Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 86

The next day, the Champagne Mercenary Company visited the bereaved families and delivered the money earned from disposing of the magical beasts. This act, coming from a group already attracting attention, sent the village into a frenzy of gossip, and the rumors spread like wildfire. Consequently, Huesen and his group became almost heroic figures to the locals.

That wouldn’t have been a problem, but an issue arose from a completely unexpected source: the village lord invited them to a banquet at his mansion. Having already declined numerous invitations and with their schedule already delayed, the group initially tried to politely refuse. However, the lord was relentless, sending servants every hour to persuade them and even resorting to childish threats, saying he wouldn’t allow them to pass through the gates if they didn’t accept the invitation. As commoners, Huesen and his group couldn’t refuse outright.

Fortunately, thanks to the merchant leader’s consideration, they arranged to leave immediately after the banquet. Only Huesen and his group would attend the lord’s mansion. Since they would have to remove their hoods at the invited gathering [자리, a Korean word for ‘gathering’ or ‘occasion’], it was unavoidable for me and Isana.

“To hold us back when we’re in a hurry. This lord is a strange person.”

“They must feel guilty that we did their job for them. They’re probably trying to assert their authority as the lord. Anyway, we’ll be back soon.”

“Be careful.”

“It’s just dinner, what could possibly happen?”

In response to their concerns, Huesen and his group smiled reassuringly.

However, that evening, the news that awaited us back at the inn was like a bolt from the blue.

“What? What are you saying! Huesen and his group are locked in the dungeon!?”

The news was delivered by Bildt, the leader of the Cocktail Mercenary Company, with a somber expression. As everyone stared in shock, he said with a distorted face, “I just heard it from people working at the mansion. They said they behaved very rudely at the banquet.”

“That’s impossible. They wouldn’t do that, and even if they did, to imprison guests in the dungeon? They invited them in the first place! How can this be happening?”

“This is absurd. What on earth happened?”

Everyone was dumbfounded, but no one knew the exact reason. Then, another piece of news left everyone speechless: the lord’s eldest son, known as a troublemaker, had harassed Iril and Sherry at the banquet.

The two female mercenaries, being rare and beautiful, seemed to have caught the interest of the notorious womanizer. Herol, with his fiery temper, immediately became enraged and attacked, resulting in a minor wound to the lord’s son. That was the reason Huesen and his group were imprisoned in the dungeon.

Upon learning the cause, everyone wore a blank expression. They were too stunned to even be angry.

“So, what happens now?”

To my question, Bildt replied with a troubled expression, “Well, the fate of the prisoners in the dungeon depends on the lord’s mood… He’ll probably demand bail.”

“Bail?”

“It’s bitter, but in this world, most crimes can be resolved with money.”

Come to think of it, I’ve heard similar things before. They said even murderers could be released with enough money. I was quite shocked back then, and hearing it again now weighed heavily on my heart.

“Maybe the lord was aiming for this from the start. He gave all the money from disposing of the magical beasts to the bereaved families, so he must have thought they had a lot of money.”

“How could he do that… They’re his own territory’s people. He orchestrated this to extort money from the people who helped them?”

“It’s dirty, but that’s reality.”

The one who replied was Cowell. He smirked with a grumpy face. “The lord of my village was like that too. A farmer found an ancient artifact in his field and became rich overnight. Then, he kept extorting money by bringing up non-existent taxes and ridiculous laws. Later, he even had people kidnap the farmer’s only daughter and demanded a large sum of money as ransom. It was made to look like it was done by bandits, but everyone knew the lord was behind it.”

“Didn’t anyone say anything about it?”

“Of course, they wanted to. But who would risk getting blamed for mentioning something without evidence? No matter how angry you are, not many people in the world have the courage to do that for someone else’s sake. Me neither…”

He mumbled with a rapidly darkening face. A faint sense of guilt was evident in his downcast gaze. Even in countries with established democracies, corruption is an inseparable part of light and shadow. In a place with a class system like this, there’s no need to say more.

The imperial family had long lost its function due to internal strife, and the people had learned resignation instead of raising their voices. Their miserable feelings, their unfair emotions, made my heart heavy.

