Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 60

Chapter 60

The incident that morning spread throughout the city like wildfire. The sheer number of witnesses, coupled with the negative sentiments many held towards the Vodka Mercenary Group, fueled the rapid dissemination of rumors. The story of their leader, Sean, allegedly being castrated, particularly captured the public’s attention.

That very day, the Vodka Mercenary Group terminated their contract and vanished. Rumor had it that some members, unable to bear the shame, deserted the group, suggesting its imminent disbandment.

“But, are we really in the clear? What if they seek revenge later? And what about reporting the incident to the guild?”

Their faces, etched with hatred and resentment, were the last the party saw as the Vodka Mercenaries disappeared. Yet, none of the party members seemed overly concerned.

“Don’t worry. The guild can’t easily touch Hussen anyway. He’s one of the few highly valued Gold-ranked mercenaries in the guild. Besides, this whole incident was clearly their fault.”

“That’s right. They’ll probably see it as a good riddance. The Vodka Mercenary Group has always been a thorn in the guild’s side, a nuisance they tolerated only because they were effective, despite their bad reputation.”

“I see.”

Perhaps due to weathering a crisis together, an unusually friendly atmosphere permeated Hussen’s party. This was further amplified by Sherry’s reflection on her past behavior and her subsequent apologies to everyone.

Around noon, my party and I reorganized our equipment and gathered at the designated starting point. Other mercenary groups, already prepared for departure, were also present.

But was it just my imagination? I had anticipated a smaller crowd due to the Vodka Mercenary Group’s absence, but it seemed like the number of people had actually increased.

No, the headcount had definitely risen. I noticed unfamiliar faces among them and my eyes widened in surprise. Beside me, Mighty chuckled, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“Oh, my― you’re quite popular. Did you sign a contract with a new mercenary group already?”

“Ah, is that the reason?”

“Well, this merchant escort job pays exceptionally well. There’s rarely a shortage of applicants.”

As we approached, the mercenaries, who had been resting before departure, stood up one by one. A man who appeared to be their leader, with a lean, athletic build and in his late thirties, quickly approached Hussen and offered a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Wilt, the leader of the Cocktail Mercenary Group. We’ll be accompanying you to Clmore from today. I must say, I enjoyed the spectacle earlier. That was truly amazing swordsmanship. A bit unsettling as a man, though, haha!”

He was likely one of the witnesses to Hussen’s ‘castration technique’ (though I’m not sure if that’s the right term) from earlier that morning.

Hussen, not offended by the man’s purely admiring expression, offered a rare smile as he returned the greeting.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Hussen of the Champagne Mercenary Group.”

“I’ve heard a lot about Hussen, the Gold-ranked mercenary. Most Gold-ranked mercenaries prefer to work alone, but I heard you uniquely run a group, so I wanted to meet you in person. I also heard that all the members of the Champagne Mercenary Group are quite skilled and remarkably attractive. Seeing them makes my own members look like squids, hahaha!”

He casually compared his members to squids with a friendly demeanor, a statement that was immediately challenged. One of his members brought a rough axe to his neck.

“Say that again, you old geezer!”

However, Wilt didn’t seem nervous at all, as if this wasn’t the first time he’d experienced such a reaction. Instead, the unidentified black-haired man, Cowell, who held the axe to his neck, seemed even more agitated.

“Tsk, tsk. When are you going to fix that rough way of speaking? Calling me, who’s only thirty-four, an old geezer? No one will believe that.”

“You look old enough, though? Your hair is all white!”

“I was born with this hair color! Oh, right, I’m late for introductions. This guy is Cowell from our mercenary group. As you can see, his face is also like a squid, and his personality is like this, but please bear with him.”

Despite the embarrassing introduction, the man named Cowell was quite handsome. He appeared to be just over twenty years old, relatively thin with no visible muscles. However, seeing him wield an axe that looked quite heavy in one hand suggested considerable strength. Contrary to his gentle appearance with blue eyes, his personality, as evidenced by his speech, seemed quite rough.

“Eek! What’s wrong with my personality! Do you really want to die, you damn old geezer!”

“Hahaha! As you can see, this guy is a bit energetic, but he’s not a bad guy.”

“…….”

Wilt skillfully smiled and ignored Cowell, even though he could have been offended by the rough language. Judging by the other members’ indifference, this dynamic had likely been in place for quite some time.

“By the way, Iril, I have a question.”

“Huh? What is it?”

I cautiously asked Iril, who looked at me expectantly.

“Why are the mercenary group names all alcohol names?”

“Huh? Alcohol names?”

“Well, yes. The Champagne Mercenary Group, Vodka, and now Cocktail again, it’s a bit strange. Is there some rule that mercenary group names must be alcohol names?”

“Oh, El! That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Ah, is that so? Well, I guess so. There’s no way there could be such a rule……”

“No, it’s not that. Our mercenary group name is not an alcohol name.”

“Yes? But Champagne is……”

As I looked at her with a bewildered expression, the other members also shook their heads. Huh? Could it be that there is no alcohol called Champagne here? But I soon realized the exact reason why they said their name was not an alcohol name.

