Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 359

359.

“First of all, in that sense, Lapis, there are things you need to do.”

“Things I need to do?”

“Make a contract with Ifrit and temporarily terminate your contract with El.”

“What? No way.”

The answer came immediately, but Diagon wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He seemed to have expected the refusal, wearing an ‘I knew it’ expression. I was the one who was more taken aback.

“Terminate the contract with me?”

“Ah, temporarily, I mean. As I said, we need to maintain the fire attribute at its maximum. Being contracted with the Water Spirit King will inevitably have an impact.”

“Ah….”

“If that’s the case, I won’t do it. Find someone else.”

As if the matter was settled, Lapis turned to leave. Diagon quickly grabbed his arm to stop him from walking away.

“Wait, you little rascal. I said it’s just temporary, not a complete termination. You can make the contract again after it’s over!”

“Still, I don’t want to.”

“No, it’s not like El won’t contract with you again, so why are you refusing unconditionally? El, you’ll contract with him again, right? Please say yes!”

Diagon, practically begging, looked at me with pleading eyes. I couldn’t ignore his desperate face, so I quickly nodded.

“See! He said he’ll do it again!”

“I still don’t want to.”

“You! Do you even know how important this is? The fate of the world is at stake! Your cooperation is really important!”

“It’s not like I’m the only one in the Red Dragon clan. Why are you doing this to me? Just make another one do it.”

“Because everyone else is weaker than you!”

“You said you’d set up auxiliary magic circles for the weaker ones.”

“Even if you combine all those kids, they’re not as good as you alone! We should be aiming for an upgrade, not a downgrade, right? Why else would I be holding onto you like this? The only one who can draw out efficiency similar to you is Kanil, but our Kanil is asleep right now! You’re the only one in the Red Dragon clan who can do this! Who told you to be born so talented?”

“Anyway, I don’t want to.”

“…Hoo, fine. Then just leave the contract with El as it is. Contract with Ifrit instead. You can do that, right?”

At those words, Lapis wore a slightly thoughtful expression before reluctantly replying.

“If that’s also temporary.”

“Of course, it’s temporary! I don’t plan on maintaining a contract with you forever either, you know?”

Ifrit, who had been watching the father and son’s bickering with an incredulous gaze, flared up and snapped back. Mete had done so a little while ago, and now his expression was turning red and blue. Watching their expressions alternate like a baton in a relay race, I was nervous about whose turn it would be next. To think they could ruin the atmosphere this much in a situation where they were supposed to be cooperating. In a way, he was truly amazing. At that moment, Lapis’s expression suddenly crumpled.

“Ah, wait. If I have to contract with Ifrit, then El will also be contracting with some guy named Okal?”

“Of course.”

“No way.”

“…You little rascal.”

Everyone, including me, gave him a dumbfounded look, but Lapis remained steadfast.

“How did I get this contract, and now some random guy gets it for free? I can’t stand to see that. Just drop it all. Do it another way.”

“There is no other way!”

“There is.”

“What?”

“The center of Alzirman Island in the Karif Sea. The deepest part of the seabed there is where the water energy gathers most strongly. If you’re there, you can draw out as much attribute as if you were contracted with the Water Spirit King. You can create the Water Formation there.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve done it before.”

“……”

“Don’t you believe me?”

“No, I can trust your words when it comes to water.”

“Then that’s settled.”

Everyone was speechless at his ‘what’s the problem’ look. Places where water energy strongly gathers tend to exist wherever there’s water, and even I hadn’t grasped all of those locations. I could find them if I looked, but I had never thought to look for them on purpose. It’s the same principle as not bothering to distinguish between the large and small particles among the countless grains of sand in the desert. He did all sorts of things to contract with the Water Spirit King, huh. What kind of past did he have to go through to know even that? I wondered.

“Alzirman Island is located in the middle of Rom and Masca, right? Geographically, it’s not bad either. The magic circles need to be set up at regular intervals. We can center it around Okal. But wouldn’t it be more efficient to go there while contracted with El?”

“Does pouring more water into an already full container increase the amount?”

“Hmm, I guess so. The maximum amount that can be drawn out is fixed, so there wouldn’t be a big difference.”

“If you know that, don’t say stupid things. And while we’re on the subject, I’ll go to a place where I can produce the same effect instead of contracting with Ifrit.”

