Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 288

288.

“Ugh, I ate too much. I think I need to go outside for a bit to digest.”

“Ah, me too. I can’t eat anymore.”

“Then I’ll go to the kitchen and tell them not to bring out any more.”

“I need the restroom.”

“Ah! Me too, Sister Iril.”

No matter how enjoyable, no time can last forever. After a certain point of chatter, a natural lull settled in. The mercenaries stopped talking and began to scatter, each attending to their own business. Only the priest and Matthew remained in the seats where five people had been just moments before. With so many people disappearing at once, the bustling surroundings became quiet in an instant. It was then that Trowel lowered the mask he had been wearing as Matthew.

“So, what brings you here, Ellyuen?”

“……”

At the smiling question, the eyes of the priest—Ellyuen—who was quietly pouring himself a drink, narrowed. His face showed the annoyance of having to respond.

The naive human mercenaries may have been fooled by the coincidence, but he knew very well that Trowel had come here on purpose. Among the Spirit Kings, the King of Earth was always the most troublesome to deal with, regardless of the generation. His appearance was not welcome. Regardless, Trowel didn’t care at all.

“I was checking on how the Champagnes were doing and was so surprised to find you here, you know? I had to come all the way here because of you. I wasn’t planning on reuniting just yet.”

He lightly tapped his glass against the one Ellyuen was holding. It wasn’t particularly fine glass, but it made a clear sound. Ellyuen could no longer ignore him and sighed lightly.

“Speaking of which, I had no idea that the Matthew they were talking about was you.”

“Ah, I guess you wouldn’t have heard of it. I created it after you disappeared. Pretty good, right? My stage name.”

“I don’t know. Hasn’t your taste changed too much all of a sudden? You, mingling among humans and working as a mercenary. It’s like the world is turning upside down.”

“Well, I admit it’s not like me. But you still haven’t answered my question?”

“……”

“What business does the busy God of Punishment have on the ground? You, who lived without any interest in amusement even during your time as a Spirit King, are now leisurely touring around. Don’t tell me you lost your way while trying to find El?”

“……Nothing much.”

“You’re not denying it, so it must be true?”

Trowel’s eyes sparkled blatantly. Ellyuen showed a displeased expression for a moment, but soon returned to his indifferent demeanor.

“Spatial movement has become unstable.”

“That’s not just ‘nothing much.’ That’s a pretty critical problem. How did that happen?”

“Don’t look at me with pity. There’s just a minor interference.”

“If it’s enough to make you wander, it doesn’t seem like just a minor thing?”

“Don’t nitpick, Trowel. I know you find this amusing, but I have no intention of indulging in your games. If you provoke me further, it won’t end with just words.”

Watching Ellyuen coldly retort and toss the liquor into his mouth, Trowel chuckled. He knew that the warning he was giving was by no means empty, but he couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t the type to give such kind warnings in advance during his time as a Spirit King. It wasn’t the first time he had seen his changed, mild reaction, but it was always fascinating to witness. In Trowel’s eyes, it was more like the world turning upside down when it came to him. But since his purpose wasn’t to tease, Trowel soon erased his smile and put on a serious expression.

“I’m genuinely curious about the reason. It doesn’t feel good that you’re enduring such inconvenience here.”

“……”

“Recently, the things I see have become unstable and started to split into several branches. It’s a phenomenon that appears when unnecessary intervention occurs in Arkadon. Your being here is also related to that, isn’t it?”

With that question, a heavy silence fell for a moment. Ellyuen didn’t hesitate long to answer. It was true that the status of a higher god was higher than that of a Spirit King, but the situation was different in Arkadon. The beings who ruled and governed this world were not gods, but Spirit Kings. As the one who was once called the King of Water, he was well aware of his authority and responsibility. There was nothing that could happen on this land without the Spirit Kings knowing. After all, one of the reasons he was trying to meet El was to convey this situation. There was no reason not to reveal it to Trowel first.

“The Demon King has crossed over to Arkadon. He is said to be on the verge of awakening as an evil god.”

