Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 434

434

“Gasp, it’s that kid from earlier! You really came, El!”

“See, I told you I was right? From now on, call Naias when you need water. As a water spirit, she’ll fill it up as much as you need.”

“Gasp, really?”

“Of course, really. But don’t call her too often. You probably felt your energy draining when you called Naias just now. If you overdo it, you might get sick.”

“O-oh, I see. I’ll keep that in mind, El.”

“Ah, and could you keep it a secret between us that I helped with the spirit contract?”

Lansi’s expression turned serious, as if she were contemplating something. She came closer, even though no one was listening, and asked in a lowered voice,

“Will it cause trouble for El if this gets out?”

“Um, maybe?”

“I see! Yes, I understand. Don’t worry, El. I won’t tell anyone, ever. I swear.”

Lansi’s expression as she solemnly declared this was extremely earnest. It seemed she thought my life was on the line because of this secret. I figured it was better for her to think that way, so I didn’t bother correcting her.

“Thanks. Then really go inside now. You’ll catch a cold in this chilly weather.”

“Yes, I will. But, El, I have one request.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I… I want to be friends with El too, would that be okay?”

At those words, I paused for a moment, then smiled.

“I already thought we were friends?”

Lansi’s face, which had been tense, instantly brightened. “Just a moment!” The girl said hurriedly, rummaging through her apron pocket, and soon held something out. It was a small stone piece with a long leather strap attached. Well, strictly speaking, it wasn’t just an ordinary stone. There was a shell deeply embedded inside.

“Oh, a shell fossil?”

“My dad gave it to me when I was little. He picked it up in the forest, and everyone was amazed that a shell came out even though there’s no beach here. I attached the string myself. It’s my treasure.”

“I see. That’s really fascinating. But why are you giving this to me?”

“I want to give it to El.”

“Huh? To me?”

“I’ve received so much help, but I don’t think I have anything else to give El.”

The composed girl seemed to think she had to repay me for everything. I smiled wryly and shook my head.

“Don’t worry about things like that. It’s okay. Your feelings are enough.”

“No. I really want to give it to you.”

“But this is your treasure.”

“That’s why even more so. I hope El will cherish it. We’re friends, right? I’ll think of El every time I see Naias. Please think of me when El sees this.”

My heart tingled with her warm feelings.

Having heard these words, I couldn’t refuse any longer, so I carefully accepted the shell fossil necklace. I probably won’t be able to take this back to my original world. I’ll have to come back to return it before I leave. Thinking that I’m making a promise to meet again didn’t feel so bad.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

After that, Lansi waved several times before going inside. Only after confirming that the door was closed and even the faint light was extinguished did I turn around completely. Tomorrow morning, they’ll realize I’ve run away and there will be a commotion. There was a high chance that Lansi would be found out to have helped in the process. I felt uneasy about passing such a big responsibility onto a child, but I calmed myself down, thinking that there was no other choice.

“Um, but am I really okay? I feel like I’m in trouble if my father finds out about this. I feel like I’ve caused an accident…”

“It’s regrettable that you realize that now.”

“……!”

The voice I heard at that moment sent shivers down my spine. I was so startled that I looked up and involuntarily groaned. Ellyuen was standing there looking bleak, as if he had come from who knows where. If I were to meet a grim reaper, this is probably how I’d feel. The dark background made it even scarier. As our eyes met, I felt like I was about to be pierced by his sharp gaze. I forced myself to swallow dryly.

“Oh, when did you get here? You should have made a sound if you came.”

“Do you know what you’ve just done?”

“Ah, well, that’s…”

“To think that there’s a human who can turn an ordinary little kid into a spirit master. Truly amazing.”

I couldn’t say anything. No matter what I said here, it would all be excuses and lies. It was obvious that it would only fuel his anger. He quietly stared at me as I chose silence.

“Just because you don’t lie doesn’t mean I’ll overlook everything.”

“……No, I……”

“Your antics are interesting, but this time you’ve gone too far. You have now trespassed into the king’s domain. What do you think I’m going to do to you?”

