Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 119

119.

Trowel narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the two embarrassed men, one screaming man, and the two women’s childish display of affection. *Surely*, they weren’t planning to stay up all night like that?

‘Well, there’s no more effective way to forget the cold than conversation.’

Although it had the serious side effect of consuming stamina, Trowel didn’t think it was necessary to point that out. He wasn’t exactly the type to take care of others anyway. Though recently, he had been paying excessive attention to one particular being.

‘I wonder if El is doing well?’

He knew this thought wouldn’t help El in the slightest. No matter how unstable, he was still the Water Spirit King. As time passed, his instincts would naturally guide him.

Still, he couldn’t help but worry. He himself didn’t know why he was so concerned, but he didn’t dislike it. Perhaps it was because of the bright and cheerful feeling he got from El himself.

‘He’s a completely different type from the spirit kings so far.’

He had never felt a sense of endearment while looking at another spirit king, only a sense of kinship. But when he looked at El, his heart always felt tender.

He always looked at him without any suspicion. There was no price for the affection he gave or wanted. Looking into those eyes, he felt like no matter what he did, El wouldn’t leave him. Was this the feeling of having blood relatives, family? Just being together made his heart feel full; it was a completely new feeling he had never experienced before. He realized that he had always thought he was alone only after meeting El. That’s why this world, which he had only taken care of out of duty, and the suffocating weight of the Spirit Realm, now felt a little precious.

Ifrit probably felt the same way. He knew that Ifrit didn’t really dislike El, even though he grumbled every time El came to visit. Recently, Ifrit had started to show expressions he hadn’t shown before. Invisible changes were slowly, gradually happening between them.

‘Minerva, I wish you could know this feeling too.’

Whoosh!

Just then, a strong wind brushed past Trowel’s hair. Looking up blankly, he saw Jin fearlessly flying over the Spirit King’s head. But Trowel wasn’t angry at all. Rather, he felt a sense of sorrow. He had experienced this same feeling several times in the past. But…….

“This time, I don’t think I can bear it, Minerva…….”

Trowel murmured softly, looking at the darkening sky.

* * *

The deepest, darkest part of the Demon Realm. The Demon King’s castle was located in its depths. And the most humid and dark place within it was the Demon King’s office. It was truly a pitch-black darkness where you couldn’t see an inch in front of you.

‘Seriously, what a taste.’

Deron muttered lowly, walking through the dark corridor relying solely on his senses. Not all of the Demon Realm was this dark. The atmosphere of the Demon Realm, especially the Demon King’s castle, followed the tastes of the Demon King in power at the time. So, the Demon Realm would sometimes be lit up in a deep, bloody red, and other times in a garish pink that didn’t suit it at all. The reason the current Demon King’s castle was so dark was because the current Demon King, Karyudrian, liked black.

At the end of the long corridor, a towering arched gate was firmly locked. Stopping in front of it, Deron took a light breath. More than anything, the fact that something he didn’t want to do but had to do was waiting for him beyond this door suffocated him.

“Your Highness, it’s Deron.”

Creak―

Instead of an answer, the sound of the heavy door opening was heard. It was a sign of permission to enter. Deron took another breath and stepped inside.

The interior of the office was as dark as the corridor. But the figure of the man sitting in the center was clearly visible. He was sitting casually on a huge throne, holding a round wine glass in one hand.

Disheveled black hair, red eyes—characteristics that all demons had, but they seemed more prominent because of the black mark of the Demon God embedded in his forehead.

He was the current Demon King, the master of the Demon Realm, Karyudrian.

Seeing the woman leaning against him, Deron almost sighed openly. She was Serpis, who had abandoned him in front of the Spirit King and fled alone. When their eyes met, she gave him a thick smile that made her eyes curve. Deron’s expression crumpled even more.

“Welcome, Deron.”

At the Demon King’s voice, Deron hid his hardened face and prostrated himself. The Demon King watched his obedient figure with interest.

“I heard an interesting story from Serpis. She said that the task I ordered was interrupted by an unexpected big shot.”

“…….”

“Tell me, Deron. I heard that the Water Spirit King Elquines is helping the Emperor of Swalt. Is that true?”

