Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 364

364.

The booming voice belonged to Rex, the Gold Lion mercenary Hussen had defeated, who had then retreated. The man, significantly larger than most, shouted, completely crushing the morale of those already on edge. The Emperor smiled, watching a flustered Hussen’s eyes widen.

“So it seems.”

“…….”

Hussen was now officially the vice-commander of the mercenary corps. After lightly touching his stiff arm, the Emperor turned to the equally stunned Champagne mercenaries.

“Hussen will have a significant responsibility with this sudden, important role. I hope everyone will support the new vice-commander well.”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty! Leave it to us!”

“It’s reassuring to hear you say that.”

The Emperor, who had appeared as suddenly as a comet, was equally quick to depart. After offering words of encouragement to Hussen, he soon left for his next appointment. From arrival to farewell, it was a whirlwind. The Champagne mercenaries remained frozen in place for a long time, until the Emperor’s party completely disappeared from sight.

“What on earth is going on?”

“What do you mean? Hussen’s climbed the ladder, hasn’t he?”

“Hmph… Commander, no, should I call him Vice-Commander now?”

“Wow, Vice-Commander. Gives me the creeps.”

“Hussen, you’re so different now.”

“All of you shut up. As if any of you are better than me?”

Hussen blurted out, unable to endure the comments directed at him. He hadn’t even recovered from the shock of Matthew’s departure, and suddenly becoming the head of a unit left him completely disoriented. A man approached him and extended his hand. It was Rex, who had played a significant role in the situation.

“Say a word to everyone, new Vice-Commander.”

“…You….”

“Call me Rex, no need to be formal. Didn’t I tell you? Someone in the vice-commander position will somehow be held responsible for that power. Though I didn’t expect it to come so soon. It seems the vice-commander’s fate is extraordinary.”

“…….”

While looking at his grinning face with displeasure, Hussen accepted the handshake. He had thought it would be a fleeting encounter, but he had a strong feeling that it wouldn’t be.

It was the moment when Hussen’s relationship with Rex—the man who would later become his most loyal subordinate—began.

“Ah, by the way, Vice-Commander. Were you acquainted with His Majesty the Emperor?”

Rex asked Hussen, who was about to turn around after a brief greeting as the vice-commander. Hussen pondered how to answer, then nodded lightly.

“It was just a coincidence… well, that’s how it happened.”

“Hee, amazing. Then is it really true?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That His Majesty the Emperor is a water spiritist [a person who can summon and control water spirits].”

The reaction started elsewhere first. Those nearby began to whisper.

“Ah, right! I heard that monsters appeared recently, and the Emperor summoned water spirits to catch them.”

“That’s why that unit was in an uproar, right?”

It was quite a big topic, and the surroundings quickly became noisy. The Champagne mercenaries hadn’t heard the rumors because they were on the outskirts, but they weren’t surprised since they already knew. Rather, they were more surprised that the fact hadn’t been widely known until now.

“As far as I know, he was definitely a spiritist.”

“Gasp! Really a spiritist? Then is it also true that he’s contracted with the Spirit King?”

“…Spirit King?”

However, even they had never heard of this. The sudden mention of the ‘Spirit King’ made the surrounding noise even louder. Knowing that everyone was paying attention to him, Rex shrugged.

“I heard that His Majesty summoned two high-level spirits.”

“What does that mean…”

“There was a guy in my previous mercenary group who was well-informed about this kind of information, so I heard a lot of things. You can only make one spirit contract. The only spirits you can summon in multiples are lower-level spirits than the contracted spirit, right? So, the fact that His Majesty summoned two high-level spirits means he contracted with a spirit higher than that. And there’s only one spirit higher than high-level spirits.”

“Spirit King…”

“That’s right. So I was wondering if His Majesty is Elquines’ contractor.”

“Elqui…?”

“The Water Spirit King. The Water Spirit King Elquines.”

The Champagne mercenaries, including Hussen, stood blankly for a moment. A heavy silence fell between them, their thoughts suspended. “Vice-Commander?” Hussen, hearing the call, changed his expression and forced a smile.

