Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 46

The 46th Story

About two weeks after we departed for Clamor, strange rumors began to circulate in every village. They said that elusive righteous thieves were appearing in the vicinity.

These thieves had first appeared about two weeks ago, around the time our journey began. They suddenly emerged one day, targeting only the homes of nobles known for corruption, and distributing the wealth to the poor, instantly capturing the hearts of the people.

What was surprising was what they were shouting to the people. They claimed that the disasters of the past 10 years were not due to the late Emperor’s curse, and that the current Emperor, Isana, was rumored to be insane because of a plot orchestrated by his uncle, Grand Duke Yukarte.

Of course, no one believed them at first. It was hard to accept so quickly because the negative perception of the late Emperor was too strong, and conversely, Grand Duke Yukarte’s image was well-regarded by the public. The perception that they were just thieves, even if righteous ones, also played a part.

However, the thieves did not give in. Instead, they confidently shouted that they would show undeniable proof. The evidence they presented was this: it would rain heavily every three days.

And that statement became a reality… because of me.

“It’s probably Keidel,” Isana said cautiously, watching my reaction.

Even if he hadn’t told me, I had already guessed as much. The only people who knew about the plan to make it rain were me, Isana, and the knights.

I never imagined they would become righteous thieves. Moreover, I never thought they would spread such rumors to strengthen their position. Well, thanks to them, the rumor that it would rain spread faster than expected, and the number of people buying water seemed to have decreased significantly.

“I’m sorry, El. I planned this for the poor, but it’s being used like this…”

Isana looked embarrassed and didn’t know what to do. He seemed to think I would be upset by the rumors the knights had intentionally spread.

I chuckled and shook my head.

“No, it’s a good thing. Thanks to them, the negative rumors about the late Emperor and you have largely disappeared.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. I don’t care what method is used as long as I achieve my goal. I’m glad Keidel seems to be handling it well on his own.”

Only then did Isana’s face brighten.

Seeing his cheeks flushed with joy made me feel good too.

Currently, we were temporarily staying in a small city on the way to Clamor. We were tired of camping for two weeks, and we needed to replenish our dwindling food supplies.

The old restaurant we stopped by for lunch was full of mercenaries. Normally, the two of us, being young, would have been the most noticeable, but since we were covering our faces with hoods and eating silently, we didn’t feel like we were attracting much attention.

No, it would be more accurate to say that they didn’t have the luxury to pay attention to us. The owner’s granddaughter, who was said to be the pride of this restaurant, was serving.

“Whew— Amy, you look even prettier today! You’re quite the young lady now!”

“Yeah, you could get married tomorrow!”

“Oh, it’s you, Uncle Rio? Uncle Hensen, I’ve been hearing that for three years now. Why don’t you introduce me to a decent groom instead of saying things like that?”

The girl called Amy wasn’t an outstanding beauty, but she was quite cute. Was she about Isana’s age? She seemed to have been helping with the restaurant’s work for a long time, as she was skilled at dealing with customers.

“What are you talking about? Amy, you already have a groom, don’t you? Pete is determined to propose to you today!”

Clang!

At that moment, the girl slammed the tray she was holding down roughly and retorted sharply.

“Are you telling me to accept someone like Pete? I wouldn’t take a whole bunch of guys like him! I have my own dreams!”

“Hehe. A prince on a white horse, right? Forget it, Amy. What nobleman would look at a commoner girl like you? You’re lucky if they don’t just play with you and throw you away.”

“Yeah, Amy. Just pretend you don’t notice Pete following you around and accept him. There won’t be anything like that when you get older, you know?”

“Oh, these uncles are really…”

“Hahaha! The beer tastes great today! Hey, owner! Add another barrel of beer here!”

“Yes, yes! Coming!”

Even though it was still broad daylight, the restaurant was full of drinking. Some people were even stacking barrels of beer and emptying their glasses.

Isana, who had been quietly watching the scene, suddenly asked curiously.

“What does beer taste like? Is that alcohol too?”

“Huh? Of course, it’s alcohol. Why, do you want to try it?”

