Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 182

182.

“Ugh, wait a minute. I need to sort things out for a second.”

The tense atmosphere shifted thanks to Alisa’s words. As everyone’s attention turned to her, she looked back and forth between me and El with a serious expression.

“I think I understand what’s going on, roughly. So, this person is the old friend that Sibel knew? He wasn’t dead, but actually sealed away for a very long time, and ultimately has nothing to do with El? Did I understand that correctly?”

When I nodded to her question, Alisa frowned.

“Then what are you going to do now, Sibel?”

“Huh? What about?”

“The friend you knew was someone else, and you’ve found him. Does that mean you’re not coming with us anymore?”

“……!”

Right, now that she mentioned it, there was that issue. The reason Sibel had been with us until now was because he thought I was El. Now that he’s met the real El, there’s no need for him to continue accompanying us. Realizing this belatedly, I flinched slightly. Sibelius also seemed to have not thought that far ahead, scratching his head with a flustered expression. Still, he didn’t give an immediate answer, and Alisa’s eyes narrowed.

“What is it, Sibel? Are you really not going?”

“No, uhm, but…….”

Looking troubled, he glanced at El, who was next to him. El smiled, as if asked for his opinion.

“Isn’t it okay to keep traveling together?”

“Huh? Is that alright?”

“Either way, neither you nor I have anything to do in this world. It’ll be more fun to adapt to this strange world with a larger group than just the two of us. I think it would be nice to travel together at least until we have a specific goal. Of course, if you’ll have me.”

His playful gaze reached me. I could feel everyone in the group paying attention to me, openly asking for my intentions. Perhaps it was because of the uniqueness of the situation. I felt like the air around us was tense.

“What, of course! Right, El?”

It was Alisa who changed the atmosphere again this time. I looked down at the hand that lightly gripped my sleeve, and the tension eased slightly. Feeling much more comfortable, I nodded.

“Uhm, I don’t mind as long as Isana is okay with it.”

“Really? Then, Isana?”

“I, I’m fine too.”

“Great! Then it’s decided that we’ll travel together!”

A bright smile, as cheerful as her exclamation, spread across Alisa’s face. It was a smile that made even other people feel good. Sibelius, also moved by the sight, removed the uncomfortable expression he had been wearing and smiled gently. Thanks to the much more amicable atmosphere, Alisa immediately offered El a handshake.

“Then, now that you’re with us, I’ll formally introduce myself. Can I call you El too? I’m Alisa. I look forward to working with you.”

“Haha, yes, I look forward to working with you too, little lady. Are you a spiritist? You’re quite amazing at such a young age.”

“Gasp! That’s right, I’m an earth spiritist. How did you know? Do you have precognitive abilities?”

“No, I’m also a spiritist. Or rather, should I say ‘was’? My spirit contract has been severed now. But I haven’t lost my aptitude, so I can roughly sense it.”

“Hee, so that’s what you meant when you said your contract was severed earlier. Oh, Isana here is also a spiritist. A high-level water spiritist, at that!”

Alisa introduced Isana with a sense of pride, as if it were her own accomplishment, and Isana’s face turned red. El looked at Isana with intrigued eyes.

“A water spiritist? Nice to meet you. I used to be a water spiritist too. May I hold your hand for a moment?”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

At the unexpected suggestion, Isana looked bewildered but obediently held out her hand. “Touching each other will allow me to feel your energy more clearly,” El explained with a smile as he gently took Isana’s hand. After some time, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

“……Hmm, I don’t think you’re just a high-level spiritist?”

“Yes?”

Isana asked back with a puzzled expression, but he was actually looking at me. I blinked at the sudden attention, and he laughed even more amusedly.

“Haha, I see, so that’s what it was. Now I understand everything.”

“What…….”

“Your hair color, it’s been bothering me since earlier. It’s the same color as someone I know. It’s a very rare color for a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“……!”

“Your nickname is El……. Then what’s your real name?”

“…….”

Could he have noticed my identity? I didn’t particularly intend to hide it, but it was a bit disconcerting that the other person recognized me before I revealed it. Now that I think about it, my hair color is unique to the Water Spirit King, so anyone who paid attention would recognize it. Of course, very few people know that fact.

The problem is that El is one of those very few cases. I needed to respond in some way, but words wouldn’t come out as if something was stuck in my throat. With just that, El nodded leisurely, as if he had already heard the answer. Sibelius and Isana were also exchanging awkward glances. Alisa was the only one who didn’t understand the situation.

“Huh? What? Is that it? Why did you stop talking?”

Instead of explaining the situation to the bewildered Alisa, El simply smiled. Then, he held out his hand to me for a handshake.

“I wanted to meet you, though not in this way, but this is good. Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

“Ah, uhm.”

As I hurriedly tried to shake his hand, his body came closer. I felt embarrassed by his unusually close gesture. I couldn’t back away because his voice reached my ear.

“Did you know? The Spirit King can decide how they want their successor to be when they disappear.”

“……Huh?”

“Things like appearance, personality. It’s not all reflected, but it’s somewhat tailored to the wishes of the predecessor. Just like how an emperor sets up someone suitable for his vision as the crown prince. It’s like a senior’s arrangement for the next generation.”

“……!”

When I reflexively looked up, I saw his eyes smiling meaningfully. The moment I met his clear green eyes, I felt something inside me drop with a thud.

I’m hearing for the first time that the successor is determined according to the wishes of the predecessor. But if that’s true, then my current appearance means that it was formed reflecting Eluien’s will. It was so clear who he was thinking of and who he chose that I didn’t even need to ask.

