Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 126

126.

『Anyway, I’ve informed you, so contact Trowell.』

“Why Trowell?”

『He’s the one who buried Bleister underground. He’s probably the most interested in this.』

“Hmm, I see. Okay, I’ll contact him right away.”

I guess I can send a spirit to deliver the message. I muttered to myself and started to wrap up the communication. As if reading my mind, Lapis continued.

『I’m not finished yet. I’m telling you in advance, just in case, don’t even think about sending a water spirit as a means of contact. It’s better to have an earth spirit deliver it if possible.』

“Huh? Why?”

『You might get an unexpected outburst. When he gets angry, he loses sight of everything. You might end up losing a precious spirit for nothing.』

“Surely not…….”

『What do you mean, surely not? You’ve only seen his good side, that’s why you say that. I guarantee, Trowell is the most ill-tempered of all the Spirit Kings this time around.』

“This time?”

『Because before, there was the previous Elquines.』

“…….”

Why do I feel strangely resentful yet understanding at the same time? Well, to be honest, Ellyuen’s personality is a bit bad. But I couldn’t agree with the assessment of Trowell. Isn’t he quite nice? He’s always smiling, and I’ve never even seen him get annoyed. He doesn’t get bothered when asked obvious questions and always explains things kindly. Usually, people like that are called ‘kind,’ right?

『Well, that’s because you don’t know him well enough yet.』

Lapis clicked his tongue at my skeptical attitude. I felt indignant at his gaze, as if he were looking at a naive child who knew nothing.

“Trowell is my kin, you know?”

『I’ve known him longer. You don’t think that the few months you’ve seen him since you were born are all there is to him, do you?』

“Ugh, that’s…….”

『Anyway, I warned you. Don’t do something you’ll regret later.』

With that serious warning, the communication was completely cut off. I stared at the bead, which had turned black as the screen went off, with mixed feelings.

Could I really believe what he just said? Actually, I was more worried that I had fallen for Lapis’s prank than that Trowell had a side I didn’t know. I thought he was capable of putting on an act just to mess with me.

In the end, after much deliberation, I decided to contact him through সিকুয়েল [Sikuel – likely a name, retaining original]. It was cumbersome to find an earth spirit on the deep sea, and more than anything, I felt rebellious about obediently following Lapis’s words. Still, as if I were not timid, I was nervous, but unlike my worries, সিকুয়েল delivered the message and returned without any problems.

―I have delivered the message as you instructed.

“Oh, uh, what did Trowell say?”

―The Earth King said that you don’t have to worry too much about that matter. He told me to tell you not to worry, as it’s just a cicada’s metamorphosis.

“A cicada’s metamorphosis?”

―Yes, that’s what he said.

Isn’t that what they say when a cicada larva sheds its skin and becomes an adult? Bleister appearing is like a cicada’s metamorphosis? What does that even mean?

I was puzzled for a moment and then cautiously glanced at সিকুয়েল before asking.

“Hey, but how did Trowell seem? Did he seem angry?”

―Pardon? No, he didn’t show any particular reaction.

“Really? He didn’t seem bothered at all?”

―Yes, he was the same as usual.

What, I knew it. Lapis was just trying to scare me for no reason. My face naturally frowned at the thought of being tricked. I felt so sorry and ashamed that I had almost misunderstood Trowell, who would never do that.

Thud! Just then, the cabin door opened, and someone peeked inside. It was ইসানা [Isana – likely a name, retaining original], looking a little excited.

“El! We’ll be arriving at the port soon!”

“Ah, okay, I got it. I’ll be out soon.”

He was much more excited than usual, perhaps because it had been a while since we’d been on land. I was about to get up but hesitated for a moment. The communication stone I had left nearby caught my eye. It had returned to being an ordinary bead since the communication was cut off, but I still glared at it as if Lapis’s image were still inside.

“El? What’s wrong?”

“……No, it’s nothing.”

‘I’ll never believe Lapis again.’

I nervously put the communication stone in my bag.

* * *

“Duke Caribdis?”

“Yeah, what kind of person is he? Tell me specifically.”

While preparing for 본격적인 [bongeokjeogin – Korean for ‘full-scale’ or ‘serious’, retaining original] disembarkation, I asked ইসানা about the man who was said to be the Duke’s right-hand man. Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself is half the battle, as they say. Trowell said I didn’t have to worry, but since he was the one who got his hands on the dangerous Spirit Sword, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to know a little about him. ইসানা paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before answering.

