Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 444

444.

“By the way, what happened with your trip? The ticket?”

“I got it. There’s a train leaving this evening.”

“Really? Wow, I’m saved.”

Miel, hearing the welcome news, was relieved, her face brightening. Edith’s face also brightened.

“You were lucky to get a ticket for the same day.”

“Yes, it was the last seat available. Someone else arrived first but gave it to me.”

“Really? That’s very kind of them.”

Ira readily agreed, recalling the person she had seen at the station earlier. Was it a boy? Or a girl? Their shabby attire couldn’t hide their dazzling appearance. Ira had never seen such a beautiful face. She couldn’t see the shape of their ears because they were covered by a hood, but they were definitely an Elf. Perhaps even a High Elf from the priestly clan. But the excitement of seeing an Elf didn’t last long.

‘I heard that the Elven race has been acting strangely lately. I hope it’s not related. Or maybe it’s not an Elf at all…’

No, that’s just speculation. Ira quickly shook her head. Whoever that person was, if they were involved in this, they wouldn’t have given up their ticket to someone else. Being so sensitive to everything, even the slightest concern now led to suspicion. This wasn’t good.

“Ira?”

At that moment, Ira snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the voice. Miel was looking at her worriedly. In her bright brown eyes, Ira saw a different kind of anxiety than usual. Ira forced a smile.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, Edith, aren’t you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”

“No, I’m fine for now.”

Edith slowly shook her head. Ira and Miel also had no appetite, so the three of them spent some time quietly in the square. Suddenly, Edith’s gaze turned towards the dock. The ship they had arrived on was still docked there. The sailors were busily moving about on the deck, making preparations. It was a lively scene, as bright as the sunny weather, but the expressions of those watching were clouded.

“Pavel’s group’s belongings are being sent to the government office, right?”

“…Yes, Edith. There’s nothing to prove their identities, so they’ll probably be stored for a while and then incinerated.”

“I see.”

The breath she exhaled became heavier.

“I still don’t know if this is right. Should we have salvaged their belongings? They’re their personal effects. At least we should have handed them over to their families…”

“No. We have no choice, Edith. We must remain uninvolved to the end.”

“That’s right, Edith. We deliberately acted separately from the beginning to prepare for this.”

“But…”

“They turn into perfect humans on land. The number of attackers may not be all of them.”

Edith’s eyes wavered at the firm words. Ira’s face became even sterner.

“Edith, you know that Pavel and the other two aren’t the type to let their guard down so easily. There must be someone who lured them onto the deck. Maybe it’s one of the sailors. Maybe it’s a government employee.”

Edith took a deep breath. She had momentarily forgotten, in the bright sunlight, that the peace they were enjoying was balanced on a precarious and fragile tightrope. A very thin peace that would collapse helplessly if someone started to shake it. Edith bit her lip, her face clouded.

“…That’s right. You’re right. I was too short-sighted. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I understand how you feel, Edith. But please, strengthen your resolve. The Empire is by no means a safe zone.”

There was no completely safe place in the face of beings that could hide anywhere. Perhaps the place they were going to was even more dangerous. Edith, reminded of this obvious fact, nodded heavily.

“By the way, I wonder if the person who helped us is okay? I’m worried because we haven’t heard from them since they left to investigate separately. According to the original schedule, they should have been on the same ship as us, but it didn’t seem like they were, right?”

“Yes, but we didn’t check all the passengers, so I’m not sure. We were mostly in the cabin. We might have just not run into them.”

“I hope that’s the case.”

She didn’t want any more victims. But even as she said that, Edith’s face was dark and devoid of hope. Seeing the moisture filling her light green eyes, Ira opened her mouth as if making a vow.

“It’s okay, Edith. We’re not just going to sit here and take it. That’s why we risked coming all the way here.”

“I know. It’ll be okay, right, Ira?”

“Of course. The destination is just around the corner. Think of the people waiting for us there. This hardship will soon be over.”

Ira’s black eyes held a fierce blue flame.

“The day will come when they realize who they messed with.”

* * *

Wheeeeeee—

A whistling sound rang out, and the view tilted rapidly. Wings of five colors stretched out on both sides, riding the wind and beginning their descent. The distant ground quickly approached, and the toy-like buildings grew in size.

