Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 272

272. Festival

“Festival?”

Even when a country is suffering from civil war, the daily lives of its residents continue. Regardless of which side the ruling lord supports, the people living on that land are ultimately citizens of the same nation. There was no need to harm civilians, so the military rarely went down to the villages. Still, the news I just heard was a bit unexpected. A small festival was being held in a nearby village.

“It’s a traditional festival that’s been around for three hundred years. It’s so famous that it’s never been interrupted, even during severe droughts. It seems the civil war was no exception.”

The person who excitedly brought the news was Alisa. Soldiers who had gone down to the village for supplies had apparently told her about it. Alisa’s eyes, fixed on me with her hands clasped tightly, were shining so brightly it was almost overwhelming.

“This region is the only place in the Swalt Empire where a winter festival is held. They build ice sculptures and do ice fishing. There’s also a big market with lots to see.”

“So, you want to go see it?”

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning anyway. We have free time until then, so it would be okay to go, right?”

“Well, yes, but.”

“Sibel is also looking forward to it because they say there will be high-quality meat and fruits. Let’s go, El. Please? My intuition is screaming that we’ll regret it if we don’t. Please?”

Her tone, begging for permission, was mixed with coquetry. It seemed she was quite eager, doing things she wouldn’t normally do. It had been a while since I’d seen Alisa so excited, so I couldn’t bring myself to say no. After all, a girl in her impressionable years had been living only on the bloody battlefield, so she must be tired of it. It was only natural that she would be drawn to a little fun after so long.

Moreover, this was Alisa’s first ‘cold winter’ since she was from a desert country. She was used to it now, but when it first snowed, she was beside herself. I can still picture her in shock, saying that cotton was falling from the sky. It couldn’t have been easy for her to focus solely on the war, having been dropped in a strange land with so many new and curious things. She needed a change of pace for her emotional well-being. I nodded without much hesitation.

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

“Really? We’re going to the festival?”

“Yes. But you have to wear a hood and never take it off. Your face might be known.”

“Okay, I understand! Thank you, El!”

Alisa couldn’t contain her joy and hugged me tightly, stomping her feet. No matter how mature she acted, she was still a child at times like this.

Thus, a festival expedition team (?) consisting of me, Alisa, and Sibelius was formed. Lapis, who had no sense of voluntary community, was very annoyed, so we decided to leave him behind. Perhaps because his main body is huge and heavy, he really hates moving. Anyway, he’ll probably come looking for us if he gets bored, so I wasn’t particularly worried.

“It would have been nice if As was here too.”

The absence of Deron and As was what I really missed. Alisa seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she muttered with a regretful look.

Several days had passed since the end of the third siege, but the two demons still hadn’t returned. Or, to be precise, they couldn’t return. It was an unexpected side effect of the intensified war. The two demons, who had been looking forward to battle more than anyone else, had to leave the battlefield because the constant killing intent and the smell of blood were stimulating As’s instincts. It wasn’t a bad environment for a demon, but the problem was that he could become intoxicated with blood and cause a mass slaughter. As, who was still young, had a very hard time controlling his instincts.

“When will As be back?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. He needs to train for another two or three months before he’ll be okay, so we have no choice. We’ll just have to be patient until then, even if we miss him.”

“Ugh, but I feel so bad when I think about it. As is growing so fast every day. There’s not much time left to see his cute side, but I can’t keep seeing him.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

I couldn’t help but agree with the topic. The last time I saw him a few days ago, he had grown an inch taller than before. As’s growth rate was fast even for a demon. Deron guessed that he would easily grow to 180 cm [approximately 5’11”] in the future. He might be taller than Alisa when we meet next time. It won’t be long before he catches up to my height. A great father who is smaller than his child… it makes me feel depressed for some reason. Actually, if you think about it that way, Troel, Lapis’s great father, is also smaller than him, but strangely, Troel doesn’t feel small, so it’s not very comforting. Frankly, I doubt there is anyone in this world who can ignore him because he is short.

“The fast growth rate is proof that he is a strong demon. But even so, it’s amazing that he can control his instincts in just a few months. I heard that most young demons can’t control them for several years.”

“……!”

Alisa and I widened our eyes at the voice we heard at that moment. Sibelius, who had joined the conversation and received intense gazes, flinched.

“Why, why?”

“No, it’s just. I’m surprised that you’re praising As so casually.”

“That’s right. You don’t usually say things like that, Sibel.”

Sibelius, who was flustered, made an embarrassed expression at those words. He seemed to know that his remarks were out of character.

Having been negatively conditioned about demons for a long time, he rarely tried to get along with the two demons. Even when he felt good feelings, he was reluctant to admit them and always looked uncomfortable. It was quite rare for him to praise them so readily without showing any resistance, as he did now.

“…Well, the truth is the truth.”

He added a word like an excuse, but it was definitely a milder reaction than before. Time is the best medicine. It seemed that his wariness had loosened quite a bit while interacting with them without realizing it. There’s no need to dig into it here and provoke him. Alisa must have thought the same thing, as she quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, that’s not important right now. I’m so upset that As is growing up too fast. Can’t he just stay the way he is now? He’s so pretty like a doll.”

“As would hate it if he heard that, right?”

“Yeah, so keep it a secret from As.”

I smiled and nodded at her serious request. But it was a meaningless promise. Alisa was already singing about how pretty As was whenever she saw him. Even if she said it was a secret, it wouldn’t work since she knew it.

After that, we continued to have light-hearted chats that anyone could hear. In the meantime, the surrounding scenery slowly changed. The desolate winter forest ended, and well-maintained roads and buildings began to appear little by little. The increasing number of pedestrians indicated that our destination was nearby.

