Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 66

The 66th Story

“By the way, isn’t Ellyuene the god of darkness?”

“That’s right. Our priests are a bit of a special case. They possess the divine power of healing despite being of the darkness attribute. Many question why priests of punishment, who signify judgment, possess healing powers, but….”

“Well, physical pain isn’t everything, I suppose.”

“What do you mean?”

Kaitain showed particular interest in my casual reply. I shrugged and said,

“The methods of judgment aren’t all the same. Sometimes, just being alive is a punishment. Both for the person themselves and for someone else.”

“Being alive as punishment….”

“Yes. Moreover, it seems that only a god can truly judge. No matter how virtuous, there can’t be a morally perfect person in the world. So, shouldn’t judgment be left to the gods, while priests instead pray for sinners and show leniency? If you look at Ellyuene’s emblem, the scales are perfectly balanced on both sides. I think that’s what it means.”

“……Indeed. That’s a wonderful answer.”

“R, really?”

I was taken aback by the unexpected praise. In truth, I had simply answered whatever came to mind without much thought. I was secretly worried he might see me as presumptuous, but contrary to my expectations, Kaitain was looking at me with an even softer gaze. Not only that, but he even said something more incredible.

“El, you might even hear the voice of God.”

“Yes? R, really?”

“Of course. I have a good feeling about this. When you arrive at the temple, you will surely achieve what you desire.”

“Ahaha… then I’d be honored.”

……But I don’t even know if Ellyuene will meet me. No, even if he does, there’s no guarantee he’ll cooperate willingly.

Swallowing the words that rose to my throat, I gave an awkward smile. Kaitain, however, calmly reassured me, saying there was no need to be anxious. He seemed to have mistaken the stiffness on my face, which was due to my complicated feelings, as a sign of nervousness.

Thanks to that, I felt even more guilty. He probably couldn’t even imagine that I was actually a Spirit King, a wicked fellow planning to use a god just to make my game easier.

A Spirit King who can’t do anything properly or on his own… come to think of it, what a pathetic state I’m in.

This game… it really wasn’t easy.

* * *

It was almost dusk when I finished tending to the injured. The mercenaries, who had already started setting up camp, were taking out their sleeping bags and preparing to go to bed. The space, once filled with groans, was now filled with quiet breathing. Kaitain checked on the patients one last time and then thanked me.

“Thanks to you, things went much smoother. Thank you, El.”

“You’re welcome. Please call me anytime you need help in the future.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Of course. I’m glad I can help in some way, even like this.”

To be a little more honest, I was just desperate to stop feeling so guilty. If I couldn’t freely use healing magic, I at least wanted to contribute to the act of healing. That way, I would feel more at ease when I went to receive the divine emblem.

In the end, everything was just hypocrisy for my own sake. I felt so ashamed of myself for being so nonchalant about it.

After that, I said goodbye to Kaitain and returned to my group. Trowel was the first to greet me. But his mood was a little strange. He was slightly frowning, with an expression that seemed vaguely upset.

“What’s wrong, Matthew?”

“Were you healing the injured all this time?”

“Yeah. Ah, but I didn’t use any healing magic. You don’t have to worry.”

“That’s not it.”

“Huh?”

“You were helping the priest with chores the whole time. I don’t like El doing errands for humans.”

He pouted, looking like he was sulking. His cheeks were puffed up with sullenness.

I didn’t know Trowel could make such an expression. I had only ever seen his mature side, so I was very taken aback. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Pfft, what are you doing, Matthew? It was just a few errands.”

“Just a few? El, you don’t know your own worth. You don’t have to deliberately involve yourself in such trivial matters.”

“I did it because I wanted to. If I were just going to live a life of leisure, there would be no need to play this game in the first place. You also help the group by setting up tents or maintaining weapons, don’t you, Matthew?”

“That’s….”

“I’m not much different. I’m just helping with what I can. It’s true that I don’t know much about the world, but I think you’re being too overprotective of me, Matthew.”

I spoke carefully to Trowel, who couldn’t hide his displeasure. He narrowed his brow for a moment as if lost in thought, then soon gave his usual smile as if he couldn’t help it.

“You’re right, El. I think I was being too sensitive. I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no. I’m the one who’s sorry for saying it like that when you were just concerned for me.”

“No, I went too far. Without realizing it, I was treating you as someone I needed to protect. I don’t think I considered your position enough.”

“It’s not like that. It was all for my sake. I don’t mind at all. You didn’t do anything wrong, Matthew. Really.”

“But….”

“I mean it? If you apologize again, I’m going to keep apologizing too. Until we can decide who’s more sorry.”

“Alright, alright. I understand. I give up.”

Trowel chuckled and raised his hands slightly.

But it was true that he was unusually lenient with me. No matter how clumsy I was, it was rare for one Spirit King to help another Spirit King with their game. I was just an oddity; if I were a normal Spirit King, I would have been offended and angry. Of course, if that were the case, he wouldn’t have shown such consideration in the first place. I was grateful for that, but also endlessly sorry.