“I won’t do it again.”

Ellyuen narrowed his eyes at my quick reply. It was a gaze that weighed whether it was right to let me live. Just meeting those eyes made my fingertips turn cold.

It’s okay, I haven’t met Sibelius yet. I don’t know when or how I’ll meet him, but he said there was a time when we hung out together. In that memory, I was still a spirit master, and I was with Ellyuen. At least until I meet him, no matter what I do, I’ll be safe.

“I’ll let it go this time only.”

As expected, the energy that had been pressing down on my whole body disappeared along with his low voice. Only then did I take a deep breath that I had been holding in. It turned out as expected, but I wasn’t happy.

It’s so scary, I can’t live like this. Trying to get along with a prickly father is not easy at all. I’ve heard about the personality of the previous Elquines, but experiencing it directly feels completely different. At this point, I even felt that Lapis, who had summoned him hundreds of times to make a contract with him, was great. He must have heard all sorts of abuse, harsh words, and excessive threats every time, but I don’t know how he endured it all with his noble pride. If it were me, I would have quit long ago out of spite.

Ah, so that’s why he ended up preparing a cage. You never know what will happen in life. I never thought I would empathize with him at that time, but now I know exactly why he did that. At that point, his will to screw Ellyuen over must have been stronger than his desire to make a contract. Definitely!

‘……But I’m the one who suffered it.’

It was so hard to break what he had created with such fierce determination that I almost died. Thinking about it, I felt unfairly wronged, so I glanced at Ellyuen.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……No, nothing.”

Ah, it’s really so unfair.

* * *

4,000 years ago, Arkhadon was an era called the Golden Age of Humanity. An era in which not only magic, but also science and technology, and the basic necessities of life, including culture, were greatly developed overall. A glorious past that countless scholars and researchers are still talking about.

I truly realized that when I arrived in the city. The small village was somewhat similar, but as soon as I passed through the city gates, a cultural shock that I couldn’t compare to anything before washed over me. It felt like I had crossed over into another world through a single gate. Beyond the well-maintained buildings, there was an object that I had never seen in my era. A straight railroad and a long body running on it. It was a train.

No way, a train. There was a world with things like this? I was so surprised that I forgot to walk and stared intently, and Ellyuen turned around with a puzzled look.

“What is it?”

“There’s a train.”

He made a strange expression at my muttered reply.

“Is this your first time seeing a train?”

“Um, you could say that?”

I mean, here, that is.

Moreover, the train was different from the one I knew, so my impressions were unique. The exterior itself was similar to a 19th-century steam locomotive, but there was no device that emitted smoke. It seemed to use a different fuel than coal, but I didn’t know what it was. That wasn’t the only surprising thing.

“What’s that? A communication device? Like a public phone? Is that supplied here?”

“There are streetlights! And they’re magical tools?”

“Wow, a flying monster? Is someone riding that right now? Is that also a means of transportation? Did they domesticate that?”

Everywhere I looked, there were things to admire. Because I kept delaying my steps, Ellyuen clicked his tongue and forcibly pulled me by the scruff of my neck.

“I get it, so do it moderately. If you’re this surprised by things like that, you’ll faint if you see an airship.”

“Airship? There are airships too?”

“I knew you were a country bumpkin.”

A country bumpkin! I was surprised because the past civilization was more advanced, but it’s not that the thing itself is amazing! I’m from Earth, you know! There are cars, airplanes, and even spaceships there! Do you know what a TV and a computer are? Have you ever even heard of the internet!

Of course, my unfair feelings didn’t get through at all. The only thing I could say to Ellyuen’s gaze, which seemed to be asking if I had anything to say, was this:

“……Can’t I look around a little more?”

The request, which wouldn’t be accepted, was naturally rejected on the spot. It was the moment when a very short city tour ended before it could even bloom.

