Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 296

296.

“Great Father, now!”

“Ah, yes!”

I snapped back to reality at the call. As was staring at me with a blank expression. He had already put all the remaining ingredients into the bowl. I must have been lost in thought for too long without realizing it. I quickly grabbed the paper. It contained the final step of the ritual—reciting the incantation.

“Dilatio. Dilatio. Milla. Hear my call.”

As I began to recite the words as written, the others took their defensive stances. Discovering this ritual was easier than expected. Perhaps because it was so widely known, people in the village told me about it without much suspicion when I simply asked. Gathering the necessary ingredients, like lizard tails and dried rat droppings, wasn’t difficult either. While I was relieved that it didn’t take long, I was also weighed down by the fact that it was so easy for anyone to attempt. *They* probably released the ingredients into the market beforehand, aiming for this.

“Detaltos. Detaltos. Milla. Come in the direction I lead…….”

I hadn’t considered the possibility of the ritual failing. Lapis and Sibelius had already examined it and confirmed it was in the correct format. As expected, a reaction began to occur not long after I started reciting the incantation. The magic circle on the floor glowed faintly, and the water in the bowl bubbled vigorously. No, it wasn’t just bubbling; it was surging and heaving as if trying to burst out.

In an instant, the candles went out, and darkness fell. Since no one here would be affected by this, I didn’t bother relighting them and focused on the heaving water. The water repeatedly sank and rose for a long time, eventually solidifying in a… *솟구친* [soaring/솟구치다 is Korean for gushing or shooting up] state. After a while, its volume gradually increased, forming a pillar taller than my head. Its dark red color and writhing form were so grotesque that I feared it would haunt my dreams.

After writhing for some time, it soon began to take shape, from head to toe. Like unveiling a veil, a person’s figure slowly emerged before my eyes: long black hair and striking features. The moment I saw the curves of the silhouette that clearly revealed her as a woman, I clenched my fist tightly. Serpis—it was her, exactly as I remembered her.

“……”

“……”

The surroundings fell silent. Deron quietly swallowed a groan. The shock of confirming it in person seemed to be significant for him as well.

Eventually, Serpis’s closed eyes slowly opened. A red glow, filled with dark shadows, scattered like sparks in the darkness. At the same time, the extinguished candles relit themselves. As the surroundings brightened, Serpis’s lips formed a deep curve. She seemed quite pleased, as if unaware of the fate that awaited her.

“Hehe, to find someone with the qualifications… I don’t know how long it’s been. Who is the lucky one who called me……?”

The smile froze on her face. Her gaze fixed on one spot, and she slowly stiffened. She had recognized a face among us.

“……Deron?”

“It’s been a while, Serpis,” Deron replied bluntly. Serpis looked around in confusion. After confirming Lapis and Sibelius, and then me in the front, her face twisted. Finally, when she saw Asmodel standing next to me, her expression turned to one of near horror. It seemed she had finally grasped the situation.

“……A Spirit King, a Dragon, a Saint, and a Demon. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Could it be that you deliberately lured me here?”

“It seems that’s exactly what happened,” I replied calmly. Serpis immediately bit her lip. She maintained a composed attitude, but the anxious trembling in her eyes betrayed her loss of composure. She forced a smile and glared at Deron.

“Impressive, Deron. You’ve got quite the reliable backing, haven’t you? It seems you’ve learned to scheme while I wasn’t looking.”

“Of course. It’s a backing that can’t compare to what you have.”

Deron nonchalantly ignored the blatant provocation. Serpis’s eyes narrowed even more sharply.

“You’re such a frustrating man. Well, you always were. You get everything easily, you achieve everything easily. You casually seize what others desperately try to obtain, and then you dismiss it as nothing. I’ve always hated that about you.”

“I don’t think I have anything to apologize for.”

“Whatever. More importantly, what’s with that kid? Why is there a living Fetus [Demon Lord egg]? Wasn’t this breeding season a complete failure?”

“I have no reason to explain. And watch your words. Lord As is my master.”

“Ha, master? That little brat who hasn’t even lost his baby fat? Are you out of your mind?”

