Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 218

218

I briefly explained what had happened so far. I didn’t really expect to find an answer, but I wanted to share this frustrating feeling with someone. Meeting Endil and agreeing to heal my sibling, and then seeing Cécil’s condition directly after reuniting. Lapis, who had been listening silently as the story continued, muttered in a disgruntled voice as soon as I finished explaining.

『So, in a nutshell, you’re saying you’re in the Swalt Empire right now? And you didn’t say anything to me.』

“Hey, that’s not the important thing right now, okay?”

『That bothers me more.』

“Ugh, seriously! I don’t want to argue with you, so don’t change the subject! And you can find out my location even if I don’t tell you! You put a tracking spell on me, didn’t you!”

『Is me finding out myself the same as you telling me? Do you think I check your location every hour just because I put a tracking spell on you?』

“You don’t?”

『Do I look like I have nothing else to do?』

To be honest, it would have been more surprising if he did. Considering his persistent personality, I thought he would be doing that. Of course, if I said that, things would definitely go wrong, so I had no choice but to steel my patience. Fortunately, Lapis didn’t seem to want to harp on it any further and returned to the main topic.

『A hybrid with a High Elf… You’ve gotten yourself into quite a troublesome situation. Seriously, leaving aside the numerous Elves, you got involved with the rarest of them all, the High Elves. What the heck are you?』

“Why are you blaming me? It’s not like I wanted to get involved.”

『Even if getting involved wasn’t your fault, the current situation seems like you brought it on yourself? It’s none of your business anyway. Why are you insisting on taking on the worry? The healing doesn’t work; the story ends there. Just feel sorry for them and ignore it.』

“How can I do that? I feel bad for the kid who’s dying.”

『That’s why I said you brought it on yourself.』

Yeah, this was him. Having not seen him for a while, my awareness had dulled, and I had temporarily forgotten that this damn red lizard had a personality that scraped at my insides whenever he opened his mouth. How can he make every word he says so heartless? If this is a talent, it’s quite a talent.

『…Well, it’s not like there’s no way at all.』

“!”

I gasped slightly at the words that followed. Hearing this suddenly now felt like being blindsided. The numerous complaints I had towards him until just now subsided at once, and my body tensed up involuntarily.

“There’s a way?”

It wasn’t like there would be a problem if someone heard, but my voice naturally became smaller, as if we were sharing a secret. Lapis replied nonchalantly, as if he found me holding my breath amusing.

『It’s definitely impossible to change them into a completely unrelated species. But if they’re a hybrid, there’s room to try.』

“You said it wouldn’t work a minute ago.”

『That’s why I said there’s room. I won’t know if it’ll really succeed until I properly examine their current state. Even if they’re the same hybrid, there are cases where it works and cases where it doesn’t. At least I can try it because it’s me. Other guys wouldn’t even dream of it.』

Suddenly, it felt like my vision was clearing up.

“Lapis…!”

If he were in front of me right now, I probably would have seen a halo on his face. He must have sensed my voice brighten. I heard Lapis chuckle on the other end of the communication stone.

『What will you give me if I help you?』

“How can you be so petty! How can you ask for a reward for something like this?”

『Do you think I’m some kind of philanthropist like you? I need an incentive to move.』

“I’m not a philanthropist! Don’t you have any compassion!”

『You don’t seem to know how great a dragon’s compassion is. My emotions are expensive. I won’t give them to just anyone, even if it’s your request.』

Anyway, it wouldn’t be so annoying if he just couldn’t talk. My stomach was churning, and I sighed repeatedly. I was terribly annoyed, but that arrogant lizard was my only hope right now. I had no intention of backing down now that I had come this far.

“So, what do you want?”

『Hmm~ You’re being so docile; it’s weird. Why don’t you just do what you always do? Threaten to break the contract. You know that works best on me.』

“It’s about saving someone, not something else. I don’t want to ask in a way that makes you feel bad. I don’t think that would be good for Cécil, who’s receiving treatment, either.”

『…To go this far for someone you don’t even know well. You’re a really unique guy.』

“Whose fault is that? I don’t want to hear that from you.”

Stop picking fights and just tell me what you want! As I retorted with a flustered heart, the communication device went silent for a while. He wouldn’t have cut off the communication, would he? Since that’s something I often do, my heart sank.

“Lapis?”

