Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 61

It had already been a month since Isana and I began traveling with the Champagne Mercenary Company [a group of hired soldiers]. The season, which had barely escaped summer when we first set out, had long since turned into a crisp autumn. The trees everywhere were lush with leaves dyed in various colors, and wherever we went, piles of fallen leaves covered the ground like a carpet.

We were told it would take about two months to reach Clamore, so we were only halfway there. Perhaps it would be snowing by the time we met Duke Cowerl.

‘Snow, huh….’

The scenery here, free from tall buildings and pollution, is full of breathtaking views wherever you go. How beautiful would this already stunning world look when covered in pure white snow? Just imagining the sight made my heart flutter.

However, I couldn’t afford to continue indulging in idle thoughts. Something black suddenly shot up from the nearby bushes.

“Kuweeeeeee!”

“Wah!”

“Elle!”

The first thing I saw was a large, grotesquely gaping mouth. In the brief moment I froze at the horrifying sound, the figure quickly disappeared from sight. Trowel, who had swiftly approached, kicked the monster lunging at me in one swift motion. Lately, his reflexes had become increasingly sharp as he protected the slow-moving me.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks, Tr… Matthew.”

“Don’t go near the bushes. There might be monsters hiding there.”

He smiled gently as he advised me, then walked over to the convulsing monster on the ground and finished it off. I watched the limp form, barely having time to catch my breath from the shock. It had been happening for days, but I still couldn’t get used to these situations.

The small, unimpressive-looking monster resembled a small dwarf at first glance. However, its sharp teeth and claws were more akin to those of a wild beast. Even the blood flowing from its body was not red but green.

I had only recently learned that the monster was called a goblin. These creatures, considered relatively low-ranking in the monster hierarchy, had become the biggest nuisance, persistently harassing the merchant caravan.

“Is everything taken care of over there, Herol?”

At Trowel’s question, Herol, who was busy wielding his axe on the other side, waved his hand with a relaxed smile.

“All clear here! Shall we go help the others now?”

As he said, the bodies of goblins, their heads and torsos separated, were strewn around where he stood. The situation was the same for the other Champagne Mercenary Company members.

Whenever a battle broke out, the Champagne Mercenary Company was always the first to finish. Thanks to that, they always had time to spare, and helping others in their battles was part of their routine. However, Sherry seemed to have a different opinion this time. She threw down her sword and shouted.

“Ugh! I’m done! I’m tired! Let them handle it themselves!”

“Why are you getting so worked up, Sherry?”

“How can I not be? How many times has this happened? I know this area has a lot of monsters, but they should at least give us a break! This is too much! I’m going to collapse from exhaustion!”

“What? Collapse? Sherry, if you’re going to collapse, collapse into my arms….”

Mighty, who was nearby, ran over with his arms wide open. Of course, his attempt was futile.

“Shut up! Get away, you pervert! Do you want to roll around on the ground with these guys too?”

“Pervert! I’m just trying to help you…!”

“Say one more stupid word, and I’ll cut off your tongue so you can never speak again!”

“Sob, that’s too much….”

Of course, Sherry didn’t care at all. She looked at the monster corpses scattered around with disgust and frantically wiped her clothes. It seemed goblin blood had splattered on her during the fight. But her clothes were already stained with all sorts of filth, so it wouldn’t make much difference.

In fact, it was only natural for Sherry to complain. Since passing the first checkpoint, there hadn’t been a single day of proper rest. The swarms of monsters that had begun attacking in earnest since entering the dense forest were the cause.

Not only her, but all the other mercenaries were suffering from the constant, fierce battles. Fortunately, no monsters too dangerous to handle had appeared, but their numbers were so great that even Herol and his group, who had initially been excited, were now showing clear signs of boredom.

The number of monsters they had dealt with so far was enough to fill an entire village, so it was no wonder. Even Trowel, who rarely showed his emotions, was openly annoyed. Iril, who was inspecting her weapons, looked just as exhausted.

“They’re really persistent. Even if they’re not very smart, shouldn’t they have learned by now? They should know to back off after being beaten once or twice. What’s so great about this place that they keep attacking like this?”

“I heard this path is notorious. It’s famous as an area where the local lord tried to subjugate [bring under control] the monsters but gave up.”