“Well, I don’t know about that. But if it’s true, won’t it be known soon enough?”

“Ah, I guess so.”

Rex, not noticing the unnaturalness in Hussen’s answer, casually agreed. Since there was no further conversation, the boisterous atmosphere soon died down. As the surroundings became deserted, the Champagne mercenaries, who had been closely watching, quickly moved to a secluded spot. Only after they were completely alone did they begin to seriously look at each other and whisper.

“Hey, what do you all think? His Majesty is the Spirit King’s contractor. Doesn’t it feel like things are turning strangely?”

“Strange. It’s incredibly strange. The spirits His Majesty summoned were strong and beautiful, but… was there a being that looked like a Spirit King?”

“…He never summoned one. He just always traveled with him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Traveled with him?”

Everyone turned to Iril with surprised eyes at her seemingly dazed words. But it was Sherry who answered.

“…El, I mean.”

“…….”

“That kid, he had blue hair, right? A mysterious water color as if he had moved the sea as it is. That… wasn’t that a similar color to the water spirits?”

A low groan escaped Hussen’s mouth as he touched his forehead. It was a sigh of realizing that he could no longer ignore the truth he had been avoiding, even though he knew it.

“…His appearance wasn’t ordinary either. My heart always dropped when I saw him. Honestly, he didn’t look human.”

“And his name is El, of all things. Could that El be the El of Elquines?”

“Hahahaha. No way…….”

There’s no way!

They simultaneously grabbed their heads and squatted down.

“Damn it, I’m going crazy. What kind of day is today? Why do bad things keep happening to my heart? Is this real? I thought it was strange that His Majesty the Emperor was hanging out with a young priest aspirant [someone training to become a priest]… was that El the Spirit King?”

“Someone pinch me. Am I dreaming with my eyes open right now?”

“Then we hung out with the Spirit King?”

Everyone’s faces turned pale from the belatedly striking tidal wave of shock. Their past actions flashed quickly through their minds like rewinding a video. At the time, they treated El more casually than the Emperor. They often joked and teased him, and openly treated him like a naive child. All those scenes in their memories felt like the process of digging their own graves.

“W-wait a minute.”

“Why? Sherry?”

“If El is really the Spirit King… what is Matthew?”

“What?”

“Matthew… said he was El’s childhood friend. Like family.”

“…….”

“…….”

This time, no one responded. Everyone simultaneously stopped breathing and experienced their minds turning blank. At that moment, thump! A dull sound echoed.

“Eek! Hussen fainted!”

“Hussen! Commander! No, Vice-Commander! Hey, wake up!”

“It’s no use! His eyes are already glazed over!”

A series of silent screams spread from behind the most secluded tent in the unit. At the same time, the fact that a dark-skinned boy felt it and burst into a clear laugh was a story that would never be known to them.

Be grateful for everyday connections.

Miracles may be closer than you think.

* * *

「The Emperor was a Water Spiritist.」

This shocking fact, revealed belatedly, greatly boosted the morale of the Imperial Army. Among the rare spiritists, he was a water-type spiritist, which was known to be even rarer—and even among them, he was the most precious high-level spiritist. With the rumor that he might even be contracted with the Spirit King, the camp was buzzing with related stories.

The reason why the Emperor had been hiding his abilities was unknown, but the soldiers interpreted it as his own strategy of keeping a card up his sleeve until the end, and they respected him on their own. In fact, it was clearly news that could overturn the stagnant civil war situation in an instant. They had already confirmed more than enough times during their time that the Emperor’s character was excellent. The benevolent Emperor possessed outstanding abilities and was even wise, so he was truly the empire’s blessing and pride—however, for Isana himself, who had caused all this, it was merely an unintended accident.

“The deceased is a mercenary named Aron. He belonged to the Wine Mercenary Corps and seemed to have a good character, judging from the positive reviews he received from those around him for his diligent personality. There were no other suspicious activities.”

Isana’s expression was serious as he listened to the report. He held a thick stack of papers in his hand. It was a report detailing the investigation of the mercenary who had turned into a monster.

