Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 281

281.

“El, Master!”

“You’ve come, El, Master!”

“It’s been a while, Sibelius!”

“Wow, everyone’s here. How have you all been?”

It had been a long time since the departure ceremony, so it was really nice to see them in person. It was even more welcome as an unexpected reunion. As I was receiving the flurry of greetings, someone came running and hugged me. It was Alisa, her eyes swollen from crying so much.

“Why did you come so late, El, Master! I thought I was going to die!”

“I’m sorry. I was late in learning about the situation. Are you hurt anywhere? I’m so glad you’re safe.”

When I patted her back, Alisa clung to me even tighter. It felt less like relief and more like she was desperately trying not to look back. Her face, and even her ears, were completely red. The person behind her was Isana, who she had been hugging just a moment ago, so I chuckled. I could guess what had happened. She must have been embarrassed by her actions once she came to her senses. Isana was giving her a slightly disappointed look, but she smiled as soon as she met my eyes.

“Hello, El. I never thought I’d meet you here.”

“Me neither. What’s going on? I’m really glad to see you, but why are you here?”

“The advance team has been having a hard time lately. I came to check on the unit’s situation and encourage the soldiers. I happened to be passing by this area when I heard a commotion. I had a strange feeling, so I came to check it out and saw that Mulden was under attack.”

“I see. The timing was good.”

“Yeah, but I should have hurried more. El, I’m sorry to ask you this as soon as you arrive, but can you take a look at someone? There’s a wounded person.”

“Ah, I roughly know the situation. You mean the person who was hit by an arrow? I was just finding Alisa at that time.”

Isana nodded and gestured to the side. The escort knights surrounding us slowly parted to both sides, and the scene that had been hidden came into view. A man was lying on a blanket on the ground. The arrow that had been lodged in his back had already been removed, and there were traces of a light attempt at treatment. His upper body was undressed, and a clean cloth was wrapped around the affected area.

“Good heavens, Lord Rajen!”

“My lord!”

The first to react was Asel and his group. Watching them rush out with pale faces, I sighed.

‘So that man was Rajen after all.’

I had expected this situation since they reacted to the wounded man’s hair color. That’s why I let them follow me, but I felt complicated when I actually confirmed his identity.

They say the stars of destiny will always meet. While I was worrying about how to get away from them, Alisa had already encountered another monarch. No, it was highly likely that she had been led away by him from the start. Otherwise, there was no reason for Alisa to wander into such an unfamiliar place alone.

“Lord Rajen! Please, come to your senses! Lord Rajen!”

Asel patted the man’s cheek with a desperate look. He was unconscious. According to Isana, he had fainted not long after she arrived. The bleeding wasn’t severe, and the area he was hit wasn’t critical, but his condition deteriorated rapidly. It seemed that the arrowhead had been poisoned.

“So I removed the arrow first. I gave him holy water to stop the bleeding, but it doesn’t seem to be working as an antidote.”

“Isn’t holy water a pretty powerful remedy?”

“It usually is, but I heard it’s not very effective for detoxification.”

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

While I was listening to the detailed explanation, Asel and his group were diligently checking the man’s condition. Thanks to the holy water, the wound had almost healed, but his complexion was very bad. His whole body was burning with fever, he was sweating profusely, and his lips were quite rough.

“What on earth happened? Who are those people lying there, and why is he like this?”

Asel, who asked the question, looked like he was about to cry. It was when his wandering gaze reached Alisa, who was in my arms. Isana raised an arm to block his view. Unlike when she treated us, Isana’s gaze as she looked down at them was dry.

“I think that’s what I should be asking.”

“Yes?”

“I heard he was accompanied by knights of darkness. Why is the Crown Prince of the Carters Empire in contact with the Duke of Yukarte at this time?”

“……!”

Asel and his group’s faces stiffened at the casually asked question. Alisa’s eyes widened. I was also surprised and turned to look at Isana.

“Crown Prince? That person?”

