Chapter 131: The Egg (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: The Egg (1)
"Phew—"
In a hideout near the Palatio Marquisate, a girl sat down and let out a relaxed sigh. Soon, someone approached her.
"You're back, Yuna."
"Yeah."
The man was Hidan.
"How is the work going?"
"I've been keeping an eye on Alexion under the Silver Moon’s orders, but from what I can see, it doesn't look like he'll be doing anything strange anymore."
Yuna, a golden-haired girl, stretched her legs out wide as if exercising while seated. She turned the question back to him.
"What about you?"
"I am moving according to the Red Moon's commands for now."
"Sounds busy."
"I am simply doing what must be done."
Yuna nodded with a hum, a smile playing on her lips.
"So, when is our meeting?"
"Meeting?"
"Yeah. The Silver Moon told me to attend this time and report on the matters regarding the territory."
"…Are you really that happy about it?"
"Of course!"
Yuna beamed, her face full of anticipation.
"I get to participate in a meeting with the higher-ups! Plus, I’ll get to see Lord Red Moon and Lord Purple Moon! It’s been so long since I’ve seen them that I was starting to feel neglected—and I’ve always wanted to see what a meeting of the greats looks like!"
Her voice was full of energy.
In contrast, Hidan’s expression as he listened was…
"The atmosphere, huh—"
It was a bit complicated.
"What’s with that look?"
Yuna looked at him curiously. Hidan seemed to hesitate for a moment.
"…No, well… it’s nothing. It’s just… how should I put it? Never mind."
He decided to keep his mouth shut.
"Huh? Why stop mid-sentence!?"
"…You’ll understand once you attend the meeting yourself."
Recalling the meetings he had witnessed, Hidan decided to protect Yuna’s illusions for just a little longer.
* * *
Exactly half a year had passed since Alon stopped Duke Comallon.
By this point, Alon’s mana poisoning had improved significantly, to the point where he could use magic almost as well as before.
Consequently, even though he was now capable of moving toward the border, he remained where he was.
To be precise, it was more accurate to say he couldn't move.
"Then, I look forward to working with you!"
"The feeling is mutual."
"Not at all! Oh, and—this is a gift."
"…A gift?"
"Yes. It is a statue carved by a master craftsman from the Fombarshi territory."
"…I shall accept it gratefully."
The reason for his delay was the sheer crowd of people flocking to the Marquis recently.
Alon let out a small sigh as he watched the Head of the Pineforest Merchant Guild bow at a ninety-degree angle and depart, leaving behind an exquisitely carved cat statue.
"Evan."
"Yes, my lord."
"How many people are left?"
"Congratulations, Marquis. After this, your schedule is completely clear."
"That’s a relief."
Alon nodded a few times and leaned back in his chair.
Only a month after telling Duke Zenonia that he wouldn't refuse help, Alon had reached a state where the auction house business was essentially a guaranteed success.
Of course, one shouldn't use the word 'success' lightly.
A business can be sailing smoothly only to crash into an unexpected obstacle and shatter.
Having cycled through several 'Joso Companies' in his previous world, Alon knew this fact better than anyone. It was also the reason he was incredibly conservative when it came to business.
However, even Alon felt that, at this point, he would not only recover his principal investment but also see the business successfully take root.
Too much had been gained over the past month for the business to fail now.
…Though, rather than Alon actively seizing these gains, they had mostly come walking to him on their own two feet.
"Still, Marquis, the business is a success."
"Does it look that way to you?"
"Yes. Five territories have agreed to consign their top-grade specialties to be sold here through auction. With that, merchant guilds are guaranteed to come flocking. We’ve also signed numerous partnership agreements."
"But we’ve only succeeded in attracting them, haven't we?"
"Hmm—even so, the requirements have been met much faster than expected. I believe it’s more than enough for us to rise as a tourism and trade territory."
Alon nodded at Evan’s words.
He shared a similar sentiment.
As he absentmindedly checked the documents, a sudden curiosity prompted him to speak.
"Evan."
"Yes, Marquis?"
"I’ve been too busy to think about it until now, but why did so many merchant heads and neighboring lords flock here like this?"
Of course, Alon knew Duke Zenonia had exerted some influence.
But even so, wasn't it strange for so many nobles and merchant guilds to seek him out voluntarily?
"…Marquis."
"What is it?"
"I think this often, but you seem to underestimate yourself more than I thought."
"Do I?"
"Yes. It’s obvious that most of those nobles came to build a connection with you. Some of them were even from the Noble Faction or the Royalist Faction."
Only then did Alon let out a low exclamation of realization.
"…So, what, were they bribes to stay on my good side?"
"Most likely. Or perhaps a subtle signal that they wish to join Kalpa."
"…I see."
"Surely you weren't unaware of this?"
"…Hmm."
It wasn't so much that he was unaware, but rather that he hadn't been paying attention to it.
When Alon didn't give a straight answer, Evan’s expression became peculiar.
"We’ve spent a long time together, but sometimes when I look at you, Marquis, I find it fascinating."
"What is?"
"…It clearly looks like you’re doing something, but in reality, it feels like you’re doing nothing at all."
"I’m working right now, aren't I?"
"…I don't mean that… How should I put it? It’s like you don't pay any attention to your surroundings… No, that’s not quite the right feeling either—"
As Evan struggled to find the right words, his eyes widened as he remembered something else.
