Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 252

“Did you see that? This is how you use a superimposed magic circle.”

“……”

No, wait, what just happened?

I mumbled blankly to myself, watching the triumphant Lapis. I knew he had done something amazing, but I wasn’t sure exactly what. At least Deron seemed to have figured out more than I had. He swallowed hard and said in a trembling voice.

“To not only interlock hundreds of formulas simultaneously but also recombine them into a completely new format… are you… a monster?”

“There were only many types, but the structures were all simple, right? I can combine thousands, not just hundreds, at that level.”

Deron, who seemed to have barely regained his senses, looked dazed again at those words. Even I, who didn’t know much about magic, could tell that it wasn’t normal (first of all, the range of thousands is not normal no matter where you put it). But Lapis didn’t seem to feel any problem with his statement at all. It wasn’t that he was showing off, but rather that it was so natural to him that he was more puzzled by the other person’s surprise. He’s a dragon who always boasts about himself and actually shows that much ability, but I think I feel he is amazing when he shows this side of him. I realize that their standards of thinking are different from the start.

“So, you solved it by absorbing all of Deron’s blood?”

“I used more of my blood, okay? How much blood do you think it takes to maintain that magic circle?”

“Ah, is that so?”

Lapis grumbled in a sulky voice, complaining about how I wouldn’t know, and that it was no use helping him. But I was confident. I didn’t actually see blood gushing out of his body. Isn’t it possible that I wouldn’t recognize it?

Anyway, what was clear was that the room was very clean thanks to that magic just now. All the stains on the walls and ceiling, as well as the blood that had been pooling on the floor, had disappeared, so it seemed like there was no need to clean it separately.

“What are you doing? Take this.”

Lapis tossed the egg to me as if throwing it at me. I quickly caught it and felt a warm sensation. The temperature, which had been cold until just now, had returned.

“Is it okay now?”

“For now.”

“Only for now?”

“It’s just a temporary measure in the first place. The balance is fundamentally broken, so there’s a limit to external help. You’ll have to go through this ordeal a few more times in the future.”

“A few times? Is it still okay?”

“Of course it’s not okay. If you’re unlucky, something might break, and you might be born damaged.”

It never rains but it pours. Even if we overcome this crisis, I couldn’t be happy about it.

“Is there any good way, Deron?”

When I asked the question and looked back, Deron was just coming out of his thoughts and raising his head. Judging from his calm expression, it was clear that he already knew a plan for times like this. As expected, he opened his mouth without difficulty.

“…There is a simple and perfect solution.”

“What is it?”

“If you soak the egg in the spring of mana, you can balance it without any problems.”

“Spring of mana?”

At my question, he nodded with a stiff face.

“It’s the spring in the Forest of Birth, Karten, that I mentioned before. The Duke of the North’s mana reacts with that spring water to create the essence of the Demon God. It itself is an excellent nutrient and supplement for the Demon Race’s fetus. Or, I’ve heard that just the Duke of the North’s blood has a similar effect.”

“But to get that, we have to go to the Demon World, right?”

“But that’s the only way.”

“……You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

Deron didn’t deny it. Well, there was no reason for him to refuse the best method.

‘Demon World…….’

There’s still no news from Kanos, and there’s no change in the Grand Duke’s movements. I don’t even know how things are going over there, so is it okay to send Deron? I want to wish him a good trip, but I can’t help but worry because of the place.

Reading my hesitation, Deron calmly began to persuade me.

“Karten and the main castle are quite far apart. I can come and go quickly without being noticed by the Demon King.”

“You need the Duke of the North’s help too. What if you get separated from him?”

“He hardly ever leaves Karten, so it’s okay. If we’re lucky, we might be able to figure out the situation in the Demon World that you’ve been curious about.”

“Ummm.”

“If you’re worried about even the Lord going over there, I’ll go find Dezark alone and get his blood. If I’m alone, there won’t be a big problem even if I’m discovered.”

“……I understand your feelings, but I don’t want Deron to be in danger either.”

