Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 191

191.

The meeting between Princess April and the Emperor’s knights unfolded in a solemn atmosphere. The princess, who had previously presented herself as a carefree disciple of a magician, had reassumed her royal bearing for this special occasion, greeting the knights with dignified grace.

“Welcome, esteemed members of the Imperial Knights. It is a profound honor to finally meet the Emperor’s most loyal protectors. It feels like a dream that this day has come,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

“We greet Princess April,” the knights responded in unison, their voices thick with emotion. An indescribable wave of feeling washed over them, a culmination of their long journey to this pivotal moment. April, too, shared in their sentiment. They took their places at the prepared seats and spent a long time sharing stories and memories of the past.

Meanwhile, Lapis slipped away from the gathering, disappearing into the labyrinthine alleyways of the city. He found his way to a secluded open space, rarely frequented by passersby. Trowell, who had been waiting patiently, straightened up from where he was leaning against a tree trunk.

“Welcome, Lapis.”

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Weren’t you the one who requested this meeting?”

“Don’t play coy with me. The fact that you bothered to show up means you have something important to say.”

Having known his godfather for a long time, Lapis wasn’t easily swayed by his games. Trowell, feigning regret, quickly got to the point.

“Have you been in contact with El lately?”

“No. He hasn’t been answering my calls for a while now. He’s probably ignoring me because I’m annoying him.”

“Surprisingly quiet of you, aren’t you?”

“He threatened to throw my companion stone [a magical artifact used for communication] into the sea if I contacted him one more time. So, I’m holding back for now.”

Lapis grumbled, a hint of childish frustration on his face. He looked like a child who had had his favorite toy taken away, and Trowell inwardly clicked his tongue. Lapis was a useful asset, making him a decent contractor, but his personality often presented challenges.

“But why are you asking about him?”

“Well, I don’t know how to explain it. Lately, I’ve been experiencing an unsettling feeling related to water.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It’s hard to put into words. It’s just a feeling I have. Anyway, El has seemed to be in a low mood recently. It seems like he’s had some kind of emotionally charged encounter…”

“Hmm, if we’re talking about stimulating encounters, aren’t you the one to talk about it?”

“Do you know something?”

“You’re the one who should know.”

“What?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? You mentioned something before about expecting some kind of connection.”

It was only recently that Trowell had spoken cryptically, hinting at something significant. Trowell blinked, taken aback by the reminder.

“That wasn’t about El.”

“What? If not El, then who?”

“The one expecting a connection was his contractor.”

“Me?”

“Not you. I’m talking about the human contractor.”

“What? You’re confusing me.”

Trowell sighed at Lapis, who was quick to blame him for the misunderstanding.

“I met a girl with the fate of a companion star a while ago. El’s contractor has the fate of an emperor. I was simply anticipating their meeting.”

“That’s all?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Trowell shrugged, implying that there was nothing more to it. Ultimately, his words didn’t carry much weight.

“Then what kind of stimulation is El experiencing? He wouldn’t be upset about someone else’s connection… Ah, wait a minute. What? Don’t tell me El has fallen for that girl?”

“Surely not…”

Trowell’s face hardened at the unexpected suggestion. Lapis looked as if he had swallowed something unpleasant.

“But that guy is a Spirit King, yet he hasn’t transcended the level of human consciousness. He even possesses a strong male identity. It’s definitely a promising possibility.”

“She’s a girl. Even if that’s the case, it’s not the right time to see her as a woman yet.”

“Ah, damn it. Then what the hell is it? No, more than that, if you’re so curious, why don’t you go and check it out yourself? That’s the fastest way to find out.”

“I was planning to do that anyway. But suddenly, El’s presence disappeared.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I’m also confused. I know he’s somewhere in the vicinity, but I can’t pinpoint his exact location. It feels similar to when you kidnapped El before.”

“Hmm, then is he trapped in a barrier? I almost died making that thing. Who else would create something like that… Hey, I didn’t kidnap him, okay? I just summoned him!”

Trowell ignored Lapis’s outburst about being called a kidnapper and wore a serious expression.

“Anyway, it’s certain that he’s caught up in something strange. I have a bad feeling about this.”

