Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 292

No sooner had dawn broken than I received a message from Asel. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Serium but Asel himself who appeared. Moreover, he was alone, without any companions. He said Serium hadn’t even woken up yet. It seemed he had come to assess the situation and visit me before Serium could even say a word.

“I showed you an unsightly figure yesterday. I am greatly indebted to you.”

He was dressed neatly as usual, and there was no trace of the disheveled appearance he had the day before. A fresh scent wafted from his not-yet-completely dry hair, as if he had just washed. Of course, he had been healed and had a good night’s sleep, so it was no surprise that his condition seemed good.

“Do you remember everything that happened yesterday?”

“I only have vague recollections. Fortunately, I clearly remember that El healed me, so I came to express my gratitude. Thank you so much for your help.”

“It’s nothing. I should have been more attentive, but I didn’t realize the situation had become so dire. I only thought about cleaning the room and didn’t consider other places.”

“By ‘cleaning,’ do you mean…”

“The things that are heavily clinging to this mansion.”

At those words, Asel slowly blinked. He didn’t react in any other way, but I could see the tension in his hands on his lap. His lips parted slightly, then he spoke with some difficulty.

“El, you can see it too…”

“I can.”

“…Could it be that the reason only my room was exceptionally clean was…”

“I cleaned it as soon as I arrived.”

“That… can it be cleaned away?”

The last question was asked with a blank expression. He seemed to have given up trying to think after being repeatedly shocked. His reaction was both pitiful and endearing, so I smiled slightly.

“It is possible to clean it away. But not just anyone can do it.”

“C-Could I possibly learn how to do it?”

“Well, you probably can’t learn my method… Sibel, is it possible with your method?”

When I turned to ask, Asel looked tense. Sibelius, who was sitting behind me, stared at him for a moment before answering.

“It’ll be difficult for a newbie right away. Even if you start learning now, it’ll take at least ten years.”

“So, it is possible to learn?”

Contrary to my expectation that he would be disappointed, Asel was only greatly surprised. He seemed to be focusing on the very fact that the thoughts could be cleared away, rather than the enormous amount of time it would take to learn.

Asel’s gaze, fixed on Sibelius, was more intense than ever. For this moment, he seemed to have forgotten that they had an awkward relationship.

Sibelius was the one who was flustered by the rapidly narrowing distance between them. He flinched for a moment, then nodded somewhat reluctantly. Even with that half-hearted gesture, Asel’s face brightened as if he had gained the whole world. It was an expression that made the viewer feel good, a face that made my heart swell. Nevertheless, I couldn’t smile because I could imagine the hardships Asel had gone through. From what I had observed, Asel was basically a cautious person, with strong wariness and suspicion. Yet, he was completely absorbed in the single statement that thoughts could be cleared away. That meant he was desperate.

“C-Could you please teach me that method? I don’t care if it takes years, decades! Even if it takes a lifetime, if I can only learn it…!”

Indeed, he seemed to have completely lost his composure. Asel charged in like a reckless bull. His rambling request was closer to a plea. He looked as if he would cling to Sibelius’s legs if he only gave permission. Sibelius, who had been calm all along, stared at Asel with a slightly dumbfounded expression. At that moment, another voice interjected between them.

“Hmm, why bother going to such lengths? Why don’t you just sell those eyes to me? I’ll trade them for ordinary human eyes. Do you have a preferred color? I can match it for you.”

“Y-Yes?”

“…Lapis.”

The one trying to pull off such an absurd trick was the red lizard, who had been lounging on the bed. He had been stubbornly demanding Sibelius’s eyes, and now he was even coveting Asel’s mystic eyes [eyes with supernatural abilities]. When I called his name in a low voice, Lapis’s face turned sullen.

“Isn’t that the easiest way, really? It’s a way for everyone to be happy. That guy gets ordinary eyes and is happy, and I get what I want, so I’m happy.”

“How can you say that? Don’t seriously talk about taking someone’s eyes out, you idiot!”

“You’ve done heart transplants, what’s the big deal now?”

