Chapter 225: The First Magus (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: The First Magus (1)
Two more weeks passed before Alon finally arrived at the Marquis’s estate.
“We’re here!”
Seolrang shouted the moment the estate came into view in the distance.
Alon watched the manor approach, idly fiddling with the ears of the beastkin girl, who was visibly vibrating with excitement.
“Wow! Mentor, your statue changed!”
“Ahem.”
Alon felt a wave of self-consciousness as Seolrang marveled at the statue, which now sported two horns.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Seolrang clapped her hands together.
“Mentor! Come to think of it, I heard a rumor. Is it true you can use lightning?!”
They had been together for a month already, and she was only asking now. Alon let out a small chuckle and nodded.
“I can use it, though not for extended periods.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“That’s so great!”
Seolrang beamed, her face lighting up with a silly grin as she pulled Alon into a tight hug.
“What exactly is so great about it?” Alon asked, genuinely puzzled. He couldn't see why his ability to use lightning would make her this happy.
“Because it’s the same power as mine!” she cried out with pure, unadulterated joy.
‘...Is it?’
Technically, their powers were quite different if one looked at the details. However, since they fell under the same broad category, Alon simply nodded.
“I suppose so.”
“That’s why I love it! I feel like we’ve become even closer!”
“I guess you could look at it that way.”
“Right?!”
“Yes.”
As he dutifully responded to Seolrang’s repeated, jubilant questions, they eventually passed through the gates of the Palatio estate.
“?”
There, Alon encountered an unexpected sight.
“Just where could she be... Ah!”
The moment the carriage was spotted, a beastkin woman rushed toward them. Her face was quite familiar.
‘...Seolrang’s secretary?’
Alon quickly realized who she was. The other beastkin, who had been frantically searching the grounds, also turned their attention toward the carriage in unison.
As Alon searched his memory of the Colony for her name—‘Was it Lime?’—a voice pierced through the carriage window.
“Lady Seolrang! How could you just run away like that?!”
Alon glanced down at Seolrang. Just a moment ago, she had been burying her face in his chest, peeking up at him. Now, she was slowly turning her head away, pointedly avoiding eye contact.
She rolled her eyes, clearly trying to gauge if she was about to get scolded.
“...”
Alon couldn't help but let out a small snort of laughter at the sight.
* * *
After checking on the thirty or so beastkin who had arrived, Alon sat in his office and heard the full story from Lime, Seolrang’s secretary.
“So, she was originally part of the escort for a diplomatic mission to the Ashtalon Kingdom, but she suddenly vanished mid-journey?”
“Yes. That is correct, Marquis.”
At Lime’s words, Alon glanced at Seolrang. She was still looking elsewhere, pretending to be preoccupied with something else.
Twitch.
Despite her feigned indifference, her ears were drooping, and she kept stealing glances at Alon to see if he was angry.
“...Still, I’m impressed you managed to find out she was here,” Alon said to Lime.
“It wasn't hard to guess where she would go.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. After all, she disappeared immediately after hearing the news that you were in Calliban.”
Alon looked back at Seolrang. This time, she was trying to whistle nonchalantly... though only a faint, airy hissing sound came out since she didn't actually know how.
“If you knew I was in Calliban, wouldn't it have been faster to go there directly?”
“If you were still there when we arrived, it wouldn't have been a problem. But we were worried that if you left Calliban before we reached you, it would take even longer to track you down.”
“...So you figured I’d eventually return to the estate and decided to wait here?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Lime nodded weakly. Alon offered a word of comfort to the secretary, who looked noticeably haggard.
“You’ve certainly had a difficult time.”
“Thank you...”
Lime’s expression immediately crumpled as if she were about to burst into tears. She had clearly suffered a great deal of mental anguish due to the unpredictable Seolrang.
After taking a moment to compose herself, Lime spoke up.
“Now then, Lady Seolrang, let’s go!”
“I don’t want to—”
“At the very least, you have to be with us for the return journey...!”
“We’re heading back anyway, so what’s the point of me being there? It doesn't change anything—”
As Lime tried to pull her away, Seolrang grumbled, making it clear she had no intention of leaving.
“But—we’ve already accepted their hospitality...! We absolutely have to fulfill this much. If they find a reason to pick a fight over this, we’re the ones who’ll suffer.”
“It’s fine. If they pick a fight, I’ll just fight back—”
“They might let it slide if you do that, but still, that’s not right...!”
As Alon watched Lime’s desperate persuasion and Seolrang’s stubborn refusal, he finally spoke.
“Seolrang.”
“Ah, Mentor...”
Seolrang, who had been wearing her annoyance on her sleeve, immediately flattened her ears the moment Alon called her name. She looked suddenly anxious, as if she had momentarily forgotten he was right there.
“Follow Lime for now.”
“But—”
“I’ll be visiting you soon anyway, so we can meet then.”
“Mm, okay...”
Seolrang nodded at Alon’s words. However, she still looked somewhat dissatisfied, her expression pouting. Alon thought for a moment before adding:
“...Next time, let’s go on a trip together.”
“A trip?”
“Yes. If you have the time.”
He offered the carrot, and Seolrang’s tail immediately began to wag rhythmically.
“Okay!”
With a spirited reply, Seolrang jumped up from her seat.
“Then, Mentor! I’ll see you at the Colony?!”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go, Lime.”
