Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 383

“What is this…!”

The moment their eyes met, Danimel grinned and stomped hard on the magic circle. Crack! A sound like something breaking echoed, and Raon Hwizen, who had been chanting a spell, gasped sharply. He had disrupted the mana flow of the magic circle.

“Kuhuk!”

“Your Highness!”

Raon Hwizen lost consciousness instantly from the shock of the forced magic disruption. As he collapsed, the teleportation magic circle, which was almost activated, vanished. While everyone was in chaos, Danimel reached out. His target was Asel.

“Unicorn’s blood!”

“……!”

Danimel rushed forward, and Asel’s eyes widened in surprise. Fortunately, just before Danimel’s hand reached Asel, Sibelius intervened. Snow-white silver hair that seemed to hold moonlight, clear blue eyes that seemed to have captured the sky—it was Sibelius.

“How dare you target someone like that?”

He gritted his teeth with a fierce expression, pulled Asel towards him, and pushed Danimel away. The sound of wind raging echoed, and a strong wave briefly surged in front of them. Though perhaps not as powerful as the momentum of the attack suggested, Danimel was pushed quite far back by the wave and collapsed. It was a moment of relief.

“Is everyone alright?”

“El!”

Around that time, I also shook off the pressure that had been weighing me down. I rushed towards them, and Alisa, who had been checking on Raon Hwizen, quickly ran to me and hugged me. Sibelius, who had been glaring at the fallen Danimel, also turned to me with a delighted expression.

“El.”

“I’m glad I responded in time. It could have been a disaster.”

“You’re telling me. I was only paying attention to that side, but I never expected someone unexpected to attack… Is he also being controlled by the Demon King?”

“It seems similar.”

Danimel remained motionless on the ground where he had fallen. No presence was felt, so it seemed he was dead. Karian, wearing the Emperor’s body, was still motionless in the water. It was hard to tell if he had run away completely or was still inside. First, I checked Raon Hwizen’s condition. He looked very pale, as if he had suffered internal injuries. As soon as I poured healing power into him, the head of the Imperial Guard, who was supporting him, stared at me with a dazed expression. Then Asel quickly approached.

“His Highness the Crown Prince…”

“He seems a bit hurt, but I’ve healed him, so don’t worry. He will wake up safely.”

“I see. Thank you so much. It’s such a relief that you’re here, El. I don’t know how we would have handled it if we were alone…”

“I’ll take those thanks later. It’s too early to relax. We need to get out of here, but it’s difficult. It seems it will take some time for the Crown Prince to regain consciousness.”

How great would it be if there was just one more mage who could teleport at times like this. No, if Lapis were here in the first place, he would have evacuated everyone to a safe place already. He’s annoying, but I couldn’t help but acknowledge his necessity at times like this. But I couldn’t bring him here right away, which made me feel even more uneasy. Then Asel stared silently at Serium, who was hovering nearby.

“Do it.”

“Do what?”

“Teleportation.”

“……What?”

“Since His Highness the Crown Prince has collapsed, there are no other mages available.”

“No, but why are you telling me that?”

“Why do you think?”

Asel’s gaze was cold. It was a clear implication that it would be better to comply willingly. I wondered if he had spare magic scrolls or related magical tools, but it didn’t seem like that kind of atmosphere. After hesitating for a while, Serium finally drooped his shoulders with a resigned face.

“……How did you know?”

“I noticed when you left the academy. That’s when I first realized that His Highness could use space magic.”

“Why is that?”

“Do you think I’m stupid? How can anyone believe that even a genius could master teleportation magic on their own? None of the current academy faculty can teach that. That means there’s another high-level teacher nearby.”

“……Danimel was there.”

“Ah, you mean that Danimel, who is outwardly known as the teacher. Was there anyone among us who didn’t know that he was smiling on the outside but holding a knife behind his back? Would anyone believe that he properly taught His Highness magic? Who would believe that?”

“…….”

“If you admit it, hurry up. Can’t you see what’s going on?”

“Ugh, alright. I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”

What is all this about? I wasn’t the only one looking bewildered. The Imperial Guards and Raon Hwizen’s escort knights were also looking at them with incomprehension. Serium cleared his throat, seemingly embarrassed by the gazes pouring in from all directions. “Don’t be too surprised by what you see,” he muttered, as if embarrassed, and began to chant something. As I watched the following scene, I couldn’t help but understand why he told us not to be surprised. It was because his appearance was starting to change.

