EnCoffin Me Chapter 74
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 74
“Let me see, let me see!” Alexio leaned in. “Did he reply or is he acting up again? Hahaha!”
Helgodon carried him on his back as they headed deeper into the mountains, to the resting place of Behemoth. According to the military's plan, this area was to be heavily fortified. The saint had put back on the cloak that once bundled the sprites. Specks of silver light still clung to the cloak, and a few scattered sprites flew around them. The saint gently signaled the griffin to approach the giant wolf, then showed Alexio the screen on the communicator.
【The other party has disconnected.】
Hahahahahaha!
Alexio laughed again.
Helgodon, seeing how happy he was, grew curious about the communicator. He craned his big head toward the saint, but Lucius immediately guided the griffin away from him, clearly annoyed.
Helgodon let out a whimper like a dog.
Alexio patted the fluffy head, indicating there was no point in arguing with a lunatic. He even lived with a lunatic every day. If he really took it to heart, he'd probably die of anger.
“Your frost wings are something your father didn't have. Behemoth of the earth also has eight wings,” Alexio said, stroking them as he recalled the knowledge of the gods he'd heard ten thousand years ago. “It should be a gift from him, wanting you to grow into a qualified guardian as quickly as possible.”
Helgodon pricked his ears, then after a moment, let out a soft howl.
He had made a decision, one that didn't come from him personally, but from the Werewolf King, Helgodon. He wanted to move the entire werewolf pack out of the conservation center and back to their ancestral snowfield. Here, they would run free forever, guarding the god while strengthening themselves to face any possible threat.
He told Alexio about this decision. Alexio thought for a moment, then reached out as if to pat his head, but stopped midway and instead gently patted the giant wolf's shoulder.
The former was how he treated a child, the latter how he treated a comrade-in-arms.
“If this is your decision, then of course I respect it,” he said, relief clear in his voice. “You'll have to bear most of the resistance on your own. Are you ready for that?”
The giant wolf answered with a low, rumbling growl.
“Mm.” Alexio replied softly. “We'll help where we can. The Union of Dark Creatures exists for times like this. You, Zhen, and Lucy will work together. I'll also make arrangements with those who can assist on my end.”
He jumped down from the giant wolf's back, spreading his bat wings, and flew toward the military convoy behind them. He spoke with Cravenson on one of the vehicles, focusing on the werewolf relocation. As their conversation neared its end, he made a request that surprised Cravenson.
“Materials for a ceremony?” Cravenson looked puzzled. “That probably isn't military supplies, but if we gather some similar materials, we should be able to set up a venue… What kind of ceremony are you planning?”
Alexio caught sight of the lunatic following them and continued his conversation, letting the saint settle next to him.
“Helgodon hopes for the werewolves to live independently in the snowfield. That kind of thought means he's grown up quite a bit,” Alexio said, reaching out to the lunatic. Since the lunatic always carried small spatial objects, Alexio placed what he needed directly with him. Without needing to say anything, Lucius retrieved the item from the spatial container and handed it over.
The translucent silver crown shimmered with flowing light, as if infused with moonlight and swirling snow. Its unevenly edged fangs added a rugged beauty. Cravenson had seen this crown in the movie before, and he stood up in surprise.
“This… this is…”
“The Werewolf King's crown,” Alexio said simply. “Lucius and I found it in the mines. Perhaps this was once the werewolves' snowy domain ten thousand years ago. Fortunately, the crown was not damaged.”
The Sea of Undead beneath the Emerald Inner Sea couldn't be revealed yet, since Lucy didn't currently have full control over the area. Exposing it too soon might attract unwanted attention. Finding the crown in the mines was a good excuse, and Cravenson seemed to believe it completely.
“Good thing it was found. What a magnificent symbol…” He carefully held the silver crown, inspecting it from all angles before sighing. “This will be a huge inspiration for the entire werewolves, and for all dark creatures.”
At that, his expression suddenly grew determined.
“Rest assured! I will do everything I can to prepare the venue. I'm sure Marshal Olsen will agree to send support. By the way, I have a request for the ceremony. Would it be possible to…”
“You mean livestream it, right?” Alexio guessed his thought and nodded firmly. “I was thinking the same. There's nothing to hide here. On the contrary, this is an honor, a new beginning. I'm just a catalyst for change among dark creatures. Only when they grow stronger and the outside world's perception of them changes can dark creatures truly move forward.”
Cravenson nodded deeply, fully agreeing.
“Then I'll get started. Everything will be ready before noon.”
Alexio nodded and watched him leave. When he turned back, he saw the lunatic resting his face on his hand, staring at him. It was rare to see this hunter, trained in the strict etiquette of the Holy Temple, in such a slack posture. Alexio allowed himself a second glance before his long-honed immunity to attractive faces made him look away.
“Why are you staring? Aren't you leaving? Go back and feed the cats.”
“I just thought you looked a little worried,” Lucius said honestly. “It feels like your perspective has shifted. You used to care little about these publicity events.”
