Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 253

253.

“You are El’s contractor. Are you the Red Dragon named Lapis Lazuli?”

“Yeah, and Trowel’s godson too. Gonna hook me up?”

“I don’t mind, but what are you going to do with such a small piece? That size would barely cover a part of your body.”

“Just wanna play with it ’cause it’s cool. I’ve only heard about the Curtain of Wind; never seen it until today.”

“Hey, Lapis……”

I knew he’d do something like this, treating a Spirit King’s unique ability like a toy. My head started to ache, but surprisingly, Minerva just nodded. Soon, a straight line of light was drawn, and a transparent cloth about the size of a small towel was created. Perhaps because of its small size, it was incomparably faster than before.

“Oh, how kind of you.”

Lapis, delighted, whistled as he received it. Minerva, maintaining a calm expression even at that moment, seemed almost majestic.

“It will only last for about a day.”

“That’s enough.”

Smiling, Lapis fiddled with the transparent handkerchief, gleefully disappearing. I was worried about what he might do, but it seemed he would be too busy satisfying his curiosity to show up for a while. I anxiously watched him disappear, then quickly apologized to Minerva.

“Sorry, Mine. I bothered you.”

“Not at all. There seem to be many interesting people around El.”

“Ahaha, if you watch them every day, it won’t seem so interesting. Anyway, I’m really grateful. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

“Then, there is something I would like to ask of you. Would that be alright?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Did something happen to Minerva? As I stared in bewilderment, he calmly opened his mouth. His next words were unexpected, and I was a little taken aback.

“It’s about Blaster. I heard the previous El left a will regarding him.”

“Ah, that’s right……”

“Since the previous El personally requested it, I know it’s not my place to interfere. I have no intention of searching for him myself. But if El finds him, would you send him to me? In his current state if possible, without removing the seal on him.”

“Without removing the seal?”

I frowned slightly. Blaster, huh? I was willing to accommodate any unreasonable request as much as possible, but this was truly unexpected. If I didn’t remove the seal on him, I would be breaking my promise to Minerva. He wanted to give Blaster freedom, after all. The current Minerva must know that much as well. Yet, he’s making this request, which means he must have his own reasons.

“Was the reason you were watching me also because of that?”

“Yes.”

“……Can I ask why?”

As I carefully asked the question, Minerva answered without hesitation.

“If the seal is removed, the Jin [a spirit or essence] inside will be extinguished.”

“Yeah, I heard that.”

“I heard he wandered in the hands of humans his entire life. If he turned into a Demon Sword, he must have had quite a painful experience. I want to give him a chance to live as a spirit again.”

“……!”

“Fortunately, his body belongs to the wind, which is something I can handle. I plan to purify him by keeping him in the wind’s domain for a while, then grant him a new body.”

Outrageous remarks that didn’t suit his calm tone followed one after another. Minerva spoke elegantly to me, who was just blinking in surprise.

“I think the previous El would have sincerely wanted this as well. However, he is our wind’s disgrace. An existence branded as a sinner. Even the previous El, who created him, couldn’t bring himself to take him in and keep him by his side during his lifetime. It’s only natural to assume that I, a later generation, wouldn’t accept him and give up in advance.”

“Um……. Are you okay with this, Mine?”

Regarding Blaster, the other Spirit Kings had also shown consistently unpleasant reactions. Even the kind Trowel didn’t deny that he disliked him. Because someone who wasn’t a king possessed the power of a king, he became an impure existence to the spirits. Even now, after losing his power, he can still wield the unique abilities of the wind. From the perspective of the new wind, he would be the most unwelcome existence. Minerva seemed to acknowledge that point as well.

“Of course, I didn’t have a good impression of him at first either.”

“But?”

“While reorganizing the wind’s domain, I read the remaining traces of the wind. El told the previous El, ‘It’s not Jin’s fault.'”

“Ah, yeah. I did.”

“Seeing that, I thought about it again. You’re right. He was just being loyal to the king’s will. Once I acknowledged that, I thought I should act like El as well. After making that decision, I concluded that it would be easier to resolve this situation if I finished it.”