『I’ve decided.』

Just as I was about to get anxious about the prolonged silence, a light voice fell. I wondered why it was so quiet; he must have been silent because he was thinking about the conditions. That’s more like it. There’s no way he’d suddenly be generous, and he’s not the type to miss an opportunity like this. I was relieved, but at the same time, I was worried about what he would ask for now.

He wouldn’t ask to extend my role as the fountain in the lake from a hundred years to two hundred years, would he? Please, it shouldn’t be over five hundred years. The things this guy usually wants from me are so absurd that I braced myself, but a corner of my heart felt heavy. But the words that followed were completely unexpected.

『If something happens to me, come and help me. Even if I don’t ask you to.』

“…Huh?”

I just blinked blankly. Perhaps because it was an unexpected remark, it didn’t register in my head right away.

“That’s it?”

『Well, I know there’s almost no chance that something like that will happen to me. But I thought it wouldn’t be a bad condition to set.』

“Ah, no. It’s not that. Is that really all?”

『Why? Should I suggest more?』

“No.”

I immediately shook my head, but I felt very uneasy. I thought Lapis would ask for something huge from the start. But that’s all it is. Why is this guy suddenly acting nice? It’s something I should be grateful for from my point of view, but it’s too strange, so I felt repulsed. It was like wearing clothes that didn’t suit me.

“What are you thinking?”

It seems that what I only muttered to myself came out of my mouth. A reaction came back from the communication stone right away. But the answer was truly absurd.

『I was just a little curious about what it feels like for someone to step up for me without expecting anything in return.』

“…What?”

『In this case, it’s not like there’s no compensation, but still. I’ll be able to believe that you’ll come even if I don’t say anything from now on, right? I think I’ll be able to feel a pretty similar feeling with that much.』

“….”

Huh, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow breath. Even Lapis’s voice, as he said that, sounded excited, like someone who had encountered an unknown world. The interest contained within was felt intact, and my mood plummeted rapidly. My vision suddenly went blank, and I thought, “This is what it feels like to have high blood pressure.”

What should I do with this guy? After taking a deep breath, which didn’t calm me down, I looked at the empty air for a while. The completely dark sky seemed to be reflecting my heart as it was.

“Do something else.”

I put strength into my voice to avoid getting angry, so it became quite stiff. In my own way, it was a attempt to get over it as well as possible. But in the first place, such efforts were unlikely to last long in front of Lapis.

『What. You don’t even want to match that much?』

It was hard to bear the bubbling inside when I heard the sulky reply. I forgot my initial mindset and shouted.

“That’s not it! What do you think of me? I’ll go help you if something happens to you even if you don’t set such a condition! What kind of mood are you in for such an obvious thing?”

『What? Is that obvious? Why?』

“Why?”

『We have a contractual relationship, but helping is only when there is a request. I know that you don’t step up for things you haven’t been asked to do. Ah, I see. Are you going to show compassion to me too? Your compassion isn’t very expensive, though.』

“No, you idiot! Who helps a friend with compassion!”

『Friend?』

“Yeah! Friend!”

『Why are you my friend?』

At that moment, something snapped in my head. The anger I had been holding back exploded like a volcano.

“You’re so annoying!”

In front of a lost reason, there was no way that judgment could be sound. Thanks to that, I ended up doing something that I would regret in a few seconds. I just turned off the communication device.

* * *

“El! Hey, El?”

Lapis couldn’t hide his embarrassment at the suddenly extinguished energy. However, despite the urgent call, no response came from the other side. The sphere, which had been shining smoothly until just now, had returned to its original dark color. There was only one thing this phenomenon meant. The communication was cut off.

“…What is this guy doing?”

Understanding the situation doesn’t make the absurdity disappear. No, in this case, it was even more absurd. Cutting off communication when he’s the one asking for a favor. He must have forgotten what kind of conversation he was having in the first place. Recalling the scream-like voice he shouted at the end, it seemed like he was very angry. The fact that he can’t see his surroundings when he’s angry was like his simple personality. It’s just that I can’t understand why he’s angry at all.

Knock knock—

“Master.”

At that time, a girl with brown hair entered with the sound of knocking on the door. It was April, who had been transformed into a teenage girl by Lapis’s magic. He noticed her coming in, but Lapis didn’t even look back, still not taking his eyes off the bead.

“What is it.”

“I thought I heard a loud noise inside. Did you get in touch with His Majesty’s party?”

