Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 346

346.

“Hmm. So it’s already grown this strong.”

“A-Are you okay, Ellyuen?”

“As you can see. I know you tried something, but how did the dimensional barrier break?”

“I don’t know either. Suddenly, a strange pillar of light rose up…”

“A pillar of light? Ah, there’s a trace here.”

Ellyuen, muttering to himself, still seemed calm. I didn’t sense that he was taking the situation seriously or blaming me. Emboldened by that, I cautiously asked.

“Um, is this place going to become like Byton now?”

“Don’t worry. It’s just a temporary phenomenon. Arkadon is already under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Realm, so it won’t be attributed to another Great Dimension. The broken part will be restored on its own. But it will take a few days.”

“Ah, I see.”

It was good news amidst the misfortune. But apart from the relief, my heart grew heavier. Perhaps my face looked dark, as Ellyuen gave me a questioning look.

“Why that expression?”

“…I think I made things worse. I only tried to use the Duke to bring down the former Demon King, but I didn’t expect the situation to turn out like this. I should have been more careful. I missed him in vain, and now the dimensional barrier is broken…”

“If everything went according to plan, this would have ended with Kanos. It’s not your fault.”

“I think so too, El.”

Trowell’s voice followed Ellyuen’s reply. I didn’t notice when he stopped smiling, but he was approaching with a serious expression.

“Rather, it seems like you ruined his plan. Today was supposed to be the start of the operation, but it failed. Since there were so many high-quality sacrifices, the ritual would have been completed. Then, the dimensional barrier wouldn’t have been the only problem. You seem to think that you interfered and let him escape, but that’s not true at all. Even if you had done something else in that situation, he would have found a way to escape.”

Somehow, he seemed to know everything, even the parts I hadn’t explained. I soon found out why.

“Besides, if you hadn’t stepped in, Lapis would have been in danger. That guy looks like that, but he’s quite touched. He’s too awkward to say thank you honestly, but El, please understand.”

“Damn it, don’t read my mind!”

Lapis, who belatedly grasped the situation, scowled. He started by getting angry, but it seemed he was actually touched. If it weren’t for Trowell, I would have never known, and I couldn’t help but smile. However, Lapis, who had been caught off guard, was furious.

“Why do you read other people’s minds without permission?”

“I just heard it.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Do you think I’m that careless?”

“Nonsense?”

“Because you’re saying ridiculous things!”

“So, nonsense?”

“I said it because I was angry! Just let it go!”

The two bickered incessantly. The atmosphere was so fierce that it seemed like the world was about to end, but their relationship felt even more intimate. It was clear that Lapis, who seemed to fear nothing, yielded a little to Trowell. Seeing that, it was clear that the Godfather was indeed the Godfather. I was watching with great interest when I felt a hand gently stroking my head. It was Ellyuen.

“I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry about anything else. That’s enough.”

I unconsciously gripped the end of his sleeve tightly. As I blankly looked up, he gently stroked my head again.

“You’ve worked hard, son.”

The voice that followed was so sweet that I wanted to cry. I thought it was a situation where I couldn’t help but be scolded, but instead, I received such warm comfort that my heart felt like it was floating. A son who suddenly appeared one day. He didn’t give birth to me, didn’t raise me, but how could he give me such infinite trust? I don’t doubt his affection. But I’m still afraid to think about whether I deserve such excessive treatment. Especially since I’m a son who always causes trouble instead of doing anything commendable. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever properly called him father. I had said it a few times in the form of answering questions, but I couldn’t call that really calling him. When Kanos encouraged me, I was too busy pretending not to know, but now that I realized it, my throat tickled.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Haha.”

Idiot, moron, you’re really hopeless.

I thought I could do it. The problem is that my courage drops sharply when I actually meet his gaze.

“By the way, how did you two come together?”

While I was mentally berating myself, I asked a question to avoid becoming awkward. Then, for the first time, Ellyuen’s expression wavered. He seemed a little embarrassed, which made me even more puzzled.

“There were some, circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

“It’s nothing much.”

“Ellyuen became directionally challenged. I found him wandering around.”

It was Trowell who answered this time as well. I widened my eyes, wondering what that meant, and Ellyuen frowned. Trowell immediately turned his head as if avoiding the intense gaze he was receiving.

“What does that mean?”

“…It’s just a side effect.”

“A side effect? What side effect? Is something wrong?”

When I didn’t back down and persistently pressed him, Ellyuen sighed lightly. Contrary to my nervousness that he would get angry, he took something out from inside his clothes. I thought it was a long string, but when I looked closely, it was a necklace. A black leather cord was wrapped around a red stone with a mysterious color. I felt like I had seen something similar somewhere.

“It’s a divine object. If you possess this, you can stay in the Middle Realm without time constraints.”

“Oh? So you can stay here forever?”

“Yes. However, since it’s not originally mine, the wavelengths don’t match me. So my senses are a little dull. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Who did it originally belong to?”

“Kanos.”

Only after hearing the answer did I remember that Kanos had a similar necklace. I had only glanced at it, so I didn’t remember it right away. So that necklace was why he could live as Lukarhem. I was curious, but now my question was answered.

“Did the Demon God lend it to you?”

“No. I took it.”

“…Is that okay?”

“The guy who got it taken was stupid.”

There was a snort mixed in his reply. It’s true that Ellyuen is generally cold, but it’s not just my imagination that he seems more ruthless to Kanos. Of course, I understood enough since he had done something wrong.

“Isana was kidnapped?”

The secrets I didn’t know didn’t end there. It turned out that Ellyuen had come down here a long time ago. He had been searching for me individually all this time. I was shocked when I heard that he had rescued Isana, who had fallen into a trap just before coming here. Isana and his party were also included in the high-quality sacrifices chosen by the Duke. Fortunately, they were all rescued without any injuries and returned safely to the camp.

