Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 239

239

“No way…….”

“Huh? What is it?”

My companions stared at me with bewildered faces as I suddenly froze and swallowed a groan. I didn’t even think about calming my dazed mind and hurriedly got up from my seat.

“Um, sorry, everyone. I have somewhere to go for a bit. It’ll probably take a few days. Please make up some excuse for the others.”

“What? What are you talking about? Where are you suddenly going?”

“Sorry! I’ll explain when I get back!”

“Hey? Hey, El!”

Ignoring their frantic calls, I teleported right there. The place I arrived at was a brilliant garden with five-colored flowers blooming profusely, Ebas Eden. A person standing there alone sensed my presence and turned around. A boy with hair as black as the night sky and dark skin reminiscent of chocolate found me and smiled faintly. His face was as kind as usual, but his golden eyes were shaking with a sad light.

“……Trowel.”

It’s strange. I was sure I had a lot of things to say to him if I met him, but now I couldn’t even offer a simple greeting.

“Welcome, El.”

He held out a hand towards me, who was standing there in a daze. It seemed like he had been waiting for me to come for a long time. Looking at his calmly gazing eyes, I was sure that my hunch was right. And also the reason why he was here.

“Trowel…… did you feel it too? Just now, the wind……. Minerva…….”

My voice trembled, and my words were fragmented as I tried to suppress it. The temperature of the hand I held was cold. Trowel gently hugged my trembling body with one arm.

“It’s okay, El. It’s not too late yet. There will be time to see her off.”

“……See her off?”

I blankly asked back, and he nodded with his forehead on my shoulder. It was such a subtle movement that I wouldn’t have noticed if we weren’t directly touching.

“Let’s go to the City of Wind. Before the messengers of the Netherworld take away all the old wind, we need to say our last goodbyes to her and watch her on her way. ……And we have to celebrate the birth of the new wind.”

“……!”

The voice whispering in my ear was indifferent, as if it contained no emotion. But ridiculously, that made me realize this unbelievable reality even more.

The Wind Spirit King, Minerva.

At this moment, the time allotted to her was coming to an end.

* * *

The Wind Domain, Minerva’s residence, looks like the blue sky has been moved as it is. A clear wind flows gently enough to feel good, and fluffy clouds like cotton candy were laid out like a carpet on the floor. In addition, all the forms filling the space were made of clouds, making it feel like a world built in the sky. To be honest, it felt more like a place where gods live than the Divine Realm.

Right now, countless wind spirits were lined up there. The usual lively and cheerful appearance could not be found from them, who were solemnly prostrating. In the middle of the circular procession they made, a white woman could be seen standing. It was the wind queen, Minerva, as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

“Mi…….”

Before I could feel any sense of joy, I shut my mouth at the sight that came into view. Other people were standing next to Minerva. One of them was Ifrit, with his familiar red hair. He must have felt Minerva’s abnormality and returned to the Spirit Realm right away. The other two were unfamiliar men I was seeing for the first time. A thick, musty smell reminiscent of wetlands wafted from them. I knew those who smelled like this better than anyone else. They were guides from the Netherworld [the realm of the dead].

It is common for Netherworld beings to visit the Spirit Realm, but they cannot enter the king’s domain without permission. There is only one case in which they can enter here, and that is only in connection with their duties. Of course, it goes without saying that the duty is to guide souls whose lives have ended to the Netherworld.

Even though it was a fact I had already realized, my mind went blank when I saw the evidence in front of me. As I quietly swallowed my breath, I felt a strong grip on Trowel’s hand that I was holding. Surprised, I looked at him and saw his profile frozen palely. It was a cold expression I had never seen before.

“Trowel……?”

“Ah, sorry. I guess I was a little nervous.”

As if he had come to his senses, he immediately let go of my hand and smiled nonchalantly. However, he couldn’t hide his trembling eyes. He doesn’t usually reveal his inner thoughts easily, but as he said he was nervous, he definitely seemed less relaxed than usual. Of course, I was in a similar state. I didn’t expect to see Trowel so agitated, so my heart sank heavily.

Minerva was talking to the guides. Then Ifrit found us and greeted us.

“Oh? You guys came too.”

