< Chapter 88 - The Holy Spirit's Horn #3 >
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Chloe Gallas’s looks were as beautiful as her voice.
Long, black hair like ebony, contrasting with her pure white skin.
With the addition of blue eyes that held the mystery of the sea, it seemed like it could enchant the souls of sailors even without singing.
Thanks to this, Cordelia’s sense of alertness grew stronger, and she hugged Uther’s arm a little tighter and observed Chloe once more.
Chloe was wearing a tight-fitting white dress reminiscent of fish scales, and had a thin sword hanging from her waist.
‘It has legs.’
Sirens could freely change between a mermaid form with the lower body of a fish and an elf form with a completely humanoid form.
To begin with, this room itself was an indoor space with air, so if she were in mermaid form, she wouldn’t have been able to get here.
Anyway, Chloe, who was more beautiful than anyone could have imagined, had an unusual expression on her face.
She was smiling brightly with her cheeks slightly red.
‘Hey, you’re after Yuder after all!’
So that’s why you make that face!
Cordelia, who was still in the aftermath of her dream, saw that Chloe was completely in love with Uther.
‘Look at that, that smiling eye!’
It wasn’t a mistake.
Chloe was looking this way with a really shy smile on her face.
He said this with an expression so lovely that even a woman would find it endearing.
‘Oh, but this way?’
Although she was always attached to Uther, Cordelia was originally as sensitive as a wild animal in this regard.
Chloe was looking at Cordelia herself, not Uther, and her smile was also directed at Cordelia herself, not Uther.
‘Huh? Me? Why?’
Not Yuder?
At that moment, as Cordelia felt puzzled, Chloe walked lightly towards Uther – Cordelia, to be exact – and bowed very politely.
“Greetings from Chloe Galas of House Galas.”
Then he gently took Cordelia’s hand, lowered himself, and placed his lips on the back of her hand.
‘Hey, wait a minute. Why are your cheeks blushing? Why are you so shy!’
Wasn’t it the arrow of the sea?
Cordelia looked back at Uther in confusion, and realized that Uther was also confused by Chloe’s attitude.
‘Why is he like this?’
‘Wait a minute, wait a minute.’
Come to think of it, did Chloe ever speak to me formally?
No it wasn’t.
Even right after being rescued, Chloe was basically flat towards Uther when talking about the Kraken.
But why are you suddenly raising your voice?
And if you look closely, he was still only showing respect to Cordelia.
‘Hey, you’re Yuder?’
Why isn’t he letting go of my hand? He’s secretly still touching me? And it seems like his breathing is getting heavier too?
Hah haah?
Uther quickly turned to the door. The two sirens who seemed to have followed Chloe in to accompany her were also looking at him with their faces filled with excitement – Cordelia, to be exact.
Eyes filled with countless emotions: ecstasy, joy, envy, jealousy, etc.
What happened?
Of course, it was true that Cordelia was the most beautiful and lovely girl in the world-
Yuder, who had thought that Caesar would have a cold expression if he had heard that, quickly figured out the reason.
‘Ah! Is that it?’
‘That? What is that?’
Now, Cordelia, startled by Chloe’s sudden start to rub her cheek against the back of her hand, quickly asked with her eyes, and Uther answered with a bitter smile.
‘Spirit King.’
‘Spirit King?’
‘Oh, Spirit King.’
Aynix, the spirit king of storms and lightning.
‘Oh! Now that you mention it?’
I had a rough idea. Chloe and the sirens standing by the door all smelled like spirits.
‘Scent? Is it really a smell?’
‘No, it’s not really a smell, but a feeling? Like a magical aura?’
The elves of the Eternal Forest also had the scent of spirits, but they were all different and varied, whereas the sirens standing before my eyes now all had the scent of the spirit king of storms and lightning.
‘Because Aynix is also the spirit king of the sea.’
Although he was in a contentious dispute with the Water Spirit King, the sea was basically the domain of the Storm and Lightning Spirit King.
Because of this, there were quite a few Sirens who had made pacts with the spirits of storms and lightning – to be exact, the spirits of storms. Among them, the entire Galas family had made pacts with the spirits of storms.
‘And Cordelia is a contractor for the spirit king Ainix, right?’
Making a contract with the Spirit King was more difficult than one might imagine.
