Chapter 27: Isn’t This a Bit Much? (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Isn’t This a Bit Much? (3)
Malik, a guard stationed in Kirdam, the capital of Calliban, was a man who lived for rumors.
The reason was simple: for someone whose entire day consisted of standing in front of a stone wall, gossip was the only way to make the tedious hours pass by.
Naturally, Malik had been eagerly awaiting this day—specifically, the day Count Palatio was set to arrive.
Through the grapevine, he had heard that the local scoundrel, who had been acting as if he owned the sky under his master’s shadow, had left strict orders to be notified the moment Count Palatio appeared.
Malik didn't know why that brat was looking for a foreign count, but he knew exactly what would happen next.
Whenever that scoundrel went looking for someone, it only ever ended one way. Malik had watched the Count arrive today with the gleeful expectation of witnessing a very entertaining spectacle.
However, the spectacle he witnessed was vastly different from what he had imagined.
The one being thrashed wasn't Count Palatio; it was Biran. And the one doing the thrashing was none other than Deus.
Deus Macallian—one of Calliban’s Master Knights, a man who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship in less than a year with talent beyond compare. The man now known as the "Formless Sword" was the one beating Biran.
That alone was shocking enough to become a rumor that would blanket the entire capital within a day, but what truly floored Malik came next.
The Formless Sword... bowed?
Malik stood there, jaw agape, staring at Deus as he spoke with his head lowered.
“...Did the Formless Sword just bow?”
“That Deus...?”
The other guards were equally stunned, their mouths hanging open.
The reason for their shock was simple: Deus Macallian had never bowed to anyone in this kingdom, save for the current King of Calliban.
There was even a famous story, still frequently told in the capital’s taverns, about the time he delivered three consecutive slaps to the 2nd Prince’s face for harassing his only younger sister. Deus’s reputation had only soared after that incident.
Even though the 2nd Prince was essentially a discarded royal brat, he was still royalty. Yet, Deus had faced no disciplinary action for his insolence.
This meant that the King, and by extension the entire Kingdom of Calliban, valued the existence of Deus Macallian more than the 2nd Prince himself.
And yet, this man, who wouldn't even bow to his own country’s royalty...
“Please, get in.”
...was bowing to a mere Count from a foreign nation.
“....”
It was more than enough to send a wave of shock and awe through everyone familiar with the rumors.
Soon, the gazes of everyone present shifted toward a single individual.
They stared at Count Palatio, who walked with an expressionless face as if being personally escorted by a Master Knight was the most natural thing in the world.
And then...
Just who is Count Palatio that the Formless Sword would bow to him...?
Everyone, including Malik, watched the Count with wide eyes, their minds racing with questions.
...This situation is definitely strange, but why are they looking at me with those expressions?
Alon, feeling the weight of the crowd’s astonished stares, felt a bit bewildered.
“Please, step inside.”
At Deus’s prompt, Alon turned his gaze toward the waiting carriage.
...Well, that stands out.
Unlike typical carriages, this one was dyed a deep, solid black, making it immediately eye-catching.
Furthermore—
Clack!
—a line of knights stood at attention around it, as if prepared to defend the carriage against an army. Seeing this, Alon felt he could finally understand the people’s reactions a little.
Even to him, this felt... a bit much.
“I see.”
But since things had already come to this, it would be awkward to refuse. Alon quietly climbed into the carriage.
“Then I shall bring the other carriage along,” Evan added.
With those final words, Alon departed for the mansion, escorted by the black knights and accompanied by Deus, who had joined him inside.
* * *
A short while later.
This... is a mansion?
Alon’s eyes widened as he caught his first glimpse of Deus’s residence.
He had heard that Calliban’s capital was spacious compared to others, but he hadn't expected a single mansion to be this gargantuan.
Is this what success looks like...?
Alon stared at Deus’s back with that thought for a moment. After disembarking, he followed Deus—who had been leading the way—past the massive grounds and into the office.
Upon entering, Alon paused.
“Please, take the seat of honor.”
“...?”
Alon looked at Deus with a hint of confusion as the man gestured toward the head of the table without hesitation.
Even though Alon’s knowledge of noble etiquette was practically non-existent, he knew the bare minimum.
Usually, doesn't the host sit in the seat of honor?
It might be different if Alon were a high-ranking royal, but he was merely a Count.
Moreover, he wasn't even a noble of Calliban; he was a noble of the Asteria Kingdom.
In short, there was no reason for Deus to treat Alon with such excessive deference.
...To be honest, from Alon’s perspective, seeing Deus treat him this way made him feel like a father whose son had finally made it big. It felt good, but it also made him slightly uneasy.
He had quite a few favors to ask of Deus, after all.
“Ahem...”
Alon cleared his throat and sat in the seat of honor. Deus naturally took the seat beside him.
“....”
“....”
A heavy silence filled the room.
What should I say first?
He had a mountain of requests, but Alon knew that communication didn't work by just blurting them out. He needed to start with some pleasantries.
However, Alon had never actually spoken to Deus face-to-face like this, nor had they even exchanged letters. As he sat there in awkward silence...
Creak—
“I apologize for the delay.”
Evan, guided by the knights, peeked into the room. Realizing Evan had brought the gifts, Alon spoke up.
“Evan, the gifts.”
“Understood.”
At Alon’s word, Evan placed the gifts on Deus’s desk.
“This is...”
“A gift,” Alon said, letting out a small sigh of relief.
He had been wondering how to break the ice, and the gift provided the perfect opening.
“Thank you.”
Deus gave Alon a deep bow.
