Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 145

145.

“Don’t look so displeased. In return, I’ll grant you a vacation for a while after the banquet. Go relax at a villa or wherever you like. Consider it a break to relieve your fatigue.”

“But that’s…….”

“What? Don’t you like it?”

“I still have unfinished business.”

“Business?”

“I haven’t found the Emperor.”

Only then did the Grand Duke seem to understand, letting out a short ‘Ah.’

“Ah, right, I forgot to tell you. The plan has changed. As of this moment, all pursuit of the Emperor is to be halted.”

“Halted, you say?”

“It seems that child has summoned the Water Spirit King.”

“……!”

Caribdis’s eyes widened at the shocking news. The Emperor summoning a Spirit King? If true, it was a monumental event that could instantly change the entire war situation. Seeing his hardened expression, the Grand Duke smiled with a dangerous glint.

“He’s been a very lucky child since he was young. I never imagined he’d stab me in the back like this. It was foolish of me. Why didn’t I think of it? I should have realized it the moment I heard the rumor that the Emperor brought rain every three days.”

“It’s not your fault, Your Highness. No one knew the Emperor had such qualities.”

“True. Spiritists are mostly born with it. But that child never received such a diagnosis while in the Imperial Palace. How on earth did such a child summon a Spirit King? And of all the Spirit Kings, it had to be the Water Spirit King… A truly coincidental connection.”

Caribdis silently agreed. It had only been a few months since the late Emperor was executed for taking responsibility for the decade-long drought. If the Emperor had summoned the Water Spirit King just a little sooner, it might not have happened. Wouldn’t that be the cruelest miracle of all for the Emperor himself?

Remembering the face of the young and innocent boy, Caribdis felt a brief pang of discomfort. Of course, the feeling didn’t last long. He didn’t deserve the title of the Grand Duke’s right-hand man if he pitied the enemy. Only one person was qualified to be the Emperor in this empire: his lord, Grand Duke Yukarte. He reaffirmed the fact he had never doubted in his heart.

The Grand Duke was lost in thought. He gazed out the window and murmured softly.

“Huhu, is the Goddess of Fate launching a counterattack against me? That makes it all the more interesting.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No, just muttering to myself. Anyway, further pursuit is meaningless now. There’s no way any traces will be revealed, and even if they were, it would be impossible to kill him with just a small pursuit team. The problem is, I don’t know when that child plans to show himself. I thought he would have arrived in the Claymore Duchy by now, but the spy I planted there says there’s still no sign of him. Well, even if they did meet, they wouldn’t have had a joyful reunion.”

“What do you…….”

“I played a little trick.”

Seeing the smiling face, Caribdis frowned involuntarily. The things the Grand Duke called ‘tricks’ had never been good. He had advised against it several times, but it seemed he couldn’t fix that habit. He sighed and said,

“……Your Highness, it’s difficult for me to grasp the situation if you don’t tell me these things in advance. I’ve been telling you this all along.”

“So rigid. I just made the situation a little more interesting. Ah, of course, it might not be so pleasant for Isana and that child.”

“Could the Duke’s seclusion also be related to that…….”

“Well, what do you think?”

“……Your Highness.”

“Anyway, it’s become troublesome. I went to all the trouble of setting up a delicious game, but it’s been too quiet from the start. What do you think? Could it be that the child hasn’t gone to see the Duke? No matter how powerful the Spirit King is, he can’t possibly think of attacking me without any political support.”

“Isn’t he just hiding because he’s afraid of war?”

It seemed the Grand Duke had no intention of revealing the truth anyway. Caribdis, having given up on protesting further, simply blurted out whatever came to mind. At that, the Grand Duke burst into laughter.

“Haha, afraid? That child? You still don’t know Isana very well.”

“…….”

“Why do you think the late Emperor submitted to execution so readily? Really for the sake of the people? Nonsense. It was because he had that child, the Crown Prince, to succeed him. Everyone was mistaken because of his weak appearance. Do you know what Isana was like when the late Emperor was executed? That fragile and timid child, he watched his father die from beginning to end, without looking away.”

“……!”

“I still can’t forget the look of hatred in that child’s eyes as he glared at me then. Even a young lion is still a lion. That child is afraid of war? Especially with the powerful weapon of the Spirit King by his side?”

“……I stand corrected. It seems I was mistaken.”

“Of course, you were mistaken. He may have resigned himself when he had nothing in his hands, but the situation is very different now. That child will surely try to prepare for an all-out war.”

The Grand Duke’s eyes gleamed with madness as he muttered with conviction.

“I don’t know what that child is thinking, but it doesn’t matter. We must gather the troops. As quickly as possible. The more, the better.”

“Isn’t it too early…….”

“The time is when I say it is.”

“……The public opinion has turned favorable toward the Emperor since the Miracle of Three Days. The people will resist.”

“What does that matter?”

Public opinion is easy to manipulate anyway. Controlling the fickle hearts of the people as he wished was as easy as eating cold porridge for the Grand Duke. Caribdis sighed lightly at the indifferent reply.

“Let me confirm one more time. Are you certain that the Emperor has made a contract with the Spirit King?”

“Yes.”

“How did Your Highness know that the Emperor hadn’t revealed it yet?”

“Am I obligated to tell you that?”

“…….”

It wasn’t an unexpected response. Nevertheless, Caribdis couldn’t help but feel his spirits sink. The Grand Duke had never been honest, but recently he had been hiding more and more from him. Caribdis stared at the Grand Duke silently. He saw the deeply engraved mark of the Demon God on the back of his hand as he brushed back his hair. The moment he saw it, Caribdis opened his mouth without realizing it.

“……There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard that some soldiers are kidnapping children from the people and presenting them to you. Were you aware of this?”

