Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 263

Chapter 263

“Can’t you see the situation? We’re sinking in this swamp! How are we supposed to cross it? Shouldn’t we figure out how to get out of here first?”

“Of course. I’m asking to get out. We need to define the area.”

“Area?”

“Alisa is going to make a solid path over the swamp. The problem is the lack of a bottom, so if there’s something to step on, we can get out, right? Have everyone get on it.”

“I-Is that even possible?”

“Of course. She’s an Earth Spiritist, after all.”

The Count and his men’s faces lit up as if they’d been saved. Alisa, on the other hand, looked horrified (yet still managed to give a nonchalant smile to the people around her with practiced skill). While the area buzzed with a ‘we’re saved’ atmosphere, she whispered urgently in my ear.

“What is this, El! A path? It’s impossible! I’m not a High Spiritist; how can a Mid-level Spiritist like me make a path in such a big swamp? Even if I could, it wouldn’t last long with my power. It’ll collapse quickly if this many people get on it.”

“Yeah, I know. Let’s do it like last time.”

“Like last time?”

“Just lay the dirt on top to make it look like a path has formed. I’ll create the supporting structure. Can you manage that?”

“……!”

In other words, we’d disguise it as a path made by Alisa, but I’d actually be supporting it with my power. Only then did the color return to Alisa’s ashen face. She let out a long sigh of relief, but then made a complicated expression.

“But is it okay to keep doing this? Like when you broke the castle wall, this is something a Mid-level Spiritist can’t normally do, right? Aren’t we exaggerating my abilities too much?”

“It’s fine. We’ll just say you’re especially talented. Even Spiritists of the same level have differences in their abilities.”

“Ugh, still… I feel like a con artist.”

“Hmm, then am I a con artist too?”

“Ugh, that’s not what I meant…”

“Haha, so don’t worry too much. If it bothers you, just think of it as temporarily contracting with me. How about a sneak peek at the life of a Spirit King’s contractor? At this moment, I am your power. Simple, right?”

“Wow, what’s that? Isana would be jealous. El, can’t you contract with me too?”

“I’m a hot commodity, you know. You have to pass the summoning ritual to contract with me, young lady. And I can only contract with one human.”

“Tch, stingy. Just you wait, really. I’ll summon Trowell someday for sure.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be waiting.”

Alisa’s face turned sulky, thinking I was making fun of her for being cute. But she soon composed herself and became serious, aware of the surrounding situation. Everyone around her was looking at Alisa as if she were their lifeline. The lighthearted atmosphere from our conversation quickly turned heavy. She took a light, deep breath under the gazes that seemed to see every strand of her hair.

“Ready, Alisa?”

Alisa nodded at my signal and immediately summoned Mulden. Crack, crunch! A thick pillar rose from the ground with a loud noise that seemed to shake the surroundings. Branches quickly spread out, carrying Alisa as she soared into the sky. The sight of the giant tree rising from the middle of the swamp, with the girl perched on its branches, filled the onlookers with awe.

“I’m going to do this in a really flashy way! I’m counting on you, Mulden!”

At Alisa’s words, Mulden extended its roots into the swamp. I soon realized what she meant by ‘flashy.’ I felt something solid touch the tips of my toes, and then a sensation as if my lower body, buried in the mud, was floating up. No, I was actually floating up. Alisa was raising the bottom from below, lifting everyone who had fallen into the swamp all at once.

‘Oh, no….’

“Waaaaah!”

I clicked my tongue, and the people who realized what was happening screamed. They were so excited that they seemed to have forgotten that shouting so loudly might expose their location to the enemy.

Amid the enthusiastic atmosphere, I quietly rubbed my forehead. Just creating a path on the surface was already quite taxing for Alisa, a Mid-level Spiritist. But to lift everyone up like this… She was clearly planning to pour out all her mana in one go.

Sure enough, Alisa’s complexion turned pale as if she were about to stop breathing. I hurriedly manipulated the water to lay a thick layer of ice under the floor she had created. The process of replacing everything but the surface soil with my power was completed in an instant. Most of the mana that Alisa had been using to support the floor was recovered and returned to its owner. Only then did Alisa, looking like she had been saved, take a long, deep breath. She must have felt like she had come back from the dead after squeezing out her mana to the limit. Thanks to that, I, who had to rush as if splitting every 0.1 second, felt like I had aged a hundred years at once.