Along with him, the guides who sensed our presence bowed politely. Minerva also looked this way. He was surprised for a moment as if he hadn’t expected us to come, but soon smiled softly.

“Welcome, both of you. Did you come to see me off?”

“Minerva…….”

Even with his kind words, I couldn’t smile. As the distance got closer, I felt it more clearly. Minerva’s power was very weak. The strong scent of wind that always surrounded him was hardly felt. Is that why? Even though his complexion was fine and he was still beautiful, his presence was faint. It was like looking at an inanimate flower.

I didn’t know where to start or what to say, so I just swallowed hard. I knew I shouldn’t be like this, but I couldn’t calm my mind. Minerva seemed to have already noticed my feelings. The smile on his face grew thicker.

“Thank you for coming. I was just feeling sad that I couldn’t see you before I left. You’ve adapted to life here a lot now. I’m so glad you seem to be doing well, El.”

“Mi, Minerva. Really…….”

……Are you really disappearing?

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that had risen to my throat, so I held them back. All the sights I was seeing clearly told me the situation, but it seemed pointless to confirm it again. Minerva seemed to have noticed that I couldn’t continue my words, so he came closer and hugged me gently. I could smell the faint wind that still remained in his arms. I bit my lip tightly because I felt like I was going to cry.

“So this day has really come. I thought it would be around this time, but I’m sad to leave. I’m especially sorry that I couldn’t spend more time with you.”

“I, I myself…… didn’t notice at all…….”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s usually harder to notice. The previous Ifrit and Elquines only found out after they disappeared. I’m really lucky to be able to leave with everyone seeing me off like this.”

After answering with a smile, Minerva’s gaze turned to Trowel, who was standing next to me. His face, which was always smiling, now had no expression on it.

“Especially Trowel. I didn’t think you would come.”

“……I wasn’t going to come.”

The answer that came back was as cold as his hardened expression. Surprised, I turned to look at him, but Minerva narrowed his eyes as if he was enjoying it.

“Hehe, yeah. I know. You pretend not to be, but you’re weak to these farewells. Elquines, Ifrit, too. You knew everything, but you deliberately didn’t see them off.”

“…….”

“But I’m glad you came to see me. I feel like you thought of me as a little special. That makes me happier than anything else.”

“……Don’t say things you don’t mean. It doesn’t matter anyway.”

Trowel clicked his tongue lowly without making eye contact with Minerva. His blunt tone sounded like he was sulking, so I swallowed a little. I always thought he was mature, but I didn’t know Trowel had this side to him. But Minerva smiled as if he was used to it.

“It doesn’t matter? Of course not. I’m always grateful to you, Trowel. I was able to endure the difficult times thanks to you.”

“Do you even know that?”

“Of course I know. How could I not know that you were by my side? You didn’t go to the playground often, you only looked for the ugly parts in humans, and you were especially strict with them. I knew you were all worried about me.”

“…….”

“Poor Trowel. The Earth Spirit Kings don’t have much interest in life because of their ability to see so much. I know that you have been suffering from terrible emptiness since you were born. I also know that you have always needed a purpose to live. Until now, you have been satisfying that by taking care of me.”

“…….”

“So I was actually worried. I was worried that after I left, you wouldn’t be able to find a place to give your heart to and you would become empty. I was worried that you would spend your days bored, waiting for the day of your disappearance to come.”

“……That’s not possible.”

“Yeah, you seem fine to me now. In that sense, I’m really grateful to El.”

“Huh? Me?”

Surprised by the sudden mention, I blinked, and Minerva smiled softly and nodded. His hand came and held both of my hands.

“I’m so glad you came, kind and warm. You’ll be able to hold Trowel so he doesn’t collapse. Even if he looks like that, Trowel is a lonely person and always needs a place to settle down. Please be a place where he can pour his affection for a long time.”

“Huh? Um, I’ll try.”

“Hehe, thank you. Thanks to you, I think I can leave with peace of mind.”

“It sounds strange when you say that, Minerva. It’s like we’ll never see each other again.”

“That’s right. You’re going to be a god too, so you can come visit anytime later.”

