Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 542

542.

“El?”

“Oh, no. You’re making gloves for me? Well, I’d love that.”

“Really? I’ll have to work hard. Do you have a preferred color? I’ll try to find materials that match as closely as possible. Personally, I think matching your eye or hair color would look nice.”

“……Blue.”

“Blue? Not gold or green?”

Sibelius, looking puzzled, tilted his head. I swallowed my desire to cry and smiled brightly.

“I like blue. Make them blue for me.”

“Hmm, okay. I think blue would suit you well too. I’ll find the best materials to match you and make you a one-of-a-kind pair of gloves. I’m excited to see how they turn out. I’m sure you’ll love them.”

His confident reply made my heart swell again. I already knew what they’d look like, and I really did love them, so much that I was upset I couldn’t say it right then and there.

“Thank you, Sibelius. I’m sorry.”

“I appreciate the thanks, but what are you sorry about?”

“Just, you know, everything. I feel like I’m relying on you too much.”

For not believing you back then. For not listening a little more and worrying together. For ultimately leaving you alone and lonely. All the memories that came to mind were things I felt sorry about. I should have accepted a little bit, but I was too caught up in my own stuff back then, and I acted too coldly.

“Relying on me? I’m just having fun. Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re too nice, it’s a problem. You don’t have to try to accommodate me so much. You can say when something’s annoying or not fun. Honestly, life isn’t easy for you right now, is it?”

“No, I’m really enjoying it. If you need anything, feel free to tell me anytime. That would make me even happier.”

“Really? Oh, speaking of which, I need to dye my hair again today if I’m going to town tomorrow. The roots have grown out a lot.”

The moment I said that, a crack appeared on his brightly smiling face.

“…Are you going to keep that hairstyle?”

“It’s more comfortable this way.”

“But…”

Sibelius, with his shoulders slumped and sighing, looked noticeably dejected. “El, you’re doing this on purpose.” His footsteps as he trudged along were filled with sorrow. I didn’t bother denying it.

* * *

To get from the forest to the nearest village, it takes a full day’s walk. Moreover, since we were heading deeper into the forest, the distance was gradually increasing. The roads were so rough that we couldn’t even ride a horse, let alone a carriage. In the past, visiting the village regularly would have been a major undertaking. But now, there was no need to worry.

“Thank you, Father!”

I smiled brightly and expressed my gratitude to Ellyuen, who had once again transported us to the edge of the village with his boundless grace. Ellyuen, looking at me, wore a very dissatisfied expression. I could sense a deep regret in his sunken gaze for having revealed his abilities, but I pretended not to notice. After all, I already knew that he would grant my request again next week.

“Don’t wander around too much.”

“Aren’t you coming with me again today?”

“No business.”

He waved his hand dismissively, as if telling me to hurry up and come back, so I reluctantly entered the village with Sibelius alone once more. Sibelius had a strange expression on his face the whole time. Following behind, he asked in a low voice.

“Didn’t he say he wouldn’t take you next time?”

“So I bothered him a lot.”

“El, aren’t you afraid of Ellyuen?”

“Not at all? Unless I’m getting scolded, what’s there to be afraid of when I haven’t done anything wrong?”

“You’re really amazing.”

I didn’t know what was so amazing, but since he thought so, I just assumed it was. Without me even asking, Sibelius began to explain.

“I heard that the Spirit King Ellyuen has a very cold personality. He seems that way in person too, but he seems very lenient with you, El. Maybe it’s because of your personality.”

“I am a bit shameless, aren’t I?”

“Haha, it’s not that, but you have a bright and positive personality. You’re such a good person that even the most cold-hearted Spirit King can’t help but be lenient, right?”

“Even if you say that, I’m not growing my hair out for a while.”

“T-That’s not why I’m saying it. I mean it. You’re the only human who gets along with the Spirit King so freely, you know? Come to think of it, didn’t you say you learned swordsmanship from Trowel?”

“Yeah, but I was the one who asked him to teach me.”

“That’s exactly what I mean by amazing. That’s the person you introduced as your brother before, right?”

Ah, the two of them had run into each other once by chance. The guardian force had been activated because of the crown prince, and I had tried to attack Trowel, mistakenly thinking he was the one who did it. I nodded, and Sibelius looked convinced.

“I thought so…”

“Why? Didn’t Trowel seem human to you?”

“Well, that too, but…”

Sibelius nodded and trailed off slowly. He seemed hesitant to continue. I looked at him, puzzled, and he opened his mouth with an awkward smile.

