Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The triple room assigned to Trowel, Isana, and me was a simple setup: a bunk bed attached to the wall and a blanket on the floor. For me, used to hard dirt floors, it felt like a luxury bedroom.

Being alone with them like this for the first time, I felt a thrill, like we were on a school trip.

“So, have you figured out what you’ll do when we get to Clamore?”

“Not really. I don’t have any concrete plans yet. I’ll probably decide after meeting Isana’s cousin.”

“You’re not going to reveal you’re the Spirit King, are you?”

“No. If people find out Isana contracted with me, the three-day miracle [referring to a temporary boost in her abilities] will be exposed as a trick. I’ll have to reveal it eventually, but it’s better to keep it quiet for now.”

Isana, beside me, nodded in agreement.

“Hmm, how about creating a fake identity?”

“Fake identity?”

“Like a hometown or occupation. It might not seem like much, but it’s good to have when traveling. It makes it easier to explain things if someone asks.”

“Hmm, occupation… Should I become a mercenary too?”

“That’s not bad, but I wouldn’t recommend registering with the guild unless you want to be a free mercenary. Guild mercenaries are restricted in what they can do. But free mercenaries can only get the temporary mercenary pass you have now.”

“Ugh, what should I do then?”

Trowel, seeing my distress, paused to think, then looked up.

“Hey, you won’t get mad when you hear this, will you?”

“Huh? What is it, Trowel?”

“How about becoming a priest? A priest of Ellyuen, I mean.”

“Huh?”

Me, a priest? And of Ellyuen?

The suggestion caught me completely off guard. Trowel calmly explained.

“Priests are treated well everywhere. Besides, Ellyuen’s priests often travel alone, so no one will think it’s strange if you don’t have a guard.”

“B-but is that okay? Priests have to use divine power, right?”

“That’s what makes it simple. El, you can use healing magic. Ordinary people won’t be able to tell the difference between divine power and spirit energy, will they?”

Ah, now that I think about it, that’s true. When I healed the sick child before, her mother immediately assumed I was a priest for that reason.

“The problem is the ‘mark’ unique to priests…”

“Mark?”

Trowel explained to my puzzled expression. Divine power is mainly possessed by those loved by God, so there’s evidence on their bodies. A unique symbol appears automatically, like a brand, with different shapes and forms depending on the god they serve.

“Ah, the symbol of God? It appears on the body?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s like stamping a seal on our foreheads when we make a contract. But our seal is only visible to spirits, while the mark of God can be seen by everyone. That’s why it’s a problem. Only high-ranking priests travel for training, and they all have marks. I heard the mark serves as their ID pass.”

“Ugh! Then I can’t do it. I don’t have any mark of God on my body.”

“That’s why I told you not to get angry. Can’t you ask Ellyuen directly?”

“…Ellyuen?”

“Yeah, I think he’d be happy to help if you asked. If you get a mark from him, there won’t be any problems.”

It was a tempting offer, but there was a fundamental problem: I had no way to contact him. I heard he wouldn’t be back for a while, so I probably couldn’t meet him even if I waited in the Spirit Realm.

But Trowel easily solved my worry.

“Don’t worry. There’s a temple of Ellyuen in Clamore. If you pray there, it’ll probably be delivered right away.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, I don’t know the details, but I heard that when you pray to God, angels collect it and deliver it.”

“T-then wouldn’t there be a lot?”

Even for a newly built temple, if you combine all the temples of Ellyuen in all dimensions, the number would be considerable. Even if they only collected the prayers delivered each day, it would definitely exceed several hundred.

“It’s okay. El, you’re his son. He’ll probably recognize you right away if you pray.”

“Ahaha. D-do you really think so?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm, should I do that then? What do you think, Isana?”

But the moment I turned to look at her, I stopped talking. Isana was dozing off, sitting up. She seemed to be in a deep sleep, so much so that someone could have carried her away without her noticing.

“Haha, she must be exhausted. Well, she walked all day today.”

“Yeah, I’ve been restoring her stamina from time to time, but it seems like it’s still too much for her. I think she needs to do some strength training in between.”

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be better to start training her in handling spirits instead? Her affinity still seems low.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“It’ll be good for El if your contractor’s mana increases. The more it increases, the more restrictions on your power will be lifted. Make her train in between.”

“Okay, I got it. I’ll tell her when she wakes up tomorrow.”

I picked up the sleeping Isana and laid her on the bed. Trowel, who had been watching quietly, said with a troubled expression.

“To be honest… I wish you would terminate this contract.”

“Huh? W-what do you mean, Trowel?”

“I’ve thought so from the beginning. I can see the future of other humans clearly, but your contractor’s future has many interruptions. That means complex and dangerous people are involved. The future probably won’t be smooth.”

“Hmm, it’s okay. I was prepared for that from the beginning…”

“Preparation alone isn’t enough. Things might happen that you can’t handle.”

“…!”

Trowel looked troubled, as if he didn’t know how to explain.

“Sorry. As expected… Insight doesn’t work clearly against another Spirit King. But there’s some kind of ominous movement. It’s a very eerie and unpleasant feeling.”

“…Ominous movement?”

