EnCoffin Me Chapter 98
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 98
Alexio finished the crayfish that the lunatic had bought. Wiping his mouth, he grew serious. A faint glow of dawn was already visible on the horizon, but even after a sleepless night, he was still full of energy. He had too many questions for the lunatic like when exactly had he fully recovered his memory, and why he had kept it a secret. But in the end, the question he asked was the one he cared about most.
“Back then… why did you tear up our pact?”
That was his main concern. After killing Theo, he had spent some time reorganizing the Rose Society and planted his own people inside. Unfortunately, Cravenson had already died by then, or else that loyal and capable man would have been a great help to Alexio.
Alexio had handled everything, fully believing that through his and the lunatic's joint efforts, light and darkness would eventually achieve harmonious coexistence after generations of conflict. Yet…
The saint tore up the pact and led the three legions of the Silver Crusaders to attack the demon realm's fortress. Within three months, the fortress had fallen.
Alexio didn't understand why things had turned out this way. By the time he realized it, chaos had already erupted everywhere. He couldn't stay idle because the Holy Temple's blade was already faintly pointed at the then-declining werewolf tribes. The werewolves had changed kings three times in a short period and were on the verge of collapse, unable to withstand an attack from the Holy Temple.
He couldn't reach the lunatic, couldn't ask for answers, and with one tragic report after another, Alexio finally took action.
He knew everything was beyond saving.
He held immense prestige among the dark creatures, so much so that even he hadn’t expected such an overwhelming response when he raised his call to arms. With ease, he rallied the dark forces into battle, countering the Holy Temple's increasingly aggressive assaults. Yet as he stood at the forefront, he felt himself drowning in an ocean of hatred. Almost every dark creature he met held deep resentment toward the forces of light.
He didn't know where the hatred had come from. He clearly remembered talking with some friends who still held hope for peace. But overnight, many people's opinions had completely reversed. They eagerly rallied around Alexio, hoping he would ‘end the light.’
“Alexi.” The saint's call pulled him from his heavy thoughts. Alexio looked up and stared unblinkingly at the saint before him, wanting to know the reason.
“Alexi, I remember I once told you about the soul retrospection issue.”
“…Yes.”
“I said only a god could do something like that.” Lucius lowered his eyes, and reflected in them were the flames and deaths of ten thousand years ago. He spoke softly, “Gods can do many things.”
“You mean ten thousand years ago…”
The saint didn't answer immediately but stood up. Through the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows, red and white roses crawled up the courtyard walls, blooming brightly in the morning light. Retracting his gaze, he looked at Alexio with eyes as clear as a cloudless sky.
“During the Carnival when you were gone, I learned of an apocalyptic prophecy. The one who made the prophecy was Noah.”
Alexio paused, recalling the blind prophet. He was probably the only person Lucius considered a friend in the Holy Temple.
“So that's how it was…” Alexio lowered his eyes. “No wonder I hardly saw him afterward. I thought you had sent him away, that he'd quietly retire somewhere happily with Dalph from the Starlight Troupe.”
“Dalph died for him.”
“……”
“That's just the sorrow of a few people. Our era has undoubtedly experienced a much greater tragedy. When I heard you were dead that year, I nearly went mad. You know I was never quite normal, but from that day on, I probably truly lost my mind.
“Of course, the one I wanted to kill most was Theo, but before I could plan anything, the Holy Temple had already finalized their attack on the Sea of Unead. At first, I didn't know much about the Holy Temple's millennial-long plan, but when I connected it to the attack on the werewolves, I vaguely recalled the legend of the goddesses you once told me about.
“If there really were three pillars of darkness in the world, then there must also be three most special dark races.
“The Holy Temple undoubtedly wanted to destroy them completely.”
Alexio slowly exhaled. This was something he hadn't known ten thousand years ago. Those who learned of the apocalyptic prophecy couldn't share it with others, so Lucius had to guard it alone. At the same time, he realized he was among those carrying out the prophecy. Alexio couldn't imagine how that must have felt.
“I hadn't yet pulverized Theo's bones to dust, nor had I personally seen your corpse. I couldn't possibly stand by and watch the world be destroyed. So, I volunteered to go to the Sea of Undead and warned the lich about the Holy Temple's plan.
“Ui'falucy was a wise woman. Although I never told her the prophecy, she probably guessed it from the liches' vast knowledge. She actively sought a way to save us, maybe even contacted the gods. In the end, what she gave me was a compass that could point to hope, the last resting place of the final pillar, and the chance to meet the goddess in a dream.
“Then the Holy Temple's plan began. Leviathan collapsed, and she died.”
Alexio couldn't hold back any longer.
“The year I came back to see you, why didn't you tell me directly? The apocalyptic prophecy can't be spoken of, but what about the rest… the other things?”
The saint shook his head.
“Didn't you notice?”
“Wh-what?”
“You were being watched by the God of Slander.” Lucius didn't pause before continuing, “The goddess told me this. Apparently, you were seen as a useful pawn, and the God of Slander targeted you first. The moment I saw you again, I saw the shadow over you. Fortunately… those shadows only wrapped around you. They couldn't merge with your body. You weren't corrupted at all. But I can't be sure that if I'd told you some things, the God of Slander wouldn't have struck earlier.
“When it came to you, I always refused to take any risks.”
