Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 565

565

“It’s not that, El… are you actually avoiding it?”

Langsy was more perceptive than I thought. Her words hit the nail on the head, making my heart pound. Did she realize I wasn’t a real priest? Or maybe she recognized me as a contractor of the Spirit King. Since she goes to school, she must have heard rumors about the King’s contractors. What would I say if she asked how a spiritist has the emblem of a god? It’s gone now anyway, so can I just say it was fake? Langsy wouldn’t report me for impersonating a priest, would she?

Langsy is a good kid, but that doesn’t mean she’ll embrace everything about me. She’s already been burned by pseudo-religious groups, so she might be even more sensitive. In a brief moment, my mind was filled with chaos. But all thoughts stopped with the cheerful voice that followed.

“Could El be like a secret priest?”

“Huh?”

I reflexively turned around at the unexpected words. Langsy’s eyes were particularly sparkling as she looked at me.

“I saw it in a novel. The protagonist was part of a secret priesthood called the Temple Inspectorate. They wander the world according to the god’s command, punishing corrupt temples and saving people. Is El one of those priests? Wow, those really exist!”

“Ah…”

Her imagination is as rich as ever. Still, she’s grown up enough to move from fairy tales to novels. While I was flustered and missed the chance to answer, Langsy seemed to have solidified her conviction. A solemn expression settled on her face as if she had gained a great realization.

“I think I know now. The reason El’s hair color returned is because you completed a mission, right?”

“Uh, well, maybe.”

“I knew it!”

Ah, this won’t do. Seeing her so innocently happy, I couldn’t help but think I had no choice. I shook my head lightly and laughed with a sense of futility.

“Langsy, you said you’re a sophomore, right? Does your department have a newsletter or academic journal or something?”

“Yes, I always check them out.”

“Does the department newsletter cover stories about spiritists?”

“Of course. Stories about famous spiritists are popular topics. There are even collectors for things related to the Spirit King’s contractors. But the content isn’t much. Honestly, I think most of it is made up. The descriptions of their appearances are all different. They say the really high-end information is only shared among nobles.”

Ah, I see. So that’s why she doesn’t know. I wondered why she didn’t seem to suspect anything. Maybe it’s because she’s so convinced I’m a priest.

“But why are you asking?”

“Um, no, just… so you won’t be too surprised.”

While Langsy was puzzled, I had her open her palm and summoned a spirit onto it. When Nias first appeared, Langsy’s eyes widened, and she blankly opened her mouth as she saw the small mermaids filling the surroundings in an instant. An intelligent child like Langsy couldn’t possibly not know what these numerous spirits meant.

“The truth is, I can do this.”

Then I took off my glove and showed her the back of my bare hand, which had nothing engraved on it.

“What I showed you back then is like this now.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m avoiding it. I’m sorry.”

Langsy didn’t say anything for a long time. The shock must be great. Did she feel betrayed after all? Just as I was feeling bitter and about to send the spirits back…

“I knew I was right.”

“…Huh?”

I flinched at the low murmur and carefully examined her expression. At that moment, Langsy looked up with an excited face.

“El really is a special person. Just like the protagonists in the books I read.”

Her star-like eyes still gazed at me with trust and goodwill. Facing her brightly smiling face, I felt breathless. So many emotions swirled at once that I couldn’t sort any of them out. In the end, I could only barely utter one word.

“Thank you, Langsy.”

“What are you saying, El? I’m the one who’s grateful.”

Langsy shook her head with a bashful smile.

“I wouldn’t have been able to come this far if it weren’t for El. El is always my hero.”

And will continue to be. I closed my eyes without realizing it at the words whispered as she held my hands tightly. Langsy reached out and hugged me tightly. I felt both relief and guilt at the warmth that was conveyed. Even if it wasn’t for Trowel, I wouldn’t have been able to choose Kanos in the end. I had received too many precious things to do that.

“Will we be able to meet again?”

“I hope so.”

Knowing that she lives in the capital, I might be able to meet her someday if I have the chance. It’s more likely that this is the last time I’ll see her, but I didn’t say those words on purpose. Listen to your mother, study hard until we meet again. Langsy nodded repeatedly at my earnest words.

“Then goodbye.”