“Actually, I hadn’t seen him for the first time that day. I’d seen him passing by before.”

“Oh, really?”

“He was assaulting a man.”

…I see why he hesitated. It was called assault, but it couldn’t have ended at just that level. So that’s why I rashly mistook Trowel for the culprit that day too. My meeting with him was unconventional from the start. I thought he was holding back while he was in the Empire, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. “Trowel doesn’t hit just anyone, you know? He was probably a bad person.” I tried to defend him in my own way, but judging from Sibelius’s clouded smile, it didn’t seem to work very well.

“Anyway, the fact that the Earth Spirit King, who’s famous for hating humans, accepted your offer is amazing to me. Even aside from what I witnessed, I’ve heard many stories about him.”

I could guess what they were about without even hearing them. They certainly wouldn’t be heartwarming stories.

‘I wonder what Trowel is doing now.’

I wondered if Minerva’s condition had improved a little. I swallowed my bitter feelings and decided to focus on what I originally intended to do. First, I stopped by the Hunter’s Guild to dispose of the monster byproducts I had collected. The branch manager, who had become somewhat familiar with me, rushed out to greet me.

“You guys! You came this week too!”

“How have you been?”

“Great, great, I’ve been great thanks to you guys. Is that what you brought this time? Let’s see. Oh my, as always, it’s all rare stuff! Huh, isn’t this the heart of a monster’s claw? Such a precious thing! Goodness, this is the tendon of a black water ox monster! Did you go deeper into the forest?”

The branch manager, making a fuss as he examined the byproducts one by one, had a gleam of madness in his eyes. He had been like this since the first day we traded. ‘Thorny Tree Village,’ was it? This village, located near the Root Forest and considered the most prosperous of the nearby villages, was also the main trading place for hunters who came to hunt monsters in the forest. Many hunters had come to dispose of byproducts, but apparently, things as rare and well-preserved as what we brought were uncommon.

“It’s winter, so there’s hardly any stock, but it’s a relief to have you guys. I’ll calculate it right away. First, give me your hunter’s license.”

Anyone can hunt monsters, but only hunters are qualified to trade byproducts. So, to follow the proper procedure, you had to present your hunter’s license. Already used to the process, I handed over the hunter’s license I had prepared in advance. The branch manager, receiving it, opened both sides of the hunter’s license and placed it on a tool that identified the magic engraving.

A strange name written above a copper-colored elephant drawing. It was a hunter’s license that Lamias had made for me to use when I needed a fake identity before leaving the Empire.

Originally, I didn’t plan to use a different ID. But the Hunter’s Guild was an international organization. Even though each country had its own guild leader and operated independently, information about affiliated hunters was shared with each other.

Lately, according to what the spirits were saying, not only the Empire but also other countries were showing interest in me. There seemed to be a lot of talk about my sudden disappearance. In this situation, using my hunter’s license would be like advertising my location to every country. Even in a remote rural area, it couldn’t hurt to be careful. That’s also why I consistently kept my hair short and black.

“It’s the first time a Barus-ranked hunter has safely returned after entering the habitat of a black water ox monster. I keep saying this, but shouldn’t you retake the ranking test? If your rank goes up, you can receive designated requests, and the fees will be much lower.”

The branch manager, who knew nothing, was very sorry that I was maintaining a lower rank than my skills. He listened to the words he repeated every time we met with one ear and casually brushed them off.

“I’m not thinking about it yet. Please dispose of it as is.”

“I can’t help it. If you change your mind later, be sure to retake the ranking test. I’m sure you can easily get a Makina grade. Okay? Even if it’s a hassle, please think about it again. I’m saying this because you guys are like my sons.”

“Yes, thank you for the advice.”

Even after that, the branch manager didn’t stop talking. I casually responded to the pouring nagging, took the money bag he handed me, and went outside. Sibelius’s complexion, which had been stiff the whole time I was in the guild, finally relaxed.

“That guy talks too much.”

I couldn’t help but nod in agreement to his grumbling. I was grateful for his concern, but I felt drained every time I came. Maybe I should change the schedule of visiting once a week to a longer interval. After that, we started to go around the shopping district and buy the necessary supplies and groceries.

“El, look at this. It says ‘fresh,’ but there’s only frozen pollack [a type of fish].”

“That’s true. I guess it got frozen in the meantime. It can’t be helped with the weather being so cold that it freezes as soon as you put it outside.”

