Chapter 122
It turned out that, while I had been asleep, Semeion’s whereabouts had also remained unclear. I had assumed he had returned to his main body, but apparently not. My heart sank.
“What about Markatis? Is he also out of contact?”
“Markatis? Do you mean the Green Dragon Markatis?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How do you… Did you have any business with that dragon?”
“….?”
“….?”
It seemed we were fundamentally misaligned on the most basic points. Feeling a bit disoriented by the way the conversation was wandering, I asked cautiously.
“Are you aware that I was with Semeion?”
“What? You were with him?”
“Is that true?”
“….”
Seeing their shocked faces, I turned to Epethes in exasperation. He was the only one here who knew about my recent past.
He met my gaze and shrugged.
“You mean to tell me you didn’t explain anything?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“….”
He was responding like an incompetent rookie agent.
I looked up at the sky briefly before lowering my gaze with a sigh. I never thought I’d experience the impact of poor communication outside of a workplace setting. A sudden headache seemed to form.
“Could you please explain in detail, Prince Sei? You were with my brother; I’d like to understand the circumstances.”
Nodding at Redom’s urgent request, I explained the events of the past. I began with Markatis saving me, my dramatic reunion with Semeion, and the process of traveling together afterward. Naturally, I couldn’t omit the parts about sealing bodies and the soul-transfer ritual. By the time I finished, everyone looked stunned.
“This is…”
“You’ve been through such dangerous situations…”
“At the time, I judged it to be the best course of action. Fortunately, I am unharmed, but I’m not sure about Semeion. I apologize; I made him undertake very risky actions because of me.”
“… No, regardless of the circumstances, that was Semeion’s choice. You have no reason to apologize, Prince Sei.”
Kalph answered with a groan, rubbing his dry face with both hands.
“We will look into his situation. Please, do not concern yourself with this matter any further, Prince Sei.”
After saying this, he gave a pointed look at the Elders’ Council members. Perhaps due to the heavy atmosphere, those who seemed ready to speak suddenly closed their mouths and hesitated.
“You should also take your leave now. We’ll arrange a formal meeting later.”
“But…”
“Do you take my words as a suggestion?”
“… Understood, knight Kalph. We will withdraw for now.”
Redom stepped back with a wry smile, likely wanting to avoid further upsetting Kalph, who seemed in low spirits. Though he seemed worried about his brother, his calm demeanor added a peculiar air.
“We came so hastily that we couldn’t prepare any offerings. Next time, we’ll come properly prepared. We look forward to seeing you again soon, Prince Sei.”
After saying this, Redom fixed his gaze somewhere for a moment. His eyes landed on Epethes. When Epethes met his gaze, Redom’s lips curved into a gentle smile.
“Call on us whenever you need. The Elders’ Council will fully support you, Prince Sei.”
“…”
With the weighty farewell, that day’s situation wrapped up. Though Kalph remained silent on the matter, it became clear that the relationship between the Knights and the Elders’ Council wasn’t exactly harmonious. The meeting left a lingering sense of unease.
* * *
“The Elders’ Council? Yeah, the Knights don’t get along with them.”
The next day, as I sat among people gathered to soak up the sunlight, I learned more about the Elders’ Council. If the Knights were the King’s personal guards, then the Elders’ Council aided in governance. They were selected through recommendations and elections, seemingly the real ruling class. Especially in this era, with the King and Knights frequently absent from the main territory, the Elders’ Council’s influence had grown significantly.
“They can’t get along. The Elders’ Council is made up of ‘Gino’.”
“Gino? What does that mean?”
“Short for ‘privileged old men’.”
“It’s just a term we made up.”
“….”
That one explanation was enough for me to grasp the situation’s atmosphere.
“While they call it an election, the Elders’ Council is only selected from the Five Trees. They see those five as superior. But Knights are chosen purely through combat prowess, which doesn’t suit the Elders’ Council’s tastes.”
“The Five Trees?”
