Chapter 282: Treatment (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 282: Treatment (1)
Flashes of light, torn from blue rifts, surged toward the monsters that even blotted out the sky.
■■■■■■■■—!!!
Along with a skin-crawling scream, a Sea of Blood unfolded.
Alon stared blankly at the sight.
He wasn't the only one.
Evan, who had been making a fuss just moments ago, and Penia, who had been seriously preparing a magic incantation, were both speechless, simply gazing at the Sea of Blood spreading before their eyes.
And then.
■■■■■■—!!!
At the sound of a subsequent, ear-piercing shriek, Alon’s party couldn't help but turn their heads in unison.
They witnessed it.
In the middle of the blood-stained sea, a monster was charging toward the Treasure Vault.
The massive creature, similar in appearance to the Sea God or Basiliora that Ladan had captured, was in a state so wretched it couldn't be called good even by a long shot.
Hundreds of weapons were already embedded in its sturdy-looking scales. Its flank, revealed as it rose and fell above the Sea of Blood, was in such a severe state that it was a miracle the body hadn't been hacked to pieces yet.
Even in that condition, it was rushing toward the Treasure Vault.
However.
Crackle—! Zap, crackle—!!
The moment the monster reached the vicinity of the Treasure Vault, Alon saw it.
A massive monolith tearing through a blue rift—no.
“…A sword?”
—An overwhelming Greatsword.
As soon as the imposing Greatsword, which looked capable of cleaving even the blue sky in half, revealed itself to the world, it was launched.
Rumble—!!
The Greatsword, creating powerful wind pressure just by being fired—
■■■■■■■■■—!!!
—split the giant monster in half, killing it instantly.
With that, the monsters rushing toward the Treasure Vault vanished completely.
Into the crimson Sea of Blood, forever.
“Wow…”
Evan, who had been frozen, let out a gasp of admiration.
“Are you alright, Brother?”
Alon, who had also been blankly watching the series of events, shifted his gaze at the voice calling him.
There stood Ladan, his previous solemnity gone, now shrugging his shoulders with a face full of pride.
“I’m fine. Regardless… that was impressive.”
“Aw, it was nothing, Brother.”
Alon looked around.
The sea that had been filled with monsters no longer existed.
Overwhelming martial prowess.
Even after showcasing such power, Ladan didn't show the slightest hint of exhaustion.
Alon’s admiration was short-lived, however.
‘By the way, if it’s like this, should I postpone the trip to the East?’
The thought occurred to him. If monsters of this caliber appeared frequently on the way to the East, it was certain they wouldn't be able to hold out.
Just then, Ladan offered a very simple solution.
“You’re saying we can just go?”
“Yes. We just need to cut up the corpses of the ones that sank and hang them from the hull.”
“Will that be effective?”
“Sea creatures are basically bellicose, but they have a habit of not attacking those stronger than themselves. In other words, if we just collect a decent amount of the corpses we just handled and hang them up—”
“They’ll recognize us as sufficiently strong and won't attack?”
“Unless there are things stronger than the ones we just fought, that should be the case. So don't worry too much.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Seeing Ladan thump his chest as if telling him to trust him, Alon felt a sense of gratification.
“Brother, please rest for now. I have work to do, so I’ll be back.”
“Are you going to fish up the corpse pieces?”
“Yes. And I have to retrieve them, too.”
When Alon tilted his head in confusion, Ladan answered as if it were obvious.
“The relics.”
Alon recalled the relics Ladan had fired at the monsters.
“…Did you have to retrieve them?”
“Of course?!”
“…Is retrieval possible?”
“Retrieval itself isn't hard. I’ve already registered them all as different relics, so I can tell exactly where they are. Anyway—I’ll be back, Brother!”
After waving his hand brightly, Ladan dove into the water.
Watching him, Alon’s expression became peculiar.
Of course, Ladan’s words were logical, but…
‘…Something… something feels a bit off.’
While he was thinking that, Penia’s voice reached his ears from beside him.
“Aaaah—the research materials are just being handled like that…! What if he loses them…?! It’ll be hard to find them properly…!”
Penia was stomping her feet in genuine worry.
…However, her concern was for the relics rather than for Ladan.
Watching her from the side, Alon felt another layer of doubt pile up.
‘…But why is she worried? They’re Ladan’s…’
* * *
A few hours later.
“I’m a bit late!”
Around the time the sun was setting in the blue sky, Ladan climbed back onto the ship.
He immediately set the Treasure Vault in motion.
“Um, if—if it’s not an imposition, could I see a few of the relics?”
Penia approached Ladan immediately, salivating like a jackal that had found prey.
Ladan looked bewildered at this, but—
“Would it be possible?”
“Uh—if Brother asks… it’s not that difficult.”
At Alon’s request, Ladan thrust his spear as he had before, creating a small rift from which he pulled out several relics.