“That was because the situation was so desperate that there was no other way! It’s a method I don’t want to use if possible. Besides, where are you going to get the eyes to replace them?”

“That’s not really difficult. Wandering around, it’s surprisingly easy to find recently deceased bodies. Well, even if that’s not the case, there are quite a few guys in the world who deserve to die…”

“…That’s enough. If you say that again, I’ll never see you again.”

“Tch.”

His eyes were flashing, and he looked like he would really do it if I let him. He was the kind of guy who would actually do it, so I had no choice but to warn him more firmly. Lapis made a disgruntled face, but fortunately, he seemed to have given up immediately and chose to flop back onto the bed. I glared at him for a moment, then stealthily turned back to Asel. Asel, who had been standing there with a dazed expression, smiled awkwardly when our eyes met.

“I’m sorry about that guy. Just forget about the conversation. He was just saying strange things, so you must have been surprised.”

“Ah, no. You made the joke so realistically that I almost believed it was real for a moment.”

It seemed Asel had taken it as a mischievous prank. It might be better for his mental health to let him think that way. I was about to gloss over it when a calm voice continued.

“What if it wasn’t a joke? What if it was really possible?”

The one who asked was Sibelius. Asel was flustered by his calmly gazing eyes, but soon his face became thoughtful. It didn’t take long for him to answer.

“…To be honest, I think I would be swayed. I’ve never liked the world I see. If I could have ordinary eyes, I wouldn’t have to see useless things anymore.”

“You’d want to change them if you could?”

“Yes.”

Asel nodded without hesitation. But wisely, Lapis didn’t react to this and make another absurd suggestion. Glancing back, he was still taking a bystander’s attitude with his eyes closed. He seemed to have properly remembered from the last time he was splashed with water that I wouldn’t warn him twice.

“But that’s just wishful thinking. Even with these eyes, they are a precious legacy left by my deceased parents. Especially my mother, she often praised my eyes for being beautiful. Even if it were really possible to change them, I think it would be difficult to actually try. So, I don’t wish for such a thing.”

Fortunately, Asel didn’t seem to have any lingering attachments to that part. Sibelius’s face, which had been stiff, softened a little, as if he liked the answer. Asel, who had unknowingly earned points, gazed at Sibelius earnestly again.

“So, I implore you once again! I will do anything you ask! Please teach me how to get rid of these strange shapes!”

He shouted, bending over with his eyes tightly closed. A brief silence followed, and Sibelius raised the corner of his lips crookedly. Asel’s shoulders flinched at his following words.

“…You’re greedy. You don’t even know what those shapes are, yet you’re asking me to teach you how to get rid of them? It’s good to set big goals, but aren’t you rushing into it too quickly? You may be prepared to spend decades, but what about my position, having to take you around and teach you during that time? Do I look like such a leisurely person?”

“Ah…”

Asel’s face darkened rapidly. He seemed to have taken the scolding as a refusal.

“…I’m sorry. I made a very rude request…”

“Yes, you were very rude. And you shouldn’t make promises like ‘I’ll do anything’ so carelessly. Don’t say things like that again. It’s quite unpleasant.”

“Umm, I’m sorry.”

“You apologize well. For now, you’ll be staying in this room from today. Tell your colleagues that you won’t be seeing them for a while.”

“Yes, I’m really sorr… Yes?”

“Since El asked, I’ll teach you how to defend yourself. You won’t be able to completely resolve the situation with your own strength, but you’ll at least be able to maintain your daily life. Be satisfied with that for now.”

Asel slowly opened and closed his eyes, as if he hadn’t grasped the meaning for a moment. Sibelius glanced at him and chuckled.

“Why? You don’t like it? If you don’t feel like it, just quit. I don’t care.”

“Ah, no! I’ll learn anything! Thank you so much!”

Even in that situation, Asel didn’t miss the opportunity. His face, which had answered hastily, gradually began to flush. It was fully conveyed that he was belatedly realizing the situation and becoming immersed in emotion. Sibelius, who had been watching him with strange eyes, suddenly asked.

