angry that he didn’t give up even though he should have.

‘Would he be appeased if I apologized later?’ Ell sighed, rubbing the heat on his forehead, and glared at the face that was smiling brightly. The culprit of all this, and also his contractor. It was Noel, the reincarnation of Kanos.

“Whose fault do you think this is?”

“Um, is it my fault?”

“Do you have to ask when you know it’s you?”

A smiling face responded to the low grinding sound. It was such an innocent smile that anyone would forgive him, so Ell sighed again. He already knew that he was being swayed by him, but it felt like he was confirming it again.

‘I can’t get angry because even his appearance has become younger.’

Pastel-colored greenish hair and golden eyes. Unusually shaped ears that were long and protruding. The black-haired demon who once ruled the entire dimension now looked like nothing more than a beautiful elf. A face with soft lines that stood on the border between a boy and a young man, and a lean and thin physique. There was nothing to remind him of his former appearance.

Yet, in Ell’s eyes, he just looked like Kanos. Perhaps it was because of his unique playful eyes or his loose tone that seemed to be making fun of people. In fact, everything other than his appearance was the same. His intonation and even his trivial habits were the same, so when he talked to him, he sometimes forgot that he had been reincarnated. It was just like any other time, he seemed to have transformed into a different form for a while.

“But it’s really unexpected. You’re protecting the secret even while avoiding Ellyuen. I thought you would tell on me right away.”

“I was going to at first.”

“But?”

“When I thought about it, I was afraid of the aftermath.”

“Haha! A Spirit King is worried about an elf? People would laugh if they heard that.”

“Is Kanos just an ordinary elf?”

“You’re calling me by that name again. It’s Noel now.”

“It doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Why? Isn’t it cute?”

…Whatever I answer here, a normal reaction won’t come back. If I say no, he’ll pout until he hears that it’s cute, and if I reluctantly say yes, he’ll keep nagging me to say more. When Ell chose to remain silent, unable to open his mouth, Noel smiled wickedly.

“You’ve become wiser. You also know how to avoid it.”

“…Please don’t deliberately harass me.”

“You’re so heartless. This is all affection.”

Noel made a sad expression and reddened his eyes. But because of his clearly smiling lips, it didn’t look like that at all.

Should I have told Ellyuen everything? In the regret that washed over him like a tide, Ell reserved his judgment, which he still couldn’t grasp. It seemed like he couldn’t get rid of his habit of suffering even now.

Currently, they were camping in an unknown forest. There was a small village nearby, but they couldn’t think of entering. It was because Noel was an elf.

As different races began to advance into human society again, a new phase occurred. The races, who had been protecting their respective territories for thousands of years, did not readily mingle even after the era of opening began. Not only the different races but also the humans. There were territories where they were naturally accepted and mixed like the village where Endil lived, but there were also territories that resolutely refused.

The territory where the two were staying was a representative example. The stubborn and conservative lord refused to even allow different races to enter his territory. He set up high barriers and went through surprise inspections, expelling any he found. At least in this area, the relationship between races was worse than before the closed-door policy. Of course, the two knew all these facts and deliberately chose this area. At least here, there was less risk of being fiercely chased.

‘Yes. Camping is a hundred times better than the threat of murder.’

Although he left his hometown, the Elven clan’s hatred for Noel did not disappear. No, rather, it changed into a more persistent and eerie form. They claimed that the evidence of the curse must be killed before it destroys the Elven clan and immediately organized a squad of assassins. They even requested cooperation from other elf villages and were carrying out joint operations.

Ironically, more than a hundred elf warriors were constantly searching to kill an elf who had just become an adult. The elves, known to be gentle and peaceful, were cruel slaughterers who could kill even innocent people without hesitation in the name of serving the clan. Thanks to this, Ell had been keeping watch around the clock for over a month.

As a spirit, he didn’t need sleep. He could not sleep for a month or a year without any problems. But it was difficult to ignore even mental fatigue. Above all, it was difficult to accept that the noble demon, Kanos, who saved everyone and disappeared, was receiving such miserable treatment after being reincarnated.

