139
My Villains Chapter 139
36. Phoenix of Zahakahr (3)
Silence fell.
The singing from the tavern shattered against the tightly closed wooden window. Even the small pig by the bedside read the air and held its breath. The cozy room lit by three or four candles was filled only with small sobs.
"Ellen."
The kid just hugged her knees and swallowed her tears, saying nothing. I remained silent for a moment, then pulled Ellen's shoulder.
"No, don't."
A teary voice followed, and both hands stretched out. It was a gesture that was confusing whether it was pushing away or holding on.
I sat Ellen on my lap and firmly embraced the kid's small body. The struggling subsided.
"I had no other intentions." As my large, rough hand approached her eyes, the closed eyelashes trembled slightly.
"I wasn't trying to deceive you. I didn't consider you just a stranger either."
I wiped away the tears with a gentle touch, as if handling a chick.
"I told you. You're a very important person to me, and we shouldn't waver."
"...If you do this."
Ellen wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt. Then, with reddened eyes, she looked up at me.
"Do you know what I think when you do this?"
"...Well."
"I don't think anything, I'm just happy."
Ellen grabbed my chest.
"I just wish you would hold me gently like this and whisper sweet words. That's all, that's all I can think about."
"You said we shouldn't waver? How can I not waver when you shake me like this every day?" The fingertips gripping my tunic turned white.
"Your tone, gaze, expression, every gesture goes between the underworld and heaven. I'm shaken so much that I can't think of anything. I, I've become such an idiot."
"No, Ellen. You..."
"I know myself best, Phoenix."
The hand that was holding my chest slowly pushed me away. With clearer eyes, Ellen continued.
"I want to know about you. About the real you." My heart crumbled again.
I hated myself for only being able to offer Ellen half-truths, for having prepared a story in advance knowing this moment would come.
Ailant.
It's the name of a large island beyond the southern strait, and also the name of a kingdom that once existed there.
The Kingdom of Ailant was ruled alternately by two families. They were the ‘Zahakahr family and the Baluin' family’.
The two families succeeded to the throne according to a very unique tradition.
For example, if the Zahakahr family took the throne, the sister of the one who became king had to marry a man from the Baluin family. The male of the Baluin family produced from that union would become the next king of Ailant.
Due to this succession method from uncle to nephew, the two royal families, Zahakahr and Baluin, were connected in complex, deep, and tight ways.
After 400 years of existence, a man appeared before the two royal families of Ailant. He was 'Zeot of Zeore', called the greatest gangster in the history of the Middle World.
He was the one who established a kingdom based on a handful of troops he raised in the north, defeating numerous mercenary groups, city-states, and local lords. That kingdom is now Milanol.
'The Conqueror King' Zeot, at the age of sixty, personally led a fleet to invade Ailant.
After more than three years of fierce war, the king of Ailant surrendered to the Conqueror. Zeot showed mercy and appointed the king of Ailant as the Duke of Ailant.
The once royal families of Zahakahr and Baluin thus fell from grace. Though I'm not sure if the term 'fall from grace' suits a ducal family.
"That Zahakahr is my family. So, my name is 'Phoenix of Zahakahr’."
"I thought so."
"Huh?"
"With your Razil accent, powerful blood magic, and black hair and eyes. Of course, I couldn't help but think of the two minor royal families of Razil."
"...Oh, then why didn't you say anything?"
"I thought there must be a reason for a noble to hide their family."
"Hmm."
Ellen suddenly furrowed her brow and asked.
"Then what were you thinking when you received an appointment from Prince Ulkar? The Zeore royal family is practically your family's enemy, isn't it?"
"...They're not enemies. After all, a duke is the king's vassal, and..."
Ellen snorted.
"How many people in the Middle World do you think would agree with that?"
"Ugh, there are other circumstances. I'll explain later."
As I closed my mouth, Ellen asked again.
"What's your relationship with the Duke?"
"He's my uncle."
Ellen nodded quietly and then asked with furrowed brows.
"...Then, is the reason you hid your family perhaps related to succession rights?"
"Duke Skielle is from our family. The next duke will be from the Baluin family, so I have nothing to do with succession rights."
I moistened my lips with wine and continued.
"Besides, I'm an illegitimate child, so I'm even less involved."
"Illegitimate?"
"My mother was a slave. Well, after having me, my father took a concubine, so I escaped the fate of being a bastard."
"Uh, um..."
Ellen made a complicated expression. It was a face that seemed unsure whether to offer comfort or say it was fortunate.
I smiled slightly and continued.
"Even though I was illegitimate, I wasn't really discriminated against. I started my page duties earlier than my peers, which I think was actually good..."
