Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 358

Chapter 358

“Ah! Could this handsome young man be the newly reborn Elquines? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Diagon, the leader of the Dragon Clan and the father of Lapis and Mete here.”

Immediately after recognizing me, Diagon strode over and introduced himself. A good-natured, affable smile was plastered across his face. His face was youthful, and his manner of speaking was so jovial that it was hard to guess his age. He was in a position to be the father of a friend, but it felt no different from a peer introducing himself, which left me feeling bewildered. When I shook his outstretched hand, his eyes twinkled.

“Hello, I’m Elquines.”

“Wow, this water spirit has a good personality.”

“……Pardon?”

“Before, I was ignored even when I asked for a handshake. I was only met with a cold stare, which made my stomach churn. Honestly, that memory is a trauma, so I was secretly nervous just now.”

……That must have been the case. Without realizing it, I looked back at Ellyuen, who was standing behind me, and he chuckled. Diagon was so focused on me that he didn’t seem to notice who was behind him yet.

“Oh, and feel free to speak casually. I prefer relationships where we don’t stand on ceremony. It’s embarrassing when I’m being rude and the other person is being polite.”

“Well, still, your age……”

“Does that matter to beings like us? Besides, the age difference with Troel is huge, isn’t it? I don’t think it’s something to consider anymore.”

“Ah, well, I guess. Okay, then Diagon can call me El, too.”

“Haha, great, El. I like you already. You really roasted Minerva this time. She told me not to even think about touching her honorifics because it’s her concept. That almost became a trauma in another sense.”

Diagon laughed cheerfully and theatrically swept his chest. The more I talked to him, the more I thought he was a really good-natured dragon. It was a mystery how such a handsome man could have a prickly son like Lapis; it was a conundrum of the century.

“I’ve heard that my good-for-nothing son has been a burden in many ways. I heard he finally achieved his wish to contract with the Water King? I heard he’s doing surprisingly well, and now that I’ve met El, I understand why. With this kind of personality, Canil can’t even budge. I heard he caused a lot of trouble during the contract process, but I’m really grateful that you were so lenient. He’s my son, but he’s really something else.”

“It’s been a nuisance for generations.”

At that moment, Ellyuen, who had been silently listening to the conversation, suddenly interjected. It wasn’t so much that he deliberately interrupted, but rather that he couldn’t let it pass. I had only experienced it once during my first summoning, but he had been summoned by Lapis hundreds of times during his term as Spirit King, so he was actually the one who suffered more. Yet, it was so like him to have completely forgotten about it.

“That’s exactly what I was going to say…… Huh? Elquines?”

Diagon, who had absentmindedly agreed, turned around and widened his eyes. Only then did he recognize Ellyuen’s presence. When the name that anyone who knew him before would naturally mention came up, Ellyuen narrowed his eyes.

“I am Ellyuen now. I’m getting tired of telling you every time.”

“What? Ellyuen? You mean that Ellyuen, the god of curses and punishment? That was Elquines? Elquines, you became a god?”

“Are your eyes just for show?”

“I can tell by your personality!”

Diagon, his eyes wide, exclaimed repeatedly. He pointed his finger almost accusingly, but lowered it as soon as Ellyuen frowned. However, he couldn’t stop looking at him with a curious gaze. The other Black Dragon, who had been called Mete, just stood there quietly. When our eyes met, he gave an awkward nod.

“I am Messeterius. Please call me Mete.”

“Ah. Nice to meet you.”

“It is an honor to meet the Water King. As a member who lives by your grace, I am deeply moved to be able to greet you like this today.”

“Ah, yes……”

Unlike his cheerful father, the son who resembled him was overly polite. I slowly scanned him. If he was Lapis’s brother, he was the one who brought Bluster back to this land. He was also the dragon who was known to have been defeated in a battle with Duke Caribdis. When I heard the story, I thought he was just another dragon with an eccentric personality, just like Lapis. But in reality, he seemed quite shy. He seemed tense, judging by the way he was holding his body stiffly. Well, it was understandable, considering he had come to a place where the Spirit Kings and a god were gathered. In that sense, I thought Diagon’s personality was extraordinary. Even though he was a dragon, it wasn’t common to treat a Spirit King so casually. They didn’t seem to have anything in common, but now that I thought about it, Lapis did resemble his father’s shameless side. And at that moment, the son who completely resembled his father’s disposition was about to run away again.

