Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 340

Chapter 340

“Now you’re even taking care of humans you just met today? I know volunteering is your hobby, but shouldn’t you consider the situation? Is this really the time for you to be distracted by other things?”

“I know. But they were connected to Isana. I wanted to help them avoid trouble if possible. We don’t know what will happen in the future.”

“Always with that Isana. You’re so unnecessarily nosy when it comes to her. Is Isana your only contractor? Try taking care of me like that sometime.”

I’d heard similar words from him before. Back then, I was just dumbfounded, but this time, I felt a pang of guilt. It made my voice quieter when I replied.

“But there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

“And if there were, you’d actually help?”

“Of course, I would.”

“……”

I expected him to scoff and say I wouldn’t, but unlike my expectations, Lapis seemed speechless and just closed his mouth. The expression he gave me as he looked down was strange. Still, the annoyance he had been showing had lessened, so I guess he liked my answer. He was such a simple guy at times like this.

“Anyway, forget about those guys. They’re going to have a hard time soon enough, even if you don’t step in.”

“What do you mean?”

“I did some checking, and most of the people here are underage. And almost all of them are from distinguished families.”

“So what?”

Lapis couldn’t continue his explanation. The Grand Duke, who had been away, had returned. As he appeared, the music in the hall stopped. The atmosphere drew attention, and people naturally turned to the Grand Duke. We had to stop our conversation as well.

“It seems everyone is enjoying the banquet.”

The Grand Duke looked very pleased. Every time he looked around, words of flattery poured out from everywhere. There weren’t many, but some people avoided eye contact with an awkward expression. I watched them closely.

“We can’t just have one toast on such a wonderful day.”

As if prepared in advance, a mobile cart full of wine glasses was brought out. This time, it wasn’t Beryl wine but a different kind of alcohol. The glasses were filled with a clear blue liquid, and a strong floral scent filled the air. The eyes of those who noticed it changed instantly.

“It’s Celestial Fragrance Wine. It’s as good as Beryl wine.”

“As expected, His Excellency the Grand Duke knows how to make a banquet enjoyable.”

A buzz spread throughout the room. Maybe it was just my imagination, but since the wine came out, I felt a subtle current flowing among the people. To be precise, it felt too sticky, or maybe the glances being exchanged were strange. Anyway, it was a very bizarre atmosphere that was hard to explain. When I asked Lapis, he replied nonchalantly.

“Celestial Fragrance Wine has a special ingredient.”

“Special ingredient?”

“It excites the body when you drink it.”

“Isn’t that what all alcohol does?”

“Well, yeah, but this one stimulates your instincts more. It makes you more sensitive to external stimuli. So, it’s usually famous as the nuptial wine that couples drink on their wedding night.”

“……Huh?”

“It’s an aphrodisiac.”

……Seriously?

So, they put an aphrodisiac in the banquet? And they’re going to make a toast with it? I finally understood what was happening. It was no wonder the atmosphere was strange, serving that kind of wine so openly. It felt like a wholesome gathering had suddenly turned into a seedy, decadent establishment. Lapis chuckled, reading the shock on my face.

“It’s not that strong of an aphrodisiac. It just enhances your senses a bit. These things are often used at noble banquets. The kids all play around recklessly.”

“Still! Isn’t that crazy?”

“Well, it’s not common to do this openly at an imperial banquet. That’s probably not his real goal either.”

“What?”

“It’s so predictable that it’s almost boring. But it makes it easier to deal with.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean?”

Lapis shrugged at my bewildered question. His blue eyes, filled with a clear light, seemed to have a hint of red as if he was intrigued.

“It means the Ifrit [a powerful, fiery djinn in Arabic and Islamic mythology] we’ve been waiting for has arrived.”

* * *

Lapis’s explanation was interrupted again. The servants, who had begun to move in earnest, were handing out glasses of wine to everyone equally. There was plenty of Beryl wine left in the hall, but no one would refuse the wine offered by the Grand Duke himself and drink something else. Soon, everyone in the hall had received a glass. The strong floral scent, which had been faint from afar, became even sweeter as it got closer. It was indeed a beautiful wine worthy of the name Celestial Fragrance Wine.

