Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 468

“Well, that should do it for now. Is this alright?”

“…I don’t care. As long as I can move.”

“Then I’ll cut the other chains too.”

Leaving the dazed man behind, I diligently continued my work, focusing on cutting the chains as close as possible to prevent them from dragging. While I was at it, I cut the chains of the other two unicorns as well. The man watched me with a complicated expression.

“All done.”

“…Are you perhaps a dragon in disguise?”

“I told you, I’m human.”

“What kind of human has that kind of power…?”

“Just a human with a bit of strength. What do you want to do now? Should we carry you one by one?”

Even though the chains were cut, they were only free in body; the spheres and mana sealing tools were still in place. There was no way a man without weapons could escape with two unconscious companions. I was thinking of modifying my plan to escort them to a safe place before returning. But after a moment of silence, the man shook his head.

“No, I’ll take care of our side. You go do what you were originally going to do.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

“Humans are the ones who did this to us.”

“……”

“Thank you for the help. But if you’re really human, I don’t want to be indebted to you any further.”

His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. I stared at the man for a moment. The softness that had been in his eyes during our conversation was replaced with wariness. I understood his feelings well enough. He must have gone through a lot since he was captured, whenever that was. It was no wonder he couldn’t trust others, especially since I was the same race as those who had kidnapped them. But even so, it didn’t change the fact that it was a reckless decision that didn’t consider reality.

“How are you going to get them out of here?”

“That’s… none of your concern.”

“If you don’t have a plan, wouldn’t it be better to just accept the help? If you don’t want to be involved with humans, you can just pretend you don’t know me after it’s all resolved.”

“I have no intention of doing such a despicable thing. I’d rather protect my honor and die here.”

*No, I told you, you’re not going to die here.* I could roughly guess the man’s personality. He seemed to be unnecessarily stubborn. Even so, he couldn’t hide the dark expression on his face, as if he was at a loss.

“Hmph……”

Fortunately, the situation turned in his favor. Just then, the other unconscious unicorn began to groan. Both I and the man who had been watching me were startled and quickly checked on him. This time, it was the orange-haired man who regained consciousness.

“Karian, are you awake?”

“…Arel?”

“Yes, it’s me. Do you recognize me?”

“What about Weldy…?”

“He’s next to you. He’s safe.”

The orange-haired man frowned and slowly raised himself up. He looked dazed, as if he couldn’t grasp the situation yet, but when he found me, he wore a bewildered expression.

“…Who?”

“Ah, Karian. He’s…”

But at that moment, the flow of air changed. The man who was about to explain also stiffened, as if sensing something. He and I looked towards the entrance almost simultaneously. Someone was approaching. At least five people were coming.

After exchanging glances with the man for a moment, I quickly approached the entrance and leaned against the wall. Along with the sound of footsteps, the voices of conversation gradually grew closer.

“Is he awake?”

“When I checked earlier, he was still sleeping.”

“He seems to be sleeping for too long. Hey, you said you kicked him at the end. Did something go wrong then?”

“No, I didn’t kick him that hard.”

“They said he had a nasty bruise. Where are you lying, you bastard? I always told you to handle them gently when you catch them. If something’s wrong, I’m going to take the cost of the treatment from you. Be prepared.”

“Hey, that’s too much. It’s not like I did it on purpose.”

“Shut up, you bastard.”

Anyone could tell they were talking about me. I parted the curtains slightly to check the approaching group. Two men in robes and five armed men. The one in the lead seemed to be of a fairly high rank, as his attire was quite fancy.

I turned my head back to check on the unicorns. In the meantime, the man named Karian seemed to have regained his senses and was looking around with a tense expression. *If I were alone, I could have ignored whatever they said, but now that there were two of them, it would be alright.* I felt much lighter.

“Do you know what it means to enter this red tent? The people here are worth whatever you ask for. You guys are worth a fortune that you’ll never be able to touch in your entire lives. Anyway, all of you better be on your toes. An important person is coming soon…”

The man who was lecturing as he stepped into the tent widened his eyes. It was because he had found me standing right in front of him.

“…Huh?”

The men who followed behind him also widened their eyes. I gave a bright smile to them, who were making the same expression as if they were stamped out of a mold. And immediately, I approached the soldier in front of me and kicked his leg.

“Ugh!”

