Chapter 7

The Elemental King Elquines [Revised Edition] - Chapter 7 (7/608)

Chapter 7

"Hehe, just leave it, Elquines. I'm just so happy to see you."

"Huh?"

Just as Minerva's words followed, I managed to gather my confused thoughts and lifted my head. He was looking at me with a contented expression.

"During this time, Trowel suffered the most because there was no water. The earth has the most direct impact on humans. Every year, he had to take care of the dying plants and animals and deal with the frequent wildfires. You were probably the most needed among us."

"Oh, r-really?"

"Hmph, I'm sorry. I was the cause of the wildfires."

At that moment, a sarcastic voice chimed in. It was Ifrit, who had been speaking to me in a provocative tone for a while. Minerva, seeing his angry face, said awkwardly,

"I didn't say anything to you, Ifrit. There's no need to take it so personally."

"But fire is under my jurisdiction."

"If you look at it that way, wildfires happen because the air is dry. Half of the responsibility lies with me."

"The air became dry because there was no water."

The last statement was not just my imagination; the thorn in the last word was palpable. I forced a smile at Ifrit, who was glaring at me. The lifespan of an Elemental King exceeds ten thousand years. I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with my colleagues, whom I would have to see for such a long time. However, Ifrit's eyes grew even more fierce, as if my forced smile was making him even more uncomfortable.

"Stop that fake smile. It makes you look stupid. Well, you are stupid, aren't you? How clueless must you be to not even be born properly and wander around in the wrong place before finally returning?"

"Choked..."

He hit the exact spot that was already hurting. I was so flustered that I couldn't say a word and could only tightly close my mouth. At that moment, Trowel, who had been rubbing his cheek against my hand, raised his head with a frown.

"Ifrit, what are you saying?"

"What? I'm not lying. Do you know how much stress I've been under while you were gone? You two at least have a good affinity with water. But for me, it's the opposite. When your energy decreases, mine increases. I couldn't do anything about the annual wildfires in the human world and had to try to control my power. It's all because of you!"

"Stop blaming others like that. The Underworld said this isn't Elquines' fault. The one responsible for the soul allocation made a mistake. Elquines is also a victim like us."

"Hmph, yeah—got it. Anyway, you two are just happy to see him, right?"

"Ifrit."

"Fine. You're all the same. I don't feel good staying in this realm, so I'm leaving. Have fun with your happy reunion."

Ifrit, with a clearly upset face, muttered nastily. Then, he glared at me one last time and disappeared in a burst of flames. It was a magical sight, but I could only stare blankly at the space where he had been, too stunned to react.

Why is he so angry? Did I do something wrong? No, even if I did, how could he just lash out like that on our first meeting and then disappear? Are you a child?

It seems I wasn't the only one feeling bewildered. Trowel and Minerva also couldn't hide their awkward expressions.

"Oh, oh. He's really upset. He's still a child."

"Ifrit is naturally very emotional. I'm sorry, Elquines. We'll apologize for him."

"Huh? No, no, there's no need to apologize to this extent... I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

I quickly waved my hands. The two Elemental Kings' eyes widened, and then they softened into gentle smiles.

"This Elquines is quite broad-minded."

"Indeed. It's surprising. I thought all Water Elemental Kings had the same personality as the previous one. Maybe this is a chance to end the long-standing feud between Elquines and Ifrit."

"Feud?"

"Yes, water and fire are inherently opposing elements, so they have never gotten along well. Especially during the last Elquines' reign, it was the worst. The effects of that will probably linger for a while. Ifrit might often provoke you, but I hope you can understand."

Despite Minerva's calm explanation, I was once again taken aback. If it's due to opposing elements, then no matter what I do, it won't make a difference, will it?

"Does that mean I have to fight with that queen every time we meet...?"

"What?"

"Ah, nothing. Ahaha! But, um, about that Elquines title... Can you just call me Jihoon?"

"Jihoon?"

"What's that?"

I hesitated a bit before answering, seeing the puzzled expressions of the two Elemental Kings.

"Well... actually, it's the name I used when I was human. My surname is 'Kang' and my given name is 'Jihoon.' It's natural to get used to a new name after being reborn, but this one feels more comfortable for now. If you don't want to call me that, it's fine."

However, their reaction was different from what I expected. They focused on a completely different part of my words.

"When you say 'when you were human,' do you mean you were born as a human? Not just stuck in a dimensional rift?"

"Eh? Dimensional rift? No, I was just a normal human..."

"Wow, really? That's amazing. This isn't just a game. An Elemental King being born as a human. It's a historic event that will be recorded in the annals of Elemental Kings. What do you think, Minerva?"

"...It's not common."

While Trowel couldn't hide his surprise, Minerva remained relatively calm, though her eyes were full of curiosity.

"Your name isn't from this realm, so you were probably born in a completely different dimension?"

"Ah, yes. It's called 'Earth'... I'm not sure how far it is from here."

