Chapter 216: Darkness of the North (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: Darkness of the North (3)
“Welcome, Marquis!”
“You’ve arrived, Marquis…”
As soon as Alon entered the office, Silli greeted him with boundless energy, while Deus barely managed a bow, looking as if his soul had been sucked out of his body.
Alon checked in on them.
“Right. Have you both been well?”
“Yes! Thanks to the grace you’ve bestowed upon me, Marquis, I’m having a wonderful time!”
“The same goes for me…”
Their responses were just as contrasting. Silli leaned forward, chirping away, while the fatigue on Deus’s face was palpable.
Alon, watching them with a peculiar expression, turned to Silli.
“By the way, I’ve heard the news.”
“Ah, what news…?”
For a split second, the word pyramid scheme almost slipped out of his mouth out of habit. Alon barely managed to swallow it back and pondered how to phrase it.
…Because he had been thinking of it as a pyramid scheme for so long, an alternative term didn't come to mind easily.
After a moment of deliberation, Alon cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
Fortunately, a word finally surfaced, though it took some effort.
“I heard you’ve been conducting relief efforts in the name of Kalanon’s power.”
“Yes! I’m so grateful for the power you gave me, Marquis. I’m working hard to make sure I don’t bring shame to it!”
“…I see.”
“Yes!” Silli chirped with a radiant smile.
Well, her smiling face was a pleasant sight, at least. Stopping himself from overthinking, Alon patted Silli on the shoulder.
“Just in case, don’t push yourself too hard.”
From Alon’s perspective, the harder Silli worked to gather faith, the better. However, he didn’t want to place a heavy burden on Deus’s younger sister, so he spoke out of concern.
“Ah—c-could it be that I’ve been a nuisance?”
The moment she heard those words, Silli’s eyes welled up with tears as if her world were ending. Alon was internally flustered by the unexpected reaction.
“I’m saying this so you don’t misunderstand, but that’s not it. Naturally, your actions have been a great help.”
“Then—”
“It’s pure concern. Relief work isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared. Silli’s face blossomed into a bright smile again as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t worry about that! I’m not overdoing it at all!”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes! And I think it’s okay to push myself a little. I’m the Saintess who serves you, Marquis, so this is my mission!”
Silli declared with a face full of responsibility, as if she were harboring a truly grand calling. Beside her, Deus licked his lips enviously.
However, Alon, the one who had supposedly instilled this "immense sense of responsibility" in her, was a different story.
“I… see.”
Behind his expressionless mask, he was actually quite bewildered.
‘Did I… ever say anything like that?’
Well, he had expected something like this since he first heard rumors of people calling Silli a Saintess. But Alon had never mentioned any specific mission when he handed over the power to her.
Not only that, he hadn't instilled a sense of responsibility, nor had he appointed her as a Saintess—he hadn't said anything of the sort.
But.
“I’ll continue to work hard!”
He couldn't exactly tell a girl whose eyes were sparkling with the pride of someone entrusted with the world’s most noble task: ‘You’re not actually a Saintess.’
So, Alon simply shrugged.
“…I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir!”
‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.’
He had focused solely on the fact that he possessed divinity and hadn't once thought about properly establishing a religious order. Alon figured things weren't so bad as they were. As long as he didn't intend to create a professional denomination, it didn't really matter who played the Saintess or who played the knight.
Therefore.
“If you need anything for the relief efforts, let me know. You’re free to do as you wish.”
He spoke to ease her burden even slightly.
“…!! I’ll work even harder!”
Silli’s eyes widened again, and she nodded so vigorously it looked like her head might fall off.
‘I guess the relief efforts really were costing a lot of money.’
A faint sense of unearned pride seemed to seep into his chest. After finishing the conversation, Alon stepped out of the room with the siblings, only to suddenly remember Yutia standing beside him.
“…Yutia, were you uncomfortable?”
“Hmm—what makes you think that?”
“Well, you do believe in the Goddess Sironia.”
Alon felt a bit awkward as he spoke.
‘I haven’t been paying enough attention to Yutia.’
Generally, followers of the Goddess Sironia didn't outright reject other gods. However, "not rejecting" was one thing; it was a known fact that they still felt uncomfortable around other deities.
Alon explained with a slightly apologetic expression. No matter how close they were or how well Yutia followed him, she was still a devout follower of Sironia and a Cardinal of Rosario.
At Alon’s apology, Yutia looked at him for a moment before a small smile played on her lips.
“Mmm—you’re right. It’s exactly as you think, Teacher. We don’t go as far as rejection, but we do find it a bit uncomfortable.”
“As I thought?”
“Well, that’s the general atmosphere. But—it’s okay.”
“…?”
“Because this time, it was you, Teacher. That’s why it’s okay.”
“Is… that so?”
“If I had to distance myself from you or feel uncomfortable because I believe in the Goddess Sironia—”
Unlike the gentle smile on her lips, Yutia’s eyes narrowed sharply like a cat’s.
“—then I don’t think I’d have much need for a god like that.”
