EnCoffin Me Chapter 34
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 34
In the eastern faction, single-character names signified nobility, with each character carrying profound meaning, embodying the love and aspirations of parents and kin. Some names, like ‘Shan’ or ‘Shu,’ borrowed the strength of nature to protect the child. Others, like ‘Long’ or ‘Feng,’ sought favor from mythical totems. The rarest kind bore imperial meaning. Such names belonged only to the most exalted among the noble.
The imperial son of the eastern faction bore such a name.
Imperial sons were replaced upon death, and typically they were humans. For a dark creature to be an imperial son, Alexio had never heard of it before.
Alexio was aware of all this, which was why he asked the question.
"Imperial son?"
"Yes… now it's just a ceremonial role…" He curved his eyes into a smile. "You can treat me like a regular person. I just happen to have a somewhat special name."
As he spoke, the talisman stuck to his forehead fluttered slightly. Alexio found it a little funny. Zhen seemed to realize it too and quickly pulled out a small hair clip from his pocket, fastening the talisman to his head. Then he puffed out his cheeks at Alexio.
Alexio: …pfft.
Alexio had come to see him for a reason this time, so afternoon tea was on him. After the caretaker left, he ordered a special meal from the cafeteria. The staff had prepared an array of intricate eastern faction pastries, served with fragrant tea. Although Alexio hadn't interacted much with the eastern faction ten thousand years ago, he had always appreciated culinary traditions from all regions. He handled the tea and pastries with ease, while Zhen looked pleasantly surprised.
“Alexi knows how to use chopsticks? Next time I'll treat you to hot pot!” he said with a grin. “I'll bring my own special soup base. It'll be really good! We can invite Helgodon and Lucy too!”
Zhen was undoubtedly the most normal and outgoing dark creature Alexio had ever met. For a moment, he even felt as though he were speaking with one of the dark creatures from ten thousand years ago. If not for the lightness in his tone during their conversation, Alexio might have truly been mistaken.
But even this level of normalcy was rare, and it gave Alexio a bit more confidence about the matter he had come to discuss.
“What I want to talk about concerns the Association of Dark Creatures.” Alexio set down his teacup, interlacing his fingers on his lap. He raised his red eyes. At such close range, looking into them felt like staring into blades.
“Ellie said you're one of the vice presidents of the Association of Dark Creatures. I wanted to ask what the Association usually does on a daily basis?”
Zhen thought about it seriously.
“We organize activities and the like… some dark creatures really enjoy being planners. The center funds them to hold all sorts of activities, most of which are for the benefit of dark creatures.
“Also, any major decisions concerning dark creatures have to go through the association. That Federal Dark Creatures Protection Law was ultimately passed with a unanimous vote from the association.” He was clearly very familiar with all of this. “And the decision for Lucy not to have a caretaker until her mental state stabilizes was passed by the association too.”
Alexio listened carefully, then asked, “Has the association ever vetoed any proposals or decisions?”
Zhen was briefly stunned, but then he gave a faint smile.
“I understand what you mean, Alexi.”
He lowered his head in thought, as if choosing his words carefully. After a while, he lifted his gaze and glanced toward his caretaker. At that distance, his caretaker was chatting with Ellie, not paying attention to their conversation. Of course, dark creatures had the freedom to speak their minds, but he simply… didn't want to hurt his caretaker. Before Alexio appeared, all of his thoughts would've been considered heretical.
Perhaps some might laugh. Wasn't he already well-fed, well-dressed, and admired by all? What more could he want to change? But he believed, at least among the dark creatures he knew, that many still longed to see change.
Alexio was like a spark, revived from ten thousand years ago, about to ignite the flames of revolution.
He had already seen the future of a widespread blaze.
“Alexi,” he asked softly, “do you want to change things?”
Alexio turned his gaze toward him. He watched as Zhen slowly stood up, his wide sleeves spreading like wings. Across the round table, he slid the most beautifully arranged plate of pastries toward Alexio. Alexio was slightly confused. He had no idea what the gesture meant, so he hesitantly accepted the plate.
“I'm a freebie!” Zhen said cheerfully. “Count me in!”
Caught off guard by the sudden freebie offer, Alexio was stunned. On instinct, he picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth. Once Zhen saw him eat it, he relaxed and sat back down, beginning to rummage through his clothes.
At last, he pulled out a stack of business cards and handed one to Alexio. Alexio took it and found that it was handwritten, seemingly the result of a collaborative effort. In rounded, bolded letters, a line of text read—
【Union of Dark Creatures.】
Zhen's name was printed smaller beneath. Alexio glanced at the listed position. Still Vice President. Well then, some respect was due.
“Although I'm a vice president of the association,” Zhen began, laying the groundwork, “I have to say, the Association of Dark Creatures holds almost no real decision-making or executive power. It's an organization that exists in name only.” His voice grew steady and convincing. “When a proposal is raised, there's no investigation, no series of meetings. At the only meeting held, no one opposes, no one suggests a better idea, and no one even abstains…
“I don't know much about politics, but I do know this is what happens when most dark creatures voluntarily stop thinking.”
His tone had been heavy as he enumerated the association's many shortcomings, but then it shifted suddenly, his voice lightening with a new energy.
“But our Union of Dark Creatures is really solid!”
“……”
“Hey, you're so cold! Aren't you supposed to feel at least a little glimmer of hope at this moment?”
“……”
“This is an organization collectively founded by us dark creatures who aspire to change the status quo! And since I gave myself away for free, it's equivalent to you, Alexi, gaining an extra pair of wings!”