“It is an honor I will never have again for the Water Spirit King to say that to me. But if my Lord is harmed, I will not be able to see the Demon God even in death.”

Deron’s eyes shone resolutely. He was not about to back down, and if I kept saying no, it seemed like he would sneak away anyway. I couldn’t just keep opposing someone with such a firm will, so I sighed.

“Is it better to soak it in the spring of mana than just use the Duke of the North’s blood?”

“For now, yes. That way, we can create the essence of the Demon God.”

“Okay. Then take the egg too. If you’re going to take the risk anyway, it’s better to treat it properly and come back.”

“Thank you for allowing me, El.”

“Of course, there’s one thing we need to do before that.”

“A thing to do, you mean?”

His face, which had been full of color, looked puzzled at my words. I nodded and walked to the window nearby and opened it wide. The transparent figures clinging to the window frame, who had been peeking at the situation here, tried to back away in a flurry, bumping into each other and making a fuss. A smile escaped me at the sight, which was so cute that it was a shame that only I could see it.

“It’s good to have minimal safety measures in place.”

* * *

Unrealistically white skin. Eyes that captured the moonlight as it was. The dress she was wearing was a spotless, milky white. Even the hair that fluttered like dancing in the breeze was silvery-white.

The girl, all in white from head to toe, was like a sculpture made of sugar. Her appearance caught the eye at a glance, and she was even more noticeable because she was floating in the air.

“I didn’t intentionally try to eavesdrop.”

Lapis and Deron stared at the girl, who was floating in the air and speaking indifferently, with strange expressions. A short silence followed, and the two people’s gazes turned to me at the same time. Judging from their consistent reaction, they could see the girl as well.

In fact, I had already expected that part from the moment the girl appeared. Even when he was in his true form, his form appeared somewhat transparent, but now everything was clearly captured. He was revealing an enormous presence that humans could not see, but rather, that was proof that he had artificially ‘implemented’ his appearance. You can hardly feel any presence from the real him. Just as you can’t feel the shape in a passing breeze, he was the breath of this world itself.

The Wind Spirit King, Minerva.

I smiled lightly, recalling the identity of the white girl standing in front of me.

“Welcome, Mine. It looks like you’ve already made a contract with someone?”

“There was a request from the Dragon Clan. I met them and took over the previous contract as it was.”

As the girl slowly descended from the air with her answer, I reached out my arms and gently caught her. As she landed on the floor, the refreshing air surrounding her spread out like a wave. I could feel Deron, who was standing in the back, quickly swallowing his breath. He had noticed her identity.

“I-I greet the Wind King.”

Minerva replaced her answer with a light nod to Deron, who hurriedly greeted her. Deron was a little nervous, unlike his usual self, probably because he was flustered by the appearance of an unexpected being. Of course, Lapis, who usually boasted about his superior guts, didn’t care at all.

“Minerva at this point… I see. So there was such a method.”

His eyes flashed with interest as he examined her. As expected of someone who is quick-witted, he must have understood my intentions at once. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

The reason Minerva, who was in the Spirit World, appeared here was because I had asked her to come. When I discovered the numerous wind spirits gathered at the window frame, I intuitively knew that he was watching. It hadn’t been that long since he left the Spirit World, but he must have been curious about what I was doing. It wasn’t what he intended at all, but it was a moment that seemed to have come at the right time for me. Thanks to that, I came up with a good way to help Deron. As a means to protect someone, the most special method in the world, that only one person can use.

“The Veil of Shadows, you mean?”

I nodded greatly at Minerva’s words. The unique power that the Wind King possesses. If I could borrow the power of concealment that perfectly hides even breath and shadows, I would be able to return safely no matter how dangerous the place is.

“Can’t you help me just once?”

“Hmm.”

Minerva, who had been staring at me with a pleading look, stared intently at Deron. Deron, who received her gaze, hugged the egg tightly and flinched. A few seconds passed like a few years, and finally, the answer fell from Minerva’s mouth.

“Originally, I only do this for contractors, but… I understand. I will help you.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’s El’s request, not anyone else’s. I can do that much for you.”

