Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 533

533.

“Especially Elquines, he has healing abilities. He’ll try to meet you no matter what, unconditionally, for sure. He might ask to meet you a little later. No, he might even come to find you himself.”

“Why? Is the Emperor sick?”

“Why else? The Crown Prince is in that state.”

Ah, could it be that the Crown Prince is still lying in bed? As I tried to recall, the relevant information came to mind as if waiting. As expected, the Crown Prince had not woken up for the past two years. It was a period long enough to starve to death, but thanks to the Emperor bringing in numerous priests and doctors, he seemed to be somehow maintaining his life.

“But that curse isn’t the kind that Elquines can purify. And now that the Princess is dead, the curse should be lifted.”

“Yes, that’s right. He woke up a little while ago. He’s overjoyed, but he can’t fully express his joy because of public opinion. The Emperor’s face was a sight to behold.”

It’s rare for someone’s misfortune to so clearly become someone else’s joy. Everyone became wary of spiritists because of this incident, but Lamias’s explanation that the Emperor would be the opposite brought a bitter smile.

“Anyway, isn’t it resolved then?”

“No. How do you think his body is after sleeping for the past few years?”

“Ah…….”

Indeed, if that’s the case, he’s found the right person. With Elquines’s healing power, he could restore him to even healthier than before he collapsed. The problem is that I have to ask Elüen. Just thinking about it made me sigh. Would he, who ignored my request to accompany me for a simple situation investigation, welcome a situation that would attract public attention? No, rather, he wouldn’t even think of healing humans at all. Didn’t he initially refuse to rescue survivors? As Lamias said, this was not something to be taken lightly.

“If he doesn’t go even if the Emperor calls…….”

“Do you think that’ll work?”

Of course, it wouldn’t. I sighed again at the hope that crumbled before I could even embrace it. It’s okay for me, but the Dawn Guild I belong to wouldn’t be okay. I had to consider that activities in the Empire were out of the question. If the international situation had changed in the meantime, I might have had some hope, but there was nothing to expect. The war with the Demon God’s army was meaninglessly dragging on, drawing ridicule from the world, but the Seik Empire was still the most powerful country on the continent. It meant that it was not good to displease the Emperor. My mind was racing.

“Then let’s do this. I’ll ask him if the conditions I present are met.”

“Oh, you know how to do that kind of calculation too?”

Lamias, with wide eyes, smiled. In fact, I could do it without conditions, but I didn’t want to be arbitrarily swayed by people I didn’t even know well. If I had to go through it anyway, it was better to use this situation as much as possible. And Lamias seemed to like that better.

“Okay, I’ll tell the Emperor that. What are the conditions?”

Even though he had already cast a soundproofing spell, Lamias leaned closer to me like someone telling a secret. I smiled back at him, who was making an intriguing expression.

“Would it be okay if there are several conditions?”

* * *

The conditions I presented to the Emperor were three.

First, the treatment process must be completely private.

Second, end the war with the Demon God’s army.

Third, clear Davian’s name.

The first condition was to prevent it from becoming a noisy official event. If the Emperor was someone who liked to show off, he was more than capable of doing such a thing, so it was necessary to specify it in advance. The second was necessary for future schedules and for the peace of the continent, and the third was a personal desire.

‘Davian is still wanted.’

Is there nothing to be gained for free in the world? I wish there were things that had been resolved on their own as time passed, but there were more situations that hadn’t changed than those that had. Just like the war hadn’t ended, the situation in Umbra hadn’t been resolved either. Davian’s name, who had been framed as a double agent at the time, had not been cleared, and the Demon God’s followers were still hiding in Lamias’s mansion. The only things that had progressed and concluded on their own were the situations of the past that I knew. It was as if time had been brought forward only for that.

I looked down at my gloved hand. I clearly remembered Kanos scattering the memory into dust, but since I woke up here, I was wearing it again. I unfastened the tightly closed button and carefully took off the glove. The bat wing pattern engraved on the back of my hand was visible. Seeing the Demon God’s mark properly in place, I let out a sigh of relief. I thought he might have erased it. The fact that this was still there meant that he at least intended to contact me again.

‘Kanos, answer me. Are you listening?’

I focused my consciousness on the mark and asked. Silently, only in my mind, to avoid the spirits who might be watching. I had been unconsciously avoiding it all this time, fearing that he might recognize me, but now I was rather desperate. The world is truly unpredictable.

‘What on earth are you thinking?’