Ifrit immediately chimed in at my flustered words. I was sad that he was disappearing, but I thought I could see him again after he became a god. Recently, there was a shortage of high-ranking gods, so everyone was becoming a god. That was probably the same for Minerva, and he knew that fact too.

“Yeah, that’s true. But today is the last day I’ll see you as Minerva. Even if I’m reborn, many things will be different even if the memories remain. Even Ellyuen has changed from when he was Elquines. I won’t be the me you know either.”

“But…….”

“No, that’s right.”

The person who cut off the words firmly was Trowel. He stared straight at Minerva and said.

“If you’re reborn, you’re just another person. Relationships from a previous life can’t be called old ties. Forget about what happened here, everything. Don’t look back or think about anything.”

“Trowel…….”

It seemed like he had come here today determined to say only painful things. This time, even Minerva looked bitter as if he was upset. I wondered if I should stop him, so I anxiously looked at Trowel. But his words didn’t end there.

“……I’ll remember it. So just erase everything and be happy.”

Everyone looked at Trowel with surprised eyes. He reached out an arm and carefully touched Minerva’s face. It was a calm touch, but it felt like his hand was trembling in my eyes.

“Don’t get hurt by others again, and don’t be betrayed. Live only for yourself. Meet only people who cherish you, and live a life where you are only loved.”

It was like the sweetest confession in the world. The eyes of the two people facing each other were shaking as if they were about to cry. Minerva, who couldn’t say anything for a while as if he was choked up, smiled softly and placed his hand on top of Trowel’s hand.

“Thank you, Trowel. I’m only receiving comfort from you until the end. You were my most precious friend. I won’t be able to forget that.”

“……Forget it. But thank you for saying that. You were precious to me too. More than anything else.”

Even while speaking sadly, Trowel didn’t betray his stoic expression until the end. It was probably his own consideration not to burden the person leaving. That made my heart ache even more, so I bit my lip.

“It’s time for you to go.”

Even if we didn’t want it, the moment of farewell had come. Minerva nodded lightly at the words of the guides who were waiting. The power of the Spirit King that he possessed had already been almost transferred to the next generation Minerva. He said that he would go to the Netherworld as it is, and then pass on the last remaining power to the next generation’s soul that is preparing to be born there and disappear. So the true disappearance of the Spirit King takes place in the Netherworld, not the Spirit Realm.

“Oh, El. I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Huh? What favor?”

At the moment he was about to move, he hurriedly turned to me as if he had remembered something he had forgotten. I stopped following him and waited for him to speak.

“I heard you helped Ifrit make the Spirit Sword this time. Actually, I used to make a Spirit Sword too.”

“Ah…… I know what it is. You mean the sword called Blester?”

The Wind Sword that Minerva once made for the person he loved, in which half of his power was sealed. I remembered it exactly because it ended up in the hands of Duke Charybdis, who could be said to be Isana’s rival.

Why is he suddenly mentioning that sword? From what I vaguely heard, Blester was a product of the past that only left Minerva with scars. It was clearly related to the reason why Trowel had asked for his happiness just now. When I glanced back, Trowel was frowning. Minerva must have seen that expression too, but he continued to speak without paying attention.

“That sword was made based on the Seal of Truth. Originally, when the time came for me to disappear, the power I had given would be recovered and the Seal of Truth would be released automatically. But there’s been a bit of a problem.”

“Problem?”

“The power has been recovered, but the Seal of Truth hasn’t been released. It seems like that child doesn’t want to come back.”

“If they want to stay of their own will, isn’t it unavoidable?”

“Yeah, that’s true…… But I have to say that child’s nature has changed a little. It seems like other actions are influencing them, not their own true will.”

“Other actions……?”

Hearing those words, the story Ifrit had told me a while ago came to mind. I quietly swallowed a breath.

“……Are they going berserk?”

He said that swords with ego tend to go berserk when they become demon swords. Blester was also an old sword, so it was likely that it had become a demon sword. As expected. Minerva nodded with a dark expression.

“I only realized that fact recently. It had been quiet because it was in a place where human hands didn’t touch it. But recently, it seems like its condition is rapidly deteriorating due to the influence of the human who woke it up. If I leave it alone, that child will become corrupted to the soul. Then it will be irreversible.”

