Misunderstanding
Misunderstanding
The cheerfulness that Yekaterina's bronze statue had gifted me must have acted as some kind of buff, because our journey was truly smooth sailing from the moment we left the city until we entered the second one.
Honestly, I thought the lord of the first city would try something more. But either he took my claim of heading east as a bluff and sent his forces elsewhere, or he simply decided to stay put—there was no reaction at all.
After a week passed so leisurely, I felt a little better, as if this time we really had set out on a winter picnic.
Yeah. That means I shouldn't have let myself feel that way. It was a cliché.
"Eldmia Ega."
It was a middle-aged man who approached and called my name while we were securing lodging and eating dinner in the second city.
Even in the cold winter, the middle-aged man wasn't dressed thickly for warmth but with dignity in mind. His expensive-looking clothes, neatly trimmed beard and hair, and stern, utterly serious face all marked him as someone far removed from combat. Behind him stood a sturdy fellow who looked the exact opposite, smirking away. Unlike the middle-aged man, this one had the build and muscles of someone nowhere near desk work. Whatever he found so amusing, when our eyes met he even had the composure to give me a slight nod in greeting.
"...No matter how much I try to understand the lives of humans, this kind of rudeness is truly hard to endure."
But surprisingly, it was Cellevian who reacted to their appearance.
I turned my head in surprise at his muttering, spoken through clenched molars. Not just him—the other elves were also glaring at the man with the whites of their eyes showing and grinding their teeth. But the big guy just kept smirking and shrugged his shoulders. The middle-aged man escorting him showed no interest in the elves whatsoever, casually pulled out a chair, sat beside me, and started talking as if he owned the place.
"Your actions have crossed the line. Did you think the West was an easy target?"
There was no hostility in the eyes looking at me. It wasn't even a threat—just an attitude closer to delivering a notice. At the same time, he was a bizarre bastard who believed he was safe right now.
"Your actions crossed the line too. Do you think I'm an easy target?"
In that instant, the middle-aged man's brow furrowed sharply. But it didn't crease nearly as much as my feelings had been hurt by his actions, so I just grabbed the bastard by the back of his head and slammed it straight into the table.
-THUD!
"Gahk!"
If the man whose face had just been planted without a clue what happened lifted his head too fast, he might spray nosebleed all over the food. So while I pressed his head down for a moment, I used that gap to scan the reactions around us. It was only natural that the loud noise made the surroundings quiet for a moment, but the bastard standing behind the guy whose nose was currently being ground into the table showed a different reaction than expected.
The middle-aged man, who hadn't reacted properly even when I reached out and grabbed the back of his head, was, as expected, a regular person with zero combat ability. So his current thrashing around in pain probably wasn't an act either. The problem was that the bastard standing behind him had clearly seen and followed my actions, yet he offered no restraint and just kept laughing. As if the middle-aged man's safety didn't matter to him at all. I naturally shifted my gaze to the man and asked.
"I don't know who this little shit is, but even a blind man could read the room and guess he's an elf hunter. What kind of shithead are you to come picking a fight?"
"Aargh! I-I came here as an envoy! Do you truly believe you can commit such barbaric acts and remain unscathed?!"
"Dragging an elf hunter in front of elves is a civilized act? And what the hell kind of envoy?"
These were people who would laugh or sigh off even the guards' rudeness. To provoke this much hostility, you'd have to be either a family nemesis or an elf hunter.
But an elf hunter famous enough to draw such blatant hostility from elves, and a well-dressed envoy. I just could not understand what kind of combination this was based on my experience.
"I-If you kill me, a signal will be sent immediately through this artifact!!"
He suddenly raised his hand and shoved a ring forward, which made me dislike him even more. Reminded me of that Rudra's Dog bastard. 'Did he come strutting around trusting in that thing?' I examined it through Magic Sight and confirmed that something was indeed functioning.
"That's very interesting information, but it's not exactly what I need to know right now."
Wondering if a few more sharp jolts would make his real argument pop out, I tightened my grip. The man screamed out with desperate effort.
"You started this! Eldmia Ega! Did you think the nobles whose honor you cracked would stand idly by?! Your background check is already complete! The Empire is no longer protecting you!"
"...What?"
What kind of bullshit is this? The Empire is protecting me? Since when? And I'm the only one who didn't know?
It was the first time I'd heard it, so I loosened my grip to give him a chance to speak properly. But the bastard, thinking my pause meant I'd been cowed by his words, gave a triumphant smirk even as he dripped snot, tears, and nosebleed.
"Ha! You didn't know after all! The imperial consulate located in the Kingdom of Belhondra announced it four days ago! You have no connection whatsoever to the Empire, and no matter what happens, the Empire will not intervene! You are now..."
"What's this crazy bastard saying, shut your mouth with that obvious shit."
Was he genuinely insane? Anyone would think he'd caught me by the balls or something.
It was so ridiculous that I grabbed the back of his head again and slammed it into the table. Along with a muffled scream, the elf hunter standing behind him burst into loud laughter, slapping his knee.
"Puhaha! This guy's completely nuts! Or wait, was the info I heard wrong?"
"And where the hell did you pick up that fucked-up nonsense?"
Since he hadn't denied being an elf hunter, that was probably his profession. In a situation where I couldn't even stand the sight of ordinary slave hunters, there was no reason to leave a demi-human hunter alone. He'd been added to my kill list the moment I laid eyes on him. But the self-proclaimed envoy lunatic was spouting such absurd bullshit that I got curious what kind of crap this guy would say.
