EnCoffin Me Chapter 87
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 87
Alexio once again felt that strange sensation as he was seared by the gazes from both the past and the present. He couldn't shake the feeling that the lunatic, whether now or ten thousand years ago, seemed to have feelings for him.
Alexio: …What an incredibly narcissistic thought!
He squashed this delusion. Outside the window, a gentle patter of rain began, as if helping him wash away his fanciful thoughts. Alexio looked out the window. It had been raining frequently these past couple of days. Zhen, Lucy, and Helgodon all squeezed up to the window to watch the rain.
“It's been raining so much lately…”
“Will it rain on the day of the Carnival?”
“Oh no! Will the outdoor performances be canceled then?”
Seeing their mood grow gloomier with each question, Alexio cleared his throat and stepped in. After all, he'd been keeping tabs on the construction of various facilities in the plaza during this time.
“The forecast says there'll be light rain.”
All three of them let out a collective sigh.
“But preparations have been made,” Alexio added. “If it rains, a transparent canopy will be raised. It won't affect any of the performances.”
The three children immediately perked up again, chatting closely about where they wanted to go and what performances they wanted to see that day. Since they lived at the conservation center, they were quite familiar with all the newly built facilities and could roughly guess what performances would be featured.
Alexio smiled as he watched them, then called over the lunatic. With just a bit more overtime, they could go home.
“When will the event schedule likely be announced?” Alexio asked. Publicity had always been the lunatic's responsibility.
“In three more days. We'll release the trailer at the same time,” Lucius replied, glancing at him. “You might get called in for filming soon. The other dark creatures from the main center should also make an appearance. I've read the short script, and it's pretty good.”
“Mm.” Alexio agreed. He could more or less imagine what kind of promo it would be.
“I'll make time for it. I've been busy these past couple of days settling the water nymph transferred from the southeast branch.” Alexio yawned. “I'll get back to it now. See you at the door in three hours, then we'll go home after work.”
“Okay.”
Alexio walked off, and Lucius stayed where he was, watching until Alexio's figure disappeared around the corner. Only then did he slowly turn around. Unsurprisingly, he saw the lich standing at a distance, looking hesitant, as if wanting to speak with him.
Lucius rarely interacted with the children Alexio mentored. Firstly, he wasn't particularly interested, and secondly, dark creatures seemed to be somewhat afraid of him, likely due to his background in the Holy Temple. Naturally, he kept a certain distance from them. So when the lich approached him on her own, it was clear she had mustered a lot of courage. Her skeletal hand clutched tightly at her sleeve.
“Mr. Lucius…” the lich called softly. “There's something I'd… like to talk to you about.”
Lucius glanced around. A few staff members were still working nearby, so he moved to a quieter corner. After casting a soundproofing spell, he gave the lich a small nod.
Lucy was nervous. She gripped her sleeve and took several deep breaths before she finally began to speak.
“Leviathan said… you're someone who has seen the Underworld River…”
As soon as she said it, Lucius' expression remained unreadable, but inwardly, he became more attentive. Lucy wasn't aware of the shift in his focus. Seeing no change in his expression, she bit her lower lip in worry.
She had originally planned to use this piece of information to take control of the conversation. It was something Alexio had taught her. But it seemed… she hadn't executed it well. Lucy felt disheartened, but thinking of what she needed to say, she pulled herself together and met the saint's eyes without flinching.
“He also said that if there's anyone who knows the full truth of ten thousand years ago, it must be you.
“I know your memories are continually recovering, and you're very interested in the events of ten thousand years ago, but this time, I'm not asking you to recount stories of the past.”
She bit her lip and finally spoke with resolve.
“Can you promise? Promise that… even if all your memories return, you won't hurt Alexi?”
After saying it, Lucy felt a little relieved, but her nerves were still highly strung. She looked up and saw that the saint's expression was still unreadable. Aside from a slight flicker of his eyelashes when he heard the name ‘Alexi,’ the rest of the time, he was so calm it left her feeling discouraged.
Lucius quietly observed the increasingly anxious lich for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth to speak. But just then, something about the way she lowered her head seemed to trigger a memory. Scenes and faces began flashing through his mind: sometimes soul butterflies on the Sea of Undead, sometimes the lich of the past, with her head slightly bowed just like now. The fragmented images flickered rapidly until finally, what surfaced in his mind was a long, flowing river.
Underworld River.
He had stood on its bank, while the goddess stood upon its waters, her face bearing the sorrow of having lost two children.
【So, you've seen the Underworld River. I can hear the seeds of doubt sprouting in your heart.】
【You no longer believe that good is truly good, or that light is truly light. You doubt, and you will search for answers.】
【When you see this world clearly, go to the city where my last remaining child resides. It will aid you, and you will aid him.】
Those scenes from long ago gradually faded. Lucius took a deep breath and looked at the lich in front of him.
Liches were truly suited to be guides. The one who led him to discover the truth ten thousand years ago was a lich, and this one, who now stirred his past memories, was also a lich. More pieces were coming back to him, and he could feel himself drawing closer to the finish line.
That finish line… where all truths of ten thousand years ago lay waiting.
“Mr. Lucius?” The lich's hesitant voice broke the silence. He had taken too long to respond. Clearly, this lich hadn't mastered the essence of Alexio's negotiation lessons. Her emotions were too transparent, and her heart too soft. Fortunately, Lucius had no intention of treating any of the children under Alexio's wing as enemies.
“Pious devotion to the Holy Temple, the previous era that perished in the firestorm… and Alexi.” He softly spoke words seemingly unrelated to the lich's question. Seeing her confused expression, he continued.
