Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 99

99.

“E, El… I… can’t breathe…”

“What? You can’t breathe?”

As I supported him, Isana leaned on me, his face contorted in pain. His whole body was convulsing violently. Then, from behind, I heard Ellyuen click his tongue.

“The human body can’t withstand my energy. I restrained myself as much as possible, but it still affects him.”

“Huh? Wh, what should we do then?”

“Wait and see.”

After replying briefly, Ellyuen nodded slightly. Then, the surrounding air seemed to lighten, and I felt Isana’s breath return in an instant.

“Hah! Huff, huff!”

“Isana! Are you okay?”

At my question, he nodded, gasping for breath. As if to prove it, his pale complexion gradually regained its color. I could feel his trembling body gradually calming down. Ellyuen continued, seeing me relieved.

“It’s only a temporary measure; this state won’t last long. We should hurry with our business.”

“Hmm, then we’ll have to part soon.”

“I don’t have much time either.”

“…What, are you still that busy these days?”

It was the first time I had seen him in months. It was an unavoidable situation, but unlike me, who was sad to say goodbye so quickly, he didn’t seem to care, which made me feel a little down. I must have shown it. He looked at me with a surprised expression for a moment, then smiled faintly and shook his head.

“It’s true that I’m busy, but that’s not the only reason. Gods can’t stay on Earth for long. Just like the Spirit Kings are limited in their abilities on Earth, gods are limited by time. The only place where I can freely descend without permission is the temple.”

“Gasp, is, is that so?”

“Unrefined divine energy is fatal to the weak human body. If you were to receive this energy head-on in another place, most humans would die on the spot. That’s why I called you here.”

“Hee, I see.”

I never imagined there was such a profound reason.

Only then did I understand the whole situation and nod. I wondered why he had me come all the way here, but it seems he had planned to come down and meet me directly from the start. That fact made me feel happy for some reason. In the meantime, Lapis, who had roughly pulled himself together, stood up and approached, huffing and puffing.

“What are you whispering about so amicably! Aren’t you worried about your contractor being hurt?”

“He looks fine to me.”

“Are you kidding me? If you keep acting like this, you’ll regret it!”

This guy must have swallowed a steam whistle. I frowned at the loud voice ringing in my ears. I couldn’t believe he was the one who had spat up blood just now; he seemed more energetic than ever. Then Ellyuen glared at Lapis with a cold expression.

“You shouldn’t treat El carelessly either. Next time, it won’t end with just a warning.”

“Ha! I’m not going to take it easy this time either! I was caught off guard just now! And what does it matter to you how I treat El? Are you trying to act like a guardian?”

“What if I am?”

“I don’t like that answer very much. Isn’t it a bit too much interference for just a friendly relationship? Even if you’re a god, you shouldn’t covet other people’s things.”

“…Other people’s things?”

“Yes, other people’s things. I don’t think you understand the situation very well, but as of yesterday, this guy belongs to me.”

‘Who decided that!’

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even speak properly. I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even argue, and just opened and closed my mouth. Ellyuen was looking at him with an indifferent face that I couldn’t read.

“You own El, is that what you’re saying now?”

“Yes.”

“Did El agree to that too?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Ellyuen’s brow furrowed at the brazen reply. I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but his eyes seemed even more fierce.

As his gaze turned to me, I shook my head desperately from side to side. I knew that reckless mouth would cause trouble someday, but I never imagined that such a thing would happen in front of Ellyuen. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl into a rat hole.

“It doesn’t seem like El thinks so.”

“Hmph, I don’t care about that guy’s opinion. Once we’ve made a contract, the story’s over.”

“…Your foolish remarks make me feel very bad. Come to think of it, there was a guy like you before. A stubborn, self-righteous fool who thinks he’s the center of the world, a blockhead lizard.”

“That’s good. I was thinking the same thing.”

“So you agree that you’re a blockhead?”

“…Yeah, that annoying tone. It reminds me of someone who annoyed me a long time ago, and I don’t like it very much.”

I wondered what kind of expression they would make if they knew they were talking about each other. I watched the two men’s confrontation with nervous eyes. At that moment, Lapis’s eyes, which had been staring straight at Ellyuen, widened. Seeing his face rapidly hardening, I instinctively sensed the situation. He had finally recognized his face.

“…What. You, now that I see your face…”

“What is it?”

“Why do you have the same face as Elquines?”

At the astonished shout, Ellyuen frowned again. He looked like he was being told nonsense.

“Are your eyes just for decoration? Where on me looks like El?”

“Damn it! Not that Elquines! I’m talking about the *previous* Elquines!”

“…”

“That’s right! I’m sure! That arrogant expression! That unpleasantly pretty face! Except for the hair and eye color, everything is the same! What, why did I only realize this now? You’re not the previous Elquines, are you? Haha, no way! That’s not it, is it?”

“…Yes, I see now. So you were that guy.”

And Ellyuen seemed to have realized his identity as well. A blatant sneer was on his lips, tilted to one side.

“When I heard the story from El, I just thought something like that had happened. Now that I see your face, I know for sure. Yes, that was definitely the face.”

“Wh, what?”

“I had completely forgotten, but thanks to you, I remembered, lizard. Your foolish and pathetic behavior is still the same.”

“…”

He didn’t directly reveal his identity, but it was the same as saying it. Lapis, who had been frozen for a moment, turned his head to me with a whoosh. His eyes, staring intently, were demanding an explanation for the current situation. I smiled bitterly and shrugged my shoulders.

“That’s why I told you that you’d know if you met him.”