“We’ll be arriving soon!”

The pilot in front, holding the reins, shouted loudly. The sound was half-swallowed by the strong wind. Wheeeeeee— As if echoing his words, a long cry rang out again. Even at this moment, the surrounding scenery flashed by at a rapid pace. The distance that had seemed so close from above became farther and farther as they descended, and now it was difficult to even tell where they were.

Some of the people around the station looked up at them. Soon, the body, almost reaching the ground, flapped its huge wings greatly, slowing its descent. It didn’t take long for its outstretched legs to land completely on the ground.

“You can unbuckle your belts now.”

I nodded at the pilot’s words as he got off first. As he stroked the giant bird that had carried them, as if saying thank you, it lazily opened its eyelids. Its head resembled a chicken, but its neck was covered in scales, and its back had a lion’s mane. Its glossy wings were a brilliant five colors, and its tail was as splendid as a peacock’s.

The Bijo [a domesticated, flying monster used for transportation] was an excellent means of transportation in this world, and riding a bird was a rare experience. However, no matter how amazing something is, it becomes commonplace over time. And if the number of repetitions is frequent, that moment inevitably comes even faster.

“I’m not riding a Bijo for a while.”

The pilot, who was taking off his helmet, chuckled, probably hearing my firm vow as soon as I got off the saddle. Of course, to someone who rides a Bijo every day, my lament would sound like an exaggeration. Still, I was tired of it. This was also in line with the agony I felt on the train, but it seems that enduring in one fixed position is really not something I enjoy. It feels like my body is being tested to see how far it can endure. But the time for trials was not over yet.

“Would you like to take a carriage to the center?”

As I massaged my stiff body, a coachman who had been waiting near the Bijo station approached and asked. I barely endured the urge to refuse and nodded. I really didn’t want to be trapped and transported somewhere anymore, but right now, the desire to arrive and rest was greater.

After paying the fare, the eager coachman opened the carriage door himself. Before going inside, I looked up and checked what was in front of me. Beyond the winding forest path, the towering royal castle could be seen in the distance.

Finally, I had arrived in the capital.

The cruel prophecy was fulfilled without a single deviation. The train stopped on the way, and the distraught engineer announced that the rescue team would arrive in five days. The passengers were stranded in the middle of a mountain with nothing. Everything fit together perfectly, as if it had been planned. But Trowel hadn’t told me everything. No, he had hidden the most important fact of all: that the mountain path, which could be crossed in two days, was a treacherous cliff path without any safety devices. Moreover, it was narrow and had many broken sections, so they had to create a path where there was none.

‘I should have guessed that no one climbs the mountain.’

Five days was a considerable amount of time. If they could shorten it to two days, it would be tempting enough, but most of the numerous passengers chose to stay and wait for the rescue team. Only those whose destination was the next station and who had urgent schedules decided to walk along the railroad tracks. No one tried to climb the mountain. I should have suspected something was wrong then. Everyone knew that climbing the mountain was suicidal.

Still, I could handle it up to that point. I didn’t have a fear of heights, and I was confident in my strength and stamina. The real problem arose after I started climbing the cliff in earnest. As everyone knows, human life is full of variables, and small things often ruin big things. For example, you might prepare extra clothes but forget to think about shoes.

What this means is that the soles of my shoes fell off.

At first, I didn’t think much of it. I had traveled such long distances with Isana, yet I had forgotten to bring extra shoes. I just reflected that I should be more careful next time. But these shoes were surprisingly important items that affected my gait and balance. I stumbled more often and slipped several times more. It wasn’t easy to stand on even a smooth rock, so naturally, my movement speed slowed down significantly. I narrowly avoided falling several times and did all sorts of stupid things, but I didn’t arrive at my destination until three days later, and of course, I missed the train.

“I’m so pathetic that I can’t even say anything.”

Trowel’s harsh words to me, standing there in despair, tattered and torn, will probably be unforgettable for the rest of my life. As will Ellyuen’s cold gaze from beside him.

After that, it was a time of unspeakable hardship and adversity. Since I couldn’t wait for a train that wouldn’t come, I tried to find other ways to shorten the route as much as possible. I thought that if I could just get to the area where the train was running, I could somehow manage, so I bought a map and set a route.