“Ah, no. It’s not that, I was just curious. Ferris once said that beer was quite delicious. So…”

He could have just said yes, but he made excuses with a flushed face. It was hard to believe that he used to live on alcohol, given his innocent reaction. Well, the alcohol he drank to hurt himself couldn’t have the same meaning as it does now.

Suddenly, the mercenaries nearby burst into loud laughter. They were reacting to what Isana had said.

“Hey, kid! Are you a softie who hasn’t even tasted beer yet? Come here! This brother will pour you a glass. The moment you drink it, you’ll probably discover a new world!”

“Of course, you can’t say you’re an adult if you don’t know this taste! Come on, come on, don’t be like that and drink!”

Seriously, who do these guys think they are, encouraging a naive minor to drink? I quickly shook my head, lest Isana show any curiosity.

“No, thank you. My brother is too weak to drink alcohol. I appreciate the thought, though.”

However, the people who were already quite drunk didn’t back down easily.

“Oh, what’s this? A guardian has appeared? Tsk, tsk, even if your brother is weak, you shouldn’t raise him like that, buddy. The more you do that, the more you should make him drink!”

“Of course, you can’t call yourself a man if you don’t know alcohol! Come on, come on, don’t be like that and drink!”

Eventually, they started forcibly pushing a beer glass the size of their forearm at us. I was embarrassed, but since they didn’t seem to have any malicious intent, I couldn’t help but feel awkward.

Just then, a savior appeared before us. The girl who had been arguing with the mercenaries at the other table until just now started scolding them this time.

“Stop it, Uncle Jack. Why are you forcing someone who’s weak to drink alcohol? It’s annoying, annoying!”

“Ugh! Amy, is it our turn now? This isn’t forcing, it’s an invitation.”

“Who would believe that? Last time, you forced someone who didn’t want to drink to the point of unconsciousness! If you keep doing that, I’ll kick you out!”

“Hahaha! Our Amy seems to be in a very bad mood today? I guess we should be careful?”

At their words, most of the people in the restaurant burst into cheerful laughter. I thought there were a lot of customers for such a small and old place, but it seemed they were regulars who had been coming here for a long time.

“Alright— a toast to our cute and lovely Amy!”

“Cheers!”

At someone’s command, they simultaneously raised their beer glasses and shouted cheers. This also seemed to be a familiar sight here.

The girl got annoyed again, but thanks to her, the attention that had been directed at us was now completely scattered. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Isana.

“Let’s try not to drink alcohol. We might get caught up in some troublesome situation.”

“Uh-huh, sorry. It almost caused a commotion because of me.”

Isana, looking embarrassed, blushed and nodded, then picked up his fork to continue eating. Just then, someone spoke to us again.

“Hey, you guys. Looks like you’re new here? Are you traveling together?”

He was one of the customers sitting at the table next to us. Like most of the people here, he was dressed as a mercenary. A blonde man who also looked like a mercenary was silently drinking across from him, but they didn’t seem to be particularly close. He didn’t seem interested in his companion’s actions at all. It almost seemed like they were sharing a table because there weren’t enough.

“Yes, that’s right. We’re traveling together.”

“Hee— where are you going?”

At his question, I hesitated for a moment about how to answer. But I thought that hiding it might make us look more suspicious, so I answered lightly in as casual a tone as possible.

“To the Clamor Principality. We’re meeting a relative who lives there.”

“Huh? Clamor? That’s a long way. You’re going there alone?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hee, will you be okay? I don’t know if you know, but once you leave this area, it’s a full-fledged crime zone. There are a lot of bandits and monsters appear frequently.”

“Is that so?”

I know about bandits, but what are monsters? I was puzzled inside, but I didn’t show it. This is a world with dragons and elves, so it wouldn’t be strange if there were monsters.

“There aren’t any high-level monsters, but there are nests of orcs and goblins all over the way. If you run into them, it’ll be too much for the two of you to handle. Why don’t you hire an escort? If you’re interested, I can recommend a good mercenary.”

“No, thank you for the offer, but we’re fine.”

“Why? Is it because of the money?”

He seemed to assume that we were refusing because we didn’t have enough money. Well, neither I nor Isana are tall or sturdy, so it would be hard to assume that we were confident in our skills. I deliberately didn’t say anything to let him misunderstand. Then, as if recognizing it as an affirmation, he quickly made another suggestion.