“What about what I asked you to check?”

“You mean whether he consumed any food other than what was distributed. We thoroughly investigated his usual companions, and they said he hadn’t.”

“…I see.”

Isana’s already furrowed brow narrowed even further.

This was the second time that a bizarre phenomenon of a human turning into a monster had occurred. The first time was with those who had committed espionage, so they hadn’t paid much attention, but the second victim was innocent. It was clear that someone had eaten the seed of the Demon Tree somewhere, but there was no way to confirm the process, which was frustrating. It could be that they ate it before joining the army since there was an incubation period, but if it was mixed in with the military rations, it was a very serious problem. It meant that no one knew how many more victims would appear in the future.

So far, they had been able to gloss over it because they had quickly dealt with each incident. However, if the same thing happened again, anxiety would begin to spread in earnest. The lamentation and sorrow of losing a comrade, and the fear that the next victim might be me. Psychological distress would not be resolved simply by quickly resolving the situation. Of course, the damage caused by the monsters themselves could not be ignored.

Isana tapped the desk with his finger, recalling the report he had received at dawn. The staff meeting, which was originally held in the morning, was urgently convened before sunrise today. It was because urgent news had arrived from an informant planted in the capital. The coded message delivered by the messenger contained content that was so unconventional that it was worth noting.

「The Grand Duke attempted to kidnap and murder noble children at a banquet—but failed. He then fled, and his survival is unconfirmed. His whereabouts are unknown.」

The date recorded in the coded message was three days ago. It was surprisingly favorable news for the Imperial Army, but most of the staff distrusted the information because it was so unrealistic. Many thought it was a distraction operation by the Grand Duke’s army. The fact that no unrest could be detected from the Grand Duke’s army, which would be the most confused if it were true, was cited as a valid reason. However, Isana was convinced that the information was true.

‘Hiding. Is he hiding… Did El take care of his uncle? Or…’

There was still no news from El. It could be that nothing special was happening, but it could also be that the situation was so urgent that there was no time to explain. He was frustrated because he was worried sick but had no way to confirm it. Of course, even if he found out, it wasn’t something he could do anything about. Thinking that far, Isana changed his mind. If worrying wouldn’t solve anything, he decided to focus on what he could do now.

“First, thoroughly check the military rations for any unfamiliar grains and collect everything you find. Also, investigate and isolate those who have recently eaten food from outside.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After giving a few more instructions, the second emergency meeting of the day ended. Isana, relieved, leaned back in his chair and gave a puzzled expression at the clearly felt gaze. The staff members, who he thought would leave immediately, were hesitating.

“Is there something you need?”

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

The flustered people hurriedly answered and stepped back. Duke Cael, who was still standing his ground even though everyone had left, soon heard a calm voice as Isana looked at those who were running away from the tent as if they were fleeing.

“They probably wanted to confirm the rumors.”

“Rumors?”

“The rumor that His Majesty is contracted with the Spirit King.”

“…….”

Isana unknowingly groaned. In fact, it was something he had been anticipating to some extent. It was impossible not to know since it was the biggest topic among the soldiers recently. He deliberately didn’t show any reaction because he thought it would be like admitting it if he reacted, but for some reason, the rumors seemed to be growing more and more. Now, he wasn’t even sure if he could fix it.

It was a very embarrassing situation for Isana. After revealing his abilities in front of everyone, he revealed nothing but the fact that he was a water spiritist. Spiritualism, like most abilities, was a rare ability that rarely had the opportunity to be encountered closely. There were more unknown parts about spirits, and even the spiritist himself rarely fully understood them. So, everyone thought that they wouldn’t be able to accurately recognize the power he possessed. He thought that they would just focus on the fact that he was a spiritist for a while and then it would gradually subside.

However, contrary to expectations, people quickly grasped the relationship between him and the Spirit King. There seemed to be someone among the soldiers who was studying spiritualism, but the problem was that rumors spread quickly in the army, which was a group of people. The rumors that started that way didn’t subside or decrease. It was a complete misjudgment from beginning to end.