Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 97

Chapter 97

“Okay, look straight at it. Hot, right?”

As Isana nodded, looking dazed, Lapis clenched the flame in his fist and held it over her chest. The heat seemed to seep into her, engulfing her like a giant fireball. Isana gasped, her eyes widening in shock.

“How is it?”

“…It’s very warm.”

“Good, the suggestion is lifted.”

Lapis nodded in satisfaction and withdrew his hand. As he did, color returned to Isana’s face, which had been as pale as a sheet. Her dangerously low body temperature also returned to normal. I looked at Lapis in admiration, suddenly feeling like he was incredibly capable.

“What did you just do?”

“Huh? Oh, the flame was just a trick to break the suggestion. I just cast a warming spell, really.”

“Warming spell?”

“Exactly, a spell that maintains the proper temperature. You shouldn’t feel the cold much anymore.”

“What? If you had something like that, you should have cast it sooner!”

“Sorry, but I don’t do things I’m not asked to do.”

“…You’re so great,” I muttered, dripping with sarcasm.

Lapis smiled contentedly, his audacity so extreme that he seemed to take even sarcastic remarks as compliments.

“Anyway, tell me right away if you need anything in the future, Isana. I’m talking to you. Do you think the Spirit King is your nanny? How long are you going to make El take care of you? Just because you’re an emperor and have been pampered since you were young, don’t take it for granted that someone will always be there to take care of you. Enough with the childishness, got it?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Isana’s face flushed at Lapis’s harsh words. I glared at him, bristling.

“Why are you picking on Isana? I’m taking care of her because I want to. And it’s not that she expects to be taken care of; she’s just patient. That’s actually considered mature.”

“What? Are you taking her side in front of me?”

“It’s not about taking sides…”

“Hmph, you should take care of me even half as much as you take care of her. Aren’t you being too biased when I’m also your contractor?”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as I watched Lapis sulk like a child. Seriously, is that something a being who’s lived thousands of years should be saying?

*Who’s being childish here? He must have the definition of the word backward.*

* * *

We reached the summit of the mountain in the early morning of the following day. We had left the previous morning, so it had taken us a full day.

Even though we had taken frequent breaks to consider Isana’s stamina, I never imagined we would spend the night on the mountain, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see the rising sun. Fortunately, the warming magic seemed to be working well, as Isana didn’t cough once even in the harsh winds of the night. In fact, her body temperature was even higher than usual.

Atop the summit, a wide plateau stretched out. Countless plants, like a field of reeds, shone white in the snow. Whenever the wind blew, the ice particles scattered among them sparkled like crystal beads. And above it all, a pure white temple revealed its splendor, bathed in the brilliant sunlight. It was like a scene from a painting.

“Heh, is this finally the place?”

The temple looked quite mysterious simply because it was located in such a remote place, one that was difficult for people to climb. Moreover, there was something alien about it that set it apart from ordinary buildings. After examining it for a while, I found the reason. There were no seams between the structures, as if they had been carved out of a single piece. The walls themselves didn’t seem to be painted, but rather made of a material that was white in itself. It was an awe-inspiring sight, even without religious sentiments.

However, Lapis, who was on edge due to the unwanted forced march and spending the night on the mountain, seemed to have a different opinion. He frowned as soon as he saw the temple and grumbled.

“What kind of god sticks a temple in a place like this? What a terrible hobby. And what’s with the size of the temple? Well, it’s my fault for expecting anything from the temple of a newbie god who hasn’t been around for long.”

“But it’s quite beautiful. It looks like an ice castle built on the snow.”

“What? You think *that* looks cool? Go see other temples. Even the smallest temple of a demon god is bigger than that.”

“Well, it certainly feels more modest compared to a demon god’s temple, but…”

“Hmph, it’s not modest, it’s shabby.”

Isana’s face turned pale at the harsh criticism. It was only natural, as he was casually insulting a god in front of a temple, even though he was a dragon.

*…Is he going to get struck by lightning?*

Filled with anxiety, I quickly looked around. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Eluien might be listening from somewhere at this very moment. Just then, a group of people emerged from the temple. They were all wearing pure white robes, so they seemed to be priests living here. They spotted us from afar and looked surprised. It was understandable that they were taken aback, as they had visitors early in the morning in such a barren place.

After a moment, the youngest-looking priest among them hurried over. He drew a circle around his chest with his finger (probably making the sign of the cross) and spoke politely.

“May Eluien’s blessings be upon you. I am Siren, a humble servant of Eluien. May I ask what brings you here?”

“Ah, hello. We came to offer prayers to Eluien.”

“I see. Would you like the assistance of a priest?”

