Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 136

Lucarim smiled innocently, as if enlightened by his own words.

“Ah, that’s right. Those were my orders. So, may I be excused for a moment?”

*Is he serious right now?*

I reflexively prepared to attack. Could all that long-winded nonsense have been a ploy to lower my guard? I knew it was absurd, but the situation was so incomprehensible that I couldn’t help but think that way. Then, Lucarim scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.

“Hmm, I guess not?”

“If you don’t disappear right now…”

“Ah! Don’t give me such a scary look. If the Water King refuses, I won’t do it. I swear I won’t lay a finger on anyone.”

“What are you…”

“I’m serious. Actually, I came here because I had no choice, but I don’t really want to follow the Demon King’s orders.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

I retorted, dumbfounded, and he muttered, ‘It’s true…’ with a pitiful expression. Then, suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and thrust his face close to mine!

“W-what are you doing?”

“Wow, you’re even more beautiful up close. You must hear that you’re a beauty often. This is actually a big deal. I have a very high standard, you know. I don’t usually call people beautiful. There have only been two beauties I’ve ever acknowledged, and you’re the second. Amazing, right?”

“What nonsense…”

“Now, now, don’t be like that. The Water King should think about it carefully too. Honestly, does it make sense for a mere demon to stand against a Spirit King? It doesn’t, right? Isn’t it completely laughable? Doesn’t it seem like a fly has come looking for its own death? That’s exactly what I mean. But surely the Demon King knows this obvious fact? Of course, he does. But he still gave me these orders? What does that mean? In short, he’s just telling me to go die in a very roundabout way.”

“T-to die?”

“Yes, that’s it. The truth is, I’m not really in his good graces. Well, other demons might just obediently die if they received such an order, but I value my life more than that. I’m going to choose to survive.”

“…So you’re not going to follow the order?”

“That’s right. Now you’re getting it.”

*You were the one who didn’t explain it clearly from the beginning!* I resisted the urge to shout that and calmly took a breath. Seeing the smug face in front of me, I felt like kicking him in the gut.

“If you’re not going to follow the order, why did you come here?”

“Well, I have to at least pretend to.”

“Pretend?”

To my question, he nodded leisurely with a smile.

“I told you I chose to survive, didn’t I? But openly disobeying the Demon King’s orders is also a death sentence. So, I’m going to start something and pretend to fail. The Demon King won’t be able to say anything about that. Do you understand?”

“Well…”

“I knew you’d understand. So, would you accept me into your group?”

“Excuse me?”

Why is he suddenly jumping to this conclusion? It was such an unexpected request that I blinked my eyes in bewilderment. I felt like I couldn’t follow the flow of the conversation, just like before. Lucarim seemed to sense my confusion and said with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry. Was that too sudden of a request? But this is also part of my plan. If I attack head-on and fail, the Demon King won’t believe me. It’s like jumping in knowing I’d lose, and anyone would notice that I deliberately made a mistake, right? But if I mingle with the group and attack when they’re off guard! And still fail miserably! That would be a different story.”

“Then just go back and say that.”

At my words, he closed his mouth for a moment with the same smiling face. He had a strangely caught-off-guard expression. I didn’t miss that expression and narrowed my eyes.

“You…”

“Ah, no. I was just surprised that you have such a sharp side. Of course, I could say that. But the Demon King has many hidden eyes everywhere. He’ll quickly figure out if I’m lying.”

“Isn’t it the same thing if you’re lying anyway?”

“It’s completely different. If the Water King accepts me into the group and then kicks me out, at least that itself will be the truth.”

“So, you’re saying you want me to put on an act?”

“Exactly.”

There was no way to read any intention from his smiling face as he said that. His face was so innocently foolish that I almost agreed without realizing it.

*Always be wary of a guy who looks stupid.*

I don’t know why Ellyuen’s words from the past suddenly came to mind at this moment. But thanks to that, I regained my senses.

*Don’t fall for that innocent face, El. That guy is a demon. They’re the most notoriously evil race in the entire dimension. So much so that people say Ellyuen is busy all the time because of them.*

Moreover, the demon in front of me was a Duke, one of only four such beings. It was impossible for such a being to be innocent. Once I thought that far, my wavering heart hardened again.

Lucarim seemed to have read my thoughts as well. He shook his head as if he was in trouble.

“Hmm, I guess it was still too sudden of a story. I guess I’ll just have to wait for time to solve it? Alright, Elquines. I’ll stop here for today. I’ll look for another opportunity to visit you again later.”

“…Does that mean you’re going to chase after us?”

“Of course. As I said, I need Elquines’ cooperation to completely deceive the Demon King. I know it’s a nuisance, but I can’t yield on this point because my life is at stake. But it would be burdensome for you to make a decision right away, so I’m going to give you time to think.”

*Time to think? It’s not just a unilateral notice?* When I frowned, he smiled and added.

“Of course, I won’t hide my presence in the sense that I’m not your enemy. I won’t approach your companions more than necessary without your permission. Would that make you feel more at ease?”

“Hmm, that would…”

*Oh no,* as soon as I nodded unconsciously, I immediately felt a sense of despair. Agreeing here meant that I was allowing him to follow us. I tried to correct myself right away, but Lucarim spoke faster.

“No, I…”

“Really? Then you’ve given me permission? Thank you, Elquines! Wow, you’re as kind as you are beautiful. Actually, I thought you’d chase me away, telling me not to even come close because I’m suspicious no matter what I say. As expected of the Spirit King! Your generosity is extraordinary!”