“Ugh, is that true? Then why did we come this way?”

“Obviously because it shortens the distance. Merchants value their reputation like their lives. As far as I know, the head of this merchant caravan is known for being stingy. There must be a good reason why such a person hired so many mercenaries. But they say it gets better after passing the second checkpoint, so let’s just bear with it. We’re almost there.”

At Herol’s words, she nodded with a slightly relieved expression. Although they often bickered during battles, they were generally a very well-coordinated team.

As the battle subsided, the convoy slowly began to inspect the surroundings. The short time spent repairing broken carts and treating the wounded was the mercenaries’ moment of rest. Meanwhile, Hussen, as the leader, walked around among the members, checking on their condition.

“Is anyone hurt?”

“We’re fine. But it looks like there are quite a few casualties over there.”

“Really? That’s terrible. We can’t afford to lose any more people here.”

“We have a priest, so won’t they be able to manage somehow?”

“I hope so….”

I turned around, following Hussen’s gaze. I saw mercenaries groaning and receiving treatment here and there.

The number of casualties was steadily increasing every day due to the continuous monster attacks. Fortunately, there had been no deaths so far, but there were too many seriously injured people. Some, who were so badly injured that they couldn’t move, were being carried on makeshift carts. The situation was the same for the Cocktail Mercenary Company, which had joined last.

“Cowel, are you hurt?”

“Who’s hurt? It’s just a scratch.”

“Blood is pouring from your shoulder. What nonsense are you talking about? Let me see, let’s get you treated quickly.”

“It’s nothing. What’s the big deal with this…!”

“Do you want to get treated after being hit worse, or just get treated now?”

The mercenaries exchanging words were Coel and Built from the Cocktail Mercenary Company. The two, who had left a strong impression from their first meeting, still argued frequently. Their fierce exchanges, which could escalate into a fistfight at any moment, continued several times a day, but they seemed to get along quite well in a way, as they were always together.

While receiving treatment, Cowel kept glancing this way. Other mercenaries also often looked over, but while most of them showed admiration, his face clearly showed envy. They were suffering casualties every day, while no one here was injured, so it was only natural. If I were in his position, I would have felt quite bitter. The difference in strength between the Champagne Mercenary Company and the other mercenaries was that overwhelming.

Cowel soon muttered loudly, as if for everyone to hear.

“Tch, the difference between bronze and silver badges is this big? What kind of scam is this? Hey, Built. Even you, with a silver badge, aren’t this good, are you? What’s going on?”

The Cocktail Mercenary Company consisted entirely of mercenaries with bronze badges, except for Built, the leader. Cowel’s face was full of disappointment, perhaps because he didn’t expect to be outmatched even by Iril and Herol, let alone Hussen, who had a gold badge. Then Built, looking flustered, made excuses.

“That’s because you don’t know this world very well yet. Even among mercenaries with the same silver badge, skill levels vary greatly depending on experience. I haven’t had my silver badge for very long.”

“What, then? Those guys don’t seem much older than me. Are you saying they got their silver badges before you, Built?”

“Of course. As far as I know, most of them got their silver badges in their late teens. Everyone in the Mercenary Guild knows the Champagne Mercenary Company. How often do you see a mercenary company where all the members have silver badges or higher?”

“Gah! Late teens? They’re complete monsters.”

A sigh, filled with considerable displeasure and admiration, escaped his lips. Cowel’s eyes, looking at us again, were burning with even more intense heat than before. It wouldn’t be strange if he challenged us to a duel right now.

However, as if it were nothing new, none of our group seemed to notice his behavior. Rather, they looked annoyed. Nevertheless, as his gaze persistently followed us, Herol clicked his tongue softly.

“Tsk, that’s why I hate newbies. You can’t find any respect for seniors even if you look with a magnifying glass.”

“Weren’t you like that too? Who was that brat who had just entered the mercenary world and challenged Hussen, who was a silver badge holder at the time, and got completely crushed?”

“Ugh, why bring that up again? How long ago was that?”

“Does it disappear just because it’s in the past? That’s why you shouldn’t speak ill of others so easily. Everyone has had clumsy days.”

