Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 285

285. Episode 285

“Less annoying now?”

“Yes. Alcohol makes it harder to see.”

“Isn’t that more annoying, though?”

“I prefer it that way.”

Sensing his subtly somber mood, the knights didn’t press further. The conversation shifted back to everyday topics. I watched them chatter for a moment before turning to Sibelius beside me.

“Does drinking block your spiritual sight?”

“…It’s only temporary anyway. It doesn’t matter for a unicorn since they can’t get drunk, but using that method in a human body is suicidal. It’s a wonder he grew up okay.”

His immediate response showed he’d been listening to what Asel said. Yet, he stubbornly avoided looking at Asel.

「That’s why I really hated him.」

That cold voice, like a chilling wind, echoed again. The unfamiliar, hardened expression too. Even when he was being cold to me, he never looked so dark. It felt like I was seeing Sibelius’s true face for the first time.

I was worried about the Emperor’s Star. But an unexpected past from their group got tangled up in this. This is why you can never predict the future. I couldn’t even guess how to delve into it, or if I should even interfere. I was too cautious to say anything, so I just swallowed it all. In the end, all I could do was let out a long, deep sigh.

* * *

The clear weather turned bad suddenly, and a severe cold wave was predicted. It was expected to be the biggest storm since the start of winter. Since the temperature had dropped further, the unit decided to take a break for maintenance. Waiting due to snow was common, but this time it seemed like it would be quite a while.

The place chosen as the base was a territory called ‘Stealth’ nearby. The lord, Count Bannon, was a quiet noble who didn’t engage in central politics. When he heard that the Imperial Army wanted to stay, he led his household to meet them in person.

“To be able to serve His Majesty the Emperor and the Daughter of the Goddess is the greatest honor for my family.”

“Welcome, Count. We’ll be in your care for a while.”

“Please, don’t mention it. I will do my best to ensure you have no discomfort during your stay.”

Count Bannon, who was in his forties, had a neat and refined appearance. His attire was tastefully luxurious without being excessive, and his demeanor and expressions conveyed sincerity. The members of his household also had a similar atmosphere.

“These are my wife and daughters.”

The Count introduced the women standing next to him: a kind and gentle wife and her three daughters who resembled her. The eldest daughter seemed to be around Isana’s age, and the sisters seemed to be about three or four years apart. They all had golden-brown hair and black eyes. They even had the same slightly plump lips and freckles on their faces. Seeing such similar women standing side by side by age felt like watching one person’s growth.

“We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

The wife curtsied first, and the girls also lifted their skirts with nervous expressions. Their gestures were elegant, but their eyes were busy stealing glances at Isana. Seeing the Emperor in person wasn’t a common opportunity, so it was natural for them to be curious. Isana smiled gently.

“Seeing the beautiful smile of the Countess makes it feel like spring has already come to the Empire. Your daughters are all beautiful like their mother.”

“Y-You honor us.”

Even if it was just a formality, words of praise made the listener feel good, especially when those words came from the Emperor. Behind the smiling wife, the girls also blushed shyly. I could clearly feel the admiration in their gazes towards Isana. At that moment, a dark aura rose beside me. Alisa’s eyes sparkled fiercely. That gaze became especially sharp when directed at the eldest of the three sisters.

“His Majesty the Emperor seems to be equally kind to all women. If it were me, I would only compliment my woman’s beauty.”

Crown Prince Raonhizen muttered as if for her to hear. It was a precise, if ghostly, attack. It seemed to have some effect, as Alisa’s eyes became even more menacing. *It’s going to be a tough winter in other ways too,* I thought, shaking my head.

After a few more greetings, the unit began to move into the territory. Passing through the castle gates and crossing a long bridge, the charming buildings came into view. It was a well-maintained village, though not very large. Count Bannon gave the entire government building to the Imperial Army. The insufficient [Korean: 부족한] lodging was solved by building barracks in the nearby open space. Isana initially intended to use the same lodging as the soldiers, but she accepted the Count’s insistent request and decided to stay at his residence. Rooms on the same floor were also assigned to Alisa and the Crown Prince, and of course, their escorts as well.

“Lord Aldref’s escorts can use this room.”

My group was assigned to the room right next to Alisa’s. As I entered the room guided by the butler, I saw a well-organized space. Being the Count’s mansion, the guest room was quite decent, though it was significantly inferior to the tent Sibelius made. I wouldn’t be staying in the room all day anyway, so there was no need to feel sorry. However, separately from that, I didn’t like the accommodation.