The only consolation was that the future of this empire wasn’t too bleak. Isana, who loved this country more than anyone, would soon return to her rightful place. A journey that started with a light heart now felt like a mission.

“I should go to the lord’s manor.”

“Don’t bother, it won’t do any good even if you go.”

“We can’t just sit still like this. I need to find out what’s going on. Rye, you stay here. I’ll go alone.”

“What? But…”

“It’s okay. I’ll be right back.”

Pushing past the worried people, I left the inn and headed to the lord’s manor. And there, I witnessed an unexpected sight: people in shabby clothes were gathered in front of the lord’s manor. They were the bereaved families who had rushed over after hearing the news. They were pleading with a man standing in front of the lord’s manor.

“Please, sir. Please pardon them.”

“They are good people. They would never have committed a crime with bad intentions. Please forgive them this time for the kindness they have shown us.”

“Hmph, you ignorant fools! Do you think that showing kindness to you will absolve the crime of injuring a nobleman!”

“N, no, that’s not what we mean! We just…”

“Quiet! Anyway, that’s what my father decided. If you want to beg, go to my father. I’m busy. Can’t you get out of my way!”

From that one sentence, I could easily understand the man’s identity. He must be the lord’s eldest son who caused this situation. Sure enough, a small scar was visible on his cheek. It was such a small scratch that it wouldn’t even be considered a graze.

‘He sent those people to prison for such a small wound?’

Unable to hide my astonishment, I watched as someone from the bereaved families stepped forward with a heavy sack. It was already familiar to me, so I immediately recognized the sack. It was the sack of gold coins that Huesen and his group had given them. The lord’s son also seemed to have guessed something, as his eyes lit up.

“What is this?”

“This is what we offer. It’s not much, but please accept this and…”

Before he could finish speaking, a soldier snatched the sack as if grabbing it. As he opened the sack, a greedy expression flashed across the lord’s son’s face for a moment.

“Hmm, so you’re offering this as bail for those rude mercenaries, is that right?”

“Y, yes.”

“Well, fine. I’ll talk to my father about it.”

“Is that true? Thank you, sir! Thank you!”

“Alright, alright, go back now. You’ve been blocking my way since earlier.”

“Yes, yes, I understand! Thank you, sir!”

As the people bowed deeply, the lord’s son waved his hand dismissively. However, the conversation he had with the soldiers behind their backs was clearly audible.

“Young master, are you really going to release those guys?”

“Of course not. Do you think I’d let those who dared to wound me off so easily?”

“Then the money…”

“Hmph, I said I’d talk to him, not that I’d release them. Those ignorant fools just misunderstood on their own. That’s not my responsibility, is it?”

“Indeed, you are as brilliant as ever, young master.”

It was a small sound that I wouldn’t have heard if I weren’t a spirit. To think he would try to steal money in such a way. I was speechless at the blatant scam that was happening before my eyes, and I clenched my fist tightly. The lord’s son and his gang were gleeful, completely unaware that I was listening.

“We’re going to be late, young master. Let’s go quickly. I’ll take you to an even better place than yesterday. A new girl has arrived at a shop called Rose Madam, and she’s absolutely stunning.”

“Oh, really? That sounds promising.”

“I’ve been there a few times, and there’s really no place like it. You definitely won’t regret it.”

“Great! I’m in a good mood, so I’ll buy all the drinks today. Let’s all get drunk.”

“Hehe, you’re the best, young master.”

Judging from the content of the conversation, the place they were heading to was obvious: a brothel. I couldn’t hold back any longer and strode towards them.

“Hey.”

Surprised by my sudden appearance, the lord’s son wore a flustered expression.

“W, what, who are you?”

“Just give back the money you received earlier.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you ashamed of not only taking money from people who have nothing but also planning to embezzle it? Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment for being the lord’s son?”

“W, what are you talking about!”

At that moment, the soldiers beside the lord’s son blocked my path. Some of them were already familiar faces. They were the same soldiers who had come to me with wanted posters under the guise of reporting on the first day I arrived in this village. They seemed surprised to recognize me as well.