It would have been much better if it didn’t contain such ingredients. It wouldn’t have much of an effect on me anyway, but even knowing that, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant to drink it. In contrast, the others who would actually be affected didn’t seem to mind at all. It seemed they weren’t particularly averse to it, as it was a common wine served. Only a few people slipped something into their glasses. They were probably checking for poison. When they showed a relieved expression after seeing no reaction, the atmosphere in the hall quickly became relaxed. Everyone had been subtly watching their actions. The Grand Duke had obviously seen it but pretended not to notice. At this moment, the feeling of peace that was being outwardly feigned felt intense.

Soon, the scheduled toast followed. The Grand Duke drank first, and the others followed suit. I was just going to pretend to drink, but I felt the Grand Duke watching me as if he had been waiting for it. The petty guy was obviously watching to see who would refuse his wine. I reluctantly took a few sips before his gaze finally left me. Just as I was frowning at the hot sensation going down my throat,

“Hey, collapse.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, something brushed past my ear, and something collapsed with a thud. I turned around in surprise to see a girl lying on the floor. It was Lapis, who had been drinking just fine a moment ago.

“Lapis?”

I rushed over and shook the fallen guy’s shoulder. His limp body swayed helplessly as I touched him. At first, I thought he had lost consciousness, but when I saw him blinking his eyes, I realized that wasn’t the case. Was he… paralyzed? He couldn’t move his body as if he had been electrocuted.

“Lapis! What’s wrong, Lapis?”

I was so flustered by the sudden situation that my mind couldn’t process it. I was wondering if I should use healing magic when Lapis frowned slightly. His expression was full of frustration. It seemed he was annoyed not because he couldn’t move his body, but because of my actions. As I was wondering what was going on, he muttered in a small voice.

“We can’t get anything done if we’re not in sync.”

“Huh?”

“What are you doing? Just collapse.”

“……Huh?”

“Why don’t you look around?”

“……!”

Only then did I quickly turn around to see people collapsing one by one. Gasps and groans of pain erupted from all directions.

There was something in the wine! With a sense of dismay rising from my belated realization, I quickly fell to the floor. Lapis glared at me as if to say my acting was terrible, but it was too sudden for me, so I couldn’t help it. I glanced over and saw Asdo pretending to collapse in accordance with the surrounding situation a little further away. I was relieved that his posture wasn’t much different from mine.

The only ones standing upright in the hall were the Grand Duke and the servants. Even though so many people were collapsing like reeds, they didn’t seem the least bit flustered. That alone made it clear who was behind this situation.

‘What’s going on?’

It wasn’t poison. I had seen them checking and looking at the results, and if there had been impurities mixed in, I would have felt it the moment I drank it. Besides, it seemed to only paralyze the body and not endanger life. As proof, everyone was conscious and looked fine. Of course, they were in a state of shock and confusion. After all, no one could remain calm after suddenly collapsing with their whole body paralyzed.

Since they collapsed as soon as they drank the wine, it was clear that Celestial Fragrance Wine was the cause, but I didn’t know why. Fortunately, there was someone who could explain the situation to me. When I sent him a look urging him to explain, Lapis made a reluctant face before answering with his lips.

‘Beryl wine.’

‘Beryl wine?’

‘When fermented Beryl and the essence of the Ritten flower, which is in Celestial Fragrance Wine, are mixed at certain intervals, it causes a unique paralysis. You have consciousness and sensation, but you can’t move your muscles properly.’

Seriously, there was such a thing? The vague explanations about Vinol and Ifrit finally made sense. It was a property that only manifested when the two were mixed. That’s probably why it didn’t give me any particular discomfort. I hardly drank any Beryl wine, and even what I did drink was immediately purified, so there probably wasn’t any left in my body. Of course, even knowing that didn’t immediately make me understand the situation.

“Oh, my. The effect is faster than I expected.”