I pressed down on the staggering soldier and snatched the sword he was holding. Perhaps I had put more strength into it than I thought, as the fallen man couldn’t get up again. Of course, I didn’t care at all and continued my next move. The next target was the man at the very front.

“Master!”

The warriors who reflexively jumped in to protect the man at the front received the sword in his place. No wonder he seemed to be of a high rank; it seemed that he was the one running this damn slave trade. The soldiers lost their balance as they protected him. The men who had piled up screamed and fell over, and one side of the formation collapsed. When I turned my head, the others were hurriedly taking defensive stances. They seemed to think I would swing my sword again. But this time, the goal wasn’t to attack. After looking back at the group that was still disoriented, I checked on the unicorns in the back. For a brief moment, my eyes met with those of the black-haired man, Arel. His face was stiff, and his agitation was clear.

*‘I’ll draw their attention, so escape in the meantime.’*

I don’t know if the words I mouthed were properly conveyed. I decided to believe that he understood and ran forward.

“Wh-what are you doing! Catch her immediately!”

The trade master, who had been saved thanks to the others, screamed as if he was yelling. Soldiers were running from the opposite side, sensing the commotion. Perhaps they were experienced, as their response to the sudden situation was quite fast. I tried to change direction, but feeling an ambush coming from the middle, I quickly twisted my body. I stepped on the pillar next to me to jump over backwards.

‘Huh?’

But my vision soared higher than I expected. I had only leaped back lightly, but I jumped so high that I was taken aback. When I came to my senses, I was on the roof.

“Crazy!”

The sound of someone shouting was exactly how I felt. Looking down at the people who had suddenly become distant, I quietly clicked my tongue.

*‘Am I practically flying at this point?’*

Was it really possible for it to turn out like this just by removing one weight amplification device? I was surprised myself, so others must have been even more so. Among the people who were mesmerized by the acrobatics unfolding before their eyes, the trade master screamed again.

“What are you doing, you bastards! Get a grip right now! Catch her quickly!”

Only then did the people come to their senses and start running again. I couldn’t confirm whether Lily was among them. Blonde hair was common, and she didn’t have a particularly striking impression that would make her stand out at a glance in the first place.

*‘I should stall for time like this and figure out where everyone is.’*

At that moment, a sharp energy grazed my cheek. I quickly turned my head to avoid it, and it turned out to be an arrow. Some soldiers were already drawing their bows. It was a viable attack in a situation where close combat wasn’t possible. But the trade master, who had been jumping up and down telling them to catch me, turned pale.

“Ugh! Don’t shoot arrows! How much do you think that is worth! What if she gets hurt!”

It was a sound that made it unclear whether he was an enemy or an ally. The soldiers nearby gritted their teeth.

“Don’t say nonsense, Master! How else are we supposed to catch her when she’s so high up!”

That was exactly what I was saying. The trade master seemed to realize that there was a problem with his statement and made a tearful face.

“D-don’t inflict fatal wounds! Aim for the legs as much as possible! Never kill her!”

“It’s not like we can control that!”

“She’s too fast to be considerate!”

“Do as I say, you bastards! If she dies, you’re all getting a pay cut!”

The trade master, who was screaming and being unreasonable, looked like the most miserable person in the world at that moment. But his misfortune didn’t end there. The sound of someone running up and shouting followed.

“Master! We’re in big trouble! The unicorns have escaped!”

“What!”

The trade master foamed at the mouth and clutched the back of his neck. Those who were hurriedly supporting him and those who were trying to catch me were mixed up in a chaotic mess. It was literally a scene of pandemonium. As I looked down at the people who were in a state of panic, I felt a movement moving quickly from afar. I could see the figures of two men running away, carrying an unconscious woman between the tents. It was the unicorns. Fortunately, they seemed to have escaped safely. But that also meant they were discovered quickly.

“Unicorns found near the black tent!”

“Good! You guys stay here, and you guys chase after them immediately!”

The one who seemed to be the leader of the soldiers calmly gave orders. The formation was quickly reorganized according to the gestures he was pointing at.

*‘That won’t do.’*

Seeing them moving in perfect order, I jumped off the roof. To be exact, towards the group that was trying to chase the unicorns.

“Huh?”