“Ah, that. It’s because I played too much.”

Once, when he grumbled, Noel smiled nonchalantly and explained the reason. If a god who was negligent in his original duties went to the afterlife, it would all become karma and life would become difficult. That’s why the lazier the god, the more likely he is to give up the life of a god.

“So it’s your own fault.”

But even if he said that, it was difficult for Ell to agree. Every time he saw the elves attacking while uttering curses that were even disgusting to listen to, he wanted to grab them and shout. ‘What are you! Who do you think you are that you are still breathing on this land! How dare you resent and curse him.’

But it only lingered in his head and he couldn’t spit it out. He didn’t have the confidence to look back at Kanos’s expression as he watched the scene, and he didn’t want to reconfirm the fact that he had really disappeared by saying that. With only these thoughts, he could only accumulate fatigue, Ell said with a sigh and self-deprecation.

“The supplies are almost out, so we’ll move again tomorrow. Is there any place you want to go?”

“Um, well. I don’t care where, but I want to see the sea.”

“The sea?”

“I’ve only lived in the forest, so it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the sea.”

Then should we decide on a coastal village for the next place? Ell estimated the distance to a nearby coastal village worth visiting. After making some plans, it was already late at night. Noel, who had rolled over in his sleeping bag, complained to Ell, who was tending to the campfire.

“Ell, I’m bored.”

“Go to sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Even if you’re not sleepy, try to sleep. You’ll need stamina to move tomorrow. You said you don’t want to get healing because it interferes with endurance training.”

“Oh my, that’s too much. Who made me unable to sleep until this hour? How can you say that so irresponsibly?”

“…So stop using such ambiguous language.”

Ell rubbed his head as he looked at Noel, who was cupping his face with both hands and blinking his eyes cutely. The problem was that such actions suited his appearance, unlike the old Kanos.

Noel’s actions didn’t particularly choose a place. He had said things like this in the village, so he had received strange looks more than once or twice. ‘What if someone really misunderstands?’ Worry settled on Ell’s face. Of course, the quick-witted Noel couldn’t have missed it.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. You look so confusing that you’ll look like a good couple.”

“…Thank you for the kind consolation. That’s exactly what I don’t like.”

“You still don’t know me? I do it because I hate it.”

He couldn’t even muster the energy to respond to the smiling face. How could he forget that there was no one who could beat this man with words? Ell admitted that his learning ability was lacking.

“Okay. If you don’t plan on sleeping right now, let’s make plans for the future.”

“Isn’t what we’ve planned so far a plan?”

“That’s a short-term plan. A longer-term plan. We can’t keep wandering around like this.”

He didn’t care about wandering around without a destination. But the problem was that they were being chased by pursuers every time. He wanted to just get rid of them as they came, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so because he thought that Kanos would really become a being who would destroy the clan as they claimed. So he only used methods to get rid of them or knock them out, but the other party didn’t stop chasing him. It was a vicious cycle in many ways. Elves were a long-lived race, but they couldn’t live their whole lives running away in a continent that wasn’t even that wide. But unlike the serious Ell, Noel was just relaxed.

“Um, I don’t think this is bad. It’s thrilling and fun. I’m also touched by the sight of someone protecting me so hard.”

“Kanos.”

“Noel.”

“Yes, Noel. Anyway, I’m not in the mood to joke right now.”

Only then did Noel, who had stopped joking, stare at him with a serious face.

“Okay, Ell. What do you want to do?”

“Well, I think we should change Noel’s appearance first. Just changing his appearance will cause a lot of confusion in the pursuit.”

Changing appearances was a method Ell had used even during the Isana incident. Noel nodded listlessly at Ell’s explanation that it had been quite effective.

“I don’t mind changing. But how are you planning to do it?”

“Hmm. The best way would be to ask a dragon to cast a spell, but…”

“But?”

“My dragon contractor is currently asleep. Not completely asleep, but in a semi-dormant state.”

“Then why not wake her up?”

“Haha, well, that’s the thing…”

Ell trailed off, unable to muster a proper smile. In his mind, he recalled something Lamias had once shouted.