The saint approached Alexio, who was sitting in a chair. Lucius knelt on one knee and took his hand. Alexio's mind was still deep in the events from ten thousand years ago, and he seemed somewhat dazed. After a long moment, he slowly looked up.
“I was indeed acting strange during that time…”
His friends always held sharp opinions, and he himself would often have terrible thoughts, only for them to disappear the next day. He had thought it was just restlessness, but now, knowing the truth, he realized he probably had once been prey to the God of Slander, only the god had failed to get him.
No matter what, the lunatic who had carried everything alone ten thousand years ago…
He realized his hand was being held. The saint took his hand and opened his mouth, his blunt teeth gently touching Alexio's wrist. Alexio shivered. It was almost like their roles had reversed.
“You can't bite through this.” He pulled his hand back slightly.
“…Wanna try?”
No thanks. Just thinking about it hurt!
“You don't need to worry about me too much. After all, ten thousand years ago, my plan to save the world didn't succeed either.” The biting gesture had successfully changed the subject and allowed him to talk about something else.
Alexio looked at his expression and nearly lost it!
“I…”
“Meow-woo-woo, meow-woo-woo, meow-meow-meow-woo-woo…” U came into the living room, carrying its food bowl and humming a little tune with its ‘meows.’ So happy, it's mealtime again! My two Dage, can I have a canned food today?
U, holding its food bowl, looked expectantly at the two Dage, one sitting and one kneeling. It saw the seated Dage let out a sigh of relief, suddenly stand up, and head upstairs without looking back, leaving erge to slowly rise and turn his gaze towards it.
U: Meow? Meow meow meow meow?
It had a bad feeling.
“The carrots in the field are ripe, but we're missing a cat to harvest them.”
U looked utterly confused as it was grabbed by the scruff, its food bowl still in its mouth. It glanced sideways at the calm-looking Dage and sensed the terror beneath that calm.
With a soft ‘clack,’ the food bowl fell from U's mouth.
“Meow meow meow meow meow!”
Alexio opened the upstairs window just in time to see U stretch out both front paws, diligently digging up carrots while softly whimpering with ‘meowhuhu.’ He almost laughed. It was quite childish of the lunatic to quarrel with a cat. But if he really said to the lunatic what he once told Theo…
Alexio paused to think.
It was better to let the lunatic ask Theo if he had a recording.
He took a nap that morning. The Carnival was over, and he had to get back to his usual work. He planned to visit the conservation center in the afternoon since the place still needed some tidying. At noon, he ate the carrots U had dug up. The lunatic seemed perfectly normal, but then he picked up a slice of carrot and asked him, “What does this look like to you?”
Alexio looked at the carrot deliberately cut into a heart shape. “……”
The lunatic pointed again at U's food bowl.
“What does that look like to you?”
U buried his head in the bowl, exhausted from the morning, eating his cat food in big gulps.
Alexio stared at the heart-shaped cat food. “……”
He suspected that within a week, the lunatic, completely lovestruck, would probably turn all the decorations at home into hearts.
He stood up, deciding it was better to leave for now.
“I'm heading to the center for a bit. I still have some leftover work. You… want to stay home and rest?”
The saint glanced around the room's decor and nodded.
“I've finished the early part of my work. I can rest today.”
And maybe turn all the decorations at home into hearts.
“……”
Seeing Alexio's blank gaze, the saint smiled.
“Don't worry too much. I'm only planning to change some decorations soon, probably nothing else… hopefully.”
Damn, that promise was anything but reassuring!
Worried that the lunatic might keep causing trouble, Alexio arrived at the conservation center. He first helped tidy up the area, then went around checking on the various dark creatures. Zerita, in particular, had been getting much better physically since the two pillars of darkness were erected. She was frolicking in the water almost as if she had never been ill.
A few other water nymphs had been playing with Zerita recently and had grown much bolder, but the conservation center was still struggling with how to accommodate them.
“These dark creatures were brought in by the southeast branch, but many personnel there have been found to have issues,” Cravenson said gravely as he stood beside Alexio. “Not all personnel are under suspicion, and suspects have been found in other branches too, but our center insists on keeping these water nymphs here for now.”
“Has this news reached the southeast branch?”
“Yes. But we handled it smartly. The main center directly rebuked them, ordered reforms, and will send an investigation team.”
Alexio nodded. After learning that Theo's spirit was attached to that person, he no longer expected any honesty. Theo definitely knew his plan had failed again. What he didn't know was how much influence Theo still had in the southeast branch. Maybe… the whole branch had fallen.
Alexio said, “Reserve a spot for me on the investigation team.”
“Alright, I'll report your name immediately.”
“No, this spot isn't for me. It's for Lucius,” Alexio shook his head. “Of course, I'll go along, but only in name. ‘Alexio’ will stay here at the conservation center.”
Cravenson thought for a moment, then understood Alexio's meaning and nodded at once.
“Okay, you can rest assured.”
Alexio nodded back. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Zhen standing at the door, seemingly waiting for him. After a brief exchange with Cravenson, he headed straight toward Zhen.
“Zhen?”
“Xixi, I have something I want to show you.” Zhen handed him a lightbrain. Alexio glanced at it. It showed the usual Pupil interface, scattered with some comments that seemed normal at first. But when he read carefully, he realized all the comments emphasized the privileges of dark creatures, with wording that felt… strange.
He looked at Zhen, who gave him a slight nod.
“The public opinion war delayed by the Carnival… is about to begin.”