Chapter 4 - Elbat (1)
With blue hair and blue eyes, the man, who bore a striking resemblance to Elia, opened his mouth with a fresh smile.
"Sister, how has Lael been doing lately?"
At Elbat's question, Elia also answered with a smile.
"He's better than before."
"Really?! How has he gotten better? Don't tell me, his mana…"
"No, it's not that."
"Ah… sorry."
Elbat calmed his excitement for a moment and then continued.
"Still, that's a relief. I was so worried because he was always so gloomy every time I came."
"He even smiles often now."
"Really? Wow… he must have gotten a lot better."
"Yes. It's a relief… but…"
Just as she was about to continue.
Click—
The door to the parlor opened.
Lian had entered.
"Brother-in-law! It's been a while!"
Elbat greeted him cheerfully.
Lian received his greeting with a slightly awkward smile.
"Ah, it's good you could make it. Have you been well?"
"Of course. In fact, things are going so well I'm starting to worry. Oh, by the way, I heard Lael is doing better?"
"Mm, he's better."
At the rather lukewarm nod, Elbat looked back and forth between the two of them, puzzled.
"Is something wrong?"
"Huh? No, no! Anyway, I heard you got a promotion?"
As Elia urgently changed the subject, Elbat let it go as if he had no choice.
It wasn't like he enjoyed such a downcast atmosphere either.
"Has the news already reached this far?"
"It's your news, of course we should know."
"So what exactly were you promoted to?"
"Well, actually…"
At Lian's question, Elbat fumbled around in the empty air.
He was trying to take something out from within his specialty magic, 'Subspace'.
"Wow!"
"…Don't tell me that's."
Soon after, the two of them stared wide-eyed at the glittering badge Elbat pulled out.
A splendid golden pattern, a massive magic stone embedded in the center, and a high concentration of mana shimmering around it.
Perhaps not just the two of them, but everyone in the world would know its identity.
It was the artifact given only to the Emperor's direct magic unit, the Seven Demons: the Seven Demons' Crest.
"I am now one of the Seven Demons."
Elbat shrugged his shoulders as if proud.
However, his expression looked somewhat bitter.
And it was the same for Elia and Lian.
"I suppose it will be difficult to see you often from now on."
At Lian's mumble, Elbat nodded.
The Seven Demons referred to the seven elite mages who swore absolute obedience to the Emperor's command.
The power they held was on par with the Emperor, and their words and actions often represented the Emperor himself.
And because of that, it was no exaggeration to say that the lives of the Seven Demons belonged to the Emperor.
In a word, they had no freedom.
"…I'm happy that you're doing well, but it's a little sad that we won't be able to see you often."
Elia gave a bitter smile.
"It can't be helped. I'll try my best to come as often as I can."
"N-no, it's okay. As one of the Seven Demons, you'll be much busier than now, so you don't have to push yourself too hard."
"That's right. The position of one of the Seven Demons is by no means a light one, so just showing your face once when you have real spare time is more than enough."
"Thank you, both sister and brother-in-law."
Elbat said so and put the Seven Demons' Crest back into his Subspace.
In truth, seeing the Seven Demons' Crest with one's own eyes was as difficult as seeing the Emperor himself.
At this, Lian showed a hint of disappointment.
"Ahem… still, it would be nice if we could at least say hello once every 10 years."
"Haha, what do you mean 10 years. I'll visit at least once every 5 years, at the latest."
Although he said that, all three of them knew.
The fact that this might be their last meeting.
"By the way, have you eaten? It will be dinner time soon."
"Ahaha! Brother-in-law, really, what kind of question is that? Of course I haven't!"
"Heh, you're still the same as ever."
"Have you forgotten that the whole reason I make time to come all the way here is for my sister's cooking?"
"Right, right. It's been a while, so I forgot for a moment."
Elia chuckled at their conversation and turned her gaze to the window.
The sun was already beginning to set.
She had already finished most of the dinner preparations, so all that was left was the final touches in the kitchen.
"I'll get going first. You two come to the dining room in about 10 minutes."
"Sounds good."
"Oh, and don't forget to bring Lael."
Her gaze was directed at Elbat.
When he nodded, Elia left the parlor, satisfied.
And a short while later.
"…May I go see Lael first?"
Elbat asked carefully.
Lian gestured toward the door and nodded readily.
"Of course. And while you're at it, it would be good if you could check on his condition."
"Haha, I was planning to do just that."
"Thank you."
"What's there to thank me for between us."
After exchanging simple greetings, Elbat immediately made his way to Lael's room.
***
In truth, there wasn't much to my preparations.
It wasn't like some grand party was being held; it was just my uncle stopping by for a moment to see my mother.
I changed my clothes and spent the remaining time reading a book.
"It should be about time for him to arrive…"
Just as dinnertime was approaching.
Thud— Thud—
"As expected."
Right on cue, I heard footsteps from down the hall.
They were quite overtly loud footsteps.
It was probably because he was deliberately making them loud so I could hear.
Perhaps he was even amplifying the sound with magic.
There was only one person who would do something like this.
Elbat Siruan.
The man who is my uncle.
"His consideration isn't just overflowing, it's pouring out."
The reason he let me hear his footsteps like this was simple.