Sherry quickly showed the ring she was wearing on her finger. It was a simple ring with a silver frame and an orange gemstone. At first, I was bewildered because I didn’t know its meaning, but I suddenly remembered something and asked in amazement.

“Could it be…… this gemstone, Champagne?”

“That’s right. Pretty, isn’t it? Our mercenary group’s name is taken from the name of this gemstone. So it’s definitely not an alcohol name.”

“……I, I see.”

It was a gemstone name, not an alcohol name.

I thought everyone would assume it was alcohol, but I didn’t bother to point it out. It was the moment I realized the truth that there are as many homonyms [words that sound alike but have different meanings] as there are people with the same name.

* * *

Clang!

The desk, struck with a heavy blow, shook violently. The impact caused the ornate luxury porcelain to roll off the surface and shatter on the floor. The liquid that spilled was an expensive perfume, beyond the reach of ordinary people even after a lifetime of work. But such a detail failed to register with the man consumed by rage.

“Damn it, what a disgrace! To be outmaneuvered by that young brat’s tricks and forced into a corner!”

The scent of the spilled perfume permeated the room, further irritating the man.

“Get rid of this immediately!”

The servant, unsure how to react in the face of his master’s fury, gestured to the other servants nearby, signaling them to clean up the mess. A beautiful boy with red hair quickly approached and began to gather the broken glass.

The boys in the room were all attractive, but the red-haired boy possessed an exceptional beauty.

Normally, the man would have been captivated by the sight of the beautiful boy, but his anger was too intense to even notice him. The man, Duke Yukarte Lanne Swalt, roughly removed the golden crown he was wearing and leaned back in his chair.

“To believe such ridiculous nonsense! That the oracle [a prophecy or divine message] was manipulated? And that the Emperor isn’t insane? As evidence, it rains every three days? Ha, I’m truly speechless!”

“It’s just a rumor. Besides, now that the rain has stopped, there’s nothing more to worry about.”

“The timing of the rain stopping is the bigger problem! The rain stopped as if waiting for the sale of water to be suspended? Doesn’t this seem like someone intended it to happen!”

“It’s just a coincidence. Who in the world can control the rain at will? It doesn’t make sense.”

“That’s the problem, because that impossible thing happened!”

Clang!

Once again, the desk shook. This time, nothing fell, but the boys watching from the side cowered and exchanged nervous glances. The Grand Duke gnashed his teeth as if grinding them to dust.

“What about the thieves spreading those rumors? Have you discovered anything about their whereabouts?”

“They’re still like ghosts, moving so quickly that we can’t even catch their trail.”

“Increase the support troops. Those guys are probably the Emperor’s Imperial Knights anyway. It’s obvious that the Emperor is among them. We must capture them, no matter what!”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Isana. Is that damn nephew really making a move?

Although his confinement in the last tower was confirmed, the Grand Duke never intended to let Isana live. He planned to kill him at the first opportune moment, but he never anticipated that his Imperial Knights would exploit the situation and help him escape.

He should have killed him that day when he occupied the Imperial Palace. His hesitation, driven by concerns about regulations, was the most painful mistake of his life.

That’s why he was even more enraged that Isana was revealing his existence in this way after disappearing. He didn’t know how Isana managed to predict the rain, but this time, the Grand Duke had undoubtedly suffered a defeat. He bit his lip again, struggling to suppress his rising murderous intent.

He inadvertently glanced at the white robe he was wearing. Instantly, his face, which had been horribly distorted, regained its composure as if nothing had happened. His face, now smiling peacefully, was like that of a completely different person.

“Hmph, no matter how much those guys struggle…… He has taken my side. This empire is already mine. Emperor Yukarte Lanne Swalt! That is my name!”

“Of course, Your Majesty. You are absolutely right.”

Using the title ‘Your Majesty’ for him, the Regent King, while the Emperor Isana was still alive, was an act of treason. However, the one who spoke the words did so with unwavering conviction, and the one who heard them accepted them as his due.

It was natural. Because none other than ‘He’ was on his side. The day would come when all the people of this land would call him ‘Your Majesty’. Grand Duke Yukarte sensed that the day was approaching. Everything was nearly complete. Until then, watching his pitiful nephew’s futile struggles would be a source of amusement.

“Do as you please, Isana. Until the moment when that thin neck is twisted in this uncle’s hands. Hahahaha!”

The Grand Duke looked at his clenched fist and smiled cruelly, as if relishing the imagined moment. That slender neck would break easily with just a little force, just like his brother, who vanished into the dew of the execution ground without resistance.

At that moment, the red-haired boy finished collecting the broken glass. He stepped back silently, but his brow was slightly furrowed.

In the boy’s opinion, the Grand Duke was a fool. He was aware of the situation, yet he overlooked his own words.

It rained every three days.

The rain stopped as if someone had intended it.

An impossible thing happened in this land.

‘But you still think it’s a coincidence. You idiot.’

It was an impudent thought for the ruler of an empire, but the boy didn’t care. His mind was preoccupied with other matters.

A certain amount of water was regularly supplied to the entire continent. As far as the boy knew, there was only one being in this world capable of such a feat.

Thinking that far, the boy’s lips curled into an enchanting smile.

‘It’s you, Elquines.’