It is forbidden for individuals to possess the Jewel of Souls. However, searching for it itself was not forbidden. The reason why Ellyuen, who had scared me as if he would throw me into the Salt Prison as soon as he knew my purpose, didn’t break the contract on the spot was right here. He decided to cooperate in finding the Jewel of Souls until he felt like it. It seemed he was curious about what I was going to do with it after I found it.

The problem was that even he didn’t know the whereabouts of the jewel. It was certain that it was somewhere, but related information such as where that place was or who discovered it was thoroughly hidden. Well, if it had been known, it would have already been recovered by the Divine Realm. I found out later that most of those who discover the Jewel of Souls don’t report it. Because its existence is so rare, it is secretly traded for collection purposes. It was a kind of stolen goods.

“Is it possible to hide it while avoiding the Spirit King’s sight?”

“The Jewel of Souls isn’t the only object with a soul. If you deliberately hide it elaborately, it’s not easy to distinguish. Especially if it’s the work of a dragon.”

“In short, you’re saying the owner is among the dragons.”

“I’m glad you understand at once.”

Ellyuen in this era has a knack for saying the same things in a more offensive way. Getting angry would only hurt me, so it was best to just ignore it. Still, I couldn’t help but sigh deeply as my blood pressure rose.

“I need to meet a dragon first.”

“You’re not naively thinking that they’ll answer if you ask, are you?”

“I don’t have such expectations. But I can’t know anything if I don’t try. There’s also a saying that you have to know your enemy to defeat them.”

“Well. I’ve never heard that saying before, but your ambition is good.”

“Anyway, you said the jewel is with a dragon. Then I’ll try to conquer them one by one. Can you introduce me to a dragon?”

Ellyuen shook his head.

“It’s their clan’s play season right now. Except for those who have entered a dormant period, they are all playing. Dragons in this period move according to their own play principles unless it is an emergency. They won’t respond even if I call them.”

“Um, then I’ll just go find them myself. Where should I go to meet the dragon closest to here?”

“The closest dragon……”

Ellyuen’s gaze turned to the distant front as if gauging the location. Then he soon frowned.

“……Of all people.”

“Why? Who is it?”

“Let’s move the area. There are other dragons.”

“I feel like I’ll have to meet them all anyway? You don’t know who has the jewel.”

“……Then it would be better to make him the last one.”

“Why go so far out of the way? You said he’s the closest.”

“You won’t get a proper answer even if you meet him.”

“Isn’t that the same for other dragons?”

I swear I didn’t deliberately argue. I was just presenting a question that naturally came to my mind. Perhaps he himself had nothing to say, so his mouth was shut. Instead, he replaced all the words with his eyes. Seeing his blue eyes become fierce as if they contained murderous intent made me sweat cold. It’s rare for Ellyuen to reveal his emotions so openly. I don’t know who it is, but he really doesn’t want to meet him.

“Um, then should we just make him the last one?”

As I smiled awkwardly and tried to compromise, he sighed lowly after glaring at me for a while.

“……Okay. It won’t get better if I put off what I don’t like. Since rumors will spread anyway, it might be better to finish the business quickly before it becomes more troublesome.”

“Who is it that makes you like that?”

“It’s a guy named Lamias. A 6,000-year-old Blue Dragon.”

The thought that it was a name I had heard somewhere didn’t last long. Lamias of the Blue Clan, the elder of the dragon clan who was said to have entered a dormant period after the disappearance of the previous Elquines, was exactly that name. He was also the grandfather of Ocal, who was in charge of one of the main pillars of the Purification Squad. If it’s this era, then probably…….

“Not a contractor?”

“……How do you know that?”

“I, I just guessed. You said he’s a Blue Dragon. Blue Dragons are water attribute. And if he’s 6,000 years old, I thought he would have made a contract with the Spirit King.”

“It’s really strange that you know things like that but don’t know about the rift.”

“……”

Please don’t keep stabbing at the core so casually like that. At least give me some kind of signal beforehand. I can’t hide my expression. I’m a person with a conscience, you know. I’m not good at lying.

Anyway, that’s how the first destination of the journey to find Lapis was decided. The country where Lamias is playing, the Seike Empire.