Chapter 260: The Meeting (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 260: The Meeting (1)
“The Blind One, you say?”
[Indeed. How on earth could you...?]
Sparrow asked back, sounding as if he couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
Alon searched through the information in his mind, trying to recall the name ‘The Blind One’—but he soon shook his head. No matter how hard he looked, he had never obtained any information regarding that name.
“Could you explain further?” Alon requested a clarification.
[...I don't even know where to begin.]
“Regrettably, this is the first time I’ve ever heard the name ‘The Blind One.’”
Sparrow pondered for a moment before adding, [Unfortunately, there isn't much I can explain either. All I know are the deeds of The Blind One.]
“...Deeds?”
[The one who gave birth to the Black Things, the one who devoured the lifespans of the elves, the Father of Sins. Despite being a Magus, he was a World Evil who stood on the side of the Black Things and sought to destroy the world.]
“....”
[That is what those who lived through that era say when they speak of The Blind One.]
As Alon nodded, Sparrow asked, [You said the name of your formula was the Art of Defying Heaven, correct?]
“That’s right.”
[...And you said you created the formula yourself?]
“Yes.”
Silence fell once again.
Sparrow remained quiet for a long time, as if piecing something together in his mind, before finally letting out a sigh.
[To be honest, I’m not sure.]
“About what?”
[The fact that you possess the name of the formula, Art of Defying Heaven, and the Law of The Blind One at the same time.]
“...Is that so strange?”
[It is strange. No, it’s beyond just strange.]
“Then what is it?”
[In terms of language, it’s like a sophistry. In terms of Laws, it’s something that shouldn't be possible.]
“In what sense?”
Sparrow caught his breath before explaining.
[Fundamentally, once the name of a Law is engraved, it cannot be changed or pushed out. If the name of your formula is the Art of Defying Heaven, then the Law you use should be the same as the one used by the Primordial Magus.]
“I certainly created the Law myself, though.”
[Then you have created the exact same Law as the Primordial Magus. If you hadn't engraved the same Law, you would have had to put in a different one.]
“...Is that so?”
[That major premise can never be broken. It is a fact proven through countless experiments.]
It wasn't difficult for Alon to guess what Sparrow was trying to say.
“...In other words, according to you, as long as I use the Art of Defying Heaven, that formula must be the Law of the Primordial Magus. But because the content of that Law belongs to ‘The Blind One,’ that’s the problem?”
[It’s not a problem; it’s a shock. If what you say is true, then it means—]
“That the Primordial Magus and The Blind One, who tried to destroy the world, are the same person?”
[Yes.]
The same person.
Alon contemplated the deduced inference for a moment before speaking up.
“What are the chances of them being similar formulas?”
[As far as I know, that’s impossible. The only other possibility is that the Primordial Magus and The Blind One were master and disciple. Then it would make sense.]
Sparrow let out a deep sigh.
[Of course, there might be something I don’t know. I never reached the pinnacle as a Magus. You might get some help if you ask someone else. There could be a method I’m unaware of.]
Kailas naturally came to Alon’s mind.
[Anyway, aside from that, there is something personally fascinating.]
“What is it?”
[The fact that you obtained an Exalted Law.]
“...An Exalted Law?”
[You already know how a Magus engraves a Law, right?]
“Yes.”
[Have you ever wondered why so many Magi don't create their own Laws and instead become someone’s disciple?]
Alon thought for a moment before answering. “Isn't it because creating a Law is difficult?”
[That’s part of it, but the core reason is that the amount of Faith required to create a desired Law increases exponentially.]
“Does that mean the amount of Faith needed varies depending on which Law is being engraved?”
[Yes, and that’s also why the number of Magi never increased. To engrave the Law you possess—it would be impossible for anyone other than Cargunias’ greatest god, ‘The One Who Gazes Down.’ No, I’m not even sure if it would be possible even for him.]
“...It’s that significant?”
[That’s why I said it was fascinating.]
Alon recalled when he first created the Law. He had certainly gained Faith from numerous demi-humans, but he hadn't thought it was to that extent.
[Anyway, that’s all I can tell you.]
Alon reorganized the information Sparrow had given him in his mind.
* * *
The wasteland between the United Kingdoms and the Empire.
There, people who shouldn't have been there were present.
Namely, the elves and—
“Spare m— Gack!”
The lizardmen.
“....”
“....”
On a cliff in the middle of the empty wasteland.
The last executive of the Black Hand had been desperately begging for his life.
Rim the elf and Kabu the lizardman, who had harmoniously driven an axe and a sword into the bastard’s heart, spoke.