“……It’s true.”

Deron couldn’t tell whether the heavy answer was due to self-reproach or aversion. He didn’t like the Demon King, but he had never neglected his given tasks. But this time, he found it difficult to answer his question.

“Serpis said she barely escaped. How did you come back?”

“He let me go.”

“Hmm, he didn’t try to kill you and just let you go?”

“Yes.”

The Demon King’s eyes narrowed at the curt answer. It was a habit he had when he didn’t like something.

Deron was silent. In fact, even before coming here, his mind was filled with the questions that the Spirit King Elquines had asked him. What particularly bothered him was one question that he was concerned about until the end.

“They’re killing children to perform sacrifices. Have you never heard of it?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Did the Demon King know that the Duke was offering sacrifices to the Demon God? The Demon King had clearly made some kind of contract with the Duke. There was no way he wouldn’t know.

Offering humans as sacrifices was common even in ancient times. Especially given the nature of the Demon God, such things happened frequently. But for some reason, this time it felt unsettling.

Deron glanced up at the Demon King. A well-balanced body without any excess, and beauty that was said to have been so brilliant that the Demon God loved it in his childhood, was still as beautiful as an elaborately crafted jewel. Even the beauty of the demon woman Serpis next to him paled in comparison.

Long, white fingers looked even colder in contrast to the jet-black hair. Even the sight of the wine glass quietly swaying in his hand was like a painting.

Perhaps humans who looked at him would be captivated by his appearance even before being ensnared by his magic. Then, as if possessed, they would walk towards him and sweetly accept the wine glass he offered.

But what was in that glass wasn’t wine. No matter how dark and gloomy the surroundings were, the thick, fragrant smell emanating from the glass couldn’t be hidden. It was clearly freshly squeezed human blood.

Most demons enjoyed blood, but they only used it as a stimulant during battle. It was rare for them to consume it directly like that. That meant his nature was violent and cruel.

Come to think of it, when did the Demon King start drinking that?

Just as he thought that, Deron met the Demon King’s bright red eyes.

“What are you thinking, Deron?”

“……Nothing.”

“Is that so?”

The Demon King smiled and brought the wine glass to his lips. Deron quietly watched as the thin, red liquid was swallowed down his throat in an instant. At that moment―

Clang!

The shattered wine glass exploded right next to his face. Even as he was hit by the shattered glass shards, he remained prostrated without any expression. The Demon King’s command followed.

“Bring Lucarim.”

* * *

Dark Knight Lucarim. A member of the Demon Realm’s Four Great Dukes and also the First Duke, he was the oldest being among all existing demons. There were rumors openly circulating that he had existed since the beginning of the Demon Realm and was still alive, so no one knew his exact age. Of course, since living that long was impossible, most demons dismissed the rumors about him as nonsense.

But it was an undeniable fact that he had lived unusually long. The reason for that was that, unlike other demons who enjoyed bloody battles, he preferred a relatively quiet and elegant rural life.

Lucarim basically had grace in his actions and speech, always smiled kindly, and was polite to everyone. There was no one who had ever heard a harsh voice from his mouth. Because of this, some people forgot that he was a Duke or questioned the fact itself. There were even cases where people only knew that there were only three Demon Realm Dukes.

A Duke who was only outwardly flashy, a Duke who was only a shell. That was his overall reputation known in the Demon Realm.

All of that was talk from those who didn’t know Lucarim’s true nature.

Deron looked at the scene unfolding before him with a bleak heart. A vibrant and intricate garden that didn’t suit the Demon Realm at all was beautifully decorated.

The garden trees, arranged in a circle at one-foot intervals, were all neatly trimmed, and each of the plants decorating the flower beds felt full of life without a single flaw. It was a sight that conveyed the caretaker’s meticulous touch.

But Deron’s face, as he stared at it, was more severely hardened than when he stood in front of the Demon King’s castle. He looked at the sky once, then at the ground once, and then looked around left and right. He soon let out a sigh as if he was about to die.

“Why Lucarim of all people…….”

He had fully expected punishment for the mission failure. Serpis would have clearly stirred up discord and shifted all the blame onto him. She would have also likely revealed the fact that he had deliberately delayed reporting the Spirit King’s identity, even though he had already guessed it.