But there was no answer. I didn’t know if it wasn’t connected at all or if he was ignoring me even though he was listening, so it was frustrating. I wished I could get any answer, even nonsense. At this rate, I was afraid that the fact that I met him might have been my delusion.

Just in time, I felt an approaching presence and quickly put my glove back on. It was Lamias who had entered the main castle to meet the Emperor. Considering that it hadn’t even been an hour since he left, it was too early to return. I was embarrassed, wondering if he had been rejected as soon as he made the offer, but a completely different answer followed.

“The Emperor has agreed. He will accept all the conditions.”

“So quickly?”

I thought that even if it was something else, it wouldn’t be easy to decide to end the war, so it would take at least a few days to make a decision. But Lamias had a face as if he already knew it. In fact, the Emperor didn’t like this war either.

In any world, war costs a lot of money. At first, he lost his reason because of anger, but as time went on, practical problems seemed to be visible. Astronomical costs continued to be incurred, but the war situation did not change, and there were many skeptical opinions, including Duke Sepion’s opposition, so he could not push forward aggressively. Rather, it was only giving other countries an excuse to unite with each other, so it was a loss for the Empire in many ways.

“He was stubborn because of his pride, but he had a good excuse. Now that the Crown Prince has woken up, the justification for trying to eliminate the curse will no longer work.”

“It’s a relief.”

“But are you really okay with these conditions? I expected you to present several, but it’s a bit bland. The Emperor would have given you a fiefdom even if you asked for it.”

“I don’t really need that.”

“Yes, it seems so. Otherwise, you wouldn’t still be living miserably in an inn.”

What’s wrong with living in an inn? A high-class inn is no different from an ordinary mansion. Rather, it was a place where you could live much cheaper and more comfortably than the maintenance cost of a mansion.

“That’s why it’s even stranger. Whatever your circumstances, you’re not going to settle down and live here. But you don’t seem to have any purpose other than finding the Jewel of Souls. It seems like you’re not thinking about what to do next at all. I’m the one who’s having fun, but sometimes you seem more like a traveler than I do.”

“Ahaha, is that so? I don’t know. I just don’t want to think about difficult and complicated things.”

I glossed over the words that hit the nail on the head with an awkward smile. Lamias didn’t pry persistently, perhaps because he didn’t suspect my identity. However, he seemed to think that I was still young and didn’t know the world, so he continued to nag me for a while. He said that I would regret it later if I lived like that, that I wouldn’t be young forever, and that I should be more planned out even if I thought about having a family in the future. I listened to the words of rebuke that a grandfather would say to his grandson with one ear and let them flow out.

“Are you listening to me right now?”

“Yes, I’m listening…….”

He gave me a look that he wanted to kill me because I answered in a perfunctory manner that anyone could see. In the end, it was Lamias who gave up first.

“Anyway, the Emperor is in the mood to declare the end of the war right away. Davian’s wanted order has already been lifted. You can set the Crown Prince’s treatment schedule at any time you’re comfortable with.”

“He must have been really impatient.”

“Of course, it’s the only successor. That’s why I said the conditions were too modest.”

I slyly ignored the nagging that was about to continue. So now it’s my turn to ask Elüen. I had committed the act, but I felt overwhelmed when it was time to handle it. Elüen hadn’t been angry with me for a while, but this time I might really get scolded a lot. A spiritist is originally like a mediator between spirits and their own race, but I didn’t want to realize that in this way. Even Lamias, who was jealous of anything related to him, sympathized with me this time.

“Good luck. You have to think of it as the karma of being born in the same generation as Ain Idris, what can you do? In human affairs, there are always those who make a mess and those who clean it up.”

“Haha, yes…….”

“As you know, there will be more than one or two things that will make it difficult for you in the middle. Even the Silver and Green kids are really angry. You can think of it as being at odds with all the spirit-friendly races.”

“Ah, could it be that the reason the elves cut off contact with humans…….”

“Huh? I don’t think they’ve cut off contact yet?”

“Ahaha, I was just wondering if that would happen.”

“It’s highly likely that it will happen gradually.”

As expected, this incident seems to be the cause of the elves’ rejection of humans in my era. I swallowed the sigh that was coming out and rubbed my dry face with both hands. Even so, I don’t know if it’s better not to change the situation of the past, no matter how much I think about it. Now that it’s all over, there’s nothing I can do.

“I’m honestly most worried about Trowel. He’s been proclaiming that he’s going to exterminate humans since before the incident happened. He’s quiet right now because he’s trapped in the spirit world, but he hasn’t withdrawn that plan.”