"I was actually going to tell you earlier—a letter arrived from Line."
"A letter?"
"Yes. I believe it’s a reply to the letter you sent previously."
"Now that you mention it..."
Come to think of it, he had contacted Line a month ago regarding the 'Spirit Dragon's Egg.'
Originally, he had planned to visit her in person once his mana was fully recovered, but due to recent changes in the egg, he had sent a letter first as a matter of urgency.
"Here it is."
The topic of conversation shifted instantly.
Alon took the letter Evan handed him and glanced at the Spirit Dragon's Egg.
The egg was slightly larger than before, and as of last month, it had stopped absorbing Alon’s mana. That was why he had sent the letter.
Alon opened the letter and began to read.
The beginning was a light greeting.
The middle section was an update on what she had been up to lately.
After that, she wrote about the recent happenings in Lartania.
"Hmm—"
The next page was similar.
And the page after that.
"…?"
With a bewildered expression, Alon finally checked the number of pages.
"…Twelve pages?"
"Wow, that’s quite a lot. I did think the envelope felt a bit thick."
Twelve long pages of stationery.
A slight sense of guilt blossomed in Alon’s heart.
'I… I think I barely filled one page when I sent mine.'
Since he was planning to visit anyway, he decided he would buy a small gift for Line when he did.
Regardless, Alon continued reading and only found information regarding the Spirit Dragon's Egg after flipping through about five pages.
After reading the entire thing…
'This might be dangerous.'
He looked at the Spirit Dragon's Egg.
Though the explanation in the letter was lengthy, it could be boiled down to three main points:
'…The reason is that a Spirit Dragon exposed to blood is born far stronger than a normal one, but the probability of it becoming insanely violent and crazed is overwhelmingly high.
The way to tell if it was exposed to blood is by its eye color; if the born Spirit Dragon’s eyes are red instead of blue, it means it’s already mad.'
Alon looked back and forth between the letter and the egg.
'Then, isn't this a bit dangerous?'
The reason Alon had consistently given mana to the Spirit Dragon's Egg until now was that he believed it hadn't tasted blood.
In fact, the egg had been quite a distance away from the mage’s corpse.
However, if the ritual itself required the absence of blood, the story changed.
In Alon’s memory, the Spirit Dragon's Egg he possessed had been exposed to the blood of the mages who died during the ritual Teon had performed.
Therefore…
"…Hmm."
Unlike his expressionless face, Alon looked at the egg with a somewhat serious heart.
'…Should I throw it away?'
He began to deliberate.
* * *
That night.
Around the time Alon fell asleep, having failed to reach a decision about the egg.
Cr-crack!
The egg, which hadn't shown the slightest movement until now, began to vibrate subtly, and the shell started to break.
To be precise, the shell wasn't just breaking.
The black fragments of the shell were turning into a black, viscous slime and being sucked back into the black egg.
It wasn't a typical hatching; it looked as though the entire form of the egg was transforming.
Soon, with a bone-chilling crunch, the creature revealed itself.
[─────!]
It was a monster with glowing red eyes, drooling from its maw.
True to the name 'Spirit Dragon's Egg,' it possessed a somewhat 'draconic' shape, but its appearance was far too hideous and grotesque to be called a dragon.
The black 'thing,' moving like a formless mist, constantly shifted its body, and its head—which at least resembled a dragon's—was no different.
Twitch!
Dozens of eyeballs were clustered all over its black head.
Scanning its surroundings with those sinister eyes, the creature stepped down from its perch.
At the same time, an insane destructive instinct began to surge within its mind.
Unlike a normal Spirit Dragon, this creature—a Shadow Spirit Dragon—could grow even stronger by absorbing the blood and flesh of its enemies. Despite having just been born, its psychological state was already craving destruction and slaughter.
Yet, even as the urge to destroy welled up incessantly, the Shadow Spirit Dragon moved its body, pushing those desires aside for a moment.
It moved toward Alon, the one who had provided enough mana for it to be born.
Its body instantly turned into mist, swallowing even the light of the blue moon as it flew out the window and into the sky.
Descending into Alon’s bedroom in an instant, the creature approached the man lying in bed, dripping viscous black saliva.
Naturally, it was to kill Alon.
No matter how much it had become a Shadow Spirit Dragon by taking in blood, its essence as a Spirit Dragon remained unchanged, meaning it was bound to some extent by the person who gave it mana.
Therefore, the Shadow Spirit Dragon sought to kill Alon, who could become an obstacle, before it grew any larger.
It had no other reason to seek Alon out.
To finish its objective immediately, the Shadow Spirit Dragon approached Alon and opened its maw.
Gaaaaape!
Its mouth grew to a size unimaginable for a creature with a body only as large as a big dog.
The maw, expanded as if to swallow the entire room, instantly targeted the area where Alon lay.
And the moment that massive mouth was about to snap shut—
Snap!
The Shadow Spirit Dragon’s jaws froze.
As if time itself had stopped.
And then—
Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble─────!!
The Shadow Spirit Dragon closed its mouth involuntarily and began to shake like a leaf.
The reason was—
Shift!
An eye.
Because of a black pupil—
That was staring directly at the Shadow Spirit Dragon as it stood over Alon with its maw wide open.