Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 465

465.

“Are you stupid?”

Someone looked at me with a pathetic expression. I felt a sting of irritation and glared at them, but they just looked back as if asking what they’d done right. Even I knew I hadn’t done well, so I quickly lowered my gaze.

“Why are you so clueless, whether you’re the Spirit King or a human? Why can’t you do even one thing quickly? How are you going to survive in this harsh world? How long are you going to keep getting taken advantage of and losing things?”

The nagging continued endlessly. I don’t know. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear it. I shook my head, covering my ears, and he clutched the back of his neck, saying his blood pressure was rising. It wasn’t really rising; he was just being dramatic. I grumbled inwardly and glanced up to see intense red hair. The eyes that met mine were also a fiery red. His expression soured, as if he didn’t like something.

“Why are you making that face?”

What’s wrong with my face? He seems to be dissatisfied with everything about me. I don’t know why he always picks a fight. Just don’t keep scolding me like that. I’m really trying.

“Oh, really? Who told you to try?”

Why do you always have to say things like that? Who do you think I’m here doing this for?

“Who do you think it’s for?”

Do you really not know? It’s because of you, you idiot!

“No. When did I ask you to find me? You’re just feeling responsible on your own. Aren’t you just trying to ease your guilt with this?”

Wow, listen to the way you talk. Is that really what you say to someone who’s suffering to find you? While we’re on the subject, why did you have to fall into another dimension? You always act so high and mighty. Sometimes you’re even more clueless than me, you know?

“So what? Don’t blame me. Did I want to die? Why do I have to be saved and then get cursed at?”

You bad guy. I can’t say anything when you put it like that. Okay, it’s all my fault! I must be crazy. I knew I wouldn’t hear anything good, so why am I putting myself through this?

“So, do you regret coming to find me?”

No! Who said I regretted it? No matter what happens in the future, I will never regret it! Even if you say you don’t need my help, I will find you! I will definitely find you!

“Then that’s good.”

I glared at him, huffing and puffing, and he chuckled as if it was funny. It was the same expression I had seen so often, the one that always made me feel annoyed. But this time, strangely, my heart ached. It felt like it had been so long since I had seen him smile like that.

A piercing longing, from who knows where, filled me. It was hard to breathe with the pain that felt like it was stabbing my heart. Before I knew it, the figure in front of me had disappeared without a trace. I panicked and looked around.

What, what’s wrong? Say something. Where did you go? I was wrong. Come back. I’ll try harder. I won’t blame you or complain. You can keep scolding and nagging me. You can resent me. So please, don’t do this. Don’t disappear, please.

Even as I shouted his name, no answer came back. Maybe there was nothing there from the beginning. That made me feel even more miserable.

Where are you now, Lapis?

I think I had a pretty long dream. It wasn’t a very pleasant one.

When I opened my eyes, I saw thick bars. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was trapped somewhere. There was no need to think back; the situation before I lost consciousness came back to me clearly. It was a different place from before I fainted, so I must have been dragged somewhere. No wonder I had such a bad dream.

I don’t know how much time has passed. I blinked quickly to clear the tears that had gathered in my eyes. My dazed mind gradually cleared, and the blurry scenery around me became clearer. The space, made only of a few pillars, had no windows and seemed to be wallpapered with ornate patterns. It was probably a temporary prison set up inside a tent. I tried to get up, but there was a clinking sound. I lowered my gaze without thinking and frowned. A thick iron chain was fastened to my ankle. Of course, there was no Fire Buster to be seen anywhere.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

It would be a relief if it was just confiscated, but what if it was abandoned in that forest? I stared at the chain with a troubled feeling when I heard a light voice. Someone was coming in through the parted curtains. It was an unfamiliar face, but I couldn’t mistake who it was with his loosely tied blonde hair and yellow eyes. It was that man. The one who reverse-summoned Naias, interfered with Siqiel’s summoning, and finally set a snare, hindering me several times at crucial moments—that damn bastard.

“You look furious? Well, it’s understandable.”

The man smiled nonchalantly, not caring whether I glared at him or not. Well, even if someone trapped behind bars glared at me, I wouldn’t feel threatened at all. If anything, it would look more pathetic. Thinking that made this situation even worse.

