Chapter 275: Proclamation (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 275: Proclamation (3)
The labyrinth Alon had discovered near Rosario was named the ‘Labyrinth of Whispers.’ Among Psychedelia players, it was a place that generally received a poor reputation.
This was because the labyrinth’s gimmick was so malicious that players often described it as "truly nasty."
Of course, just as Alon had told Evan, there were no monsters in the Labyrinth of Whispers.
Was that all?
There were no traps that would cause instant death if a player accidentally stepped on the wrong tile.
The path wasn't even particularly complex.
Despite all this, the reason almost every player—no, every player—unanimously called it "nasty" was simple.
It was because of the special effect placed upon the area: ‘Hallucination.’
The moment one entered the Labyrinth of Whispers, every character fell into a state of Hallucination.
It didn't matter if the character was Elivan or any of the other powerhouses following him.
The moment they set foot inside, every character was guaranteed to be afflicted.
Under the status effect of Hallucination, which caused one to see various illusions, characters would stop following the player’s commands and wander around as they pleased.
The situation would spiral completely out of control.
This was precisely why most players agreed that the Labyrinth of Whispers was a nightmare.
The labyrinth was essentially a straight path.
However, the only thing a player could do after entering was to watch their characters move randomly and keep clicking 'End Turn.'
And now.
"……This is dreadful."
Alon had finally reached the end of the Labyrinth of Whispers after experiencing its power firsthand.
Alon looked back.
[Kyuuu—]
[Agyaaaak—!]
In the distance, Blackie was holding onto Basiliora and licking him enthusiastically, while Basiliora let out bizarre shrieks in his grip.
And then.
"Ahem—I appreciate the sentiment, but I cannot accept your love……."
Beside the two of them, Evan was leaning against the labyrinth wall, murmuring to thin air with longing eyes.
"……."
Who on earth was he talking to?
Alon pushed the useless question aside for a moment.
He turned his gaze toward the stone gate at the end of the labyrinth and the circular indentation in its center.
There was a second reason why the Labyrinth of Whispers was considered nasty by players.
Unlike other labyrinths, a key was required to obtain the items here.
In other words, if you didn't have the key, reaching this point through those tedious turns was all for naught.
From a player's perspective, the mere mention of the 'Labyrinth of Whispers' was enough to make them shudder.
"Whew."
Recalling that the Hallucination state would be lifted once the door was opened with the key, Alon quickly pulled a ring from his robe.
It was the ‘Ring of the Nameless Swordsman,’ one of the artifacts Nangwon had showered him with as a gift.
Holding it out, Alon slotted it into the center of the stone gate without hesitation.
Wooooong—!
A strange hum of mana resonated.
With a heavy grind, the thick stone gate began to split and slide open to the left and right.
And then.
[Kyu?]
[Ngh……?]
"……Ah?"
Along with various exclamations of surprise, Alon was able to see the object resting behind the thick stone gate.
It looked more like a statue than a doll, yet it looked more like a doll than a statue.
"Found it."
Alon picked up the object, which was shaped like a bipedal beast that looked like it belonged in a fantasy world.
He nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the surprisingly compact statue.
It was exactly what he had been looking for.
'The Beast of Possibility…… right?'
The Beast of Possibility.
The effect of this item, obtainable only in the Labyrinth of Whispers, was simple.
It summoned the 'user' from their strongest period for a set amount of time.
Though there was a time limit, the effect of bringing forth one's peak self was immense.
Of course, since it was a single-use item—much like the lotus Alon had obtained before the battle with Uultultus, the Brute God—he couldn't use it recklessly. Nevertheless, it was a reassuring trump card.
In the game, no matter which character the Beast of Possibility was used on, it would change their appearance, set their level to 99, and unlock all their skills.
'……Of course, since this isn't a game, I don't know exactly how the effect will manifest.'
Regardless, it was an artifact that could save him from a crisis. Alon tucked it carefully into his robe and turned around.
[Kuaaaak—! Get off me!]
[Kyuuuuu—!!]
Basiliora, who had regained his senses, was having a fit, while Blackie was delivering 'paw-swipes' to him.
And then.
"Marquis……."
"What is it?"
"Please give her back."
"……? Give what back?"
"Give me back my Aneta!!"
Evan, who had been standing blankly after pushing himself off the wall, suddenly fell to his knees with tears pricking his eyes.
'Just what did he see……?'
Alon had no choice but to look away.
* * *
Having secured the artifact he wanted, Alon headed toward the Marquis of Palatio’s estate.
In truth, he wanted to head to the Eastern Country that Hazard had mentioned.
However, he decided to prioritize formalizing his magic first.
Until now, Alon had been using magic in a haphazard, makeshift way to suit each situation.