“Oh dear, is there someone doing such a thing? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

It was a nonchalant answer without batting an eye. Caribdis quietly took a breath. It had been ten years since the Grand Duke started gathering children from all over the country. It was to train a special unit that would only follow him. Caribdis didn’t like the plan, but he had no choice but to accept it because his lord’s will was so firm, and he himself acknowledged the necessity to some extent. It was also because he believed the Grand Duke’s words that most of the children being brought in were slaves or bought from poor parents. However, the rumors he actually encountered in the world were very different from what he thought. Caribdis barely managed to suppress the urge to distort his face.

“Where are the children who were presented to you now?”

“Of course, they are training to become warriors in a place prepared for them.”

“Hasn’t anyone completed the training yet?”

“I hear that most of them die in the middle because the training is too difficult. It’s truly unfortunate.”

“……Please answer truthfully. You’re not using that sorcery, are you?”

“Sorcery? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Can I trust you?”

“Are you doubting me now?”

“……No. It was a slip of the tongue.”

Caribdis closed his eyes gloomily. It hadn’t been like this from the beginning. That much was certain. But at some point, everything related to the Grand Duke had been disturbing his mind. Why had it become like this? The cracks were growing bigger and bigger, turning into a huge hole, but he could do nothing but watch. Caribdis forcibly suppressed the urge to sigh.

“Come to think of it, I saw an interesting part in the report about the battle with the dragon.”

“Ask me anything.”

“It said that a strong wind suddenly blew when you drew your sword. Everyone lost consciousness, so they couldn’t know the exact situation afterward. It would be best to ask the person involved directly. Did you perhaps gain some special power?”

“…….”

Should I tell him?

He knew what the Grand Duke was curious about. It was definitely about the Spirit Sword Bleaster. Caribdis unconsciously rubbed the sword hilt. In the past, he would have reported everything without hesitation. It would have been a very welcome thing for the Grand Duke that his trusted subordinate had gained new power. But this time, the words didn’t come easily. It was the first time he had felt this way when trying to decide something in front of him. In the end, he decided to lie.

“It was the dragon’s power.”

“Really? According to the witness, the wind blew from you.”

“He must have been mistaken.”

“Hmph, I see.”

At the firm answer, the Grand Duke narrowed his eyes and nodded. The seconds felt as long as years. Only after the snake-like gaze disappeared did the energy that had been pressing down on him dissipate. Caribdis took a slow breath with a stiff face.

“If you have no further orders, I will take my leave.”

After giving a polite salute, Caribdis turned around. It was when he took a step toward the closed door.

“Pie.”

Twitch.

Caribdis’s shoulders trembled slightly at the suddenly heard voice. The name the Grand Duke called was his childhood nickname, which was no longer used. Unlike him, who was staring with a hardened gaze, the Grand Duke had a very relaxed expression.

“Do you remember the promise you made with me?”

The eyes that met his shook greatly. Caribdis took a breath inwardly. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the Grand Duke’s intentions. But even so, the answer was already decided.

“……I remember.”

“That’s a relief.”

The Grand Duke smiled with great satisfaction at getting the answer he wanted. He slowly got up and walked toward Caribdis. Caribdis couldn’t move from his spot as if nailed to the ground until the distance narrowed. Finally, the Grand Duke, who was close enough to be right in front of him, placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered softly.

“Don’t forget in the future either. That you are my man.”

* * *

Pieeeee―

At the high-pitched sound echoing from the sky, people’s gazes turned upward. A huge eagle with its two wings spread wide was circling greatly in the air. What was unusual was that the eagle’s color was pure white without a speck, and that it gradually took on a transparent form toward the end.

Soon, the eagle, which had been rotating in the air several times, quickly attempted to descend. The place where its transparent feet landed was on the arm that someone had extended out the window. The person who received the eagle closed the window and quickly lowered the blinds. At the same time, all eyes in the room were focused on him.

“Ooh, it’s here, it’s here!”

“What’s the news?”

The buzzing people rushed forward. What happened next was surprising. The eagle, clutching its talons tightly, sighed as if the ground was sinking. It even grumbled in human language.

―Seriously, don’t use high-end manpower like me for such trivial things.

At the heavy voice, the rushing people flinched and averted their gazes. Seeing that, the eagle made an even more unpleasant expression and flapped its wings.

―I’m a very strong being, even if I look like this. I’m the kind of being that makes enemies tremble just by appearing on the battlefield! My abilities aren’t meant to be used to spy on the enemy camp and gather news! Do you know what the world calls this? They call it a waste of resources! Got it? A waste of resources!

At the incessant squawking, the people shook their heads with bitter smiles, as if they were already used to it. It was something that happened every time they entrusted him with reconnaissance, so the nagging that had been frightening at first was now indifferently ignored like an annual event. It was even more frustrating for the eagle.

―Did you hear me, Peris?

The gaze that was glaring as if he was resentful was directed at the owner of the arm he was riding on. The man facing the eagle’s reproachful gaze head-on―Peris smiled awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, Jin. As you know, there are high-ranking mages stationed in the capital. It was something that couldn’t be entrusted to anyone but Jin.”

―If it’s a high-level spirit, there’s also Sikel!

“But no one can follow you when it comes to riding the wind.”

―Well, that’s true.

Perhaps his heart was softened by the flattering words, the unpleasant momentum subsided a little. A moment later, the eagle jumped off his arm and transformed into a young man with long white hair. The overall transparent feeling made him not look like a human at all, but that added to the mystery.

The High-Level Wind Spirit, ‘Jin.’

It was the nth time they had seen the sight, but the knights of the guard all exclaimed. It was an awe-inspiring sight every time.