The Demon King was not as generous as his violent nature. When he arrived here, he had already prepared himself for at least several years of confinement or even a trip to the Yeomok [Infernal Prison]. But what the Demon King had ordered him was to bring Lucarim. That was the only thing.

Deron took a deep breath. The destination was right in front of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to take a step. He would rather be imprisoned in the Yeomok [Infernal Prison] and be tortured for a while. In that sense, this Demon King’s order was a punishment that perfectly grasped his psychology.

Even the appearance of the splendid garden, which everyone praised, looked like a horrific slaughterhouse to him. Deron grabbed his head with both hands.

“I’m going crazy. What on earth is he thinking, telling me to find Lucarim…….”

“What did I do, Deron?”

“……!”

At that moment, Deron almost screamed at the figure that suddenly popped out. He hadn’t felt any presence, but a handsome young man was already standing in front of him. It was the very demon he didn’t want to meet until just now.

A slightly disheveled black hair, and eyes that were a little duller than those of ordinary demons were closer to copper than red. There had never been a time when a face smiling brightly with eyes full of goodwill was so scary. Deron unknowingly swallowed hard.

“L, Luca.”

“Hehe, what are you thinking so hard about? You didn’t even notice me coming. It seems like you need more training.”

‘If you set your mind to hide your presence, no one can notice you!’

The words he wanted to protest reached his throat, but he lacked a little courage to bring them out. Deron barely calmed himself and nodded with a forced smile.

“I guess I was a little tired. More importantly, it’s been a while, Luca. How have you been?”

“I haven’t been well.”

“Yes?”

“Deron hasn’t come to see me at all. You’re really too much. This old man is taking care of the garden alone in this remote area. Don’t you feel sorry for me?”

“…….”

Deron barely twisted the corners of his mouth, which were cramping, at the ridiculous nonsense. Putting aside the fact that he was talking about being an old man with a vigorous appearance as much as a demon who had just come of age, the place where Lucarim’s mansion was located could never be called a remote area. It was the very center of the Demon Realm.

Besides, ‘pathetic’ was not a word to be attached to the demon race. Even more so if the subject was Lucarim.

The seemingly ordinary garden was beautiful and peaceful on the outside, as if it could be seen in any human world. But those who knew the truth hidden inside couldn’t dare to set foot in this garden easily.

The identities of the plants planted in the garden were all poisonous flowers famous for being vicious in the Demon Realm. There was even ‘that’ in the flower bed that he was known to cherish the most. As soon as he recalled that fact, Deron shuddered.

“Umm, Luca. Do you still have that tree in the garden?”

“Yes? What tree are you talking about?”

“That…… the Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree].”

“Ah, yes, yes. You mean our Marilda?”

“M, Marilda?”

“That’s the nickname I gave her. Princess Marilda. She often acts spoiled, like a shy young lady. It’s a difficult plant to grow here, but that makes it even more rewarding to grow, so she’s very cute.”

“I see…….”

The Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree] was a plant created by the Cheonsin [Celestial God] as a countermeasure to prevent demons from invading his territory when the demons lived in the Shingye [Divine Realm] before they were expelled to the Demon Realm. The flowers and branches of the Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree] react to the magic of demons and have a terrible toxicity. Ordinary demons were not even allowed to approach it because their skin would crumble just by touching it.

Lucarim was planting and cultivating such a tremendous plant in his garden without any concern (even giving it a strange nickname). The last time Deron visited, he clearly witnessed him climbing the Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree] and pruning its branches. The Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree], reacting to his magic, spewed out poison like sap from its flowers and stems, but he not only didn’t care at all, but even licked what was묻어난 [묻어난 -묻어있다 (covered in) + 나다 (to come out)] as if it were honey.

Even the Demon King couldn’t eat the poison of the Cheonsangmok [Celestial Tree] without refining it. Deron himself was the same. His tongue would be paralyzed the moment it touched it and would surely burn away, so who would try such a crazy thing? But Lucarim swallowed it without any concern. Anyone who saw his refreshing smiling face at that time would not be able to think of him as pathetic.