After strangely frowning her face (she was smiling), Minerva strode towards Deron. It was the first time I had actually seen the wind’s unique ability in front of me, so I watched with anticipation. I wondered if Deron would disappear right in front of me, but Minerva only circled around him for a while. She stood next to him and estimated his height, measured his width, and circled around Deron once. During that time, Deron stood stiffly as if he had been baked [remained frozen in place].

“This should be enough.”

After the seemingly meaningless actions were repeated a few more times, Minerva muttered to herself. She took some distance from the people and then began to draw straight lines in the air with her fingers. The moment she deviated from the starting point, light emanated from the tip of her finger, and lines of light were drawn along the moving trajectory. It was a similar sight to when his form was drawn when Minerva was born. However, back then it felt like drawing a sketch on a canvas, but now it was only drawing a simple rectangle.

When the lines were all drawn, it looked like a long door was erected in front of me. The really amazing thing happened next. Minerva grabbed the rectangular frame with both hands and lifted it up as if tearing off a window. The dropped part fluttered like a cloth and flowed down as soon as it was separated. No, it was actually no different from cloth. From the mass that fell into Minerva’s arms, I could feel a transparent but clear texture and shape. It felt like peeling off a layer of air.

“Here it is.”

After saying a short word, Minerva handed what she was holding to Deron as it was. Even though she was holding it in her hand and gesturing as if to tell him to take it, there was almost nothing visible, only a feeling that something was swaying. Perhaps that’s why Deron couldn’t react easily and only had a flustered expression.

He looked back at me as if asking for my opinion, and I nodded to him to mean it was okay. Only then did Deron accept the transparent cloth with a determined face. At first, his movements were clumsy as if he was floundering, but once he accepted it, he was busy touching it, as if he was amazed that it was clearly grasped in his hand. Lapis, who had been watching from afar, had already stuck next to him and was touching it together. He put one hand inside the cloth and repeated the process of groping the outside with the other hand.

“Hee, you can touch it when it’s unfolded, but the wrapped part just passes through? As expected, the Veil of Wind. It doesn’t just hide it, it makes the entity disappear completely?”

At his admiring words, Deron followed suit and widened his eyes. Minerva explained with a calm face to the two men who were busy experimenting with this and that.

“While you are wearing it, your existence will be completely erased, and you will not be visible to anyone. Even if you speak, it will not be conveyed to the other person, so you must take it off when you want to have a conversation. In addition, the duration of the effect is about 3 days. After that, it will disappear, so you should finish all your business before then if possible.”

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you to the Wind King.”

“If you’re going to thank someone, thank El. I’m just doing El’s request.”

“El, thank you so much!”

Deron strode up to me and bent down. His face was full of excitement as much as his voice, which echoed loudly. I patted him on the shoulder.

“Then be careful and come back. Never do anything reckless.”

“Yes, I will risk my life and return safely!”

“……No, I mean don’t risk your life?”

“Yes! I will come back without risking my life!”

He answers well, but something about the content is strange. He seemed to be so excited that he didn’t even know what he was saying. In that state, he carefully took the egg and the Veil of Wind, bowed repeatedly again, and then disappeared. He had finally left for the Demon World.

‘Nothing should happen.’

There is no way to move as safely as with Minerva’s veil, so I have taken all the measures I can on this side. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. But the moment of being lost in thought didn’t last long.

“Minerva, can’t you make a Veil of Shadows for me too? I don’t need one as big as the one you just made, just about the size of a handkerchief.”

“……!”

Before I could even feel the emptiness of the suddenly disappeared space, a cheerful voice followed. When I turned around, Lapis was hanging around Minerva’s side. The way he was sticking close and reaching out his hand was just like a neighborhood thug harassing a passing lady. No, in this case, would it be more like a delinquent trying to steal from a young girl’s pocket? The composition was very disgraceful, but the face of the one being victimized (?) was so calm that it didn’t seem very urgent. Minerva, who had been staring at his smiling face, rather wore a look of interest.