Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 363

Chapter 363

“Matthew, this is so sudden…….”

“I think so too. Actually, I wasn’t planning on saying goodbye like this.”

“But why…….”

“Well, I guess you could say what’s meant to happen has happened. I don’t think I need to explain it now. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Matthew…….”

“Don’t be too sad. It’s just happening sooner than expected, but it was going to happen someday anyway. We weren’t going to be together forever. Everyone knew that.”

“What…….”

“My appearance hasn’t changed at all from a few years ago, has it?”

At that moment, everyone who heard him fell silent, at a loss for words. Everyone there understood the meaning of his words.

From the first time they met until now, Matthew’s appearance had remained the same. Not just figuratively, but there was actually no change in his appearance. Even though he was in his growing period and should have been growing faster than anyone else, he didn’t grow taller, nor did his body shape change. It seemed like not even a single strand of hair grew. Just looking at how Sherry, who was smaller than him at first, was now almost the same height, the difference was clear. They had tried to explain it away, thinking he was thin and underdeveloped, but the lack of growth was too extreme. It was definitely not a normal appearance.

They hadn’t had the courage to ask him the reason directly, so they had been guessing that he was a hybrid with another race. In fact, his bizarrely beautiful appearance and inexplicably enormous strength made it difficult to see him as a pure human. But when Matthew himself pointed out the fact, their hearts ached.

They wanted to say that it didn’t matter, but practical concerns stopped them. The world of mercenaries was harsh, and many people held conservative views and prejudices. Among them, quite a few were hostile to other races or hybrids. Actually, if they were just other races, it would have been better, but hybrids were openly rejected.

In this world where each race has its own creator god, hybrids were beings who did not belong to any god and could not receive divine protection. It was obvious how they would view Matthew, who wasn’t growing, in the future. Just because they said it was okay didn’t mean it would truly be okay. How could they tell him to stay in the Dan [mercenary group], bearing all of that?

Since he was a child who didn’t open up easily, he might have already experienced several uncomfortable situations. If he had decided to leave because he couldn’t stand it anymore, they had no right to stop him, since they hadn’t noticed until that point. But to just send away a colleague who had shared life and death with them like this was also heartbreaking. Matthew smiled as if he knew everything, looking at them frozen in complex thoughts.

“Take this.”

He took out a gourd from his arms. Even though the lid was tightly closed, a sweet scent wafted out. A pleasant fragrance reminiscent of flowers was mixed with a slight spiciness that wasn’t unpleasant. It seemed to be quite a rare liquor. Matthew was a minor, but he didn’t really enjoy drinking. Everyone was bewildered by the fact that he possessed liquor.

“It’s a farewell gift. Don’t drink it, just keep it.”

“Huh? Don’t drink it?”

“You’ve already drunk the sacred wine. Too much is worse than not enough. For you now, this would be poison.”

“Uh……?”

They blinked blankly. Matthew wasn’t there when they received the liquor from the priest and when they found out it was sacred wine. But Matthew mentioned the fact as if it were obvious, so they couldn’t help but be flustered.

“Well, don’t be disappointed. The taste is definitely better than what you drank, but the effect is better for what you drank.”

“How do you know that…… No, is this also sacred wine? No, wait! More than that, why should I have this if I can’t even drink it?”

“Think of it as capital.”

“Ca, capital?”

“In the future, you will meet many who want it. Who to give it to, what to get in return, that’s up to you to decide. Your future will unfold depending on that decision.”

“Huh? What?”

Before he could even understand the meaning, Huesen received the bottle of liquor that was thrust into his arms. Huesen made a complicated expression at the heavy sensation in his hands. Where did the suddenly given sacred wine come from, what were the ambiguous words like a prophecy, his head was filled with things he wanted to ask, but there were no words he could actually say.

He didn’t know what was going on, but somehow, receiving something like this made him realize that they were really parting ways. As Matthew said, he had been anticipating that this day would come someday. But not like this. A few years is by no means a short period of time. During that time, they were blood brothers and family. When they said goodbye, he was thinking of having a proper farewell party. No, more than that, he wanted to hold him back from leaving.