To let me know in advance that he was coming so that I wouldn't be put in an awkward situation.
This was certain, as Elbat had told me this himself in the past.
Something about it being a courtesy between men.
"Pfft. What does he take me for, really."
Knock knock—
Just then, the approaching footsteps stopped in front of the door, followed by a knock.
"Come in, Uncle."
No sooner had I spoken than the door burst open.
"Laeeeel!!"
A man with blue hair rushed in fiercely with a shout that was close to a roar.
He was so fast that my body couldn't even dodge before I was seized by his hands.
"I missed youuu!"
"Keuk… w-wait a minute."
My body was lifted into the air and I was rapidly spun around with Elbat.
No, I was being spun.
"S-stop… ugh."
For a moment, a wave of nausea rose to my throat and my mind went dizzy, but thankfully, Elbat noticed my condition and stopped spinning.
"A-are you okay?"
"Hoo… haah… yes, I'm fine."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I got too excited and put too much strength into it."
In that case, could you please put me down now?"
"Right, right."
As I set foot on the floor again, the motion sickness began to subside a little.
In truth, he hadn't particularly failed to control his strength.
The nausea had risen simply because I had overdone my workout yesterday and my body hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Phew… isn't that a bit of a rough welcome?"
I lightly caught my breath and turned my head to my uncle.
Honestly, for the current me, it was as if I was seeing him for the first time, but seeing his face in person like this made the faint memories begin to surface even more clearly.
What should I say… it feels like reuniting with a friend after being separated for a long time.
That's how precious my uncle's existence was to me, to Lael.
"Hahaha! What's the big deal! Anyway, you…"
Suddenly, Elbat's expression hardened as he looked over my body.
I was nervous that he might have found out I was different from the past Lael, but…
"How did your body get so good?!"
Thankfully, that wasn't it.
I let out a relieved laugh and showed off my slightly developed muscles.
"I've been exercising lately. How is it? Completely different from before, right?"
"Wow… just by looking at your body, I wouldn't have recognized you. My sister and brother-in-law said you were doing better lately, and I was half in doubt, but this is…"
"Ahem!"
"The stray dog has become a wolf?!"
"Hey, calling your nephew a stray dog…"
"Well, you were a stray dog. A feeble stray dog at that."
"..."
As I hardened my expression and glared at him, my uncle laughed awkwardly and corrected himself.
"Hahaha! Well, whose bloodline does our nephew have, 'stray dog' was too harsh. Right! I'll correct it from a stray dog to a feeble wolf!"
"Well… I don't have much to say about that."
In truth, just as he said, a month ago I was at a level where I had practically no muscle on my body.
If I took off my clothes and looked in the mirror, my bones would show, so his statement that I was a feeble stray dog wasn't wrong.
"Right? Hehehe! Anyway, this uncle is just happy to hear you're smiling more often!"
"…What did my parents say about me?"
From what he was saying, it was all good things, like I was doing better or smiling often.
But my mother's expression from earlier wasn't like that, was it?
Now that a considerable amount of Lael's memories had flowed into me, Elia was now like a real mother to me.
So, I couldn't help but worry about her condition.
"You ask an obvious question. What parent wouldn't be happy that their son is smiling more often?"
"That's what you would say, I'm sure. But your expression wasn't like that, was it?"
"Hmm…"
Since he didn't answer right away, it seemed he, like me, had sensed something.
No, with a face that full of worry, it would be strange not to notice.
"They're worried because I've suddenly changed, right?"
"Ah~ This is why I don't like sharp-witted kids."
"You don't like me?"
"Ah, no, this is just a popular saying these days, it doesn't mean I actually dislike you…"
"I'm kidding."
"Keung…"
I managed to swallow my laughter and continued to ask him.
"Were they very worried?"
"They didn't seem that bad. You don't have to worry too much either."
"…Is that so? That's a relief."
"It's just a bit of excessive worry because they cherish you so much. They'll be fine after some time passes. And in the end, the fact that you've regained your will to live is a good thing."
I nodded slightly instead of answering.
I felt like I understood why the past me had been particularly fond of my uncle.
A person who would always be on my side, no matter what I was like.
That's what my uncle was to me.
Knock knock—
Just then, someone knocked on the door and said.
"Young master, it is time for dinner."
At the attendant's words, my uncle and I checked the time simultaneously.
It was already 5 minutes past our usual dinner time.
"Ugh! When did it get so late! Let's go quickly, Lael. If we're any later, your mother might use me as dough."
Elbat, whatever he was imagining, headed for the door in a hurry with a look of terror in his eyes.
And I called out to him softly.
"Uncle."
"Hm?"
He stopped his steps and turned around.
Of course, I knew the possibility was slim, but if not now, I didn't know when I would ever meet someone from the imperial palace.
I carefully threw out a question.
"By any chance… have you heard the name Ragna?"
"…Ragna?"
"Yes."
"..."
A moment of silence followed.
Soon, with a face that had grown cold, as if looking at something other than me, Elbat answered.
"My boy, let's talk about that again later. …Along with a story of distant past."
"…What did you just say—"
"Lael."
In that moment, my uncle's face as he called me again was as gentle as before.
He opened the door wide with a warm smile and said.
"Let's go eat. I'm hungry."
I had no choice but to nod and headed to the dining room with him.