Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 577

577

“Welcome…… Oh?”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, the restaurant owner, who had reflexively greeted me, recognized me and his eyes widened. Brown hair and green eyes. The colors were different, but the overall impression of his face was very similar. It was Rigleo, Sibelius’s brother.

“It’s been a while.”

“Ah, it really has been a while.”

Perhaps because it wasn’t mealtime, there were no other customers in the restaurant. Rigleo, approaching with a welcoming expression, subtly glanced around me.

“That child… didn’t Sibel come with you?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about. Could you possibly tell me how to get to the Unicorn Village?”

“……Pardon?”

Rigleo, blinking in confusion, reacted a beat late. Then, as if struck by an idea, he hardened his face and asked sternly.

“Don’t tell me Sibel was captured by pursuers?”

“Ah, no! It’s nothing like that. He did return to the village, but he went of his own accord. I was supposed to go with him, but he left alone while I was sleeping……”

Ah, as if finally understanding the situation, he nodded with a relieved expression.

“I want to follow him, but it seems he’s already entered the village. So, I came to ask for directions.”

“Hmm, I see. I understand the situation. But I’m sorry to say that it might be difficult to help you with that.”

“Ah…….”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just that I don’t know myself, so I can’t even if I wanted to.”

“……You don’t know?”

“As the Unicorn Village strictly controls access to outsiders, they pay a lot of attention to the barrier management. Right after I left the village, they changed the structure of the formation.”

His calm explanation weighed heavily on my heart. He, who was once a Rune, changed the formation as the first thing he did after leaving the village. Could there be a colder way to say, ‘Don’t ever come back’? I couldn’t imagine how the person involved must feel when I was already feeling so heartbroken. But even though I must have reminded him of unpleasant memories, Rigleo only felt sorry.

“Arel would know, but it’s become difficult to meet him recently. I have no way to contact him first, so it’s hard to be of any help in that regard either.”

“……I see.”

“Sibel was worried about you, that’s why he did it. The Unicorn Village is quite sensitive to outsiders, even more so to humans. The Elder is especially someone who you never know what he might do… he wouldn’t have wanted you to encounter him. You might feel hurt, but please understand.”

Perhaps my disappointed expression was too obvious; Rigleo quickly offered words of comfort. As expected of brothers, they said almost the same things.

“I have one thing to ask you.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Do you still want Sibel to live on without knowing anything about you? Even if it’s after a very long time?”

At those words, the smile on his face slowly faded. The warm gaze he had been giving his younger brother’s friend disappeared, and I could clearly see wariness filling its place.

“……How much, and what exactly, do you know?”

“Probably more than you expect.”

“Did Arel…?”

“No. It’s just your attitude, and some stories I’ve heard here and there. I just guessed on my own. Judging by your reaction, it seems I guessed right.”

It was just a plausible excuse, but Rigleo seemed to accept it without suspicion, perhaps because it didn’t sound awkward. He couldn’t hide his dismay for a moment, but soon he sank into thought with a serious expression.

“When you say a long time, how long are we talking about?”

“Hmm, just an incredibly long time. Several thousand years? About four thousand years or so.”

“Oh, my, that’s further into the future than I thought.”

Several thousand years is a long time even for a Unicorn. Only then did Rigleo regain his composure, and a smile spread across his lips.

“I see. By then, it might be okay for him to know. If that child fully awakens as a Rune and feels like forgiving me.”

“……What would you want to say to Sibelius when that time comes?”

Rigleo’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected me to ask such a thing. But his face soon relaxed. A tender emotion bloomed in his softened gaze.

“That his brother loves him very, very much.”

I understand. I’ll be sure to tell him that when I go back and see him. I swallowed the words I wanted to say and nodded. I was struggling just to keep from crying, so I couldn’t speak properly. Rigleo seemed to understand my feelings and just smiled without saying anything. He didn’t even ask why I was asking such a thing.

My footsteps were heavy as I walked out of the restaurant alone. In the end, I couldn’t find a way to follow Sibelius. It felt like something too enormous had suddenly happened. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have recklessly said I would go with him. I should have at least made time to say a proper goodbye. If I had, we could have at least had one last meal together. I would have felt regret and sadness, but it wouldn’t have ended so meaninglessly like this. Only belated regrets filled my heart.