“Then how about becoming an errand boy for a mercenary group?”

“A errand boy?”

“I’m talking about people who temporarily join a mercenary group and do their errands while traveling to their destination. It’s safe, not boring, and you can earn some travel money, so it’s a win-win-win. Come to think of it, I think there was a mercenary group going to Clamor this time. Hey, wasn’t that you guys?”

The place he turned to was the blonde man across from him. It seemed they were companions after all, since he was acting like he knew him. As proof, the blonde man glanced at us with a bothered expression. But he soon poured more alcohol into his mouth and replied briefly.

“My mercenary group doesn’t need a errand boy.”

“I knew you’d say that. Well, I know you don’t use errand boys often. But think about it. Your mercenary group is small, so you’ll need an extra pair of hands or two on such a long journey.”

“It’s enough as it is. And even if I did need one, I wouldn’t take a brat.”

“Wow, that’s too much. Don’t you feel sorry for them? There are so many monsters on the way to Clamor, there’s no way these two can handle them. I didn’t think you were so cold-hearted?”

“Shut up. As you said, there are so many monsters on the way to Clamor, why would I take care of these brats who don’t know anything? Aren’t you taking it too lightly just because it’s not your job?”

Seeing them argue, it seemed they had known each other for more than a year or two. I thought they would end up fighting if I left them alone, so I quickly waved my hand.

“Um, you really don’t have to worry about us. We can handle it ourselves.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? It’s really dangerous outside. You don’t know how you’ll die on the way.”

“No, really, we’re fine. Right, Lai? We can go by ourselves, right?”

“Uh-huh! I’m not scared at all.”

Isana, flustered, nodded his head vigorously. But that seemed to make the two of them even more uneasy. Especially the blonde man’s face was stiff as if it was frozen.

“Just asking out of concern, how old are you guys…?”

“Yes? Ah, my brother is sixteen this year, and I’m seventeen.”

I answered by mixing truth and lies appropriately.

At that moment, the blonde man’s face contorted. Conversely, the man who had spoken to us first burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Oh no— what are we going to do, Huesen? Looks like you’re caught for good?”

“…Damn it. That’s why nothing good ever happens when you’re involved, Zech.”

“Hehe. It’s a good thing, what are you talking about? Imagine if you didn’t know and found a corpse in the middle of the road. You’d probably have nightmares for a while. This is much better than that.”

“Shut up.”

The blonde man replied as if grinding his teeth and emptied the remaining glass in one gulp. Until then, Isana and I were just bewildered, not understanding the situation. The man called Zech smiled kindly at us and explained.

“Hey, you guys. Be grateful that Huesen is weak to kids. This guy, unless you’re too old, he can never pretend not to see it now.”

“Yes? W-what does that mean?”

“What do you mean? It means you’ve become a errand boy for this guy’s mercenary group. Congratulations.”

‘Huh? Who decided that?’

We had no intention of doing that, but they seemed to have made the decision on their own. At that moment, the blonde man who had put down his glass got up from his seat and approached us. I didn’t realize it when he was sitting down, but he was quite tall.

“My name is Huesen. I’m the leader of the Champagne Mercenary Group. And you are?”

“Yes? Ah, I’m El, and my brother is Lai.”

“I see. You’re going to Clamor? Follow me. I’ll introduce you to the comrades you’ll be with from now on.”

“Yes? Ah, no, we’re fine…”

“Stop talking and follow me. I’m a mercenary who pursues profit, but I’m not so cold-blooded that I can pretend not to see kids jumping into a death trap.”

‘Who’s jumping into a death trap?’

But I didn’t even get a chance to refute his words. He turned around first and even paid for the food Isana had eaten.

“H-hold on a minute! Let’s go, Lai!”

“Uh-huh!”

Flustered, Isana and I hurriedly packed our bags and followed him. The man who was the cause of this situation waved his hand with a cheerful expression and shouted at us.

“Yo— good luck, kids! It was nice meeting you today!”

‘Nice my ass!’

It was the moment a bomb dropped on our peaceful schedule.