Chapter 360: Trash Elune (1)
Of course, I was not saying that everything I had said was right. In fact, this was just my own, personal opinion. This was because each person had a distinctly different case.
There were certainly people who accepted their own negative behavior, and those who sincerely repented.
‘It’s a problem because I’ve never seen one, but…’
A person like that definitely existed somewhere on the continent or Earth.
I believed in the Evil Nature Principle in the first place, and I felt that the former was more persuasive than the latter.
Of course, even if she were the latter type, I would continue to believe that she would act like the former. The fact that she did something she would regret was evidence that she was already hopeless.
Real adults didn’t even do things they would regret in the first place.
‘Yes. Absolutely.’
She wasn’t showing any changes as soon as I expected, but whenever she looked at me or blatantly showed that she harbored complicated thoughts inside, I had to admit that it had worked to some extent.
I could be sure that, although the resistance had been quite rough, the last conscience remaining in the Kingdom of Eberia would soon collapse.
The longer we spent time here, the closer she and I would get, and the closer Elena would arrive at the wise choice.
On the other hand, I was the exact opposite of her.
It was no wonder that I had said that about Jung Hayan.
Of course, I did not directly say things she was sensitive to, like fate or revelation, but I proceeded with such a nuanced conversation.
It could’ve been a pretty awkward event for her.
I didn’t know if it was because of that, but Elena was getting clingier and clingier as we continued exploring the interior of Salit. Honestly, getting her to this point did not take too much effort at all.
Of course, this didn’t mean that the elf was obvious about her feelings, either.
It wasn’t a situation where she could do it, and above all, she wasn’t someone who had the courage to in the first place.
Whether she wanted this or not, our relationship quickly drew close.
The longer we moved around while holding hands all the time, and as much as we engaged in contact was inevitable.
In severe cases, we stayed together, even when dealing with the physiological phenomenon. I was actually firmly attached to Elena, so I didn’t have to explain how much she trusted me.
It was only natural for us to rely on each other in the worst situation where we could not survive alone. The circumstances were in favor of the progression of our relationship.
As expected, it was less than a day after that day that she started talking about Jung Hayan. Instead of denying the negative energy in herself, she began to rationalize and accept it.
‘It can’t be helped. Perhaps this is the right way.’
Although there was still a sense of guilt on her face, it was a great improvement compared to the beginning.
It was still awkward, but it was the first time in her 200-year life to be insulting others. Of course, the method looked like an amateur’s and looked cute.
Seeing her ears fluttering, she seems to be thinking of getting started. Where we were did not matter anymore. What mattered were the thoughts in her head.
“Er, Honorary Cardinal.”
“Yes, Elena.”
“I-Is Jung Hayan-nim a little bit too jealous?”
Asking something like this was indeed evidence that she was an amateur. This was the moment when I realized that acting as sly as a fox truly needed talent.
I was overwhelmed with the awkward acting, but at this point, it was my job to act fooled, just this once.
As I nodded in affirmation, her ears fluttered once more.
“Actually, it is more than too much. As I said before, she doesn’t even like me talking to other women. Of course, even though it looks cute, it would be a lie if it wasn’t a burden. I’m a bit unhappy with it in the first place.”
“I-I see. After all, d… do you think that a broader understanding woman is rather your ideal type than a woman who has a lot of jealousy…?”
‘That’s Lee Jihye’s way of thinking.’
“Not necessarily. To explain whether or not it is, of course, it can be said that the broader understanding is better… I don’t think we can tell the difference between the opposite sex and the same sex as we meet a lot of people.”
“I see.”
“Yes. But why?”
“N-Nothing. It’s just… I just remembered what I felt when I met Jung Hayan-nim’s soul.”
“Last time, you said it was a soul full of love…”
“O-Of course, Jung Hayan-nim has a soul full of love, but there are parts that I have not yet been able to talk about. Would it… be better to say that it’s not just a pure soul…? It is difficult to comment in detail, but it must be something Lee Kiyoung does not know about.”
‘I hit the right spot. Prepare the popcorn.’