His muttering was quiet. The more angry or worried he felt, the quieter Trowell’s voice became. Only then did Lapis cease his ranting and speak seriously.

“You’re overthinking it. Even if he’s a bit clumsy, he’s still the Water Spirit King. He broke the barrier I made himself in the end. Even if something happened, he’d be able to handle it.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. Do you think there’s a barrier stronger than what this genius made? Besides, you know better than anyone that he’s not some little kid who needs protection.”

Only after hearing those words did Trowell finally relax his hardened expression. However, the aura of anxiety in his golden eyes remained.

“I hope nothing happens.”

* * *

Contrary to Deron’s warning, nothing significant occurred inside the dungeon as time passed. It only grew darker and colder as they descended. The light from the night-shining stones, which had seemed to last forever, eventually faded, making the surroundings even gloomier. Fortunately, Deron conjured light with magic, making it easier to see.

“How much further do we have to go? This is really creepy,” Alisa complained, her voice echoing in the oppressive silence.

I inwardly agreed with Alisa’s grumbling, a frown creasing my forehead. It felt like they had been descending for an eternity, yet they only encountered the same monotonous path, with no change in scenery. There wasn’t even a single natural spirit to be found. This was not a good sign for me. It meant that I couldn’t utilize the ‘eyes’ of the Spirit King in this dungeon. Even without any gruesome traps or devices, the atmosphere alone was enough to make me deeply uncomfortable.

‘At this rate, it would have been difficult to find the magic sword even if I had come alone.’

A dungeon devoid of even natural spirits. Who on earth could have created such a place? Suppressing my rising questions, I became even more vigilant. Since I had no idea when or where danger might strike, I had no choice but to remain alert.

“My legs hurt so much. I can’t walk anymore,” Alisa whined, the first to succumb to fatigue as time wore on. Hearing her complaints, the group paused for a moment to rest. Even though they tried to conceal it, they were all quite exhausted.

“Come to think of it, we’ve been walking for quite a while. We’ve been walking for at least a few hours, but we still can’t see the end. How deep is this dungeon?”

“We probably haven’t descended as far as you think,” Deron replied to El’s mutterings. As everyone’s questioning gaze turned to him, he slowly ran his hand along the wall.

“Material, temperature, texture, shape. Everything is exactly the same. This is the fifth time.”

“…What do you mean?” Sibelius asked, his eyes narrowing as if annoyed by Deron’s cryptic words. Deron replied nonchalantly, ignoring his irritation. Of course, the information he conveyed was far from trivial.

“It means we’re passing through the same place for the fifth time.”

“…!” The group, quickly grasping the implications, all wore expressions of shock and concern. Passing through the same path meant that they had not escaped this place after all. Only now did they seem to understand why the paths seemed to repeat endlessly. They had assumed there was nothing particularly wrong, but it seemed they were trapped in some kind of loop.

“The fifth time? You should have said something sooner.”

“I just wanted to be certain. It’s not common for a maze to form when you’re simply going straight down in one direction without any forks.”

“Hmm, well, yeah. This is impossible without the power of magic or spells. But I didn’t feel like I was under any influence.”

“Me neither. Jihun, didn’t you notice anything strange?” El asked suddenly.

At El’s unexpected question, I hesitated before answering. “Ah, well… I couldn’t see the spirits.”

“Really? Since when?”

“I think I haven’t seen them since I entered this dungeon.”

“Oh, no. Then that means we’ve been caught in this trap almost from the beginning,” El muttered, his face troubled.

My heart sank at his words. I hadn’t realized that the absence of spirits was such a significant indicator. I had simply assumed it was an unusual place, but it seemed far more serious than I had imagined. Come to think of it, there was one other time when I couldn’t see the spirits. When Lapis summoned me, I remembered being embarrassed because I couldn’t find any lower spirits at all at that time. It was because the space was distorted by the barrier he had erected.

Why had I forgotten such an important detail? I felt a wave of guilt, thinking that if I had informed them earlier, the group could have assessed the situation more effectively.

“Is there a way out?” I asked, my voice laced with anxiety.

Deron stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “The easiest way is to find the real path.”

