Chapter 101: Malaka Ruins (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Malaka Ruins (1)
The dizziness from Deus’s eight separate death threats lasted only a moment.
By the time Alon passed through the crowds of mercenaries and explorers to reach the edge of the jungle, a very familiar voice called out to him.
“Huh?”
Alon turned his head toward the sound.
“...Count Palatio—no, Marquis?”
“Rian Argulus?”
Standing there was Rian Argulus, the daughter of the Red Tower Master.
“It’s been a long time, Marquis. And congratulations.”
“It has been a while. And I accept your congratulations with gratitude.”
She gave him a friendly smile, but as her gaze shifted behind him, her eyes widened in surprise.
“...Wait, is the person behind you...?”
“Deus Macallian.”
Deus introduced himself briefly, seemingly having realized she was an acquaintance of Alon’s.
“Wow...” Rian let out a small exclamation of awe. She looked at Deus with a somewhat peculiar expression before quickly catching herself.
“Ah. Ahem—”
She regained her composure and asked, her eyes darting between them with curiosity.
“But what brings the two of you here...?”
Alon immediately noticed the two underlying questions in her voice.
It must look strange to see us together like this when we belong to different nations.
Besides, Deus was quite famous.
“Our goals are different, but we both have business in the jungle, so we’re traveling together.”
“I see. So, are the three of you traveling as a group?”
“That’s right.”
At Alon’s nod, Rian made a suggestion.
“Then would you like to move with us? We’re actually on our way to the camp right now.”
“Hmm...”
In truth, with Deus present, Alon didn’t think a group of three would face much danger compared to a larger party. However, there was always the possibility of getting lost.
“That sounds fine.”
He accepted the offer.
Shortly after, Rian introduced Alon to the rest of the group.
The party consisted of fifteen mages, five mercenaries, and one guide.
However, there was one unusual detail.
“...They aren’t all from the Red Magic Tower?”
“To be precise, it’s a mix of mages from the Green Magic Tower and the Red Magic Tower. This expedition is a collaboration between the two.”
A collaboration between two towers—Alon nodded as he confirmed this. Just then, a somewhat surly voice spoke up from the side.
“What’s going on?”
Standing there was a man holding a wooden staff as tall as himself—the quintessential image of a mage, in Alon’s mind.
“Teon. Come over and say hello.”
Despite narrowing his eyes at Rian’s words, the man approached. He scanned Alon, Evan, and Deus once.
“Say hello. These are the people who will be accompanying us to the camp. This is Marquis Palatio and Deus Macallian.”
“What?”
He looked genuinely startled by Rian’s introduction.
But it was only for a moment.
“Greetings. I am Teon, one of the professors at the Green Magic Tower. So, this is Calliban’s First Sword, and this is Marquis Palatio, correct?”
He quickly masked his expression and gave Deus and Alon a stiff bow.
“...I look forward to your cooperation.”
“...? Likewise.”
He stared intently at Alon for a moment before abruptly turning around and walking away.
“He looks young to be a professor. That’s impressive.”
Evan remarked with genuine admiration, knowing how long it usually took for mages to earn that title. Rian nodded in agreement.
“He is. The Green Magic Tower considers him an extraordinary talent. He’s not even twenty-five yet, but he’s already on the threshold of the 5th Tier.”
“Whoa, the 5th Tier?”
“Yes.”
Evan’s admiration grew even deeper.
Alon, however, remained silent with an expressionless face before muttering quietly.
“...It feels like he’s only being cold to me.”
He wasn’t the type to care if someone was cold to him, but it was still strange. The feeling that the man had become particularly frosty only after hearing his name was a new experience.
“Ah...”
Rian seemed to realize what was happening and gave an awkward laugh.
“Well, um... it’s actually not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?”
“Well, uh—”
Rian hesitated for a moment, then whispered after confirming Teon was far enough away.
“You know the rumors... regarding you, Marquis?”
“Rumors?”
“About, well, Penia.”
“Ah.”
“The truth is, Teon likes Penia.”
“What?”
Alon looked at Teon, feeling genuinely surprised.
Penia was beautiful. That was an undeniable fact.
The problem, however, was her personality. Alon knew her personality was so disastrous it completely overshadowed her physical beauty.
He likes that Penia Kraysinne? That insufferable woman...?
He asked back with a look of utter bewilderment.
“...So you’re saying that man likes Penia?”
“Yes.”
“But why...? No, is that a rude question?”
“No, actually, I don’t... really understand it either. Especially since Teon was once thoroughly humiliated by her.”
Rian also looked toward Teon as if she couldn’t comprehend it.
“Anyway, because of that, he seems to be acting a bit childish.”
“...Right. Well, I see.”
Alon nodded without asking further.
Normally, he might have pondered why a grown man was acting out of petty jealousy, but unfortunately, his fascination with Teon’s taste took precedence.
...Is he a masochist?
By the time he reached that conclusion...
“Marquis—”
“There’s no need for that,” Alon replied firmly to Deus, who had opened his mouth as if he’d been waiting for the chance.