“These three things are my treasures. The first has collapsed, the second was destroyed, only Alexi remains.”
The lich gradually understood what he meant. Looking into the saint's sky-blue eyes, she felt that the emotion he was trying so hard to conceal might actually be sincerity.
“So what you're saying is… Alexi is your treasure, and you're promising not to harm him, right?”
“I don't make promises or agreements with anyone other than Alexi. Naturally, I won't make one with you either.”
Even so, Lucy let out a deep breath of relief. If Alexi was the only treasure left, it meant the newly resurrected saint would never harm him.
“Then I have no other requests,” she said with a smile. “Sorry for taking up your time. I'll just—”
Lucius suddenly spoke.
“Watch Alexi more closely if you want to improve your negotiation skills. Being overly considerate of others won't get you what you want.”
Lucy was momentarily stunned, then a little embarrassed. She had to admit, her performance in the conversation hadn't been great. Her intention was to take the lead, to be cool and dashing like Alexio.
Lucius said nothing more, clearly indicating the conversation was over. Watching the lich happily run off, Lucius knew that if he had revealed even the slightest hint of ill intent towards Alexio, this still-immature lich girl would've risked everything, even her own life, to protect him.
The children Alexio was raising were all well-behaved, far better than the lunatic he became after being molded by the Holy Temple.
He caught sight of a bit of cloth sticking out from around the corner. The moment he looked, it was quickly pulled back as if it had not been caught.
“……”
No need to ask. It was Zhen.
Zhen met Lucy as she jogged back. Judging from her expression, he could tell the conversation had gone well. She had told him earlier that she planned to ask Mr. Lucius for a promise regarding Alexi. From the looks of it, she had succeeded.
“You were amazing, Lucy,” Zhen whispered, eyes curving into a smile. “Share some of your courage with me too.”
Lucy then, quite seriously, made a series of elaborate hand gestures over Zhen's head.
“Courage shared with you!”
“Are you still having that dream? Should we tell Alexi?” Lucy asked, sounding a little worried. Zhen shook his head with a smile.
“Telling him would only make him worry. I need to overcome it myself. Lucy, sharing your courage with me has already helped a lot.”
Zhen said it lightly, but on the way back to his room alone, he kept his eyes lowered the entire time.
He didn't like that dream. That bird tangled in threads, he always felt it was a reflection of himself. And he wanted to break free using only his own strength and courage.
Just like Alexi.
*****
Alexio, who had just been mentioned repeatedly, sneezed several times in a row. He was currently in the large room prepared for the water nymph. Aside from a walkway along the edges, the entire space was filled with pools. Zerita from the main center was playing in the water with several water nymphs brought in from the branch center.
The girls' laughter was like the sound of silver bells. It would have been a delightful scene, if not for the southeast branch supervisor beside him ruining it entirely.
Alexio finally lost his patience and cut off the man's endless chatter about squeezing his branch's dark creatures into the promotional video.
“Absolutely not.”
“Wh… haha, I know you have your concerns, but just look at the dark creatures we've raised! They're so lively and healthy! A few shots wouldn't hurt!”
Alexio had no intention of including the branch's dark creatures in the footage. This wasn't discrimination, but rather because those dark creatures from the branch still retained their original delicate appearance, needing constant care and often tearing up at the slightest provocation. In contrast, Zerita, who still had shadow roses growing on her body and hadn't fully recovered from photopathy, could easily use her tail to spin water tops. The branch water nymphs just watched timidly, scared.
That didn't align with Alexio's vision. The Carnival wasn't just about reviving a festival from the previous era. It was also meant to introduce the newly revitalized dark creatures to the world. Any dark creature featured in the promotional video should represent a cold, eerie, and striking kind of beauty. Unless the branch was willing to hand these few over to him for a few days of training, which was impossible with how busy he was, that option was blocked from the start.
But this supervisor was getting on his nerves. He might as well expose some of the man's dirt and shut him up for good.
Having made up his mind, Alexio smiled with a trace of cold mockery.
This was a negotiation skill Lucy hadn't yet learned. She was too well-behaved, always speaking gently. Alexio, on the other hand, had plenty of experience with sarcasm. He could drive someone mad while scaring them half to death.
“I'll say it again, no,” he repeated, using the last shred of his patience. The branch supervisor's face turned sour. Deep down, he still didn't believe dark creatures should be in charge. Although he kept begging Alexio, he had already been cursing him in his mind.
“You're cursing me in your head, aren't you?” Alexio said with a half-smile. “I suggest you know your place. This isn't some event for you to leech off. Otherwise, I'll make sure you cough up every last bit of profit you've skimmed before.”
He mentioned two specific time periods. The supervisor's expression changed instantly, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Alexio had pinpointed the times when the man had taken bribes under the pretense of building facilities for dark creatures. He had no idea how Alexio knew, but he no longer dared to press the issue.
Alexio listened as the man awkwardly laughed it off and quickly said his goodbyes. Situations like this weren't uncommon. Cravenson had said as much when giving him related reports. Alexio understood that well. So long as they didn't keep bothering him, he saw no need to crush them completely.
The annoying guy was finally gone. Alexio crouched down right away and pulled out his shell ring.
“Zerita, help me figure out how to glue this part.”
He'd definitely be running everywhere on the day of the Carnival and might not have time, so he planned to give the gift to the lunatic on All Souls Day.
At the same time, Lucius, busy with his painting, had just finished the final stroke of a large exhibition piece. A robot would handle the duplication from here. He stepped back slightly and silently watched it work.
His hand rested on his chest, right where the silver cross intended for Alexio lay.
He planned to give it to him on the day of the Carnival.