“I’ll just get out of here. Take care of your business.”

“Canil, no! Wait!”

“Don’t call me Canil! Damn it, let go! Won’t you let go?”

“Mete! Hit your brother on the head right now! Knock him out cold!”

“……You’re asking too much of me, Father.”

Diagon hugged Lapis’s waist as he tried to run away, and Mete assisted him. As I watched the three fathers and sons struggling with each other, I turned to Troel and asked.

“Canil is a nice name, so why does he hate it so much?”

“Lapis hates everything Diagon gives him. Whether it’s a name or anything else.”

“Are they not on good terms with his father?”

“Isn’t it harder to find someone he’s on good terms with?”

“Ah, indeed.”

I wondered if it was okay to agree so readily, but I had never heard anything more perfectly logical. Then, Lapis, who had forcibly shaken off Diagon, approached with a tired face.

“Don’t blatantly fabricate stories in front of me. The reason I hate that nickname isn’t because Diagon gave it to me.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s because it’s Lantasha’s play name.”

“Lantasha?”

“Diagon’s partner. The Red Dragon who gave birth to Lapis and Mete.”

In other words, Lapis’s mother’s name in the play was Carnelian. It was a name connected to Lapis’s childhood name, but if she was a Red Dragon, it wouldn’t be strange to have a name derived from the same gemstone. Rather, it was likely that Carnelian came first, and Sardonyx was taken from there and attached to it. And that means……

“……You’re calling your son by your wife’s nickname?”

“Lapis doesn’t resemble Diagon at all, does he? Instead, he resembles Lantasha. Lantasha is currently in a state of hibernation, so it’s been a long time since they’ve met. So, he often expresses his longing through his son instead.”

“Hmm.”

“It’s a bit much, isn’t it? If my father were to look for my mother in me, I would hate it too.”

That’s…… certainly. I couldn’t bring myself to say no. It’s not good to project someone onto yourself, let alone as a substitute for your mother. I felt like I had to take Lapis’s side this time. As I awkwardly tried to nod, Lapis glared at Troel with a fierce look.

“Why are you slandering me when you know everything?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“I’ve said it many times, but there’s something wrong with the personalities of the Spirit Kings. You’re the most annoying of them all.”

“There’s no need to put it down like that. I’m only doing this to you.”

“How can you say that!?”

“It’s because you’re a bad kid who’s always causing trouble for your godfather.”

“Ha! What did I ever do?”

“If you want to be specific, it’s been that way since the moment you were born.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I hatched normally, and my growth and learning were fast, too? Where else would you find such an excellent hatchling? I heard you gladly took on the role of godfather! You only made me your godson while Mete refused, it’s because you liked me, right?”

Lapis argued with a dumbfounded expression, but Troel just laughed gleefully. It seemed he was having a lot of fun teasing his godson. After that, Diagon attacked again(?), and the flow shifted back to that side. Lapis cast a look of contempt at Diagon, who was clinging to him like a molesting uncle.

“Ah, why are you doing this again?”

“Canil. I have something to tell you……”

“Shut up. If you don’t call me by my name, you’ll see what patricide is.”

“……I think you’re already being a parricide. Ah, okay, okay. Lapis. I’ll call you properly.”

“What’s the matter?”

Only then did Lapis stop resisting and nervously sweep back his hair. “How can you look so much like Canil in that way, too.” Diagon muttered with a flickering gaze, as if longing for something, and another scuffle was about to begin. But the atmosphere was more subdued than before.

‘So, he only made Lapis his godson. I didn’t know that.’