April’s eyes glanced at the bead Lapis was holding. He didn’t answer even if she asked, but she had noticed that El’s party hadn’t been in touch for quite some time. It was obvious just by looking at Lapis’s increasingly irritable attitude.

He locked himself in his room with the bead several times a day. But the inside was always quiet, and after a few minutes, he would just burst out of the door again with a frown. At such times, he exuded such a fierce energy that no one dared to approach him. But just now, there was definitely a conversation. In the back-and-forth shouting, there was another person’s voice mixed in. Above all, Lapis’s mood seemed better than usual. The fact that he answered her call without ignoring her was proof of that.

“Is His Majesty safe? How far have they gone? Did you tell them about the situation here?”

April’s face flushed as she became convinced that they had made contact. Since the Emperor’s knights came, Claymore’s situation had been changing rapidly. In addition to finding and persuading the vassals who had been holed up with the Duke while he was holed up, they had planted people in various places to grasp the movements of the Demon God Church. They were also secretly moving troops so that they could be used at any time. Since the Duke, who should be the mainstay, was unable to move, his younger sister, April, naturally took the center stage. Thanks to this, her daily life was so busy that she had even stopped asking Lapis to teach her magic, which was like the most important thing in her daily life.

She wanted to let Isana know about this situation as soon as possible. If the Emperor, who must be very tired of the unfamiliar journey by now, heard this news, he would surely cheer up. But Lapis didn’t say anything. Feeling resentful and anxious, April clung to his side.

“Master~”

“Ugh, shut up. I told you not to act cute when it doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not an old lady right now. I’m a girl, so please be nice to me.”

“Did your mental age drop just because your appearance got younger?”

“You’re so mean. Do you really have to say it like that?”

“That’s enough. What do you think a friend is?”

“Huh? Friend?”

Suddenly, she wondered what this random question was, and April widened her eyes. She was embarrassed, but she had learned through several experiences that if she hesitated at times like this, she would be quickly kicked out. She immediately continued her answer.

“Hmm, well. Isn’t it the closest relationship after family?”

“After family? Huh, what, I’m not even close to my family in the first place, so if it’s farther than that, it’s nothing.”

His face, muttering sullenly, looked somehow disgruntled. April was flustered and shook her head.

“Ah, no. I’m talking about the universal image. Blood relatives are usually the closest people to ordinary people. It’s the next closest relationship, but it’s by no means a distant relationship.”

“…Is that so?”

“Of course. But this also varies from person to person. Some people cherish their friends more than their blood relatives. They choose friendship over love. I’ve heard that there are people who think of them as their everything or their life.”

“Life…”

Lapis’s expression became strange. Judging from his relaxed face, he must have been quite satisfied with her answer.

“Does a friend help even without compensation?”

“I guess so. As I just said, that would be the case if they were someone who cherishes their friends very much.”

“Hmm.”

This time, he clearly seemed to be in a good mood. April couldn’t follow his thoughts at all, wondering which part he liked so much. On the one hand, she found it strange that he didn’t know these obvious things. But April soon recalled his past and understood. He had been holed up in the mountains all his life, studying magic. Since he had spent many years alone, it was natural that he was ignorant of human relationships.

“A precious friend, huh.”

“Yes?”

“Just talking to myself.”

After replying as if it were flowing by, Lapis checked the bead again. The jet-black surface was made to react to magic at any time. If he wanted to, he could reconnect the communication right now, but he didn’t. Instead, he made another plan.

“April, has it been about three minutes since you came in?”

“Yes, it should be about that long.”

It’s time for his anger to subside and his reason to return. Lapis thought he knew El quite well. Even though he’s a young man in his prime in the dragon world, he’s lived for thousands of years. In the first place, El, who can’t hide his emotions well and has a clumsy side, couldn’t be his opponent. The number was obvious, but the truth is that he was getting along with him with the feeling of half-giving in. Until now, it wasn’t very good, but somehow it didn’t seem so bad.

“Then, shall we go rescue the guy who’s writhing in regret by now?”

The movement of getting up from the chair was light. As he suddenly got up, April also stood up in an awkward posture.

“Master? Where are you going?”

A voice filled with bewilderment hurriedly followed the back as he strode out. It was always the case that he left his seat without permission, but April intuitively realized that he was leaving this place altogether. She also knew that when he returned, her master would no longer be there. Lapis smiled as if asking something obvious.

“The place where I’m supposed to be.”