Alexio said nothing in response. His mindset had indeed changed.
“Theo is a tough one,” he said. “If he wants to strike a target, directly attacking isn't even his primary method. He'll try to… change the entire environment around the target.”
Lucius' memory hadn't fully returned, and his understanding of Theo was limited to a few encounters, so he listened quietly as Alexio spoke.
“You mean he would try to shift public opinion of dark creatures?”
Alexio nodded.
“Yes. That's probably what he would do. You might think it's difficult, but…” His expression grew heavier. “Dark creatures have enjoyed preferential treatment for too long and they have no real strengths. They don't truly hold any real achievements.
“Political accomplishments, military merits, scientific research… any one of those would do. But they have none.”
“Suppose, just suppose, at the right time, news comes out about dark creatures causing harm or killing humans. Then later, someone exposes the special treatment they get and the resources they take up… Of course, this only works if dark creatures are no longer seen as essential for keeping the balance between light and darkness,” he looked up at Lucius and said quietly, “The Holy Temple can even control light bursts. Given time, it's not impossible.”
Alexio was trying hard to align his thinking with Theo's. The process was unpleasant, but he endured it because he knew Theo the best. He had to predict possible moves for others and sound the alarm.
“A life of care and protection has taught the dark creatures to see the world innocently, but the world won't necessarily treat them innocently in return.”
Alexio smiled.
“I'm willing to be that harbinger, to warn them, to push them. Over the period of ten years, I swear to make them live more like they once did.”
There were some things he could only say to the lunatic. Saying it eased his mind a little. Feeling a bit guilty for offloading his burden, he was about to speak again when the saint suddenly stood before him. Alexio looked up in confusion, then his vision went dark as the saint's half-cape fell over his head.
A hand followed, brushing lightly through his hair twice. Then Alexio heard a voice.
“Good bird,” the saint said with a smile. “But you forgot one thing.”
He pushed back the cape, then half-knelt, looking up slightly at Alexio as he sat.
He pointed to his own head.
“You forgot that you have two heads. And one is right here.
“You can use the one on your body to think about what to eat tomorrow, which brand of cat food to buy, how to raise those kids… Then use the other one here with me to think about Theo and the Holy Temple.”
Alexio stared at him, stunned.
“There's just a little preparation to do. After all, two heads don't always communicate perfectly. You'll need to spend some time explaining everything about Theo in detail.
“But don't worry. Most of the time, I can understand what you mean without saying much.”
The saint tilted his head slightly, his tied-back platinum-blonde hair sliding softly to one side.
“For example, right now.”
He loosened his collar.
“You want to bite me, don't you?”
*****
Lucius stepped down from the military vehicle, his collar already fixed. He buttoned his cuff with one hand, hiding two bite marks on his wrist. Alexio had gone to find the kids. If nothing came up, Lucius would probably find a quiet place to draw new sticker.
Happy cat.jpg
To be made into a gif: first, the cat looked blankly ahead, then suddenly perked up its ears, and finally happily showed its little sharp fangs.
Contrary to his wishes, the military officers hurriedly came looking for him.
“Mr. Lucius, I saw you talking with Prince Alexio in the vehicle earlier, so I didn't dare to disturb you,” the officer stood at attention and saluted. “Marshal Olsen needs to discuss something with you and requests your immediate presence.”
Although Lucius felt regretful, he vaguely guessed why the old marshal wanted to see him, so he didn't delay and headed there right away. A temporary command tent was already set up. The old marshal stood with his hands behind his back, studying the northern front's map. Hearing Lucius arrive, he turned around.
“You're here,” the old marshal said briefly. After dismissing the soldiers, he spoke quietly.
“Zhu Heng sent new intelligence. He suspects the Holy Temple wants to create negative publicity about the dark creatures.”
Meanwhile, at the Holy Temple headquarters, a black-haired researcher gently closed the main door. Then, along with colleagues, they placed a bloodied hunter onto a stretcher. After simple emergency treatment, a robot arrived to carry the stretcher away.
The lead researcher, holding a baby, waved cheerfully, signaling the others they could go rest and that he would handle the research alone.
The remaining researchers saluted him before dispersing in small groups. One researcher draped an arm over the black-haired researcher's shoulder and asked familiarly, “Want to grab a drink, Qiao?”
‘Qiao’ smiled and nodded, joking, “I thought you'd be off with your girlfriend. What, has three months of continuous overtime not ended yet?”
The researcher immediately began to complain.
“Ugh, she's supposedly in the easiest department, just printing internal newsletters or something. Who knew why she’s working such long hours, and under total lockdown no less.”
“Of course, we can't guess what the higher-ups are thinking.”
“Sigh, you can say that again.”
The two of them went arm in arm to the Holy Temple's open entertainment center. Qiao kept smiling but lowered his gaze slightly when facing his colleague.
He never forgot his mission for a single moment.