Chapter 195: Usage (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: Usage (1)
There wasn't much Alon knew about 'Kurak the Engraved.'
In the first place, Kurak was a character with cheat-level combat power created specifically to promote DLC sales. Since Alon had taken a petty sort of pride in the difficulty of Psychedelia and refused to buy any DLC, Kurak was someone he had no reason to know.
Naturally, his information on the man was incredibly shallow.
'At best, I know the person inside that black armor is a Lizardman and that he’s strong.'
Just those two things.
Since he knew nothing beyond that, Alon couldn't help but be even more bewildered. He couldn't fathom why Kurak was bowing his head to him in such a manner. There was simply no way to deduce the reason.
Hoping for even a small clue, Alon glanced at Duke Merkillan.
“???”
...The Duke was too busy frantically looking back and forth between Alon and Kurak with wide, bulging eyes to be of any help.
Eventually, Alon spoke.
“...What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. To think the friend of the Great One truly reincarnated!”
“Re-reincarnation?”
Despite Alon’s question, Kurak merely repeated the same thing as if he were in his own world. Meanwhile, Duke Merkillan began to fall into another strange misunderstanding.
Watching the two of them, Alon spoke up quickly.
“...I’m sorry, but I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I don’t know this ‘Great One’ you speak of, nor do I know anything about you.”
Alon spoke the plain truth.
“...?”
At that, Kurak tilted his head with a hum, peering at Alon. He looked as if he were wondering, 'Did I really get it wrong?'
But it was only for a moment.
“Hahaha!”
Kurak burst into a boisterous laugh once more.
“There is no need to test me, Friend of the Great One! Though I am but a mere mortal, I have received power from the Great One himself, allowing me to discern your Status.”
“...Ah.”
Only then did Alon realize what Kurak was seeing.
It was true that he possessed a 'Status.'
However, Alon didn't think the Status he held had anything to do with Lizardmen. After all, the Lizardman lands were located far beyond Greinif, the territory of the elves.
Yes, that was certainly the case, but...
'I didn't think I had anything to do with the Primordial Elf either, yet I ended up entangled with them. Could I be linked to the Lizardmen as well?'
The thought flashed through his mind.
But before he could process it further—
“Anyway, now that I’ve confirmed it, I shall take my leave! The Great One will be pleased!”
“....”
Kurak bid his farewell before Alon could even organize his thoughts.
Alon considered asking something else but remained silent. By this point, he had realized something: no matter what he said, this boisterously laughing Kurak wouldn't believe him.
Furthermore, there was no need to clear up the misunderstanding by explaining everything from his trip to Greinif to how he obtained his Status right here.
Siyan had requested his help, and Alon had completed the trip comfortably, but strictly speaking, the United Kingdoms and the Nonhuman Alliance weren't on particularly good terms.
It might have been different if it were just Kurak, but with Duke Merkillan present, there was absolutely no reason to divulge the details.
And so.
“Then I shall visit you once more with the Great One’s letter!”
“A-ah, well, we shall take our leave for now, Marquis.”
Alon didn't stop Kurak or Duke Merkillan as they left.
Soon after they departed the estate.
“Marquis.”
“What.”
“I don’t know who it is, but how does it feel to be the friend of someone incredibly great?”
“...It’s complicated.”
As Alon answered, Evan continued as if talking to himself.
“I figured it would be. What if it’s someone like Basiliora?”
[? Why are you suddenly picking a fight with me?]
“I’m not picking a fight, I’m just stating facts.”
[This brat—I should have swallowed you whole when we went down to the Roots!!]
Alon shook his head as he watched Evan naturally start bickering with Basiliora.
* * *
A day later.
Alon, who had intended to tackle the mountain of paperwork piled up in the Marquis’s office, was quite surprised. The amount of work to be processed was significantly less than he had expected.
After a moment of confusion, he soon discovered the reason.
“Ladan assigned the work?”
“That is... correct.”
Alexion the Appraiser looked noticeably more haggard than the last time Alon had seen him. Looking at him, Alon let out a low exclamation of admiration.
'Come to think of it, he did say something like that on my birthday.'
Ladan had confidently declared, "There are people who would be good at this!"
As if to prove those words, Alexion had neatly processed various documents. As a result, Alon only had to give the final approvals.
'He certainly seems competent... though he looks exhausted.'
Despite his indifferent expression, Alon felt a twinge of pity inwardly. The man’s appearance was truly pitiful.
'Hmm, where have I seen that complexion before? Ah—Penia looked like that too.'
Well, regardless. He had no desire to return to that horrific hell of paperwork.
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
“I will... do my best.”
He couldn't let a talented individual who had rolled in on his own (?) feet get away. Alexion nodded with a bizarre expression that sat somewhere between a smile and a sob.
Still, he had to be compensated properly.
“Since you are taking on such a difficult task, I will ensure you receive a fair wage. Hmm—how does this look?”
Alon slid a piece of paper toward him.
Alexion, still looking gloomy, checked the paper and then—
“I will do my absolute best!!”
He snapped into a salute, looking like he might jump for joy.
The words were the same as before, but the nuance was now filled with genuine, cheerful sincerity.
'As expected, money is the best.'
Alon felt the power of capital.
