Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 194

194.

“Jihun! Alisa! Sibel! Where is everyone?”

Standing in the middle of a long, straight corridor, Isana shouted, his expression anxious. He felt like he’d been caught in a wildly twisting space, tossed around for what felt like forever. When he finally regained his senses, he was alone in an unfamiliar place, with no one around.

Where could everyone be? He didn’t clearly remember the last moments, but he recalled them disappearing one by one amidst the chaos. It seemed they had all been scattered. Isana bit his lip, worry gnawing at him. He had remained calm even in more dangerous situations, but now he couldn’t shake the anxiety. Especially the fact that Elquines wasn’t by his side; that was the scariest part.

Since making their contract, Elquines had never silently left his side, not even once. Just having him nearby eased his worries, no matter how precarious the situation. He felt a reassuring sense that everything would be alright, as if he held the world in his hands. Only now did Isana realize how much he had been relying on Elquines. He had been okay until now because Elquines was always with him.

“Jihun! El… Elquines!”

No matter how hard he tried, Elquines’ new alias didn’t quite feel right. Because he wasn’t used to the awkward name, he used it less often, and as a result, his interactions with Elquines had become strained as well. It felt like it was all his fault that he was separated from Elquines. Eventually, Isana stopped trying to use the new name and shouted his real name instead.

“Elquines! Where are you, Elquines? El! Answer me! El?”

Before long, he reverted to calling him by his original title. Although it now belonged to someone else, it still felt more familiar and comfortable to call Elquines by that name. At the same time, Isana thought that the name suited Elquines best. He had always felt that way, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of the others. Elquines also seemed to have a fondness for that title.

*Shouldn’t I have kept calling him that until the end, at least?* Just as Sibelius had stood up for his friend, he should have done the same for Elquines. Elquines was kind and wouldn’t want to create conflict within the group. He might not have even wanted to change his name in the first place.

How disappointed would he have been if that were the case? A belated regret left a bitter taste in his mouth. When they met again, he would apologize first and tell him his honest thoughts. He would return the name that suited him best. Isana made the same resolution over and over again in his mind.

“Sicuel! Sicuel? Come out!”

When there was no response from Elquines no matter how much he called, Isana tried to summon Sicuel as a second option. He thought it would be better to have someone with him than to be alone. But for some reason, there was no response from Sicuel either. The Undines [water spirits] and Naiads [water nymphs] were also silent.

*Could it be that I can’t use spirit magic here?* Judging that the situation was more serious than expected, Isana gripped the hilt of his sword with a tense expression. He knew well enough the danger of this dungeon from what he had experienced so far. If he couldn’t use the power of spirits, he had no choice but to rely on his sword.

How long had he walked like that? Suddenly, a welcome sight came into view. He found Alisa sitting in a corner of the hallway.

“Alisa!”

Isana was delighted and quickly ran to hug Alisa. Or, he was about to hug her. The reason he couldn’t was because his hand didn’t touch Alisa’s body but passed right through her. Isana gasped, his expression one of disbelief. At that moment, a sobbing voice echoed in the air.

“Everyone’s gone. Nom! Mulden! Come out! Why doesn’t anyone show up!”

“A, Alisa?”

“I don’t like it here. It’s scary. It’s too scary. Isana! Jihun! El! Sibelius! Where is everyone? Please, someone show up! Waaah!”

“Alisa! Can’t you see me? Alisa!”

Despite repeated calls, Alisa didn’t notice Isana’s presence at all. What was even more surprising was that her form was gradually fading. As Isana unconsciously reached out in panic, she disappeared as if she had never been there in the first place.

“……!”

He stood frozen, unable to breathe, when someone else appeared right next to him. The person who appeared was Deron. He was looking around with an indifferent expression.

“What kind of space is this? I can’t use any energy at all. Is this also the influence of sorcery?”

“Deron?”

“If it’s sorcery, it must be the West. It’s definitely not Serphis. It might be the work of one of the former Western Dukes. There are even records that the master of the West was the strongest among the Grand Dukes in the era when forbidden dark sorcery was frequent. Now, it’s barely maintaining its lineage. There were also guys like Ibak who didn’t know anything about sorcery…”

“Deron! Can’t you see me either?”