Goodbye, Sibelius. It’s a farewell for now, but this won’t be the end. I’ll think of it as you going back first. Let’s definitely meet again later. We’ll be able to share more things then. Right?

As I sighed, a shadow fell over me. It was Eluien, who had been waiting outside while I met Rigleo.

“Father.”

“If you wish, I will bring him before you.”

He meant that he would bring Sibelius out. I smiled faintly and shook my head. It’s not that I have no lingering feelings, but it seems better this way. In fact, if I had gone with him, it would have only been more difficult. If Sibelius was being sealed before my eyes, I wouldn’t have been able to just stand by and watch.

“Father, I want to go there.”

“Where to?”

“The place where you and I first met.”

A strange light flickered in Eluien’s eyes as he turned to look at me.

“Wasn’t your business there finished?”

“Still, I want to go. Will you take me?”

“Yes, I understand.”

A sense of floating and a brilliant light enveloped me. Now, all the past stories I knew have truly come to an end. From now on, it was all an unknown world.

* * *

The weather, entering summer, was warm even at dawn. Sibelius, entering the deep blue forest, barely suppressed the urge to keep looking back. El had said he would go with him, but he had left without a word while he was asleep. He would definitely be angry when he woke up. The thought of El’s disappointed expression weighed heavily on his heart, like a stone.

‘It would be better not to go.’

Perhaps it was because of the words he had heard before departing. It would have been better if the person who said those words didn’t happen to possess precognitive abilities. He disliked Ira, who was closer to the side he hated, so he couldn’t welcome anything he said, but this was a separate matter.

“It would be better to say goodbye properly, wouldn’t it? If you sneak away while he’s asleep, El will be disappointed.”

The voice that had spoken as if to provoke him was still vivid in his ears. Sibelius sighed without realizing it. Elquines had returned to the Spirit Realm, and it was the time when El was completely asleep. He thought no one would notice his plan, but he never expected someone to appear. He never imagined that it would be the Earth Spirit King, who had been turning his insides out all this time.

“What’s it to you?”

“That’s right, it’s none of my business.”

The boy who appeared with the dim moonlight behind him was like a silent night sky in himself. The black hair swaying in the gentle breeze, and the golden eyes containing a subtle glow, all seemed like a work of art that this world had painstakingly created. That’s why he disliked him even more.

“I’m telling you for El’s sake, not yours.”

“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous for you to say that?”

“You can’t take a word kindly. That’s why I’m advising you as a senior. Well, if you insist on regretting it.”

“……There’s no need for a farewell. I’m not leaving for good. It’s too dangerous to go together, so I’m just going alone for a quick trip. I’ll take care of my business and come right back.”

“Well, will it really go as you think?”

The murmuring voice contained a low chuckle. The gaze that slowly swept down from top to bottom was strange. Sibelius quickly recognized the meaning because it was a gaze he had often received since he was young. It was clearly a look of disdain.

“Anyway, I warned you.”

Crack, Sibelius nervously grabbed and snapped a branch blocking the path. Even thinking about it again made him grind his teeth.

“That unpleasant bastard……”

So what if he’s a Spirit King, and so what if he can see the future a little bit. After all, his predictions don’t always come true. He had improved a bit recently, but his true nature doesn’t go anywhere. When he thought about how El had almost died because of him, he still felt a surge of anger.

Still, on the one hand, he couldn’t help but feel heavy-hearted. The fact that the annoying Earth King had personally come to warn him meant that this journey was dangerous.

‘It’s something I have to go through once anyway.’

Sibelius calmly controlled his troubled heart. He couldn’t bring himself to tell El, but the Elder’s message also contained content meant only for him.

> If you do not return within the deadline, your precious friend will be harmed. Do not forget that I can use special powers for the sake of the clan.

How nice it would be if he could dismiss this as bluff. But the Elder had Lusef’s relic. It was specially bestowed when the Unicorns migrated to the Middle Realm, and with that relic, he could deliver judgment in Lusef’s name just once.

It was originally something that a Rune should possess, but the Elder managed it because his age was too young, and he never received it even after becoming an adult. Until now, no one had dared to think of using it, but an Elder who was abnormally obsessed with Runes would have done it. Now that the return to the Divine Realm was confirmed, he would be even less hesitant. No matter how strong El was and how much he was protected by the Spirit King, he couldn’t overcome the judgment of a high-ranking god. That’s why he couldn’t take him to the village even more.

