Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 516

Chapter 516

Just then, an employee approached Baron Dellusio, the host of the banquet, and whispered something to him. The acoustics were poor enough that even I, with my enhanced hearing, struggled to make out what was said. The baron’s previously calm expression hardened, a clear indication of the seriousness of the matter. He quickly glanced at the Crown Prince, whose own eyes changed upon receiving the silent signal.

“Please excuse us for a moment.”

They excused themselves to those nearby and left the banquet hall together. I didn’t know what had happened, but I felt a wave of relief at the departure of the most irritating person present, the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, a nobleman who had been waiting for an opportunity cautiously approached.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, if you have a moment, I have something I need to discuss with you.”

The middle-aged man, of slight build, looked utterly pathetic, as if he were expecting punishment. The Crown Prince frowned slightly, seemingly displeased, but nodded reluctantly. As the two moved away, the other nobles began to murmur amongst themselves.

“Marquis Raspo has become noticeably gaunt lately.”

“After such a scandal, it’s no wonder. Isn’t he ending his period of confinement earlier than expected?”

It seemed he had indeed done something wrong. Moreover, the topic was spreading quickly, suggesting it was a well-known incident.

“Well, his son acted as a double agent. Even though they say family ties are severed when someone enters that world [the world of espionage or secret service], reality isn’t so simple. No matter how illegitimate that son is, this is a disgrace.”

“Could he really have been unaware? The Marquis is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, after all.”

“Honestly, it’s suspicious. And they say that son even escaped from prison. How could he have escaped from that prison on his own without someone’s help?”

“Well, saving him is unavoidable, isn’t it? Even if he’s illegitimate, he’s still his son.”

“That’s true. Looking at it that way, I feel sorry for the Marquis.”

I listened to the passing conversation, only half-attentive, until something clicked. I hadn’t given much thought to the double agent part, but after hearing about the escape, I couldn’t help but realize who they were talking about. This was about Davian. Even Ain Idriss, who had been his accomplice that day, showed a slight hardening of his facial muscles. …Wait a minute. Does that mean that man earlier was the cursed bastard who put a curse on Davian?

“Sir Pavel is grinding his teeth.”

“I would be too. Sir Pavel’s brother was投入 into the same mission and never returned.”

“I can’t believe he betrayed the country that raised him and his comrades who shared his hardships. Just like an illegitimate child.”

“Sir Nexia cherished him so much. He repaid kindness with betrayal. And now Sir Nexia is in such a state…”

“This is why illegitimate children are no good.”

At that moment, people’s gazes fell on me. Oops, I lightly licked my lips while rubbing the corners of my mouth. I hadn’t intended to stand out, but I must have chuckled without realizing it.

“What’s so funny?”

Someone asked in a sharp voice. I didn’t know his name, but he was one of the people who had been chattering away just a moment ago. Since there was nothing to hide, I simply answered.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s not that it’s funny, but I was wondering what that has to do with being illegitimate.”

“Well, because the mother’s background is base. Since he didn’t receive proper blood, isn’t it natural that he would think of betraying his country?”

“Ah, I see. It could be seen that way. …But in my opinion, the family and society that don’t treat illegitimate children properly are more of a problem. If you keep harping on someone being illegitimate whether they do well or not, who would want to grow up to be great?”

The faces of the people, who had been about to smile at my seemingly agreeable attitude, hardened again. How naive of them to think that everyone would agree with them. I smiled at them, who couldn’t hide their embarrassment.

“And if illegitimate children really are a problem, shouldn’t the person who caused such a child to be born be the one who gets the blame?”

“Th, that’s…”

“Right? I thought I was the only one who thought that way, but I’m glad everyone else feels the same. Wow, isn’t it just too much? The child was born because it happened, but the parents made an illegitimate child knowing that he could grow up to betray his country.”

But didn’t you guys say you felt sorry for the father? As I looked at them with that meaning in mind, the nobles’ faces stiffened. Fortunately, they weren’t clueless.

“Ah, right. We can’t put all the blame on the parents. I heard there are people who seduce others into having children without any intention of marrying them, and then abandon them? That’s a truly cursed bastard.”

“……”

The surroundings became abruptly silent. Even if I didn’t know anything else, I knew that my reputation would plummet after today’s banquet. It didn’t matter to me, but I belatedly wondered if it would affect my guild work even a little. Anyway, that was something to think about later, and for now, I gazed at each of the people’s stiff faces.

