Chapter 264: The Meeting (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: The Meeting (5)
“…‘Don’t… touch what’s mine,’ was it?”
“Yes. That is what she said.”
Alon’s expression became quite peculiar. It was because he simply couldn’t imagine the scene Siyan had described.
A Yutia who expresses her emotions so vividly…
Alon conjured an image of Yutia in his mind. Usually, Yutia wore a gentle smile on her lips. No, she always did. But for her to huff, turn her head away, and express her feelings so blatantly? No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't picture it.
Alon looked at Siyan.
“So this is what you said you would tell me last time.”
“Indeed. It was a story I kept tucked away to ensure you would return quickly. Though it seems you didn’t care much for it at the time.”
“…”
Siyan never missed an opportunity to prick his conscience. Having nothing to say in his defense, Alon subtly shifted his gaze and asked, “Just in case, may I ask what Cardinal Yutia was wearing in that memory?”
“Her attire—now that I think about it, she wasn't wearing her mourning clothes as a Cardinal.”
“Then…?”
Siyan thought for a moment before answering. “…She was wearing a robe.”
“A robe?”
“Yes. It was a rather antique robe, a combination of black and red.”
Watching Siyan look into the air as if rummaging through her memories, Alon fell into deep thought.
…What on earth could it be?
He had felt a sense of doubt ever since Siyan mentioned Yutia appearing in her memories. Specifically, a question regarding Siyan’s Golden History Eye.
As far as Alon knew, the Golden History Eye was a power of succession. It allowed one to inherit the abilities and fragments of memories from previous kings. It was a power that inevitably grew stronger as it accumulated through the generations.
But because of that, the memories inherited through the Golden History Eye had to be memories of the past.
…So why was Yutia appearing in them?
“…”
Alon continued his train of thought. In truth, it had been strange from the beginning. Not only did he himself appear in Siyan’s memories, but the stories she shared—things someone in the past must have seen or heard—were actually helpful to his current self.
He hadn't looked into it deeply before. There was no need to scrutinize the past so thoroughly. But now Yutia had appeared as well.
Of course, even if Yutia appeared in the inherited memories, there was no urgent need to uncover the circumstances. It wasn't causing any immediate problems. Nevertheless, it was true that the doubt blooming in his heart was growing stronger. Furthermore, the versions of himself and Yutia in those memories seemed a bit… strange.
…Could it be that Yutia and I end up going to the past?
Alon thought the hypothesis he had momentarily come up with was quite plausible. He had already been to the past once. Likewise, he knew how to get there.
…Of course, he didn't know exactly which point in time he would land in. Regardless, the point was that Alon could go to the past and return to the present.
Based on that, if Yutia and Alon had headed to the past for some reason and left such memories for the Queen of Asteria out of necessity—then Siyan’s memories themselves weren't impossible. Alon had already left traces in the past once before.
Everything she’s told me so far based on what came to mind has been helpful.
He felt it was certainly possible that his future self had made these arrangements for some reason.
…Though it’s strange to think of myself with such free expressions and Yutia showing her emotions like that.
Still, he judged that it wasn't entirely impossible. No one knows the future. Perhaps later on, Alon might regain his expressions, and he and Yutia might become close enough for her to show him various sides of herself.
Having organized his hypothesis, Alon addressed Siyan.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
“May I offer my opinion on this matter?”
Alon began to explain the hidden details of the situation—details that no one else truly knew yet, save for a few—to Siyan. After listening intently for a while, Siyan spoke.
“…Indeed, if what you say is true, it could be something that happens because you go to the past in the future.”
“I cannot be certain, but it seems possible.”
“Hmm.”
Siyan stroked her chin and closed her eyes. She seemed to be reviewing Alon’s words. After some time, she opened her eyes and looked at him again.
“Then what you’re saying is that the ‘you’ in the memories I inherited might be your future self.”
“As I said, it’s not certain, but it could be so.”
Siyan nodded for a moment and then gave a light shrug.
“Well, let’s discuss this again later and move on to the main point.”
She leaned forward.
“Can you make a trip to the Holy Kingdom?”
“The Holy Kingdom?”
“Yes. It seems there is something you must do there.”
