Chapter 9

### The Spirit King Elquines [Revised Edition] - Chapter 9 (9/608)

Chapter 9

“Whaaat? What is this!”

I couldn’t help but scream. The reflection in the mirror was far too different from what I had imagined.

Until now, I hadn’t noticed, but I had quite long hair that reached down to my waist. Even more surprisingly, my hair color was a strikingly vivid blue, like ink.

Let’s put that aside for a moment. Actually, this perfect aqua color was something you couldn’t even dye for money, so I was honestly quite pleased with it. The only thing that bothered me was the unusually long hair, but I could always cut it later, so that wasn’t a big deal. The problem was...

“This is a completely female face!”

That was it. That was the problem. If someone were to describe my face in a cliché way, it would go something like this: porcelain-white skin, a chiseled, slender face, a straight nose, and lips as red as if they were painted with blood. Large, round, aqua eyes.

In short, it was the face of a typically pretty girl.

Out of all the faces, why did I have to be born with this one? What a damn mess!

If I had to be pretty, I would have preferred to be more like Trove. She was equally young but sexy and clearly looked like a guy. But my face was unmistakably female, and not just any female, but a delicate and frail-looking girl. The long hair made it even more obvious. If it weren’t for my flat chest, anyone would mistake me for a girl. Or, with this level of flatness, some people might just think I was a girl with a particularly severe lack of development.

“Hmm? But something feels missing...”

As I critically examined my new body, I frowned, feeling a strange sense of emptiness. It was as if something that should be there was missing. It wasn’t particularly important, but it was definitely bothering me. What was it?

I slowly felt my body, trying to figure out what was causing this strange sensation. And I found the reason quite easily, almost too easily.

“#[email protected]%#$^&!”

A shock like a million volts of electricity coursed through my body.

“It’s gone... It’s gone! It’s gone! Ahh—! This can’t be happening!”

Was this how it felt when a firmly held belief crumbled? Even if I were on an express train from heaven to hell, I doubt I would feel this way.

“Why did I become a girl!”

* * *

“Are you an idiot?”

That evening, after realizing I had become a girl, I spent the night in despair and met the morning with bloodshot eyes. I looked haggard, more from the mental shock than from fatigue. Ifrit gave me a harsh and dismissive evaluation.

“Guh! But!”

“But what? I heard from Minerva, but I never thought you’d still be clinging to your past life’s memories. What a pitiful guy.”

“Pitiful? This isn’t a simple matter! My gender has changed! Try to see it from my perspective! If you suddenly became a man one day, could you handle it with a clear mind?”

“So what? I often dress as a man anyway. If you prefer to look like a man, you can do that too.”

“Idiot! There’s a huge difference between dressing up and actually being a man!”

“What’s the difference? We spirits are genderless anyway!”

“Exactly, that’s different... Wait, what did you just say?”

I stopped in my tracks, trying to process Ifrit’s sarcastic remark. What did she just say? Genderless?

My stunned expression must have looked quite foolish, as Ifrit’s face twisted even more.

“Spirits are fundamentally genderless. There’s no need to distinguish between male and female. The only difference is in the outward appearance, which can be male or female. Have you ever heard of a spirit having a child? Even Minerva and I, who clearly look female, don’t have breasts. You’re the same.”

“Huh! Now that you mention it...”

I instinctively looked at Ifrit’s chest. She (or he?) indeed had the same flat chest as me. Right, it doesn’t make sense for a girl to have such a flat chest.

Even if development is slow, a woman in her late teens to early twenties would have some curves, at least around the waist or shoulders. But Ifrit’s upper body was perfectly boyish.

Ifrit grumbled, looking exasperated at my bewildered state.

“Why do I have to explain all this? As the Spirit King, you should know that spirits are genderless. If the previous Elquines knew you didn’t, he’d probably die of shock. I’m just amazed.”

“So, I... I’m not a girl?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying. How many times do I have to repeat it? Are you a jellyfish? Honestly, are you even the Spirit King? Are you just a bird in human form?”

Her relentless insults were music to my ears at that moment. I finally managed to calm down and slumped into a seat.

So what if I have a pretty face and lack certain important parts? As long as I’m not a girl, it’s fine.

The values formed over 17 years are more significant than I thought. In my view, a woman is the opposite sex of a man, and the opposite sex is the object of romantic affection. So, this means I would be in a romantic relationship with a man... Ahh! I shouldn’t think about it anymore, Kang Ji-hoon! I’m not a girl. I’m just a female form. Strictly speaking, I’m genderless...

“No, I don’t like this either! Why do I have to be classified as a female form?”

I jumped up and shouted, and Ifrit replied with a bewildered expression.

“Who said you were a female form?”

“What? You called me a female form yesterday!”

“That was in comparison to the previous one. Actually, your current appearance could be seen as a male form. You have a neutral look typical of an adolescent whose body hasn’t fully developed.”

“Eh? Really?”

“Yeah, but most people would still mistake you for a girl.”

“See! I knew it!”

So, the conclusion is that I’m closer to a female form!

I tried to shake off the terrifying thoughts that were resurfacing, but then a sharp pain hit my head. Ifrit had punched me.

“Ouch! What are you doing, Ifrit! It hurts!”

“I hit you because it hurts, idiot! What’s the point of worrying about your natural appearance? Are you going to keep making a fuss over such trivial matters?”

“Do you have to hit me so mercilessly? It hurts so much...”