It was a little different from how the Emperor’s appearance had changed. Back then, it was like completely remaking the appearance, but now Serium just felt like his cells were aging. From late youth to middle age, and then to old age. It felt like watching a person’s life in one place.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this form.”

Finally, the completely aged man smiled. His dark gray hair had turned white, and his once robust physique had become thinner, giving him a slightly gaunt appearance. However, his aura seemed sharper than before. It wasn’t just the atmosphere, but it was actually the case. I could feel a strong mana coming from him that hadn’t been there before. It seemed that he had been using all his magic power to maintain his youthful appearance.

“Good heavens. Sir Phillip…?”

The one who reacted most strongly to Serium’s changed appearance was the head of the Imperial Guard, Almasner. The other Imperial Guards’ eyes widened at the name he groaned. The surprised guards whispered among themselves.

“Phillip, you mean…”

“The Sage Phillip, who was the former chief court wizard?”

“You mean that legendary archmage who suddenly quit being the chief court wizard and disappeared?”

Huh, the former chief court wizard? Even a legendary archmage? I was dumbfounded and stared at him, and he scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed.

“I’ll formally greet you again. I am Phillip Semerian von Alvarez.”

“……Weren’t you saying you weren’t a mage?”

“Well… I’m really sorry. I couldn’t exactly agree with you in that situation, so unintentionally…”

“Well, let’s leave that aside. So, why was someone who was the chief court wizard doing that?”

“Ahaha, doesn’t everyone have unavoidable past circumstances? Ahahahaha.”

He was sparing with his words, but I felt like it was to protect Raon Hwizen. Just looking at him teaching magic by his side, it couldn’t be a completely wrong guess. As expected of someone with the same star of the monarch, Raon Hwizen was born with as much good fortune as Isana. A little admiration that was unrelated to the situation flowed out.

I couldn’t continue the conversation because of the eerie sensation that was transmitted to my fingertips. I turned to the water balloon where Karian was trapped. He still seemed unconscious, but I felt a slight twitch. Was he waking up? Or maybe he hadn’t lost consciousness from the beginning. As I watched him, the others also began to tense up. The surrounding air, which had been briefly relaxed by Serium’s identity, suddenly became taut again.

“……Well, it’s not the time to be leisurely, so let’s talk about the details later. Take everyone and evacuate right away. The farther away from here, the better.”

“Yes, I understand.”

A determined expression filled Serium’s face as he answered. The head of the Imperial Guard approached him as he turned around to prepare. He was showing many emotions on his face.

“It’s been a long time, Sir Phillip.”

“Well, isn’t it a bit awkward to say that now? We’ve been together all along.”

“How can you say that? Do you know how much I looked for you after you suddenly left the Imperial Palace? And… to think you were so close.”

“Hehe, was my disguise pretty good? No one knew what I looked like when I was young.”

“……Really, you are something else.”

While the head of the Imperial Guard sighed deeply, Serium began to draw a teleportation magic circle on the floor in earnest. As befitting an archmage, it was much faster than Raon Hwizen. Along with that, Karian’s resistance also grew stronger. Now everyone could see him writhing. The sound of water sloshing echoed clearly each time Karian struggled. Alisa grabbed my arm tightly, perhaps feeling uneasy.

“E, El.”

“It’s okay, Alisa. I can hold him until the magic circle is complete, so don’t worry. Even if he breaks free, I’ll buy you time to escape.”

“Is it okay for only us to go? What about you, El…?”

“It’s more important for you to be safe first. That guy is after you, not me.”

As I answered, my gaze suddenly turned to Asel. Unlike his calm expression, his face was pale. When I looked closely, the hands he was clenching were also trembling slightly. It was right after Karian had openly attacked him through Danimel. It was likely that his goal was still him. It would be stranger if he didn’t feel fear.

“Asel, are you okay?”

“Ah, yes. I’m okay.”

Even as he nodded, his face was still stiff. I was wondering what to say to reassure him when Sibelius placed his hand on his head. Asel looked up in surprise, and he stared at him with a calm gaze.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“Sibelius.”