“Eh? Wait—wait a minute! Kyaaaaak!”
Seolrang tucked Lime under her arm and leaped straight out the window.
“Thank youuuu—”
As Lime’s voice echoed from a distance like a fading melody, Alon sat back down, thinking to himself that she was remarkably polite even while being abducted.
“They vanished in an instant.”
Evan spoke up as if he had been waiting for Alon to sit.
“Indeed.”
As soon as Alon nodded—
[Kyu?]
Blackie, who had been suppressing his presence almost entirely until now, popped out from Alon’s chest with a soft sound.
[Phew—I thought I was going to die!]
Basiliora, who had been hiding inside the ring, also emerged as if he couldn't wait a second longer.
[That girl—I thought I’d suffocate waiting for her to leave! It’s been over a month!]
[Kyu!]
[Please, from now on, don’t keep her around for more than a week!]
[Kyu-kyu!]
[If you must, at least spend one out of every three days away from her!]
[Kyu-kyu-kyu!!!!]
The two of them began to protest incessantly in perfect unison. Usually, they were busy bickering—or rather, Basiliora was usually being bullied by Blackie—but today, they were like soulmates, chatting away without a break. It was a fresh sight.
‘I suppose the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’ Alon thought as he humored their complaints.
The next day.
‘This is much more comfortable.’
After handling the documents Alexion had neatly organized, Alon visited Penia to continue their magic research.
“Ah! I was just about to come greet you, Marquis!”
“You say that, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of you lately.”
“That’s... well, I’ve been a bit obsessed with a magic research project that requires a lot of time... hehe.”
Alon exchanged pleasantries with Penia, who scratched her head sheepishly.
A short while later, as Alon looked inward to use his power for their usual experiments, he noticed something.
‘...It grew again.’
He confirmed that the ash-colored divinity that had recently appeared was expanding in size, matching the scale of his other divinities.
Of course, gaining divinity was a good thing for him. However, since he had no idea why this ash-colored divinity was forming, he wore a complicated expression for a moment.
He then proceeded to examine his other divinities one by one. When he checked Kalanon’s divinity, his expression turned to one of surprise. It was growing significantly faster and more noticeably than before.
‘Silli must be working hard... No, wait—shouldn't she still be on her way back from the North?’
Puzzled as he was, Alon shrugged it off and draped himself in Kalanon’s divinity.
“...Have you not been practicing lately?”
“No, I’ve been doing it consistently.”
“Really? Because the divine power I’m sensing now feels different from what you usually use.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Penia stroked her chin, staring intently at Alon’s divine power.
“At this level, we might be able to move beyond our current research and try experiments based on mana properties.”
“Are you talking about Linked Assimilation?”
“Yes, that. It was impossible to research before because there wasn't enough divine power.”
With her characteristic look of intense curiosity, she took a large step toward Alon. She leaned in close, almost nose-to-nose, letting out an impressed “Ooh—” before—
Slide. Step.
She suddenly seemed to realize something and took several steps back.
“...Why the sudden distance?” Alon asked, tilting his head.
To his question, Penia replied, “No... it’s just... I suddenly... felt like doing that... Hahaha.”
She let out an awkward laugh, moving as stiffly as a wooden puppet. Her eyes seemed to keep drifting toward his chest.
“Just, ahaha—hic!”
Alon decided to let it go, thinking, ‘If she says so, then I guess that’s that.’
The following day.
After finishing his usual magic training with Penia, Alon headed to his office to handle the administrative duties Alexion had streamlined.
“Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“I heard a strange rumor and became curious. May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Is Kalanon, the Lightning Receiver, originally a God of Knights as well?”
Alon looked inwardly confused at Evan’s sudden question.
“...What are you talking about? A God of Knights?”
“Well, while most gods possess a single characteristic, aren't there some who hold multiple? That’s why I’m asking.”
“Hmm.”
It was true, as Evan said, that some gods possessed multiple traits. One didn't have to look far—Sironia, the Goddess of the Moon, symbolized life as well as the moon.
However, as far as Alon knew, Kalanon the Lightning Receiver possessed no traits other than lightning.
“Kalanon’s divinity is strictly lightning. Why do you ask all of a sudden?” Alon replied.
“It’s just that... rumors have started spreading from Calliban that Kalanon is being revered not as the Lightning Receiver, but effectively as a God of Knights.”
“...What?”
This was news Alon had never expected to hear.
“A God... of Knights?”
“Yes.”
He couldn't even begin to imagine how such a story had started circulating.
* * *
That evening.
Whirrr—
Hidan channeled mana into his magical tool twenty minutes earlier than usual to participate in the Blue Moon’s regular meeting.
As the screen flickered to life, he wore a look of surprise. Unlike usual, Yutia and Seolrang were already there.
Feeling a small sense of novelty, Hidan prepared to give his usual greeting.
“Hello...”
Or rather, he tried to.
[Let me see too!]
[No.]
[Let me see!!]
[Seolrang? I’ve told you many times, that was given ‘out of necessity’ to protect the Great Moon. If you try to use it for such trivial purposes—]
[...I’m telling Mentor.]
[...]
[...]
[...Three times a month.]
[Ten times.]
[Seven times.]
[Ten times!]
“...?”
If it weren't for the bizarre, contextless conversation flowing between Yutia and Seolrang...