‘Don’t you think so?’ His voice, calmly asking for my opinion, carried the dignity of the Wind King. I couldn’t hide my admiration as I looked at Minerva. He spoke as if it were nothing, but emotions aren’t something that can be easily controlled. The spirits who had rejected Blaster until now probably knew that it wasn’t his fault. However, they couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable even knowing that. Minerva, who chose not to ignore it and accepted it, seemed amazing.

“Amazing, Mine. You’re awesome.”

“Is that so? But this is what El taught me.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Aren’t El and I the same being? I thought if El could think it, I could think it too. Once I thought that way, everything became simple.”

The gaze staring straight at me twinkled like a star. He seemed proud of his generous decision. His appearance was so cute that I stroked his head.

“Anyway, I understand. I was sad that he would disappear if the seal was removed. Thanks to Mine providing a good solution, I think I can find him with a lighter heart. I don’t know when I’ll find him, but if I discover Blaster, I’ll send him to Mine right away.”

“Yes, thank you. Then, I’ll be on my way. Since I came down here, I should stop by Ifrit’s place too. I heard he’s running a trading company nearby. I want to walk there like a human. Would El guide me?”

“Yeah, should I?”

As I held out my hand, Minerva tilted his head for a moment, then quickly grabbed it as if he understood. Seeing the face that felt a strange sense of accomplishment made me laugh. This appearance was certainly like that of a young spirit unfamiliar with play.

“Holding hands and walking. El knows a thing or two. It seems like the most human thing to do, so I wanted to try it.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Yes, the Sylphs [air spirits] also told me about the expressions humans use at times like this.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Let’s go together, sis!”

“……”

“……Mom?”

No, it’s not that either.

Watching the face carefully gauging my reaction, I swallowed the sigh that was coming out. I was really glad that no one was nearby at this moment. If Lapis had heard this conversation, he would have made fun of me for years.

* * *

From the moment he crossed over to the Demon Realm, Deron ran non-stop. If he could arrive directly at Karten from the beginning, there wouldn’t be a problem, but the Demon Realm was not a world where dimensional travel was easy. Just as only Dukes or higher could open dimensional gates, the places where gates could be opened were limited to only one or two per territory.

To shorten the distance as much as possible, he opened the gate in Bukto, which was closest to Karten, but this was only a shorter distance compared to other regions, not a distance that could be reached in an instant. Moreover, Karten was a land strongly dominated by the power of the Demon God, making spatial movement impossible.

It was a full day before he barely reached his destination. Even that was thanks to the Curtain of Wind that Minerva had created, allowing him to move only through shortcuts without worrying about the eyes of those around him. After confirming the sky darkening as the day waned, Deron carefully entered Karten. As it was a forbidden area, he would rarely encounter anyone other than Dezak, but he didn’t remove the Curtain of Wind just in case.

As the forest deepened, the surroundings became even darker. The path, where not even the sound of insects could be heard, was so quiet it was desolate, and an eerily cold chill flowed. The space, which was as dark and dry as it was, devoid of even a single blade of grass, was like a desolate ruin, belying its name as the Forest of Life and Birth.

Was this place always so gloomy? It was the place where he was born and spent his childhood. Despite the familiar scenery, Deron tilted his head as he walked, feeling the unfamiliar air. The failed breeding season had an impact, but even considering that, the atmosphere was too grim. Perhaps he had become too accustomed to the bright and colorful hues of Arkadon. Dezak came to his own conclusion and readjusted the egg in his arms.

“This is your hometown, Lord. Don’t you feel nostalgic? You will soon arrive at the place where you originally belonged. Once you go there, you will no longer be in pain.”

The egg, which had suddenly caused a seizure and played a significant role in dropping his heart, had been in a stable condition since receiving help from the Red Dragon, Lapis. The warmth and heartbeat were normal, and the flow of magic was constant. It was still weak, but it had been showing signs of movement little by little since earlier. Perhaps because he had returned to the Demon Realm, its condition seemed even better than usual.