The people who were spouting nonsense just now probably don’t know that the country that the betrayer sold information to was the Epen Kingdom. I hope they don’t. It would be even more disgusting if they knew and were still friendly to the royal siblings.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I felt like I was about to burst with frustration if I stayed in this place any longer, so I left to get some fresh air. As I stepped out onto the open terrace, a cool breeze rushed in. I had thought it was stuffy because of the situation, but now I realized that it was hotter inside than I had thought. Or maybe I was the only one who felt that way. I put the back of my hand to my cheek and felt a warm sensation. Could I have a fever? But considering that, I felt better than usual. I was so full of energy that I even had an unfounded confidence that I could spar with Troel and be evenly matched today.

Ah, could it be that the effects of the medicine Ifrit gave me are showing? It was supposed to be a tonic, so maybe it has a warming effect on the body. It seemed like the most plausible explanation. I don’t know if that’s really the reason, but I felt relieved after coming to that conclusion. But suddenly, something flashed before my eyes.

“……?”

I blinked blankly. If I wasn’t mistaken, what just passed by was definitely a spirit. And it was a Naias [a type of water spirit] summoned by someone.

“There!”

Before I could even process my bewilderment, I heard someone shouting. Soldiers were rushing in the direction where the spirit had disappeared.

What on earth is going on? I leaned out over the railing to assess the situation, but the soldiers were already out of sight. However, I sensed another presence among the garden trees right below. A dark shadow was crouching low, stealthily crawling away. It was in the opposite direction from the soldiers who had run off earlier.

An intruder? Maybe the reason Baron Dellusio hurriedly left the hall was because of this person. I couldn’t just let it go, so I immediately jumped down and pounced on the shadow.

“Gasp!”

The shadow, completely unprepared for the surprise attack, gasped loudly. Judging by the build, it was highly likely to be a man. It was indeed an intruder, dressed entirely in black with even a mask on. There was fierce resistance, but the opponent couldn’t overcome the strength of the person on top of them. Moreover, I was feeling more energetic than usual today. I easily subdued the struggling figure, forced their arms behind their back, and tied them up.

The problem arose when I tried to confirm the identity of the person. It wasn’t difficult to remove the mask itself, but the revealed face was one I had seen often. The night was filled with deep darkness. I stared at the features illuminated by the eerie moonlight for a moment before opening my mouth.

“…Davian?”

He also blinked in surprise.

“…El?”

We were speechless for a while. We just opened and closed our mouths a few times before I pressed my thumb to my throbbing head and rubbed it.

“So… what are you doing here?”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask why he was dressed like this, sneaking around like a thief. Why else would he be, if not because he was a thief? I had just been talking about him a little while ago, and now I was running into him like this. It was as if all of that was a setup for this encounter.

In any case, it became clear who the summoner of that Naias earlier was. It seemed like the plan was to lure the soldiers away with the spirit and escape in the opposite direction. I’m sure that’s not why he made a contract with the spirit. I sighed deeply.

“El, you… you’re attending this banquet.”

Davian still looked dazed. He looked like he didn’t know if it was a dream or reality, which made me want to cry even more. I wish this was a dream too.

In the distance, I could hear a commotion and see the flickering of lamplight. The body beneath me stiffened. Only then did I realize that I was still subduing him, and I quickly released his arms.

“Follow me for now.”

Just a moment ago, I was on the side of the soldiers, but now I was on the opposite side. After quickly surveying the surroundings, I turned in the direction where I didn’t sense any presence. I could ask him questions in a safe place, so for now, I was just thinking about getting out of here. But Davian grabbed my wrist.

“I have a companion.”

What?

“I was the bait and distraction. The other person is inside the mansion right now. Could you help that person instead of me?”

“…Let me ask you something first. That companion isn’t someone I know, is it?”

I was asking if it was Chris. Davian, understanding the meaning, shook his head.

“It’s not him.”

“That’s a relief, at least.”

I would have felt betrayed if he had pulled off something this huge without consulting me. …Let’s pretend I don’t recklessly cause trouble myself for a moment.

“Where’s the destination?”

Anyway, the situation seemed urgent, so I decided to ask for details later. But I heard an unexpected answer.

“There’s a secret space inside this mansion. It’s a basement connected to Baron Dellusio’s office bookshelf.”