Just like the elves of the Eternal Forest, there was no one among the Sirens who had made a contract with the Spirit King at the time.
Then Cordelia appeared.
A contractor who has made a contract with none other than the spirit king of storms and lightning, Ainix!
‘Is that why you’re making such a fuss?’
‘That… what should I say? It’s a bit of an ambiguous metaphor, but should I say it’s like the Pope appearing before a devout believer? No, it’s more than that.’
For the Sirens, whose bond with the spirits was even deeper than that of the elves of the Eternal Forest, the Spirit King was virtually a god.
As she was a being who communicated with such a god, the Sirens could not help but regard Cordelia as a god’s earthly agent or a being close to a demigod.
‘Do you smell that to me too? That spirit’s scent.’
‘Huh? Huh. Just a little while ago, I summoned the right arm of the Spirit King.’
The sirens probably wouldn’t have reacted this way under normal circumstances, but things were a little different now.
This was because the scent of the Spirit King Aynix was so strong on Cordelia that just getting close to her made my body heat up with ecstasy.
“Lady Cordelia······.”
Cordelia groaned, not knowing what to do as Chloe panted and sent her a moist gaze.
Chloe was too pretty for Cordelia to dismiss her hand so cruelly, and she wasn’t cruel enough to do something like that.
‘Ugh.’
Something isn’t right.
It’s good that Yuder isn’t dangerous, but this doesn’t seem right.
As Cordelia groaned, Uther quickly reached out and stepped forward.
“Chloe, Cordelia is uncomfortable.”
When Uther spoke in a harsh tone, Chloe suddenly came to her senses and quickly lowered her head.
“Ouch! I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
“Oh, no. It’s okay. Get up.”
Cordelia quickly helped Chloe up, as she looked like she would hit her head on the ground if left alone, and Chloe once again showed a look of emotion at Cordelia’s touch.
“Ahhh··· I did this with my own hands······.”
Cordelia couldn’t help but groan again as Chloe blushed and made an ecstatic expression. Uther’s face became even more uncomfortable.
‘Can people change like this?’
Even when she was clearly saving me – no, even when we were talking, she was incredibly cool.
‘I guess you didn’t know at first… but you figured it out after talking to me.’
The fact that Cordelia is a contractor for Ainix.
And it was just as Yuder had expected.
When she first rescued Uther and Cordelia, Chloe had no idea that Cordelia was a contractor for Ainix.
The aftermath of the storm caused by the Kraken was so strong, and Cordelia was dying with all her magic powers exhausted, so she couldn’t properly sense the scent of the Spirit King.
But now it was different.
The Spirit King’s scent was so strong that just facing Cordelia made her feel confused.
And Caesar, who was watching all this from behind, laughed quietly alone.
Because the sight of Cordelia struggling and Uther spewing out jealousy with an uncomfortable expression on his face was so funny.
“Anyway… let’s get on with the story.”
Because I couldn’t go on like this forever.
As Yuder’s luck faded, Chloe came to her senses once again and looked at Cordelia and said.
“Contractor of the Spirit King, noble one. The head of the Galas family has requested that you be brought in.”
“Are you the master?”
“Yes, I would like you to accompany me to the conference room where we discuss the Kraken’s work.”
At Chloe’s answer, Cordelia looked back at Uther, and he nodded.
Given the circumstances, it was likely a place where the Queen of the Sirens had gathered the heads of each clan to discuss how to handle this matter – more precisely, how to defeat the Kraken.
‘Let’s go first. We need to have a meeting so that the conversation can proceed.’
‘huh,’
Cordelia nodded and looked at Chloe again.
“I will do that. Please guide me.”
“Yes, it is an honor to have you.”
Chloe, who had another ecstatic smile on her face, reached out her hand to escort Cordelia, but Cordelia’s hand was already tightly held by Uther.
“Please guide me.”
“···All right.”
Chloe, who had briefly glared at Uther, turned around and began to guide him, and Cordelia eventually decided to accept the situation.
In any case, it seemed that Yuder would be safe from the Erops of the sea.
‘Well, yeah. I guess that’s good.’
I felt like something was reversed, but anyway.
Cordelia collected her thoughts with a cool smile and winked at Uther. Uther, who had become more vigilant about his surroundings just like Cordelia had been five minutes ago, slowly took steps forward.
