Chapter 215: Darkness of the North (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 215: Darkness of the North (2)
Fulton could not fully grasp the current situation.
In fact, it was only natural that he couldn't. He had never actually seen an elf in person before. The relationship between the United Kingdoms and the elves was far from friendly. Even in the slave markets, elves were a rare sight, yet now, more than ten of them stood before his eyes.
And not just any elves.
“…….”
Anyone could see these elves possessed extraordinary skill.
The moment Fulton gauged their level, he immediately shrouded his body in mana. He still didn't understand the situation—why there were elves near the Asteria Kingdom, or why they were so enraged at the mention of Marquis Palatio.
Fulton didn't know the answers. However, there was one thing he knew for certain.
‘This is dangerous.’
The current situation was not in his favor.
‘I need to escape right now.’
Fulton instantly unleashed his mana. Blue energy scattered into the surroundings. The elves moved to react, but before they could, Fulton’s mana transformed into a thick black mist, obscuring their vision.
“!”
Seeing the elves momentarily flustered, Fulton let out a sneer and turned away.
‘You should have caught me immediately instead of talking.’
In terms of combat ability, Fulton was actually at the bottom tier among the executives of the Black Hand. In some ways, he was even criticized for being too weak to be an executive. Yet, the reason he held his position without complaint from the others was simple: his stealth abilities were absurd.
In particular, his unique ability to "transform the quality of mana into mist" was peerless. Once it was deployed, it was impossible to track him, even if one attempted to use mana for detection.
‘First, I get out of here and report this.’
Fulton moved his body—and promptly lost consciousness.
“—?”
His blackout lasted only a split second. The moment his senses returned, the first thing Fulton felt was a horrific pain in his side. Next, he realized he had been sent flying by something while inside his own mist.
And the last thing he could perceive was—
“Hmm. So this is the one who tried to harm the Great One’s friend.”
“Gah—!”
A lizardman with a massive physique, incomparable to any human, was lifting him by the throat as if he intended to crush his skull. As Fulton’s eyes widened at the terrifying aura of the vicious-looking lizardman, an elf’s voice cut in.
“……Lizard, do not steal our credit!”
The lizardman tightened his grip on Fulton’s neck and let out a mocking laugh.
“Nonsense. I simply caught the one you failed to secure.”
“You didn't even know where he was until we found him!”
“Regardless, if you had let this fellow escape, do you have any idea how much inconvenience it might have caused the Great One’s friend—the Marquis?”
“We could have caught him easily enough without your help.”
The two began to argue loudly as if they had rehearsed it. Watching this bizarre scene, Fulton’s expression grew even more bewildered.
The beings before him were demi-humans—elves and lizardmen—creatures almost never seen within the United Kingdoms. And based on their conversation, it seemed they were guarding Marquis Palatio. Not just guarding him, but doing so with such devotion that they used honorifics and argued over the "right" to protect him.
‘……Just who the hell is he?’
Fulton recalled the image of Marquis Palatio, who had seemed so ordinary. At that moment—
“Quiet, you pointy-ears. More importantly—”
With a chilling grin that would make anyone’s skin crawl, the lizardman turned his gaze toward him.
“Let’s start by having a little chat.”
“Ah.”
Fulton realized then that something had gone horribly wrong.
* * *
“……I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Well, it’s a simple question. To be more blunt, I’m asking if you’re in love with her.”
At Siyan’s relaxed tone—as if she were merely asking what he wanted for dinner—Alon started to ask for clarification but stopped himself, slowly shaking his head.
“It is not that kind of relationship.”
“Is that so?”
“But may I ask the intent behind that question?”
Siyan tapped her lip with her index finger for a moment before speaking nonchalantly.
“Well—there was something that caught my attention.”
“……Something that caught your attention?”
“Yes. It’s not necessarily something the Marquis needs to know. It stems from mere personal curiosity.”
“May I ask what that curiosity is about?”
At Alon’s question, Siyan hummed in thought for a moment before wearing an inscrutable smile.
“I’ll tell you the next time you come to see me.”
“Is that so?”
“That way, you’ll come find me as soon as your work is finished, won't you?”
“…….”
Alon felt a momentary pang of guilt, but he maintained his expressionless face and looked away.
‘She knew.’
“……My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“It’s fine. I was only joking.”
Siyan let out a small chuckle. Then, as if she had forgotten something, she frowned slightly before letting out a soft exclamation and pushing something toward Alon.
It was a box filled with sweet potatoes.
“I’m sorry, I realized I’d forgotten about these.”
“……It’s quite alright.”
“Eat. They should still be warm, as I had them prepared around the time the Cardinal stopped by.”
Siyan handed the sweet potatoes to Alon as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Alon bowed his head politely.
“I will enjoy them.”
“Eat slowly.”
Siyan watched with a satisfied smile as Alon, now quite practiced, began to eat the sweet potatoes.
‘……I feel like a monkey in a zoo.’