“By the way, how is Trowel doing?”

Before I could even sort out my chaotic feelings, I tensed up at the sudden mention of that name. In a short moment, countless emotions stirred in my head. I tried to maintain a calm face so that my complicated feelings wouldn’t show, and nodded. El wore an expression that mixed joy and longing.

“He must be the same as ever, right? You might not know, but Trowel and I were like brothers. He must have been very surprised when I suddenly disappeared. If you don’t mind, could you keep me a secret for the time being? I want to surprise him when I suddenly appear.”

“Ah, uhm. I will.”

“Thank you. Ah, but he might not be that surprised. He probably already knows that I’ll be back. Besides, you have a colleague who looks just like me, so he might not miss me that much now, right?”

El smiled mischievously and winked. I couldn’t bring myself to smile back. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say next.

“Ah, by the way, your nickname. Did Trowel give it to you?”

“…….”

Bad premonitions always come true. My shoulders twitched at the low voice that brushed past my ear. I didn’t know what kind of expression to make at this time, so I quickly avoided his gaze. I could feel him faintly smiling from beyond my lowered head. As if he knew it all along.

This is the worst.

It felt like I had confirmed the most unwanted situation in the most miserable way. Feeling the bubbling inside, I clenched my fist tightly.

“So what are you talking about!”

Only Alisa’s shout echoed loudly.

* * *

At that moment, as El’s surroundings were filled with lively noise, there was a gaze watching them from a slightly distant place. It was Deron, who had come down under the orders of the Demon King. Sitting on a high tree branch, suppressing his presence to the extreme so as not to be detected, he meticulously watched the appearance of the target of his surveillance.

‘A spiritist girl… is that a Saint-Ma [a being of immense spiritual power, often associated with healing and protection]? And a boy whose identity is unknown. Things are turning out strangely.’

In the short time he hadn’t seen them, there had been many changes in the Emperor’s party. The red man, whose identity was unknown whether he was a dragon or something else, had disappeared, and three new members had joined. He was inwardly confused because he had not been separately informed by Lukareum. Although his role was only to watch, it was difficult not to be able to grasp anything.

Moreover, a Saint-Ma. He was surprised that there were still Saint-Mas left in the middle world, but even the aura he felt was unusual. Perhaps because he thought there was no one who would recognize him, he was revealing his energy without hardly concealing it, so Deron could feel the power he possessed intact. At this rate, it was certain that he was at least a high-ranking Saint-Ma, equivalent to or higher than the Four Dukes of the Demon Realm. It was threatening enough to have just one Spirit King, but every person who gathered was such an outstanding being. It wouldn’t be easy to do this even if you tried to gather them on purpose. It was as if the world was giving strength to the young Emperor.

It was strange that Lukareum had just returned without taking any action. As long as the Demon King’s contractor was in conflict with the Emperor, everyone gathered here was no different from the Demon King’s enemy. If it was his personality, even if the Demon King’s order was not welcome, he would have eliminated one or two people to keep them in check to some extent.

Lukareum had no respect for the king, not even as much as an ant’s eye, but he didn’t like it when he was in a disadvantageous situation or was looked down upon by someone. Even if he didn’t completely tip the scales, he would prepare a situation where they could be evenly matched. But this time, he returned as if to show off without doing anything. Wearing scars that were clearly intentionally inflicted.

‘What is he up to? Whose breath is he trying to choke this time?’

As a demon who could not be easily trusted, Deron felt his mouth drying up at this moment. Whatever he was planning, he could only hope that he was moving well as his pawn.

‘More than that, that boy is really strange. A human who looks exactly like Elquines. What is his identity?’

Deron looked at the Emperor’s party again. The human boy who had just joined had an appearance that was surprisingly similar to the Spirit King Elquines. Except for the color of his hair and eyes, you could believe that they were made with a mold.

Considering the overflowing population, one or two people might accidentally resemble each other. But if the target is the Spirit King, the situation is very different. The Spirit King’s appearance is as special as his existential value. He was always born with the most beautiful and noble appearance based on the standards of that era. But a mere human has the same appearance as such a Spirit King. It was an impossible coincidence.

But what bothered him more than that was that he couldn’t feel the boy’s power at all. He seemed quite strong, but it was difficult to grasp what kind of power the boy had, or even whether his body was trained. Maybe he’s just full of bluster, but in reality, he doesn’t have any special abilities. But even as he thought that, he couldn’t stop the unpleasant feeling, as if bugs were crawling on his skin.

‘No, he’s just a human after all.’

Deron shook his head, removing his frowning face. No matter how strong a human is, it cannot be compared to the power of a demon. Even if that boy reveals an unexpected power, he would be able to handle it with his abilities. It would be better to study how to attack the Saint-Ma rather than worrying about this. Just as Deron, who had made that decision, was about to withdraw his gaze.

“……!”

Suddenly, the boy who raised his head was looking towards where he was. He wasn’t just looking around aimlessly. He was clearly aware of his existence and sending a clear gaze towards where he was.

‘That…….’

It was not a distance that could be detected with human vision. Moreover, since he was now perfectly concealed, even the Spirit King would not have noticed his existence. Startled, Deron reflexively grabbed the scabbard, and the boy stared at him intently before smirking. Then, he nonchalantly turned his head and began chatting with his party members again as before. As if he didn’t know anything. Deron was confused by his nonchalant behavior.

Could it have been a mistake to think that their eyes met? But the smile he gave him was definitely not a mistake. Deron gave strength to the hand holding the scabbard again.

Somehow, he had a bad feeling.