At my question, the elf hunter pointed with his chin at Cellevian's group, who still hadn't grasped the situation, and answered.
"Your name. And the client's explanation that the Empire was behind you but isn't anymore. Plus confirmation that if I dispose of you, I can take those elves and sell them."
"You haven't even seen the face of the so-called client, and you're putting other people's lives on the counter as you please?"
"Well? If that client happens to be some pigs who hold considerable power in a certain kingdom, wouldn't it be okay to do as I please?"
He was big enough that we might have stood eye-to-eye if I'd been standing. The bastard, still smirking, bent slightly at the waist and tapped the back of the self-proclaimed envoy—whose head was still pinned under my hand—before continuing.
"This was a courteous warning. I wasn't keen on it, but the client said a surprise attack is cowardly and told me to show my face. What could I do?"
"I've lived long enough to hear all kinds of fucking stupid shit. What kind of bullshit is that?"
Maybe he sensed my sincerity, because the bastard burst out laughing again and kept explaining.
"After notifying you through this friend, the plan was to ambush you as soon as you left the city. Regrettably, it's an 'unofficial' operation for now. I was worried about what we'd do if you got scared and refused to leave the city, but fortunately, it doesn't look like that'll be necessary."
"...So, the plan was to cut off all my backing, slowly isolate me, and make me realize I was being left to wither and die?"
"A smart friend."
I stared quietly at the bastard laughing while looking me straight in both eyes, then released my grip on the back of the self-proclaimed envoy's head.
"Ghk! You barbarian! How can you be so ignorant?!"
"Cut the bullshit. What you're saying now is a declaration of war, isn't it? If this isn't a surprise attack, I'd need to know the name of your higher-ups who are targeting me, wouldn't I?"
"Ha! You dare..."
"If you don't want your head smashed in again, how about choosing your words more carefully? That friend over there doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping me here?"
I cut him off quickly and made him face reality. The self-proclaimed envoy, who had been about to say something, let out a 'Hup!' and shut his mouth. Since he didn't open it again, it seemed he had no intention of giving up the name.
'Won't reveal his name but says a surprise attack is off-limits...' If he'd had to move the troops himself, he'd be the type of bastard who'd openly launch a surprise attack. An involuntary, hollow laugh escaped me, but I decided to let it go for now.
"Fine. In a way, you made a good choice."
"...What?"
"I'm saying it was a good choice for you little shits that this so-called envoy came here in advance. If we'd been outside, both of you would have died right then and there."
It was so pathetic that I kicked the chair the bastard had been sitting in, chair and all. The self-proclaimed envoy babbled incoherently and toppled straight backwards. The elf hunter standing behind him glanced at the sight once, then looked at me with a puzzled expression and opened his mouth again.
"Both would have died? Are you saying you think you can kill me?"
"A dumb friend."
I threw his earlier words back at him, laden with the meaning 'Do you really have to ask that to understand?' His brow lost its composure for just a split second and twitched. His pride was awfully sensitive, it seemed.
"...Ha. I'll tell you in advance, there's a reason your elf friends are grinding their teeth looking at me."
"I know without you telling me. Even I, seeing your face for the first time, feel my teeth grinding, so kindly fuck off. Having shit like that shoved in my face while I'm eating is bad for digestion."
Of course, my teeth weren't literally grinding. It was just a meaningless provocation. The bastard's brow furrowed openly this time.
"It seems you won't die a pretty death."
But that was all. Perhaps the type to faithfully execute a contract, the bastard just hauled up the self-proclaimed envoy who had collapsed on the floor and left the restaurant. I wolfed down the rest of my food quickly to finish my meal.
"...What do you intend to do?"
As the people around us gingerly tested the waters and raised their voices again, Cellevian, who had been watching me silently, asked. His expression was dead serious, but he wasn't reproaching me. It was more like he was genuinely asking what I would do.
"I'm going to kill them."
So when I said it bluntly, he pressed his temples firmly and spoke.
"Are you saying that knowing who that bastard is?"
"Do I need to know? He's a dead man anyway."
"......That bastard is called the Ear Hunter."
Cellevian spoke with solemn gravity, as if it were a name that shouldn't even be uttered. Unfortunately, my brain had no spare capacity allocated for some elf hunter or whatever.
"Even with you telling me, I don't know him."
At that, the other elves let out deep sighs. Cellevian let out a short sigh and continued his explanation.
"He's a bastard who's made a name for himself as an elf hunter for ten years. He nearly annihilated an entire tribe near the West. The size of his group and their skill can't be ignored either. He alone is stronger than your average aura expert, and he doesn't move alone."
"Hm, good news. As of today, he'll be going out of business."
"That... wait, today?"
I tore off some bread, scraped up the last of the stew cleanly, and stood up from my seat. I looked around at Cellevian and his companions, who were still staring at me with puzzled expressions, and gave a short nod.
"Today."
When I used my Magic Sight, the trace of the ring the self-proclaimed envoy had been wearing came into view. It was faint, but it felt closer to tracking footprints in a forest, so it was more manageable than I'd expected.
'They said they were going to attack me outside the city, which means they're heading out of the city right now, isn't it?' When I know exactly where the enemy will be, there's no reason for me to just leave them alone.
"What, do you wait until tomorrow because they're pretty? I'm going to follow them and wipe every last one of them out."
A surprise attack is always the right call.