Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 172

172.

“That’s strange. The way you say it makes it sound like you remember a past life?”

“Huh?”

“Well, usually people are curious about their past lives, not dismissive of them, right? To say something like that so decisively, you must be sure that your past life was worse than your current one? Or that the memory is negatively affecting your current life?”

“……!”

I didn’t expect her to hit the nail on the head so quickly. I must have underestimated Alisa’s sharpness. Knowing that panicking would be as good as admitting it, I tried to answer as calmly as possible.

“I… It’s nothing like that. I just want to focus on the present.”

“Hmm, well, of course, this life is more important. But the past me is still me, isn’t it? Even if the body is different, if the soul is the same, aren’t we ultimately the same person? I don’t think you need to reject it so vehemently. What if you keep denying it and it turns out to be true? You might not be able to forgive yourself later for saying such things.”

“But it’s really not.”

“You’re really suspicious. How can you be so sure?”

“Ah, no, I mean… what if it’s not?”

Alisa shrugged slightly at my hastily corrected words.

“What’s there to do? If it’s not, it’s just not.”

“Is that something you can answer so simply……”

“No, it’s simple. Either way, whether that person or not, El is El, right? Isn’t that enough?”

“……Is that enough?”

“Of course. Why? Are you afraid that Sibelius will hate you if it turns out you’re not him?”

“…….”

A sharp sensation spread from a corner of my heart. I finally realized the true nature of the uneasy feeling I had only vaguely felt until now.

Yes, I was scared. Scared that Sibelius’s attitude would change if I wasn’t ‘El.’ Furthermore, the reactions Troel and Ellyuen would show me when they asked for the truth. That the fact that the beings I considered family only kept me by their side for that reason would eventually be revealed. …So I was afraid that I would once again realize that this wasn’t where I belonged.

My gloomy mood must have shown on my face. Alisa patted my shoulder as if she understood everything.

“Don’t be so down. No one likes to get hurt. But you’re being silly. Why only think about what you’ll lose? The friendship you and Sibelius are building is still friendship, isn’t it? Can you just throw that away so decisively just because you’re a different person? Is Sibelius such a cold person?”

“That’s……”

“Even El doesn’t think so, right? Of course, it’ll be confusing at first, but that’ll only be for a little while. What if you’re a different person? You can just become closer than you were with that person in the past. Don’t overthink it. It’s just a new relationship being built.”

I stared blankly at Alisa. She doesn’t know the exact situation. Maybe if she knew all the facts, she wouldn’t be able to say this. But the moment I heard her words, the feeling that had been endlessly sinking became much lighter.

It’s just a new relationship being built.

This simple sentence struck my heart like a truth. Everything I had been worrying about felt like nothing. Feeling my mind gradually clearing, I gave a faint smile.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, you’re right. You’re really smart, Alisa. Thanks to you, I feel much better.”

“I’m glad you understand. Now, make sure you make up with Sibelius.”

“Yeah, I will. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Anyway, men, they’re all like kids, no matter how old they get.”

I hurriedly swallowed the laughter that was bursting out at her adult-like tone. The problem was that such behavior suited her so well that it was scary. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if her actual age was much older than she looked, at least for now.

Just then, the door opened and Sibelius re-entered. He said he was going out to clear his head, but he looked even worse than before. I took a slight breath and mustered the courage to approach him.

“Hey, Sibelius. I have something to tell you.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. Can we do it later? I’m too tired today……”

“Oh? Ah, okay, sure.”

“Sorry.”

After offering a listless apology, he trudged over to his bed and immediately collapsed onto it. Isana said to me in a small voice as she watched me fidgeting.

“Don’t worry, El. Sibelius-nim [term of respect] probably still has a lot to think about. He’ll get over it soon, even if he’s like that now.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Isana. I created an uncomfortable atmosphere.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Actually, it was something we’ve been struggling with all along. It was something we had to address someday.”

I gave a bitter smile inwardly at his dignified answer. I didn’t think I had shown it much, but it seemed that the discomfort was all over my face to the point that he could feel it.

“You don’t hate Sibelius-nim, do you?”

“It’s not like that. I think he’s a good guy.”

“Yeah, that’s a relief. I like Sibelius-nim too.”