“……That’s right.”

“Be prepared. It won’t be easy to change his mind.”

Lamias, who smiled bitterly, patted me on the shoulder as if to comfort me. I also forced myself to smile bravely. It felt like a heavy stone was sinking in my chest.

* * *

Elüen, who received the call, surprisingly allowed it without much fuss. To the point where I was embarrassed that I had prepared for all sorts of scolding and humiliation, he didn’t even frown once. It seems that he has become too accustomed to me in the meantime. Since I was already in the Imperial Palace, the schedule was set for that very night. Lamias personally guided us into the main castle.

“This way, please.”

The servants who came to greet us led us to the Crown Prince’s room. When the knights opened the door, the people who were next to the bed hurriedly got up. Among them, three people wearing luxurious clothes stood out. They were an elderly man and woman and a young woman. They seemed to be the Emperor and Empress and the Crown Princess.

“Your Majesty, we have brought the honored guests.”

At the words of the one who appeared to be the chief of staff, the Emperor walked forward. His face was stiff, perhaps because he was nervous.

“I am Lumenio, the Emperor of this country.”

It was a greeting that anyone could tell was conscious of Elüen, but he did not react. Before the Emperor became embarrassed by the look that said, ‘So what?’, I quickly stepped forward.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor. I am the spiritist El.”

“Ah, yes. I have heard much of your fame.”

Fortunately (for someone who started that ridiculous war), the Emperor was a wise man. He did not show any displeasure and naturally accepted the words, continuing the good atmosphere.

“To think that such a young and beautiful spiritist exists, at first I thought you were the Spirit King.”

“Y-You flatter me.”

“No, no. It’s really such a pity. If only I had one more son. No, didn’t you say you were male? Then if only I had one more daughter…….”

It seemed that he was just saying anything, perhaps because he was too nervous. What was he going to do if he had one more child? I was dumbfounded by the wildly jumping topic and couldn’t think of a suitable response. Not only Lamias but even the servants couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions.

“Can you see the Crown Prince right away?”

Perhaps because she couldn’t stand it, the Empress gently led the conversation. It was a welcome word to hear, so I immediately followed it. As I approached the bed, I saw a man lying inside the pure white canopy curtain. He seemed to be conscious, but he was only blinking his eyelids blankly, perhaps because he had no energy. When our eyes met, he smiled faintly.

“I see you again. Forgive me for greeting you lying down like this…….”

“No, Your Highness. Please rest comfortably.”

To be honest, I didn’t recognize him as the Crown Prince at first. He didn’t look like that when he collapsed. The handsome and lively Crown Prince had turned into a mummy-like figure in the meantime. Time really had passed. Even with the brilliant magical culture of this era, it seemed that they couldn’t prevent him from weakening while he was asleep. I was embarrassed when I saw the Crown Prince’s long hair, but I don’t think I’ve ever realized the passage of time as much as this time.

“He has woken up, but he can’t even walk. The doctors and priests say it will take several years just to rehabilitate. They said that he won’t be as healthy as before even after he recovers.”

The Empress’s voice trembled as she explained.

“Will the Crown Prince, my son, be able to fully recover?”

The Emperor asked with an impatient face. The Crown Princess, who was already tearing up, also had a desperate face. Elüen’s face, who received all that attention, had a look of disbelief.

“Are you asking me that now?”

At the same time, pure white bubbles began to cover the Crown Prince’s body. From his toes to his face, the Crown Prince, who was completely wrapped in water, was so surprised that his eyes widened. The Crown Princess and the Emperor and Empress also kept their mouths shut.

Soon, flesh began to fill the emaciated body where almost all the bones were exposed. As the protruding cheekbones went in, the skin that looked like dry bark changed to a soft feeling. At the moment when the luster flowed through the parched hair, the bubbles that covered him disappeared as if they were washed away.

“C-Crown Prince.”

“Your Highness…….”

The Crown Prince, whom I saw again, was no longer a patient. On the bed where the moisture was completely gone, a man who looked healthy was sitting. The people who swallowed their breath did not say the next word. Even he himself seemed to not realize what had happened to him. The next moment, the Crown Prince, who had been blank, looked down at his body. He slowly groped with his trembling arms.

“Father, Mother…….”

A highly emotional feeling arose on his flushed face.

“Ria.”

The Crown Princess, who had been covering her mouth with both hands, finally burst into tears. The Crown Prince reached out to his wife. The two hugged each other and cried. The Empress and the servants who were watching the scene also cried.