He didn’t even need to hear the rest to know what Deus was going to say.
“...Understood.”
Deus looked disappointed as he took his hand off the hilt of his sword, which he had been fiddling with.
“Deus.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
“Lately, have you been hearing voices, or having any... unsettling thoughts? Anything like that?”
“...? No, not at all.”
Deus denied it.
...But Alon’s sense of unease only grew.
* * *
After some time, Alon arrived at the exploration camp with Rian’s group. Thanks to their diligent pace before lunch, they reached the camp before sunset.
“...This feels strange.”
“Does it?”
“Yes. To be honest, I expected something more dilapidated, but this is practically a small village.”
Alon nodded at Evan’s observation.
“Well, I suppose so. Mages and explorers have been coming here consistently.”
“Are there no monsters?”
“It’s not that there aren’t any, but monsters rarely appear in the area where the camp is located.”
Leaving behind a newly impressed Evan, Alon took in the view of the camp, recalling the settings he knew from the game.
It feels different from seeing it in the illustrations.
Though his memories were faint, the scenery of this village in Psychedelia’s illustrations had felt like a typical town.
However, seeing it in person, it felt less like a village and more like a massive, well-organized campsite.
The mix of wooden houses and tents makes it feel more like that. But it has everything it needs.
As Alon was observing the shops and inns scattered throughout the village...
“Marquis. I’ll see you again tomorrow, then.”
“Right.”
During the journey, he had learned that Rian’s destination was also the Malaka Ruins, so they had promised to travel together the next day.
“We should get some rest for today as well.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Understood.”
Alon and his party headed into an inn to rest.
* * *
The next day.
Alon, who had tossed and turned a bit due to the high humidity of the jungle, woke up.
“I’m going to head out for a bit to find Reinhardt.”
“Fine. Let’s meet back here tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“I remember the blessing.”
“Right. Make sure you get it if you can. It’s better to have the blessing if you’re going to be moving around that area.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Alon and Deus decided to part ways temporarily to achieve their respective goals before meeting again.
Honestly, I’d like to keep him with me.
But knowing Deus had his own tasks to attend to, Alon let him go without lingering.
As long as Deus didn’t enter the Silvanus Zone or any unmapped territories, there was nothing that could truly pose a threat to him.
A short while later, Alon joined Rian’s group without Deus.
“...Is Deus Macallian not coming with us?”
“As I said, our goals are different.”
“I see.”
Rian looked strangely disappointed, but they set off toward the Malaka Ruins together.
...I should finish my business in the jungle and get out as quickly as possible.
That was the thought on his mind.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that same moment.
In the Inner Prison of the Holy Kingdom of Rosario—a place where only those guilty of the most heinous crimes were confined.
There.
“Kh—”
A man with no legs—Anderde—was ‘alive.’
With a face that was not his own, he writhed in the agonizing pain that wracked his entire body, yet a glimmer of hope flickered on his lips.
I cannot die yet.
The reason he was able to stay alive—or more accurately, the reason he was able to seize ‘this man’s’ body—was simple.
The man thrown into this deep prison had been functioning as a part of the Machina he had created.
He had implanted tree roots into those who became part of the Machina. The moment he was attacked by the Marquis, he had used his quick wits to abandon his own body and transfer his consciousness into the man’s body.
His body had been completely shattered, preventing an immediate escape, but even that was part of his plan.
In the Inner Prison, where no one visited except to deliver rotten bread, he had slowly recovered his strength and completely taken over the man’s body.
Soon, the man’s face, covered in red tree roots, transformed into Anderde’s.
Then, his two legs began to slowly regenerate.
Having confirmed all these changes, he gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with ambition.
“I cannot let it end like this. I will surely prepare again and create a world where everyone can be equal...!”
Though the benevolent smile and faith were gone from his lips, the mad obsession coiled in his heart gave him new hope.
At that moment.
“...Ah?”
Anderde saw it.
In the Inner Prison, where there should have been no one.
Inside the cell, which no one should have been able to enter due to the thick iron door, stood a man.
A man with black hair and blue eyes, looking at him with an innocent smile.
“Hello?”
Anderde didn’t open his mouth at the man’s bright greeting.
No, he couldn’t.
He couldn’t comprehend this situation.
But whether Anderde answered or not...
“Well, honestly, I don’t really care what kind of world you dream of or what you’re trying to do, and I’m not even that angry, but—”
The man muttered in a characteristically husky tone.
“—Still, touching His Holiness is a bit much, even for me.”
He raised his hand.
Snap!
Before he knew it, Anderde realized his neck was being twisted against his will.
“Wa— No! No! You can’t! NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo!!!!!!”
He began to writhe and struggle belatedly, but...
Crrraaaack!
In the end, his neck was twisted twice around, and he met his end.
“Why did you have to touch him?”
The man, having crushed the obsession that was all that remained of Anderde’s madness, walked into the darkness and quietly vanished.
In his place, only Anderde’s corpse remained, eyes wide with disbelief.