“Goodbye, El.”

I waved my hand one last time towards her face, which couldn’t take her eyes off me, then turned around and left the village. Is it because of the chilly air? My heart felt empty today. Still, when I saw the group waiting for me at the entrance of the village, I felt a little better.

“Did you say your goodbyes, El?”

I smiled and nodded at Sibelius, who greeted me happily. Yes, there are people waiting for me. The sky was blue and the sun was dazzling. It was a waste of time to only look back at the parting relationships. So I could endure today.

“Let’s go.”

Even if a sinking sadness painfully weighed down my heart.

* * *

“You have too many useless thoughts.”

Lapis kept grumbling. He seemed very dissatisfied that I had held onto Sibelius and cried bitterly for a while the day before. He didn’t remember meeting Kanos either, but even after hearing everything I had gone through, his assessment didn’t change. A guy who hasn’t even lived for a hundred years should take care of himself first; who is he to pity whom? Figure out your place first. I couldn’t tell if he was picking a fight or comforting me; his nagging continued throughout.

‘I’m sorry, Lapis.’

“What are you talking about again.”

‘If I change the future, I might be able to save you too.’

For a moment, there was no reply. What followed the heavy silence was a faint sigh.

“When did I ever ask you to save me?”

‘But…’

“Hey, Elquines.”

My body flinched at his lowered voice. It had been a long time since Lapis had called me Elquines. After learning the nickname El, he had never called me that.

‘Are you angry?’

“No, it’s not that. I think you’re misunderstanding something big. You haven’t forgotten your real name because you only use your nickname, have you?”

‘Who forgets something like that?’

“Then tell me. What’s your real name?”

‘Elquines…’

“Right, you’re Elquines. What do you think about that?”

What do I think? I was bewildered by the incomprehensible question, and he sighed again.

“If the future changes, you change too. Let me tell you, I think your current personality owes a lot to your past life’s contributions, okay? The personality you were born with is really nasty and terrible. Do you think I’m wrong?”

‘Uh, um… it’s hard to say you’re wrong.’

“Right? If you have a conscience, that’s how it should come out. Okay, then think about it. Would you, with that terrible personality, make a contract with me?”

Ah, I honestly can’t guarantee that. He chuckled when I couldn’t answer easily.

“Then the result is the same anyway.”

He can’t last long without a contract with the Water Spirit King. That’s what he meant. I was speechless for a moment before barely replying.

‘…Still, it’s not the same. I could live longer.’

“It’s okay, it wouldn’t be fun anyway.”

I don’t know if he’s saying this because he really doesn’t care. But I can’t help but feel comforted by his nonchalant attitude. It felt like I had found a place to breathe a little. To be comforted by someone else’s misfortune, I think it’s too pathetic even for me. As I swallowed a sigh of self-reproach, Lapis clicked his tongue again.

“I told you, you have too many useless thoughts. Instead of feeling pointless guilt, think about what to do about the things that will happen in the future. As far as I know, Trowel was a complete psycho at this time, okay? I wondered what was going on when he stopped trying to kill all the humans… but geez. Anyway, you’re really going to have a hard time.”

‘Why are you calling your godfather a psycho?’

“This guy still hasn’t come to his senses. Just wait until you curse him more severely than I do later.”

After leaving the village, we walked for a while. The unicorns didn’t find it strange that I was hurrying down the road as if I were running away. They seemed to think it was a good thing that I was with humans, which they were already uncomfortable with. Apparently, Weldy and Karian had stayed away from the people while I was away looking for Sibelius. Thanks to that, they didn’t know that what I showed the residents was the emblem of a god until the end. Their exclusive attitude towards humans was helpful in this case.

“El, where are we going now?”

“Um, there’s someone I need to meet. But I don’t know where they are, so I have to look for them.”

Even if I find him, I don’t know if Trowel will meet me. But I have to find him first. There’s no way lower spirits would tell me the location of the Spirit King, and Ellyuen seems to be still asleep. I wonder if there’s a way to contact Ifrit. I might have to go back to Lantasha. I have to deliver the reply about the divine object anyway, so I should stop by.

“El seems to be always looking for something.”

“That’s right, I am.”

