Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 85

The next day, Hussen’s worries deepened. Sherry had begun to avoid him overtly. There had been similar instances before, seemingly aimed at catching his eye, but this time, the atmosphere was markedly different. She would answer casually and even laugh when spoken to, but she avoided being alone with him or making direct eye contact. Perhaps because they had been getting along so smoothly recently, the change felt even more pronounced.

Even I, as an outsider, could clearly sense the change, so there was no way Hussen wouldn’t notice. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, he frowned and said,

“Sherry, if you have something to say, say it properly.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t looked at me once since earlier. Are you still angry about yesterday? If that’s the case…”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Sherry gave an awkward smile and hurriedly left. Again, she didn’t look at Hussen until the end. Seeing this, Iril let out a soft whistle.

“Oh my, it seems she’s really made up her mind this time. Congratulations, Hussen.”

“What does that mean, Iril?”

“What do you mean? Can’t you tell from Sherry’s reaction? She’s trying to sort things out properly.”

“…What?”

“Well, it was about time she got tired. She’s been having a hard time all alone. Good for her. Isn’t that what Hussen wanted all along?”

“…”

At that moment, Hussen jumped up from his seat and ran in the direction Sherry had disappeared. His expression was hardened, and his movements were urgent. The group watched him disappear quickly, all wearing dumbfounded expressions.

“Heh, what’s this? Has Hussen’s heart changed too?”

“There will be a spring breeze between those two soon.”

Next to the dumbfounded Iril, Herol chuckled softly. Having already gone through a period of upheaval, the two of them seemed very relaxed. In contrast, Mighty’s face turned pale.

“Damn it, that can’t happen! My Sherry!”

“Tsk tsk, you can’t do that, Mighty. At times like this, it’s best to just watch quietly. That’s how you help.”

“What? Why do I have to help her?”

“Are you really going to follow them and sabotage things at a moment like this? You know, that’s not how you live your life.”

“That’s right. With that kind of attitude, no wonder women don’t like you. Right, honey?”

“Yeah, honey. My honey is always right.”

Perhaps it was because they had become honest with each other. Before they started dating, they used to fight several times a day, but after confirming their feelings, they were so in sync that you couldn’t find a more well-matched team. Mighty grimaced at the blatant display of affection unfolding before his eyes.

“Shut up! You pair of cockroaches! Just because you’re a couple doesn’t mean you can’t see anything else! When did you two get so close?”

“Heh, are you jealous? Just admit it.”

“Leave him alone, honey. He’s pathetic. He must be so jealous that his stomach hurts.”

“I wonder why he doesn’t date? It’s so great. Right, honey?”

“Hehe, you’re silly, honey. He’s not choosing not to, he can’t.”

“Really? Haha, my honey is so smart.”

“Ugh! You damn couple! Just die!”

Mighty clutched his head with both hands and burst into a frenzy. Of course, the two of them didn’t care. Instead, they began to flaunt their affection even more blatantly in front of him.

“Argh! Stop it! Stop it!”

“Hahaha! Envy me all you want, you loser!”

I averted my gaze from their increasingly intense display of affection and scanned the distant air. The sudden twinge in my chest was definitely not because I was single. Nope, definitely not.

* * *

As the day of departure approached, visitors began to flock to the inn where we were staying. They were all people who had come to see the Champagne Mercenary团 [Mercenary group/company].

As news of their exploits in capturing the magical beasts spread, their name became quite famous in the area. I overheard that quite a few nobles had invited them to dinner banquets, but Hussen didn’t show any sign of it. He returned the letters immediately, as if he hadn’t considered it at all. The other mercenaries were very envious of their appearance.

“Wow, that’s really cool. If I had known this would happen, I would have just followed them from the beginning. Then I could have at least seen their exploits up close.”

“I know, right? Who would have thought they would catch the magical beasts so easily? The more you know them, the more amazing they are.”