Deron didn’t answer the absurd question. He simply shook his head, as if telling her she was asking for trouble. I glanced at As’s expression, but he was just staring at Serpis with an unreadable face. When he smiles, he looks so lovely and cute, but when he’s expressionless, he has a surprisingly sharp edge. It felt like he was a completely different person, making it hard to approach him.

“I don’t know what you’re plotting. I can tell you’ve become strange, but shouldn’t you send that kid back to Karten? Don’t you know that all Fetuses are under Dezak’s jurisdiction? He won’t stand by if he finds out you stole an egg.”

“……If I could, I wouldn’t wish for anything more.”

“What?”

Serpis frowned and glared at Deron, taking his answer as a provocation. She scanned him up and down as if searching for a weakness. Her straight gaze faltered greatly when it reached one particular spot.

“Wait. But your hair color… it’s…….”

Her words trailed off, and the sound of her swallowing echoed. It seemed she was only now properly noticing Deron’s hair color, which had been hidden in the darkness—the unique color that only one person in the Demon World could possess, the proof of the Northern Duke, tinged with dark blue.

“What? Why do you have that hair color……?”

Serpis blinked several times in disbelief. Deron showed no reaction. Serpis’s face twisted at his indifferent demeanor.

“Did you kill Dezak?”

“……”

“Answer me, Deron! Did you kill Zak!”

Her blood-red eyes gleamed with hatred. Her long black hair seemed to scatter, and a fierce wind began to blow around her. It was an intense killing intent that made my fingertips tingle, but the sorrow she couldn’t hide filled her face even more than the anger. Deron couldn’t look away and finally opened his mouth.

“It was Zak’s will.”

“What is that supposed to mean!”

“When I found him, he was already dying. He was beyond recovery. Zak said he couldn’t pass the title of Northern Duke to Karian. I couldn’t ignore his will.”

“What?”

“That means Karian attacked him and caused his death. Don’t you know anything about that?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything about that! What are you even saying……!”

Serpis, who had been snapping back fiercely, suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She looked dazed, as if she had been struck somewhere.

“What… this memory.”

“……Serpis?”

“It’s coming back. Yes, I met Dezak. He pressed me. He asked me if I had seen Lukarim. I definitely did…….”

“Serpis, what’s wrong? Serpis?”

Unable to bear his frustration, Deron tried to step forward. I reached out to stop him from getting closer. I didn’t sense any killing intent, but Serpis’s attitude was clearly suspicious. Even in dramas and movies, all bad things happen at the moment of greatest carelessness. Getting close to someone who looks so unstable wouldn’t end well. I slowly shook my head, and Deron seemed to understand my intention. He looked troubled but obediently accepted it.

“I… I didn’t do it. I didn’t do that. I… I… I didn’t intend to kill Dezak…….”

Serpis continued to mutter strangely. She was biting her nails and trembling, looking like a madwoman.

She lowered her head and covered her face with both hands. Her hair fell forward, almost completely obscuring her face.

“Kuh, hehe…… kekeke…….”

But the moaning sound that came out was strange. No, was it even a moan? It sounded like she was laughing. It wasn’t just a simple illusion. The unstable trembling stopped, and Serpis slowly swept her hair back. A clear smile was drawn on her face. The confusion she had shown just moments ago had completely disappeared.

“Interesting, Deron. To think you would become the master of Karten. A rat slipped in during that short time. I really didn’t expect it.”

“Serpis?”

Deron was also taken aback by her sudden change in emotion. Maybe it was just my imagination, but her tone and expression seemed different.

“It must have been a good gift for that filthy Demon God’s dog. Did his last journey seem peaceful? I kept regretting that I couldn’t torment him a little more.”

“You…… what are you talking about…….”

“Minion. Stop it.”

A low voice from the boy stopped Deron, who was trying to continue speaking. He turned to his young master with a blank look, and As sighed.

“That’s not that woman anymore.”

“Yes?”

“You can tell, can’t you?”

“……”

Deron’s wavering expression rapidly subsided at those words. While he opened and closed his mouth as if at a loss for words, Serpis was watching As with a fresh gaze. As also met her gaze directly. Serpis, or rather, something wearing her appearance, chuckled.