“Do you know a place with strong fire energy?”

“You’ll have to tell me that now.”

At his refreshing reply, Ifrit’s face crumpled. It was obvious that he was being indirectly ordered to do something, since there was no one else in this place who could figure that out, so it was understandable that he would flare up.

“Didn’t you hear that we’re setting up the magic circles at intervals? You’re telling me to find a place suitable for fire energy, considering that location? Are you messing with me right now?”

“Then you find it first. I’ll have them adjust the Water Formation to that location.”

“What?”

“I know a few more places similar to Alzirman Island. There’s one on each continent. You can adjust the intervals based on the place you find.”

“……”

“Can’t you do that either?”

“When did I say I couldn’t do it? Of course, I can do it! Are you looking down on the Spirit Kings too much?!”

I guess this is what they call getting baited. As expected of the Fire Spirit King, the way he was igniting his spirit was unusual. He was already proud, and now he had been provoked with ‘I can do it, but can’t you?’ It was enough to make him furious. Moreover, the opponent wasn’t a Spirit King or a god, but a dragon. His desire not to lose was probably reaching the top of his head.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you two were just in contact? If you’re hugging, there’s no need to find a separate strong fire energy.”

“I don’t want to do that!”

“Did you even need to say that?”

Trowel’s suggestion was met with fierce opposition as soon as it came out. I thought it was a pretty good method, but the people involved didn’t seem to think so. Well, if I had to hug someone all the time to fulfill a role that might not end, I wouldn’t want to either. Especially if the other person was Lapis, who raised my blood pressure several times a day.

“You! Just wait! I’ll find it right away! If there isn’t one, I’ll create one and present it to you!”

After shouting angrily, Ifrit soon disappeared from the spot. If he deliberately creates fire energy, it will harm the ecosystem. Surely he wouldn’t actually do that, right?

“That’s settled then. The rest is up to you. Contract or don’t contract.”

Lapis had a relieved expression, having neatly resolved the situation in his own way. It was clear that he didn’t care at all that one of his words might turn an entire region into a lava zone. Diagon stared at him with a blank face for a while before scratching his head with a sigh.

“Anea and Mete are already contracted with the Spirit Kings of their respective attributes, so there’s no need to contract separately. It was you and Okal who were the problem. No, to be exact, you’re the problem. It’s because you’re trying to monopolize the Water Spirit King, who isn’t even your attribute.”

“Anyway, it’s resolved now, so it’s fine.”

“You’re my son, but I don’t know where a guy like you came from.”

“Rantasha said I look like Diagon, though?”

“……Did our Kanil have something against me?”

Next to Diagon, who was in shock, Mete’s face also hardened. His expression was so serious that they looked like people who had heard that the world was ending, not that their son resembled his father. The two fathers soon put their heads together and began to whisper.

“Father, could it be that? The last game you played. Mother told you to come back in about 30 years, but you came back in only 15 years.”

“Gasp, was that the problem after all?”

“If not, there’s no reason for Mother to be so angry. You went straight to Mother, so you forcibly ended Mother’s game.”

“I just wanted to see Kanil!”

“Still, you went too far. That’s why she told Lapis that he resembled you. Make sure to apologize properly later.”

“Yes, I will.”

……At this point, I wondered if the word ‘Lapis’ was being used as an insult to them. I wasn’t sure if a family could be like this, but I couldn’t blame them because I understood how they felt. I glanced over and saw Lapis smiling brightly. The father and son, who had been whispering, flinched at the meltingly beautiful smile.

“Try saying more.”

“Ahaha, did I mention, Father? I’m very proud to have a younger brother named Lapis.”

“Are you trying to get out of this alone, Mete? I’m also really, really proud that Lapis is my son.”

Now that I see it, Diagon’s situation isn’t much different. Watching the two men quickly change their attitudes, I clicked my tongue.

“Stop with the nonsense. It’s better to start preparing to go to your respective locations.”

It was Trowel who calmed the noisy atmosphere. Even as he spoke to us, his gaze was directed elsewhere. Judging by the way he was looking at something, he was probably using his insight.

“Ifrit hasn’t returned yet, has he?”

“I could roughly see where the Fire Formation will be located. Treya in Aratus.”

At those words, Lapis slightly frowned. Next to him, who was showing his displeasure, Diagon’s face lit up.