“Wow!”

The village we arrived at was decorated with pure white sculptures from the entrance. There were sculptures of bears, foxes, and even goddesses, all made of ice. Alisa, who had been excited, burst into a shout when she discovered them. There was a wide lake nearby, and ice fishing was in full swing on it. A little further away, workers were cutting out thick ice and moving it. It was my first time seeing a village event at this time of year, so it was quite a strange sight.

“Amazing! It’s all ice!”

“Don’t jump around so much. You’ll take your hood off.”

Alisa, who had been bustling around, became a little calmer after being warned. Sibelius also flinched and checked his clothes. As he was always closely guarding Alisa and had the characteristic of being a Blue Elf, there was a high possibility that he was also known to the outside world, so he was wearing a hood. On the other hand, I, who usually covered my face, didn’t wear a hood this time and revealed my face. Alisa asked in a puzzled tone, as if she found it strange.

“Aren’t you wearing a hood, El?”

“Yeah, if all three of us are covering our faces, we might look like a suspicious group. It’s better to have one person exposed so we don’t attract attention.”

“…Are you sure it’s okay?”

“It’s okay. I don’t think my face is known. I tend to stay a little away from you, and I don’t go to the front lines during battles.”

“No, El, there’s a more fundamental problem than that…”

“What problem?”

“Well… El’s appearance.”

“Ah, what is it? Are you misunderstanding me as a woman again? It’s okay, I’m tired of paying attention to that and getting angry. I’m a man, so that’s all that matters. Let them misunderstand if they want to.”

“Ahaha, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what?”

“…No, it’s okay if you don’t realize it.”

I felt a strange lingering feeling in her tone, but was I mistaken? I turned to Sibelius, who also seemed hesitant. He looked like he had something to say but was swallowing it.

“El. What do you think of Lapis’s appearance?”

“Hmm? It’s flashy. To the point of being overwhelming.”

“Hmm. His aesthetic sense is normal.”

“…?”

As we went further into the village, a full-fledged market unfolded. Huge and colorful stalls lined the streets, and various impromptu performances were attracting the attention of passersby. Not far away, the army was encamped, but here, it was as if it were a different world, a peaceful scene.

“The atmosphere is surprisingly good. There are quite a few people. The quality of the goods is better than I thought.”

Expectation was evident in Sibelius’s voice as he looked around. He was clearly excited about the prospect of choosing groceries. Alisa was already mesmerized by the colorful stalls.

While the two were excitedly shopping, I calmly looked around. It was definitely a perfectly peaceful atmosphere, but I felt a strange sense of unease. It didn’t take long to figure out the source of that unease. Most of the young men passing by were either travelers or mercenaries who looked like they were from outside, and there wasn’t a single young man among the residents. They wouldn’t have deliberately stayed away, and there was only one thing that could be guessed at this time of year. They had all been drafted into the military. I felt bitter when I discovered the impact of the civil war in this way.

But even this thought didn’t last long. It was because of the sight that began to catch my eye next. A sense of tension was felt on one side of the street, and a group of soldiers was entering from that direction. Judging from their uniforms, they were soldiers of the Grand Duke’s army. Judging from the fact that they were pulling a cart, they seemed to have come to get supplies.

To think I’d run into the Grand Duke’s army here. I clicked my tongue involuntarily at the coincidental moment. Sibelius and Alisa seemed to have noticed them too, as they stopped their excited conversation and held their breath. I whispered to the two while keeping an eye on the Grand Duke’s army.

“Don’t worry about them and go further inside. I’ll watch them so they don’t do anything stupid.”

“El, by yourself?”

“Why, do you think it’s dangerous if I’m alone?”

I asked with a smirk, and Alisa quickly shut her mouth. She seemed to think it was an unnecessary worry.

“Don’t worry about this side and have fun. I’ll follow you as soon as I confirm that they’ve left quietly.”

“Can’t we just ditch them and go around?”

“It’s annoying to check the location every time. It’s easier to have them watching openly.”

“Hmm, okay. But El, you seem to have a subtly changed atmosphere.”

“Huh? Really?”

“You’ve become more manly.”

“…I am a man, okay?”

Then did my atmosphere seem like a woman until now? It was absurd, but there was no one to answer that question. Alisa had already dragged Sibelius away.

“Good grief.”

What on earth does that guy think of the Spirit King? I think I need to set a date and warn her soon. I’ve been too nice to her, and she seems to be taking me too lightly.

After thinking that far, I lowered my head and groaned. I’m doomed. Did I just say I was going to warn her? And that’s to a child like Alisa? It seems that my true nature is coming back to life when I think like this without any qualms.

Was it called Elquines’s instinct? This personality, which was evaluated as ‘terrible’ by Lapis, often poked its head out after it first manifested. I was trying to suppress it as much as possible, so it didn’t appear in as rough a way as it did at first, but it was still rude, only to a different degree.

This sensibility is surprisingly indifferent and chillingly cold. It perceives the same information but accepts it with a completely different attitude. So sometimes I felt a little uneasy. I was afraid that this nature would one day completely consume me. If that happens, how will I change? Will the me at that time really be me?

It’s like I’m being erased little by little every day. It would be nice if I could control it before it appeared, but it was even more troublesome because I couldn’t figure out when it would manifest.

“Argh! What are you doing!”

“……!”

I came to my senses because of the scream I suddenly heard. I was startled and raised my head, and a chaotic scene came into view. The stall where the grain had been neatly placed until just now had been overturned, and the man who seemed to be the owner was clinging to someone. No, to be exact, he was being lifted up by the collar. The ones who were fighting with the merchant were the soldiers of the Grand Duke’s army. The people who were nearby had all retreated from around them.