“His name is ফাইরন [Pairon – likely a name, retaining original], a knight from a commoner background, currently thirty-one years old. He became a Sword Master at nineteen, and his skills were recognized, and he received the title of Duke the following year at twenty. The name Caribdis was bestowed by the late Emperor when he received the title.”

“Hee, he was from a commoner background. What’s his personality like?”

“Well, I don’t know much about that. He’s such a taciturn and inconspicuous person. However, he’s always had a very good reputation among the soldiers. I guess it’s natural since he’s a Sword Master. He must have received a lot of jealousy because of his background and exceptional success, but the fact that there hasn’t been a single incident shows that he’s definitely a man with leadership skills.”

“Hmm, I see. Why is such a great person under the Duke of all people?”

“The person who supported him to get to that position was his uncle.”

With that answer, ইসানা told me an unexpected story. Before becoming a Duke, he used to do odd jobs at the Temple of the Demon God. He secretly stole and learned swordsmanship while serving the priest knights, and the Duke, who happened to see him training alone, recognized his talent and became his patron. That relationship has continued to this day.

“I get the general relationship. In short, he’s the first person to recognize his talent. Hmm, it won’t be easy to win him over.”

“Are you trying to win over the Duke?”

I chuckled at ইসানা, who widened his eyes in surprise.

“I’m just thinking about it for now. It would be nice if we could get through this without fighting.”

“Hmm, that’s true, but it’ll probably be difficult. The Duke swore allegiance to his uncle. His uncle even rose to the position of head priest representing the high priests while living in the Temple of the Demon God, and I heard that it was all thanks to the Duke’s achievements. They say he took on all sorts of dirty work behind the scenes to make his uncle the head priest.”

“Re, really?”

“Yeah, and this is an unconfirmed rumor, but at the time, there was another high priest from the imperial family in the Temple of the Demon God besides his uncle. He was my youngest uncle. He suddenly passed away in a horse-riding accident, and there’s a story that the Duke was the one who led that. Actually, that’s why I don’t really like him.”

“……!”

I had heard that story too. Was it said to be a coincidental accident that occurred during a time when power within the temple was divided and in conflict? I heard that the image of the Grand Duke wasn’t good because of that incident, and there were even specific rumors circulating. Of course, judging by what he’s been doing so far, it seems like he’s the kind of person who would do that, not just a baseless rumor. But the one who orders him to do that can’t be considered normal either.

‘In the end, there’s a high possibility that the Duke is the same kind of person. The Spirit King’s power is in the hands of such a person, I don’t know if it’s really okay. Does মিনার্ভা [Minerva – likely a name, retaining original] know this fact?’

The image of the Grand Duke bursting into wild laughter flashed vividly in my mind. Now that his loyal subject has become stronger, he must feel like he has the whole world.

Why did মিনার্ভা create a sword containing the power of the Spirit King in the first place? It can’t be that she didn’t foresee the repercussions that would arise from it. It’s even more unbelievable that মিনার্ভা, who is more rational than anyone else, would do that. Besides, if she shared her power, it means that her condition isn’t perfect right now. I thought she looked unusually lethargic and weak, and that must be why.

My heart was full of wanting to go and ask her the reason right away, but I held back. I was worried that I might make a mistake because I didn’t know what the story was, and more than anything, মিনার্ভা’s unique atmosphere was still a bit difficult for me. If she made a sad expression because of a rash question, I would surely suffer from guilt for a long time.

And Trowell said it was okay. If he says there’s no problem, then there really isn’t a problem. I shook my head vigorously to clear the 잡생각 [jap-saeng-gak – Korean for ‘雜 생각’, meaning ‘random thoughts’ or ‘雜念’, meaning ‘mixed feelings’, retaining original] in my head.

‘……Well, it’ll work out somehow.’

* * *

The ship was docked at a coastal village near the border. If you take the next ship from here and cross the Cariff Sea, you will be completely out of the Swart Empire’s territory. However, contrary to expectations that the inspection would be strict, there were fewer soldiers than in any of the villages we had passed through so far. According to কাইটেন’s [Kaiten – likely a name, retaining original] explanation, who was familiar with the empire’s geographical information thanks to his many travels for long training, this area is close to the Elf territory, so the empire’s influence is minimal. Should it be called a kind of neutral area?

“Hee, the Elf territory…….”

“It’s not very close, but it’s within a few days’ reach. From the empire’s point of view, it’s bound to be difficult to control.”

