Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 539

539.

“I’ll be heading into a rural area with hardly any people, so it should be fine.”

“I see. Well, I suppose you’ve thought it through. Still, it’s a shame you’re leaving. I wouldn’t dare stop you since you must have your reasons… but please, keep in touch wherever you are.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Really? You promised. I haven’t even properly repaid you for your help. I’ll resent you if you cut off contact like this.”

“I won’t. And what do you mean, repay? I owe you just as much.”

“There’s no comparison. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have even considered getting back on my feet. I would’ve just wasted away, drunk, and died somewhere.”

Chris shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. He seemed to be trying to maintain a composed attitude, but his eyes were already red-rimmed.

“Chris, are you crying?”

“No, I’m not! I just got something in my eye.”

His voice was choked with tears, but his reply was as firm as ever. He kept fanning himself, saying it was hot today. The weather was quite chilly as it was entering early winter, but I decided to pretend not to notice to save his face.

“It’s too bad to let you go like this, so let’s have a farewell party.”

“A farewell party is a bit much…”

“No, no. We have to.”

After making the decision unilaterally, Chris quickly notified the others. Soon, people flocked to his house. Della, Simon, and Davian had come upon hearing the news.

“El is leaving the Empire?”

“W-what’s going on? Our guild’s star and lucky charm is leaving!”

The bewildered people made a fuss, but they didn’t try to stop me. Perhaps because I had made it clear from the beginning that I could quit at any time, they seemed to have prepared themselves. We shook hands, hugged, and prepared a lavish meal to enjoy together, expressing our gratitude to each other. By the time everyone was drunk and passed out from eating, drinking, and chatting, it was already deep into the night.

I roughly cleaned up the messy table and floor, and laid the sprawled-out people down comfortably. Seeing their faces flushed and hearing their drunken ramblings made me smile.

‘This is a first for me, this kind of farewell.’

I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye properly to my friends in Korea, and in Arkadom of my era, a simple “I’ll be back” was all I said. This was the first time I’d had a formal farewell party, and it didn’t feel bad. Especially since I didn’t know when I’d see these people again if we parted ways like this. I’d probably remember this moment even after I returned.

After watching them sleep for a while, I slowly got up. As I stepped out the front door, a cold wind rushed in. Then, I felt a presence behind me.

“El. Are you leaving already?”

“Ah, Davian. Were you awake?”

Turning around, I saw Davian standing awkwardly. He seemed to have drunk quite a bit, but thanks to his influence as a water spirit mage, his face looked clear and showed no signs of intoxication.

“Are you still considering joining the guild?”

“Yes, I’m sorry to Chris, but I want to focus more on my training for now.”

Indeed, his spirit magic was still at a basic level. Since he had forcibly opened a path in a body without natural talent, he would need to devote all his time to communicating smoothly with the Undine [a water spirit] he had contracted. Moreover, he was a master of the sword. It wasn’t as conflicting as magic, but sword energy and spirit magic had slightly different ways of utilizing mana. Adapting to different abilities alone would require quite a bit of training. Someday, if he became proficient in both, he might be known as a spirit swordsman following in my footsteps.

“Ah, that’s right. Perfect timing. Take this.”

Suddenly remembering something, I quickly unfastened the belt with the sword fixed to it. I handed him the sheathed sword, and Davian accepted it with a bewildered expression.

“This is…”

“It’s a sword I used to use, and it’s a spirit sword, despite its appearance.”

Davian’s eyes widened even more at the word “spirit sword.” To be precise, it was an ego sword close to a spirit sword. But since the function was the same, I didn’t bother explaining further.

“Its name is Fire Buster. It has a fire spirit residing in it. It’s still sealed, so for now, it’s just a sturdy sword. But if you use it for a few years, the seal will break. Then it will be able to properly fulfill its role as a spirit sword.”

“Why are you giving this to me…”

“I’m giving it to you, Davian. Please cherish it.”

I had been thinking about this since the last incident. If I found Lapis, I might return immediately. I didn’t know if that place would be a bustling area or a remote place where no one ever came. Rather than worrying about Fire Buster being left alone like last time, I thought it would be better to entrust it to someone I knew. Davian was suitable to be the first owner of the spirit sword. Unlike me, who felt relieved, Davian had a very confused expression.

