Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 277

277

“Who are you? I’d like to know why you were watching us.”

“…I wasn’t watching you. No, I was watching, but not for the reason you think, okay?”

“Wasn’t?”

“I just happened to pass by and was curious, so I watched. Is that so wrong? I don’t think it’s something that deserves a threat to my life, do you?”

“You’re not intimidated and you talk back clearly, so you’re not a commoner after all.”

“…Ugh.”

The man’s face showed even more amusement, and Alisa bit her lip. His name was Razen, wasn’t it? It was clear that he was of high status. His attitude and tone were like that, and he didn’t seem to want to hide the fact. If she wanted to resolve this situation smoothly, she would have had to lie low, no matter how angry she was. In fact, that was the natural reaction for a commoner woman. She had never hated her nature of not being intimidated by anyone, but this time it tasted bitter. More than feeling frustrated that the situation wasn’t going well, she felt worse that it seemed to be going the way the man intended.

But ideals were just ideals. Alisa knew herself better than anyone. Even if she could turn back time, she would never be able to kneel before this man. She would rather risk her life a hundred or a thousand times.

“Who cares if you’re a noble or a commoner.”

Once she decided to go all the way, her tone naturally became rough. The man, Razen, narrowed his eyes and looked at her. Alisa didn’t back down and met his gaze.

“That kind of answer won’t benefit you, little lady. If you’re a noble, which family do you belong to? Where are your attendants?”

One of the dark knights, unable to watch their confrontation any longer, stepped in and asked. He was a little cautious, perhaps because he thought Alisa might be a noble.

“I don’t have to answer. Why should I be interrogated like this? Shouldn’t you apologize first for trying to attack someone without permission?”

“If you put it that way, it’s because you acted suspiciously first. Why didn’t you come out when we told you to?”

“I was flustered! That can happen, you know!”

“If you’re so innocent, it wouldn’t be difficult to reveal your name and status.”

“I have nothing to hide! My name is Alisa of the Sasra County family. As you guessed, I’m a noble. How did I know about magic? I have a magician among my acquaintances. That’s how I know. Are you satisfied now?”

Razen glanced back at the dark knights, his face questioning if they knew the family. But they were also looking at each other with bewildered eyes. The Sasra County family was in the Alfonse Empire, so it was natural that they didn’t know. Alisa pushed forward without hesitation, as she had already expected this reaction.

“Why? Are you going to ignore me now because it’s a humble family you’ve never heard of?”

If the other person acts too confidently, you tend to back down even if you have great doubts. Razen and the dark knights were no different in that regard.

“I can’t deny that the family name feels unfamiliar, Miss Sasra. But I also admit that I can’t use that as an excuse. The Empire is vast, and there are countless unknown noble families.”

“You’re really rude. What did I do to deserve this? From what I see, you were just talking about whether the alcohol was good or not. Is that something others shouldn’t hear? If it was such an important conversation, you should have had it inside! Is it a crime to see something because it’s visible and hear something because it’s audible? Is this area yours?”

“Hmm, that’s true too.”

“It’s not just true, it is true!”

“…Well, fine. I was definitely being too sensitive. I’ll drop the suspicion here. You can go now.”

With those words, the fiery arrow that had been threateningly held in his hand disappeared. Finally, the tedious debate was over. So he wasn’t someone you couldn’t reason with at all. Alisa unknowingly let out a sigh of relief. But that didn’t mean she had a favorable impression of him. When she first saw Razen, she was curious about who he was, but now she didn’t care anymore. She didn’t want to meet him again, even by chance. Her mind was filled with the thought of getting out of here quickly and joining her companions. She had only been confident on the outside, but in reality, she was very nervous. To calm this feeling, she felt like she needed to meet Sibelius and El and be held in their arms.

“Ah, just a moment. Young lady?”

But this time, the situation didn’t go smoothly either. Just as she was about to turn around and take a step, she heard a voice calling her. This time it wasn’t Razen, but the dark knights. Razen, on the other hand, had stepped back and was watching this with interest.