Deron smiled contentedly and hurried his steps. The forester of Karten and the Duke of the North, Dezak, would probably be in the depths of Karten, near the Spring of Magic. During the breeding season, his main task was to care for the eggs, but otherwise, Dezak prioritized protecting the Spring of Magic. The Spring of Magic was as easily targeted as the eggs, so he would not leave its side.

‘He’ll jump in surprise when he finds out there’s a surviving egg.’

Just imagining his horrified face already made him happy. Dezak was a man with great pride in his duties as the Duke of the North. He might grind his teeth at the thought of someone else taking away the work he had to do. Did he know about Lucarim’s identity? He said he was going to get a certificate, so they might have already met, or they might still be together. Sharing secret glances in front of him would be quite enjoyable. The rising anticipation made Deron hasten his steps even more.

After passing through the lush bushes, when he finally reached the place he was looking for, Deron sensed a faint sound of water nearby. Following the sound, a small spring appeared. The surface of the spring was glowing with an eerily bluish light. The source of Karten, and the heart of the Demon Realm—the Spring of Magic.

The relief of finally arriving washed over him, and then Deron’s face brightened even more at the sight that came into view. A familiar figure was sitting in front of the spring. The unique straight and elegant posture, the long hair with a bluish tint. The existence with such distinctive features that he could recognize at a glance was only one person he knew.

“Zak!”

He called out in joy and approached, but there was no reaction from the figure with its back turned. Puzzled, Deron realized that he was still wearing the Curtain of Wind. He had been told that he had to take it off to have a conversation because the barrier blocked everything, even substance and sound.

Deron hurriedly removed the cloth covering his head. The barrier, which had been clinging to his body like a custom-made suit while he was wearing it, returned to a fluttering square cloth the moment he took it off. He wrapped the egg with it and secured it tightly around his waist. It looked quite bizarre to others, as if the area around his waist had disappeared, but he couldn’t help it.

Even then, Dezak still showed no reaction. He thought that the sensitive Dezak would immediately sense his presence the moment he removed the barrier, but his reaction was more dull than usual. No, maybe he was deliberately ignoring him even though he knew. Deron sighed, thinking that the latter possibility was more likely. In fact, he only pretended to know someone when he felt like it.

“Zak, it’s Deron.”

“……”

“I’m so glad to see you. I’m sorry for suddenly coming all the way here. There’s something I really need to ask you……”

As Deron carefully spoke and approached, he frowned slightly. The closer he got to where Dezak was, the more a unique smell wafted. It was sweet and fragrant, but definitely not a floral scent. A smell that only living things could possess as they died. It was also a smell that any demon would be familiar with.

‘It’s like the smell of blood……’

At that moment, an unexpected sight came into view as his gaze unconsciously fell. Deron stopped in his tracks. He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but the amount of spring water filling the Spring of Magic seemed to be less than usual. No, that wasn’t the problem now. The color of the spring water was strange when he looked at it up close.

The Spring of Magic was originally a deep blue color, as was the surface that was glowing bluish. But now, the inside was all dyed black. It looked like black ink was pooled up. A strong power could be felt from the clumped liquid.

The essence of the Demon God. Deron recognized the identity of the liquid at once. There was no doubt. It was the essence of the Demon God that could only be created when the blood of the Duke of the North reacted with the Spring of Magic.

“What is this……”

The essence of the Demon God filling the spring. He had never seen such a large amount of the essence of the Demon God in his life. It was so precious and prone to misuse that Dezak had never created more than a cup’s worth, even in situations where the essence was needed. All the demons expressed dissatisfaction with his strict standards, but Lucarim liked it very much. Thanks to that, it was a belief that he had been firmly upholding.

Deron, flustered, finally realized what Dezak was doing. He had one arm submerged in the spring. The problem was that blood was gushing out of that arm. It was reacting with the magic of the spring as it was, constantly producing the essence.

“You crazy! Zak, you! Are you out of your mind! What are you doing right now?”

Deron, horrified, rushed over, grabbed Dezak’s body, and forcibly pulled him away. He expected him to resist stubbornly, but he came off more easily than expected. No, he was being too unresponsive.