The already cold northern weather had surpassed just being cold since the full onset of winter. The temperature was so low that if you sprayed water, it would fall as snow. The river was completely frozen and as hard as the ground, and heavy snow fell frequently, so everything was white and frozen.

“But El doesn’t seem to feel the cold much. Is it because you’re a Sword Saint?”

“Ah, that’s part of it, but it’s probably because of this.”

I replied, taking out the necklace from inside my clothes. Curiosity filled Sibelius’s gaze.

“I got it as a gift from a little lady I met here. Ifrit [a powerful fire spirit] planted fire energy in it, so it has a warming effect.”

“Wow, I see. It doesn’t just look like a stone… Is it a fossil?”

“It is a fossil. And it’s a seashell fossil. But she said she picked it up near the Root Forest. Isn’t that amazing?”

“That’s really something. I guess this place used to be the sea.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I raised my head at the sudden voice.

“What did you say just now?”

“Huh? I said this place used to be the sea…”

“No, after that…”

“After that?”

Sibelius, looking bewildered, didn’t seem to have any idea what I was asking. Did I hear wrong again? It was too rough of a tone for Sibelius. I felt a sense of unease like this a few times recently. I hadn’t paid attention to it because it had quieted down, but maybe the auditory hallucinations had started again.

“But El, can I take a closer look at that fossil?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I’m not sure, but it seems to have a strange energy…”

Strange energy? Ifrit told me it was fire attribute, so is that what he’s talking about? Feeling puzzled, I took off the necklace for now. But it seems I put more force into it than I thought. A cracking sound was heard, and a crack appeared on the surface of the seashell fossil. Sibelius and I widened our eyes at the same time.

“Gasp! It broke!”

“C-Calm down, El! We can fix it!”

“How do you fix a fossil!”

We were in a state of confusion and kept pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. I tried to smooth it out so it wouldn’t crack further, but the more I did, the worse it cracked. Finally, the completely cracked fossil split into two pieces. Sibelius quickly apologized to me, who was standing there in a daze.

“S-Sorry, El. I shouldn’t have asked to see it…”

“No, I broke it because I couldn’t control my strength…”

I shook my head, letting out a hollow sigh. I should have been more careful. It was like Lamias’s father’s keepsake, and I felt so guilty for breaking something so precious. Fortunately, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, and soon hopeful news came.

“But it’s cut cleanly, so we can put it back together.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll somehow put it back together perfectly. Oh, but the effect of wearing it as a necklace will disappear.”

“That’s okay. It’s fine as long as we can restore the shape.”

I was sad that the warming effect would disappear, but if we could put it back together, the function didn’t matter. Sibelius’s face brightened as if he could see that I had regained hope.

Come to think of it, didn’t Ifrit say he had also cast an enhancement spell? He definitely said that. Magic isn’t omnipotent, but it was strange that it broke so easily. Then, something caught my eye as I looked at the fossil fragments. Looking closely, I could see something embedded inside the split part. It was a small, purple-colored fragment.

“What is this? Is it a mineral? Amethyst?”

“What is it? Let me see too.”

Sibelius showed interest and came closer. I tilted my head and showed him the part I had found.

“Here, the purple part.”

“Purple? Where?”

He couldn’t see it? It was so obvious that I was embarrassed that he couldn’t find it, so I pointed to the part with my finger. Only then did he recognize it, and after pausing for a moment, he looked a little flustered.

“El, I don’t think this is ordinary.”

“Is it an expensive mineral?”

“I don’t know if I should call it a mineral. I think this is probably the strange energy I felt. I need to investigate it further to be sure. It looks like a Lapneria crystal…”

“Huh?”

I blinked slowly. Lapneria was a word I had heard before. Wasn’t it a term for wandering souls? It was said that if the soul hardened over a long period of time, it would become a soul jewel. But that very soul crystal…

“…Huh?”

A realization flashed through my mind, and I stared blankly back down at the fossil. So, what. Could this be the soul jewel? The soul jewel that Lamias and I had been searching for so hard for so long? That was also inside this fossil necklace?

“Did you finally realize it?”

A grumbling voice was heard from somewhere. I unknowingly stopped breathing and covered my mouth.

“El?”

Sibelius gave me a puzzled look, but I couldn’t answer. I was too busy trying to come to my senses with my heart pounding. I definitely heard it this time. It wasn’t an inner voice, nor was it a delusion. Someone definitely spoke to me. And there was only one person who could say that to me at this moment.

“…Lapis?”