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Electra Galas, the head of the Galas family, looked almost exactly like Chloe’s mother.
‘They look like sisters, not mother and daughter.’
Because to humans, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were elves who were immortal.
Chloe, who looked to be in her early 20s, was standing next to Elektra, who looked to be in her late 20s, so they looked like sisters.
‘The things they do are similar.’
“Lady Cordelia, this way.”
“Uh, uh, yeah.”
As the head of the Galas family, she was the spirit of storm and lightning – and among them, Electra, who had a contract with a high-level spirit, so she seemed to be more in love with Cordelia than Chloe.
“After putting on this necklace, please get on the carriage.”
The gold necklace Chloe held out had a white jewel at the end, and it was enchanted to allow her to breathe underwater.
Cordelia quickly put on the necklace and admired the carriage that appeared before her eyes.
‘Wow, Yuder, Yuder. Look at that.’
‘It’s definitely interesting.’
The carriage itself was not much different from one on earth, but the animals that pulled it were different.
Instead of horses, there were large seahorses.
“Go.”
“yes.”
Cordelia got into the carriage with Uther, and Caesar and Bentham saw them off with trembling expressions.
Unlike Jude and Cordelia, Caesar and Bentham were not allowed to attend the meeting.
‘I’m also one of the seven southern families.’
She is the daughter of a wealthy family in the South.
But the only one who responded to Caesar’s mutterings was Bentham.
And then another twenty minutes or so.
After spending an awkward and uncomfortable time facing Chloe and Elektra, who were both yapping, Uther and Cordelia arrived at the Sirens’ conference hall.
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The Sirens’ palace, located deep in the sea, was hemispherical in shape.
There were colorful corals surrounding the pretty white dome, and countless sea creatures were swimming around the palace, making it feel like I was in an aquarium.
‘No, it’s not just that much.’
Cordelia, who remembered the aquarium she had visited in elementary school, held onto Yuder’s hand tightly once again after a moment of hesitation.
That’s because I suddenly remembered my teacher’s words telling me to hold my partner’s hand tightly.
“This way.”
After passing through a long corridor lined with armed soldiers led by Electra and Chloe, a very large, round door appeared.
“Please wait a moment.”
As I stood waiting in front of the door, a loud voice was soon heard from beyond the door.
“Electra Galas, the head of the Galas family, and the contractor of Lord Ainix, are entering!”
And then the door opened.
Cordelia swallowed dry saliva without realizing it, looked out the door with her shoulders slightly stiff, and let out an exclamation from her heart.
“Wow······.”
The basic form was not much different from the National Assembly building seen on the news.
Fan-shaped seats arranged in steps around a very high ceiling and a central platform.
But the glamour was different.
The floor and seats made of pure white marble were beautiful, as were the colorful jewels placed here and there, but the real highlight was the ceiling.
‘Pretty.’
The view of the ocean was clearly visible through the transparent ceiling.
In addition, as if some kind of magic had been used, the ceiling sparkled brightly here and there as if the sunlight was shining directly down on it, despite being deep in the ocean.
[Cordelia, let’s go.]
[huh!]
Cordelia walked down the red-carpeted path with Uther and took a seat on the long bench guided by Elektra and Chloe.
‘Doesn’t it seem like we’re the last to arrive?’
‘maybe.’
Because all the other seats were occupied.
And as expected, everyone was looking at Cordelia.
Some, like mother and daughter Elektra and Chloe, were panting, while others, like the elves of the Eternal Forest, showed only a little affection.
It seems that the degree of reaction varies depending on the spirit with which one has made a contract.
‘Hmm… okay. Not bad.’
Cordelia nodded with a newly satisfied expression.
It was because I was worried about the Aerops, but I also liked the way Yuder had been fidgeting and focusing on his surroundings since a while ago.
‘You’re cute.’
It’s completely different from my dreams.
Yuder in the dream.
A vengeful ghost who lost everything and just fought and fought against demons.
The man who shed tears of blood with an empty face after killing Cordelia, his former fiancée and the only survivor among those he loved, with his own hands.
‘Poor guy.’
I smiled as I looked at Yuder, who felt no sense of accomplishment despite having defeated the mighty mine.
He met his end with all his emotions hidden behind a wicked smile.
Cordelia.
She was kidnapped by the devil and ended up becoming a mine.
At the last moment, he regained his past self, but Cordelia did not reveal it.