I smiled bitterly because I couldn’t deny it. It seems like all I’ve been doing since I came here is searching. I thought I only needed to find the Soul Jewel, but now I have to find a way to go home, and now I have to find a way to change Trowel’s mind. It’s my life, but it’s really not easy. As I lightly sighed, I felt a furtive gaze. Weldy was looking at me with an expression that seemed to have something to say.

“What’s wrong, Weldy?”

“Um, are we going to rejoin him?”

“Him?”

“I’m talking about the person you call father.”

If he’s a father, he’s a father, why is he making it so difficult to say? It was an expression that showed his will to somehow avoid the fact that Ellyuen is a father, so I laughed.

“Judging by the fact that he left without a word, he must have been very busy.”

“Ah, yes. But he’ll be back.”

“I see.”

His tense face brightened. He looked so relieved that I was honestly a little surprised. I thought he might have harbored resentment since he was openly humiliated, but I guess I was too ignorant of romantic feelings.

“By the way, how old is he? Ah, it doesn’t mean anything special. I just thought that humans would have to be more advanced in aging to have a child your age. He must have married very early.”

“Ah, I’m an adopted son, so.”

“That means…”

“I’m not his biological child. Of course, he’s not married yet either.”

Weldy couldn’t hide his joy when I gave him the answer he wanted. He was such a simple person. He’s rather cute when he’s this honest. If the future Ifrit had resembled even half of Weldy, that incident wouldn’t have happened. He must have realized something himself, because he has now reformed and completely changed his attitude.

‘Instead, he’s catching me like a rat.’

The innocent victim seemed to be Sibelius here. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Weldy, don’t think strange things.”

“Me, what am I doing.”

“I’m saying this for your own good. He’s not someone you should have those kinds of feelings for.”

“Are you perhaps being jealous?”

“Jeal…”

“You’re bothered because someone you thought would naturally be by your side is showing interest in another woman, right? I didn’t know Sibelius-nim needed this kind of stimulation. Don’t worry. I won’t lose sight of my duty. The person who will be my partner is still Sibelius-nim.”

“…No, never mind. I don’t know why I have to say these things.”

Sibelius, who sighed deeply, looked at the sky with dry eyes. Seeing him looking as if he had faced the harsh winds of the world with his whole body, I felt sorry.

“Hey, Weldy. Actually, Father is…”

“Rather than that, I have something to say to El… What? What did you say?”

The plan to reveal the truth even now failed as Weldy’s words mixed with the words I said at the same time. We looked at each other blankly for a moment and smiled bitterly.

“You go first. You said you had something to say to me?”

“Yes, actually in the forest earlier…”

But this time too, Weldy couldn’t finish his sentence. He suddenly seemed to notice something, took a deep breath, and took a step back. I was puzzled by the fact that his face, which had been calm until just now, suddenly turned pale, so I turned around and hardened my face as well.

…What the heck is that?

A swarm of black masses was swarming in the sky. At first, I thought it was a flock of birds. But the shape that was rapidly approaching was bigger than I thought. The appearance was also bizarre, with wings but closer in appearance to a monitor lizard. Sharp horns protruded from the thick, featherless skin, and hundreds of fangs seemed to gleam from the wide-open mouth. If your eyesight was normal, there was no way you could think it was a bird.

“It’s a Great Winged Monitor Lizard.”

Sibelius, who had also discovered the swarm in the sky, said in a flustered voice. It was the first time he had actually seen it, but he knew what it was. The monster encyclopedia, which he had crammed into his head at one time, quickly flipped through the pages in his head. Great Winged Monitor Lizard. A reptile mutant, it was a high-level monster with very strong aggression among flying monsters.

“Why did that appear here?”

The Great Winged Monitor Lizard’s habitat is in the highlands, and it rarely leaves its territory. It means that civilians would never encounter it unless they deliberately went to find it for the purpose of subjugation. This place was not a highland, and it was certainly not a monster’s habitat.

“It doesn’t seem to be just moving…”

Karian drew his sword with a haggard face. Weldy, who was terrified, clung to Sibelius’s side as if he was clinging to him as he took out his weapon. As soon as they discovered us, the monsters descending at a rapid speed were clearly in attack mode.

Kieeeek!

With intense noise, sharp claws quickly approached.