“That girl…”

I glared at her, grinding my teeth, and Alisa, who met my eyes, smiled sheepishly. She seemed to be sorry too.

“Alisa, daughter of Sphere!”

“Alisa!”

Even at this moment, people were busy chanting Alisa’s name. A hazy mist of light scattered in the dark night. A single lifeline miraculously rising from the swamp. A towering tree standing in the middle, and a girl standing at the highest point, looking down on everyone. All of these things came together to create a dreamlike scene.

“…Alisa’s fame is going to get even bigger, huh?”

“It seems so. Although she doesn’t seem to have realized it herself.”

Sibelius chuckled awkwardly, and Deron quietly added. As he said, Alisa had a dumbfounded look on her face. She seemed to have belatedly realized what she had done.

“I know that. She dug her own grave, right?”

Asga smiled brightly, watching her.

It was an assessment that no one could deny.

* * *

“So, they were lured into the swamp, but thanks to Sir Alfred’s quick thinking, they escaped safely?”

“Yes! Thanks to that, everyone arrived in Avalon without a single casualty.”

A faint smile appeared on Isana’s face as he received the report. The good news that arrived from the advance team early in the morning breathed great vitality into the main camp of the Imperial Army. The advance team, which had almost been wiped out after falling into a trap, had escaped the crisis thanks to the efforts of a young girl and succeeded in occupying Avalon. It was an achievement two days earlier than originally expected.

In a war where supply lines are important, Avalon was a necessary first step. The success itself was a joyful event, but it was even more valuable because it was achieved by rendering the enemy’s plan useless. This would give the allies confidence, and conversely, dampen the enemy’s momentum. Even Duke Carrowell, who had recommended Alisa for the advance team, was surprised by this result.

“She caused an earthquake to collapse the castle walls, and now she’s making a path in a swampy marsh. The more I know, the more amazing she is.”

“Yes, that’s right, Brother.”

“To be honest, I’m even a little embarrassed. I have a Mid-level Spiritist among my acquaintances, but he has never shown such great skill. He was a Fire Spiritist, so it may be due to the difference in attributes, but even so, it’s amazing. Ah, yes. What do you think? Can all Earth Spiritists do this?”

Duke Carrowell’s gaze turned to the one who could answer this question, the Spiritist Ferris. Ferris smiled strangely.

“The attempt itself would be possible, but as you said, it is not an achievement that can be obtained with the power of a Mid-level Spiritist. You should consider Sir Aldref’s power to be exceptionally unique.”

“So that’s how it is. Really amazing.”

‘Actually, Lord Elquines did it all.’

Ferris swallowed the truth that had risen to his throat as he watched the Duke muttering in admiration. The Royal Knights behind him were all averting their eyes, trying to hide their itchy faces. It was then that Duke Carrowell read the subtle atmosphere flowing between them and made a puzzled expression. A soldier hurriedly entered the tent and saluted.

“Your Excellency, I have something to report. An old man has come to see you. He has the seal of the Wizards’ Association. He says it’s personal business; what should I do?”

“A wizard?”

“He said you would know if he said Olivan.”

The moment he heard the name, a look of surprise appeared on Duke Carrowell’s face.

“Why is he here…”

“Wizard Olivan, are you perhaps referring to Olivan von Danimer? I think that was the name of the Chief Wizard of the Carters Empire’s Imperial Family. I remember seeing him at the coronation ceremony.”

As Isana showed interest, the Duke was unable to hide his embarrassment and quickly regained his composure. He nodded calmly.

“You know exactly who he is. That’s him.”

“Did you have a friendship with him, Brother?”

“He’s an acquaintance from my student days. We were classmates.”

Isana, recalling that Duke Carrowell had studied in the Carters Empire when he was young, immediately accepted the situation. He was even from the ‘Academy’ [a specialized school for advanced studies]. Unlike the Academy, which provides a wide range of education from basic to higher education, the Academy is only open to those who have received a certain level of higher education, especially the gifted. The ‘Yan Academy,’ from which Duke Carrowell graduated, was the best prestigious school in the Carters Empire, producing numerous scholars, artists, outstanding commanders, and political figures on the continent. It was especially unique in the fields of magic and alchemy, and talents from all continents flocked to it, regardless of their origin or status. Including the current Emperor of the Alponf Empire and even royalty from various countries. Duke Carrowell’s high reputation was also due to the splendid network he had built there.

“It’s amazing that Danimer was also your classmate, Brother. Isn’t he in his 60s now?”