“I shall not awaken until Elquines awakens me with a prince’s kiss!”

It had been a small incident during a conversation. Lamias, having become interested in collecting books thanks to Langsy’s novel, had shown particular interest in fairy tales. She had swept up all the existing ones, of course, and even started investigating stories that hadn’t yet been compiled into books.

When asked if he knew any fairy tales, Ell recalled the ones he had read when he was Kang Ji-hoon. Among them, he told her the story of ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ He never imagined that Lamias would become completely enamored with the story, let alone make such an absurd declaration.

The sight of a fully grown ancient dragon insisting on receiving a kiss from the Spirit King was ridiculous. Naturally, Ell hadn’t visited Lamias since then. He was too embarrassed to even explain why he wasn’t visiting, so he couldn’t tell anyone the truth. At first, he thought that if he ignored her for a while, she would give up first. But months had passed, and there was still no news. She really had no intention of waking up until he used that method.

‘Just stay that way forever.’

Was it a hundred years before Sleeping Beauty woke up? Of course, Ell had no intention of waking her up, whether it was a hundred or a thousand years. Still, he felt a pang of bitterness when this situation arose. It would be easier to ignore her if she had simply entered a dormant state, but she stubbornly kept all her senses open and watched the situation, which made him even more annoyed.

“…Anyway, that’s the situation. That dragon is also quite possessive, so it would be difficult to ask another dragon. I could deal with it if she just got angry, but she’s the type to whine and cry, which is a bit too much to handle.”

“Why do you live like that? Just break the contract with someone like that.”

“How can I do that…”

In the past, Ell might have considered it. But having experienced what it feels like to have a contract broken, he didn’t want to choose that method if he could avoid it. He couldn’t help it, even if Noel looked at him with an expression that said he was making his own bed.

“Anyway, that’s why I was thinking. For now, just changing your hairstyle and color should be enough to deceive people to some extent, right?”

“Hair color?”

“Yes, not all elves know Noel’s face anyway. Besides, your current hair color is quite striking.”

Noel’s light green hair, reminiscent of spring’s new shoots, was an uncommon color even among elves. Until now, he had been covering it with hoods and such, but that alone wasn’t a perfect disguise. To completely divert attention, it was suggested that changing to a completely new hair color would be better. But the response he got was unexpected.

“Ah, did I not mention it? This hair can’t be dyed.”

“What? Why?”

“High elves refuse to be altered due to their so-called noble blood. So, the dye doesn’t take.”

“…Kanos, you were a high elf?”

“Yeah.”

Ell was more shocked by the fact that he was a high elf than by the fact that he couldn’t dye his hair. That meant that the fierce elves he had seen in the village were all high elves. Come to think of it, the clan that had chased away the Endil siblings was also high elves. At this point, it could only be seen as a racial trait. It was strange that a demon had been born as an elf, but there was a good reason for it.

“You seem to have had some rather rude thoughts just now.”

“Ahaha, n-no, not at all. You misunderstand.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I swear. Absolutely. I didn’t have any strange thoughts.”

Noel, who had been staring intently, smiled brightly and nodded, saying, ‘I guess so then.’ Of course, he was pretending to believe him, and Ell knew it. This would definitely not go unpunished. The thought of being tricked in some way soon made him feel faint, but Ell tried to ignore reality.

“More importantly, I never thought of this possibility. A constitution that can’t be dyed. Then, is magic not possible either?”

“No, that’s possible. However, the magician’s rank must be quite high. It has to be enough to suppress the high elf’s aura.”

“How much is that?”

“Probably around a dragon?”

That meant that the answer was ultimately with Lamias. Ell ran a hand over his face with a gloomy feeling. He knew this would happen, but nothing was easy. Noel, too, looked at Ell’s tired appearance with a pitiful expression.

“You don’t have to push yourself.”

“…No, if there’s only one way, I can’t help it. Let’s go. Let’s go for now.”