“....”
“....”
“....”
Silence again.
Wait, isn't this the part where the conversation flows naturally? The thought flashed through Alon’s mind before he finally managed to speak.
“...Aren't you going to open it?”
“It would be impolite to do so now. I shall open it later.”
“....”
As far as Alon knew, it was indeed considered rude to gleefully tear open a gift in front of a superior.
But Alon didn't consider himself a "superior."
...Just what does he think of me?
Alon looked slightly dazed, but his confusion didn't last long.
Creak!
“Brother...?”
Before he could process his thoughts further, another girl entered the office.
She was a cute girl with purple eyes, just like Deus. She glanced around before her eyes landed on Evan.
“Oh, Brother Evan!”
She immediately greeted him with familiarity.
“Oh, Silli!”
Evan stood up with a bright smile. Seeing this, Alon realized that this was the younger sister Evan had been tasked with saving.
They definitely look alike.
In Psychedelia, the game only described the tragic circumstances of her death in a certain region, so he had never seen her face. Looking at her now, Alon nodded to himself—her beauty was undeniable. He then shifted his gaze toward Deus and flinched.
“....”
Deus was wearing a look of blatant displeasure.
His gaze grew even more intense the moment Silli grabbed Evan’s hand.
“Silli. Evan is not your 'brother.' He is an old man.”
Watching Deus spit out those words, Alon realized that Deus cherished his sister far more than he had imagined.
To put it simply—he had a massive sister complex.
Knowing from the game that Deus suffered from a deep sense of loss and a void where "family" should be, Alon could understand it.
While Alon was lost in thought, Silli, who had been chatting with Evan, approached him.
“Um, you are Count Palatio, right?”
“I am.”
“I heard from Brother Evan. That you were the one who ordered him to save me.”
Alon glanced at Deus, then looked back at Silli and nodded.
“I simply did what needed to be done.”
Because if you had died, your brother would have become a global slaughter machine.
“Thank you so much.”
Seeing Silli bow deeply, Alon felt a warmth in his chest.
Even if he had an ulterior motive, doing a good deed and receiving genuine gratitude was a pleasant experience. A small smile played on Alon’s lips.
* * *
“Ahem...”
After Silli left and the atmosphere relaxed slightly, Alon cleared his throat and checked Deus’s mood.
Deus was still shooting looks of subtle hostility at Evan.
“Deus, the reason I’ve come to see you is because I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor...? Of me?”
“...? Yes. Is that strange?”
Alon replied with a puzzled expression, matching Deus’s own.
“...No. Please, I am listening.”
Alon hesitated for a moment at Deus’s response, wondering what that was about.
Now that it was time to actually ask, the words felt heavy. Both favors he needed to ask were likely to be quite burdensome for Deus.
After a brief pause, Alon voiced the first request.
“I have business in the North. Would you be able to accompany me?”
“I shall do so.”
“...Can you decide that so easily?”
Alon stared at him, taken aback by how readily he accepted.
“I was actually scheduled to lead an expedition to the North soon anyway.”
Hearing that, Alon felt a wave of relief. If that was the case, his first request wasn't actually a burden at all.
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Alon moved on to the next item.
“Also, I was hoping to borrow the ‘Ring of the Madman’ from the Calliban royal treasury. Do you think that’s possible?”
He watched Deus’s reaction carefully.
For Deus, borrowing something from the royal treasury was essentially incurring a political debt to the crown, which could be extremely troublesome.
After all, as long as he was a citizen of Calliban, he couldn't entirely escape political entanglements.
However, the ‘Ring of the Madman’ was so vital to his plan that he had to make this unreasonable request.
“Of course, if this causes you any trouble—”
Alon started to speak, intending to offer compensation or appeal to his emotions, but...
“Understood.”
“...Huh?”
“I shall bring the ‘Ring of the Madman’ to you immediately.”
Alon looked bewildered once again as Deus bowed his head, agreeing without asking a single question.
I mean, it’s great... it’s great, but...
He spoke with a slightly dazed expression.
“...Did you hear where the Ring of the Madman is?”
“I heard it is in the Calliban royal treasury.”
“Won't it be difficult to get it?”
“Through normal channels, it would take about a week. But if you wish, I can bring it to you right now.”
“...Is there a way?” Alon asked, genuinely curious.
Deus fell silent for a moment, appearing to contemplate something.
“...The King is a nuisance, but I’d only have to deal with about fifty people. It shouldn't be too difficult.”
“...What?”
Evan, overhearing this, looked completely stunned.
Though he didn't let it show on his face, Alon was equally flabbergasted. Yet, Deus’s eyes showed not a hint of doubt.
Is this... one of those things? Like, an appeal to show he’d go that far for me?
Interpreting Deus’s words that way, Alon spoke after a short silence.
“No, there’s no need to go that far.”
“I see... Then I shall retrieve the ring as quickly as possible.”
Deus looked almost disappointed.
I didn't say 'retrieve,' I just said 'borrow,' Alon thought briefly before nodding.
...It’s great that he cares about me, but really, isn't this a bit much?
With that thought, Alon spent a day at the mansion waiting for the ring.
“I have brought it.”
“...Already?”
Alon stared at the ‘Ring of the Madman’ resting inside a precious jewel box.
And then...
“...Count, have you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“...Word is that yesterday, Deus went on a rampage at the palace demanding the treasure. I heard the 2nd Prince got slapped one more time.”
“...??”
Upon hearing the rumors Evan had picked up...
...What is wrong with him???
...Alon realized that something was definitely off with Deus.