Isana ran desperately and grabbed Deron. But this time, just like with Alisa, he simply passed through his body. As he disappeared, Sibelius appeared this time. He kept looking back.

“Should I have brought him out too? I thought he would follow me out if I came out first, but why isn’t he moving?”

“Sir Sibel…….”

“It’s dangerous to act alone at times like this. Tsk, I can’t help it. I have to go back and get him… Huh? What. Where did the door go?”

“Sir Sibel, can’t you see me either?”

“Am I trapped in sorcery again? This is driving me crazy. Could it be that the entire dungeon is made of sorcery? Who made this? I’ve never even heard of this kind of sorcery.”

Sibelius’ face, muttering to himself, was full of dismay. That was probably the expression he was making somewhere at this time. Soon, even his figure disappeared, and Isana slumped to the floor. He couldn’t be touched or heard; he felt like he had become a ghost. *No, am I really even alive?*

The moment he bit his lip in the face of the encroaching fear, the space suddenly shook violently. The corridor, which had been fine until just now, was once again crumpled like a crumpled piece of paper. Losing his footing, his body instantly began to fall into a deep darkness where nothing could be seen.

Kugugugugung!

“Aaaaaaack!”

How long had it been? Isana suddenly realized that he was standing upright and slowly opened his eyes. Then, he was met with colors that were brighter and more splendid than the corridor he had been in just a moment ago.

The first thing he saw was the red carpet on the floor and the curtains embroidered with splendid gold thread. In the center, there were tables and chairs prepared for receptions, and beyond that, there was an entrance leading to the bedroom.

The splendid space immediately told him the status of the owner of this room. The living room, which also served as a reception room, was larger than the hall of any large mansion, and the furniture, as well as the small ornaments, were all high-quality items that were clearly made with care by artisans. But each of those decorated figures was very familiar. Isana looked around with a firm expression.

“Is this perhaps… my room from when I was the Crown Prince?”

It was unmistakable. The Crown Prince’s Palace was where he had spent his entire childhood, so to speak, and it was the place where he had spent the longest time in the Imperial Palace. There was no way he couldn’t recognize the arrangement that had never changed during his stay.

*How did this happen?* At that moment, Isana inadvertently looked down at his clothes and widened his eyes. The ordinary robe he had been wearing until now had disappeared without a trace, and a red ceremonial robe was taking its place. It was the formal attire of the Crown Prince, which he had never worn once since ‘that day’.

Knock knock!

Isana flinched at the sound of knocking before he could even process the situation. Soon, a man opened the door and entered. As soon as Isana identified him, he stopped breathing. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The person standing there was someone he would never encounter in this way.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, how are you feeling?”

The man was wearing a white robe. The plain, unadorned garment had a red pattern symbolizing the Demon God at the hem, like blood. His hair, slightly tied and falling below his shoulders, was a deep gold color that closely resembled his own. Similarly, his blue eyes, which looked exactly like his own, were visible. His neat and kind-looking face, except that he looked a little older, resembled Isana himself so eerily. It was as if he would grow up to be just like that. And Isana knew better than anyone who this person who looked so much like himself was.

“…U, Uncle?”

Even as he stammered the question, his mind was already certain of the other person’s identity. There was no mistake. The man in front of him was his uncle, Grand Duke Yukarte, the Regent.

*How on earth could my uncle be here? This doesn’t make sense. This can’t be true.* Isana tried hard to pull himself together. But the reality was that his whole body was trembling just from facing him. He couldn’t even put strength into his legs or even his hands. He felt like a mouse facing a giant snake.

When their eyes met, the Grand Duke tilted his head and smiled faintly. It was a smile that looked somehow pitiful and poignant. The moment he saw that face, Isana thought that this situation was a scene he had seen many times somewhere. There was no need to go back over his memories. The exact same situation was unfolding right before his eyes.

“The scaffold has been prepared. You must watch His Majesty’s last moments.”

The cruel premonition was unerringly correct. Isana slowly blinked his eyes. *It must have been like this back then too.*

“…Sca, scaffold? La…st?”

“Do not grieve too much. His Majesty is bearing all the calamities of this land in his place. Therefore, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, must uphold his sacrifice as a great achievement and become a strong emperor.”