“Was Hayan affected by the demon…?”
“No. It’s not that. Yes. It is not. I-It’s just the nature of Jung Hayan-nim…”
“I see. I felt it from the first time I saw her, but it’s really amazing. Being able to feel the soul of others… In some ways, you might think it’s mere unhappiness. Oh! Could it be that even souls that fit well with each other can be distinguished? For example, if the soul wavelengths match, or if they’re compatible.”
“Of course. I can’t say exactly, but… I can tell that to some extent.”
“Then, how about Jung Hayan and me?”
It was really interesting to see Elene struggling to form an answer that would benefit her. Contrary to the stabbing conscience, my heart was beating. The naive elf who was quietly watching out for me had become a fun little conquest.
However, in the end, I could see her eyes closed, opening her mouth. Again, she chose to abandon her conscience.
“You… may be disappointed, but it’s not very good. Yes. If I tell you exactly, it will be right… to say that it doesn’t match that much.”
“Ah… Is that so?”
“Yes… I… I’m sure.”
As her face darkened from yet another lie, my heart once again fluttered.
She seemed to be regretting what she had done because she couldn’t put up with her instant greed.
Of course, it was my role to help her not to regret it. She should’ve known that the consequences of betraying her own conscience could come as joy, not pain.
Only then could she be one step closer to being trashy.
“Excuse me, but what about Elena and me?”
“What?”
“I’m sorry. This was a little rude for me to…”
“No. Yes. I didn’t mean that. I was just a little surprised… Yes. I-I have to give you the answer.”
“…”
“It’s embarrassing, but to tell you exactly as it is…”
“Yes.”
“The wavelength of the souls seems to fit very well. Yes. If you’re asking if it’s good or not, it’s definitely good.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. This is the truth, without any lies.”
She didn’t even remember anymore how much she had thrown up the first time she met me. At this point, I knew she would want to take things even further.
She’ll need some ointment to apply to her guilt, and she’ll need some water to drink.
“According to your words, the revelation that Elune-nim gave you might be completely different. Hahaha.”
“Yes?”
“Oh! It’s nothing.”
“…”
“We should start moving again. I would like to stay here for another day, but we’re close to the heart. Let’s cheer up.”
“Honorary Cardinal, what you said earlier…”
“Haha. It’s really nothing. It’s just something… I suddenly remembered. Due to the current situation.”
“But…”
“I will tell you later.”
I showed her my best rendition of sad eyes. Likewise, Elena’s eyes also held a spoonful of sadness.
However, I didn’t go on and on. This was important, but the fact that we must get out of this place still remained.
“Okay.”
“Perhaps, by tomorrow we’ll be arriving at the main organs. Of course, this is only if I were to assume that my guess is correct…”
“What you think is probably right. We were able to reach this place without any trouble. However, if we arrive at the main organ…”
“I don’t know if my potion or your divine power will work, but I think we should try. Monsters like these are usually more vulnerable to internal attacks than external attacks. We don’t know when the party will arrive, so we have to prepare in advance.”
“As expected… that’s why you continued studying alchemy.”
“Yes. That’s right. It seems to be difficult in the same way as before. Before, I got new powers from Goddess Benignore, but I couldn’t use them properly because I was lying in bed.”
“You also… received the trust.”
“Ah. I guess I didn’t tell you.”
“Yes.”
“I am only an alchemist, but thanks to the consideration of the Goddess, I got undeserved strength. The problem is, I can’t get a sense of how to use this power…”
“Uh! Maybe I can help.”
At first, I felt skeptical about her ability to help me. However, as the moments began to pass me by, I began to feel like she might really be able to help me.
‘This…’
Maybe it was really possible.
‘Isn’t this really a gift?’
Thinking of the revelation she had received, I began to nod once more.
Perhaps Elena was a gift from Elune to me. No wonder I realized that Elune was a more cold-hearted fellow than I thought.
‘Phew. This ‘guy’ is also really trash.’
I couldn’t even begin to imagine that she would just hand over her daughter like this.
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