Lurr
Belkiel poured hot water into a teacup and handed it to Eton. He then sipped his own share. Eton hadn’t said anything for a while. He didn’t even drink his tea.
‘Well, you must have time to think on your own.’
Belkiel, who put down his teacup, turned to Eton. The first thing he saw was the hair color that had faded to an ultramarine blue. Belkiel’s expression showed disdain towards it. Suddenly, he remembered that day.
‘You might regret it someday.’
It was his last conversation with Eton before leaving with half of the sealing stone.
‘Don’t trust humans, Eton. They’re all not as nice as you think.’
And Eton had replied, ‘No matter what happens… I will never regret my choice. Because I believe in Syarhwina.’
That’s stupid.
Belkiel had said that only in his mind.
“…Belkiel.”
Eton, sitting like a frozen statue, opened his mouth.
“I want to ask you something.”
“What.”
“That kid… If he successfully absorbs all my power, what will happen to me?”
“You will disappear,” Belkiel answered with a face that seemed to say the answer couldn’t be more obvious.
“Then what about that kid?”
“I don’t know. But don’t you think he will explode? The current absorbed power is small. So even if he has survived well now, it would be a different story if he got all of your power.”
“Are you talking about him dying?”
“Maybe.”
“… Ha.”
Eton chuckled.
“There is… a legend. In the royal family.”
“I know. Did it say that a monster with black hair and red eyes would ruin everything? It must have been the Emperor’s words.”
“What do you think?”
“What?”
“That kid. My des… cendant. Do you think he will do something like that?”
“It’s not an impossible thing. Anyway, that kid resembles you the most, and he has your powers. And maybe…”
Belkiel paused for a moment.
“If he has your memories along with that strength, he will definitely do it, won’t he?”
Eton was utterly silent at that question. What immediately came to his mind was the smell of blood. The terrible bloody smell. Thinking about it, he is still capable of killing someone even with his remaining power.
Many people had died because of him. The Emperor’s entourage, the priests who worshiped at the temple, the nobles…
Countless lives were lost to Eton’s hands until Syarhwina sealed him with her own hands.
Eton recalled the last words he had said just before being sealed.
‘Someday.’
‘Someday, I will come back…’
‘Everything… ‘
“However, if you don’t go back to Denhelder, we can delay that time.”
“…”
“It’s all over now. It is too late to turn around. So don’t think about doing anything stupid.”
Stupid?
Eton stared blankly at his reflection in the teacup. Raytan’s face, which looked remarkably like his and Syarhwina’s, flashed through his mind.
“I will also try to find a way-…”
Belkiel’s words ended there. It was because Eton suddenly got up from his seat.
“Eton?”
“I will go back now.”
“Did you listen to anything I’ve said so far?” Belkiel looked quite enraged, “I’ve told you! You will get nothing good there!”
“…”
“And what are you going to do after you go back? No, what can you do? Now, you-!”
“…. I want to check.”
“What?”
“I wonder how he’s doing now,” Eton’s voice cracked weakly. “Just… That’s it.”
“Eton!”
“Thank you, Belkiel. The tea is still terribly tasteless, though.”
‘He really said that when he hadn’t even taken any sip yet.’ Belkiel glared at Eton, but his counterpart only gave him a faint smile.
After finishing his speech, Eton really walked towards the door. Belkiel stared at him and also stood up. Following that, he grabbed the sleeve of Eton’s robe.
“You told me back then. You will never regret your choice.”
“… That’s correct.”
“Then what about now?”
“…”
“Do you still have no regrets?”
Eton was silent for a moment. He bit his lip and replied with an indescribable face that you couldn’t tell whether he was about to laugh or cry.
“I don’t know.”
“Eton.”
“I don’t know but… I just want to check.”
It was also a feeling he wasn’t sure about. However, he wanted to know. How is he doing, the child who resembles Syarhwina and him. What will the ending of that child look like?
“And… There’s also a child who comes to my mind,” Eton added.
“Right now, I guess I was doing something useless again on a subject that has no power.”
“Were you?”
“You really need to change that habit.”
A long time has passed but Eton was still the same. He intervened in the lives of insignificant humans and even laid his heart bare for them. He was still like that even after all the things that already happened in the past.
Belkiel let out a heavy sigh then withdrew his hand from Eton’s robe.
“Wait here.”
“Why? Do you want to see me off?”
“Such nonsense.”
With his tongue held back, Belkiel took the teacups off the table. He also carefully closed the windows and roughly tidied up any visible odds and ends.
It wasn’t going to be a short journey, so he felt they had to go in a group of two.