After parting ways with the jubilant Alexion, Alon finished his work quickly and considered heading over to see Penia. Then, his gaze drifted out the window.
It was still there.
Occupying the center of the estate ever since his birthday.
...To be honest, it was still a little—no, very—embarrassing.
The giant statue.
Just then.
“What are you doing, Marquis?”
“Hm? Oh, just... looking at the statue.”
“Ah, Marquis, have you heard? It’s a rumor I picked up after returning to the estate.”
Evan approached and whispered eerily.
“They say the eyes of that statue move sometimes.”
“...The eyes move?”
“Yes.”
“Is it a ghost story?”
“It started as one, but lately, the number of people claiming to have seen it is increasing.”
Alon stared into the statue’s eyes.
'...If those things actually move, I think I’d have a heart attack.'
No matter how many times he saw them, those diamond eyes were a bit much.
“Well, since it appeared so suddenly, a ghost story or two was bound to crop up.”
“I suppose so.”
“...Ah, by the way, what happened to that creature? The one Ladan brought.”
“Ah, that thing? I released it into the garden pond.”
“...The pond?”
“Yes. You should be able to see it if you look over that way.”
Following Evan, Alon moved to the window overlooking the garden.
“Kyaa—so cute!”
“It looks like a snake, but why is it so adorable instead of gross?”
“Look at those twinkling eyes.”
There, he saw the Sea God being showered with affection by the maids.
It didn't even seem to mind; it was frolicking in the pond as if enjoying the situation, eating snacks the maids offered.
““....””
Both Alon and Evan were speechless.
“But isn't that pond freshwater?”
“...Can a creature that lived in the ocean survive in freshwater?”
“Well—it seems to be doing fine, so I guess it’s not a problem?”
“...I suppose. Ah—”
“Is something the matter?”
“I just remembered that it’s about time I opened the gift.”
“...The gift? Ah, you mean the one Yutia gave you?”
Nodding, Alon returned to his desk and picked up the box he had received from Yutia.
Yutia had requested that he open it only after a month had passed. Having kept that promise, Alon looked down at the box for a moment before carefully opening it.
“...Hm?”
Inside was a brooch.
A brooch set with a red gemstone that emitted a very brilliant light.
“It’s a brooch?”
“So it seems.”
Alon nodded as he took the gift out.
“Mmm—”
Evan, standing beside him, looked at it and commented.
“Well—a gift is about the sentiment, but after waiting a month to open it, it feels a bit underwhelming from your perspective, doesn't it, Marquis?”
Indeed, the brooch Yutia gave him didn't seem particularly special in terms of size or power compared to the gifts from the others.
However.
“I’m not disappointed at all.”
Alon wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. As you said, the sentiment is what matters most in a gift.”
Alon gently stroked the brooch before pinning it to the breast pocket of his coat.
“This is more than enough.”
Before he knew it, a faint smile had graced his face.
“Oh...?”
It was a clear, gentle smile that anyone could recognize.
Seeing that expression, Evan couldn't help but think to himself.
'He’s been showing a lot more emotion lately whenever it involves those kids.'
* * *
Duke Merkillan had been traveling for about an hour since leaving the Palatio estate. He glanced at Kurak beside him.
“Hmph—”
Kurak was even humming to himself, looking quite excited.
Duke Merkillan, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. Kurak had dragged him away, saying he had confirmed what he needed and was heading back, without even having a proper conversation.
...Not that the Duke could have easily cut in and asked questions between the two of them anyway.
Regardless, since he hadn't grasped a single thing.
“May I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
Duke Merkillan questioned Kurak.
“You said before that you came to confirm if the Marquis of Palatio was a god, did you not?”
“I did.”
“...So, is the confirmation complete?”
“Of course.”
“You reached a conclusion just by looking at him?”
“Yes.”
The furrow in Duke Merkillan’s brow deepened.
“As far as I know, you saw the Marquis of Palatio last time as well. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
“...If you could tell just by looking, why couldn't you confirm it back then?”
It was a reasonable question.
Kurak’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Because back then, I was overwhelmed by something else.”
“Something else?”
“...No, come to think of it, the Great One might have hidden his power on purpose. I can feel it so clearly now, but at the time, I could only sense ‘that.’”
Kurak stopped mid-sentence, suddenly lost in his own thoughts.
But naturally, Duke Merkillan couldn't find a single clue in this conversation. No matter how he looked at it, the Marquis of Palatio was just a nobleman to him.
'...Of course, he’s not just a nobleman, but—'
Even if he was special, calling him a 'god' was a different story entirely.
“It is still a difficult story to believe,” the Duke was forced to conclude.
Hearing this, Kurak chuckled again.
“You don’t need to try so hard to believe it.”
“...What do you mean?”
“Because soon, the ones who will make you believe will be chasing us down.”
Another cryptic statement.
“??”
Just as Merkillan’s face filled with confusion again—
“Hmph—they’ve arrived.”
Along with Kurak’s mutter, he saw them.
Emerging one by one from the shadows of the forest as the sun began to set—
“...Elves?!”
—A group of elves.
And then, following Kurak’s boisterous laughter, Merkillan heard it.
A chilling voice that pierced his ears.
“Do not approach the Primordial Elf, lizard.”