Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 73

Chapter 73

“Alright, let’s move on from the lake issue. But what about the other problems? You’re not going to respond to my calls at all during this game, are you?”

“That’s…”

“We’re both contractors, isn’t that a bit discriminatory? If I can’t call my spirit whenever I want, what’s the point of making a contract?”

“But as far as I know, other dragons just make contracts and that’s it.”

“I’m different from those guys. They might find meaning in the contract itself, but I don’t have hobbies like that. I’m the type to properly utilize whatever I have. It’s not just about the lake; I need to see you often. Preferably every day.”

“Don’t decide things on your own without asking my opinion. Who would agree to that?”

“You’re constantly sticking with your contractor right now!”

“That’s because I promised to protect Isana. It’s only natural that we stay together for protection. It’s completely different with you.”

“What, is the Spirit King volunteering to be a mere human’s protector?”

“Yeah, and there’s no rule that says I can’t, right? Anyway, I can’t leave her side often. If you really need to see me every day, how about you just participate in my schedule?”

“Ha, you want a dragon like me to adjust to a human’s travels?”

Lapis looked at me with a serious expression. He didn’t even consider what he had done to me so far, and acted as if he had been insulted by such a simple suggestion.

“Seriously, what do you want me to do? I guess I have no choice. I’ll just have to postpone the contract with you until later.”

“What?”

“If this isn’t okay and that isn’t okay, that’s the only option. So, you choose. Either make the contract in advance and wait for my game to end, or make the contract after the game ends. I don’t care either way.”

“…You have a personality that’s hard to tell if it’s innocent or cunning.”

Did he think I would just keep putting up with it?

I stuck my tongue out at his bewildered muttering. Then, Trowel, who had been watching the situation with amusement, stepped forward and said,

“El, let’s go back now. People are waiting.”

“Ah, okay!”

I gladly accepted his offer because my mental strength was already at its limit. Trowel smiled and looked back at Lapis, whose face was distorted.

“Take your time to decide, Lapis. You’ll need time to think. But keep in mind not to harm El. If something like this happens again, I really won’t let it go.”

“…Alright.”

“Then we’ll be going now. I hope to see a more mature version of you when we meet again.”

“Tch, mind your own business.”

Lapis grumbled briefly and waved his hand as if telling us to disappear quickly. Even though his appearance was much older, these actions were definitely more childish than Trowel’s.

As we turned to leave, he stood there with a serious expression, deep in thought. Seeing him contemplate more seriously than I had expected made me feel a little sorry.

Come to think of it, if a dragon were with us, it would be quite helpful to Isana. A thought that unconsciously crossed my mind made me smile bitterly. He seemed to have a lot of pride at first glance. I had suggested it first, but I never really thought he would accept it. It was clear that meeting that dragon again would be a distant future event. Maybe by then, we’ll remember today as a good memory.

Perhaps that’s why. Even though it was a tiring and difficult time, I strangely didn’t feel resentful.

Rapas Lazuli of the Red Clan.

A being who left a vivid impression in a short amount of time.

* * *

The fierce battles that had been raging every day subsided once we passed through the forest. There were no more monsters swarming at us, and the presence of wild animals was barely felt. Orcs occasionally popped out, but their numbers were ridiculously small compared to the monsters we had encountered in the past, so they weren’t even a threat.

The mercenaries’ weapons, which had never had a day without blood, were now enjoying days of rest. The tense atmosphere had also eased. However, there was someone who was dissatisfied with the peaceful time. It was Harold.

“Damn it, this is so frustrating. I can’t stand this quiet and leisurely schedule! When are the next monsters coming out?”

As peaceful days continued for several days, he gradually became hysterical. It seemed to have gotten worse, especially after a small battle that had taken place recently was over before he could even step in.

Even pleasant sounds become tiring when repeated, let alone complaints. The constant stream of complaints was making everyone in the group miserable. Eventually, Iril couldn’t take it anymore and burst out in anger.

“Shut up, you slaughter maniac! It’s good that it’s peaceful, why are you so desperate to kill? Shut up and just walk quietly!”

“Ugh, why do you always hate on me?”

“I hate you because you do hateful things! Hussen, aren’t you thinking of kicking that guy out of the company already? Because of him, even our reputation is going to drop!”

“That’s true.”

Hussen, who had been silently riding his horse, nodded with a serious expression. He was the type who liked to actively participate in tormenting Harold, if nothing else. Harold screamed as he saw the sneer on his face.

“What do you mean, that’s true, you damn leader! You just get all giddy when you see a woman!”

“I don’t.”

“Hmph, is that really so? I saw the leader staring at Sherry the other day!”

“…What?”

A light of agitation appeared in Hussen’s eyes, which had been calm. Sherry also looked at him with a flustered expression. When their eyes met, he quickly shook his head, denying it. However, the clueless Harold didn’t know when to stop.

“It’s no use pretending you don’t know. You can’t take your eyes off Sherry. Well, Sherry is kind of pretty. I understand that it’s natural for a man to be drawn to her.”

“What are you even talking about…”

“Hey, it’s no use pretending you don’t know. But do you know that the age difference between you two is a crime? Well, there’s no way you wouldn’t know. So be careful! If you keep acting like this to me, I’m going to spread rumors that you and Sherry are in that kind of relationship!”

Twitch. At that moment, the muscles in Hussen’s face moved greatly. I quietly wished Harold good luck in my mind. Some people are just unlucky, and they break their noses even when they fall backward. Why did he have to mention that part of all things? Even in the way he was most worried about. In short, Harold had stirred up a hornet’s nest.