“You don’t doubt me anymore? You once said you couldn’t believe I was a unicorn?”

“Yes? Ah, well… to be honest, I still don’t believe it. But I’ve decided not to dwell on that part anymore. It seems like a meaningless part now anyway.”

Asel scratched his head with an embarrassed face. Seeing that, Sibelius approached him and extended his hand. It was a gesture of offering a handshake, and Asel seemed to have interpreted it that way as well. It was when he readily grasped that hand.

“…!”

From the part where they were holding each other’s hands, Sibelius’s skin color slowly began to change. The bluish color faded as if spreading, and white skin appeared instead. The long, pointed ears gradually shortened and turned into a round shape. His hair color and other appearances didn’t change, but that alone completely changed his atmosphere. Asel stared blankly with his mouth open at the sight of Sibelius slowly turning into a human before his eyes.

“Uh…”

“An answer to why your ancestor and I looked like different races to you. Is that enough?”

“Uhh…”

“Should I show you my true form too?”

Asel shook his head wildly at the calmly asked question. It seemed like a reflexive action, judging by his dazed face. Only then did Sibelius let go of his hand and return to his original form. Even then, Asel’s face was still out of it. It was fortunate that he was already sitting in a chair; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been strange if he had collapsed on the spot.

“Are you okay, Asel?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. I-I’m okay. I’m okay.”

Asel nodded repeatedly, flustered. But to anyone who looked at him, he didn’t look okay at all. His skin muscles were tense as if they were about to burst, and his eyes looked like they would shed tears at any moment. The heat that started from his cheeks spread past his ears to the end of his neck. He was like a boiled carrot.

“Hahaha, hahahaha…”

A hollow laugh flowed from his wide-open mouth for a long time. During that time, Sibelius only watched him without saying anything. There was no detailed explanation, no attempt to soothe him. That was the same for Asel. Even after calming down, he didn’t ask anything. The distance between the two remained the same. The gazes they exchanged were still awkward. However, it wasn’t completely the same as before.

A different emotion was felt in the air around them than before. I couldn’t define exactly what it was, but it was clear that it wasn’t a bad thing. It felt like the thread of connection that had been faintly connecting them had become clearer. It was undoubtedly a welcome step.

* * *

For someone born with special eyes, Asel had very little related knowledge. He didn’t know the identity of the thoughts, nor did he know why they arose. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to find out. Rather, from around the age of 12, when he realized he was different from others, he had traveled far and wide, searching for the cause to the point where there was no place he hadn’t been. But he couldn’t get a clear answer anywhere. It was understandable since mystic eyes weren’t common, and it was an area where not much was known. If there had been a temple of Luseph, who created the unicorn, the situation might have been a little different. But his temple disappeared along with the unicorn clan when they were absorbed into the divine realm.

In any case, because of that, Asel always had to endure uncomfortable gazes. In Akkadon, which was exclusive to shamanistic ideologies, the ‘unfamiliar ability’ he possessed was easily checked. It would have been okay if he was unaffected like Nana or Sibelius, but as a human with a sensitive constitution, he was easily deluded by thoughts. Moreover, the symptoms were getting worse as he grew up. Everyone treated him like a madman. Even the people who looked favorably on Asel thought his mind was unstable.

In such gaps, there were few ways for Asel to prove himself. The vague legend of his ancestor, that he was descended from the blood of the unicorn, was the only hope he held. He followed myths and legends, obsessing over related materials. He believed that there would be someone in the same situation as him somewhere, that he would be able to meet a companion. The reason he followed the Crown Prince on this reckless journey was also to confirm the legend of the mate star [a mythical star that signifies a destined partner].

But at this point, expectations no longer existed. Asel had given up a lot and resigned himself. The accusations against him became harsher day by day, making it difficult not only for him but also for those around him. As his responsibilities increased with age and status, he now thought he should end his reckless fight alone. That he was just seeing strange hallucinations because he was crazy. He began to accept it himself. He seemed to have been planning to just endure and live well, and when he turned thirty, he would retire to the countryside and live quietly in hiding. Of course, he would have died of alcoholism before that.