“Yes. Raonhwi Jen Ruadell Carters. The legitimate prince of the Carters Empire and the crown prince who will inherit the throne.”

“How did you know that?”

“His hair color. It’s a unique color that only appears in the Carters Empire’s royal family. Among the Carters royals right now, the only men with that color are the Emperor and Crown Prince Raonhwi Jen.”

The hair color that I thought was unique was proof of the royal family’s bloodline. Asel and his group’s faces were full of embarrassment. Isana stared at them with a cold gaze.

“Do you have anything to say?”

“That is…….”

“I’m also curious about the intentions of not showing respect even though you recognized me.”

“……! W, we greet the Emperor of the Swart Empire!”

Asel and his group, who had been stiff, finally straightened up and knelt. From their point of view, this whole situation must have felt like a bolt from the blue. Regardless, I was busy admiring Isana’s emperor-like appearance, which I hadn’t seen in a long time. The escort knights also had very pleased expressions.

“Is the Crown Prince interested in this civil war?”

“No, no! Absolutely not! His Highness the Crown Prince visited this place just to find someone. However, he didn’t know where that person was at all, so he was trying to get even the slightest clue…….”

“So you went to see the Duke. I think I know why you came here. Did Duke Yukarte tell you that I have the person you’re looking for?”

“T, that is…….”

Asel and his group swallowed hard and couldn’t continue their answer. Just looking at their expressions, I could roughly guess how the situation was going. It seemed that the Duke was subtly trying to lure the Crown Prince of the Carters Empire into this civil war. Isana stared at them indifferently for a moment before turning to look at me.

“El, please treat the Crown Prince for now.”

“Ah, okay.”

I readily nodded and immediately approached the Crown Prince. Asel and his group looked back and forth between Isana and me with bewildered expressions. They couldn’t understand why he had entrusted the Crown Prince’s treatment to me. Ignoring their gazes, I placed my hand on the Crown Prince’s body and immediately poured in the energy of healing. As the unique white light burst forth from the point of contact, those who were watching with anxious eyes widened their eyes. Soon, the Crown Prince’s body, which had been burning, quickly stabilized, and his pale complexion began to regain its color. It didn’t take long for his irregular breathing to return to normal completely. I removed my hand only after confirming that the poison that had been dominating his body had completely disappeared.

“It’s done. He’s still asleep, so he won’t wake up for a while.”

“Thank you, El.”

“This is nothing.”

As I shrugged my shoulders with a smile, I felt a stinging gaze from the side. Asel and his group were staring at me with completely blank faces. Their expression was beyond mere surprise, as if they had seen a ghost. In Asel’s case, he seemed to have forgotten to breathe. From their point of view, the person who had been showing off suspicious abilities since earlier had even used a priest’s healing magic. It was no wonder they were in a panic, as things that defied common sense were happening.

“What on earth…….”

I just smiled at them, who couldn’t even continue their words properly. I had a personal interest in Asel, but there were more things to be wary of about them themselves. It was easy to ignore them because there was no need to explain, nor was there any obligation to do so. Isana didn’t seem to have much intention of being considerate of them either. Asel and his group had to swallow their breath again without even having time to come to their senses at his next words.

“I think you still haven’t grasped the situation, so let me briefly state only the revealed circumstances. It was those sent by the Duke who made your Crown Prince like this.”

“Yes? What, what do you mean?”

“Are you saying that Duke Yukarte ordered the assassination of His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“I don’t know the details. However, I heard that the knights of darkness drew their swords first. It seems that there was a second attack immediately after the Crown Prince dealt with all of them. You can hear the details after he wakes up.”

“That can’t be…….”

Asel and his group’s faces slowly contorted. They seemed very confused, perhaps because betrayal and anger were added to their still disorganized minds. Isana didn’t stop there and drove a wedge into that confusion.

“I regret that he was caught up in his country’s internal strife. But personally, I think I should express my gratitude to him. Thanks to him, my precious person was spared from a dangerous situation.”

“Yes? Precious……person……?”