“Lilac, rose, Paulownia, Ylang-ylang, and Magnolia. They descend from the original Knights’ lineages, generally considered strong. They’ve produced the most Knights, too. So, there’s a sense that they are somewhat superior.”
In human society, that would be akin to nobility. Given that this is a lineage-based hierarchy emphasizing innate strength, it made sense that a structure idolizing bloodlines producing strong individuals would arise.
“Of course, not everyone from the Five Trees is like that. Take Semeion, for example—he’s someone truly worth respecting. But the problem lies with the Elders’ Council. Their superiority complex is too strong.”
“They always try to wield their power as they please. The Seoryeong residence is formed of people who escaped hating those Gino types.”
“In fact, the King frequently leaves the Main residence because of the Elders’ Council. They’re always following him around and interfering.”
Their pent-up grievances poured out. It wasn’t surprising; It was a common story seen in any nation. I merely thought that this place, too, was ultimately a gathering of people.
“In that sense, it’s kind of a relief Sei didn’t grow up here. You would’ve been tormented by the Elders’ Council.”
“Really?”
“They would’ve hovered around you since you were an Aesang and tried to shape you to their liking. The Knights wouldn’t have let that happen, but it would’ve been pretty exhausting. Lord Rafiel had a hard time because of them, too.”
“I wouldn’t relax just yet. Didn’t you see Elder Redom’s eyes light up when he saw Sei’s Guardian?”
“Ugh, true.”
It turned out there was more to the story than I knew. The Elders’ Council’s visit wasn’t their first, and during a previous one, they had been utterly amazed by Epethes.
“At first, the elders couldn’t believe the King had a son. But once they saw Lord Epethes, they immediately accepted it.”
“You can see the characteristic tree in Guardians too?”
“No, it’s just that Lord Epethes is that impressive at first glance.”
‘… Is that so?’
As I glanced back, the subject of the conversation waved from his spot nearby. It was hard to deny that he stood out with his appearance and physique. His demeanor might have come off as a bit smug, accustomed as he was to admiration.
“Speaking of which, sei, have you seen Lord Epethes in his true form?”
“No, not yet. He said changing into his true form here would destroy the building.”
“Wow, really? He must be enormous.”
“Seems like it. But why do you all address him so formally?”
Curious, I asked as they seemed comfortable referring to other Guardians casually. They looked startled, as if they hadn’t noticed.
“Uh, it just feels right?”
“It seemed fitting?”
“….”
I wondered if there was some pressure I didn’t know about, but that wasn’t the case. It was just their preference, so I decided to let it go. If they wanted to show respect, there was no reason for me to stop them.
“He’s definitely a dragon, right?”
“But dragons all have blue hair. Could he be a Black Tortoise?”
“Still, aren’t most of Acacia’s Guardians, dragons? And Black Tortoises don’t have teleportation abilities, do they?”
“But that was a spell. Would anyone really have that?”
They continued speculating about his identity, using terms unfamiliar to me, likely referring to creatures of Dongryeong. The only part I caught was about his abilities.
“Does Epethes use magic?”
Thinking back, when he congratulated me on my Awakening, he created a sudden display of light. I thought it was a trick, but if it was magic, it made more sense. My casual question seemed to hit a nerve. Everyone turned to me with sparkling eyes.
“Sei, you don’t know either, right? Could you ask him for us?”
“… Ask what exactly? About Epethes’s abilities?”
“We’re dying to know his exact abilities, but we’ve been too nervous to ask.”
Why not just ask him directly?
Puzzled, I tilted my head, and they explained that he was intimidating to approach. Apart from the Knights, most people didn’t get close to him. Considering how welcoming they were to me, their unusually reserved attitude towards him was surprising.
—Yes, it’s magic.
The answer came before I even asked. For some reason, he found this situation very amusing, which I soon understood.
“He says it’s indeed magic.”
“Whoa…”
The atmosphere changed instantly at my unthinking relaying of his message. Everyone froze in place, seemingly holding their breath.