Chapter 258: Branch (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 258: Branch (2)
Alon walked, staring blankly at the city before him.
It was a ruin maintained perfectly, looking exactly as it had seven hundred years ago.
Why hadn't he noticed this fact sooner?
His contemplation didn't last long.
Soon, he emerged from the long tunnel and arrived at the ruins.
Alon became even more certain.
This place had been the capital of the demi-humans.
A few questions surfaced in his mind.
‘...Why is it underground?’
As Alon remembered it, though the sky had been ashen, the sky was definitely visible from the demi-human capital.
While one could see the sky here by breaking through the ceiling, this place was undeniably subterranean.
Then, a new question arose.
‘Furthermore, the name of the ruins is the City of the Old God Kahara... Ah.’
Alon quickly realized there was no need to dwell on that particular point.
The name ‘City of the Old God Kahara’ wasn't given because of something found here.
It was likely just a name bestowed by the first explorer who discovered these ruins.
One mystery remained unsolved, while another was resolved with surprising ease.
Having finished his thoughts, Alon turned to his companions.
“I’ll wait here, Mentor!”
“Have a safe trip, sir.”
“Right.”
Receiving the farewells of Seolrang and Evan, Alon moved toward the center.
The person who could answer his lingering questions was here.
“Whew.”
Arriving at the tower in the heart of the ruins, Alon began to climb without hesitation.
At the top of the tower, a place he hadn't visited in a very long time...
[It has been a while.]
He saw the form of the god, looking different than before.
[Ho?]
The god looked down at him, a smile playing on her lips as if she had noticed something from Alon’s reaction.
Alon studied her form slowly.
The first thing he noticed was her blue hair, which cascaded down to her waist.
Next were her eyes, a shade of blue so deep they felt chilling.
Finally, he saw a remarkably long blue tail.
[Hmm? Have you perhaps fallen for me after seeing my true form?]
The dragonkin giggled, as if she had found an amusing toy in Alon’s reaction.
However, the reason Alon was staring blankly at her wasn't because he was smitten.
It was because a connection had formed in his mind.
A connection that allowed him to guess the name of the god before him.
After a moment of silence, Alon spoke.
“...Yongrin?”
He uttered the name as if seeking confirmation.
At that, her expression, which had been smiling just a moment ago, shifted subtly.
[...I never told you my name.]
She threw the question back at him.
Before long, Yongrin’s eyes widened as if she had realized something.
[...You, how on earth did you meet Dowon?]
She immediately grasped a fact Alon hadn't even mentioned.
Yongrin’s expression became incredibly complex and profound.
After a brief silence, Alon began to speak.
“...It might be hard to believe. But I’ve been to the past.”
He started to recount the events he had experienced.
* * *
[Is that... the truth?]
“Yes.”
Unlike before, when she always sat atop the bookshelves and forced Alon to look up, Yongrin had descended to where Alon stood.
After hearing the entire story, she looked as though she found it impossible to believe.
[Right... Well, it would be stranger not to believe it, considering Dowon’s traces are still lingering on you.]
She eventually nodded in understanding.
“...Then, are you indeed Yongrin?”
[I am.]
“But from what I know, didn't you say last time that you sealed yourself because you were afraid of fighting the Black Thing?”
Alon asked the question that had been bothering him ever since he confirmed she was the dragonkin—no, Yongrin.
The opponent Alon had fought was Baarma, not the Black Thing.
At that question, the dragonkin merely shifted her eyes to look at Alon.
“?”
Alon looked puzzled.
After feigning ignorance for a while, Yongrin spoke.
[...Do you often hear that you’re a bit slow on the uptake?]
“Slow on the uptake?”
[Sigh—]
She let out a long sigh.
[...Fine, yes. As you said, I did tell you that when we first met.]
“Then was what I knew wrong?”
[How could that be?]
“Then what?”
At Alon’s follow-up, Yongrin sighed again and then...
[That...]
Her face flushed slightly as she shouted.
[I—I just said it like that!]
“Why?”
[What do you mean, why—]
Yongrin fidgeted with her bangs for no reason.
Her hair twisted and untwisted around her fingers.
Unable to meet Alon’s gaze, she turned her head to the side.
[I mean, doesn't it look a bit pathetic? I told you the epic saga of how the gods all vanished fighting the Black Things, but then I’d have to admit I was the only one who survived in such an ugly way, only to run away using sacrifice as an excuse during Baarma’s time.]
She muttered with a somewhat gloomy expression.
“...But you didn't run away, did you?”
Alon asked, but Yongrin shook her head.
[No, I did run away. I was the one leading them at the time. I should have taken responsibility until the end instead of sacrificing myself. In the end, I—]
She stared into space for a moment, as if reflecting on the past, and then spoke bluntly.
[I didn't take responsibility; I just passed it on to them.]
“But didn't your sacrifice ultimately buy them time?”
[That doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that I exercised my rights over those who offered me faith, yet failed to fulfill my duty.]
Alon started to add something but then closed his mouth.
Not only was he someone who couldn't fully understand the weight of the duty Yongrin carried, but he also didn't want to crush the values she held dear under the guise of comfort.
The importance of a value can differ from person to person.
Alon knew this fact all too well.
So, instead of comfort...
“Even so, no one resented you.”
[...What?]