As I grumbled, holding my head, I stopped mid-sentence. I had just realized something I hadn’t thought about before.

“Eh? Why is Ifrit here?”

“What?”

Ifrit’s already fierce eyes narrowed even more. She seemed upset that I had only just noticed her presence.

“No, I just... I thought you were angry with me yesterday...”

“I’m still angry. So what? Can’t I come here?”

“No, that’s not it. Hahaha...”

‘Guh! Could it be that Ifrit is harboring a grudge from yesterday and has come to curse me?’

It was a plausible thought, so I nervously glanced at her. Ifrit looked at me with a disdainful expression.

“What’s that dazed look for? Am I going to eat you? Honestly, I didn’t want to say this, but how can you be so different from the previous Elquines? The previous Elquines was a bit arrogant, but he had a natural dignity. What kind of Spirit King are you...”

“I’m sorry for lacking dignity.”

She thinks she’s full of dignity, but she looks like a delinquent.

However, I couldn’t say this out loud to Ifrit. I didn’t want to be recorded in history as a Spirit King who died a day after being born. Life is precious. Yes, that’s right.

‘Still, why is this Spirit King here? Surely not just to pick a fight.’

My thoughts must have shown on my face. Ifrit looked at me with a serious expression and then confidently stated her purpose.

“I’ve been assigned to be your teacher.”

“...What?”

“Seriously. I just learned today that spirits can be deaf. Didn’t you hear? I said, I’m going to be your teacher!”

“...!”

I barely managed to suppress the gasp that threatened to escape.

What? Ifrit is going to be my teacher? Why? Wasn’t Minerva or Trove supposed to teach me?

I was even more shocked because I had assumed one of them would take the role. Did my first impression upset her? Did she send Ifrit, who clearly dislikes me, on purpose? A million thoughts raced through my mind.

“Stop looking so glum. It’s annoying. Do you think I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart? Minerva and Trove are busy focusing on Aquadon’s recovery. I had no choice but to take you on.”

“...Aren’t you busy too, Ifrit?”

“What, what? Of course I’m busy. Do you think I have time to spare? I’m incredibly, unimaginably busy.”

“Hmm, I see. But why you...?”

“Hmm, I’m very busy, but I’m more capable than the others. Everyone is in a tough situation, so I thought I should help. Don’t worry, I’ll have you fully awakened as the Spirit King within a week.”

“...”

While Ifrit declared this with confidence, I felt my face turn pale.

It seems I’ve really picked the wrong person. A ‘perfect Spirit King’ as taught by Ifrit... Will I even survive a week?

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Eh?”

Then Ifrit glared at me and spoke. I looked at her in confusion, and she shouted in frustration.

“Are you deaf? I asked if you have anything to say to me!”

Anything to say? I have a lot to say. Ifrit, about teaching me, can’t you reconsider? I may seem nice and diligent, but I’m actually quite stupid and a bit rebellious. No matter how much you push me, if I can’t keep up, you’ll just suffer, right? So, please, reconsider...

‘But if I say this, I’ll probably get hit again.’

I awkwardly laughed and shook my head.

“No, not really...”

“Not really? You really have nothing to say?”

“Um? ...Ah! Please take care of me from now on?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what?”

“Do you really not know?”

I really don’t know.

Instead of nodding, I blinked my eyes in confusion. Ifrit, looking exasperated, sighed as if giving up.

“You asked Minerva and Trove to call you ‘Ji-hoon’ yesterday, right? Why didn’t you ask me to do the same?”

“Eh? Ah— That’s what you meant?”

Wow, you were paying attention to that?

I looked at Ifrit with surprise. I thought she wouldn’t care about how I was addressed. I expected her to call me ‘you’ or ‘hey’ or ‘kid’ and be grateful for it. But it seems she was actually hoping for a proper greeting.

Maybe she just has a peculiar way of expressing herself, and she doesn’t really dislike me. I had been trying to avoid her, thinking it was a bad idea. I felt guilty for possibly hurting her with my preconceived notions. I quickly offered my hand in a gesture of reconciliation.

“Sorry. I realize I didn’t properly introduce myself. Please take care of me from now on. I’d like you to call me ‘Ji-hoon’ like Minerva and Trove.”

I still didn’t fully understand Ifrit. I realized this when I heard her next response.

“No, I don’t want to.”

“...”

Hahaha. What? What did I just hear?

I stared at Ifrit, who was grinning, and froze like a statue. Ifrit, finding this amusing, narrowed her eyes in a playful manner.

“You still don’t get it. I clearly said I’m going to make you a perfect Spirit King. ‘Ji-hoon’ is your past life’s name. In this situation, it wouldn’t make sense to keep using that name. I’ll call you Elquines. Be grateful for the profound meaning of this body.”

“...Then, why did you encourage me to introduce myself as Ji-hoon?”

“Because it was fun.”

Isn’t that obvious? Ifrit’s slightly raised eyes seemed to say as much.

I tightly closed my mouth and looked up at the sky in a daze. Whoosh—. Even without the wind, a sense of emptiness swept past my back.

“The training starts tomorrow. Don’t expect any leniency, so be prepared.”

With that, Ifrit transformed into a ball of fire and disappeared, just like yesterday. As she vanished, I could clearly hear her mutter to herself.

“At least you’re entertaining. I won’t be bored for a while.”

“...”

Thus, the war with the queen was officially declared.