“By the way, just in case, I’m telling you this in advance, El.”

“Yeah?”

Trowel’s sudden serious tone made me tense up and blink. He glanced around and then looked back at me. At the same time, his voice came from his tightly closed lips.

『If you suddenly get separated from the group, don’t panic and return to the Spirit Realm immediately.』

A voice that seemed to resonate directly in my head. It was the Spirit’s way of communicating. I swallowed the words that reflexively tried to come out and calmly asked him in the same way.

『What are you talking about?』

『It won’t have much of an effect, but it’s better than not knowing. Anyway, don’t forget. If you’re alone, return to the Spirit Realm immediately. Got it? You’ll probably know what to do after that on your own.』

『Wait, is that a prophecy?』

At my flustered question, Trowel nodded slightly with a stiff face. He said that a star of fate had settled on me in the near future.

『A star of fate?』

『It’s a dangerously clear aura. It has begun to show an excessive amount of interest in you, El. I’ll be able to figure out what it is soon… but so far, it’s not even clear whether it’s hostile or friendly. However, it’s certain that its influence on you will be very significant.』

After saying that, Trowel calmly stared at me. His golden eyes, shining transparently, felt frightening for the first time at this moment. It felt like looking at something inorganic, not alive.

So this is what Trowel’s eyes look like when he opens his insight. He had made prophecies a few times before, but this was the first time I had seen his face in detail. I swallowed hard and asked cautiously.

『Is there no way to avoid it?』

『Hmm, I wish I could say there was, but it’s not easy to shake off such a strong star of fate. Whether it’s good or bad, you’ll be caught up in various events because of it, and you’ll definitely experience separation from many people at least once.』

『S, separation?』

『Sorry, El. That’s all I can find out.』

He apologized with a troubled expression. His glassy eyes had already returned to their original state. A complex and subtle feeling, with relief preceding disappointment, captivated me.

Then, a word I had once heard from him suddenly came to mind. About the ‘ominous movement’ related to Isana. He said that many people would suffer, and I would watch it closely.

‘……Could this prophecy be related to that?’

The atmosphere of the explanations was completely different, but since the identity of the opponent was ambiguous both times, I couldn’t help but find a connection. As if reading my concern, Trowel lightly patted my shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. Fate doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. If it turns out to be good, it will become the greatest source of strength for you. It’s not easy to find such a strong star of fate even among lovers.”

“I see.”

The problem was that there seemed to be a greater possibility of it being a terrible relationship. There was no need to stir up trouble for no reason, so I just smiled awkwardly.

It was a moment when I was genuinely worried about the future.

* * *

That night, I was gripped by an unusually uneasy feeling and couldn’t easily fall asleep. It wasn’t like I needed sleep, but not being able to do the routine I had always followed was more stressful than I thought. More than that, I was taken aback to learn that even Spirit Kings could have insomnia.

Lying down with my eyes open, I gazed blankly at the sky for a while, then turned my eyes to look around. A few mercenaries who were on watch tonight were sitting in front of the distant campfire, and around them, I could see familiar figures lying soundly asleep. The faces of those asleep were all clearly exhausted. It was only natural, as their bodies must have been worn out from the continuous battles over the past few days.

If I had a divine emblem, I could have at least restored their stamina at times like this. A Spirit King who was hiding his identity, and a complete novice Spirit King who hadn’t even been playing the game for very long, seemed to be completely useless. It was clear to anyone that I was a burden.

‘Moreover, I have an unfavorable future waiting for me.’

Somehow, I had been too lucky since I was born here. It even felt like all the bad luck I had been holding back was seizing the opportunity to rush in all at once.

Thoughts tend to take root in sleepless dawns. The deeper my thoughts became, the less I could sleep. In the end, I couldn’t bear it any longer and got up from my spot. It seemed better for my mental health to get up rather than lying down and forcing myself to stay still. As if sensing my movement, Isana, who was sleeping right next to me, opened her eyes slightly.

“Umm… El?”

“Ah, I’m just going for a walk. Don’t worry about me and keep sleeping.”

I quietly soothed her, and Isana nodded with a dazed face and closed her eyes again. She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, and soon I could hear her heavy breathing coming from her slightly open mouth. Seeing that, I was reminded of when we had just started sleeping outdoors.

At first, Isana couldn’t sleep properly on the bare ground. As someone who had been accustomed to fine fabrics and soft beds her whole life, the adaptation process was bound to be difficult. When she was with the knights, at least they would make makeshift straw beds. But after traveling with me, there were many times when she couldn’t even spread out a thin blanket, let alone straw.

As the season turned to winter, the ground was as cold as ice, which even I, who wasn’t very sensitive to temperature, could feel. She didn’t openly express her discomfort, but I knew that she struggled for a long time every night before finally falling asleep. But now, she could lie down anywhere and sleep soundly without any problems. I was proud of that, but at the same time, it weighed on my heart.