EnCoffin Me Chapter 59
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 59
Compared to Zhen's domain, the lunatic's domain looked extremely unstable. To avoid any problems, and because the next few days would mainly be spent preparing for the northern front, Alexio simply bound himself to the lunatic. Wherever he went, the lunatic had to follow.
If he lost control, Alexio told the lunatic he could direct it at him.
What a noble sacrifice!
“There's one more thing. Don't use it when ordinary people are around,” Alexio warned seriously. “In the current world, the power level has declined compared to our world. So, most ordinary people who haven't undergone training fall in this category. That's also why I previously had to wait for everyone to evacuate before opening my domain.
“You've felt it before, right? That obscure feeling, whether in my domain or Zhen's, is a projection of divine power. Frail bodies can't bear it and their internal organs might be crushed.”
Lucius nodded in understanding.
Alexio opened his mouth, as if wanting to say more. But when the lunatic turned to look at him intently, he swallowed the words back. For the first time, he felt hesitant.
Perhaps he should just wait a few days. It wouldn't be too late to discuss it after returning from the northern front.
They were in the lounge, getting ready to grab lunch when Alexio's communicator rang.
It was Cravenson.
“Good news, Your Highness!” Cravenson said, stubbornly using the title despite Alexio having corrected him several times.
“The dark creatures can now fight independently! The commanders for this group have also been chosen!”
Alexio's lips curled into a smile, revealing a hint of his fangs in delight.
“Who is it?”
“Yours truly.”
It was settled! Alexio felt very pleased. He accepted Cravenson's invitation for a group meal in the cafeteria today. Glancing at the lunatic beside him, he wondered if the lunatic would like such a lively scene. In his impression, the lunatic always preferred quiet environments.
“Are you coming?” he asked.
“…Are you inviting me?”
“You can take it that way. So, will you come?”
The gentle shen had once told him that if he wanted to do something, he should ask for the opinions of those around him, as that was the way to have a long-lasting relationship. It proved true, as Alexio clearly saw the saint's eyes gradually brighten. The sky-blue irises softened considerably.
“I'll come. Your treat, and I'll pay with vouchers?”
“……”
So that was what he was waiting for.
Lucius smiled faintly as he pulled a handful of cafeteria vouchers from his pocket. No one knew how he got them.
“No, I'll treat with the vouchers.”
They had also invited Ellie, Dalph, and Noah, friends who came as soon as they were called. When they all arrived at the cafeteria, Cravenson was with Zhen and Lucy, pushing tables together. Helgodon maintained the form of a half-grown silver wolf, a voucher clenched in his mouth.
“Alexi!” Zhen greeted them happily. “Hot pot today!”
The hot pot gathering was happening as promised. Zhen provided the best broth base, and the cafeteria had fresh ingredients. It wasn't too early, so there weren't many people around. Cravenson pressed the ‘Do Not Disturb’ button, and a gray screen rose from the floor, shielding their voices and figures inside.
On the large table formed by four joined tables, the hot pot was already gently bubbling, surrounded by a dazzling array of dishes. Alexio glanced around and picked a seat casually. The lunatic sat close beside him, leaving an empty spot to Alexio's right.
Cravenson almost immediately—
“Your Highness! I…”
“Alexi, can I sit here?” Zhen asked with a bright smile, holding a bottle of sauce. After he nodded, Zhen happily took a seat and enthusiastically recommended, “This! It's super tasty!”
“Your Highness…”
“I'm sitting next to Zhen,” Lucy whispered softly.
“Your High—”
“Awoo!” The wolf cub popped its head up across the table from Alexio, its ears perked up attentively.
Cravenson couldn't compete with these lively kids. Gritting his teeth, he turned to the saint sitting on Alexio's other side.
“Mr. Lucius, I have something I want to discuss with Prince Alexio. Could you… switch seats with me?”
Lucius gave the fallen angel a cold glance. He hadn't spoken since earlier, quietly observing Alexio and experiencing his popularity up close, but that didn't mean he lacked a hint of menace.
On the table were a dozen or so bottles of the recently popular vintage orange soda, which required a special opener. Lucius picked up one bottle without the opener and asked Alexio, “Do you want some soda?”
“Yes!”
Under Cravenson's trembling gaze, Lucius stared him down, then opened the bottle with his bare hands and handed it to Alexio.
“Isn't it useful for me to sit here?”
Alexio held the soda, a bit puzzled but since he was benefiting, he nodded in response.
“…Mm.”
Cravenson: ……
Waaah, so scary!
With food and drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up. Alexio's bowl was never empty. He stared at the shrimp paste now dropped into the pot, chewing beef with one hand while the other reached out. Someone had just passed the soda bottle into his hand.
“Eat slower,” the lunatic said beside him. “It's pretty hot.”