“If there is anything uncomfortable, please tell me at any time.”

At the kind butler’s words, I paused my survey of the surroundings and turned to him.

“Excuse me, this is a rude question. Do you know what was here before this mansion was built?”

“Before the mansion was built? It was just a forest.”

“A forest? Are you sure?”

“Yes, it was a forest where small garden trees were grown. It was one of the businesses that the first head of the family invested in. Later, the third head of the family changed the investment direction and built [Korean: 밀고] the current mansion, I know.”

“I see. So it’s not a problem with the site? I hate that even more.”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing. Sorry for asking something strange. Don’t worry about it.”

I smiled and shook my head, and the butler looked bewildered before stepping back. I looked around again. Objectively, it was a very beautiful mansion. The interior was neat everywhere, and it was decorated with a bright atmosphere. There was a large garden in front of the mansion and an elegantly decorated fountain in the back, so it was a structure that made you happy no matter where you looked. Everyone was friendly and full of energy. It was an environment that was enough to make anyone easily feel attracted—if I wasn’t a spirit, if I didn’t see more than others.

“Why that expression?”

Lapis, who was taking off his coat, asked with a puzzled face. My expression must have been strange.

“Just… it’s a little unsettling.”

“What’s unsettling?”

“Isn’t it a bit… dirty here?”

“Dirty?”

Lapis looked around the room with an incomprehensible face. It was understandable that he would say that when I said it was dirty while looking at a place that was neatly organized everywhere. Sibelius seemed to have guessed something and was sending a calm gaze. I looked around again, but no matter how much I looked, the judgment I made at first didn’t change.

Suddenly, I looked out the window and saw someone coming out of the main gate and running towards the garden. It was only the back, but it wasn’t difficult to recognize him. The flamboyantly wavy short brown hair belonged to none other than Asel. He was retching repeatedly as if he had indigestion [Korean: 체하기]. I stared blankly for a while as he rinsed his mouth several times with the alcohol he had brought out.

“…It seems like we’ve come to a pretty bad place.”

* * *

There is something called residual thoughts. It is a phenomenon in which thoughts are engraved in related places when a person meets a death with much resentment. The world of spirits is more profound than you think, so there are many cases where it does not end completely even after death. Even if the soul is collected by the guide and departs [Korean: 떠나더라도] to the underworld, the resentment or grudges held until the last moment remain as residue and still remain in that place. If left unattended, it gradually fades and eventually disappears, but if the cause is not resolved, it tends to remain for quite a long time.

Until now, I haven’t really cared even if I saw such things. To be honest, buildings with a long history usually had one or two ominous [Korean: 흉흉한] incidents, so it was more difficult to find a place without any thoughts. It was also not taken seriously because it was not visible to ordinary people.

—But even that has a proper line.

Residual thoughts are usually just a feeling like dust rolling around, or at worst, a form like a dirty stain. However, the traces left in Count Bannon’s mansion far exceeded such general levels. In this building, there was a thick liquid spread everywhere like a water balloon had burst. Even the color was dark red, so it looked like blood was flowing everywhere.

It was the first time I had seen such a severe form of residual thoughts. In order for such traces to occur without anything happening, there had to be a problem with the site of the mansion: a place where massacres were concealed, or a former execution site. But since it was just a forest where garden trees were grown, it seemed far from such things. In the end, someone was murdered inside the mansion, and quite tragically at that.

“This is almost cursed. There must be a lot of people who get sleep paralysis [Korean: 가위 눌리는] while sleeping.”

The traces were so terrible that my heart sank several times while looking around the mansion. Such strong thoughts generally affect even the physical [Korean: 육의] world. Sensitive or weak-minded people could be possessed by thoughts and see hallucinations. Sometimes gods with excessive pranks (mainly lower-level gods) give form to these thoughts and harm humans. What are known as ghosts or monsters are usually such cases. It doesn’t harm me or the spirits at all, but I can’t help but feel disgusted [Korean: 질리는] just by looking at it, so I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Lapis said nonchalantly [Korean: 시큰둥하게] next to me, unable to miss [Korean: 피지] my crumpled face.

“I don’t see anything?”

“Well, this is like the residue left by the soul. It’s not spiritual sight, so there’s no way you can see it.”

“Hmm, so the blue [Korean: 퍼런] elf over there can see it?”

“Probably?”