“……What did the Demon God do?”

“He sealed him, but it seems he couldn’t maintain it for long. There are still restrictions left, but it’s only a matter of time before they are lifted.”

“That’s the worst.”

Trowel’s face clouded over at the news, which was worse than he had expected. He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. He intended to use the eyes of the spirits to find the Demon King’s location. The lower earth spirits scattered throughout the continent began to convey what they saw to their king. But among the information pouring in, there was nothing he was looking for.

“……I can’t find where he is.”

“I figured.”

Ellyuen, who had anticipated the result from the beginning, nodded with a calm face. An evil god was an existence that could compete even with the chief god. Even if a complete awakening had not yet taken place, he would already possess power close to that of a higher god. Even Ellyuen could not find where he was hiding. He could easily deceive the sight of lower spirits.

“How long do you think the seal will last?”

“At most, within five years. If he takes sacrifices and absorbs power, it will be faster. But he needs at least a thousand people.”

“A thousand people… Since he needs to meet the necessary conditions, he won’t be able to fill that right away. I don’t know if I should say that’s fortunate. First, we need to search the places where the children gather. We’ll look into that.”

“Alright.”

Just in time, the scattered group began to return one by one, so the conversation between the two naturally stopped. Seeing the chilly atmosphere after being away for a while, the Champagne mercenaries glanced at each other. They wanted to ask the reason, but it was difficult to talk to either of them, so they couldn’t bring themselves to speak. Reluctantly, they tried to change the atmosphere by starting a different conversation. Iril was the first to speak.

“Um, you know, we heard something interesting on the way back from the bathroom. But it feels like it’s a rumor spread by the Demon God’s cult [a group of worshippers of a powerful evil deity].”

“What rumor?”

Ellyuen and Trowel’s gazes turned to Iril at the mention of the Demon God’s cult. The others were the same. After intervening in the missing children case in Etan Village, the Champagne Mercenary Corps became extremely wary of the Demon God’s followers. They were deliberately searching for information related to the Demon God’s followers, wondering if similar incidents were happening elsewhere. In fact, that was why their return to the unit was delayed. In this situation, they were naturally on edge when they heard that a rumor related to the Demon God’s cult was circulating. But the following words were a bit unexpected.

“Have you heard of a witch who grants wishes?”

“……A witch who grants wishes?”

“What’s that?”

Iril and Sherry looked perplexed at the bewildered reactions of the group. They were just conveying what they had heard, so they felt just as embarrassed.

“I don’t know exactly. It seems like some kind of spell is trending among people these days. If you perform a ritual on a moonlit night and chant an incantation, a beautiful witch will appear?”

“What is that, such a cheesy fairy tale? So, that witch grants wishes? Any wish at all?”

“Yes, that’s what they say. Whether it’s money, fame, or life. If it’s something you desperately want, it will definitely come true.”

“Geez, that’s ridiculous. All sorts of things are trending in this situation. Or maybe it’s trending more because of this situation. But what do you mean that the Demon God’s cult spread it? That kind of superstition is common.”

Legends and superstitions that entice people are considered heretical, but they have always been circulating steadily. Among them, the kind that grants wishes was especially numerous. Adding a new story wouldn’t be surprising, and it would be even more difficult to find the source. Mighty pointed that out, and Iril shrugged.

“Yeah, that’s the thing. There’s a strange condition attached to that spell.”

“A strange condition?”

“It seems like a Demon God’s follower is needed to complete the spell. There’s a process where you have to drop a drop of blood during the ritual, and it has to be the blood of a Demon God’s follower?”

“Aha? So, in the end, it’s a wish that can only be achieved with the help of a Demon God’s follower?”

“That’s right.”

“Geez, they’re doing all sorts of things now. The reputation of the Demon God’s cult is so bad, so it seems like they’re trying to rebrand themselves in that way? Is it just me who feels that way?”

Herol, who had been listening silently, couldn’t hold back his resentment and joined in. Everyone agreed as he turned around and asked for their opinions.

