Chapter 178: Those Who Noticed (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: Those Who Noticed (4)
Draim, the leader of Dark Leaf, had distanced himself from Count Palatio immediately after his recent encounter with a certain man.
However, distancing himself did not mean he had abandoned his mission of protection.
Even though he had questioned the mission to guard Count Palatio from the start and had even been threatened by that suspicious man, Dark Leaf ultimately owed absolute obedience to the Queen’s commands.
In other words, whether he liked it or not, he had to protect Count Palatio until the order was rescinded.
Instead, Draim decided to watch the Count from a distance.
While close-quarters protection was the standard, he had no other choice.
‘He’s no ordinary man.’
The man who had threatened him so effortlessly—a man whose strength Draim couldn't even gauge, let alone guarantee a victory against.
Furthermore, that man was protecting Count Palatio with a level of fanaticism that bordered on the bizarre, even more so than the Queen’s own royal guards.
Draim had made his decision to avoid unnecessary conflict. He would watch over the Count while maintaining a distance that even a master could not detect.
In the end, Draim believed his judgment had been correct.
The madman no longer seemed to sense him. It was only natural, as he was guarding Count Palatio from a triple-layered distance.
That was why Draim never imagined he would be caught.
"Guh—"
Draim stared at the being before him with trembling eyes.
Under the blue moon, golden lightning radiated in all directions.
A beastman stared back at him with an expression so chillingly blank it felt as if the world itself might freeze.
‘How... how did she find me?’
He couldn't wrap his head around the situation. More accurately, he couldn't accept how he had been discovered.
But Draim couldn't follow that train of thought for long.
"Ack—"
The longer he remained silent, the tighter the grip around his throat became.
"Wa—wait—"
Just as Draim felt he was about to black out, he tried to force words out.
"I heard."
"…What?"
"I heard from Deus. You’re the ones, right? The elves secretly tailing my Mentor."
The beastman, Seolrang, finally spoke. Her voice remained devoid of emotion.
"I won't make this long. Stop hovering around my Mentor."
"We have absolutely no intention of harming Count Palatio—"
"I don't care about that. It’s just unpleasant having suspicious bugs near my Mentor. Or maybe—"
Seolrang’s distinctive golden eyes flashed like lightning.
"—Should I just kill you and everyone behind you?"
"……."
A murderous intent so thick it made every hair on his body stand on end.
Yet, even in the face of such bloodlust, Draim managed a strained sneer.
"……How arrogant."
Seolrang didn't bother to reply.
Instead, she silently activated her Thunder God Transformation.
Crackle—!!!!
Golden flashes surged across her body in an instant, condensing within her.
As if unable to contain the vast energy any longer, the condensed flashes erupted outward, dyeing her entire form in a brilliant golden light.
Unlike her battle with the Apostle, Seolrang’s use of the Thunder God Transformation was remarkably stable.
Draim’s eyes widened at the sight of her radiant form. The waves of mana emanating from her were anything but ordinary.
And then.
"Mark my words, elf. This is your final warning."
"……."
"Stay away from my Mentor, and never let me see you again. If you don't, I’ll kill you and everyone behind you."
"……Do you truly think that’s possible?"
Draim questioned her incredibly arrogant statement, but—
"Yes. I’ll be moving, but—"
The corners of Seolrang’s gold-tinted lips curled up into a bright smile.
"—Yutia will be moving too."
Then.
Crunch—!
Draim’s neck was crushed.
"Ah—what a shame."
His vision inverted as his severed head fell toward the ground.
In that desolate, spinning world, he saw them.
"If you weren't a shadow, I could have just killed everyone to set an example."
Those terrifying golden eyes were still tracking him under the blue moonlight in the middle of the desert.
And then—
"Gah—!"
Draim woke up, coughing up blood.
"Commander!?"
"Are you alright!"
"The backlash from the Shadow Art—!"
His subordinates rushed toward him in a panic.
Supported by his men, Draim leaned his back against a rock and clutched his throbbing head.
"None of you act rashly."
"Our apologies."
The subordinates bowed their heads at Draim’s command, but their faces were filled with confusion.
They knew exactly what it meant for their commander to wake up spitting blood.
"Whew—"
Draim took a ragged breath, feeling his mangled internals.
‘Not only did she find me in that desert, but she even knew I was a shadow. How on earth?’
Questions flooded his mind.
Suddenly, his face contorted.
Up until now, there had been only one person who could see through his Shadow Art at a single glance.
If that was the case, then that Wolfman girl he just met was—
"……Crazy."
Draim cursed under his breath.
His subordinates flinched, having never seen their commander act this way.
But Draim’s focus was entirely on Count Palatio.
‘……Just who is that man?’
To think that such absurdly powerful beings were acting like children, fawning and acting cute just to be praised by him.
‘First, should I return and report this?’
Draim fell into deep thought.
* * *
Alon’s bewilderment at Karmakeses III’s sudden use of formal honorifics was short-lived.
"Ahem—my apologies. I’ve been reading books on etiquette lately."
Karmakeses III quickly dropped the formal tone after seeing Alon’s reaction.
Alon wondered, ‘Does a King really need to read books on etiquette?’ but he accepted the explanation for now.
However, the banquet continued to be a series of uncomfortable moments.
"Does the food suit your palate?"
"It’s delicious."
"If anything tastes off, let me know. I’ll have them remake it immediately."