“Quite quick to assess the situation for a Fetus. To escape my grasp and hatch safely, you’re a lucky little one. When did you steal the egg? Was this also something you did, Deron?”

“Could it be…….”

“I thought you were a model student who was stricter than anyone with the rules, but you’re really showing me unexpected sides in many ways. It seems I’ve been underestimating you all along.”

“Kuk! Was it you!”

A scratching cry erupted from between Deron’s clenched teeth. His widened red eyes gleamed fiercely.

“Karian!”

My face hardened involuntarily at the familiar three syllables. The situation, which had been puzzling, became clear with that one name: the Demon King, Kariudrian. He had appeared, borrowing Serpis’s body.

There was no time to be surprised by the revealed identity. Deron, who had lost his reason, drew his sword and charged forward. The distance between the two was instantly closed, but despite the swift preemptive strike, Deron’s sword failed to reach his opponent. The moment the blade reached within striking distance, an intangible force rose from Serpis’s—or rather, Karian’s—body and immediately repelled him.

Crash! Bang!

“Deron!”

He was pushed back as quickly as he had charged, slamming into the floor. The spot where he fell was deeply gouged out, accompanied by a violent tremor. A long crack stretched out beside the pit.

“Deron! Are you okay?”

I hurriedly ran over and supported the sprawled Deron. He coughed and raised himself up, spitting out a mouthful of blood instead of answering. It seemed he had taken a considerable impact even though he had only been pushed back.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear. I expected more from the Northern Duke, but you’re still pathetically weak. You’ll need a lot more training if you want to follow in Dezak’s footsteps.”

Karian’s mocking voice came from behind. I suppressed the urge to lash out and first healed Deron’s body. The wounds healed instantly, and the chaotic mana that had been raging was stabilized. Karian’s eyebrows, which had been relaxed, twitched.

“Come to think of it, there was a Water Spirit King here. It’s amazing to see the healing power I’ve only heard about in person.”

“I can’t say it’s nice to meet you. Are you Karian? What happened to Serpis?”

“She’s just asleep. Her consciousness is under my control. She can never betray me, and she can become me at any moment like this, so she’s a perfect proxy.”

“Did you use her to hunt down the Demon God’s priests? Using the Mermaid’s dark magic?”

“You’ve figured everything out? Yes, it was quite enjoyable for a while, thanks to that.”

“Enjoyable…… you say?”

“How could it not be enjoyable? The sight of the priests, consumed by fear, desperately seeking their god and ultimately falling into despair and lamentation—it’s not an easy spectacle to see anywhere. It was truly a breathtaking sight.”

Karian, who was smiling coldly, seemed to be genuinely enjoying the situation. I only asked because I thought it would be good to confirm it, but if I had known this answer would come back, I would have just stayed still. I got the information I wanted, but I wasn’t happy at all. Rather, it seemed like the *찝찝함* [찝찝하다 is Korean for feeling uneasy or찝찝함 is uneasiness] only got bigger.

“They must have realized it too: the god, the Demon God Kanos, never saves them. Thinking they are his children is just a delusion. To him, they are nothing, less than dust rolling on the street. They gained the most valuable lesson of their lives at the cost of their lives.”

“What nonsense…….”

“Why is it nonsense? If Kanos truly cared for them, he should have come down and saved them immediately. Shouldn’t he have? But he didn’t save anyone. In the end, he only pretended to be their *종* [종 is Korean for servant or follower] and deceived them all.”

“Don’t pass the blame like that. You killed them all! You committed the act and say he should have come to save them! Don’t you think it’s too cowardly and base even for yourself?”

Karian’s eyes darkened when I snapped back. He slowly scanned me from top to bottom.

“Well, the Spirit King is, after all, a noble soul born with nobility. It’s only natural to side with him, as he is closer to God.”

“This isn’t about that……!”

“No. Perhaps you and I were destined to be on opposite sides from the beginning? Otherwise, our connection wouldn’t be so deep.”

“Connection?”

“Yes. There are other Spirit Kings, but it just so happens that Elquines is here. The connection is no ordinary connection.”

“What do you mean?”

I don’t want to get caught up in the other person’s nonsense, but I felt like I had to ask. Karian gave me a meaningful smile, sensing my tension.