Swish.

Hussen quietly drew his sword from his waist. Just as I felt the blade reflecting in the sunlight was dazzling, the tip of the sword quickly pierced Harold’s chest. Harold screamed in horror at the sudden attack.

“Uwaaah! What are you doing! That’s dangerous!”

“Shut up and die.”

“Wh-what? W-wait a minute! Are you serious? Your eyes aren’t smiling!”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“Eugh! Help me! The leader’s gone crazy!”

No matter how much of a Harold he was, he was just a member of the Champagne Mercenary Company. Moreover, there was bound to be an overwhelming difference in skill between him and Hussen, who possessed a gold badge that was only granted to a few special individuals among the mercenaries of the entire continent. As expected, as the full-scale offensive continued, Harold was busy running away like a rabbit with its tail on fire.

But his biggest tragedy was that no one was there to help him. The other members of the mercenary company were intimidated by Hussen’s fierce momentum and couldn’t even dare to approach, and the group members were enjoying his suffering rather than stopping him.

“Whee, the leader is the best! Finish him off completely this time!”

“You should have been more careful, Harold.”

“Goodbye, Harold. I’ll bury your body in a sunny spot.”

“You guys! Are you really going to do this?”

Harold gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t even utter words of revenge as he was pushed back by the relentless attacks.

Afterward, Hussen beat Harold up until he was just short of dying. When the one-sided violence ended and the terrible screams barely subsided, all that remained at the scene was Harold, writhing on the floor with a swollen face. Sherry quietly muttered a word to him.

“Idiot.”

…This is why people should build up their virtue in life.

* * *

As we grew tired of the endless journey, the merchant caravan entered a village. It was the first village we had visited since passing the second checkpoint.

The village, with its brick roads and tall buildings lined up, was only called a village, but it was large enough to be called a city. The streets were very lively, and there were many people who appeared to be travelers. Perhaps that’s why there were no eyes paying attention to our appearance, even though we were a fairly large group.

The mercenaries were very excited to be using proper lodging facilities for the first time in a while. The people belonging to the merchant company had also suffered from the continuous camping, so their faces were also brighter.

“We will be replenishing our supplies here. You will have about two days of free time, so buy what you need or maintain your weapons during that time. And this place is not very safe. Be especially careful not to get caught up in unnecessary disturbances.”

After deciding on the accommodation, Hussen briefly told the group. After that, they were immediately given free time. Even without being told, the group members took their belongings and moved to where they wanted to go. Judging by their expressions, they seemed to be catching up on sleep that they had been putting off or going out for a drink. I watched the people scattering and grabbed Isana’s arm. It was finally time to realize the plan I had been conceiving in my mind.

“Let’s go buy clothes.”

“Huh? What clothes?”

“Your clothes. The ones you’re wearing now are very dirty. And they’re too thin to wear in the winter.”

“I’m okay…”

“You’re not okay. It’s going to get colder and colder, and you’ll catch a cold if you stay like that. Let’s buy a hoodie and plenty of spare clothes while we’re at it. You have to dress well, even when you’re traveling.”

I forcibly dragged Isana, who insisted that she was okay, out into the street. As befitting its enormous size, which was comparable to a city, the downtown area was lined with various shops and clothing stores. There, I bought thick travel clothes and various winter supplies. Since it wasn’t a leisurely period, I could only choose from ready-made products, but Isana’s body shape was average, so there was no great difficulty in finding what I wanted. However, considering that she was still growing (in fact, the clothes she was wearing now were also a little short), I chose one size larger for each item.

Isana, who had been hesitant at first, seemed to be excited once the shopping started and actively participated. Thanks to that, after going around the shopping district, Isana and I were carrying a lot of luggage in both hands.

“We seem to have bought a lot.”

“I know. Can we carry all of this?”

“If we fold them up well and tie them together, we can somehow manage. If it doesn’t work, I’ll carry them all. It’s not that heavy for me anyway.”

The good thing about being a spirit is that I don’t feel the weight very well. I’m affected by gravity enough to walk on the ground, but pebbles and rocks feel like the same weight to me. The representative case of suffering from this is Trowel. At the time of being scouted by Hussen, he just picked up a huge rock that was above the standard (so he’s been promoting the strongman concept ever since).

Fortunately, in my case, I still have the habits of a human, so I’ve never made the mistake of picking up a rock without thinking. In times like this, it doesn’t seem like a bad thing to have lived as a human. …Of course, there seem to be more disadvantages.

“Haha, young friend, you seem to be quite strong. Why don’t you use this?”

At that time, someone suddenly spoke from right next to me. It was a merchant who was selling goods in the form of a street stall. I tilted my head at the item he held out. It looked like just an ordinary backpack at first glance. Then, as if understanding my question, the merchant quickly added an explanation.

“Even though it looks like this, it has a weight-reducing magic on it.”

“Huh? Weight-reducing magic?”

“That’s right. It was directly imported from the Carter Empire [a powerful nation known for its magical advancements] across the sea. It’s so amazing that it feels as light as a feather even if you put a rock in it. You can try it out if you’re suspicious.”

“Hee…”

A backpack with magic that reduces weight… They have things like this here?

I took the backpack with a slightly curious feeling. There was nothing inside, but when I looked closely, I could feel a subtle flow of mana [magical energy]. Judging from the concentration of the permeated mana, it didn’t seem to have been made by a very high-level magician, but it would be better than nothing in the current situation.