Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 457

457

“Oh, it’s the Dawn Guild.”

“I heard they were out catching cats again today?”

“Rakaine Chris has really fallen from grace. What’s the point of being an Axis-level Hunter if you’re just looking for lost pets?”

They thought they were whispering, but they weren’t quiet enough. Chris shot them a fierce glare, and the group flinched. But the murmuring continued.

“Hey, hey, he’s glaring.”

“Let him. What’s he going to do? We’re not saying anything untrue. If he causes a scene here, he’ll get disciplined, and he’ll only hurt himself.”

Chris’s face turned red at the accurate assessment. Not from embarrassment, but from the anger he was forcibly suppressing. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard such things. As always, people who loved to gossip were quick to judge situations they knew nothing about. Being mocked or pitied was the least of it. Some even criticized Chris for tarnishing the name of a legendary guild by rebuilding Dawn and only taking on Arma-level requests. Chris had to exercise patience every time. There had already been several occasions where he almost got disciplined for losing his temper. The Association President had sternly warned him that he would face real consequences if he caused any more trouble.

A disciplinary period meant no requests. No matter how hot-headed Chris was, he couldn’t ignore that. Seeing him become more docile seemed to embolden the gossips, and their voices grew louder.

“By the way, didn’t that guild brag about having a high-level spirit user when they were promoting themselves? There’s someone who recently passed the Axis-level exam. I heard they’re a spirit user and belong to that guild.”

“There is a spirit user. The guy in the hood is probably the one. But he only summons low-level spirits? I’ve never seen him summon anything else.”

“Yeah, I saw him earlier too, summoning a bunch of low-level spirits. No matter how many there are, low-level spirits are still low-level spirits.”

“So, was that rumor false? I guess if he were a high-level spirit user, he would have left a guild like that a long time ago.”

Just then, a heavy sensation landed on my shoulders. Chris had grabbed them with both hands.

“Ell! Summon Seciel!”

“Nope~ Refused.”

“Why!”

“Spirits aren’t decorations, you know? I don’t like using them for frivolous displays.”

“But we’re being ignored!”

“That’ll happen no matter what we do. Even if we prove ourselves, those people will just gossip about how a high-level spirit user is doing trivial requests.”

“Yeah, but still!”

“Don’t worry about it. They don’t even know the meaning of summoning spirits or the significance of the number of spirits. Don’t be swayed by such empty words.”

“Damn it, Jinheon bastards!”

Unable to find a better response, Chris started cursing Jinheon Guild again. Blaming Jinheon Guild when he was frustrated was like a habit ingrained in his body. This time, however, he shouted it out loud, making the surroundings echo. Startled, people shut their mouths, and the murmuring subsided. Only then did Chris’s expression soften as he sighed.

“Sorry, everyone. I’m too inadequate as a guild master.”

“It’s okay, Chris. Don’t apologize for this. How is this your fault? Jinheon and the Association guys who are swayed by them are the bad ones.”

“Yeah, man. And it’s still early days. There’s a limit to how much they can mess around. Our request completion rate is so high, they can’t keep giving us the same grade of requests. Besides, even if we don’t, you and Ell are Axis-level Hunters. They won’t keep you idle forever out of spite, right? Better things will come. Right, Nevin?”

“That’s right, Simon. Don’t pay attention to those whispers either. Like Ell said, they’re just people who don’t know anything, talking nonsense.”

The group smiled bitterly, comforting their dispirited guild master. Still, the past month hadn’t been entirely meaningless. Going through the same hardships had strengthened their bond, making the guild members very close. The more relaxed way of speaking and addressing each other was also an achievement of that process.

“Ah, speaking of spirit users, I just remembered. Jinheon Guild recruited that person, right?”

“Seriously? That rumor was true?”

“It’s true. I heard they even signed the contract.”

“Wow, they were already unbeatable, but now they’re really going to soar.”

Amidst the good atmosphere, they overheard people talking. It seemed Jinheon Guild had recruited a fairly famous hunter. It wasn’t welcome news for us. It was clear who would suffer as their power grew. Sensing the same thing, some people cast sympathetic glances our way.