“……! Th, that can’t be. What’s going on……?”

Isana unknowingly covered his mouth with both hands. Everything came back to him clearly. *Why had I only realized it now?* This was the memory of the very day his father was executed. The terrible day that he didn’t want to remember the most, the day that made him curse the whole world, was unfolding again before his eyes.

For a moment, his mind seemed to go blank. *Had I even been breathing?* When he came to his senses, he felt as if his vision had suddenly changed. Only when he saw the Grand Duke’s knees in front of him did Isana realize that he was sitting down.

“Let us go now, Your Highness. You must hurry.”

The Grand Duke forcibly pulled him up, who was stiffly frozen. The arm that held him tightly forced him to lead. He resisted reflexively, but the more he did, the faster the Grand Duke’s pace became. Passing through the long corridor where the knights were standing, all the way to the front of the main palace gate, Isana was dragged along by him without rest. After a while, a huge roar and the sight of a large crowd began to appear.

“Waaaaaah!”

Among the cheering people, he saw a man standing in front of a large scaffold. Isana’s eyes shook again as he identified him. The blond man, dressed in simple clothes and standing indifferently, was once his father, who had been in the most glorious and noble position. He was the ruler of this Swalt, and a clean emperor who loved and cared for his people more than anyone else. But why was he in such a terrible place! And why were the people cheering as they watched him!

He saw a sturdy rope swaying above his head. Isana staggered weakly as he discovered the sight. This time, the Grand Duke did not hold him either. Instead, one of the knights nearby supported him. It seemed to be Kay, the captain of the Imperial Guard. *Your Highness, Crown Prince, pull yourself together! You must endure!* A voice filled with sobs whispered quickly in his ear. Only when he saw his reddened eyes did he barely come to his senses.

*No, wouldn’t it have been better to lose consciousness?* He took a deep breath as he looked at Kay’s face, then slowly turned his gaze back to the execution ground. The thought that he should not look at the scene in front of him and turn away filled his mind. Nevertheless, he could not take his eyes off the rope. Soon, that rope would strangle his father’s neck and take his breath away in an instant.

*Father!*

Next to him, as he screamed inwardly, the Grand Duke, with a faint smile on his lips, said.

“Hanging was chosen to preserve the remains of the royal family intact. Do you like it?”

*Do I like it?*

“Look. The people are cheering. They believe that all these disasters will end when His Majesty passes away, so it can’t be helped. Your Highness, the Crown Prince, please sympathize with their joy a little.”

*Sympathize? Me? You’re telling me to sympathize with their joy?*

Thud, hot tears fell from his eyes. It was something he never wanted to think about again. He had spent days and nights drinking to forget it even in his dreams. How many times had he cursed God, cursed the people, and cursed himself! Why was this nightmare being replayed again? Why!

“Now, look, Your Highness. His Majesty is ascending the gallows. You did well to follow me out, didn’t you? Please bless your father’s passing. If you don’t see him off now, you will never have another chance to see him off.”

“……Stop.”

“Why do you have such a stiff expression? Now His Majesty can also escape from the curse and enter eternal rest. Isn’t this the day everyone has been longing for? Your Highness should be deeply grateful to the Demon God for giving you this opportunity.”

“……Stooooop!”

Even as tears flowed incessantly, the execution proceeded as planned. His father, ascending the gallows in his blurred vision, was visible. Just before putting the rope around his neck, his father found him, smiled softly, and winked. As if to say, ‘Don’t cry.’ Isana wanted to scream, even if it was just a scream.

The falling platform, the body struggling to breathe. The people cheering even louder as they watched it.

……Why am I here?

A laughter rang in his ear. It was the laughter of a demon who was pushing his brother to his death and enjoying his nephew’s screams as he sipped his wine. Everything was turning red, centered on the floor he was standing on. The red liquid, reeking of a foul odor, was surging and beginning to swallow his body. It was the blood of his father, who had just fallen.

“I don’t want to! No! Stop! Please, stooooop!”

He covers his ears and struggles. Nothing changed even with the sound of him screaming as if spitting out blood. Isana tightly closed his eyes. Red blood was also falling from his eyes.

*Ah, I wish I could go crazy forever like this……!*