"Hmm. I see. But how did you retain your memories from that time? Did you not go through the process of forgetting in the Underworld?"

"Process of forgetting?"

"Yes, when you are reborn, it's customary to erase all memories from your previous life. Did you drink some special water or something?"

Water. Could he be talking about that awful liquid?

At Minerva's question, I recalled the bitter taste I had buried deep in my memory. Trowel nodded, as if understanding my situation, seeing me frown.

"You must have drunk it. I heard the water of forgetting is impossible to drink with a clear mind."

"But your memories weren't erased?"

"Shouldn't that be obvious? Elquines is the Water Elemental King. The water of forgetting is a type of water, so it wouldn't affect Elquines, who controls water. But it's strange. Normally, if it didn't work the first time, they would have tried another method. Why did they let you be born as you are?"

"..."

I don't need to tell them that I opened the Gate of Life and jumped in on my own. Yes, that's what I'll do.

Now that I think about it, Arehis must have asked me strange questions to confirm if I had my memories. Running away without a plan was a mistake. I resolved to keep this incident buried in my heart forever. After all, if I keep my mouth shut, no one will know about such a minor indiscretion.

"Anyway, you want us to call you 'Jihoon,' right? Got it. I'll do that."

"Really? Is that okay?"

"It's not a big deal. I'd like to hear about your human life, but given the situation, let's save that for another time. You'll be very busy for a while, so be prepared."

I was lost in thought for a moment but snapped back to reality at Trowel's next words.

"Wait, busy?"

"Yes, now that you're born, we need to reorganize the natural rules that have been patched up until now. That's our job."

R-Really? When I heard from Arehis, it seemed like everything would be fine just by me returning. I never really thought about what I would have to do or my responsibilities. In other words, I had no idea what to do.

The two Elemental Kings looked at me with hopeful eyes. They seemed to be waiting for me to start something without any specific explanation. Not knowing what they expected, I could only blink.

"Instead of just standing there, why don't you start now?"

Finally, Minerva, looking tired of waiting, spoke up. It was a victory after a long silence and a staring contest. However, I still didn't understand what she meant.

"Start what?"

"Restore nature."

"So... how do I do that?"

"Is this some kind of joke?"

At that moment, I flinched at Minerva's suddenly cold expression. She already looked somewhat cold, and with her anger, she was truly terrifying.

But, I really don't know...

At that moment, Trowel, as if reading my mind, added advice.

"Create elementals."

"Elementals?"

"Yes, elementals. Lower-level Naiads will naturally be born by sensing your presence, but you need to create mid-level and high-level elementals yourself. What's that look for? You really didn't know?"

I really didn't know...

My expression must have been quite stupid, as Trowel and Minerva's faces stiffened. They finally realized I wasn't joking and truly didn't know.

But I couldn't understand their reaction. I just got born. It's natural not to know anything without being taught, right?

"It's not natural."

"Huh?"

I was startled by the voice and looked up. Trowel was staring at me with an awkward smile.

"Trowel, what did you just say..."

"Jihoon, did you just think it was natural not to know anything?"

"Uh, y-yes."

"That's not true. Elemental Kings are supposed to read the flow of nature from the moment they are born and naturally understand how to deal with it. You should be able to create and distribute elementals on your own, even without us telling you."

R-Really? How did you know what I was thinking?

I wanted to ask, but all I could do was swallow hard. It felt like I was being dissected from head to toe.

At that moment, Minerva, who had been deep in thought, slowly lifted her head.

"Jihoon, I have one more question. If I ask you to create an elemental right now, can you do it?"

"Uh, right now...? Well, if you teach me, I can try..."

"Hmm... I see."

Minerva nodded, but her expression was even darker than before.

"Minerva, do you have an idea?"

"Probably. From what I can tell, Jihoon's current state is a side effect of being born as a human."

"Side effect?"

Minerva nodded at Trowel's puzzled expression. But the most confused person was me. Side effect! Arehis never mentioned such a thing. It's frustrating to have all the years I spent as a human be in vain, and now to have this absurd condition on top of it? It's unbelievable!

"Because of the memories from your human life, you can't break the habits from that time. You set limits for yourself, thinking, 'I'm human, so this is impossible.' In other words, you're limiting your own abilities."

"Ugh, this is a headache."

"This is a serious problem. Why didn't the Underworld thoroughly go through the process of forgetting? They must have known this would happen."

'Ugh...'

Seeing Minerva sigh, I tensed up.

This problem arose because I was born with human memories. So, it's ultimately... because I ran away on my own?

'You idiot, fool! I knew you would cause trouble someday! Ah, what do I do now?'

I have a feeling that if this fact is revealed, I won't just get a few hits. Will I even survive?

I don't know why I looked at Trowel at that moment. But as soon as our eyes met, I regretted it. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"...So, Minerva. Why did the Underworld do this?"

Seeing his golden eyes curve softly, I desperately tried to avoid his gaze.

It was a moment that foretold a difficult future.