But for a first-timer, that itself was not an easy path. I wandered for days to cover a distance that should have taken a few days, arrived at the wrong place because I mistook the place name, and arrived later because I didn’t know what means of transportation were available. I was often caught in bad weather, or the person who gave me directions gave me the wrong directions, or the map itself was marked incorrectly. Eventually, it became better to give up on the train and just keep going.

I didn’t even get to see the mana gate [a teleportation device] that allows spatial movement, or the airship that is the pride of the Empire. Only nobles and officials, or those who had received a permit, could ride it. In the first place, the tickets themselves were all reservation-only, and you had to have an ID card to make a reservation, so it was impossible to deceive and ride it.

‘Damn class system.’

I can’t ride even if I have money, how can this be? If the facilities were not common or there was a limit to the number of people that could be accommodated, I would have to accept it, but that was not the reason. It was simply because of the privileged mindset that a special class should occupy it. It was absurd and ridiculous, but the class-based world took it for granted.

Anyway, thanks to that, a month had passed when I arrived in the capital. Considering that I could have arrived in a week at the latest if I had taken the train properly, it was a journey that I couldn’t help but grind my teeth at. As a result, even when I faced the moment I had been waiting for, nothing caught my eye. Magnificent buildings and streets bustling with crowds that I had not seen elsewhere unfolded, but there was not even the common feeling of finally arriving.

“Still, you arrived quickly for you.”

As I was looking around with a gaze that even I felt was dry, a familiar voice came from the side. It was my father’s words, who had not been of any help other than paying for the expenses during the past days of hardship. Next to him, Trowel, who likewise had not been of any help and had only made fun of me, was smiling brightly.

Scolding the spirit kings was an act that could only be done to someone who could understand it. The fighting spirit that had been boiling with indignation at the question that came back without any emotion quickly subsided. In fact, the two of them had no obligation to help me. Still, they didn’t stop accompanying me, so maybe that was enough.

“What are you going to do now?”

As I sighed and answered, Ellyuen looked a little surprised. Trowel was also sparkling his eyes as if it was interesting.

“Are you going to hand it over quietly?”

“Why?”

“If you take that, you can meet Lamias right away.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Because it’s information worth it.”

Huh, that’s right. After all, war was high-level information that anyone would be interested in. If it was such a big deal, it would be more than enough reason to approach Lamias naturally. Only if this document was my property.

“No, it’s okay. That’s stealing it. I don’t even know for sure who that person is trying to give this information to, so I don’t think it’s right to hand it over as I please.”

Then Ellyuen looked puzzled.

“Why are you pretending to have a conscience?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Weren’t you supposed to meet Lamias no matter what? Seeing that you’re thinking about means and methods, you don’t seem that desperate.”

“Ah, no. I’m super desperate, you know? It’s just that I can’t ignore other people’s circumstances.”

“Well, can you be desperate even if you have the luxury of considering other people’s circumstances?”

“Of course, because I’m desperate. That person must be feeling the same way as me. How can I ignore that?”

At those words, Ellyuen turned to me with a different look in his eyes. It was an expression that asked how I could even think of such a thing. Trowel was also sending a strange gaze. The intention to grasp the truth was clear in his slowly scanning golden eyes. I don’t know what the two of them think of me. I’m just not honest, but I haven’t really lied much.

“Anyway, I’m going to handle the document as requested. Honestly, I don’t want to get involved in such suspicious content.”

“So it wasn’t because of conscience after all.”

“…”

Geez, you could just let it go, why do you have to snipe at me like that? As I grumbled inwardly, I slowly looked around. The bustling street was full of everything. I could find what I was looking for without much delay.

“But there’s something I need to do first.”

“What is it?”

I raised my finger and pointed to one place: a building that looked like an inn. The two spirit kings, who sent their gazes in the direction I was pointing, had dumbfounded expressions. Regardless of those gazes, I smiled brightly.

“I’m going to sleep first.”

It goes without saying, but humans eat three meals a day, rest occasionally, and get enough sleep. A month-long journey was a time when it was difficult to even meet these basic needs. My fingernail-sized patience had long since reached its limit. The fact that it was noon or the cheerful weather that made me feel excited was not important at all. What I needed now was sleep.