Changes also appeared around me and Isana. Before, we were just seen as extras tagging along with the Champagne Mercenary团, but now, the way people looked at us had changed to treating us as people who were doing our part to some extent. Priests and spirit masters weren’t exactly common professions, so it seemed like they were curious about that in itself. But because we were young and they hadn’t seen us actively participating, we didn’t feel particularly noticed. Just like right now, even with us right next to them, no one was looking at us.

Early in the morning, a lavish array of food was laid out on the table. It was the innkeeper’s special effort, the last banquet to be enjoyed in this village.

Originally, the Champagne Mercenary团 members were supposed to be at this table together, but they had already finished their meal early and gone to meet the guild leader. It was to collect the money for the disposed magical beasts. Because of that, the restaurant was buzzing with that topic.

“Since there are two Behemoths, the price must be enormous, right?”

“Of course. Maybe the money they earned from that will be much more than what they received for completing this request?”

“To make a fortune overnight, I’m so jealous. No wonder everyone seems to be in a good mood today.”

“I know. They’re very friendly. Especially Hussen’s face looks very bright. I’ve never seen such a good expression.”

“Well, I would be too. With that money, you can live comfortably for months.”

Hearing the murmurs, Isana and I chuckled. The real reason Hussen was in a good mood was different.

The two who had left that day returned to the inn after a long time. They didn’t exactly tell us the exact results, but the atmosphere was more intimate, and their faces were brighter, as if they were relieved. From that alone, it was possible to guess how things had gone.

“Hey, did you hear about the victims who were attacked by the magical beasts? It seems like the bereaved families aren’t receiving any compensation.”

At that moment, Isana’s hand, which was scooping up soup, stopped abruptly. Everyone else’s gaze was also directed at the mercenary who had brought up the topic.

“They’re not getting compensation? Why not?”

“It’s kind of absurd. It seems like the dead people weren’t officially hired workers, but people who were helping with odd jobs and gleaning [gathering leftover crops after harvest]. It’s like they entered unauthorized farmland without permission, so they said there’s no responsibility for compensation.”

“No way, how can there be such a law? Gleaning is originally a custom among farmers. People who have difficulty making a living barely make a living by picking up that, so what are they supposed to do if they make that a problem?”

“Who says no? Anyway, everyone seems to be in a bad mood right now. In the meantime, the lord’s son is said to be having a great time in the red-light district.”

“Geez, this place is rotten to the core.”

“What’s the point of saying that? Is there any normal place in this country?”

“Only the bereaved families are unlucky. They lost their breadwinner overnight, so their livelihood will be 막막 [bleak/hopeless].”

The topic that had briefly stirred up the surroundings soon naturally shifted to another direction. No matter how unfortunate it was, it was just someone else’s situation, and it was just passing chatter for those who weren’t involved.

But since then, Isana had completely put down his spoon. I looked at his hardened appearance with a bitter heart.

“Are you worried about the story just now?”

“Um, just a little…”

“Even if you don’t have an appetite, just eat. We’ll be camping out again for a while, so we need to build up our strength as much as possible.”

“Yeah, I will. Sorry for making you worry, El.”

He answered awkwardly and continued his meal at a slow pace. He was forcing himself to eat, but he didn’t seem to be cheering up. Watching him, I sighed inwardly. It was obvious what the guy with a strong sense of responsibility was thinking after hearing the conversation just now. He’s probably blaming everything on himself again.

No matter how much I comfort him, it won’t be a complete comfort from his point of view. After all, I’m a spirit, a different being from humans. Nevertheless, I had to speak. Because that was all I could do right now.

“Lyai.”

“Yeah?”

“Everything will be alright.”

“…Thank you, El.”

After a brief silence, Isana smiled faintly. Fortunately, he seemed to feel a little better.

It would be nice if other people knew that he was thinking about this empire like this. My heart was heavy when I thought about him suffering from guilt alone for a while. I just hoped that someone would recognize his sincerity someday.

* * *

“Here, take this.”

After finishing the meal, Hussen handed us a large sack. It was a sack that looked quite heavy at first glance. I took it without realizing it and was startled to see the inside of the sack. As heavy as it was, the inside was full of shiny gold coins.