‘But they said they remembered because of the spirit user comment. Is that hunter also a spirit user?’

Hunter is a good profession for spirit users who have independent and peaceful tendencies. Working for noble families or countries lacks freedom, and mercenaries can’t avoid wars between people. In comparison, hunters mainly deal with monsters, which is relatively less burdensome. There were a few known famous hunters who were also spirit users. So, there was nothing particularly strange about a spirit user hunter. But the fact that ‘that’ Jinheon Guild recruited them made me uneasy.

“Something terrible has happened!”

The situation took a sudden turn. A man burst through the door, looking panicked. His face was pale and filled with terror.

“A magical beast! A magical beast has appeared!”

The Association hall instantly erupted into chaos at the shout. It was like a bolt from the blue, striking the city after a period of calm. Startled staff rushed out.

“A magical beast? Where is it!”

“It’s close! It’s nearby!”

“W-What?”

Kooong!

As if in response, the building shook violently. People with hardened expressions quickly grabbed their weapons and headed outside. Me and my companions did the same.

Peeeeee―

As soon as we got outside, we were met with a piercing cry. A giant beast in the form of an eagle was perched on the Hunter Association’s roof. Red light scattered from its arrogant eyes as it looked down. A heavy presence dominated the surroundings, sending shivers down my spine. It was an impressive sight at a glance. The warning bells in my head were ringing. It was smaller than the magical beast I saw last time, but it was incomparably stronger.

“What the heck is that…?”

“Everyone, cover your ears!”

Someone shouted just as someone else questioned it. It was Chris. I reflexively looked back at the roof and saw the magical beast spreading its wings wide and tilting its head back. I instinctively covered my ears, and a strong shockwave immediately followed. It seemed the magical beast had fired something like a sonic wave. Several people collapsed on the spot. They were the ones who were too slow to cover their ears. Unfortunately, the man next to me was one of them.

“Heeik! Heeik!”

The man, pale as a sheet, twisted his body, making a sound like air leaking from his mouth. He seemed to be having a seizure.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I was quickly checking on the man when a chilling sensation brushed against my skin. I reflexively raised my sword to block, and crushing pressure poured down. I barely managed to swallow my breath. The magical beast that had been on the roof just moments ago was right in front of me. Its claws were stopped right in front of the man I was trying to help. The thought that I might not have been able to stop the magical beast from snatching him if I had raised my sword even a little later made cold sweat run down my back.

“Ell! Damn it!”

Chris, who had quickly drawn his bow, fired at the magical beast. The magical beast, letting out a regretful cry, retreated. Before I knew it, it was back on the roof. It was an incredibly fast speed. Only then did my frozen companions approach me.

“Ell, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

I deliberately answered more calmly to reassure my shocked companions. I was surprised, but I wasn’t hurt. When I had taken the magical beast’s power before, my arm had broken on the spot, but this time it was just a little numb. The training I had received had been quite effective.

But being impressed was one thing, and the fact that this was not a good situation was another. Its strength was a problem, but its speed was too fast. Even after becoming human, I prided myself on having excellent dynamic visual acuity, but even I couldn’t keep up with it. Most of the people here probably didn’t even realize what had happened a moment ago. The surroundings were already as cold as if they had been splashed with cold water.

“What, what was that just now?”

“What the heck is that thing!”

“Everyone, stay focused! That’s a first-class magical beast, Aquila!”

The people who had been in chaos gasped at Chris’s shout. Even if they didn’t know what it was, the rank attached to it was enough to surprise everyone.

“F-First-class magical beast?”

“Oh my god! First-class!”

“Aquila is a magical beast that enjoys incapacitating its opponents before leisurely devouring them! A specific cry it makes paralyzes the body! You have to cover your ears when it tries to make that sound!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the magical beast spread its wings to their fullest extent. It was the same motion it had shown before making a sound. Horrified, everyone covered their ears. But this time, it wasn’t a sound that followed.

“Kkeuaaaak!”

“……!”

Just as I thought a gust of wind blew, one of the men nearby disappeared. His figure could be found in the claws of the magical beast flapping its wings on the roof. It had snatched its prey in that brief moment. The captured man was swallowed whole into the magical beast’s wide-open beak.