Alexio, with his newfound ‘pair of wings,’ rested one hand on his forehead and held the business card in the other, silently watching Zhen enthusiastically trying to recruit him. It was encouraging to know that some dark creatures wanted change, but the reliability of this union, which was distinct from the association, was truly concerning.
Alexio turned the business card toward him, pressing a fingertip against a particular word.
“This word is misspelled.”
“Eek!!!”
Zhen drooped instantly, pulling the paper talisman from his head back down to cover his face and slumping over the table. Alexio pushed the plate of pastries back toward him, offering some in return. He shook his head, sulking for a brief moment before perking up again.
“It's getting late today. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the inner sea to meet our President. That'll make it official, you'll be one of us!”
Alexio's gaze shifted toward the Emeral Inner Sea beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sea was also home to a vast number of dark creatures, though most, like sea serpents, lacked human-level intelligence. Unless…
With his keen eyesight, Alexio spotted two vivid, towering ‘corals’ standing still in the water.
He had a feeling… he knew what species the president belonged to.
“Then, Alexio, let's meet here again tomorrow.”
Thinking he'd left Alexio with just the right amount of suspense, he cheerfully said goodbye. His caretaker, a graceful woman with an elegant Eastern charm, gave Alexio a polite nod of farewell. As Zhen walked out of the cafeteria, people greeted him all along the way. Astonishingly, he remembered everyone's name and even chatted with them about their lives.
Alexio watched him leave, then lowered his eyes to the round table. Left behind was a slightly tilted paper crane, seemingly folded from a page of a book. He unfolded the paper, expecting something like another hand-drawn business card, but when he saw the contents, he froze.
That night's dinner was a little different. It wasn't delivered from the center. Instead, the lunatic bought the ingredients himself and cooked the entire meal from scratch.
As for the taste…
After the meal, Lucius tossed the dishes into the dishwasher. When he turned around, he saw the vampire sprawled out lifelessly on the couch.
“…Delicious,” Alexio muttered with lingering satisfaction. “I could go for another bowl.”
Lucius gave him a sidelong glance and silently took the clean dishes out of the washer, arranging them one by one.
“That was half a week's worth of food. I guess I should be glad you're a vampire. You won't die from overeating.”
Alexio, having eaten the man's food, wisely kept his mouth shut and didn't argue.
“What made you decide to cook?” he finally asked after a pause.
“If one can forage for oneself, why be a chirping chick waiting to be fed?” Lucius replied as he finished cleaning the kitchen. He walked out with a tray of fruits, set it on the table, and applied a holy light seal over it, allowing two to be taken per day, precisely to prevent the vampire from eating them all tonight.
Alexio thought about it and had to admit that it made sense. Why rely on the center when he was living with a saint who'd completed every bridal training course?
“As payment for the cooking and cleaning,” Lucius said, “you'll loosen the soil in the garden tomorrow.”
“...Why does it have to be me?”
“I need to help you build a better relationship with the carrots, so you'll stop digging them up to turn into potted plants.”
Alexio was unconvinced. His potted plants looked great, didn't they?
“I know you're not convinced,” Lucius said calmly. “But do you know how big genetically modified tomatoes can grow? One day you'll wake up, and they'll be within arm's reach. Just picturing it actually makes me happy. Fine, I'll let you have them.”
Alexio suddenly didn't want them at all anymore!
After the petty argument over tomato potted plants, Alexio remembered the main topic. He pulled out the page given to him by Zhen.
“I've got a new idea.”
Lucius gave a slight nod. “Perfect. I've got something to show you too.”
They exchanged information. Alexio first picked up the documents, which seemed to be financial tables. He had no idea where the lunatic had gotten them. As he flipped through the pages, his expression gradually darkened. He had experience running all kinds of businesses, so he understood exactly what he was looking at.
Of the money supposedly allocated for building conservation centers, how much was actually used for the project?
This was a resolution passed by the Association of Dark Creatures. Yet, even when it had become a tool for some to line their own pockets, many dark creatures continued to live blissfully unaware.
Soaked in honey… his poor, naive kin…
Fortunately, just as Zhen had said, some dark creatures were already becoming aware and attempting to make changes.
Lucius had also finished reading the page. The paper had been torn from the Federal Dark Creatures Protection Law. While it wasn't the most recent version, Lucius was certain that the relevant clause hadn't been revised.
That was, dark creatures had the right to determine their own lives and take responsibility for them.
He now understood Alexio's line of thinking. With this law as their shield, Alexio could lead a few dark creatures who wished to change the status quo to the northern front to earn military merit. That would be their breakthrough.
“Helgodon has already awakened one of the werewolves' innate talents, which is empathy, though so far his subject was a roasted chicken carcass. Lucy's progressing rapidly in necromancy. With more practice, she'll be able to start forming a small skeletal unit. As for Zhen… I don't know much about him. But this entire plan was suggested by him. He's been to the northern front a few times.”
Alexio dropped the infuriating documents and leaned back in his seat, relaxing a bit. The future still looked promising.
However...
Lucius, like him, didn't have deep roots. So, where had he gotten these documents?
Alexio asked the question outright as he picked up a fruit, intending to chew on it while he listened.
Lucius glanced at him.
“I suggest you don't eat that while listening.”
Alexio lazily took another bite of the tangy-sweet flesh.
No way!
“The Holy Temple tried to recruit me.”
“Cough, cough, cough!”