The Grand Duke smiled leisurely as he looked around at the people who could only groan without being able to scream. Those who were desperately struggling to move their bodies looked up at him with difficulty. The expressions they wore were different, but they all conveyed the same thing.

That was what I wanted to ask the Grand Duke right now. He seemed to have some ulterior motive, but I thought he would reach out separately later, not openly turn the banquet upside down. Most of the nobles here were supporters of the Grand Duke. They might change their minds and turn away if the situation changed, but at least for now, they were pretending to follow him. Among them, there would be loyal families who would not change their minds under any circumstances. But none of them seemed to have been informed about this situation. The Grand Duke, who clearly understood the meaning of their gazes, gave a completely different answer.

“Beryl changes its properties when fermented to absorb anything. But I heard that after a certain amount of time in the human body, it changes to repel things. It’s not good to drink other alcohol at that time. Usually, it just causes a slight upset, but sometimes unexpected accidents happen. For example, it attacks the aphrodisiac properties of Celestial Fragrance Wine and paralyzes the body.”

“Ugh……”

“The prevention method is simple. Just drink anything before Beryl wine. If other alcohol is already in your system, the repelling property is neutralized. That’s why. Surprisingly, not many people seem to know about this effect. Maybe it’s because it’s not often served together at banquets. As you all know, it’s such an expensive wine, isn’t it? I’m very satisfied because it seems to have been worth the price.”

The frozen faces became even more miserable. They tried to scream, but their tongues, already completely paralyzed, could only produce a scratching groan. Some people forcibly twisted their unmoving bodies. They were clearly frustrated because they wanted to open their mouths and interrogate him, but they couldn’t speak.

The Grand Duke moved on, unconcerned by their appearance. The servants who had been waiting beside him followed like shadows (though now I couldn’t even be sure if they were real palace servants). One of them was holding a stack of papers that looked like documents. The Grand Duke headed towards the noble man who was lying closest to him. The groaning man twisted his body even more as the Grand Duke stopped in front of him. His eyes, filled with terror, stared at the Grand Duke, frozen. Then, the servant holding the documents opened them and began to speak.

“The third son of the Earl of Almore, 18 years old this year. The founding head of the family, a meritorious subject, was an outstanding magician, and many magicians have been produced to this day.”

“Ah, the Earl of Almore’s family, I know them. Is this guy the youngest son of that family? Promising.”

He smiled and nodded. As if that was the signal, another servant took out a pouch from his pocket. Inside was a crude pendant with a black bead embedded in it. Then, a sharp needle also came out. The servant grabbed the man, who couldn’t resist, and pressed the needle firmly into his finger. The man’s eyes, frozen with fear, widened.

“Kuhhh!”

Red blood welled up on the finger where the needle had been removed. The servant, with practiced skill, squeezed out the blood and quickly dropped it onto the pendant. Then, the bead, which had been plain black, instantly turned red. The Grand Duke’s face showed a satisfied smile as he watched what that meant.

“Move him.”

At the following command, other servants who had been waiting approached and lifted the man. He tried to resist, but with a body that couldn’t even move his tongue at will, there was no way he could. While his eyes followed those who were disappearing to an unknown place, the Grand Duke had already moved on to another noble.

After that, similar situations continued. When the Grand Duke stopped in front of someone, the servant with the list recited the family’s history, and blood was drawn and dropped onto the pendant. The black bead didn’t react to all blood. Sometimes it turned a vivid red, but sometimes it was only slightly faint, and sometimes it didn’t change at all. The Grand Duke ordered all those whose beads changed color even a little to be moved. He seemed to be testing everyone, even those he knew personally, but some were moved immediately from the start. Conversely, there were also cases where he ignored them altogether. At first, I didn’t immediately notice the criteria, but after it was repeated several times, a commonality was quickly discovered.

‘He’s excluding adults.’

Whether the target was female or male, they were skipping all those who appeared to be over their mid-twenties. Even when they stopped in front of a youthful face, if the servant reciting the list said they were in their twenties, they would click their tongues and pass. Watching that made a sinister imagination grow stronger.