Of course, even so, there was clearly a lord who ruled, and there was also a guard. There was no harm in being careful, so our group wore hoods as a must. In fact, it wasn’t anything new, as we had always worn hoods even while sailing, except when we were in the cabin. It was because of কাইটেন’s advice that there was no need to stand out in people’s eyes in a narrow place.

Certainly, my hair color and ইসানা’s appearance were very striking, and there was a risk of attracting unwanted curiosity. Now that Lapis wasn’t there to help us with magic, we had to refrain from doing things that would attract people’s attention as much as possible. I had an ominous feeling that I wouldn’t be able to live apart from the hood until the end of this journey. The only consolation was that I didn’t have to desperately hide like before.

However, whatever the bleak reality, what caught my interest right now was the existence of the elves who lived nearby. I had only heard of them, but I had never actually seen their 모습 [moseup – Korean for ‘appearance’ or ‘figure’, retaining original]. Personally, they were a race I was looking forward to even more than dragons.

“Speaking of which, I heard that the Elf race lives in the forest?”

“Ah, that’s the Normal Elf.”

“Normal Elf? Are there different kinds of elves?”

When I showed interest in the first thing I heard, কাইটেন smiled and continued to explain.

“They are divided into a total of four clans, including High Elves, Blue Elves, and Dark Elves. Usually, the 모습 of elves that we commonly know is the Normal clan. They are characterized by skin as white as pearls and hair and eye colors that are as pale as if the color has faded. Living in the forest and enjoying only vegetarian food such as grains, fruits, and honey are the tendencies of Normal Elves only. Even if they are the same elves, their appearances are different, and their staple foods are all different.”

“I see. Then what about the other elves?”

“First of all, the High Elves have the most similar tendencies to the Normal Elves. Their appearance is also the most similar. However, they are a priestly clan that is strongly born with divine power, so they are classified as almost gods rather than elves. They are also the aristocratic class among the elves. I heard that even dragons treat these clans with respect.”

“Hee, and?”

“Blue Elves and Dark Elves are distinguished by skin color. Blue Elves are characterized by blue skin and silver hair, and Dark Elves are characterized by black skin and gray hair.”

What was most amazing was their staple food. Dark Elves enjoy eating meat, mostly raw, and Blue Elves mainly eat seafood and shellfish. However, their clans have far fewer numbers than Normal Elves, and access to their habitats is difficult, so it seems that 交流 [gyoryu – Korean for ‘exchange’ or ‘interaction’, retaining original] with humans is not smooth.

“If it’s a habitat…….”

“Dark Elves live in the middle of the desert. Even if you are lucky enough to find a village, it disappears without a trace the next day, so it is also called the Mirage Kingdom. I heard that Blue Elves live on rocky islands in the sea. Among the three clans excluding High Elves, Blue Elves are the most exclusive to humans. It is also said that it is because of the monster tendencies inherent in their bodies.”

“Ex? Monsters?”

“Yes, this is just a story I heard, but a long time ago, there was a clan called Sirens who looked like mermaids. They were very beautiful, but they were a clan classified as monsters because of their habit of 홀려 [hollyeo – Korean for ‘bewitching’ or ‘seducing’, retaining original] humans and eating them. There is a theory that the Blue Elves of today have become the 모습 over a long period of time.”

“Ugh, if that’s true, then they’re just elves in name only.”

“Still, they don’t eat humans now. Isn’t it rather attractive that they are descendants of mermaids? I would like to meet them at least once if I have the chance.”

কাইটেন spoke with a face as excited as a boy. I thought he was only an adult, but he seems to be interested in these legends and fairy tales. ইসানা also seemed to have the same thought as me and swallowed a low laugh. I said with an excited feeling.

“Can’t we see them here? It’s a coastal city close to the sea, and there’s also the territory of their clan nearby.”

“Haha, no, that will be difficult. Elves don’t even invade each other’s territory, even if they are from the same clan. Even coming out of the village itself is rare. Besides, the degree of exclusivity to humans is only different, so it’s almost impossible for them to come down to these villages where humans live.”

“Eh, then we can’t see Normal Elves either?”

“Yes, unfortunately…….”

“Huh? An elf!”

“……!”

As soon as I nodded, I heard ইসানা’s shout, and কাইটেন and I turned our heads at the same time. Following the direction he was looking, I found a person running away in the distance. It was a boy with skin as white as if he had sprinkled flour on it and hair that was almost silver and light gold.