Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 81

81

“He’s right. It’s quite rare, but some of our priests of penance do use divine power before receiving formal ordination.”

“……!”

“Huh? Is that true?”

I reflexively looked up. Kaitain was looking at me with a completely calm face. Rather, I felt a sense of familiarity in his gaze. He looked as pleased as when I first mentioned Ellyuen.

Could the lie I made up on the spot really be possible? Even I was bewildered by this situation, so Cowell couldn’t possibly accept it easily. He still looked dubious and asked,

“So, that’s the case for the priests of the God of Penance? Then does that mean this kid is from the same order as you, Priest?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

“What, Priest, you already knew?”

“He told me when I first greeted him. I only found out now that he possesses divine power. El, why didn’t you tell me sooner? If I had known from the beginning, I would have told you that you would naturally become a cleric.”

“Ahaha… Well, you see…”

“Indeed, I understand. If you’ve been training alone for so long without any advice from others, you would have been cautious about showing it in front of others. Anyway, you’ve accomplished something great. Ellyuen will be pleased.”

I responded with an awkward smile to his gentle words. Thanks to him, the group was now completely relieved. As soon as the tense atmosphere eased, they glared at Cowell with fierce expressions.

“See? The Priest says it’s true. Why are you being so harsh on someone when you don’t even know them well?”

“No, well… I just wanted to make sure of everything. I’m glad it turned out to be true. Who said anything?”

“Tsk, tsk. You know, you don’t have any friends, do you?”

“What? Who says that? I have tons of friends!”

He retorted sharply and then scanned me with a fierce gaze.

“Actually, I still don’t quite understand. Is the Priest lying to protect that kid?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“But no matter how I think about it, it’s strange. The God of Penance is a small denomination with very few followers. It’s only been ten years since they officially registered as an order, right? Besides, their missionary work isn’t very active. So, what are the odds that a trainee priest and a prospective priest from that order would meet by chance in this vast continent?”

“No, that’s…”

“It’s not a coincidence.”

This time, I truly felt wronged, so I tried to argue properly. But a firm answer followed before I could. It was Kaitain. I looked at him again, bewildered. His expression was no different from before.

“Not a coincidence?”

“Yes. In fact, at first, I only thought it was a mysterious connection. But only today did I realize that El and I meeting was not a mere coincidence. It was the will of Ellyuen, the God of Penance who governs us.”

“Huh? Ellyuen…?”

Why is Ellyuen suddenly coming up here? I stared at Kaitain, bewildered. Everyone else was also paying attention to his face.

“Actually, before coming here, I was originally on my way to find El.”

“Me?”

When I pointed at myself, he smiled gently and nodded.

“There was something I needed to tell you.”

“What…?”

“Don’t be surprised. I actually received a divine message related to you during prayer just now.”

“A divine message!”

Exclamations burst out from the people around me. Cowell, as well as the Champagne Mercenary members, looked greatly surprised.

I took a moment to process the situation. As far as I knew, a divine message was a type of message that a god directly conveyed to humans. The god Kaitain believed in was the God of Penance, and the God of Penance was Ellyuen. And the God of Penance had just given Kaitain a divine message. So, in other words, Ellyuen sent a message to Kaitain…

“…Wow. W-wait a minute. So, right now… Ellyuen… gave Kaitain a divine message… no, gave it to him?!”

Would this be the feeling of being hit in the head with a giant sledgehammer? Even after figuring it out myself, I couldn’t believe it, so I tried to ask calmly. Kaitain looked at me as if he understood and nodded.

“It was a truly amazing experience. I was quietly praying alone in my room when a white bird flew in through the window and sat in front of me. Then, suddenly, the voice of the Almighty came from the bird’s mouth. It was the first time in my life that I had heard such a clear voice of God.”

Kaitain’s eyes flickered with emotion, as if he still couldn’t forget the lingering feeling of that moment. But I was still in a daze, surprised by the fact that Ellyuen had contacted me directly.

I thought I would never be able to reach him until I went to the temple. Even if I arrived, I couldn’t be 100% sure that I would be able to meet him. Honestly, I thought of it as a relationship where we couldn’t meet whenever we wanted, a father-son relationship in name only that would end whenever one side cut off contact. But to think that he would react first. It felt unreal, like seeing an actor I had only seen in dramas or movies suddenly pop out in front of me.

“I-I see. S-so, what did he… what did he say? You said it was definitely a divine message related to me, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Ellyuen wants to meet you, El, as soon as possible. He has given me the role of a guide to lead you to the temple.”

“A guide…? Um, so Ellyuen… knows that I’m on my way to the temple, or rather, does he know?”

“You’re saying something obvious. God governs and controls all things. How could he not know the path of his servant who is coming to him?”

“Ah, right…”

So, Ellyuen has been watching all the shows I’ve been putting on while selling him out (?) to make a living. My face flushed with the shame that washed over me. I was already starting to worry about what kind of face I should make when I meet him in the future.

However, Kaitain’s words didn’t end there. There was another incredibly shocking story that would make me truly faint.

“Moreover, that’s not all. A divine message has also been sent to the temple in Clamor that you will be visiting the temple.”

“Huh? W-what did you say?!”

“Surprisingly, Archangel Nadiel descended directly during the Great Worship and conveyed God’s will. The temple in Clamor is said to be flowing with stronger divine power than ever before due to the descent of the angel. It is said that various miracles are unfolding everywhere, such as those suffering from diseases that rot their bodies healing on the spot just by reaching the entrance of the temple, and withering crops reviving. I heard that all the priests, including the High Priest, are eagerly awaiting your visit.”