“Fi-finally—”
“They’re all... dead...!”
Reflexively, they hugged each other and cheered.
With this, the Black Hand had been completely wiped out.
The air was heated with intense joy. The two, who were holding each other tightly—
“G-get off me, you lizard!”
“W-what the hell are you talking about? You’re the one who hugged me!”
—soon pulled away from each other in shock.
In the awkward silence that followed, their eyes met. At that moment, both of them were hit by a strange sense of disillusionment.
Originally, Rim and Kabu’s job was to ‘escort Marquis Palatio.’
So why were they—or more accurately, the elven escort force and the lizardman escort force—here?
It was all because of the organization known as the Black Hand, which had arrogantly targeted Alon when he visited Teria.
...In truth, neither the elves nor the lizardmen really needed to go this far to deal with the Black Hand.
Nevertheless, the force that drove them to move so competitively was none other than rivalry.
A competitive desire to objectively prove that their side was far more helpful than the other.
At first, the speed at which the elves and lizardmen worked together to eliminate the Black Hand was rapid.
Unfortunately, in the process of dealing with the Black Hand, the lizardmen and elves measured their contributions to be roughly equal.
Since that meant neither side had gained the upper hand, they didn't stop there. They sought to settle the score by hunting down the fleeing remnants of the Black Hand.
Driven by the single-minded determination to win this 'fight' no matter what.
...And this was the result.
“....”
“....”
Rim the elf and Kabu the lizardman stared at each other with wide eyes.
Their appearances were nothing short of filthy. It was proof of their desperate struggle to prove they were more useful than the other.
It wasn't just the two of them. The escort forces glaring at each other also looked like complete vagrants.
If the two factions had been facing off like this in the middle of the capital, every passing citizen would have thought, ‘The beggars are having a turf war.’
But the bigger problem was that Rim and Kabu had killed the last remnant at the exact same time.
Since it meant they had failed to determine who was superior, they were staring at each other with faces full of reality-check-induced exhaustion.
After a short while.
“...Let’s head back.”
“Fine.”
Without another word, the elves and lizardmen began to move. Feeling a strange sense of camaraderie rather than rivalry or competitive spirit.
For over half a year, they had pursued and perfectly eliminated the Black Hand. When they finally crossed the border and returned, they received a report.
“...The Primordial Elf returned to life and was appointed as the Queen of the Elves?”
“Our friend returned to life and rose to the same position as the Great One?”
They received a surreal report whose developments they couldn't quite follow.
“????”
“????”
The faces of the elves and lizardmen, who had been stuck at the border for nearly half a year, were filled with bizarre confusion.
* * *
A few weeks later.
Alon arrived at the Marquis’s estate for the first time in a long while.
“...?”
He involuntarily paused.
In his absence, the estate had developed so much it was almost unrecognizable.
‘...Is this almost at the level of Teria?’
Alon couldn't help but think that as he looked at the state of the territory. Of course, it still lacked much compared to Teria, but it was surprising nonetheless.
A faint, satisfied smile played on Alon’s lips.
“Finally home—”
“We’re home.”
After arriving at the manor, Alon handled only the most basic tasks and took a rest.
An absurd amount of paperwork was piled up in his office, and Alexion, who looked like he had a lot to say, was waiting for him, but Alon decided to deal with it the next day.
After a long, restful day, Alon got a general grasp of the manor’s situation the following morning.
First of all, Penia, who had gone to the Magic Tower on business, had not yet returned.
Just as Alon was considering delaying the paperwork a bit longer until she arrived—
“...Um, My Lord.”
“What is it?”
“A guest has arrived.”
“A guest?”
“Yes.”
“They said they absolutely must see you. I was told to convey that they are an acquaintance from the past.”
“An acquaintance from the past?”
“Yes.”
Evan announced the visitor.
Alon pondered for a moment before nodding, and not long after, two people entered the office.
A handsome young man who looked to be about twenty, possessing both the features of a boy and a man, and a woman who exuded a mature beauty.
As Alon stood bewildered by the visit of these strangers, tears welled up in the man’s eyes. He approached Alon and—
“Brother...! It’s been... so long...!!”
—bowed deeply.
Startled by the sudden situation, Alon wore a blank expression for a moment.
Soon, recognizing that familiar voice—
“!”
He realized who it was and uttered a name.
“...Nangwon?”
“Yes, it’s me...!”
Nangwon smiled brightly, looking truly happy.
Alon—
‘This is...’
Looking at him, who had become a beautiful young man, quite different from how he appeared in Psychedelia—
‘How did this happen????’
—felt countless question marks pop up over his head.