“How are you feeling? You were poisoned with a strong drug, and your spirits were reverse-summoned, so you must feel terrible. Should I get you some water? By the way, you’re a lot heavier than you look. The guys had a hard time moving you.”

“…Who are you?”

“Oh dear, your voice is quite hoarse. Well, you do have some pretty bad bruises. It hurts, but just bear with it. I’ll treat you later.”

“What the hell are you?”

The pointless conversation annoyed me, and my tone naturally became sharp. The man shrugged and came right up to me, sitting down. His grinning face, separated by the bars, was irritating.

“I’m Riel.”

“Who asked for your name?”

“But introducing yourself is basic manners, isn’t it? Oh, I have something to ask you. You are human, right?”

“What?”

“No, you’re so pretty that I was confused. Even more so now that you’re awake. I was honestly surprised. Who would have guessed that such a face was hidden under that shabby hoodie? Everyone’s betting on whether you’re a mixed-blood [half-human, half-something else] or not.”

Come to think of it, the hoodie was among the missing items. They must have taken it off to confirm my identity and then just thrown it away. Being captured and having my face exposed was unavoidable. Actually, I just wore it out of habit in the forest; I wasn’t deliberately trying to hide. But was it necessary to add these useless comments? Even if it’s the victor’s余裕 [leeway or composure], he’s the kind I don’t want to associate with. I gave him a look of disdain, and he looked a little wronged.

“I know what you’re thinking. It’s not like that. It’s a pretty important issue over here. Anyway, you should have shown your face sooner. Then I wouldn’t have treated you so roughly.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“I’m serious. At least I wouldn’t have used the snare. Even with high-grade recovery potions, it takes time for the bruises to completely disappear. I’m glad your face wasn’t hurt, though.”

I couldn’t understand what he was saying, and my brow furrowed involuntarily. Why would he think about healing the bruises? Come to think of it, he said something about treating me earlier. I thought he was just trying to provoke me, but was he serious?

His attitude was so incomprehensible that my mind was momentarily confused. They were an unidentified group, but they were trained warriors who had even ambushed me. I thought they were foreign invaders who had infiltrated the earldom to invade, or bandits who had settled in the forest. I could understand being softened by my unexpected appearance. He could even joke about how he shouldn’t have treated me so harshly. But generally, you don’t think about treating prisoners. Even saying he was glad my face wasn’t hurt? Just because I’m pretty?

“What… what are you?”

I had a strange feeling. A feeling that I knew why they didn’t try to kill me and only knocked me out. The man seemed to sense that I had guessed the situation to some extent. This time, he seemed to be serious about answering, and the face that had been smiling smoothly became a little more serious.

“We’re people who do what someone has to do. If you guys are hunters who hunt monsters, we’re hunters who enjoy a world one step higher than that.”

“…Did you eat something weird?”

“No, I didn’t! Didn’t I say that pretty coolly just now? How did you come to that conclusion?”

“Just get to the point.”

“Okay, okay. I guess I’m asking too much of someone who’s not in a good mood.”

“So what is it?”

“Have you ever heard of slave hunters?”

I don’t know what kind of expression I made at that moment. But I must have expressed my thoughts exactly as they were, because he looked embarrassed.

“Could you please not look at me with such trash-like eyes? I usually don’t care, but that expression seems a little painful.”

“What’s wrong with looking at trash as trash?”

“Haha, you have quite the personality, don’t you? I thought it was strange that you were so quiet.”

Did he expect me to say nice things in this situation? I glared at him in disbelief, but he just smiled shamelessly. Seeing his face, which didn’t show even a trace of guilt, was indeed like the personality of someone who works in the inhuman profession.

“All those people who disappeared in the forest, was that all your doing?”

“That’s right. Did you guys come to investigate after hearing the rumors? This is the reality of those rumors. It’s a trap operation devised by a slave trading company that was desperate for sales. Human hunting isn’t that special, is it? It’s so simple if you just use your head a little.”

“Ha…”

“For your information, you guys are the biggest catch this company has made since its inception. Everyone’s so excited that they caught two Axis-class hunters.”