Since they were brothers, I thought Mete would naturally be Troel’s godson, but that wasn’t the case. Wouldn’t Mete feel a little left out? I didn’t want to sympathize with the position of a discriminated son, but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. In terms of attributes, Messeterius, the Black Dragon, would have been more familiar. But he refused him and accepted Lapis, the Red Dragon, as his godson. I wondered what Troel’s intentions were in making that decision. When I looked at him, he was staring silently at the fathers and sons who were in the middle of a conversation. He was clearly smiling, but his face felt strangely shadowed. Perhaps it was because his eyes were downcast.

‘Troel?’

He wasn’t someone who usually showed his emotions, so I couldn’t read his inner thoughts, but I knew one thing. He wasn’t in a good mood right now. It was an expression that didn’t match the face that had been laughing happily just a moment ago, and was still smiling, so I gasped softly. It wasn’t just a problem of this one moment. Both now and a moment ago. Lately, there were things that made me pause in my daily life. I couldn’t exactly explain what it was.

-I’m sorry, I can’t say anything right now.

The voice I had heard sometime ago began to play again in my head like a rewinding tape. Along with his expression, which seemed sad and regretful.

-You definitely won’t be able to endure it.

It was the kindest warning in the world. An implication that he wanted me to be unharmed, but also gave me a pre-emptive warning. At first, I accepted it as a problem of the ‘past’, but lately I felt like that wasn’t all it was. Forcibly suppressing the rising anxiety, I clenched my fist tightly.

Something I didn’t know was going on.

* * *

“You want me to play the main role in the purification circle?”

Diagon, who had shown a cheerful first impression, began to show a serious side befitting the leader of the dragons when he began to talk about the main subject. Everyone listened seriously to what he had to say because the reason he came was connected to Ifrit’s business. In short, they decided to engrave a barrier to fix the purification circle on the dragon’s body.

In order to fix the purification circle, it was necessary to create a central axis and frame that could continuously supply mana, but even if the necessary mana was forcibly drawn, there was almost no material that could withstand it. So, they thought of using the dragon’s body as a cornerstone. Dragons, called creatures of mana, could easily accept a large amount of mana, and they were also knowledgeable in magic and could respond immediately to unusual situations, so it was judged that they were very suitable for this task. In other words, their very existence would become a living mana pillar. Because it was such an important matter, the Dragon Clan also readily agreed to cooperate. And Diagon selected Lapis as one of those who would carry out the mission.

“Why me?”

Diagon replied briefly to Lapis, who was clearly showing his displeasure. Arkadon was a land governed by the four great Spirit Kings, so the mana followed their traits. The purification circle needed all of those attributes equally, and as a result, four fixed frames were to be erected. So, if possible, they decided to select dragons with the maximum value of each attribute.

“Anea of the Silver Clan will be in charge of the wind barrier, and Okal of the Blue Clan will be in charge of the water barrier. Your brother will be in charge of the earth barrier.”

“Mete? Why not Diagon?”

“I’m the lord, for now. I have to prepare for any eventuality.”

“Still. Mete is coming into a plan I’m involved in? Wouldn’t that be unbalanced?”

I can’t believe he can say that the other person’s level is lower than his in that way. Even though he’s his brother, his skills in provoking are top-notch. Mete glared at him with a flustered face, but Lapis took it without a care. Mete was the one who averted his gaze first at the expression that said, ‘Try it if you can.’

‘……I think I’m starting to feel sorry for him.’

The sibling relationships I know usually have the older brother leading the younger brother. How can the older brother be pushed back this far? I felt sorry for Mete, even though the relationship I had never experienced felt fresh. Diagon seemed to feel the same way, as he looked at his eldest son with pitiful eyes. He cleared his throat.

“Well, you’re so unique in this case. The only ones who can balance you in comparison are me or the elders. Anea is the only one among those who are in charge of this role right now. Okal is still immature, so we have to be prepared for the overall imbalance. Instead, we’re planning to create separate auxiliary magic circles to compensate for the lacking side as much as possible.”

“Hmph. Well, that would be okay.”

I thought there would be no more updates to Lapis’s awfulness. But it seems that you can’t even predict what will happen in the next inch of a person’s life. Looking at the guy who was so hateful that I couldn’t even lift my head because I was so embarrassed and ashamed. In fact, Mete and Diagon had faces that seemed used to it, so I realized the greatness of kinship once again.