Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 299

I remembered Serpis’s dying words. What do you mean there’s no room for sympathy? You’re still sad. My heart ached, but I tried not to let my expression waver. I didn’t want to provoke Deron, who was feigning indifference. No matter how much I said I sympathized, I couldn’t fully understand his feelings. Bearing the pain was solely Deron’s burden, and he had found his own way to mourn. Silently supporting him seemed like the greatest comfort I could offer right now.

* * *

With Asga’s final permission, Serpis’s body returned to the Demon Realm. Deron handled all the processes of recovering and burying her alone. He held the body and disappeared, returning about half a day later looking a little refreshed. The grave was made in the western territory she had ruled, it seemed. It was a humble mound without a tombstone or flowers, but it was enough as a tribute to someone who had once been a comrade.

This is just a passing remark. The position of the Western Duke, left vacant by Serpis’s death, would temporarily revert to Asga. The reason it was temporary was that he was already the Demon King. The Demon Realm had a system where the king and the four dukes balanced each other, so one person couldn’t hold more than two titles. If someone luckily got two, the stronger position would be inherited first, and the other would be passed on to someone else within a few years.

“Deron has two titles too, doesn’t he? Does one disappear?”

“Yes. Since the North is prioritized over the East, the title of Eastern Duke will soon disappear. It will probably be passed on to the demon with the strongest magical power among the eastern demons right now.”

“Hmm, I see. But how do you know who has inherited the title? There’s no noticeable mark like the Demon King or the Northern Duke.”

“You can tell by magical power, but there’s also a mark.”

“There is?”

Deron nodded and rolled up his sleeve. When the skin hidden by his clothes was revealed, I saw a tattoo I hadn’t noticed before. It was a pattern like a black climbing rose coiling around his arm in a spiral.

“The same pattern is engraved on the chest in the North, on the leg in the West, and on the back in the South.”

“Wow, it’s quite pretty.”

“Is it? There are also physical changes, but those are hard to notice except for the Northern Duke, so they’re practically useless.”

“What are they?”

“In the North, as you can see, the hair color changes, and in the West, the skin becomes fairer. In the East, it’s said to become darker, but I honestly don’t know. Even those who knew me before I became a duke said they couldn’t tell the difference.”

“Hee.”

“Oh, and the Southern Duke has a different eye color. It’s a slightly duller, grayish-red color.”

“Ah.”

Right, now that I think about it, Lukareum’s eye color was a little duller than other demons. But it was really slight! Just a tiny bit! It was such a subtle difference that it wasn’t really considered a characteristic, but that was the mark of the Southern Duke. If the other dukes’ characteristics were at that level, it was understandable that the differences would be considered nonexistent.

“Speaking of which.”

“Yes.”

“……No, it’s nothing.”

What will happen to the Southern Duke’s position in the future?

I swallowed the words that had already reached my lips. Even if I was oblivious, I knew that mentioning him would make the atmosphere miserable. Because Kanos was such an unpredictable god, I couldn’t guess how things would unfold. But no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like Lukareum would return. Now that his identity and purpose were revealed, there was no reason for him to continue disguising himself.

Everyone was probably thinking the same thing without saying it. The Eastern Duke became the Northern Duke, and the remaining dukes would be filled with new people. In effect, the Demon Realm’s leadership was undergoing a complete generational shift.

I glanced at Deron. He had a pensive look on his face. The previous conversation seemed to have reminded him of the past. My heart sank at the sight.

In a short time, many situations had changed. He had lost as much as he had gained. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Deron was coping with all of this. I suddenly imagined my own life changing overnight. Imagining all the Spirit Kings I knew disappearing at once, and others filling their places. It was a very bleak and chilling feeling. Of course, I would eventually adapt to the new companions. ……But it wouldn’t be the same as before.

Was I staring too intently without realizing it? Deron looked back at me with a puzzled expression. And he seemed to interpret that gaze differently.

“Let’s begin now.”

“Yes? With what?”

“Weren’t you going to find Serpis’s contractor?”

“Ah.”

Only then did I snap back to my senses. Come to think of it, that problem remained. It was also the most urgent matter to resolve. The others’ eyes also lit up. The gazes that had been scattered during the conversation gradually converged into one. Lapis merely rolled his eyes, while Sibelius sat up properly. Asga, who had been sitting in his chair, stopped playing with his feet and became quiet.

Isana and Alisa were also present. The two had only learned this morning that Asga and Deron had returned. So, I told them everything that had happened so far. From the beginning of the investigation of the mansion to Asga becoming the Demon King. The two were shocked to hear the whole story. They were especially shocked by the fact that the Count’s third daughter had been erased from everyone’s memories. The Banon County family was a harmonious and happy family. Because that image was so pleasant, the gap that had opened felt even larger. Like a happy dream, the sense of loss was greater when you woke up.

“Do you really think the contractor is here?”

“Let’s find out.”

Deron took out a red bottle from his pocket. It was a bottle containing Serpis’s blood. Everyone in the room watched his actions. Deron opened the bottle and dropped the blood onto his right palm. Then, he drew something incomprehensible on his wet palm and chanted a spell. The effect of the spell was immediate. The blood pooled in Deron’s palm wriggled as if it were alive and dancing. The blood, slowly separating as if peeling off, gathered in the air and formed a shape. The completed shape was a bright red goldfish.