“You heard what that guy said, right? You have the blood of the Unicorn flowing through you. It’s the blood of a warrior clan that the God of Justice, Lusef, painstakingly created to protect the divine realm. You will never die easily.”

“But……”

“And I’m by your side.”

“……!”

“Even though I look like this, I’ve been reappointed to the position of Seraphim, which is given to the strongest warrior of the clan, several times. As long as I’m alive, you won’t be hurt or killed. Trust me and rest assured.”

Sibelius’s voice, speaking firmly, was confident enough to be trusted. As Asel’s shaking eyes gradually became more comfortable, the color began to return to his pale face. Only then did he barely smile.

“It’s reassuring to hear you say that. Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this debt…”

“Don’t think of it as a debt. This is also natural.”

“Yes?”

“It’s Rune’s mission to protect the clan.”

Asel made a puzzled expression. Sibelius, who had been quietly watching his blinking green eyes, smiled a little awkwardly.

“Well, it feels a little strange to say this myself. There was a time when I felt that mission was too much to bear. But now it seems pretty good… Yeah. It’s possible for thoughts to change like this.”

He nodded to himself and looked relieved. It was as if he had finally completely shed the inner turmoil he had been carrying. But then something unexpected happened. Suddenly, a white light burst out from him, and something like a huge curtain unfolded.

“……!”

No, it wasn’t a curtain, but a pair of magnificent wings. Dazzlingly shining pure white wings sprouted from Sibelius’s back and stretched out greatly. It was the wings that could only be seen when he returned to his true form [his angelic form]. Pure white feathers were scattered in all directions, disappearing as if melting before they even touched the ground. It seemed that the wings themselves were not solid.

“Sibelius…?”

“Huh? ……Huh?”

Surprisingly, he also had a long golden horn sprouting from his forehead. Not only Asel, who was closest to him, but everyone around him looked at Sibelius with wide eyes in surprise. But the most embarrassed seemed to be Sibelius himself. After groping his forehead and back for a while, he made a face that was hard to explain.

“Sibelius, what’s going on? Why suddenly wings and horns…”

“Hmm, it’s okay, El. This is probably a temporary phenomenon.”

“A temporary phenomenon?”

“……It seems like something has been unsealed.”

Unsealed?

My eyes widened at the unexpected words. Sibelius, who had answered that way, couldn’t hide his bewildered expression. He himself seemed very bewildered by this phenomenon.

“I don’t know exactly, but lately I’ve felt like something was tied up inside me. It feels like that’s been released now. No, should I say that something closed has been opened? It opened so suddenly that the reaction seems to have strongly expressed the power outwardly.”

“Could that be…”

As if he had noticed what I was about to say, he nodded.

“It seems like I’ve awakened the power of the Rune [a divine power]. I don’t know why, though.”

“……!”

Huh, he really awakened the power of the Rune?

I never thought that the unbelievable would really come true. It was a good thing, but the situation was too bad right now. I wanted to say something, but my mouth wouldn’t open. It was for a different reason than being surprised. I reflexively grabbed my chest. I felt something burning inside.

“El?”

Sibelius made a flustered expression as if he had sensed something on my face.

“El? What’s wrong, El!”

“El!”

I must have lost consciousness for a very short time. I didn’t even feel like my memory was cut off, but when I recognized my surroundings again, my posture had already collapsed. Sibelius was holding me up as I almost collapsed. I slowly unfolded the hand that had been clutching my chest. My palm was covered with black ink. The group who saw the same thing as me widened their eyes.

“This is……”

Sibelius’s breath became rough. He looked confused by the sudden situation, but I seemed to know what was going on. The part where the black water was coming out was where I had put the magic scrolls that I had collected from Ilya or whatever. When I groped inside, I couldn’t grab anything. It seemed that it was connected to Karian and had somehow affected me.

‘Is it… some kind of poison?’

Why didn’t I think of that? Since he’s a guy who can control people, it would have been easier to move something he made with his magic power. I should have just thrown away the scroll instead of taking it. I was dumbfounded that I had brought the trouble on myself. I quickly tried to purify it, but the speed was significantly slower than the rate of poisoning. My body felt like it weighed a ton. I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt like I was panting. In the terrible pain that made my head feel hot, I barely lifted my head. To be exact, towards the side where Karian was trapped. The water, which had been clear until just now, was turning black.