It was the greatest compliment from him, who rarely expressed his feelings directly. I looked at Sibelius again. He was already breathing evenly, as if he had fallen asleep as soon as he lay down. I clicked my tongue slightly and pulled the blanket over him. Isana, who was watching the scene from the side, asked as if muttering to himself.

“That El person, I wonder what kind of person he was?”

“……Are you curious?”

“Just. I’m amazed that they’re so similar. You can resemble each other in appearance, but it’s rare to have the same personality.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

In fact, I was also wondering about that. Why was his name El? Why did he have to resemble me out of all those people? The traces of that person were clinging like shadows wherever fate reached, so it even felt like someone had intended it.

But after all, he’s just a person from the distant past. Even agonizing over this is meaningless.

* * *

The Demon King’s castle was in an uproar. The news that Duke Lucarrem, who had gone down to the middle world on a mission from the Demon King, had returned injured had spread.

Although he had never shown outstanding performance, he was still a being with the title of Duke. The news of his injury was enough to embarrass not only those who knew his true strength, but also those who did not.

Thump, thump, thump. Amid the commotion filling the surroundings, a figure walked quickly down the hallway. A black-haired man with a cloak trailing behind him was Deron, one of the four great dukes of the Demon Realm and the owner of the eastern territory.

His hurried steps were directed towards a huge door that reached the ceiling. There, a man who seemed to have arrived earlier was leaning against the wall with a bored expression. As soon as Deron spotted the unusually striking navy blue hair, his eyes widened.

“Zack!”

“……Yo.”

The man who had arrived first was Dezak Rune, the owner of the northern territory. Receiving his light greeting as if he were receiving it, Deron stepped forward as if to pounce.

“Is the news true? Luca… no, Lucarrem has returned?”

Zack frowned slightly at his violent behavior, but didn’t particularly scold him. He had come here with similar feelings.

“That’s what I heard. It seems that he is currently having an audience with the Demon King.”

“I heard he was seriously injured, is that true?”

“I’m curious about that too. But is he someone who can be defeated by others? It must be misinformation.”

“Ye, you’re probably right, right?”

“I don’t know either.”

It was an irresponsible answer as much as his indifferent expression. Yeah, that’s his personality. Deron frowned, but soon gave up and sighed. It seemed that he had no choice but to wait until Lucarrem finished his audience and came out.

‘What on earth is going on?’

When I heard the news, I felt like my heart was sinking. Lucarrem was by far the strongest of the four great dukes. Maybe even more than the Demon King. No one expected him to return like this.

He bit his lip and stared at the tightly closed door of the audience chamber. Whenever he saw the towering giant door, he felt like he was suffocating, but today it felt even more like he was strangling him.

‘Luca…….’

* * *

The Demon King Karyudrian rested his chin on one hand and looked at the man in front of him. The man kneeling obediently had no arms on his body. Red blood was dripping from his shoulders, which had not yet been completely stanched.

“That’s quite a pathetic sight, Lucarrem.”

At the low voice coming from his mouth, Lucarrem, who had been kneeling obediently, lowered his head.

“I have no excuse.”

“No, it’s not bad. The agent of the Demon God who lost both arms. It’s quite a rare sight. I want to take a video stone [magical recording device] and leave it behind. It’ll be fun to watch whenever I’m annoyed.”

Lucarrem just smiled at the words that were clearly meant to provoke him. It was an expression that was no different from a habit, and it was also the expression that Karyudrian hated the most.

“It would be an honor if I could please Your Highness even a little.”

“Your good speech hasn’t changed.”

“If possible, please say that I’m good at speaking too.”

The answers he spat out were so nonchalant that they were almost cheeky. Karyudrian narrowed his eyes.

“Anyway, seeing you like that, I guess the mission failed.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you. As expected, the Spirit King was not an easy opponent. I tried to approach him in a friendly way and induce him to be careless, but he didn’t give me a chance.”

“Didn’t you do it moderately?”

“How could that be?”

There is no shaking in the gaze that looks straight ahead. It was an honest eye that did not contain even an inch of lies. But even if he was hit in the bullseye, he would have looked at him with the same eyes as now. Karyudrian, who knew that fact well, did not bother to grasp his true intentions.

“Well, that’s good. It was encouraging enough that you obeyed my orders willingly. This time, let’s give meaning to the fact that you came even pretending.”