“What is it?”

“Ah, I was just a little bothered by the conversation we had earlier. Did you say the Sasra County family? I know most of the county families, but no matter how much I think about it, I don’t remember that family name. Which branch does it belong to exactly?”

“…Pardon?”

“Even if the Sasra family itself isn’t well-known, there should be at least one well-known family among its branches. You wouldn’t say there aren’t any at all, would you?”

There weren’t none. No, rather, there were quite a few. It’s just that those families were also in the Alfonse Empire. The knight’s eyes turned cold as Alisa hesitated to answer.

“Or which families do you mainly associate with? Among them, could you tell me the name of at least one family that you think would be known?”

“…Why?”

“It’s not that I doubt what you said, young lady. But I think it’s better to be clear. If the misunderstanding is cleared up, we will send a formal apology to the Sasra County family. Ah, yes. My name is Huwen, the second son of the Chellishi County family. You’ve heard of the Chellishi County family, haven’t you?”

“Ah, yes…”

In fact, it was the first time she had heard the name. She had been studying from time to time since coming to the Swart Empire, but she was not yet at the point where she knew all the names of the noble families. As for famous families on the Grand Duke’s side, she only knew the Caribdis Dukedom or the Setnio County family, which were said to be his arms. She had never even heard the name Chellishi beyond the strategy meetings.

“So, you’re going to have a connection with that very Chellishi County family. That should be more than enough compensation for the brief rudeness. It’s not that difficult or dangerous to reveal the branch and the families you associate with, is it? Unless your family belongs to the Emperor’s faction.”

“…!”

“A noble is destined to be with their family from the moment they are born. Even if it’s a young lady. Once you’re born a noble, I don’t think you can escape that fate. I think you already know that, young lady.”

The darkness deepened in the knight’s eyes. He was speaking as if testing her reaction, but his face had already determined that Alisa was a member of the Emperor’s faction. The other knights also began to slowly surround her. They were ready to grab her by force if necessary.

“So, what’s your answer? If you’re going to keep your mouth shut, so be it. But first, you’ll have to come with us. We’ll create an environment where we can talk more calmly.”

“…”

Alisa realized that further resistance was now meaningless. No matter what she said, they wouldn’t listen. She had endured as much as she could. Now that things had come to this, it would be better for her mental health to just make a scene openly.

“Okay. I’ll tell you. You asked about a well-known family in the branch, right? Yes, of course.”

“Really? Which family is it?”

“The Aldref County family.”

“…Aldref?”

The knights exchanged bewildered glances for a moment. Their expressions weren’t as unfamiliar as they had been with the Sasra family, but they couldn’t recall it right away.

“I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere…”

“Of course. You must have heard of it. It’s being mentioned a lot these days, especially.”

“Hmm, Aldref, Aldref… Aldref… Aldref?”

One of the knights, who had been muttering in contemplation, looked up a little flustered after a while. Seeing his face stiffen, Alisa smiled brightly. ‘Alisa von Aldref, the daughter of Sphere [a title of great respect].’ It was a very famous title, so they must have heard it at least once. Especially if they were in the Order of the Dark Knights.

“Do you understand now? Someone told me that the head of that family is the first female knight in the Swart Empire. But do you know how old she is? She’s probably about my age, right?”

“Wh-wait, Aldref. What is this…”

“Ah, and you asked about a well-known name among the families I associate with, right? There are so many that it’s a little difficult to list them all. I’ll just say the most famous person. I’m sure everyone will know who it is if you hear it. Isana Lanne Swart.”

“…!”

With the sound of suppressed gasps, the knights’ faces began to stiffen rapidly. They had finally grasped the whole situation. At the same time, a huge tree began to rise from behind Alisa. It was Mulden, the earth spirit she had summoned to match this moment.

As the fragrant scent of trees and the familiar air of the earth enveloped her, her mind became much more at ease. She decided to just forget for a moment about problems such as the number of enemies being too large or the fact that they were opponents she couldn’t defeat with her own strength. From now on, whatever will be, will be. Turning back to look at the people who were frozen white, Alisa smiled again.