Those who had been stunned reacted to those words and raised their heads. As questioning gazes reached him, Isana boldly extended an arm and wrapped it around Alisa’s shoulder next to him. It was the moment when Alisa’s face turned red. And Asel and his group seemed to recognize Alisa only then. Her identity, as well as the feelings that Isana had for her. It could be seen that astonishment was gradually spreading across their faces, which had only been blank.

“J, just a moment…….”

“Could it be……!”

“I can’t say it’s in return, but I will guarantee the utmost convenience during your stay in this empire. As long as the Crown Prince is not a threat to me, he will be safe from any danger until he returns home, and the Swart Empire will be his eternal ally.”

Before they could even say anything, a declaration in a cold tone fell first. In a word, it was a warning to stay quiet and not do anything foolish before returning. To think that he could threaten in such an elegant way, it felt like a brilliant halo was shining from Isana’s face. Of course, it must have felt like an ominous aura emanating from a mastermind to Asel and his group.

Whatever their feelings were, Isana, who had finished saying what he needed to say, immediately turned his gaze away. It was an attitude that clearly revealed that he had no intention of continuing the conversation. Perhaps because they couldn’t question the emperor of a country, Asel and his group also swallowed the words they were about to say and closed their mouths tightly. They only persistently followed Alisa’s figure with complicated gazes.

The scattered atmosphere subsided and came to a close. I raised my head and looked at the sky. The darkened space was already being swallowed by the black night. There was only one result that the phenomenon told us. With countless questions left behind, the short leisure time was over. It was time to go back again.

* * *

The group that had departed as three had become a group when they returned. The camp was turned upside down when we, who had been missing until late, suddenly returned with the Emperor. Vanguard Commander Count Marcus didn’t even have time to dress properly and rushed out in a hurry.

“W, we greet His Majesty the Emperor! How could Your Majesty personally come to such a place……! If you had given us word, we would have gone out to meet you…….”

“Haha, there’s no point in a surprise visit if I contact you in advance. I don’t know how reassured I am thanks to the advance team’s performance. The Count’s hard work is great.”

“I am honored, Your Majesty. But this is all thanks to Lord Aldref. I am not doing anything, so I am afraid to receive praise.”

“It’s also because the Count is supporting her well from behind that she can fully display her abilities. Even just looking back for a moment, the unit’s activities are orderly and the soldiers’ posture is upright. Just looking at that, there is no doubt that the Count is an excellent commander. Don’t underestimate your own achievements.”

“I am honored, Your Majesty.”

Everyone was flustered, but the Emperor’s sudden visit breathed great vitality into the unit. Even with the successive victories, the fact that the advance team was in a position close to death did not change. The fact that the Emperor, who was so high up, had taken the step to encourage the suffering soldiers seemed to have given everyone a great impression.

The atmosphere was further heightened as Isana revealed his intention to stay with the advance team for the time being. Afterwards, a small banquet was held in the camp. From turkey meat and various seasonal fruits to white bread and fruit wine. The atmosphere felt like everyone was enjoying the feeling of returning to a normal life, even for a short time, as food that was usually hard to come by was released in abundance, and a boisterous gathering continued.

It was a bit different, but in fact, it was already the eve of the storm. This day was also the first night that the predetermined wheel of fate began to turn. In accordance with Isana’s promise to provide convenience during their stay, the Crown Prince and Asel’s group had also joined as guests. We hadn’t had a proper conversation with them, who had been swept along in the spur of the moment. But I also knew that it was something that couldn’t be covered up forever. I also knew that the time to look away was very short.

And the next morning of the long-awaited day. Finally, the prelude to the full-scale typhoon began to occur. Crown Prince Raonhwi Jen regained consciousness. As soon as he came to his senses, the Crown Prince requested an audience with Isana. It was the time when the morning meeting was scheduled, but Isana accepted that schedule first, and soon a meeting was arranged with each of their attendants. Alisa was also there. It was the moment when the three people entangled in the stars of destiny formally faced each other.