Are you crazy?

It was so absurd that I couldn’t think of anything. All those disappearances that had happened over the past few months were all kidnappings. It was ridiculous that so many people had been caught, and I was in the same situation, so I had nothing to say. I really didn’t expect them to use hallucinogens. I’m a spirit mage, and I was caught so easily, so how much worse would it have been for others?

‘But if it weren’t for that guy…!’

I glared at the shamelessly smiling face with renewed strength. What the hell is he? He asked me if I was human earlier, but that’s what I wanted to ask him. That archery skill that accurately hit Naias from so far away, and the quickness to block spirit summoning, aren’t things anyone can have. When he threw the snare at the end, I didn’t feel any sign of it at all. Of course, it was largely because my condition wasn’t normal, but even considering that, it was clear that he was an unusual expert. It’s more deplorable than admirable that he’s using such great abilities for such a trivial matter.

More than that, where are all the other people? After figuring out the situation to some extent, the urgent problems came to my mind. Judging from what he said, it seemed like everyone had been caught, but I was the only one trapped here.

“What did you do with my companions?”

“Isn’t this not the time to worry about the others?”

“Just answer me. Where are my companions?”

Surely they haven’t already been sold off somewhere. I didn’t know how much time had passed since I was caught, so I became anxious. I clenched my fist tightly, intending to not leave the seller or the buyer alone, and the man shrugged.

“I’ll tell you, so don’t get so angry. They’re in another barracks.”

“Another barracks?”

“A barracks for combat slaves. Before the auction, they classify and manage them by grade. This is a barracks for the highest quality goods. Only people like you, who have all the conditions of appearance and ability, can come here.”

Fortunately, it seems they haven’t been transferred to another place yet. I didn’t like the expression of treating people like objects, but I was relieved that everyone was nearby. Then there was something that bothered me a little.

“But what do you mean by you guys?”

Wasn’t I the only one here right now? Just in case, I looked around again, but I still didn’t see anyone else. Then the man got up and walked behind me. He pulled back the curtain on the wall, and there was a space beyond it. I gasped at the sight I saw then. People were trapped inside another cage.

Two men and one woman. They must have been from noble families because all three of them were wearing nice clothes. All of them were deeply asleep with their hands and feet tied. The conversation wasn’t that quiet, but they didn’t wake up, so it seemed like they had used some kind of drug. It really was a kidnapping. When I saw the chain on my ankle, I thought so, but seeing the others tied up made it feel real.

“They’re all pretty good-looking, aren’t they? They resisted too much, so I put them to sleep. Be careful, too. If you try to escape, you’ll end up like that.”

“…Why are you doing this?”

“Because I want to make money? Isn’t it obvious? Most people do it for that reason.”

“Is it good to kidnap people and make money?”

“I don’t know. It’s not a topic I’ve really thought about.”

“You should think about that! Are you a psychopath? Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”

“Haha, I don’t know what a psychopath is. I couldn’t do this if I worried about the consequences. Well, you don’t need to worry about our safety. You’ll soon forget who you were.”

“…What?”

I felt like I had heard something I shouldn’t just let pass. I looked up in surprise, and the man who met my eyes smiled.

“Trafficking through kidnapping is illegal anywhere on the continent. There have been over fifty humans caught in the forest so far, right? Isn’t that a little strange? So many humans have been sold, but why aren’t there any rumors? Surely one or two of them would have tried to report it.”

Come to think of it, that was definitely strange. I thought it was because they were sold to faraway regions where they didn’t know anyone or speak the language, but judging from the man’s tone now, that wasn’t the only reason. The man’s smile deepened as he felt me waver.

“Do you know what ‘crafting’ is?”

“Crafting?”

“Because there are consequences, as you said. In this world, we do groundwork to prevent any problems. It’s a process of messing with the mind to destroy the existing ego and personality.”

“…!”

Messing with what and destroying what?

I was momentarily stunned by the shocking content that I doubted my ears. The man, who was watching me with amusement as my face rapidly hardened, smiled, folding his eyes [a Korean expression for smiling with your eyes, indicating genuine amusement].