Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Reunion (3)
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“S-sorry… I was wrong, Enoch. Please… don’t abandon me again…”
“???”
Oh no! Ellis has broken down!
…Why the hell?
But regardless of my bewilderment, time marches on.
Carlo, the mercenary dispatched by the Ksalys Merchant Company, and all of Ellis’s subordinates who had followed her, stared with eyes wide open as if they’d witnessed the impossible.
And before long, they began looking at me with gazes mixed with shock.
“Th-the Madam is crying like a child and clinging to him?”
“What kind of relationship could they possibly have…”
“Shh. Compared to that guy, we’re nothing—of course, even the Madam is nothing. That’s the Grand Duke Zahav, you know?”
“Zahav…!”
I’m not entirely sure, but it seems Ellis was a boss with such overwhelming charisma that no one could even imagine her crying.
…And Zahav’s notoriety appears to have spread all the way to the capital.
As I scratched my head wondering what to do, Ellis closed the distance by alternating between knee-walking and crawling on all fours.
Then she grabbed my pant leg and began repeating her inexplicable apologies.
“Enoch… I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have done that… I, of all people, shouldn’t have done that to you…”
“Calm down first, Ellis. Abandon you? What kind of nonsense is that? Sure, I was a bit angry, and given the situation, I left without a word…”
“I knew exactly what home means to you… I must have been blinded for a moment… Enoch…”
Was she not hearing me? My attempt to calm her down failed completely.
Her green eyes, which should have sparkled like emeralds, were clouded as if staring into endless darkness.
The mutterings from those dead eyes were directed not at me, but at herself.
Her pointed ears, always held stiffly upright even if the tips were torn, now hung limp.
And the desperate way she rubbed her hands, scarred from old sword wounds, carried a frantic plea not for forgiveness, but for salvation.
…It was a strangely familiar sight.
Calypso Territory, where Ellis’s family had fallen into ruin and she’d been forcibly dragged away.
Locked in a slave warehouse disguised as an orphanage, barely escaping and hiding while moving, until she met me.
In the end, the expression on Ellis’s face when she was about to be dragged off by a hulking adult—it was exactly like this.
I hated seeing it, so for the first time in my life, I raised my fists not for myself, but for someone else.
Just as my brother once had, and my mother before him.
Grit.
Even knowing that neither I nor Ellis were those children from that day anymore, I clenched my teeth.
Then I carefully knelt on one knee before her.
“Ellis.”
“Don’t abandon me… I’ll be good. I won’t fight, I’ll… I’ll somehow fix the house too. So…”
Ellis, still rambling incoherently, lost in her own words. I grabbed both her cheeks a bit roughly, as if slapping them.
Slap!
“Hng?!”
With her cheeks in my hands, I forced Ellis to meet my eyes. Staring straight into her clouded gaze, I spoke.
“I’m right here.”
“E…noch?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“We were wrong…”
“What? You get it now?”
“P-please…”
“But that’s not a reason for me to abandon you or anything like that.”
“…Huh?”
“You didn’t hear me earlier, so I’ll say it again. I’m sorry for leaving without properly telling you—I had to leave in a hurry. But it’s not because I was fed up or never wanted to see you again.”
“R-really?”
“Of course. I was busy, so it got delayed a bit, but a few days ago I sent a letter to Calypso Territory through someone… and they said you all had run off on your own.”
“Well… we thought you’d gone far away alone because of us…”
She seemed to be coming back to her senses now, but Ellis was still glancing at me anxiously, gauging my reaction.
She’s always been sharp as a tack, so seeing her drag out her words like this, at a loss, felt awkward.
To reassure her more, I decided to do something she loved as a kid, after a long time.
Smoothly.
The hand gripping her cheek slid gently across her skin.
The warmth and smooth texture felt through my palm.
But that was just an elven racial trait—soon enough, evidence of her harsh life appeared.
“Hnn…”
The elf ear I’d been waiting for. At the end, past the cartilage folds, a rough surface could be felt.
The scar from when she threw herself into danger to save me, just as I had once saved her as kids.
Not sliced by a blade, but torn by teeth, it was jagged and irregular.
Of course, now new flesh covered it somewhat, making it bumpy.
For some reason, ever since back then, touching her injured ear always calmed her down quickly.
I could only hope it worked this time too.
Cupping one of her ears completely in my palm, I gently tickled the torn edge with my fingertips and whispered softly.
“Why would I abandon you guys? There was never anything to abandon in the first place. You’re not anyone’s property.”
“B-but…”
“Yeah, yeah. As you said, home does hold a special meaning for me… But family is even more precious, right?”
“Family?”
“Yeah, family.”
The “fam” in Orphan Fam stands for family. After Mom and big bro passed, they were the only ones I could trust in Calypso.
We did fight among ourselves in the end… and wrecked the house we’d finally gotten…
“It was just about taking a break to cool our heads. It was never about never seeing each other again.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ellis truly calm down. The trembling stopped, and the tears slowly ceased.
I don’t know how she felt inside, but at least she looked fine on the outside.
Ah, realizing what she must have looked like, her face flushed late.
“Ahem!”
Clearing her throat, Ellis pushed away my hands still holding her cheeks and ear.
She straightened the men’s coat draped over her shoulders like a cape and stood up.