“……!”

Good heavens, a divine message during the Great Worship? And the descent of an Archangel?! Ellyuen, what on earth are you thinking!

I was in a state of shock, just gaping my mouth. Kaitain smiled at me and his voice brushed past my ear in vain.

“You are a very lucky person. To be a being who receives such attention and love from Ellyuen, I’m truly envious.”

“…….”

It was truly a moment when the future looked bleak.

* * *

Ellyuen’s sanctuary, which maintains a perpetually sunny spring weather, was peaceful today as well.

A beautiful palace made of light. Someone flew into it as if dancing. She was a lovely girl with snow-white silver hair, jewel-like sparkling pink eyes, and rosy cheeks that made you want to pinch them. Six pure white wings, symbolizing a high-ranking deity, fluttered pleasantly on her shoulders.

“Lord! Lord!”

The girl shouted busily and opened the door to the office. Some senior angels frowned silently at her unseemly behavior, but the girl’s eyes were only on her lord, who was in the middle of work.

Ellyuen, her one and only lord, showed no agitation amidst the commotion. He didn’t take his eyes off the documents he was staring at and opened his mouth.

“Did you handle the task I entrusted to you properly, Nadiel?”

“Yes, of course! Nadiel has returned after successfully completing the Lord’s command!”

Nadiel answered brightly, singing as if singing. It was an excessively cheerful attitude for formally reporting on work. The senior angels sighed and shook their heads, but soon smiled as if they couldn’t help it. She was reckless, but that was the advantage that only Nadiel had.

Ellyuen stamped his seal on the last page of the document he was looking at and put down the quill he was holding. Then, the angel who was preparing the next item quietly bent over and removed the document. The fact that he put down the quill meant that he was going to take a break for a while.

The lowered blue eyes stared straight at her, and even the great Nadiel had no choice but to be nervous. It was a truly breathtakingly beautiful face no matter when you looked at it.

“How was it when you went down?”

“Ah! Y-yes! It was my first time going to the Middle Realm [the mortal plane], but it was more beautiful than I thought. Of course, not as much as this palace where we live. Humans were very surprised when I appeared. Their expressions were funny, hehe…”

“Did you deliver the message I told you to deliver?”

“Of course, I delivered everything without missing a thing! I told them that a precious guest named El would be visiting soon, so everyone should purify their bodies and minds and prepare to welcome him. And I didn’t forget to ask them to pay special attention to him during his stay.”

“Yes, it seems like there are no missing parts.”

“Yes! I kept practicing it in my head so I wouldn’t forget. Ah, but don’t worry! I didn’t speak in my usual tone, but spoke solemnly like the older sisters! Nadiel worked hard not to harm the Lord’s dignity!”

‘Ah, Nadiel.’

The senior angels shook their heads again at the smiling face. When will she be able to establish the dignity of a high-ranking angel? Her pure and cheerful appearance was cute, but they couldn’t help but worry that she might incur the Lord’s wrath. However, contrary to expectations, Ellyuen simply smiled lightly.

“Yes, good job.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing. It’s the Lord’s work, so it’s not hard at all. More than that, Lord, I have a question, can I ask you?”

“What is it?”

“The person named El, is he perhaps the Water Spirit King, Elquines?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Hee, I knew it. I had a feeling. This is the first time the Lord has given such a large-scale divine message to humans, right? You’re worried about your son.”

Nadiel’s questions were relentless, whether she knew the feelings of the older sisters who were anxiously watching. And Ellyuen just smiled again without any unpleasant expression.

If other gods who knew him saw this sight now, they would surely be shocked. It would be an unimaginable sight for him, who was usually as cold and strict as frost. It was as mismatched a combination as putting a frilly dress on a burly man.

In fact, Ellyuen was especially lenient with this little girl at other times as well. There were many times when he would simply give simple advice or pass over without any scolding, even if she made a big mistake, which he would have definitely taken issue with if it had been another angel. Originally, Ellyuen tended to take good care of the people who belonged to him, but it was an undeniable fact that he showed more affection for Nadiel in particular.

The strange thing was that the other angels also recognized the special treatment she received as natural. Even when she acted immaturely or presumptuously like now, they were more worried about her getting scolded than angry. All the angels in Ellyuen’s palace loved Nadiel like a daughter. It was as if they were possessed by something.

‘Ah, come to think of it, Nadiel is…’

At that moment, all the angels had the same thought in their heads.

The personality of a deity is formed under the influence of the being who was involved at the time of their first birth. Therefore, they generally resemble the personality of the god who ‘summoned’ them. However, coincidentally, there was one more person besides Ellyuen at the time of Nadiel’s birth. The protagonist of the widespread rumors throughout the divine realm these days, the Water Spirit King Elquines, whom he recently adopted.

There were no angels in the palace who didn’t know that he was looking into his adopted son’s schedule from time to time, even in the midst of a grueling schedule with mountains of documents pouring in every day. That was also the only moment when you could see even a faint smile on his face, which was as expressionless as a frozen mask.

Around them, they were buzzing that he was simply acting on a whim, but no one in the palace thought so. He even sent a divine message to welcome his son, so what more needs to be said here? Furthermore, the reason why he made such a decision was also very simple.

Because I can’t have my son being ignored by humans.

She is a girl who received the tendencies of his beloved son. Now I felt like I knew why Ellyuen was lenient with her. And also why they were so endlessly weak to Nadiel.

In the end, being a fool for one’s child is also hereditary.