“Waaaah—”
Penia, excited like a child, examined the relics, but then—
“?”
She wore a puzzled expression as if something were strange.
Alon asked at her sudden change in reaction.
“What is it?”
“No, well… looking at them, they’re definitely relics. But… they seem a bit like they’ve been touched by human hands?”
“Isn't it natural for relics to be touched by human hands?”
“Nooo… that’s true, but.”
Finding it difficult to explain, Penia tilted her head several times before picking up one of the relics—a sword—and showing it to Alon.
Taking the sword, Alon soon realized something and let out a soft exclamation.
“It’s symmetrical.”
“Right?”
Actually, it wasn't strange for a sword to be symmetrical.
However, this relic sword wasn't the type where the crossguard was perfectly symmetrical, so it felt alien.
Then, as if noticing something, Alon looked at Ladan.
“Ah, I modified that myself.”
“You modified it?”
“Yes, it was a bit uncomfortable.”
“Gasp…!”
Penia let out a shocked sound at Ladan’s answer.
Alon immediately understood the reason why Ladan had touched the relic.
‘Is it because of his Mysophobia?’
Mysophobia.
Knowing Ladan’s obsessive tendencies, Alon nodded.
“Well, I only removed the visible parts, so there’s no problem with the performance, Brother,” Ladan added.
Meanwhile, Penia’s eyes had become sparkling again, and she began to fiddle with this and that, giggling to herself.
Watching her, Alon suddenly had a question.
“Penia.”
“Yes? What is it?”
Penia answered while clutching the relics Ladan had given her dearly to her chest.
“Why do you like researching relics and artifacts so much?”
This was Alon’s curiosity.
He knew well that mages were generally curious about artifacts and relics.
But in Penia’s case, it was to an extreme degree.
“Uh… why do I like it?”
“Yes.”
“…I’m asking just in case, but do you really not know?”
“Know what?”
“The Blue Magic Tower has always specialized in artifacts and relics…”
“…Really?”
Penia nodded quickly.
“…No, the Blue Magic Tower specialized in artifacts and relics?”
“Yes, well, all mages handle them… but still, most mages interested in relics and artifacts come to our side…?”
Adding, ‘In the first place, most of our tower’s magic is created by mimicking the activation principles of artifacts,’ Penia—
“Then, excuse me—!”
—disappeared immediately, seemingly anxious to get back to her work.
Watching her back in silence, Alon suddenly felt a gaze and turned his head.
“…….”
Without a word, Ladan was staring at Alon’s chest—specifically, at the red brooch pinned to his pocket.
“What is it?”
“Ah, Brother.”
Only when Alon called him did Ladan snap out of it. He pointed at the red brooch with his finger and—
“This… was it a gift?”
—he asked cautiously, mumbling his words.
“I received it from Yutia.”
At Alon’s words, Ladan let out a low sigh and slightly averted his gaze.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s—it’s not that there’s a problem.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyway, please rest comfortably today, Brother. If a monster appears, the ship will sound a signal on its own.”
Alon had been wanting to rest anyway.
Being on a ship certainly made his body feel more lethargic than usual.
“Then I’ll take some rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alon moved to a room inside the Treasure Vault with Evan.
A short while later.
The interior of the cabin became quiet as everyone went into their rooms.
Ladan remained alone, scratching his head with an awkward expression.
The reason was the red brooch on Alon’s chest.
…More precisely, it was because he had recognized at once what role that brooch played.
The moment he had tried to tell Alon about the brooch.
[Shh—]
He had seen the image of Yutia Bloodia, staring intently at him with red eyes and gently placing her index finger over her lips.
“She said it was fine even if we didn't stand guard, that she trusted Brother…”
‘Isn't she actually the most overprotective one…?’ Ladan muttered to himself as he recalled the brooch again.
A brooch that allowed one to share vision anytime, anywhere, as long as there was mana in the space.
However, Ladan, who had personally collected thousands, even tens of thousands of relics and used them directly or indirectly, could tell instinctively.
There was definitely something more to that artifact.
‘…Where on earth did Yutia get such a thing?’
Ladan pondered for a moment.
But realizing that further thought was meaningless, he shook his head.
He knew well that Yutia would never speak of something she didn't want to reveal, no matter how curious the other person was.
Instead.
‘More than that… isn't that almost a crime…?’
Ladan spent some time very seriously contemplating whether Yutia’s actions constituted a crime.
…Of course, even if it were a crime, he didn't have the power to stop it.
It was a late night, even the starlight asleep.
* * *
Two weeks later.
Just as Ladan had said, although monsters appeared sporadically after that, no battles occurred.
Thanks to that, Alon was able to reach the East comfortably.
And at that point.
“…What is this now?”
Shuhtalian V received another letter.
This time—
It was a blue letter from the Temple of Kalanon…