Yes, if he went there, he would somehow manage. If all else failed, there was also the method of forcibly waking her up. Of course, there was no guarantee that she would cooperate even if she woke up. Rather, there was a very high probability that Lamias, feeling intense jealousy towards another contractor, would try to harm Noel. He decided to think about that when the time came. He wouldn’t be able to use tricks in front of him, so if he protected him well, it would be fine.

However, there was one thing Ell was overlooking here. The elf in front of him was also a formidable contractor.

“Ah, now that I think about it, there was another way to dye your hair.”

“Oh, really? What is it?”

Noel smiled brightly at Ell, who raised his head with a look of delight.

“Do you know that dragon’s blood contains magic?”

“Of course, I know that.”

“Then, what about the fact that you can dye almost anything with that blood?”

“…What?”

Ell’s face hardened as he anticipated what was to follow. Noel smiled even more brightly.

“Isn’t it great? You’re freed from the contract, and I dye my hair. As a bonus, you also get the reputation of being a dragon slayer. They call this killing three birds with one stone, right?”

No, where did you even learn such a thing? Ell covered his face with both hands. As he always felt, he really had no luck with contractors.

* * *

Lamias lived in a vast mountain range called Dematish. Originally, she had a base in the deep sea, but she moved to land. She couldn’t explain the reason herself, but one day she suddenly wanted to live in a place where anyone could easily visit. She wanted it to be a place where any race could feel free to come at any time.

Ell thought that it might also be the influence of 4,000 years ago. The experience of inviting ‘Ell’ to her lair back then might have unconsciously made her want to move. Of course, he didn’t tell her, fearing that he might fall into strange sentimentality.

In any case, for that reason, her nest was located on an easily accessible plain. She didn’t set up any dangerous traps or magical devices that other dragons often did. Rather, she placed chairs and planted fruit trees and flowers for anyone to rest. In her own way, she was expressing her goodwill towards humans.

What she didn’t realize was that monsters flocked around a dragon’s nest. Not just small fry, but mainly large, high-level monsters. Thanks to that, Ell was able to find the following sign at the entrance to the mountain range.

※Caution※

A very ferocious dragon lives here.

Life cannot be guaranteed upon approach.

It was a phrase that Lamias would have lamented with tears of blood if she had seen it.

Of course, Ell didn’t sympathize with her, as she had largely brought it upon herself. Rather, he felt more sorry for some unknown hero who had risked his life to make and erect the sign. Perhaps he had not been able to sleep, fearing the dragon’s revenge after putting up that sign. As evidence of this, the word ‘nim’ (a polite suffix indicating respect) was added in small letters next to the words ‘ferocious dragon,’ which clearly seemed to have been written later. It seemed that he had hoped that writing it like that would alleviate his anger even a little.

“A ferocious dragon, huh…”

Noel’s eyes were shining sharply as he looked at the sign. Seeing that ominous expression, Ell recalled the quarrel they had had shortly before coming here.

“Don’t get any unnecessary ideas.”

“Eing [a playful sound].”

He still hadn’t given up on the bizarre plan to dye his hair with dragon’s blood. Ell seriously considered whether it was okay to let the two contractors meet. Surely, an elf couldn’t harm an elder dragon, but if the being inside was Kanos, things would be very different.

“But I don’t like going to ask for a favor willingly. How can I give up the joy of forcefully seizing it?”

“You know you sound like a villain right now, right?”

“No, Ell. You’re still naive. Do you know the difference between a villain and a hero? The truth is, it’s not a matter of right or wrong. The one who fulfills what the public wants is the hero. The means and methods are just secondary issues. In that sense, what is the public’s perception of dragons? What is the perception of dragon slayers?”

The former was dangerous, the latter was a hero. Ell closed his mouth, realizing what he was trying to say. Conversely, Noel’s eyes shone like stars.

“High elf and dragon slayer Noel! And the Water Spirit King, his contractor! How wonderful is that combination? Right? If we just get rid of that one dragon, we’ll become the heroes of the world!”

Yes, now I know. It was you who instilled those strange ideologies into Fire Buster! Ell sighed deeply, recalling the Sword of Fire, who still whined about wanting to serve a hero whenever he was in the Spirit Realm.