"Ah, yes……."
The King was fussing over the food, something he had never done before.
"Ah, speaking of which, is your guild life comfortable? If it’s difficult, you are more than welcome to stay at the royal castle."
"The royal castle?"
"Yes. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"
"I truly appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline."
"Is that so? A shame. But if you change your mind, be sure to tell me. I shall treat you as an honored guest."
"Yes."
He was suddenly trying to do favors, like offering a room in the castle.
And finally.
"Count."
"Yes."
"Is there anything you find uncomfortable or anything you need lately?"
"……Anything I need?"
"Yes. If there is anything at all, just say the word. I will support you without reservation."
"I will let you know if I think of anything."
He seemed desperate to do something for Alon.
‘……Did I do something wrong? Or does he have a favor to ask?’
Naturally, doubt and suspicion began to grow.
However.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
"Hahaha, yes, I see. Then, if you ever need my help, please! Do not hesitate to seek me out."
"I understand."
The banquet ended without the King asking for a single favor.
Alon finally managed to shake off the persistent(?) Karmakeses III and boarded his carriage.
"My Lord."
"What is it?"
"Did you happen to get some kind of leverage on him? Like some dirty secret of Karmakeses III……?"
Evan, who had accompanied him, also felt the strangeness and asked, but Alon shook his head.
"There’s no way that’s the case."
"Right? I thought so too."
"Yeah."
"Then why is he acting like that?"
"I don't know either."
"Even you don't know, My Lord?"
A hint of suspicion flickered on Evan’s face. Alon shrugged as if to emphasize his honesty.
"Yeah, I really don't know."
"……Hmm—that’s strange."
In truth, Alon was the most baffled of all. He couldn't even begin to guess why Karmakeses III was acting that way.
The carriage, carrying their unresolved questions, soon arrived at Seolrang’s guild building.
"Seolrang."
"Ah, Mentor! You’re back?!"
As soon as she spotted Alon, Seolrang wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, clinging to him like a cicada.
No longer surprised by her greeting, Alon asked.
"I went to the castle to find you, but you weren't there. Where did you go?"
"Oh, I was on my way to the castle, but I remembered something I forgot, so I took a detour—"
"Something you forgot?"
"Yeah! There was something I had to do, and I only remembered it then—"
Seolrang nodded her head vigorously.
Like a father respecting the privacy of his growing daughter, Alon didn't pry further.
The day after recovering from the banquet’s fatigue.
"Greetings!"
Karsem visited Alon early in the morning, accompanied by soldiers.
"……Karsem, it’s been a while."
"Yes!"
Not only had he lost weight, but Karsem’s muscles were now bulging beneath his clothes as if he had been training relentlessly.
From the side, Alon heard Evan’s small grumble: "Wow, the world is so unfair—"
Just as Alon was about to silently agree.
"I heard you are heading to the ruins. I shall escort you!"
Karsem’s booming voice rang out.
"Escort…… me?"
"Yes!"
Alon paused as he looked at the soldiers lined up behind him.
"……It seems like a lot of people for an escort."
He wasn't exaggerating. The soldiers Karsem had brought easily numbered in the hundreds.
However.
"No, it’s only natural since you are the one going, Count!"
"?"
Karsem answered again with vigor and without a hint of hesitation.
He had always been loud, but for some reason, Alon felt a sense of dissonance today.
‘……Somehow, his eyes seem even more sparkly.’
He felt as if Karsem’s eyes were filled with an even deeper sense of awe than before. It was different from the admiration he had felt previously.
Alon had a new question about what on earth had happened on this side as well, but—
"……Then, I’ll leave it to you."
"Yes!"
Since it felt awkward to ask, Alon set off for the ruins without another word and arrived at his destination shortly after.
As the sun began to rise, Alon moved toward the Central Tower along the now-familiar paths of the ruins.
He soon entered the Central Tower and began climbing to the upper floors.
After some time, what entered his field of vision was—
Not a Dragonkin, but—
"……Huh?"
A red pendant and a single letter.
* * *
Around the time Alon found the red pendant in the ruins.
In the royal palace of the Ashtalon Kingdom, Kurak, who was with Shuhtalian V, received a letter from a strange creature that flew in through the window.
"Is that a letter from that side?"
"Yes."
"……Is it a spirit?"
"A servant of those people."
The letter itself had a faint, blurry form.
Kurak took it and tore it open on the spot.
And then.
"Heh, heh."
His thick, ink-black armor began to shake slightly.
"What is it?"
Shuhtalian V looked on with curiosity as he heard the amused laughter.
"My apologies, but I must act independently for a while."
"……So suddenly?"
"Yes. It would be difficult for us to move together anyway."
"What happened to make you say that?"
"It seems something has come up that I need to verify properly."
"Verify?"
"Yes."
Shuhtalian V shrugged and turned his gaze back to his documents. Since things hadn't fully kicked off yet, Kurak’s absence wouldn't be a major issue.
Therefore.
"I understand. It must be something important."
Shuhtalian V answered nonchalantly and was about to pick up a document—
"Yes. I’m going to verify if Count Palatio is indeed a friend of the one we serve."
"I see. Count Palatio is a friend of the one you serve—"
"Yes."
"I see……??"
—But he couldn't. He reflexively snapped his head up.
"Wait, what did you just say?"
He couldn't help but ask.