*What does that mean?*

Unable to understand, I inadvertently looked at Lapis. He replied nonchalantly.

“He’s asking if you need healing. In other words, he’s checking if any of us need treatment. Usually, the purpose of visiting a temple is to receive treatment and blessings.”

“Ah, I see. No, we’re just going to pray.”

“I understand. Please follow me. I will guide you to the prayer room.”

With polite words, the priest took the lead. We followed him slowly into the temple, looking around.

The temple looked even more beautiful up close than it did from afar. Usually, plain white walls without any patterns tend to look bland, but this was not the case here at all. The pure white feeling created a sacred atmosphere and seemed to purify the hearts of those who looked at it. It even seemed to have a subtle glow throughout the entire building.

I had seen a similar building before. Eluien’s palace in the Divine Realm; it felt exactly the same. Although it was much smaller and simpler in structure compared to that, it was clear that the same material was used. And that was the most solid evidence that the being who created this temple was not human.

*Well, there’s no way a temple could have been built on this mountain with human power.*

If such a building were discovered in Korea, the world’s media would be in an uproar. However, that incredible fact didn’t seem to be a big deal here. Temples were originally built by gods themselves.

Therefore, priests didn’t need to choose the location of the temple, nor did they need to spend money to build it. Even the most powerful empires couldn’t arbitrarily demolish temples or change their owners. There were many cases where they had to silently accept temples being built on their land without permission and yield to the priests. It seemed to be possible because it was a world where the intervention of gods was stronger than anywhere else.

Inside the temple, there were many people who appeared to be ordinary people, in addition to the priests. From people who looked like nobles to people in shabby clothes, all sorts of people were gathered in groups. They gave us, who had just appeared, curious glances for a moment, but soon lost interest and went back to talking among themselves.

“There are a lot of worshipers.”

To be honest, I was a little surprised. I had expected a completely deserted temple, given that it was in a near-remote location. Even from my perspective as a Spirit King, this mountain was not easy to climb. But I couldn’t believe that so many people had braved the harsh terrain to visit. Then, the priest who was guiding us smiled contentedly and said.

“It’s not usually this crowded. Those people have all gathered to see a precious guest who will be visiting soon.”

“A precious guest?”

“Ah, I guess you haven’t heard the news yet. Actually, an angel descended here not long ago. It was the Archangel Nadiel, with six wings. Nadiel said that a precious guest would be visiting our temple soon.”

“Ah…”

Right, now that I think about it, he did make that prediction.

I smiled awkwardly, recalling the fact anew. The priest, unaware of the change in my mood, continued to talk excitedly.

“For several days after that, Eluien’s divine power filled the entire Oren Mountain. Originally, this mountain is famous for its harsh cold all year round, but during that time, the weather was mild. Thanks to that, the worshipers were able to climb the mountain safely. Everyone here visited after hearing the news at that time.”

“I-I see.”

“Actually, I was a little surprised. I heard that the mountain had become cold again, so I thought that no one would be visiting for a while. So, I wondered if you were the people Nadiel had prophesied about. Of course, the Chief Priest Kaitain is bringing them here himself.”

“Chief Priest?”

I inadvertently asked back at the unexpected familiar name. Then, the priest nodded with a proud face, thinking that I was impressed by his position.

“Priest Kaitain was called by God when he was a baby and raised at the main temple. He is considered the closest being to divinity in our order and is being considered as the next High Priest.”

“Hee…”

“I once saw him from afar, and he was a truly noble person. Eluien himself ordered him to bring these guests.”

I never imagined that Kaitain would be such a big shot. I knew he had considerable divine power, but the feeling of surprise didn’t disappear. It was like having a celebrity right in front of you and not recognizing them.

“Well, here we are.”

The place where the priest stopped after a while was in front of a huge, firmly closed door. On the towering ivory-colored double doors, the figure of an angel blowing a trumpet was intricately carved.

When the door opened, the view of the open interior came into view. The only thing in the wide space was a small altar placed at the very top.

“The inside is empty because the mass time is approaching. You can stay as long as you want, regardless of the time.”

“Okay. Thank you for the guidance.”

“No, it’s my pleasure.”

The priest answered politely and smiled gently. Just then, a murmuring sound was heard nearby. It was a very noisy feeling that didn’t fit the quiet atmosphere of the temple. Puzzled, I turned around and found a group of priests running somewhere. Whatever was going on, they all looked very excited.

“Where are you all going now? Is there something wrong?”

The priest who guided us was also curious, so he shouted loudly at the people who were rushing away. Then, one of the priests hurriedly turned around and answered.

“Ah, Brother Siren. Good news! Chief Priest Kaitain has just arrived!”

“Yes? Is that really true?”