“El, this is too much.”

“No, Davian is the right person.”

Davian swallowed hard at my firm conclusion. He looked back and forth between Fire Buster and me with wavering eyes, then calmly looked at me with a determined expression.

“Thank you, El. I will take it as a sign to use it as a stepping stone for growth and consider it an opportunity. I will cherish it until the day I return it.”

“You don’t have to return it…”

“No. I will definitely wait for the day I can return it.”

“Well, if it’s easier for you to think that way, then do so.”

I smiled and nodded, and Davian’s face, which had been tense, relaxed. We smiled at each other and reached out to shake hands.

“Take care, Davian. Please take care of Chris and the others.”

“Yes, don’t worry about the others. May the blessings of the gods be with El’s future.”

“And with Davian’s.”

After exchanging blessings, I turned and walked away. The surroundings, which had been dim when I left the front door, gradually brightened as I moved. The sky, filled with twilight colors, was already opening the door to morning. It was a time befitting a new beginning.

* * *

Swaaa—

The wild field, where a thick wind rampaged, suffered from a severe body ache. Each time the ferocious energy from the sky lashed out as if pouring down, the things that filled the earth shook violently without resistance. The hair of the boy sitting blankly amidst it all did the same.

“Ugh, what a mess, what a mess.”

Then, a man with red hair appeared next to the boy.

“The wind domain is raging, so even Evas Eden is a mess. Everywhere you look, it’s like it’s been bombed. Who would believe this was once the beautiful Garden of Heaven? The kids are all scared and freaking out.”

Despite the fuss, the boy, who was staring somewhere, didn’t react. The red-haired man, Ifrit, turned his gaze to where the boy was looking. In that direction was the wind domain. The wind domain, seen from the outside, was a palace as clear and elegant as if it had been made of porcelain, but now it was almost invisible, engulfed in a fierce whirlwind. It was because the runaway wind was trapped inside.

Even though it was sealed, the impact of the rampage was significant. The unstable flow of wind was affecting the entire spirit realm. When one force becomes so overwhelming, the compatible elements tend to fluctuate as well, so Ifrit was also controlling his own power. That was why he couldn’t return to Arkadom, even though he had recovered from the shock of the expulsion. “At this rate, it’ll be hard to leave the spirit realm for a while,” Ifrit muttered with a troubled expression.

“Aren’t you struggling?”

If he was struggling this much, the earth spirit king, who was the opposite element, would be struggling even more. But the boy Ifrit was looking at, Trowel, was just dry. He really had no charm. Ifrit grumbled again.

Speaking of having no charm, Elquines, who had almost single-handedly sealed Minerva, was the worst. Wind and water were close to neutral elements, but since there was a difference between formless and tangible, water was slightly disadvantaged when they clashed. But Elquines lightly ignored all of that and even drove everyone out.

‘Wasn’t that really crazy?’

Being so amazing was amazing, and being angry was being angry. Thinking about it again made Ifrit grind his teeth, so he tried to change the subject.

“When do you think that guy will calm down?”

“Who knows… It could take a year, or it could take a hundred years.”

The boy, Trowel, muttered dryly. “A hundred years?” Ifrit exclaimed, making a disgusted face. Swaaa— Even at this moment, the wind that lashed out sounded as if it were swallowing sorrowful cries. Ifrit cursed briefly and scratched the back of his head.

“You still shouldn’t have done that to El. He followed you so much.”

“…I don’t really want to talk about that.”

“But I have to. I’ve never seen anyone like him who liked you so much. Wasn’t he the first one to say you were kind? You cared about El in your own way, too. So how could you be so cruel? Don’t resent us for stopping you that day. You would have regretted it later if you had killed him.”

“……”

No answer flowed from his tightly closed lips. Yeah, yeah, ignore me if you want. After watching his expression, which was impossible to read, Ifrit sighed again. He felt like his position was becoming very insignificant.

“That contractor seems to still be in a coma.”

Trowel looked over again. Ah, right, he’s interested in this topic. Ifrit, who was inwardly annoyed but patiently endured, sneered.

“Well, now that the contract is broken, I guess I should call him a former contractor. Why did you save that guy anyway? Wasn’t he the one who should have died?”

“Because it wouldn’t be fun if he died easily.”