The soldiers’ eyes widened as if they didn’t expect me to come down again. Taking advantage of the gap where they were flustered and unable to respond, I immediately attacked, and the formation quickly fell apart again. I had felt it when I fought them before, but even though there were many of them, they weren’t particularly skilled, so it didn’t feel too overwhelming to deal with. Besides, it was even easier now that I was faster. If it seemed like I was going to be at a disadvantage, I would climb back onto the roof. After repeating the process of hitting and running several times, a barrage of curses filled the air. The soldiers, who were thoroughly enraged and had lost their minds, threw arrows and spears indiscriminately, no matter what the trade master said. In the meantime, the unicorns seemed to be escaping safely.

*‘Alright, then shall we start moving in earnest now?’*

If I run around to some extent, I’ll probably meet Sibelius too. Now that I felt much more at ease, there was nothing else to hold me back. This time, as soon as I came down, I went straight into the tent that was most visible in front of me. When I suddenly changed course after attacking as soon as I came down, the soldiers who had reflexively taken a defensive stance became flustered and busy.

“Uh oh?”

“W-wait a minute!”

Ignoring the dumbfounded voices coming from behind, I examined the situation inside the tent. The internal structure was the same as where I had been, with a space made entirely without windows and several prisons placed inside. However, compared to my side, which felt heavily decorated here and there, this place was much simpler. They said they were divided by grade, and it seemed that the atmosphere inside the tent was adjusted accordingly. But in the end, they were all prisons.

But I felt a strange sense of incongruity. It was an emptiness as if something that should have been there was missing. I was able to figure out the reason quickly. Even though a stranger had suddenly jumped in, none of the people trapped in the prison were looking back at me. They were just sitting quietly with blank faces, as if they couldn’t recognize anything. Now that I looked at it, they weren’t even chained up separately. I could easily guess why.

*‘Brainwashing…… I see.’*

It was terrible even when I heard that they were doing such a thing, but seeing those who had actually been subjected to it made my mind go cold. The people who were just blinking their eyes were just like living dolls.

“Catch her!”

As I moved forward to avoid the pursuit, I quickly looked inside the prison. Fortunately or unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone here. When I turned around in front of the dead end, I naturally faced the soldiers who had gathered. Perhaps because they thought they had cornered me, they were all full of vigor.

“Give up and surrender!”

“If you behave, we won’t hurt you!”

It wasn’t something that the people who had been throwing spears indiscriminately until just now should be saying. Without paying attention, I jumped to the side and climbed onto the end of the prison bars. It was only a matter of moments before I reached the exit as I started to run backwards. The bewildered soldiers cursed again and chased after me, but the speed at which I escaped was faster. While scattering their attention by going back and forth between the tents several times, the soldiers who had been dispersed in all directions soon lost track of me.

“Damn it! You rat-like bastard!”

“Where did she go?”

“Find her immediately!”

I listened to the pouring resentment with one ear and let it flow out. I looked around again. What color was the tent I had just visited? I had impulsively gone inside, but no matter how I looked at it, it was inefficient to check all ten tents one by one. Considering that the trade master had mentioned the red tent earlier, it meant that each color had a meaning. I didn’t realize it when I looked at it lightly, but now that I looked at it, only five of the tents were primary colors, and the rest were all mixed colors.

The types of primary colors were red, black, white, yellow, and green. Except for the red tent, the remaining primary color tents each had three or four mixed-color tents attached to them.

Come to think of it, they said they divided the slaves by type. It seemed that the primary color tents were where the top-quality goods were gathered. If so, there was a high possibility that Chris was in one of the four tents. If he was an Axis-class hunter, they would at least try to sell him at a high price. Considering that far, it naturally became clear where I should go.

Red is human.

Black is demon.

White is god.

Gold is dwarf.

Green is elf.

The content about the symbolic colors of the races that I had heard in the past came to mind. I naturally learned it while living, and these symbolic colors had influenced the humans of this era in various ways. Red was considered the most excellent color because it was the symbolic color of humans, and black was used to signify war because demons were a warrior race. Based on that standard, green symbolized beautiful appearance, and yellow, as a gold color, meant strength. The white color of the god race, which symbolized nobility, was also used to mean a person who served.

So, combat slaves would be black. It was just a guess, but it wouldn’t hurt to try it first. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far away, so it was easy to find. I secretly entered without being noticed, and the interior, which was as well decorated as the red tent, came into view. It was clear that this was a place where they kept the selected ones.

In addition, it seemed that I had guessed another thing correctly. Not long after I started looking, I was able to find someone trapped alone in the corner. A physique that seemed to be a head taller than others and short blonde hair. It was a man with a familiar appearance in many ways.