Silence fell among the people who had witnessed the shocking scene. If I wasn’t mistaken, the magical beast had deliberately not made a sound just now. It had taken advantage of the gap when everyone was exposing their weaknesses by covering their ears. It wasn’t just fast, it was smart too.

“T-This isn’t the time for this! Call all the guilds for emergency support right now! We need to mobilize all the hunters! Those of you here, focus on restraining that magical beast’s movements until support arrives!”

“Restrain it! Is that even possible? And how long are we supposed to hold it? When will support even arrive!”

“We still have to hold it! We can’t let that thing go to the residential area or the Imperial City! That would be a disaster! We have to hold the magical beast as much as possible!”

In other words, the people here had to become bait. The color drained from the faces of those who realized the meaning. Everyone valued their own life the most. Some clenched their weapons tightly with determined faces, but there were also quite a few who were terrified and trying to back away.

Meanwhile, the magical beast began to move, aiming for its next prey. Seeing it spread its wings wide, Chris quickly drew his bow. Fortunately, he wasn’t too late this time, and the magical beast hesitated, unable to continue its motion. Sighs of relief erupted from all around. The magical beast’s red eyes, emitting a low cry, shone fiercely. I quickly pulled Chris towards me. By a hair’s breadth, a ferocious claw swept past where he had been.

“T-Thank you, Ell.”

I nodded and hardened my face at the eerie feeling. The magical beast’s head was facing me. It was a gaze filled with dissatisfaction towards the culprit who had interfered with its hunt twice.

“Ell…….”

Chris seemed to notice the gaze as well, and his face hardened.

“Everyone, stay away from me.”

It seemed luck wouldn’t work anymore. I put some distance between myself and the others, took a light breath, and prepared to summon a spirit. It would be better than a sword, of course, but the feeling wasn’t good.

‘This might not be enough with just Seciel, might it?’

It would be different if I were alone, but if I had to fight while protecting people, it seemed like I needed two spirits to be stable. But if I did that, it would be like announcing to the world that I was a contractor of the Spirit King. The place was right in front of the Association, and there were many eyes watching, so the rumors would spread in an instant. Why was I going through such a troublesome process? I felt like all the time I had carefully invested so far would be wasted. I definitely didn’t want to do it because Elluen wouldn’t like it. But I couldn’t put people in danger either.

‘I’ll just have to do as much as I can for now.’

At the same time as I made up my mind, the magical beast tilted its head back greatly. The surrounding air was sucked into its open beak. It was trying to make a cry again. Mana swirled and vibrated inside my body, sensing the signs of summoning. The surrounding air became humid due to the water energy I had drawn up. I was about to call Seciel’s name when suddenly,

Whoosh, the flow of the wind suddenly changed. Startled, I raised my head and saw the magical beast floating in the sky. I wondered if it had used a trick again, but something was a little different. The magical beast was twisting its body as if in pain. I could see it constantly moving its throat, but no sound was heard.

It was the wind that was tormenting the magical beast. A fiercely blowing tornado completely confined the magical beast’s body, preventing it from moving. I could see someone floating on either side of it. They were two men with sturdy builds. White hair, strong features, and huge spears in their hands. The two looked exactly the same as if they had been printed. They were both beings I knew well.

“……Jin?”

The white-haired men, responding to their name, lowered their gazes. Their indifferent faces discovered me, who was staring blankly, and made openly interesting expressions. It seemed they recognized who I was.

“You recognize Jin.”

I heard a voice from the side. Startled, I turned my head and saw an unfamiliar face. A man with short black hair, blue eyes, and a neat atmosphere was standing there.

“Is everyone safe?”

I instinctively knew who he was. But even if I hadn’t been perceptive, I couldn’t have failed to recognize him. Because the symbol engraved on his forehead was clearly visible.

Ah, right. This person was here.

The promise that had become dull amidst my busy schedule came to mind. The cruel reality seemed to be mocking me, asking what I was going to do now.

I gazed again at the wind seal engraved on the man’s forehead. A pattern resembling a feather. Among them, the human with the feathers embroidered in a circular shape was only one in this world.

Minerva’s contractor.