I had heard that Trowel’s insight ability could sometimes glimpse into the future, but this was the first time I had experienced it. When I blankly repeated his words, Trowel nodded lightly.

“I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s related to your contractor. Many people on this continent will be hurt, suffer, and shed tears in the future. And you’ll be watching all of it up close. So, don’t get too attached. The more your compassion for humans grows, the more it will eventually gnaw at your heart.”

Trowel added, urging me.

“Remember, El. This is just a game. It’ll be a problem if you get too caught up in the dream and can’t return to reality.”

* * *

That day, Sherry’s intention was the same as usual: to seduce a man, take him out, then ditch him. She didn’t care much if the target had bad rumors. In fact, she welcomed it, as it would provoke Huesen even more.

It was all a play to make him jealous. In reality, she wasn’t promiscuous enough to meet and hang out with just any man.

But unfortunately, this man wasn’t backing down as easily as the others. Sherry shouted, pushing his arm away roughly.

“I told you, I don’t want to tonight!”

“What’s wrong with you? You seduced me first, right? You shouldn’t look down on men, miss. You know what it means when you follow me this far.”

“That’s why I said I’m sorry. I’m tired today. I’m not in the mood.”

Most men would back down at this point, promising to meet again. But Sean was tougher than expected. He sneered, grabbing her slender forearm.

“Haha, who are you trying to fool? You’re planning to run away and hide among your squad members, right?”

“Wh-what?”

“You’re already famous. Sherry of the Champagne Mercenary Group, the woman who fools men.”

“…”

He knew everything?

Sherry’s face paled. Sean’s face, conversely, lit up with joy.

“A sly fox who plays with men should be punished. I’ll kindly show you how scary men can be today, so be prepared.”

“Eek! Let go!”

Flustered, Sherry shook off his arm and reached for the sword at her waist. If she had to, she’d threaten him and run. But Sean had anticipated that, and he suppressed her wrist and twisted it back.

“Argh!”

“Hehe, it would be disappointing if you ran away. You said such unlucky things, so your colleagues won’t come looking for you here. Behave yourself before you get hurt.”

“D-do you think you’ll be safe after doing this? Everyone will find out tomorrow! You’ll never be safe then!”

“Hehe, it doesn’t matter. I have a wizard friend, and he’s good at hypnosis, so erasing one person’s memory is nothing to him.”

“…!”

At that moment, two men appeared from behind Sean, chuckling. They were also members of the Vodka Mercenary Group. Had they been planning this from the beginning? Sherry’s face stiffened. She tried to shake him off, but it wasn’t easy, as he was also a mercenary with an emblem [proof of registration and skill].

It didn’t seem like words would work, so Sherry quickly turned and tried to kick him. Sean’s face hardened slightly at the sudden attack.

Thwack—

“Where do you think you’re going!”

He drew his sword to respond, but Sherry’s attack was faster. Her swordsmanship, honed by Huesen since childhood, smoothly penetrated Sean’s defenses.

Slash—

A thin scar appeared on his torn clothes.

“Keuk…!”

While Sean was bending over, Sherry tripped the two men. They were easily caught off guard and rolled to the floor.

Sherry turned to run. No matter how good she was, she couldn’t face three mercenaries with emblems at once. Getting out of there was the priority.

‘Let’s go back to the group first. Then they won’t be able to act recklessly.’

However, the other men weren’t easy opponents. They chased after Sherry as if their lives depended on capturing her.

“Catch her! Don’t let her get away!”

“Damn it! Prepare the magic quickly!”

At Sean’s command, the wizard quickly made a sign. Sherry felt an unknown, intangible energy enveloping her. She tried to move, but she couldn’t, as if tied up with ropes. Sean ran up and grabbed her hair roughly.

“Argh!”

A short scream and a struggle followed, but she couldn’t overcome the power of the two men. She, who had been calm even when facing monsters, felt the overwhelming difference in power for the first time and bit her lip. Her shoulders and arms were twisted to the point where she couldn’t move.

“Let go! Let go! You bastards!”

Thud—

Sean’s face contorted as she kicked his knee with her high heel. He forced her head up and slapped her cheek.

“Argh!”

“Can’t you stay still? You little bitch, I was going to treat you gently, but you’re just asking for a beating.”

“Take the sword first. She may look like that, but she’s a mercenary with an emblem.”

“I know.”

Sean snatched the sword from Sherry’s hand. Sherry screamed again.

“What are you doing! Stop it right now! I’m going to scream! I’m going to call for help!”

“Hehe, it’s no use. The silence magic has already been activated, so even if you scream, no one will hear you. If you don’t believe me, try screaming once?”

“Wh-what?”

Sherry felt her vision darken at the wizard’s confident expression. It was strange. It was night, and usually even small breaths could be heard. Such a commotion had occurred, but no one had looked out. She had been within the range of the magic from the beginning.

‘What should I do? I was too careless. What should I do now?’

Unless someone noticed, there was no way to ask for help. Sherry desperately thought of the only person who could save her. The more urgent the situation, the only person who came to mind was him.

‘Huesen!’

Clear tears flowed from her tightly closed eyes.