The goldfish’s scales had circular patterns drawn on them, and light flickered along the grain. The way it held red heat and quickly turned black looked like a burning cigarette. Deron, who had been watching the scene quietly, opened his mouth.

“It’s here. It’s nearby.”

“……!”

It was news that I had been waiting for, yet simultaneously dreading. Isana’s face hardened. Deron reached out and floated the goldfish. The goldfish hovered in the air for a moment, then began to swim somewhere as if swaying.

“You can follow that.”

The first to step forward was Isana. Following him, who was following the goldfish as if possessed, I and the others also moved our feet. The goldfish went out the door and moved straight down the hallway. Several people passed by, but it never stopped. The goldfish reached the stairs and went up to the second floor of the mansion, crossing the flowery hallway. I felt my body tense as the direction it was heading became clearer and clearer. Thanks to exploring so often, I already knew the structure of the mansion like the back of my hand. There was only one room at the end of this road.

Sure enough. The goldfish stopped moving in front of the huge arched door at the end of the hallway. I couldn’t hide the sigh that escaped me. Inside was the Banon Countess’s room.

“Ha.”

No way.

My body trembled slightly as my fingertips froze. The story that the Countess had tried to kill her youngest daughter flashed through my mind. Was it because she wasn’t a son who would be the heir? She had strangled the newborn baby. It seemed like an unconscious act, but that in itself was no different from being possessed by madness. The image of the girl complaining that she wasn’t loved still lingered. The one who performed the spell was someone with a strong desire. I felt like I knew what that wish was.

No way. But. Still.

The incomplete sentences repeated only the beginning and then disappeared. My head was in a mess. An unwanted daughter. A desperate heir. A spell that grants wishes. ……And a pregnant child. The more the thoughts chased each other, the more certain the direction seemed to become. It was by no means a welcome direction.

Isana’s face was pale as well. After swallowing a light sigh, Isana opened the door. It was very rude to open and enter the room of another man’s wife, even a woman from a high-ranking family, without knocking. It was an impossible act for Isana in his usual state, but he didn’t seem to be in his right mind now.

When the door opened, I could see the person inside turning around. A pure-looking noblewoman with golden-brown hair pulled up was blinking in surprise. Unexpectedly, there was someone else in the room. The man next to her discovered us and jumped up from his seat. It was Count Banon.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“What brings His Majesty the Emperor here…….”

The flustered couple couldn’t blame the Emperor for visiting without notice or knocking. Isana didn’t even glance at them and only looked up at the goldfish that was standing still. The Count’s family’s gaze also turned to that side. They discovered the goldfish floating in the air and flinched, making a face as if they were looking at something bizarre.

“Y-Your Majesty? What on earth is that?”

It was when the Countess was muttering blankly. The goldfish that had stopped began to swim again. The long tail scales fluttered gracefully in the air. The distance between the goldfish and the Countess quickly narrowed. It felt like they would touch each other any moment. I wanted to close my eyes, but I stubbornly focused, thinking that I shouldn’t take my eyes off it. No matter how terrible the truth that would be revealed, I couldn’t weaken after coming this far. The incident had to be revealed. Even for Yulia, who died unfairly.

“Kya!”

“Madam!”

The Countess screamed and bent down as the goldfish approached right in front of her. Then Count Banon immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He waved his hand to knock the goldfish away. No, to be exact, he was trying to knock it away. My eyes widened at the sight that unfolded immediately after. The moment the goldfish touched Count Banon’s hand, it burst like a balloon!

“Kyaa! Count! Blood on your face! Oh my god!”

Count Banon was covered in red blood on the spot. Because it burst in front of him, his entire face, from his bangs, was covered in blood. While he was flustered and frozen, not knowing what to do, the Countess took out a handkerchief from her arms and hurriedly wiped his face. But no matter how much she wiped, the bloodstains all over his face didn’t disappear. Nothing came off on the towel. The Countess’s stiffened hand gradually subsided. She kept looking back and forth between the clean handkerchief and the Count’s dirty face.

“…….”

“…….”

Silence fell all around. Whether it was because of the fear of witnessing a bizarre phenomenon or because of realizing a terrible truth. No one could open their mouth. I was the same. This time, I really couldn’t think of anything. Deron, who had been quietly folding his arms in the back, summed up the situation in one word.

“I’ve found it. The contractor.”

* * *

“I’ve found it. The contractor.”

I took a deep breath in and out. It wasn’t difficult to understand the one word Deron had uttered. It seemed like Count Banon was the same. When the word ‘contract’ was mentioned, he stopped wiping his face (even though it wouldn’t wipe off anyway) and froze. I could feel the agitation on his turning face. He was trying hard to suppress it, but his eyelids were also twitching.

Thanks to that, I had no choice but to be more certain. I had found Serpis’s contractor. I felt relieved that it wasn’t the Countess, but I felt just as miserable. The culprit was Count Banon. The father had killed his daughter.

“Count, was it you…….”

“Y-Your Majesty?”

Isana’s gaze was coldly 식어 있었다 [growing cold]. Count Banon flinched at the words he muttered. His bewildered face was full of embarrassment.

“Why. Why did you do such a thing?”

“Your Majesty, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What is this liquid that won’t wipe off, and what’s going on? Please explain it to me in a way that I can understand.”

He asked in a frightened tone. He acted like he didn’t know anything at all. But I wasn’t fooled. He had already realized the meaning of the question.