“I showed you an unsightly side, Enoch.”
“Yeah. A bit.”
“…When someone says that, shouldn’t you at least politely say it’s fine?”
“You know your subordinates are looking at me like they want to kill me, right?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ellis notice the atmosphere around her. Her demeanor shifted slightly.
The elegance that had only lingered faintly before me revived, exuding nobility. Her lips curved in a faint smile, but it felt more distant than friendly.
A true noble lady. I could see why her subordinates called her Madam.
…Which made her breakdown even more shocking.
Ellis slowly scanned her organization members.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—there weren’t that many.
Just Carlo, the mercenary captain, and a few close aides she could bring on short notice.
Under Ellis’s gaze, Carlo seemed to realize something and picked up the staff-sword rolling on the floor, handing it to her.
“Thank you, Carlo.”
“It’s only natural, Madam.”
With that, Carlo stepped back. Ellis took the staff and struck the ground sharply.
Crack!
The subordinates flinched reflexively, their eyes snapping to Ellis.
“Everyone, keep what you saw today a secret. I can’t go into details, but… I have a deep connection with Grand Duke Zahav from the past.”
It clearly wasn’t something that could be brushed off that easily, but no one dared contradict her.
“““Understood, Madam.”””
They simply replied as if agreeing to erase what they’d seen from memory, just as she said.
…Honestly, I was impressed.
No matter how close they were, to build such loyalty in just a few months.
I knew she was smart and we’d known each other a long time, but her ability to inspire such devotion was something else entirely.
For a moment, I marveled at this new side of Ellis I hadn’t known.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, I realized. The tightly disciplined members’ gazes weren’t fixed solely on Ellis—they were flicking toward me.
And those gazes held thick fear directed at me.
…Was it because I’d half-destroyed Carlo’s mercenary subordinates?
It was necessary, and I broke their bones cleanly for easy treatment.
Still, seeing comrades fall helplessly must weigh on them.
With the situation somewhat sorted, I placed one arm casually on Ellis’s shoulder to show some familiarity.
“Ellis. Seems like we have a lot to talk about. Shall we go somewhere?”
Not quite arm-in-arm, just like resting my arm on hers.
No particular reason. Her shoulder was just perfectly positioned…
And we used to play around like this when we were kids.
A gesture to say let’s get along like old times.
Did it work? Ellis looked up at me with a relieved smile.
“Perfect timing, Enoch. While you were gone, I built my own organization in the capital. Let me introduce you—let’s head there.”
“Sounds good.”
The capital’s underworld, huh. Curious how it differs from Calypso.
With my arm on her, Ellis leaned subtly into me as she began issuing orders to her subordinates.
“Boni. You pack up everything in this warehouse. If you find anything else hidden, take that too. Carlo. Treat the fallen mercenaries and inform the guard about the Ksalys Merchant Company’s ties to the black mage. If you have time, escort Boni and the goods.”
The two subordinates nodded and set to their tasks. I waved lightly at Carlo, the one I was somewhat familiar with.
“Carlo, right?”
“Yes. What is it, Your Grace?”
“Use some of the gold from those chests for your men’s treatment.”
“Pardon?”
“Buy some meat with the leftovers. You heal faster on a full stomach.”
“…Pardon?”
Carlo blinked rapidly, clearly not expecting such words.
But it made sense. Knowing Ellis’s family was her organization—and planning to start a mercenary guild someday—I should build goodwill early.
Chuckling, I pointed at his chest.
“That salute earlier. You remember it well. If you’re from the south, you’re my people too, so I’ve got to take care of you. And it’s not like I don’t know Ellis.”
“Gasp!”
To Carlo swallowing hard, I spoke in a meaningful tone.
“But… you know, right? You’ll have to explain it well?”
“Y-yes, I understand!”
Even agreeing without question to speak well of me to the soon-to-wake mercenaries. Worth spending the coin if things go smoothly.
I waved casually at Carlo and headed to Ellis’s hideout with her.
Carlo watched Enoch and Ellis move stuck together like old friends—or lovers.
He recalled what Enoch had tasked him with moments ago.
“Explain well, huh…”
The meaning was all too clear.
Far better than the previous Zahav, but a Zahav was still a Zahav.
Surely not referring to the subordinates he’d felled himself—they’d received plenty of consideration there.
That left one thing.
He’d have to properly explain Ellis’s behavior in front of Enoch to the other executives.
Among them, only he, from the south, knew much about Zahav.
As Carlo let out a hollow laugh, Boni approached.
“Hey, Carlo. What just happened with the Madam…”
“Yeah. I’ve got a rough idea.”
“Really? Makes sense, you being from the south. …So? What kind of monster is this Grand Duke Zahav that even the Madam would kneel so subserviently?”
“Listen well. There’s an old saying in the south.”
Wearing a faint smile as if recalling fond memories, Carlo spoke.
“They say women who go to Zahav never return.”
“What?”
“The Madam was clearly in a relationship with Grand Duke Zahav in the past—trained… no, plaything… that’s not right either. Ahem. Anyway, something like lovers.”
“…!”
“Oh, and they say Zahav doesn’t discriminate between men and women, so watch out. Haha!”
“What the hell.”
Carlo meant it as a joke.
But that alone was enough to make Ellis’s family executives tremble.
It was summer.