“…Something I must do?”
“Of course, I wasn't given the specific details. I simply have that memory in my head.”
Siyan tapped her temple.
“…I understand for now.”
Thinking of the Holy Kingdom, Alon accepted the order. Then, after finishing some brief small talk, Alon was about to stand up when—
“Oh, right.”
At Siyan’s exclamation, Alon had no choice but to sit back down in a half-standing posture.
“What is it?”
“You’ve been receiving quite a lot of gifts lately, haven't you?”
“…Gifts?”
“Yes.”
Alon nodded cautiously. He always received many, but recently, the gifts flowing into the Count Palatio Family for various reasons had increased even more.
“It’s true, I have been receiving a lot lately.”
“Ah, I’m not talking about those kinds. I mean the gifts from those fellows in other kingdoms.”
At Siyan’s words, Alon let out a low "Ah."
Come to think of it, a lot of things have been arriving.
Because the volume was so immense, he couldn't open every single gift, but he made sure to check who sent them. No matter how uninterested Alon was in noble social life, he knew that just taking without giving would eventually cause trouble. So, he had been keeping a list of nobles to repay, and recently, the names of royal families had been appearing on that list quite frequently.
“I have received them, but…”
When he answered, Siyan stared at him intently. It was a look that seemed to demand something. Alon soon found it easy to catch what Siyan wanted.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. I have no intention of defecting elsewhere.”
He bowed his head deeply with courtesy. In truth, he had no intention of moving to another kingdom. Perhaps in the past, but now the Count Palatio Family had become a place he could no longer be separated from. Both the effort he had put in and the time they had spent together made it so.
“Is that so…?”
Perhaps she felt Alon’s sincerity.
“It puts my mind at ease to hear you say that.”
Siyan wore a rare, slightly joyful smile on her lips.
* * *
After the audience ended and he left Teria, Alon headed for Rosario without delay. He had already planned to stop by the Holy Kingdom, so he decided it would be a good time to go.
I should also meet Yutia and Yuman while I’m at it.
In particular, while he had met everyone else, he had only exchanged letters with Yutia because she was so busy. Alon, heading toward Rosario to give her a proper greeting, heard some strange news from Evan.
“My Lord.”
“What is it?”
“Speaking of the Holy Kingdom, I just remembered something. I heard things are a bit restless over there lately.”
“Restless?”
“Yes.”
“Did something happen?”
“It’s not so much that something new happened, but rather that something bound to explode finally did.”
“Something bound to explode?”
“Yes.”
Evan began to explain in detail.
“…So, to summarize, for some time now, there have been no more clergymen in Rosario who are supposed to receive blessings. Is that it?”
“Yes. At first, everyone kept it quiet, but as time passed, the problem seems to have come to the surface.”
Did something like this happen in Psychedelia?
Alon pondered for a moment but soon shook his head. There was no need to think long. As far as he knew, such a case had never occurred in the Holy Kingdom.
Therefore—
…What is this about?
Alon’s expression turned strange, but he decided to uncover the truth once he reached Rosario.
And a few weeks later, Alon arrived in Rosario after passing through several villages. However—
“…It really is restless.”
Rosario was in a state of disarray, unlike before.
* * *
At the time Alon arrived in Rosario.
Inside the palace of Asteria.
Siyan, the Queen of Asteria, who was sitting alone in her office after finishing all her work, stroked her chin with a strange expression. The reason was the conversation she had with Alon a few weeks ago.
“…”
The hypothesis Alon had put forward was quite plausible. In fact, he was capable of going to the ‘past.’ In other words, it was a credible hypothesis that could result from rational reasoning.
“…The future seen from the past.”
A low murmur echoed. Yet, despite that, a strange doubt lingered in Siyan’s eyes. There was a question that remained unresolved from her perspective.
To be more precise, it was something that no one else would dare to judge except for Siyan, who actually possessed those fragments of memory.
Surely—
A question that only surfaced after Alon had left.
The woman in the memory seemed a bit younger…?
Siyan recalled the Yutia in her memories—the one who was clearly expressive, yet looked even younger than she did now, rather than like a future version of herself.
She tilted her head slightly in confusion.