“I think the same way.”

“Besides, this looks like they’re trying to make contact with the Demon God’s followers no matter what. Isn’t the intention too suspicious?”

“That’s what I’m saying. What are they trying to catch by laying this groundwork?”

“……I think the answer is already out.”

A dry voice echoed in the space that had become noisy with discussion. Trowel was where the low murmur had started. He had only said one word, but the surrounding air became heavy rapidly. It was the same expression and the same atmosphere as before, but strangely, he felt sharp. It was when the Champagne mercenaries quietly held their breath.

Bang!

A slightly loud noise erupted nearby. It was the sound of Ellyuen, who had tossed back the last of his liquor, slamming his empty glass hard on the table. The Champagne mercenaries, startled, turned around and swallowed hard this time. His already cool gaze was even more threateningly lowered. For some reason, they could intuitively tell that his mood had soured. In fact, Ellyuen was in a rare state of irritation, so it wasn’t a completely wrong judgment. The corner of his mouth twisted slightly.

“They’re playing tricks.”

* * *

The snow had weakened, but the harsh weather continued. As the situation of being trapped for days continued, the group members each created things to do and immersed themselves in them. Playing chess, doing personal training, reading books. Like all indoor activities, most of them were static. Since they were in a position to be indebted, they generally behaved quietly, so they deliberately chose only those kinds of activities. Thanks to this, the mansion was quiet all day long, even though there were many people staying there.

When everyone was immersed in their personal activities, I would slip out alone and explore the mansion. I excused it as a walk to kill boredom, but in reality, it was closer to an attempt to find the cause of the lingering thoughts.

“So, there have never been any accidents in the mansion? No missing people either?”

“No, nothing like that has ever happened.”

The woman who shook her head firmly had been working in this mansion for over 10 years. In addition to her, I went around and asked a few more people, but all the same conclusion was reached.

“……It’s certain that the incident was covered up.”

Even though it was something I had already expected, I felt gloomy. I really hated looking straight at the truth that I didn’t want to confirm.

“I will no longer stand by and watch the wicked Demon God’s cult do as they please in this land. Please allow me to help as well. I want to watch His Majesty bring down the Grand Duke from the sidelines.”

The day before yesterday, Count Banon decided to support Isana with his private soldiers. It seemed that he, along with a few neighboring lords who were in contact with him, had agreed to join forces. Most of them were those who were usually dissatisfied with the tyranny of the Grand Duke and the Demon God’s cult, and there was a related meeting scheduled as soon as the weather improved.

Thanks to this, I became anxious. If it was just a place I was passing through, I wouldn’t care. But if we were going to be on the same boat in the future, I needed to delve deeper into what happened here. Exactly who died when, who killed them, and why they killed them.

Besides, I later learned that the current Countess Banon was pregnant with her fourth child. She had just entered her third month, and it hadn’t been long since she found out. “We already have three beautiful daughters, so I hope it’s a son this time.” When the Countess Banon said with a shy smile, Count Banon kissed her forehead as if she were the most precious treasure in the world. “Don’t say that again. If it’s your and my child, I don’t care what gender the child is,” he whispered sweetly in her ear. Most nobles have arranged marriages, but they were a couple with a very good relationship. Even though they were young, they already had four children, so there was no need to say more.

In any case, it was right to resolve the situation in this mansion for the sake of the pregnant woman. The fetus was in an incomplete state, so it was easier to be affected by lingering thoughts. I couldn’t just leave the situation as it was. The child to be born was innocent. So, I was going to properly investigate and resolve the incident. That way, I could purify it with peace of mind.

“I think I’m the type to buy trouble even when I think about it.”

Even if Lapis scolds me for being nosy, I have nothing to say. But it was difficult to forcibly ignore what caught my eye and bothered me. Someday, the day may come when I become indifferent to everything, but for now, I was much more comfortable being physically tired than having lingering feelings. Until that changes, I guess I’ll just have to resign myself to this fate and live with it.