“Treya is where Lapis’s lair is located, right?”

“That’s right, it’s also the place with the oldest active volcano on the continent.”

“If it’s there, it’s certain. It’s such a hot place that even the Red Dragons don’t go there if they can help it.”

“Where exactly is that?”

“It’s a volcanic zone in the Carters Empire.”

I asked, curious about the conversation, and Eluien answered. I had vaguely heard that Lapis’s lair was in a volcanic zone, but I didn’t know that the area was in the Carters Empire. I wondered why he had come all the way here to play instead of staying in a nearby empire, and the answer was surprisingly simple.

“The water quality is better here.”

“……Ah, I see. Anyway, it’s good that it’s near your home. Have a good trip.”

I waved my hand lightly, and Lapis’s eyes immediately turned fierce.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re coming with me too. You think I’m going to suffer alone?”

“I’m not going to be playing around either, you know? And shouldn’t I stay here? Won’t my presence decrease the fire energy?”

“I said the maximum attribute that can be drawn out is fixed, right? Don’t make me say it twice.”

“……Tch.”

I thought I was going to be able to do individual activities this time, but he’s not giving me a chance to escape. Since his will is so strong, I guess I have no choice but to follow him. I’ve been silently following his schedule until now, so I guess it’s my turn this time. I nodded and glanced to the side, and Diagon and Mete were looking at me with pitiful eyes. They seemed to be feeling the same emotions that I had felt when I looked at them. We stared at each other and nodded with determined expressions. A sense of camaraderie born from the same situation was blooming.

“Hmm, the Carters Empire, huh. The Archduke must be there too.”

Just in time, Trowel jumped down from the rock he was sitting on and said. I was so surprised by the content that I hadn’t expected at all that I turned to look at him.

“The Archduke is in the Carters Empire?”

“Yeah, it seems so. To be exact, the one who’s trying to become an Evil God is there.”

“Did you see something?”

“No, it’s a deduction. Because you’re going to the Carters Empire, El.”

“Huh? Me? Why is that…….”

“He and El have a deep, karmic connection. These kinds of connections cause you to get involved in everything. Even more so as the finale approaches.”

In other words, because I have a fate intertwined with the Evil God, the place I go to will also have meaning. I’m not very happy about it, but the former Demon King and I certainly had a deep, karmic connection. From contracting with Isana to the recent banquet. Even if I didn’t intend to, I was always in the place that interfered with what he was trying to do. As he said once, it was as if I was destined to stand on the opposite side from the beginning.

Trowel, who was gazing at the sky, still seemed to be looking elsewhere. I was a little curious about what was happening in the world he was seeing. As if he was dazzled, he shielded the sunlight with one hand and muttered.

“A long journey is about to begin.”

* * *

I woke up to a scent tickling my nose. It felt like I had gotten a deep sleep for the first time in a long time. Since when had my head always been dull even after waking up, but now it felt refreshed, as if it had been washed with cool water.

Yukarte slowly blinked his eyes. The surroundings were generally dark, so it was difficult to grasp the sense of time. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep or where this place was. He only knew for sure that he was lying on a large, firm bed, and that the shape of the ceiling was unfamiliar.

He calmly traced back his last memories. He frowned at the memories that became clear without having to look back far. He remembered why he had lost consciousness. He had ruined the most important moment of his life.

Everything was a perfect plan from the start. The banquet went smoothly, and the preparations were made without any problems. The results of testing the magic power were better than expected, so he was able to secure more sacrifices than initially anticipated. But all of that was ruined by an unexpected uninvited guest.

I still remember the moment I first met her clearly. She was a rare beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her appearance and age were top-notch, but the other conditions weren’t suitable, so I regretted leaving her behind. But that was just the extent of regret that I quickly erased from my mind as soon as I entrusted her disposal to my subordinates. I had no intention of spending time on someone I would never see again. But she appeared in perfect condition. Moreover, when she reappeared, she had blue hair instead of blonde hair. It was a mysterious color, as if it contained the sea. At that time, he almost instinctively realized her identity.

The Water Spirit King!

His body trembled as the shock of that moment resurfaced. He had never imagined that the Spirit King would look so similar to a human. If he hadn’t heard that his dear nephew had contracted with her, he wouldn’t have recognized her right away. Still, it would have been better if he had noticed sooner. To think that the Spirit King would appear.