“I'll give my bowl to Alexio!” Zhen raised his bowl. Lucy obediently lifted hers too. The wolf cub, unable to hold a bowl properly, whimpered as he pushed his bowl forward.
How could Alexio possibly take theirs?
“There's plenty. It won't run out.”
Dalph laughed nearby. “Maybe because Mr. Alexio really likes to eat, so everyone wants to give their bowls to you.”
“I'm enjoying it too. It's really about the atmosphere,” Ellie said with a sigh. Then she noticed Noah beside her, who hadn't touched much from the start. “Dr. Noah, aren't you eating? Not used to this kind of food?”
Noah held his chopsticks with an elegant posture. When he heard the question, he replied just as politely, “You all eat first. I eat more slowly.”
Lucius glanced at his incorrect grip on the chopstick but said nothing. Cravenson was different. He was quite skilled with chopsticks and instinctively corrected Noah.
“Dr. Noah, the thin end should point downward.”
Noah's composed demeanor cracked.
“So it's not that you don't like the food after all…”
“I'll go get a spoon…”
“Dr. Noah, here's a spoon for you.”
Noah took the child's spoon the wolf cub had brought over, quietly shedding tears inside.
“Don't you all find chopsticks really hard to use?”
Zhen shook his head, but that headshake didn't count. The problem was the lich shook her head, Cravenson shook his head, Ellie shook her head, Dalph shook his head, and even the wolf cub, who wasn't supposed to have a say, picked up a pair of chopsticks with his paws and nimbly opened and closed the tips a few times.
Noah: ……
Why did his face fall to the ground? And get stepped on?!
He held his bowl and the child's spoon, sitting gloomily in his seat.
“I was trying to look a bit more reliable.”
Lucy patted his head with a look of pity. Good boy, good boy.
“Dr. Noah, you're going to the northern front too, right? I've seen the personnel list,” Cravenson changed the subject. Noah finally perked up, lifting his head out of the shadow cast by his chopstick struggles.
“Yes, I'll be accompanying the troops. The latest orders say I'm with Cravenson's special unit.”
“Then we're colleagues,” Cravenson said, reaching out to shake Noah's hand. “This is the best possible setup: We have Mr. Andrei and Marshal Olsen at the front, and you as our accompanying doctor. This is truly a team of our own.”
Then he remembered something.
“Ah, did we forget to… invite Andrei?”
Andrei was staring at the hot pot gathering update Lucius had posted, quietly crying in front of his desk.
“Dalph and I need to stay behind since we don't have military training,” Ellie sighed. She really wanted to help Alexio at the front. “But I believe this will be a great victory! Maybe we can push the light burst back dozens of kilometers in one go!”
The others chimed in one after another. Alexio finished eating, wiped his mouth, and lifted his head.
“Who said anything about just pushing them back?”
“…Huh?”
“We will crush it and eradicate the threat forever,” Alexio said, his right eye closed due to the hotpot steam, revealing the sword portion of his tattoo. “Lun… Lucius and I have investigated. The northern front has persisted like a festering wound. Its very existence is abnormal.
“Even if this world has an excess of light elements, it can't flow endlessly. There must be a decisive factor deep within.”
There was more he hadn't said. When he was discussing it with the lunatic, they both suspected that the light burst at the northern front might be artificially controlled. As for who exactly was controlling it, there was no need to look beyond Theo and the Holy Temple. If this theory was correct, the upcoming battle would be tough.
Alexio glanced around. His friends and the fearless children looked at him, and he smiled faintly.
But he was confident.
“We'll go deal with that factor, then return with the credit of completely solving the problem at the north. Only then can we have the confidence to bring greater liberation to our people,” he said. “Since this is Helgodon, Lucy, and Zhen's first battle, this time, I'll take responsibility for you all… Cravenson.”
The fallen angel stood, folding his black wings behind him. He bowed slightly to Alexio in respect.
“Nominally, I am the commander of this unit, but in reality, all authority belongs to Prince Alexio.”
Alexio's eyes shifted.
“Zhen.”
The imperial son of the eastern faction stood, his eyelids lowered and expression solemn.
“The name【Union of Dark Creature】has been officially registered. Among the founding members, I, Alexi, Lucy, and Helgodon will take part in this campaign, while the rest will temporarily stay behind.” He looked up and blinked. “Relevant supplies have already been marked with the Union's emblem. The military media will help us promote it well.”
He handed Alexio the newly made badge.
“It uses the colors of Ceto's horns.”
The badge didn't use the traditional pure black associated with dark creatures. Instead, it was as colorful as the giant fish's coral horns. A sigil snake coiled around elven vines, its tail tipped like a scorpion's. Soul flames wreathed beneath bat wings and feathered wings, all beneath an inverted crescent moon.
Alexio clenched the brand-new badge in his palm.
Everything was ready.