“…Is that all you have to say? Damn it, what kind of situation is this…”

Lapis rubbed his head with a confused expression. The fact that the Spirit King was reincarnated as a god was something that even the Spirit Realm didn’t know until recently. It was no wonder he was surprised. But compared to that, Ellyuen didn’t seem to care at all. I even doubted whether he really remembered him.

I looked at Lapis with a nervous feeling. I had no idea how he would react. Even though it was just a simple reason to contract with the Water Spirit King, he had been watching him for countless years. Now that the severed ties were reconnected, I was curious to see how he would react. It was like waiting for a drama without a trailer.

‘It’s like a *makjang* drama [Korean melodramatic television drama] in that it’s between men…’

However, what came out of Lapis’s mouth a moment later was a completely unexpected word, quite different from my expectations(?).

“Wait, I don’t think we can just let this go. Explain properly why the previous generation is involved in your affairs.”

“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Whether he was born as a god or whatever, that guy’s term as Elquines is over. I’m saying, why is he still influencing you now? You’re not doing the Spirit Realm’s work according to that guy’s orders, are you?”

“What? N, no. I sometimes ask for advice, but otherwise, Ellyuen basically doesn’t interfere with the Spirit Realm’s affairs.”

“Hmph, that’s how it is now, but how do I know what he’s really thinking? You need to be careful. If you’re so clueless, you might end up handing over the Spirit Realm to that guy.”

Eh? Th, this isn’t it?

I couldn’t hide my embarrassment at the advice, which was more cynical than indifferent. I thought I would be able to see a somewhat welcoming scene, if not romance. But isn’t this more like meeting an enemy? Naturally, Ellyuen’s expression became even colder.

“Do you know what you’re saying, lizard?”

“Of course I know very well. I’m talking about how the gods are always looking for an opportunity to take over this world. But they’re not able to do as they please because they’re watching the Spirit Kings, so they’re quite dissatisfied, or so I’ve heard?”

“It seems you’ve picked up some useless stories.”

“I can’t say for sure that it’s not true, can I? It must be quite unfortunate from your point of view. You used to be a Spirit King, but now the tables have turned and you’re just guarding this shabby temple. So you’re thinking of buttering up a Spirit King and doing whatever you want with him, right?”

‘Oh my god.’

To tell Ellyuen, of all gods, that the tables have turned. Did he forget everything I told him about him being a high-ranking god?

I looked at Lapis with a bewildered heart. He didn’t seem to realize what he was misunderstanding, and had a triumphant expression. Next to him, Isana was making a shocked expression, as if to say, ‘Is that really true?’ which made my head hurt even more.

Of course, Lapis’s words weren’t completely wrong. As Trowell once complained, Akkadon was a land that many gods wanted to be involved in and coveted. But that was only limited to the middle and lower-ranking gods; the situation was completely different for the high-ranking gods.

The reason why high-ranking gods are high-ranking gods is because their very existence is different from others. They are each given a primary dimension to govern, and they reign as the only god in that world.

Just as the God Realm is just their main residence and cannot be their governing territory, the Spirit Realm is also just a hometown they passed through and not an object of desire. In fact, they already have a huge amount of work pouring in just from the dimensions they are in charge of, so they wouldn’t want to take over other dimensions.

Especially for Ellyuen, who is still suffering from a huge amount of work, it was a misunderstanding that was absurd enough. However, unlike the expectation that he would punish him immediately, he just snorted lightly.

“It’s too childish to even deal with.”

“What?”

“El, I’ll say it again, don’t keep guys like that around. I’m afraid you’ll get infected; he seems so stupid.”

“Ahaha…”

There’s no way he’s suddenly become generous, so why isn’t he angry? I feel like a fist should be flying by now, but seeing him strangely calm makes me even more uneasy. But it seems that I was the only one who felt this way, as Lapis didn’t seem to care at all. He was even diligently provoking Ellyuen.

“If you’re pricked, just honestly say so, right? It just looks pathetic to pretend you’re not. Besides, what are you doing, telling me to keep him around or not, as if it’s obvious?”

“Why, are you dissatisfied with that?”

“Isn’t that obvious? What qualifications do you have to say that to El?”

“I have plenty of qualifications. Isn’t it natural for a father to advise his son not to go down the wrong path?”

“Wh, what? Father? Who’s whose?”

Even I was embarrassed by the father declaration that was made without warning. I never thought he would reveal it so publicly in front of others.

Naturally, Lapis was more than surprised; he was almost in shock. Isana, who had only been listening, was the same. But Ellyuen, on the other hand, had a face that said he couldn’t understand their reaction.

“Of course I’m El’s father.”

“What?”

“Are your ears blocked? I said El is my son.”

“What kind of ridiculous… is a blood relationship possible between a god and a spirit?”

To the bewildered him, Ellyuen replied again in a calm tone.

“Of course, it’s not a direct blood relationship. But it’s a bond that’s thicker than blood because I decided so.”

“Ha! What, so you’re saying he’s adopted?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Of course! What kind of father and son is that?”

Lapis twisted his lips and sneered as if he couldn’t listen anymore.

“I know what you’re up to. I heard that that guy was human in his previous life, so you were thinking of imitating humans to win his favor. You were going to make him fall for you and then control him as you please. But you have to do everything in moderation. This is too absurd. Does it even make sense for a god to adopt a spirit? Do you think such a relationship can be recognized?”

“I don’t care about other people’s recognition.”

“It’s not that you don’t care, it’s that you can’t. Whatever your argument, that’s the reality.”

“Reality…”

“What, you’re not going to say you were serious, are you? Even if you were, it’s no use. Nothing will change.”

“…”

“Because it’s all ‘fake’.”