“Among the soldiers and the King, there were those who grieved your sacrifice, but I’m saying there was no one who resented you.”
He simply delivered the facts calmly.
[Thank you.]
“Suddenly...?”
[According to what you said, if you hadn't defeated Baarma, the people who worshipped me wouldn't have survived anyway.]
Yongrin expressed her gratitude to Alon with all her heart.
* * *
Immediately after.
[...You can't hear any voice?]
“Yeah, I’ve had it for a few months, but I haven't heard a thing.”
Alon took out the gem and handed it to Yongrin.
This was the original reason he had intended to visit her.
[Hmm—]
Yongrin peered at the gem so intently that her brow furrowed.
Soon, she let out an ‘Ah’ as if she had realized something.
[It seems it suffered a shock.]
“A shock?”
[Yes. This gem was originally reconstructed using my remaining divine power, but it seems things got a bit distorted when another divine power flowed into it.]
“Was it not a normal gem?”
[How could it be a normal gem when a Magus’s soul is inside it?]
Yongrin floated the red gem in the air and began to create geometric patterns.
They were somewhat alien patterns, different from the divine power or magic Alon used.
After a short while.
[It is done.]
“...Is that it?”
[Yes. You should be able to talk to him in about a day.]
Yongrin returned the ring to Alon once more.
[By the way, did you finally obtain your own formula?]
“Yes.”
[So, what is the law you have disrupted?]
“Didn't you already know?”
[I know about Defying Heaven, but I don't know exactly which law it pertains to.]
At Yongrin’s subsequent question, Alon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“It is the power to subvert the laws of magic.”
He confessed.
“...What?”
Yongrin’s eyes, which had regained their composure, widened once again.
“??”
She looked utterly shocked.
At her reaction, a question mark seemed to float above Alon’s head.
* * *
The Apostle of Mysophobia wore a thoroughly unpleasant expression.
He was merely walking toward the entrance of a cavern.
What was the reason for his discomfort?
Was it because someone had ignored him?
No.
Was it because the cave was too dark?
No.
Was it the tension from the person he would meet at the end of this tunnel?
That wasn't it either.
Of course, the being at the end of this path...
The one he had come to find, the one who would make a magnificent Avatar of Mysophobia...
Was indeed someone even the Apostle of Mysophobia had to be somewhat tense around.
But that wasn't a reason to be displeased.
What triggered his irritation was...
‘...Why are there lights on only one side?’
It was the fact that the lights illuminating the cave path were only attached to one wall.
Unable to smooth his crumpled face, Mysophobia...
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue lightly and snapped his fingers.
In that instant.
Slash—!!!
The lights that had been glowing softly until a moment ago were severed all at once and fell to the ground.
As if they had been cut by something in a single stroke.
“Whew.”
Mysophobia exhaled as if he finally felt at ease.
With a lighter step, Mysophobia soon arrived at a massive cavern.
In the center of the vast space, he found a man and a woman standing behind his chair.
Two individuals with chilling ‘inverted eyes.’
The Apostle focused his gaze on the man.
A twisted smile spread across his lips.
Though he had looked into him several times for his investigation, the being before him exceeded his expectations.
Perhaps he could even summon That Person right now without any further preparations.
But naturally, the Apostle had no intention of doing that.
The avatar offered to the Great One had to be infinitely great.
Wasn't that why he had come to meet him like this, to ensure perfection?
“Nice to meet you.”
The Apostle offered a greeting with a smile.
The man sitting in the chair looked at the Apostle with an expressionless face.
“Are you that merchant?”
“I’m less of a merchant and more of a being who shares hope.”
The Apostle pulled out a hexahedron while discussing ‘hope.’
The man cast his gaze toward the hexahedron.
“Hope, you say—is that hope?”
“For those without power, it is undoubtedly hope. Since one gains power just by absorbing this. After all, didn't you agree to meet me because you were interested in ‘this’?”
His attitude was relaxed, as if he knew everything.
Silence reigned for a brief moment.
“So, what is the price?”
At Nangwon’s subsequent words, the Apostle’s lips curved into an arc.
An avatar obsessed with strong power.
Just as he had heard, the man was clearly feeling a deep interest in the Abyss Body.
While feeling pleasure at the situation unfolding as expected, the Apostle voiced the price he had in mind.
“I don’t need money. Instead—I’d like you to take care of a certain person.”
To easily dispose of a troublesome nuisance.
“Alon Palatio, a Marquis of the Asteria Kingdom.”
The Apostle spat out the name.
With a satisfied smile.
And then.
“...Alon Palatio?”
“Yes.”
The Apostle...
“You want me to take care of that person?”
“That’s right.”
...Sensed something was wrong.
“...?”
Nothing had changed.
The Curse King remained seated, looking down at him, and the woman behind him was the same.
And yet—
Shiver!
His body wouldn't move.
As if he had been struck by something.
In that moment.
“!”
The Apostle realized.
Why his body wouldn't move.
It was killing intent.
A thick, viscous killing intent that even his instincts had refused to detect was now pinning his body down.
The next moment.
“Take care of... my brother, you say.”
The Apostle saw them.
“...If you were flapping your mouth just to make me angry—”
Emerging from the abyss...
“I shall, sincerely, commend you.”
...Countless, innumerable ‘hands.’