Though the pressure was less than before, it was still a strange sensation. After a while, with only the sound of eating filling the room, Siyan straightened her posture once she saw Alon had finished.
“Now then, shall we hear the report?”
Alon mentally reviewed the events in Greinif and began to relay everything without leaving out a single detail. After some time had passed—
“Ho—so in the end, you have become the god of the elves?”
“……Something like that.”
When Alon reluctantly confirmed her intrigued question, she nodded as if everything finally made sense.
“That explains why you said they would be a great help.”
She seemed lost in thought for a moment.
“May I ask if there were any other such memories after that?” Alon asked.
Siyan shrugged. “No, there aren't.”
“I see…….”
Then, she added with a playful smile, “Well, there is one. Though it’s not about the Marquis.”
Alon remained silent for a moment before replying.
“……It sounds like it will take a long time to hear that story.”
“I suppose so. I’ll be able to tell you once my next memory surfaces.”
She then reached out and lightly flicked the corner of Alon’s mouth upward with her finger.
“But if it takes too long, you might lose interest. I’ll give you one hint to keep you curious.”
Her voice flowed smoothly, as if she held Alon in the palm of her hand.
“In a fleeting memory, I saw Cardinal Yutia. She looked a bit different than she does now.”
“Different, you say?”
“Yes. Her hair was swept to the side. And the clothes she wore were different from her current ones.”
“Like this,” Siyan said, using her other hand to sweep her own hair to the side. As Alon leaned in slightly, she slowly withdrew her finger.
“That’s all for now. I’ll tell you the rest next time.”
“I…… see.”
“Oh, and for the record—”
A mischievous laugh echoed through the audience chamber.
“Cardinal Yutia is quite beautiful with her hair swept to the side.”
“……I see.”
Seeing Alon’s slightly delayed reaction, Siyan’s smile deepened.
“Then I shall see you in three months—no, it will be four months, since I’ll be summoning you for the Union Conference. Until then.”
With those words, the audience came to an end.
Alon felt strangely drained. Upon arriving at the inner castle, he found Yutia waiting for him alongside Evan.
“Is your business finished, Teacher?”
“Yes. I’ve had my audience with Her Majesty, so I should be going now. But—”
Alon paused, looking at her with a curious expression. In that short time—
“……Did something good happen?”
Yutia’s expression was even brighter than usual.
“Hmm—is it? I suppose it’s because I’m seeing you, Teacher.”
“……Is that it?”
She seemed a bit more exceptionally happy than just that would account for.
“Yes. And perhaps it’s also because I met someone I could really talk to?”
“Are you referring to Her Majesty?”
“That’s right, Teacher. I’ve been traveling around a lot lately meeting various people, and Her Majesty is much easier to talk to than I expected.”
“Hadn't you met her before?”
“I’d never had a detailed conversation with her until now. Anyway—she’s a very ‘good person,’ so that might be why I’m in such a good mood.”
Well, if she says so, Alon thought, nodding. Yutia then asked, “So, where are you headed now, Teacher?”
“I have business in the North, so I’m heading that way.”
“Then we can travel together.”
Alon tilted his head. “……? You’re going to the North?”
“Yes, I have some matters to attend to there.”
“……If it’s in the North, is it near Calliban’s outpost?”
“That’s correct.”
Alon nodded, finding the arrangement convenient. “Then we shall move together.”
With their companionship decided, Yutia looked at Alon and murmured, “How wonderful.”
“……Is it?”
“Yes. As for why it’s wonderful—”
Her eyes curved softly, like falling petals.
“—I told you when we went to see the evening primroses, so I won't say it again.”
* * *
The following day.
Alon and Yutia left Teria and began their journey toward Calliban. During the trip, he learned the reason for her journey.
‘Because of the Pope.’
Pope Leriterios III of Rosario had been in seclusion for several years, never showing his face. Yutia explained she was heading north on his orders, but Alon felt a strange sense of doubt. To be precise, he was suspicious of the Pope’s seclusion itself.
‘In the original story, there was a setting about the Pope being in seclusion, but he wasn't supposed to be secluded at the point the story begins, was he?’
With those doubts in mind, Alon arrived in Calliban about a month later and headed straight for Deus’s mansion.
And there, he saw it.
A statue, decorated so extravagantly it was several times more ornate than the one at his own marquisate, and dozens of knights fervently offering prayers before it.
“…….”
Lost for words, Alon was eventually guided by a knight to the office. The scene that unfolded before him was—
“Brother, how many times do I have to tell you? You have to tilt your wrist about five degrees to the side!”
“L-like this?”
“No! Not like that—like this! This!”
“……Like, this?”
There was Deus, struggling with something.
“You’re off by two degrees! Now, do it right! If you’re going to follow along, do it properly!”
“……I-I understand.”
And there was Silli, correcting his posture in real-time.
“…….”
For some reason, Alon felt as if the world before his eyes was growing even darker…….