At Iril’s sharp rebuke, Herol grumbled but obediently nodded. Even though they often bickered, they never argued when they heard something right. They were people who clearly respected each other even in their casual relationships.

‘But can we really just stay still like this?’

Hussen wasn’t the only one worried about the increasing number of casualties. I, too, felt uneasy, as if sitting on thorns. My conscience pricked me for pretending not to know, even though I had the ability to heal them perfectly right now if I wanted to.

In fact, I had initially tried to heal them myself, unable to bear seeing the overflowing number of casualties. However, following Trowel’s advice that it was dangerous to reveal my abilities carelessly, I had no choice but to watch quietly. He said that if I acted as a priest without receiving a seal, I could be hunted by the Inquisitors [religious officials who investigate and suppress heresy].

This world was so full of special abilities that there were several regulations in place. In other words, if you had received the power of a god, you had to have a seal proving that god, if you controlled spirits, you had to have clear evidence of summoning, and if you used magic, you had to have traces of that lineage. Otherwise, you would be judged as using dangerous powers and severely punished. In some ways, it was a world with clearer distinctions than Earth.

Moreover, a real priest was traveling with this convoy. Although I hadn’t seen them properly yet, I had to be especially careful as it was an environment where suspicion could easily arise. In the end, all I could do was run errands for the mercenaries.

“I’m sorry. I’m not being of any help.”

“Haha, what are you talking about? We didn’t bring you here expecting you to be a fighting force in the first place. It’s more helpful if you just stay safe and hidden.”

The others all said it casually, but I couldn’t help but sigh every time. I wondered if it was okay for someone who was supposed to be a Spirit King to just be protected. And Isana seemed to feel the same way.

Whenever a battle broke out, I could easily find him standing in a corner, blankly watching people fight. He clearly wanted to join the battle but was trying hard to restrain himself.

I later learned that Isana was quite skilled in swordsmanship. Although he wasn’t as good as his royal knights, he had consistently trained his body since childhood as the heir to the throne.

However, Trowel had warned him not to participate in the battle either. The problem was that the imperial swordsmanship was too ingrained in his body. He said that anyone with a keen eye would recognize his identity at a glance, and Isana had no choice but to nod with a dejected face. However, his abilities as a spiritist were too weak to be of any help. Perhaps because of that, he had recently been excessively focused on spirit training.

Fortunately, I was planning to help him grow, so the two of us took time out every day to train, avoiding the eyes of others. The method was mainly that I unilaterally poured water energy into him, and Isana would accept it and refine it. And the results were soon apparent.

“Elle, look! I can summon more Naiads [water nymphs] now.”

“Oh? Really? That’s amazing, Ly!”

I watched with admiration as Isana summoned the spirits as if to show off. As he said, the number of lower water spirits, which had barely reached two before, had now increased to five.

The summoned Naiads smiled brightly and circled around Isana. Isana was engrossed in watching them, as if mesmerized by the beautiful sight of them dancing. I suppressed a burst of laughter and asked.

“Isn’t it hard?”

“No. It was a little hard at first, but now I’m fine. I feel like I can summon an Undine [a higher-level water spirit] right now.”

“Really? Then try summoning one. Maybe it’s possible.”

“Oh? Should I? But I’ve only succeeded with five so far….”

Isana hesitated, as if he lacked confidence even after bringing it up himself. I patted him on the shoulder to encourage him.

“You need to believe in yourself more. Your mana has already increased considerably. Don’t worry and try it. I’ll help you right away if anything goes wrong.”

“Okay….”

Only then did Isana close his eyes with a determined look. At the same time, a strong mana wave began to rise from within his body. It was a process to concentrate all the power in one place. As the energy of the wave gathered at his fingertips, a tense voice flowed from Isana’s mouth.

“Summon Undine!”

At that moment, a clear energy burst out in the air. Isana, who had his eyes closed, couldn’t see it, but I could clearly see the identity of the energy. It was as if a blue stream of water, like the body of a snake, was slowly wrapping around Isana’s body.

The stream of water, spiraling upwards, slowly began to take the shape of a person in the air. What was completed was a cute girl with a transparent water-colored dress. The intermediate water spirit, Undine, had been summoned. At this unexpected result, Isana’s eyes widened, and I was so happy that I almost shouted for joy.