“Those are words that can cause misunderstanding. Who would dare not follow the orders of the Demon King?”

“It’s funny that you’re saying that, not someone else. Then will you continue to take on the job?”

“What do you mean by continuing……”

“At least for now, it’s not time to take our eyes off Elquines. I want you to at least grasp their movements until I give separate instructions.”

“You’re trying to give me another chance, even though I haven’t properly carried out the orders I received. You’re so generous, Your Highness. But if that’s the case, I think there’s someone more suitable than me.”

“Why? Are you thinking of saying one thing and doing another?”

“Ahaha, how could that be? If I had my way, I would like to follow Your Highness’s orders right away. But as you can see, I’m in this state.”

Looking at Lucarrem, who was slyly smiling and trying to get out of it, Karyudrian let out a burst of laughter. It was more of a smile close to contempt than a smile that was really fun.

“Oh, come to think of it, that’s right. About when will your arm recover?”

“Even if I attach it, it will be difficult to function normally for at least a month or two. It will take ten years to wait for it to grow back.”

“That’s similar to other demons.”

“I am also a demon, Your Highness.”

“Huh, is the agent of the Demon God just a being subject to physical constraints? It’s not a big deal after all.”

“…….”

This time, Lucarrem replaced his answer with a silent smile. There’s nothing more boring than stimulating an opponent who doesn’t react. Karyudrian soon became indifferent and nodded.

“I can’t help it. I’ll leave that to Deron. I’ll write a letter of command, so please deliver it on your way. You can do that much, right?”

“Of course.”

The sound of paper unfolding and writing being written spread out. Lucarrem was still kneeling and silently watching Karyudrian slowly moving his quill. In fact, considering the severed arm, this was not the time to be so relaxed. The problem is not that the treatment is delayed, but that the regenerative power is too great.

Good regenerative power means that it heals faster, and once the skin has healed, it cannot be re-sutured. In this state, he had no choice but to wait for his arm to grow back, but Lucarrem did not ask to leave. It was because he knew that the Demon King was deliberately stalling for time.

“Oh, come to think of it, something happened while you were away.”

“What happened?”

“What was it? Ah, yes. I heard that all the eggs born during this breeding season were destroyed.”

It was a monotonous tone as if he were reciting the types of food that came out for lunch. But Lucarrem’s face hardened when he heard the story. No matter how much he was, this time he couldn’t laugh.

“All the eggs…… you mean?”

“Yes, all of them.”

A heavy silence flowed for a while. Lucarrem did not ask who did it. In the first place, there were only a handful of people in this demon world who could do such a thing. Among them, there was only one being who had a reason to attempt such a thing. Karyudrian also knew why he didn’t ask.

“You’re saving your words at times like this too. Duke Dezak was the same. Even though he had a face that knew who the culprit was, he kept his mouth shut and didn’t say a word.”

“……Isn’t it natural if there is no evidence?”

“That’s right. If you suspect rashly, you’ll lose your precious life.”

“…….”

“I heard that there was a child in this egg who could be expected to be the next Demon King. In your position, it’s quite a shame that you lost the opportunity to welcome a new master. I’m getting tired of being at odds with me.”

“……You’re mistaken. I have never thought that even once.”

“Really?”

“I swear, really. Besides, the position of Demon King is something to be won through challenges. It’s not something you can predict the future. Just because that egg hatched doesn’t guarantee that it will become the next Demon King. It’s just that it’s very heartbreaking that this breeding season has ended like this. Even if it’s not, the number of demons who die is greater than the number of demons who are born, so there will be only losses without inflow for the next 100 years, so the impact will be very great.”

“Then you can tell the Demon God. Tell me to give you one more breeding season.”

“That’s not something the Demon God can decide alone. I heard that the part related to breeding is intricately intertwined with the underworld.”

“Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”

Karyudrian muttered as if he was really surprised. But after all, it was a pleasant face that did not take the seriousness of the situation into account at all. Lucarrem sighed deeply. A scroll fell in front of him.

“It’s a letter of command to give to Deron. Tell him that he doesn’t need to have a separate audience and that he can go down right away.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lucarrem answered calmly as usual. But his expression was no longer as bright as before. A satisfied smile appeared on Karyudrian’s face as he watched it.

“You can step down now.”