“Young master, that’s the one.”

“What?”

“You know, the one I told you about before…”

As one of the soldiers hinted, the lord’s son also looked at me with a strange gaze. I didn’t know what kind of conversation had taken place beforehand, but it was clear that it wasn’t a pleasant one.

“Oh, so you’re the suspicious guy I’ve heard about?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’ve already heard about you. They said there’s a suspicious person being protected by famous mercenaries, so they couldn’t properly investigate. Indeed, you look suspicious at first glance.”

At those words, I unconsciously checked my attire again. But I was just wearing ordinary travel clothes and a hood. Ninety-nine out of a hundred passing travelers would be dressed similarly. It was an absurd accusation, but the lord’s son was confident.

“You must have thought it was all over since it already happened. But as you know, things are different now. The mercenaries who were hiding you are gone, so you’ll have to undergo a proper inspection and clearly reveal your identity this time. In that sense, take off that filthy hood. I need to see your face.”

“You’ve already seen my face, though?”

“Ahem, I, the lord’s son, am saying I want to see it myself! Are you daring to disobey me?!”

Are people here possessed by ghosts who died without seeing faces? Why are they always telling me to take off my hood at every opportunity?

I clicked my tongue softly and took off my hood as if to show off. Since I had already shown my face, it wasn’t difficult to reveal it again. Isana wasn’t here now, so there was no need to hesitate to reveal myself.

The lord’s son wore a very surprised expression for a moment upon seeing me. It didn’t take long for that face to turn into a lewd one.

“…This is really an unexpected gain.”

“Isn’t it, young master? I told you so earlier.”

The soldiers chimed in, unable to understand the words. The lord’s son licked his upper lip and looked at me with a nasty gaze.

“Those mercenary bitches are like that, and these days, the commoners’ standards aren’t bad either. I was already annoyed because things weren’t going well, but it seems like this was meant to be. I’m really lucky.”

“What are you talking about…”

“What are you all doing? Seize that bitch.”

“Yes, young master!”

“…!”

What, am I being mistaken for a woman again?

By the time I realized the situation, I was helpless. The soldiers who had approached me had already grabbed my shoulders from both sides.

A situation where I was mistaken for a woman out of the blue, and then suddenly ordered to be bound? No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t feel like it was for good intentions. I glared at the man in front of me, feeling my mind gradually cooling down. He was grinning, showing his teeth, as if he was enjoying the way things were going according to his plan.

“…What are you doing?”

“You better cooperate, bitch. If you want your companions in prison to be safe.”

“What did you say?”

“I was tempted by those mercenary bitches, but the men were too tough to lay a hand on. If you satisfy me as much as those bitches would have, I’ll release all of them. How about it? It’s not a bad deal, is it? You must have come here because you were worried about your companions.”

At those words, the anger I had barely been holding back surged up. I knew it, he was going to be this ugly until the end. I knew it from the start, but he was clearly rotten from his personality to his mindset.

“Are you using your eyes as decorations? Where do I look like a woman?”

“What? How dare you speak informally to… Huh? What did you just say?”

“I’m not a woman. I’m telling you nicely, let go of my arms.”

I threatened in the angriest tone possible. In fact, it wouldn’t be difficult for me to shake off this level of restraint. I wanted to blow him away right now, even if it meant revealing my identity. But the lord’s son and the soldiers, who had no idea about my circumstances, all scoffed.

“Hmph, who would believe such a lie? You have to make your lies believable.”

“Ah, damn it! I’m really not a woman!”

“Haha, you’re a really funny bitch. Well, it’ll be clear once we strip you naked.”

“What?”

“If you want to prove it that badly, I’ll confirm it right here and now. What are you all doing? Strip that bitch right now.”

As soon as they received the order, the soldiers laid their hands on me. Judging from their practiced movements, it seemed like they had done this more than once or twice.

‘These guys are for real!’

But at that moment, something unexpected happened. Whoosh, a stream of water shot out, and blood spurted from the arms of the soldiers who had touched me.