“Are you really going to leave?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, I see…….”

“It was fun. Goodbye, everyone.”

“Haa, wait. Wait a minute, Matthew. No matter how I think about it, I don’t think we should be parting like this. Can’t you think about it again…….”

Huesen, who had raised his head with the intention of shamelessly persuading him, had to doubt his eyes the next moment. Because Matthew, who had been in front of him until just now, was nowhere to be seen. The others were just as embarrassed. Everyone looked around in a panic. No one there witnessed Matthew disappearing. If the gourd in Huesen’s hand hadn’t remained as evidence, they would have believed that they had all had a dream. It felt like they had been possessed by a ghost.

“What, what is it? Matthew, that guy…… Did he just leave like this?”

“I guess so.”

“No way. So empty…….”

Iril’s voice was mixed with tears. Sherry’s eyes were also red. Herol and Mighty were also constantly clearing their throats to hold back their tears.

“Geez. It feels really strange. Matthew, that guy, he always had a bit of a strange feeling, but…… Is it because it’s the last time? Today, he feels even more…….”

“There was a strange atmosphere, wasn’t there?”

Mighty continued the words that Herol had muttered. It was the last time, but in fact, they still didn’t feel like they had broken up. Originally, Matthew often left somewhere and came back. This felt like an extension of those times. But now, even if they go to the designated meeting place, they will never meet him again. And in the future, they will gradually confirm the vacancy.

A suffocatingly heavy air settled between them, who had become depressed. If the surroundings hadn’t suddenly become noisy, they would have continued to be like that forever.

“Hick, it’s real!”

“Really…… Hey!”

Suddenly, a murmur spread, and people began to rush out from here and there. Tension was running high among the people who stopped what they were doing. The Champagne mercenaries were also bewildered and raised their heads.

“What is it? What happened?”

“I don’t know?”

It seemed like an emergency, but it didn’t feel that serious. But they couldn’t just ignore it, as the surrounding omens were unusual. The Champagne mercenaries, who had sharpened their nerves, soon heard the heavy footsteps that shook the ground. It seemed that an armed group was approaching. As expected, knights in silver armor soon appeared in front of everyone. The blue cloaks they wore fluttered majestically in the wind.

“……!”

The Champagne mercenaries opened their mouths blankly without realizing it. Since mercenary corps generally played the role of expendable forces in all battles, they didn’t have much contact with the Knights. Even so, it wasn’t unusual to run into each other because they tended to mix here and there during battles. But the Knights in front of them now were not just ordinary Knights. Because there was only one Knights order among them who wore blue cloaks.

Just in time, the flag they were holding clearly revealed their affiliation. The emblem of a dragon and a lion embroidered with golden thread on a crimson background. It was undoubtedly the Emperor’s flag. At the same time as confirming that, they discovered a man among the knights.

“Yo, Your Majesty the Emperor?”

“That person, is that really His Majesty the Emperor?”

Surprisingly, Emperor Isana was there. It was natural that the surroundings became noisy. The Emperor usually mingled well with the soldiers, but he didn’t even come to the mercenary corps, which was no different from a lawless zone. It was natural for him to do so for the sake of his personal safety, as it was the easiest environment for spies to infiltrate. Therefore, even though they were in the same advance party, the Emperor was a distant figure that was hard for the mercenaries to even catch a glimpse of. But he was standing right in front of them, so everyone was busy doubting their eyes.

It was a little different, but the Champagne mercenaries felt the same way. The Emperor, dressed in a neat uniform, had matured so much in the meantime that he now had the appearance of a young man. Sharpness had settled in his once soft features, and he felt even more dignified as a ruler. Perhaps that’s why it was hard to believe that the Emperor and they were once comrades who had gone through thick and thin together.

In the meantime, the unit commander hurriedly ran out to greet the Emperor. His face was pale, as if he hadn’t expected the visit either. The Emperor exchanged a few words with him for a while, then turned his head as if examining something, and soon discovered the frozen Champagne mercenaries. When their eyes met, the Champagne mercenaries reflexively straightened their shoulders. They couldn’t dare to put on a casual, welcoming face because the other party’s status was too high. Just making eye contact made their hearts flutter, so they had to give up on having the guts to act like they knew him. The Emperor must have forgotten them by now.