Minerva’s face as he explained was filled with guilt, pain, and sadness.

“It’s all my fault. The sealed Truth was a child who volunteered to dwell in a stuffy sword for me. It’s already too late, but I want to prevent that child from suffering any more, even now. But just as I was about to step in myself, things turned out like this…… El, I’m sorry to ask, but would you help him?”

“I don’t mind…… but why me……?”

It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but I’m still a clumsy Spirit King with many shortcomings. It would be more reliable to entrust it to other Spirit Kings than to me. As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Minerva smiled bitterly.

“Trowel and Ifrit hate even looking at that sword. If I leave the aftermath to them, they’ll probably just throw it in the middle of the ocean instead of releasing the seal.”

“Huh? Really?”

Unable to believe it, I turned around and everyone avoided my gaze. The fact that they didn’t deny it here was as good as admitting it. Minerva awkwardly said to me, who was flustered and dazed.

“I did something I shouldn’t have done. To make a sword that equally divides the power of the king. And that was just to make one human successful. It was like insulting the symbol and authority of the king. The existence of that sword itself is like a disgrace to the Spirit Realm, so no one wants to get close to it.”

“……But Truth is not at fault.”

“Yeah, I knew El would say that.”

Minerva smiled brightly. I don’t know why, but he seemed to have the impression that I was too kind. I was embarrassed, but it was hard to refuse since he said this much, so I soon accepted his request.

“You just need to release the seal, right? Okay, I’ll do that.”

“Thank you so much. It’s not trying to come out on its own, so it’ll probably be a little tricky. I’m sorry for asking you to do something difficult.”

“No, it’s okay. Do you need anything else?”

“Hmm, then can I ask you for this too? When the seal is released, that child will disappear too. Could you bless his end so that his soul can leave comfortably? I hope you can convey the apology that I can’t do.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Since I decided to help anyway, that much wasn’t too difficult. Minerva’s face lit up with a smile as I nodded right away. It seemed like the brightest expression among all the faces I had seen so far.

“Thank you, El. I haven’t really done anything for you, but I’m using the excuse of the end to leave too much to you. I’m so sorry.”

“What are you talking about? The time we spent together was short, but you were family to me. I would have listened even if it wasn’t your last request.”

As I answered with a smile, Minerva looked even more sorry.

“You’re really kind. I wish my life was a little longer. Then I could have hung out with you longer. I keep regretting that I can’t do that. I’ve never felt that my lifespan was short, but I didn’t know I would have regrets like this at the end.”

He held my hand several times as if he was sad. I could feel the affection in that touch, and my heart felt heavy. Compared to the noisy Ifrit and Trowel, Minerva was always quiet, but that’s why he felt like he was supporting everyone firmly. I liked his detached atmosphere and his neat way of speaking. I wondered if this was how it would feel to have a brother who was much older than me. Now that I thought about that seat being empty, I felt unbearably lonely.

“I think I really have to go now. Everyone, take care. Please take care of the next generation Minerva too.”

“Goodbye, Minerva. I won’t forget you.”

After saying our last goodbyes by hugging each person, Minerva took the hands of the two guides who were reaching out. Then a thick fog began to rise from their bodies. Now the time for complete separation had come.

The wind spirits who felt the end shouted in unison in a lined state. The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, and even the air surrounding it seemed to be spewing out sadness. As his figure faded, the traces of the wind that remained were being erased so clearly that it hurt. Unable to bear the overwhelming emotions, I clenched my fists tightly. The tears that had already welled up began to flow down without regard to my will. As I hurriedly wiped them away with the back of my hand in embarrassment, Ifrit next to me quickly scolded me.

“What, are you crying now? Anyway, you’re like a human in this way.”

“Sh, shut up! I’m sad! It’s the end! How can I not cry in this situation?”

“What’s there to be sad about? It’s not like he’s completely disappearing, he has a next life. You can just think of it as moving to a far away place.”

“The fact that he’s leaving is sad in itself, okay?”

Ifrit just snorted at my sobbing words. It must be that the part of her that feels emotions is broken, as if she was a witch from the start. Even Trowel, who had given such affectionate farewells, was indifferent without any particular reaction, which made me feel even more resentful.