“Hmm, that’s not…”

“Don’t worry. I will never betray the trust you’ve shown me. I actually know how to do a lot of things. You’ll probably realize that I’m quite a useful guy as time goes on.”

“…Haa, yes… I hope so.”

In the end, I answered with resignation. Since I had already said it, I couldn’t take it back, so I thought it would be easier to just accept it. Of course, I would have to pay close attention to the surrounding defenses from this point on.

*Is it fortunate that he at least gave me notice?* Just thinking about keeping his existence in mind already made my head throb.

“Fortunately, you seem to be feeling a little better now.”

“… !”

At the words I heard at that moment, I stopped thinking for a moment. When I blankly raised my head, I saw Lucarim’s face smiling strangely.

“It’s not common for a Spirit King to have nightmares. Beautiful appearance and authority created by the blessing of the Main God, and abundant abilities. I wonder what kind of worries someone born without anything lacking has?”

“…”

“If you need a place to vent, please feel free to find me anytime. Maybe I can be of some help?”

“Useless meddling… !”

I was about to snap back with a feeling of frustration, but I closed my mouth. That’s because Lucarim’s figure had already disappeared without a trace. The only way I could tell that he hadn’t completely left was because I could feel his presence nearby. It seemed like he really intended to keep his promise not to hide his presence.

“Ugh~ What the heck is that guy…”

I sighed and ruffled my hair with both arms. I felt like I had been unilaterally swayed by that demon from beginning to end.

The companionship with an unknown enemy began like that.

* * *

The next day, the outside was noisy from early in the morning. It sounded like someone was fighting, with shouts and dull sounds ringing out in succession.

As the voyage lengthened, people became more sensitive due to the stuffiness, and the number of minor disputes increased accordingly. Especially given the rough nature of sailors, it was common for big fights to break out among the crew, even to the point of exchanging blows. So, when I first heard the noise, I thought it was just another one of those incidents. But it seemed to be on a larger scale than I thought, and it didn’t seem to be calming down even as time passed. No, the commotion seemed to be getting louder and louder. Eventually, even vibrations started to rumble, and Kaitain opened the cabin door to find out what was going on. After a while, he came back with a very serious expression.

“What’s wrong, Kai?”

“Hmm, it seems like something complicated has happened.”

“What on earth is going on…”

“It’s about that elf.”

*Elf? Is he talking about Endil?* I was slightly taken aback by the unexpected mention of that being. There was no other being on this ship that could be referred to as ‘elf’ other than that guy. Surely the guy who lost his spirit hasn’t gone crazy and is causing trouble among the people, right? Given his rough nature, it was a plausible scenario.

“If you mean the spiritist boy who had the accident this time, what about him?”

Isana asked, puzzled, next to me, who was stiff. The two of them had only heard general rumors about Endil, and they didn’t know the detailed circumstances. They only had a brief understanding of the incident, that someone had tried to kill him by using him, and that the spirit contract had been terminated in the process of the commotion. Just then, a scream-like shout was heard nearby.

“It wasn’t me! I’m telling you it wasn’t me!”

“… !”

A rough voice scratching the floor. It was definitely Endil’s.

I hurriedly opened the door and went outside. There were many people gathered in the hallway. It seemed like everyone in the cabins had come out. Among the crowd that was packed tightly without any gaps, I found a small boy crouching down. It was Endil.

The people surrounding him all had grim expressions on their faces. Among them, several people who appeared to be sailors roughly grabbed the resisting Endil and forcibly pressed him to the floor. His small body was covered in bruises, probably from being subjected to violence several times already.

“Hey, don’t treat him too harshly. His guilt hasn’t been proven yet.”

“But this guy is resisting too much.”

“That’s right. He’s so small, but he’s so strong. We have to do this to keep him quiet.”

The sailors who were restraining him grumbled and made excuses at the captain’s words. The captain’s gentle face, which had been defending Endil last night, was pale today. He kept looking at Endil with a pitiful gaze, but he couldn’t stop what the people were doing.

“Excuse me, what’s going on here?”

The atmosphere was so unusual that I cautiously asked the people nearby. Then, a man who was watching with a click of his tongue replied indifferently.

“There was an accident where a noble young master almost died this time. It turns out that this alien race guy was involved in that.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“It seems that the culprit just confessed a little while ago. He said that this guy was also an accomplice. He said that he met him in the early morning and gave him money to ask for a favor?”

“… !”

Now I seemed to know what was going on. Mus, that guy was harboring resentment over the failed operation and framed Endil.

“I’m telling you it wasn’t me! I was trying to save that kid! Damn it! How many times do I have to say it! Ask that kid! Then you’ll know everything!”

Endil’s shout continued as soon as I grasped the situation. Then, one of the sailors who was holding him down clicked his tongue and replied.

“We already asked him. But I’m sorry, he said he doesn’t know.”

“Wh-what?”

“The young master only remembers being possessed by the necklace. No one knows what you were trying to do after that.”

“Damn it! I was trying to save him, okay?”

“Hmph, why would you lose your spirit if you were trying to save someone? There must be a reason why Siciel left.”

“Get your facts straight! Siciel didn’t leave on purpose! He was reverse summoned! But my body couldn’t withstand the shock, so the contract was broken! Because I used too much mana to save that kid! What are you babbling about when you don’t even know!”