"It must have been hard."
"It was a bit annoying, having to do all sorts of chores. But everything else was fine. No, I loved training."
Phoenix's memories conveyed the emotions felt at that time.
"At twelve, I beat my fifteen-year-old half-brother. By the time I was fifteen, except for the knights, there was no match for me in the family. Back then, I thought I was the best person in the world."
Ellen's lips twitched.
"...Everyone has a time like that."
"Really?"
"Yes."
I met Ellen's eyes. The candlelight distorted in the blue eyes still wet with tears.
Feeling like I might get sucked in if I stayed still, I quickly opened my mouth.
"Around the time I was knighted, I crossed the strait."
"Why?"
"I wanted to gain the power of my ancestors. I wanted to trace the remnants of 'Blood King Zahakahr' and gain his power. The power of the origin, that is."
"...You're chasing the traces of someone who died over 500 years ago?"
"Well, it's the passion of youth."
Ellen, who had been nodding quietly, suddenly frowned.
"Wait a minute. When you crossed the strait, you were on the same ship as me, weren't you?"
"That's right."
"But you said you crossed the strait around the time you were knighted."
"Yes. That's correct."
Blue eyes lit up with fire.
"Then, how old are you?"
"Uh... Twenty."
"...Ha."
Ellen opened her mouth with a hollow laugh.
"Just twenty? Twenty years old?"
"Ah, no."
"No?"
"Yeah. Since I was born in June, I'm twenty-one this year."
"...Whether it's twenty or twenty-one."
Ellen's face contorted.
"So, you're only three or four years older than me and you've been treating me like a child?"
"Three or four years? How old are you?"
"Seventeen!"
As the kid shouted proudly, I snorted in disbelief.
"So? Seventeen is still a kid."
"You, you..."
The kid trembled for a moment, then grabbed an apple from the tray and threw it, shouting,
"You bastard!"
After a brief outburst, Ellen brushed back her hair and took a deep breath.
"Phew. I've heard about what kind of person you are. But it's not over yet."
"Hmm, I know."
I continued my explanation while wiping the meat grease from my hair.
"...I had a very strange experience when crossing the strait."
"A strange experience?"
I quietly swallowed my dry saliva. This was the important part.
"Before I tell you, make me one promise."
"What promise?"
"Promise that you will never speak of what I'm about to tell you anywhere else."
As I spoke with a serious expression, Ellen also nodded with a hardened face.
"...Alright. I promise."
"Good."
I slowly and calmly unfolded the story. It was a story centered on Phoenix.
"During the voyage, a soul from another dimension inhabited my body."
"...A soul?"
"I'm not sure if it was a soul or what, but anyway, something strange happened. Because of that, I lost my memory for a while."
"What do you mean you lost your memory?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like. I could only remember my name, nothing else. I couldn't remember anything about myself, my family, or my homeland. That's why I couldn't tell you anything."
"How could that..."
Ellen furrowed her brow as if confused.
"...Then, now?"
"In the rift, do you remember something strange happening to me?"
"You mean the scale membrane story?"
"Yes. That happened as my bloodline awakened. Thanks to that, I recovered my severed limbs and regained my memories."
Ellen nodded silently at my assertive tone.
"It's still hazy like there's fog, but now I remember most things. From what I feel, it's like two souls have mixed."
Ellen, who had been lost in thought for a moment, opened her mouth.
"Then, what you told Karamek?"
"Karamek? What did I say?"
"You said you came here after receiving an invitation from a Demon god in a place called Earth."
Ellen remembering each word clearly, that's so like her. I took a sip of wine and answered.
"As the soul settled in me, someone's memories flowed in."
"...You mean you gained those memories when an extraterrestrial being settled in you?"
"You could say that."
"Then, about the prophecy game too?"
"Prophecy game?"
"You said you could become Karamek through a game."
Hmm, did I say that too? I nodded while trying to recall that conversation.
"That's right."
"...Then the unknown information you obtained..."
"It's thanks to the knowledge I gained there."
Ellen sighed and closed her eyes.
"It's hard to believe."
"...Do you doubt me?"
"It's not that. Karamek was a very powerful soul sorcerer. If you had lied, he would have seen through it."
She fell into contemplation while stroking her hair.
The story I told Ellen wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
Right now, I'm much closer to Kim Seung-soo than Phoenix. So the story told from Phoenix's perspective inevitably had many parts omitted.
But... I can't just blurt out, 'My name is Kim Seung-soo, and you're a character I created while playing a game.'
I silently looked at Ellen. I've done all I can do now.
The long eyelashes crossed, and blue eyes opened.