“But the real danger starts now. Breaking the dimensional barrier means there’s an intention behind it. The crack isn’t big, so it’s only affecting this place now, but it will soon spread throughout. That means the same situation as before will happen nationwide.”

I immediately understood what Trowell’s explanation meant. It was a warning that people would turn into monsters. I didn’t think the Duke would have only planted the seeds of the Demon Tree in the Demon God followers. It would be obvious for the military, and it might be spread among ordinary people as well. I don’t know how many people he has manipulated, but it was clear that great chaos would occur.

“We also need to be wary of the demons crossing over. There are still many who don’t know that he has lost his qualifications as a Demon King. For a while, they are likely to be loyal to him. They will help him buy time.”

“Ugh, this is not the time to be doing this. I have to go out quickly. I can remove the seeds of the Demon Tree, right?”

“It’s possible, but are you going to find them all?”

“I thought I should start with what I can do.”

“Wouldn’t it be faster to just wipe them all out after they transform?”

“There might be innocent people among the victims. I want to save them all if possible.”

I felt Trowell staring at me. Somehow, the way he was looking at me was a little strange. It was colder than usual. It was a chill I had hardly ever felt from him. Did I say something wrong? I was unknowingly nervous, but Trowell soon gave an awkward smile as if he noticed it.

“Hey, El.”

“Yeah.”

“El.”

“Yeah…?”

“El.”

“…Trowell?”

“I just wanted to call you.”

“……”

I felt strange. It was a premonition that something very bad was about to happen. As I quietly swallowed my breath, the smile that had been lingering on Trowell’s lips slowly disappeared. His eyes, filled with countless emotions, stared at me for a long time. I couldn’t understand what it meant.

“Sorry. I can’t say anything right now. There are things I can and can’t get involved in, and this is the latter. If I reveal the truth, you’ll wonder about the cause and effect. I won’t avoid answering. But I can’t guarantee that you’ll be okay with it. No, you definitely won’t be able to handle it.”

“I don’t… understand what you’re saying.”

“Yeah, it’s better not to know now.”

“Trowell. What the hell…”

“El, you’re my family.”

“……”

“I really like you. I always have. No matter what happens in the future, that will never change. I just want you to know that.”

He said softly, patted my shoulder, and walked out first. As he passed, he playfully kicked Lapis’s leg, and Lapis was annoyed by the sudden tyranny. Watching that, I swallowed the question that had been lingering in my mouth.

Trowell, did you remember him too?

Was he really a real person? Was everything Sibelius said true? The El you know, is now someone else, not me?

There were many things I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them. Because I wasn’t confident that I wouldn’t be hurt by whatever answer he gave. Trowell had already warned me, and I didn’t have the confidence to cross that line.

Ellyuen’s warmth fell on my head again as I stood still. It was still a warmth that was so gentle that it made me want to cry. The fact that I couldn’t be completely comforted by that touch was just my own problem. Because I had such a miserable heart.

* * *

Crack—Zzzzzzz!

A rough noise echoed as I strongly gripped and tore down from top to bottom. The space seemed to ripple, and the sensation in my hand disappeared in an instant. It’s not a big deal after all. As lightly shook off both hands.

Finding the generation point of the barrier and removing it were all first-time experiences, but it wasn’t that difficult. It was because I searched with the premise that there was a barrier from the beginning. If I didn’t know anything, it would have taken quite a while to realize that I was trapped. Humans can create such barriers, impressive? As reevaluated the Duke’s power and turned around. A group waiting a little distance away looked at him with uneasy eyes.

“It’s over. You can go now.”

When I pointed to the entrance to the ground, the group’s faces lit up. I didn’t tell them to take them home, so this much should be enough. The rest is up to them to handle. In fact, it took considerable patience for As to guide them this far. A moment ago, an earthquake shook the surroundings. It was clear that the vibration started from the place where the altar was located, and the flow of air changed subtly afterward, so I was very anxious. I don’t think anything happened, but I wanted to go back quickly and check on the Godfather’s safety.

“J-Just one thing, I’ll ask.”

However, the human group he was leading had no tact. Despite the signal to leave, one of them, a girl with a still young face, mustered the courage to step forward. As just watched quietly. It was just because it was annoying, but the girl, who interpreted it as a sign of permission, took a deep breath.

“Who are you guys anyway? It’s a lie that you came from the Albato Kingdom, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“What the hell is your identity? Why did you save us? Who sent you? Do you know what Duke is trying to do?”

The barrage of questions did not continue. It was because As, who had been listening indifferently, smiled.

“You’re a good liar.”

“Y-Yes?”

“You said you’d only ask one thing. You’ve already exceeded one.”

The girl who was asking the questions closed her mouth with a bewildered face. Shame rose at the blatant rebuke, but she couldn’t dare to show it. The same was true for the others. He was just a boy smaller than them, but for some reason, they were afraid of him. It felt like a dream that they had approached and talked to him so casually at the banquet hall. It felt like an ordeal to even look him straight in the eye.

“Thou art a demon.”

Among those who were frozen, there was only one person who was calm. The ripple caused by his words was great.

“D-Demon?”

Amidst everyone’s shock, As looked at the man who had guessed his identity with curious eyes. The blond man was also staring back expressionlessly. His name was Caribdis, wasn’t it? I felt it from the first time I saw him, but he was a man with considerable energy that was surprising for a human. At this rate, he was fully comparable to Derron during his Donggongjak days (although he wouldn’t admit it). Considering that humans, who have clear limitations by birth, have developed to this extent, his talent may be even greater. So it was really amazing. Of course, that was just the extent of my interest, so the excitement didn’t last long.