Of course, it didn’t take long for them to realize how wrong that assumption was. Because the gaze that they thought was just passing by was actually fixed on them. The Emperor even started walking towards them. The Champagne mercenaries stopped breathing, stiff as a board. They couldn’t believe that the person coming towards them was really the Emperor, even though they could clearly see it.

“I heard that there were heroes who defeated the monsters in an instant, so I came…… I see familiar faces here. It’s been a while, everyone.”

“We, we greet Your Majesty the Emperor!”

The Champagne mercenaries, who had come to their senses after hearing the voice, answered in a fluster. The Emperor, stopping them from hurriedly prostrating, looked at them with a welcoming expression.

“I heard that you supported my army. I was late in checking because I entrusted the details of each unit to the people in charge. Weren’t you disappointed?”

“Ah, no! We are honored that you remember us, Your Majesty!”

“I kept my life thanks to you, so how could I not remember? I was thinking that you were the people I should take care of first after this battle is over. But before I could repay that favor, I was indebted to my benefactors again.”

“Be, benefactor. You are too kind.”

Huesen, who was horrified by the excessive title, quickly shook his head. He felt like his lifespan was shortening by several years every time the Emperor opened his mouth. It wasn’t just his imagination that the gazes watching him were getting more and more intense. Even without that, he had been followed by gazes wherever he went since he defeated the monsters. In the midst of all this, the Emperor revealed his friendship in a place where everyone could hear, so there was no way to know what kind of aftermath would follow. At least for a while, he would be a spectacle, no different from a traveling circus. But the Emperor, whether he knew what was going on inside or not, was just lost in thought.

“Hmm, I see. So you were here. That’s good.”

“Ye, yes?”

“Huesen, you were a gold-badge mercenary, weren’t you?”

“Yes, but……?”

“I was planning to reorganize some of the mercenary corps’ positions. I was worried about appointing a unit commander, but I think I’ve found the right person. From now on, Huesen is the unit commander of this mercenary corps.”

“……Yes?”

The surroundings stirred greatly at the unexpected situation. Huesen, the person in question, could only open his mouth and couldn’t make a sound. He couldn’t keep up with the situation that was changing in an instant. While he was in confusion, Baron Row, who was the existing unit commander, approached Huesen and tied something to his arm. It was a red ribbon, the symbol of the unit commander. Baron Row was a strong and wise commander, but he didn’t get along well with the rough and unruly mercenaries because he was a typical aristocrat. Was that why? His expression as he handed over the symbol looked somehow relieved. Only then did Huesen, who had grasped the situation, urgently look at the Emperor.

“Yo, Your Majesty. What is all this…….”

It was common sense that the position of commander in the army was held by an aristocrat. There were times when a commoner had to take over when the higher-ups all died in battle, but that was an extremely rare case. Moreover, Huesen was not a vassal but a mercenary. It was an unprecedented personnel appointment for a mercenary in a contractual relationship to officially take over as unit commander. But the Emperor, who had finished that huge task with a single word, didn’t seem to think much of it.

“I heard that there are many big and small conflicts because the nature of the mercenary world is a little different from that of a normal army. I thought that the current method was inefficient, so I was thinking of entrusting the command to someone among those involved. I have appointed a necessary senior and a suitable person. I believe that Huesen will do well.”

“Ah, no. But, Your Majesty. This is too much…… There, there may be someone more outstanding than me.”

“Are you worried about backlash? Then let’s do this. Anyone who is dissatisfied with his appointment as unit commander, come out now. Anyone who thinks they are more suitable for the position of unit commander is also welcome. I will listen to everyone’s opinions.”

The Emperor said, looking around. Mercenaries were very good at promoting themselves, and they were people who didn’t miss such opportunities. But in this place, no one readily stepped forward. Then, suddenly, someone shouted from within the group.

“Huesen is the only unit commander!”