“A secret basement?”

“Yes, there’s a woman trapped inside. We’re here to rescue her.”

“…Wow.”

The thought that I could just find her and bring her out easily faded away. Davian wasn’t someone who would get involved in just any matter, but this was really too big. If what he said was true, it meant that Baron Dellusio had kidnapped a woman and locked her in a secret space. Moreover, considering that he had left with the Crown Prince, it was also related to that bastard.

“Alright, you get out of here as you are. It’ll be a headache if you get caught even if the other person’s mission succeeds because of my help. Go out and go to a safe place, to Lami… no, to Duke Sepion’s mansion.”

“Duke Sepion is…”

“You can trust him if you trust me.”

The wavering gaze soon calmed down. Davian nodded with a serious face.

“I’ll do as El says.”

“Good. Then I’ll see you later. Let’s talk about the details then.”

I lightly patted his shoulder and jumped back up to the terrace where I had been. I glanced down and saw Davian looking up with a dumbfounded expression. What are you doing? Hurry up and go! I waved my hand, and only then did he come to his senses and hurriedly disappear into the bushes.

“Sicuel.”

After confirming that Davian’s presence had faded to some extent, I summoned Sicuel. The water wolf, understanding what I was about to do, grinned and soared into the sky. Soon, dark storm clouds began to gather, and the sky began to pour down a fierce rain. Rumble, crash! Lightning struck a tree nearby, creating a thunderous sound. The soldiers were thrown into chaos by the sudden change.

‘This is how you create a real distraction.’

With this much chaos, Davian should have no problem getting away. After looking back at the scene that would be a disaster for someone else with satisfaction, I went back into the hall as if nothing had happened.

The sudden downpour was also affecting the hall. Perhaps because of the thunder earlier, the frightened people were huddled against the walls, murmuring. The employees were also busy rushing to close the terrace doors to avoid the incoming rain. A few people asked me as I came out of the terrace.

“The outside was flashing just now. Did lightning strike?”

“Yes, I think it fell right in front of the garden. I saw a tree fall down.”

“Oh! Really? That’s unusual. The weather was so clear just a moment ago.”

“I know, right? But it seems like it’s just a passing shower, so it’ll stop soon.”

The common thing between this era and my era is that people don’t properly understand the abilities of spirit masters. They only know that they are strong enough to kill monsters, but they don’t know what kind of phenomena spirits can create, or that high-level spirit masters can easily change the weather.

Only Ain Idriss, who could guess, was looking at me with a strange expression. But when he just laughed, it seemed like he thought I was just venting my anger because I was angry about what happened earlier. Well, I can’t say that I didn’t have that intention at all, since it was refreshing.

Anyway, since it was a situation where every moment counted, I didn’t have time to indulge in trivial emotions. How long has it been since Baron Dellusio and the Crown Prince left? Since neither of them has returned yet, they probably haven’t been caught. First, I made an excuse to go to the bathroom and slipped out of the banquet hall.

I didn’t know the structure of the mansion at all, including the office and study, but I wasn’t too worried. Cheat keys are meant to be used in times like these.

―Go straight that way.

―Yeah, yeah, it’s right in that direction.

If you don’t know, you can ask someone who does. The wind spirits, who had lived in this area for a long time and knew the structure of the mansion inside and out, were very kind and willingly told me what I asked. It takes quite a bit of concentration to talk to natural spirits, but even that was easy today because I was in good condition. At this point, I wondered if Ifrit had given me the tonic in advance knowing that something like this would happen.

As I followed the direction they told me, I saw soldiers moving. I quickly stuck close to the pillar and hid my presence as much as possible. As I carefully tried to assess the situation, another group approached from the other side. There were familiar faces among them. It was the Crown Prince and Baron Dellusio.

“Did you catch him?”

“I’m sorry. The sudden downpour has made the search difficult.”

“Even the weather is causing trouble. Maybe it wasn’t just one person who came in. Search the inside of the mansion thoroughly as well. Find whoever it is and bring them here. We need to interrogate them to find out their purpose, so capture them alive if possible. But it’s okay to kill them if necessary.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers, who bowed their heads and answered, scattered in all directions. There were also groups passing in front of me, but fortunately, they didn’t recognize me hiding. After confirming that there was no one around, I quickly moved and crossed the hallway.