“What is this, Hussen?”

To my question, he replied with a pleased face.

“It’s half of the amount received for purchasing the magical beasts. You also helped catch the magical beasts, so we should share the profits together.”

“To give us half like this…”

“Lyai caught one of them almost alone, so it’s natural. You don’t have to feel burdened. You’re getting your fair share.”

As expected of the upright Hussen, the way he distributed it was extremely like him. The expenses were sufficient, but it didn’t seem polite to refuse, so I looked back at Isana with a troubled feeling. He was also looking at me with a flustered look.

‘Come to think of it, Isana needs personal emergency funds too…’

When I think about it, I’ve never given him pocket money separately. Even if I gave him money, he wouldn’t accept it, and I thought I could take care of what he needed. Isana didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with it, but I was worried because it was a time when he would want a lot of things. Given his personality, he wouldn’t ask me first until I recommended it.

The 고민 [worry/concern] wasn’t very long. I decided to give him the decision-making power.

“Here, Lyai. Take it.”

“Huh? Why to me?”

“I’m giving it to you. Do whatever you want.”

“…”

When I handed him the sack of gold coins, Isana accepted it with a blank face. Maybe it’s the first time in his life that he’s had ‘his own money’? Of course, even before meeting me in Hwangseong, the knights would have taken care of everything, so he would never have had the opportunity to manage money directly.

I was curious how he would use the money. Isana was looking at the sack with a thoughtful expression for a long time. When he raised his head again, his face was determined.

“Um… can I really use this money as I please?”

“Yes, it’s your share.”

“Then can I ask you one thing?”

“A request?”

Perhaps it was an unexpected word, Hussen narrowed his eyes and stared at him. Isana nodded calmly and handed him the sack.

“Please give this money to the bereaved families on my behalf. The people who lost their families due to the magical beasts.”

“…!”

I never thought he would make such a decision. I was very impressed with the unexpected choice. But what was most surprising was the Champagne Mercenary团 members. They looked at each other with bewildered faces.

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes, I want to do that.”

“Why did you think of that?”

“The people who suffered the most from this incident are the bereaved families. But I heard that none of them received any compensation. I want to help them even if it’s not enough.”

Perhaps he was at a loss for words at the serious answer. Hussen stared at him with a confused expression for a while. He seemed to be doubting the truth, and on the other hand, he seemed to be moved.

“Lyai, you’re… um, no. Yes, come to think of it, I was short-sighted. I didn’t even think about the bereaved families. How did you know they didn’t get compensation?”

“I heard people talking.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Hussen nodded and scanned Isana’s appearance again. His gaze towards him was softer than before.

“Okay, then let’s do this, Lyai. Let’s send not only your share but the entire amount we received for selling the magical beasts to them.”

“Yes? Can you really do that?”

Isana briefly stopped breathing at the unconventional decision. Even half of the amount was enough to fill a sack heavily. It would have been a huge amount to give up willingly. Hussen smiled at the flustered him and nodded.

“If we, as adults, don’t do what you, who are still young, are doing, that would be embarrassing in front of God.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Rather, thank you for making this decision. Thanks to you, I feel like my vision has widened a lot, so I feel good.”

Hussen smiled pleasantly again at the hesitant him. He had a strangely relieved expression.

“Ek? You’re giving it all away? Then what about our share?”

At that time, Mighty’s shocked voice was heard, belatedly grasping the situation. But that was his mistake. Immediately, voices scolding him began to pour out from all directions.

“You idiot! Have some sense! How can you say that in this situation?”

“I know, right? You don’t give us time to be moved.”

“B, but how much is that! At least we have to leave the 성수 [holy water] value…!”

“That’s enough? It’s embarrassing, so don’t ever say you’re our colleague anywhere. Got it?”

“Anyway, the miser is the problem.”

Mighty had an unfair expression, but none of the united group looked back at him. In the end, he had no choice but to retreat without getting his money’s worth.

And from that day on, Mighty’s nickname became Miser.