“The public’s wishes are not always right. Should I tell you what happened to the heroes who didn’t care about the means and methods?”

“Ah, if you put it that way, I have nothing to say. Okay, okay. I won’t do it. Don’t make that face.”

“What kind of face am I making?”

“A face that says you’ve realized anew that the demons weren’t that way for no reason?”

Was it that obvious? Unable to bring himself to say no, Ell just stared at the distant mountains. He felt even more embarrassed because he could feel Noel smirking.

“Do we just go straight in here?”

“Yes, but it will take a while to walk. The mountain range isn’t particularly rugged, but it’s a sloping road, so you’ll get tired quickly. Tell me anytime if you’re tired.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. The air is good, and the sunlight is good. It’s perfect weather for walking. I’m an elf, after all, so it wouldn’t make sense if I couldn’t climb this mountain.”

Noel, who answered that way, had a carefree face. But even an elf couldn’t adapt to something they hadn’t trained for from the beginning. According to what he had overheard, he had mostly stayed indoors when he lived in the village. It was his first time coming out so far and walking for so long. So, he was often tired in the early stages of the journey.

‘And yet, he stubbornly refuses to receive healing.’

He said it was because he shouldn’t get used to comfort and that he would train to build up his stamina, but he felt strangely uncomfortable. His personality, which was so good at hiding his true feelings, was still the same, so he couldn’t take even lighthearted words at face value.

“Hmm? This tree has a rather unique shape. Oh, look, Ell. There’s a squirrel! Oh, is that a beehive? I shouldn’t touch it, right?”

But when he saw him enjoying himself in a normal way, he thought it was all right. Ell, who smiled bitterly, decided to admit that he was particularly weak to him. He was endlessly annoying when he was annoying, but he couldn’t just hate him.

“Wow, there are so many interesting things in the mountains. I guess I’ve been spending too much time indoors.”

“But Kanos has lived for a long time already. Aren’t you used to this?”

“Hmm? Ah, well, the feeling is a bit different from when I was a god. The same things feel more fun.”

“For example?”

“Like how it’s a strange feeling to have such a narrow field of vision? I can’t see through things, and I can’t see things far away. I can’t even see the bugs in front of me unless I look closely. And I’m even vulnerable to the poison of those small bugs, so my body is instinctively tense? It’s really amazing.”

“…Those are all disadvantages.”

Noel, who was facing Ell, who was dumbfounded, was happy again, saying that’s why it was fun. Ell looked at him with a strange feeling. He also had experience changing bodies. He had been a human and a spirit, and he had experienced the opposite. So, he knew better than anyone how uncomfortable the body of the intermediate realm was. It was clear that frustration would be greater than wonder. And yet, he felt very admirable that he was comfortably enjoying the current situation. And he felt just as upset.

“About that.”

“Hmm?”

“Is there no way for Kanos to become a god again?”

Noel, who turned around, blinked his eyes with a surprised face.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“Just, no matter how I think about it, it seems unfair. It’s not like Kanos did anything wrong, and he sacrificed himself because of the evil god. But isn’t it too harsh to even be stripped of his qualifications as a god?”

“It’s called ‘sacrifice’ because it’s unfair. If there’s a reward, it’s not a sacrifice.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Besides, I don’t dislike my current life. The life of a god is a bit boring.”

“…You were always out playing.”

“You’re a fool. Of course, I went out to play because it was boring.”

“…”

Ell couldn’t refute it any further because it was a strangely persuasive statement. Just looking at Ellüen or Krohaten, they worked all day and night. If that was the life of the divine realm, it certainly seemed boring. Perhaps Kanos hadn’t been like that from the beginning either. He had become bored because he had worked for too long, and that was why he had started going out to play. But if Ellüen would become like that later, that was not the case.

“Why is it boring to work?”

Ellüen, who was a workaholic even though he said he wasn’t, seemed like he would retort like this. Ell just stopped thinking. That wasn’t what he was trying to say, but it kept going in the wrong direction.