“The real path?”

“We’re trapped in a transformed space right now. There must be a point somewhere here that connects to the real path. If we find that place and forcibly create a gap, we can break the barrier.”

“How do we find it?”

“Barriers in places like this usually have a designated range. Do you feel anything unnatural or out of place?”

At those words, I focused my mind and scanned the surroundings. But no matter how intently I searched, I couldn’t detect anything that felt out of place. As I shook my head, the shadow on Deron’s face deepened.

“A barrier that can even deceive the senses of the Spirit King. I knew this wasn’t an ordinary dungeon, but it seems more dangerous than I initially thought. It won’t be easy to break through.”

“How about breaking all the walls? Then a gap will appear somewhere, right?” Sibelius suggested.

But Deron shook his head sharply. “If you touch it carelessly, this entire space will collapse. I can’t agree to such a reckless method.”

“Are you saying we should just stay trapped like this?”

“It’s better than being buried alive together.”

“You’re not as bold as I thought. And you’re a demon.”

“Is that why you’re acting like a runaway colt because you’re a Saint?”

Sibelius’s lips twisted at Deron’s sarcasm. An intense tension crackled between the two men.

Meanwhile, I continued to concentrate on finding the sensation that Deron had mentioned. The fact that the space would collapse if touched incorrectly meant that there was only one chance to break the barrier. If I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, we could be in serious trouble, so I had to be more careful than ever.

‘Wait, the fact that the section is repeating means that it definitely returns to the beginning at some point, right? Then the flow of air in here is the same. If I can check this in the form of gas or liquid, I can find the distorted part, right?’

Yes… for example, with water.

With a sudden inspiration, I decided to experiment. As I focused my consciousness, water slowly rose and quickly soaked my feet. It soon began to flow down the stairs, obeying the laws of gravity.

As water suddenly flowed from the floor, the group seemed surprised, but they quietly held their breath and observed my actions. Sibelius and Deron, who had been busy glaring at each other, did the same.

As everyone watched, I focused all my senses on the flow of water. The water continued to flow down, its path unchanged. It followed the same route we had taken.

I felt a strange sensation around the time when the water started flowing. From some point on, the sensation of the water flowing began to feel like a double image. At first, it was a very faint sensation, but it became clearer as it continued, and at some point, it became impossible to distinguish between the two. It was as if two streams of water were flowing together.

It didn’t take long to understand the reason. I widened my eyes at the sight I saw when I inadvertently raised my head. The group also looked up, following my gaze, and froze in place. A stream of water was flowing from the ceiling. It was impossible not to recognize that it was connected to the water flowing in front of me.

“Hmm, I see now. It wasn’t the side, it was the top?” El muttered, as if intrigued, and suddenly drew his sword.

“El?”

“Hey, wait…” Sibelius and Deron, who had not yet recovered from their surprise, frowned and began to protest. But by then, El had already swung his sword. Swoosh, crackle! Pow! A fierce sound, like a storm, swept through the ceiling. An unexpected event followed. The ceiling that had been struck remained intact, but the floor we were standing on began to collapse. No, it felt like the ground itself was giving way.

“Oh, no, it’s collapsing!”

“Everyone, be careful!”

I sensed a flurry of movement among the startled group. But this time, there was no time to worry about them. The moment I tried to brace myself for the impact, I had already reached the floor. The loud vibrations and noise lasted only for a brief moment before disappearing. Looking around, it didn’t seem like there was any damage other than landing on my butt. It didn’t seem like it was a fall from any significant height.

As time passed, the dust that filled the surroundings gradually cleared. Before me was a space that was incomparably larger than before. The sight of round pillars embedded at regular intervals was reminiscent of a temple. Beyond that, two wide-open doors revealed a long corridor.

“Cough, cough! What, is this the end?” Alisa coughed and muttered in disbelief.

“No,” El replied. Even in the situation where everyone was sitting on the ground, he was the only one standing upright, his sword slung over his shoulder. Following El’s gaze, I let out a slight groan.

“It’s just the beginning.”

Red lights were flashing in front of the entrance to the corridor. It was the fierce glint in the eyes of a beast.