“The Emperor of this country is my best friend, you know.”

* * *

“The daughter of Sphere!”

The shouts of the horrified knights sounded like wails. Alisa was newly aware of her fame at the familiar title that echoed as if it was natural. She thought it was just a term that had spread among her allies, but she felt a strange feeling when even the enemies called her that.

The knights, who were frozen with wide eyes, still couldn’t accept reality. The girl they had intimidated with a light heart was actually a commander who was playing a major role in the enemy army, so the shock must have been great. Razen also had a stiff expression, as if he was also surprised by this situation. It felt so refreshing to see the man who had been so brazenly confident flustered.

“The daughter of Sphere?”

His tone of questioning was a little dazed. Like someone who had belatedly realized something, Razen’s brow slowly furrowed.

“Don’t tell me you’re…”

Razen opened his mouth as if trying to start a conversation. But Alisa had no intention of letting him do so. In a situation where the battle had already begun, his intention to talk didn’t feel so pure. Having experienced it a little while ago, Razen was the type of person who didn’t have an ounce of generosity towards those he judged to be enemies. He tried to kill her with just suspicion, so there was no way there would be anything new to talk about now that her identity had been openly revealed. Maybe it was a tactic to induce carelessness by starting a conversation. Alisa showed her intention not to respond with her actions.

“Mulden! Hold them back!”

Rumble!

At the same time as the command, Mulden extended its roots into the ground. Soon, the ground began to shake, and the knights and Razen stepped back greatly. The distance that had been close enough to reach in one or two steps widened in an instant. In that gap, Alisa climbed onto Mulden’s branch and secured a safe spot. Immediately after, Mulden’s roots rose to the outside again, and the horrified dark knights took a defensive stance.

“Hey! Wait a minute!”

In the urgent atmosphere as if they were about to clash at any moment, Razen shouted. His voice was more urgent than before. Alisa was going to ignore him this time as well. She would have continued to do so if she hadn’t heard the words that followed.

“I have something to ask you, no, to that person! Are you the spiritist Alisa? Do you know about the blue moon that appeared in the southeastern part of the Alfonse Empire about 14 years ago?”

“…!”

At the unexpected question, Alisa reflexively stopped breathing. It was a reaction she herself didn’t intend. It was a brief moment, but Razen immediately recognized the change in her expression.

At that moment, his navy blue eyes, which had been as turbid as ink, began to flicker as if they were heated. For the first time, proper emotions surfaced on his face, which had felt dry until now. It was like color being painted on a blank canvas. A magical coloring that unfolds from the fingertips of an excellent painter. Alisa blankly thought to herself that the light of emotion he was conveying was so clearly felt that her body trembled involuntarily. It was closer to joy than to delight, and closer to ecstasy than to joy.

“You know. I found you properly.”

“…What are you?”

Unable to ignore him, Alisa ended up retorting. She just threw away the honorifics she had been sticking to in order not to provoke the other person.

A blue moon. It was a story that had never been mentioned in front of people since she left her hometown. Isana had engraved a blue moon on the insignia she had given her, but everyone knew that it was modeled after the symbol of Sphere, and she hadn’t revealed the details. But today, a man she was meeting for the first time, and one who seemed to be a close aide to the Grand Duke’s army, was bringing up that story. Judging by the fact that he had pinpointed the time and place where the moon had appeared, it wasn’t just a word to test her. He clearly knew the legend accurately.

“You, didn’t you recognize me?”

“…What?”

“I’m sure you would have recognized it with the power you have.”

“…”

At Razen’s words that followed, Alisa swallowed her breath again. She felt like she had realized everything with just that one word. The images of the wealthy people and scholars who occasionally visited the village overlapped with his smiling face. Razen was also someone with the same purpose as them. However, he was fundamentally different from the people who had come to find her so far. He was the ‘real’ one who knew everything.