"Never."
"Huh?"
"Never tell this. Anywhere else."
I chuckled and shrugged.
"Hey, of course. I wouldn't talk about this anywhere..."
"I'm serious right now."
Ellen sighed and shook her head.
"Absorbing an extraterrestrial soul and memories. If this story spreads, all sorts of crazy people in the world will try to claim your soul and knowledge."
"Don't worry, that won't happen. It's a story only you and I know in this world."
"Is it? Is it really a story only we know?"
As Ellen was about to continue, there was a thud from the bed.
"Lump?"
Squeak.
Did it fall while sleeping? As Lump, who had fallen from the bed, was restless, I picked it up.
"What's wrong, our Lump? Had a nightmare?"
As I cooed at Lump, Ellen snapped in an irritated tone.
"Is the pig important right now? We're talking."
"Uh—"
Where were we? Ah, right.
"Who else knows?"
"Utequais, Siren, Zhanabas."
I tilted my head at Ellen's naming.
"Why those three?"
"They heard you talking about extraterrestrial beings."
"Atalante would have heard that too, right?"
"She's a Nude. She'd probably think you were just spouting nonsense as an improvisation."
Ellen chewed on her lower lip and muttered quietly.
"But Utequais, Siren, and Zhanabas surely know Karamek's abilities. They would have noticed that you were telling the truth."
"...Oh, is that so?"
"Zhanabas is a druid, and Siren is a Mage educated in the Lao family. Utequais goes without saying. The great warrior of the plains couldn't possibly not know about a soul sorcerer's abilities."
Ellen's muttering continued with a sigh.
"Even if we disregard Utequais, Siren and Zhanabas are the problem. If they start talking about this somewhere..."
"Then I'll separately warn them to keep quiet—"
"You want to let them know it's important enough to warrant a warning?"
"...Ugh."
Ellen sighed deeply several times and then shook her head.
"Those guys, they'll be traveling with us for a while, right?"
"Uh, probably."
"They have to. Until we find a way to solve this problem."
The blue eyes gleamed coldly. I looked at them and chuckled.
"Are you not scared anymore?"
"...Huh?"
"You said you were scared because you didn't know anything about me. Are you not scared now?"
Ellen closed her mouth. Her lips twitched for a moment, then she nodded.
As I quietly laughed, she hesitated before speaking.
"I... Have something to tell you too."
"Yes?"
"I also have something I haven't told you."
"...What is it?"
Ellen fidgeted with both hands for a while, then squeezed her eyes shut. Then she suddenly stood up from the chair.
Ellen, who had walked up to me, seemed somehow flustered. Because I was just sitting there with a 'So what?' expression on my face.
"...Aren't you surprised?"
"Surprised about what?"
I shook my head with a smile.
"Do you think I'm stupid enough not to have noticed this?"
"H-How."
"We spend all day together, wouldn't it be strange if I didn't know?"
Ellen, with a shocked expression, asked in a small voice.
"T-Then... If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"
"I thought you must have had a reason."
I shrugged.
"I could guess that reason too."
"...You could guess?"
"Yeah. Isn't it because you wanted to be held by me?"
The face in front of me turned bright red. Ellen clutched her forehead and stammered.
"No, I, I didn't hide it from the beginning, it's just that my legs hurt when I tried to walk, and I needed time to adjust..."
"Ellen."
"The magic also, uh, what?"
"If you want to be held, just say so. I'll hold you."
Ellen, red up to her neck and ears, opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish before falling silent. Then she bit her lower lip hard.
"Are you acting like an adult again?"
"...Huh?"
"I have something to get from you."
Squeak!
Ellen pushed away Lump, who was lying on my thigh, and took its place. She glared at me while wrapping her arms around my neck.
"You owe me."
"...What do I owe?"
"I saved your life, in the rift."
"Hey, there's no such thing as owing between us."
As I frowned, Ellen shook her head and insisted.
"No, I need to receive something in return."
Ellen took a couple of deep breaths and then approached me. The blue eyes closed, and the white face, the pink lips, came closer.
My senses dulled with the smell of skin and lime fragrance. The hair tinted by candlelight entangled my body. My blood, my heart, ran wild out of control.
...Uh, this shouldn't happen. This is really dangerous.
While I was frozen like an idiot, a soft sensation touched my lips.
It felt like a large bell was ringing somewhere. It also felt like being struck by lightning. This is nonsense, how old am I...
Just as I was about to open my lips as if controlled by something.
"Phew." Ellen stepped back a couple of paces.
She wiped her lips with trembling hands, then showed an expression that was hard to tell if they were smiling or crying.
Huh, is this the end?