Trowel opened his mouth.

“It’s no fun if it ends easily.”

The whispering voice was still dry but contained a sneer. A strange heat swirled in his deepened golden eyes. Ifrit, looking at him with a queasy expression, shook his head.

“Hey, you. Don’t get any unnecessary ideas.”

“…Unnecessary ideas?”

Trowel blinked slowly and asked in a monotonous tone.

“I don’t know what unnecessary ideas are.”

Ah, really. Ifrit sighed lowly and swept his hair back. He didn’t know why his ominous premonitions always came true.

“You’re not really going to carry out that ridiculous plan, are you?”

“Ridiculous plan?”

“Why are you pretending not to know when you understood? That absurd plan to wipe out humanity.”

“Why is that absurd?”

“So you’re really going to wipe them out?”

Ifrit, who couldn’t stand it any longer, scowled.

“Why are you really doing this? Humans are a race blessed by the main god! Even if you don’t like everything they do, there’s a balance and ecosystem that revolves around them! What do you get by killing them all like that? What do we, the spirit kings, gain by staining this land with blood!”

Trowel chuckled at the fierce words.

Gain? There was never anything to gain from the start. He just wanted to destroy. His world, the things he loved. Maybe he would feel a little better after seeing everything ruined.

No, maybe he would feel even sadder. Honestly, he couldn’t predict anything right now. No matter how hard he tried to look, the future was only filled with murky darkness. But one thing was clear. He would become endlessly ugly and fall to the bottom. Just imagining that ugly sight made him sick. But why couldn’t he stop? Trowel mumbled blankly to himself.

“You really…!”

The words he was about to say were immediately blocked by the following words. Trowel, who raised his head, stared at Ifrit, who had a confused expression.

“No matter how much it’s me, I have no intention of touching what another spirit king is protecting. It’s different from the initial plan, but I think it’s okay to leave one. Human lifespan is temporary anyway. It wouldn’t be bad for that child to be the last human.”

“Do you think I’m doing this because of El?”

“Isn’t that what you’re most worried about?”

“That’s not the problem… Ah, I don’t know. Do whatever you want. When have you ever listened to me?”

Just don’t regret it later. After muttering, Ifrit left the spot. Trowel, who had the fading flames in his eyes, fixed his gaze back on the wind domain. He stared blankly at the sight of the rough wind making fierce noises. The sound of the raging storm sounded like someone crying in his ears. It was a wail that writhed with suppressed groans. It was a sob that couldn’t suppress the sadness.

“I know, Minerva. You wouldn’t want this. It’s just me venting my anger.”

But he still had to do it. Even if everyone didn’t want it, even if Minerva didn’t want it. Even if he killed the one who said he loved him with his own hands, even if he hurt the ones he cherished.

“Because I think that’s the only way I can live.”

Trowel, who smiled bitterly, closed his eyes quietly. Instead of the unreachable wind, he quietly hugged his knees. It was a hollow and cold sensation, no different from dry sand.

I hope you resent me the most when you open your eyes, Minerva.

Because that’s the only way I can escape this terrible hell.

* * *

When I became aware of my surroundings, I was standing on a wide field. The red light of the setting sun mingled with the golden light of the field, creating a color so beautiful that it made me exclaim in admiration. No, perhaps feeling like I was seeing color was just an illusion. Because this was a dream.

It was a lucid dream I was having after a long time. People are animals of adaptation, so I’m so used to this situation that I just accept it. I was a little puzzled as to why I was having this dream again since I hadn’t been psychologically unstable recently.

But that thought disappeared as if washed away when I discovered the person at the far end of the field. A man was sitting on a rock. His splendid and delicate appearance, as if carved by a master craftsman with all his heart, shone even from afar. His hair, swaying in the wind, had a red color more beautiful than the setting sun. It was a face that evoked more longing than joy.

“Lapis!”

It had been a long time since I had a dream with him in it. Moreover, this dream was very kind. As soon as I ran, his figure quickly came closer. Even if I grabbed him, he didn’t disappear or change into a different scene. He was looking at me with his arm still grabbed. For some reason, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

Lapis didn’t say anything. He just stared at me with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. It seemed that this time, instead of being able to face him properly, it was a dream where he didn’t speak. It didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t disappear.