“Yes, he probably is.”

At the calm answer, Isana took another look at Duke Carrowell. When one becomes a Sword Master, the aging of the body slows down. He looked like he was in his mid-20s, but he was actually in his mid-40s. But even considering that, the age difference was not enough to think that he was a classmate of Danimer, who was in his 60s. Come to think of it, wasn’t the Emperor of Alponf also in his late 60s? Isana stared at his cousin with a strange expression.

“…I heard that you graduated early, Brother. How many grades did you skip?”

“Haha, it’s true that I skipped grades, but this is more of a characteristic of the Academy I graduated from. The Yan Academy has very strict requirements for completing the magic department, so students in that department usually graduate in their 30s. Thanks to that, the average age is higher than other students. However, there are many dropouts and few graduates, so all graduates are considered alumni.”

“Ah, I see. Was the Emperor of Alponf also a wizard?”

“Yes. He was an eccentric who did not hesitate to study in the Carters Empire to join the Zen School, even though he was the Crown Prince at the time.”
The Zen School was the most prestigious school in the field of offensive magic among the various magic systems. The magic department of the Yan Academy followed the theories of the Zen School, and only graduates of this school were qualified to belong to the Zen School.

For a wizard, a school is a part that proves the tradition of the magic he uses. It’s natural for everyone to want to join, but it wasn’t something that someone in the position of Crown Prince would do, dedicating years to it. This was even more so considering that Alponf and the Carters Empire were close to being enemies.

“I believe it was possible because he was a Crown Prince with a solid support base. Like the current Crown Prince Raon Hwizen of the Carters Empire.”

“If it’s Raon Hwizen, you mean the Crown Prince who is the same age as me, the one who is talented in magic.”

“Yes, that’s right. He is the Emperor’s legitimate son by blood, and his personality and talent overwhelm his other brothers, so everyone reacted as if it was natural when he was appointed as Crown Prince. He receives the support of the elders as well as the local nobles, and he is quite popular among the people. Thanks to that, he is said to be good at making bold attempts. If there was a school he was interested in in Alponf, he would have gone to study there as well.”

“Come to think of it, which school is that Crown Prince in?”

“Coincidentally, he is also a Zen School. I heard that he is currently studying in the magic department of the Yan Academy. Danimer must have made him his top disciple.”

“Is that so? Then Danimer is the Chief Wizard of the Imperial Family and also the teacher of the Crown Prince. Such a person is visiting an acquaintance in another country, even during a war, for personal business. I’m curious about what his business is. If you don’t mind, Brother, I’d like to hear the story together.”

“I will do so. Guide him here.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers, who had disappeared with a loud answer, reappeared shortly after with an old man. The old man, wearing a black robe, had a fairly dignified appearance for a wizard. Duke Carrowell got up and greeted him.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Danimer.”

“Duke Carrowell, it’s been a while.”

After a short greeting, Danimer soon turned his gaze inward, conscious of the knights standing without gaps and the blond boy sitting in the middle. As soon as he met Isana’s eyes, he bent his back in accordance with etiquette.

“I offer my greetings to the highest person in the Empire founded by God. I am a humble wizard, Olivan von Danimer.”

“Nice to meet you, Danimer. I saw you at the coronation ceremony.”

“It is an honor that you remember me.”

Was it because he was standing in front of the Emperor? Danimer’s voice trembled as he answered. In fact, he was very nervous. He had been told in advance by the soldiers who had guided him here that the Emperor was here, but he had not paid much attention to it until just before entering. The Emperor of the Swart Empire that he knew, whom he had seen at the coronation ceremony, was a boy with a very dark and weak feeling. He had inwardly clicked his tongue, thinking that he did not suit the position of Emperor at all. He was compared to the dignified appearance of their Crown Prince, who was the same age as him, and he was even more pathetic. So, he was not very surprised when he heard that there was a civil war.

He imagined that he would be more unsightly than before because he was exhausted from preparing for the war. But the Emperor in front of him was not the weak-looking boy he had seen before. Danimer swallowed dry saliva repeatedly. From his neat and delicate appearance to his calm eyes and voice, everything that made him up seemed to forcibly grab his attention. He even felt a sense of refreshment in the air around him. There are people who change for the better as they grow up, but this was really beyond expectations. He could not believe that he had once judged him to be ordinary. As a result, the confidence that had filled his chest before the visit dropped sharply.