‘First, let’s find Lusef’s relic.’

He already knew the place where the relic was kept. If he secured that, he wouldn’t have to be led around by the Elder. After organizing his plans in his mind, Sibelius carefully entered the village. Following the promised rules, he passed through several gates, and another world began to unfold. White houses like temples stretched towards the sky above a meadow full of wisteria flowers. It was a familiar sight of his hometown.

Perhaps because it was still early, there weren’t many people active. Sibelius used magic to suppress his presence and moved quickly. His destination was the Elder’s house in the center of the village. Instead of entering through the entrance, he crossed the wall and entered inside, striding forward. It was a complex structure, but he had been going there since he was very young, so there were no unfamiliar paths. Soon, a small house appeared before his eyes. It was the Elder’s personal prayer room.

The prayer room had a barrier that only the Elder himself could pass through, so it was dangerous for others to enter. Sibelius had heard countless times since he was young that something terrible would happen if he entered. In fact, there had been an accident where someone died after being caught in the barrier out of curiosity. But there was no hesitation in Sibelius’s steps as he entered now. In fact, he had never once thought that he wouldn’t be able to enter. Because he made that barrier with Rune’s blood.

As expected, Sibelius passed through the barrier without any problems. He lightly swallowed his breath and looked around with a slightly bitter feeling. Inside, statues of Lusef were erected. Sibelius approached the statue holding a bow and scanned his surroundings. After touching the decoration on his forehead and turning the arrowhead, a small groove popped out from the back of the statue. Everything had been going smoothly so far. But when he checked the box he took out from it, Sibelius’s eyes darkened.

‘……It’s not here.’

The box that should have contained the relic was empty. Did he expect me to come? It seemed like it wouldn’t be easy to leave. Sibelius, clenching his fist, left the prayer room. This time, he didn’t bother hiding and revealed himself. The Elder’s retainers, who were starting their morning duties, recognized him and stirred.

“Sibelius-nim!”

The news spread quickly inside. Soon, Weldi appeared from another building with her attendants. She must have rushed out while getting ready, as her hair was only half-braided.

“You’ve finally returned! You should have sent word. Then I would have gone out to meet you.”

Looking at her face, full of welcome, Sibelius looked back at the others. They were all avoiding his gaze with uncomfortable expressions. This was also one of the familiar sights. Most of the people here don’t try to make eye contact with him. Only then did he realize that he had returned. He also realized that he no longer had any lingering feelings for these scenes. Sibelius chuckled to himself without realizing it. He thought he would feel at least a little nostalgic.

“Where’s the circlet?”

“Is that the first thing you look for as soon as you come?”

Weldi pouted her lips. Sibelius calmly stared at the sight of her face becoming sulky and resentful. In the desolate world that made him up, Weldi was one of the few warmths. He would have felt sorry if it were before, but now he didn’t feel anything. Weldi also noticed the change, and her eyes wavered. Her voice, which had been biting her lip slightly, became even more sullen than before.

“I don’t have it right now.”

“What do you mean? If you don’t have it, who does?”

“Actually……”

“Are you looking for this?”

A chill ran down Sibelius’s spine at the voice that suddenly rang out. Sibelius barely turned his head to check the direction from which the sound came. There stood a man wearing a robe of five colors. He had slicked back his light crimson hair, and his impression was as sharp as his hairstyle. His eyes were the same red as Weldi’s, but he had never looked at his eyes with a comfortable feeling.

“Ardan.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Rune.”

It was a rebuke disguised as a polite greeting. Sibelius stared at him with a stiff face. Elder Ardan was holding a silver tray. He could see the accessory on it. A circlet with a blue jewel in a silver frame. Even just looking at the faint aura of the Demon God seeping into it, it was clear that it was the thing he was looking for. But Sibelius’s gaze was directed at Ardan’s hand. On his right index finger, he wore a thick ring with a blue jewel embedded in it. It was Lusef’s relic, which he couldn’t find in the prayer room.

Ardan also seemed to recognize that Sibelius’s gaze was directed at the ring. A faint smile appeared on his face.

“It seems you have a lot to talk about. Shall we move to another place?”