'I need to clearly define my Divinity and magic, and align my Phrases and Hand Seals. I also have things to hear from Sparrow regarding formulas. And I need to spar with Kailas.'
He felt that by moving around as if swept by the current, he wasn't able to apply his strength where it mattered most.
He planned to dedicate some time to properly organizing his magic.
'First, I'll set a somewhat relaxed schedule. After that, should I go to Laxas and get a ship from Ladan? Or maybe it would be better to go straight to Hazard.'
While Alon was roughly organizing his future tasks on his way back to the estate.
In the palace of the capital of the Ashtalon Kingdom.
"It has been a long time."
"Indeed. I didn't expect to see you like this. Especially since your son played the part of a scoundrel so perfectly."
Shuhtalian V and Kurak the Engraved, who was clad in ink-black armor, were conversing.
"……I am feeling the weight of that quite keenly."
"Is that so? Well, it's your son who should be feeling it more than you."
"I'm sure he's feeling it quite well."
Shuhtalian V spoke with certainty.
Kurak stared at him for a moment, then chuckled and nodded.
"Well, I suppose he would. I heard his life was threatened every other day. He gained a truly valuable experience that's hard to come by."
"……Ahem."
Shuhtalian V looked slightly uncomfortable as he heard Kurak’s snickering from inside the helmet.
However, he didn't bother to refute Kurak’s words.
Shuhtalian V himself was the one who had witnessed firsthand how far things could spiral toward the worst because of a single word.
"Well, I suppose you should consider it a relief."
As he was swallowing his pride, Shuhtalian V asked at the sudden comment.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. It's a relief that it happened back then."
"……I am asking what that is supposed to mean."
At that, Kurak tilted his head.
"Ah, ahh—now that I think about it, that makes sense. There's no way the rumors would have spread this far yet."
He muttered to himself for a moment, then looked at Shuhtalian V.
"If that brat had made such a reckless remark now, those pointy-ears would have come rushing over to turn your son into a hedgehog."
"……By pointy-ears, do you mean the Elves?"
"Yeah."
Shuhtalian V felt a sense of confusion at Kurak’s words.
Of course, he had heard bits and pieces from Kurak that Alon had some connection with the Elves.
But for them to come all this way just to turn his son into a hedgehog?
Just as Shuhtalian V was about to ask for clarification because he didn't understand.
"Because that person is about to become royalty."
"……What?"
"Haven't you heard? He's about to become Elf royalty."
At Kurak’s following words, Shuhtalian V’s jaw dropped involuntarily.
"He’s becoming…… Elf royalty?"
"Yeah. That's what I heard."
Kurak shrugged his shoulders.
Shuhtalian V clutched his dizzy head for a moment.
'The Marquis of Palatio is Elf royalty……?'
Shocked by the news, he tried to recall the Marquis’s face.
He was trying to check if his ears had been long.
But.
'I'm certain they weren't.'
Alon’s ears weren't long like an Elf's.
To anyone's eyes, they were clearly human ears.
"……May I ask one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Is the Marquis of Palatio an Elf?"
Shuhtalian V asked, wondering if the Marquis had been hiding the fact that he was an Elf all this time.
"Huh? Why would he be?"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, there's no way he's an Elf."
Kurak’s sharp reaction only deepened the mystery.
Kurak stood up from his seat.
"Anyway, I'm going to go handle some backlogged work, so I'll see you in a few months. The number of Strange Gates has probably increased quite a bit."
"Uh…… yeah. Let's do that."
Shuhtalian V sat there with a face full of doubt, pondering, until—
"!"
He suddenly had an epiphany.
Come to think of it, even if the Marquis of Palatio wasn't an Elf, there was one way he could become royalty to them.
'……I'm fairly certain I heard that the ruler of the Elves is a Queen.'
Shuhtalian V, his mind racing, let his mouth hang open again.
A moment ago, nothing made sense, but if he thought about it this way—
'Could it be—'
Every piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
And so, Shuhtalian V.
'The Marquis of Palatio…… is becoming the Elf Queen's husband……?'
In the end, he reached that preposterous conclusion.
It was nothing more than a misunderstanding.
……But it was an absurd conclusion that would shake the United Kingdoms.
And at the very moment that strange misunderstanding was taking root.
"Toast is quite good as well."
"Better than sweet potatoes?"
"Sweet potatoes might be slightly better than toast."
"Is there even a point in comparing them? You're stuffing sweet potatoes between slices of bread, so you're basically just eating sweet potatoes anyway……."
"It's different in its own way."
"……."
[…….]
[…….]
Alon was.
"……Delicious."
Enjoying a new—or rather, familiar—delicacy.