There was no need to hear Sibelius’s answer separately, because he was also making as uncomfortable [Korean: 거북한] an expression as I was. He said he sees the realm of the underworld. Compared to the spirits who only felt the wandering [Korean: 떠도는] energy at a glance, this side seemed to see it clearly. Lapis’s face was suddenly contorted [Korean: 와락 찌푸려졌다].

“I feel bad for some reason.”

“Oh, don’t compete with such useless things. It’s better not to see it. Anyway, we have to stay in a place like this for a while; we’re really unlucky. I’ll have to purify [Korean: 정화] the rooms that our people use later.”

“Why just a rough purification [Korean: 대충]? Can’t you just get rid of it?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“But why?”

The meaning of the words was obviously sarcastic [Korean: 건네는 비꼬듯이]: *Why aren’t you being meddlesome [Korean: 오지랖] and just passing it over [Korean: 넘어가는]?* I had a lot to say about that, so I answered confidently.

“Residual thoughts are left by victims who died unfairly. It’s a kind of dying message. Looking at the traces left so miserable [Korean: 처참한], they must have been murdered quite brutally. It even remains in a very clear state. That means that this incident was either concealed without anyone knowing, or it happened recently. Maybe both. Looking at the faces of the people here, it’s certain that it hasn’t been long since it happened. No one has been affected by the thoughts yet, so it’s too early to clean it up now. If the incident is concealed, isn’t it pitiful [Korean: 가엾잖아] to end like this?”

“What, meddling [Korean: 오지랖] was on the side of the dead?”

“I’m just trying to keep justice? Anyway, I don’t know exactly what the situation is, so I’m just going to leave it alone. By the time it’s rumored to be a haunted house, the incident will become clearer. If the perpetrator doesn’t pay for their crimes, the direction in which the thoughts run wild [Korean: 날뛰는] becomes more vicious [Korean: 악랄해지거든]. Then won’t it eventually be revealed in some way?”

“Well, do whatever you want. I can’t see it anyway. Leave it alone or not.”

“Don’t answer so insincerely [Korean: 성의 없이]. This is quite a serious matter.”

“Humph. How serious is it when I can’t even see it.”

“Are you going to keep acting stubbornly [Korean: 삐딱하게]?”

I glared at him, and Lapis only snorted [Korean: 뀌었다 콧방귀]. He seemed to be considerably frustrated [Korean: 어지간히도 분한] that he was the only one who couldn’t see the residual thoughts. No matter how skilled [Korean: 능통] he was in magic, this was an unavoidable area.

“Hey, blue [Korean: 퍼런] elf, sacrifice yourself for me. Give me your eyes.”

The outburst [Korean: 화풀이] continued, directed nonsensically [Korean: 엉뚱하게도] towards Sibelius. Sibelius, who was quietly receiving this sudden abuse [Korean: 느닷없는 시비], was so shocked [Korean: 기함하다] that he coughed up blood [못해 기침을 토했다].

“Cough, cough! You crazy bastard! Did you swallow poison or something? What suddenly nonsense [Korean: 갑자기 무슨 헛소리야]?”

“I’m giving you a meaning to be born. Your eyes will be happier to be used by me than to be attached to you.”

“You have a talent for euphemistically [Korean: 돌려 말하는] saying the words ‘I want to die’ very clearly [Korean: 낭랑하게]. If you can take it, go ahead and take it?”

“Can you say that? You’ll regret it?”

“Why would I regret it? I think my insides would feel refreshed [Korean: 속이 다 시원할 것 같아] if I see you collapse [Korean: 나자빠지는].”

“Ha, collapse [Korean: 나자빠져]? Who are you talking to right now?”

“You.”

“It’s you [Korean: 너겠지].”

“No, it’s you.”

“It’s you [Korean: 너거든]?”

A childish argument began to go back and forth between grown adult men. After listening silently [Korean: 잠자코] for a while, I sighed deeply [Korean: 푹 한숨을 내쉬었다].

“If you don’t stop, I’ll make sure you both don’t see a good sight [Korean: 꼴].”

“…….”

“…….”

Fortunately, they didn’t do the foolish thing of ignoring the warning. They didn’t want to have the experience of being splashed with water [Korean: 물벼락을 맞는] indoors either. I was going to nag [Korean: 잔소리를], but I stopped [Korean: 그만뒀다] because it was too much of a bother [Korean: 귀찮아져서], even that. After doing that, I suddenly became curious.

“But Lapis, don’t you have a lot of precious jewels? Don’t you have a unicorn’s eye among them?”