She added.
It was a statement so dangerous that one might wonder if it was okay for anyone else to hear it. Yet, Yutia continued nonchalantly.
“That’s right. If that happens, I’ll have nowhere to go—so how about you accept me as your Saintess instead, Teacher?”
“A-Absolutely not!”
This time, Silli cut in, her fists clenched tight.
“Yu-Yutia, you serve the Goddess Sironia! Saying things like that could lead to big trouble!”
“But I’m being serious?”
“S-Still, you can’t!”
“And why not?”
“B-Because I’m the Saintess!”
“Hmm—did you know, Silli? A Saintess is ultimately chosen by a god. Depending on what the god decides, it can change at any time.”
“S-Still, I’m the Saintess!”
Silli trembled slightly as she looked at Alon. Her desperate gaze seemed to scream, ‘Right? I’m right, aren’t I? You wouldn’t, right? You really wouldn’t, right?’
Not to be outdone, Yutia also looked at Alon with a gaze filled with subtle anticipation.
But it was only for a moment.
“Of course, I’m joking.”
Yutia took a step back.
“Silli, you shouldn’t trouble the Marquis. You’re the Saintess, after all.”
She smiled as she spoke… a faint, composed smile.
* * *
Toolman, the leader of the Black Hand organization, was having a happy dream.
In fact, he had no choice but to dream happily. The request he had received this time promised a reward that might be greater than everything he had earned in his entire career combined.
Of course, the target being Marquis Palatio felt like a significant risk to Toolman. Even so, he didn't think he would fail. The request wasn't for something difficult like kidnapping the Marquis; it was simply to steal one of his possessions. And when it came to stealing, Toolman’s Black Hand boasted the best skills in the business.
Furthermore, Toolman had already planned how to handle the risks after the theft. Though his "plan" was a piece of trash—disposing of the executives involved and using the rank-and-file as scapegoats before washing his hands of the whole thing—it was the best method from his perspective.
Lately, Toolman had been filled with hope for the future.
…Until a moment ago.
“Ah—”
Toolman stared blankly at the men collapsed before his eyes. Each one was considered an elite within the Black Hand. Yet, every single one of them had been brutally crushed.
And through them, two races that Toolman had never even seen in person were walking toward him.
“Our side handled more of them.”
It was the Elves.
“No, it was our side.”
And the Lizardmen.
“Hmph, you’re late.”
“We’re coming back after destroying two more bases than you. We were much faster.”
Is this reality…?
Toolman was dazed as he watched the two races he had only ever read about in books walk toward him, scowling at each other. Seeing them for the first time was shocking enough, but he had no idea why they had raided the Black Hand’s headquarters.
However, his instincts screamed at him to run. Toolman tried to force his wounded body to turn.
Stab!
“Gah—!”
Unfortunately, the sword piercing his heart made escape impossible.
“You damn pointy-ears, taking advantage of a distraction while talking—!”
“Hmph, it’s your own fault for being so careless.”
As he felt the strength slowly drain from his body, Toolman muttered involuntarily.
“Why…?”
He truly couldn't understand.
Hearing his voice, the Elf and the Lizardman, who had been glaring at each other just a moment ago, looked at the blade buried in Toolman’s heart as if they had rehearsed it.
“Because—you targeted the Marquis.”
“If you dared to harass the Great One’s friend, you must naturally pay the price for your sins,” they replied indifferently.
And with those words…
“Is this the end of them?”
“What do you mean 'the end'? We still have to find the client and deal with them—”
Toolman’s consciousness was completely severed.
* * *
“…The Black Hand has vanished?”
“Yes, that’s what I heard.”
“…Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Alon had been waiting in Calliban for about a week to depart with the expedition to the North. On the afternoon of their departure, he heard the unexpected news from Evan.
“…Who dealt with them?”
“Mmm—it seems the Information Guild hasn't quite figured that part out yet. I figured you’d ask, so I’ve already put in an inquiry.”
Alon unconsciously stroked his chin, deep in thought.
‘…The Black Hand was wiped out? That Black Hand?’
It was hard to believe. The Black Hand were the type of pests that periodically annoyed players until the mid-to-late game. And they just suddenly disappeared?
‘Well, it’s not a bad thing that they’re gone.’
Though he tilted his head several times in confusion over who could have done it, Alon soon received word that the expedition was ready.
As he made his way over, Alon spotted Reinhardt among the expedition members.
“Listen carefully, Sir Reinhardt. Not bowing before the statue of the Great Kalanon is a grave violation of—”
“Just bow your head, Reinhardt.”
“Aaaargh, just shut up already!!”
“Sir Reinhardt, don’t think of it that way. Just consider it. You saw it too, didn't you? His power. If you offer your faith, you’ll be able to use that power too!”
…He was clutching his ears and screaming in agony. And beside him—
There was Silli, relentlessly and "logically" (?) proselytizing to him.
“…….”
Alon felt like he finally understood why his faith points had been accumulating so quickly over the past few months.
The journey to the North began.