Because he knew how much more difficult that fact would be for Yuder.
“Cordelia?”
“uh?”
I suddenly came to my senses and raised my head to see Yuder’s face.
Not the Uther who became a vengeful spirit like Kamael, but Cordelia’s own Uther.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“Huh? Oh, no. It’s okay. Just. Uh, just.”
My cheeks were wet. I must have shed tears without realizing it.
‘what?’
What did you just see? What were you thinking?
I couldn’t remember very well. It was like I was dreaming with my eyes open.
“Do you want to go in and rest?”
“No, it’s okay. Yeah, really.”
Cordelia nodded again, wiped her face with the handkerchief that Uther had handed her, and smiled brightly. Uther narrowed his brows and looked worried, but soon understood.
“Okay, if it gets even a little difficult, just tell me.”
“Yeah, I will.”
Cordelia, who answered beautifully again, deliberately made a more lively expression, and Elektra and Chloe, who were startled, started panting at Cordelia again.
And then a few minutes later.
“Her Majesty the Queen enters!”
With a loud shout from the palace staff, the door to the central podium opened and the Queen of the Sirens appeared.
‘The queen is still the same.’
The Queen of Sirens who appears as Malekith’s subordinate in the latter half of Heroes Chronicles 2.
Although the atmosphere itself was different from when she had fallen and become a slave, her appearance itself was almost the same.
White hair that was almost gray and blue eyes that were filled with wisdom. Unlike Princess Daphne or Princess Lyca, she had a delicate impression, but she possessed the dignity and grace befitting a leader of a nation.
“Hello, Her Majesty the Queen.”
Uther and Cordelia, who followed the Sirens in the conference room and saluted them, gulped dryly. This was because the queen sitting on the throne was looking at them with a very interested expression.
Illyana Calacanis, Queen of the Sirens.
In Heroes of the Storm 2, she appeared as Malekith’s loyal slave and an evil witch.
“Start the meeting.”
The Sirens responded to Illyana’s declaration. They saluted again and began the meeting.
‘The flow itself is as expected.’
As I’ve already discussed with Chloe, the Sirens’ plan itself was simple.
After completely trapping the Kraken in the sealed area, he unleashes his firepower on the creature trapped in the narrow space, knocking it down.
The problem, then, was twofold: a means of trapping the Kraken in its seal, and a means of attack that could deliver a decisive blow to it.
‘Fortunately, it seems like both sides are prepared.’
Iliana’s gaze, which had been looking this way for a while, was unusual.
It seemed like he was hoping for something.
‘Is he really the Spirit King?’
It was clear what the Sirens wanted from Uther and Cordelia – Cordelia, to be precise.
Summon the Spirit King and deliver a killing blow to the Kraken.
In fact, it was a request that could have been easily fulfilled.
The reason he saved Uther and Cordelia in the first place was probably to get help in the fight against the Kraken rather than to save lives.
There was also the justification for receiving a reward for saving his life.
‘Furthermore, there is a high possibility that we will feel regretful.’
It wasn’t just the Sirens who suffered when the Kraken struck the Southern Seas.
And of course, such stories came out.
The heads of the households who were completely enamored with Cordelia were tight-lipped, but the heads of the households who had made contracts with other types of spirits who were less influenced by Aynix were quite blatant in demanding the summoning of the Spirit King.
‘What should I do?’
Cordelia asked with her eyes.
She was the type of person who would summon the Spirit King even if he told her not to, but something else was on her mind.
‘Because there’s no way I can just let it go.’
In a situation like this where the other party desperately wanted something, and especially when it came to the royal family and nobles who were making unreasonable demands on us, it wouldn’t be Yuder if we didn’t receive anything in return.
But what can we do in this situation?
If I ask for a price in exchange for summoning the Spirit King, I’ll end up on bad terms with the Sirens.
‘I owe you my life.’
But it was Yuder.
It was clear that there had to be some way.
Cordelia, whose heart had already turned black, looked at Uther with expectant eyes, and Uther gave Cordelia the evil smile she had come to like recently. He stood up and responded to Cordelia’s expectations.
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“Do you really need all of these things to summon the Spirit King?”
“Yes, it is absolutely necessary. It is absolutely necessary.”
< Chapter 88 - The Holy Spirit's Horn #3 > End