Chapter 288: Treatment (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 288: Treatment (7)
Alon stared at the being before him.
Its form was indistinct.
He couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman.
He couldn't even distinguish if it was an old man or a child.
To Alon’s eyes, it appeared as nothing more than noise.
‘…I don’t think it was even this bad when I first saw Yongrin.’
The moment that thought crossed his mind.
[Hmm—?]
A suspicious, inquisitive voice drifted from the entity.
When Alon raised his gaze, which he had instinctively lowered.
[How fascinating.]
The being of noise spat out its impression while looking at Alon.
“…What do you mean by that?”
Alon asked back, but instead of answering, the noise continued.
[You truly know nothing, do you?]
“…Excuse me?”
[You know nothing, yet you bloomed defiance in a place where there should be none, becoming a Star Eater.]
It spoke words that were utterly incomprehensible.
“What are you talking about?”
[Explaining would be useless. Furthermore, it would inevitably take a long time to explain, and your physical body would never hold out.]
“What on earth do you—”
Just as his brow began to furrow at the disjointed conversation.
“…Ah?”
Feeling a damp sensation, Alon reflexively raised his hand.
“…!”
He realized his nose was bleeding.
It had happened so suddenly.
He saw the blood dripping down and tried to look up in a hurry, but—
[Do not meet my eyes. That is the only way you and I can stay together for as long as possible.]
Following its advice, he immediately cast his gaze down.
Alon realized the true nature of the strange dissonance he had felt the moment he saw the noise.
‘This is… exactly what I felt when I looked into the mirror at the Observatory—’
His heart began to pound even harder.
As he pressed a hand against his racing chest, the voice of the noise continued.
[It is a pity. Had you come after realizing a bit more, I could have told you many things. But it is impossible, for there is one who has twisted the destined fate and is closing their ears.]
“Huff— huff—!”
Alon couldn't answer.
His heart was thumping so wildly his throat felt like it was vibrating.
Moreover, just as blood began to pool in Alon’s eyes.
Tap.
Something he assumed was the noise’s hand touched Alon’s shoulder.
And then.
“…Ah?”
His heart, which had been racing frantically until a moment ago, began to settle into a calm rhythm.
As he wore a look of surprise at the change in his body, the entity spoke.
[Do not lift your head. It will only decrease the time we have to talk. Listen as you are.]
Alon nodded silently.
[When I disappear, take the Curved Jade and seek out the Observer of the East. She will teach you how to converse.]
“The Observer of the East—”
[Let us finish our talk there.]
“Would it be difficult… to ask a question right now?”
[…A short one might be possible. But keep this in mind. Even with my help, your body can only endure for about three minutes.]
Alon immediately threw out his question.
“Do you know about the Sins?”
[Are you referring to the black things?]
At that question, Alon started to explain from the beginning but then shut his mouth.
There wasn't enough time for that.
Left with no choice, he asked.
“Do the Sins appear even without the Apostles of Sin?”
When he asked the question in its most condensed form, the noise responded with a question of its own.
[Do you know the meaning of the word 'Inevitability'?]
“I do.”
[The black things are exactly that. Whether there is an Apostle or not does not matter. Their appearance in this world now is an inevitability. Something that cannot be changed by anything—]
The noise paused for a moment.
[An inevitability that we created.]
“!”
Alon’s eyes snapped wide as he looked at the being before him.
However, he still couldn't see it clearly.
It was still filled with noise.
[There is not much time left. Is there one last thing you wish to ask?]
The noise’s voice sounded peaceful, even as it mentioned the end was near.
Alon’s mind, however, was anything but peaceful.
In an instant, his thoughts became a tangled mess because of that one sentence.
What should he ask here?
Should he confirm if they were the ones who created the black things?
Or should he ask for their true identity?
Or perhaps, ask why they did such a thing?
Countless other questions made his head spin.
But amidst the chaos, Alon reached a conclusion.
“Why is it that only I can use Phrases?”
Alon stopped asking about the black things.
From the moment he received confirmation that the black things would appear, there was no need to hear the rest.
Regardless of the reason, Alon was in a position where he had to stop them.
Therefore, instead of solving the mystery of the black things, he asked a different question.
A question that might increase the strength needed to face them.
[You—]
At Alon’s question, the noise paused for a moment, and then—
[You do not even recognize the constraint you placed upon yourself under the ‘Eye’.]
With that,
[O ■■ of the Black Eye.]
It left its final words.
* * *
After finishing the conversation with the noise.
“Brother!?”
“Are you alright, Marquis!”
As soon as he stepped outside, Ladan and Evan rushed toward him in a fuss. Alon waved his hand to show he was fine.
“I’m fine.”
“…What happened inside?”
Penia asked next.
Alon let out a long sigh and spoke.
“Let’s talk while we head back. I need to organize my thoughts first.”
The group was dying of curiosity at Alon’s answer, but they had no choice but to back off.
On the way back.
In an atmosphere that had grown somewhat quiet compared to when they arrived, Alon calmly sorted through the words he had heard.
‘I got what I wanted.’
In conclusion, Alon had obtained the answer he sought.
The reason he had come to the East in the first place was to confirm whether the Sins would appear despite the deaths of the Apostles.
And he had indeed received an answer to that.
Nevertheless, the reason Alon was troubled was because of the new questions that had arisen.
‘The one who created the Sins… huh.’
The noise had clearly said so.
That they had created the Sins.
Yet, that entity had shown goodwill toward Alon, who was full of determination to stop the Sins.
“…….”
It was clearly strange.
The creator of the Sins that would destroy the world showing goodwill to the one trying to stop them.
At least from Alon’s perspective, it made no sense.
That wasn't the only strange point.
For instance, he didn't understand the 'defiance' the noise mentioned, nor did he understand what 'Star Eater' meant.
But the most baffling part of all was the noise’s final words.
‘…A constraint I placed on myself.’
As Alon wondered what on earth that meant, he suddenly looked at the ring on his finger.
The ring that had led him to form his very first covenant a long time ago.
Fiddling with it, Alon gave a small shake of his head.
No matter how much he thought about it, the two constraints he had set back then weren't what the noise was talking about.
Back then, the only constraints he had set were using Phrases and hand seals.
As he remained lost in thought for a while.
“Wh-What is that—”
He looked forward at the sound of a horrified voice.
And he unconsciously clenched both fists.
“!”
The scenery Alon had seen yesterday was unfolding before his eyes.
The view of the capital under the sunset hanging over the mountainside was incredibly beautiful.
However, there was one difference—
The capital.
“Crazy…!”
It was burning.
And the fire was centered around the palace located in the heart of the city.
“An attack!?”
The fox beastkin who had been guiding them while cautiously watching Alon’s mood cried out in despair.
“Brother, shall we go?”
At Ladan’s subsequent question, Alon quickly turned his body.
“Let’s go.”
Before long, Alon arrived at the city gates.
“Ugh—”
The fox beastkin trembled in horror.
Her vision was filled with the corpses of soldiers.
Every single one of them had been brutally hacked to pieces.
That wasn't all.
The path to the palace was lined with corpses, and the devastation was beyond words.
In a situation where it seemed more logical to assume they were killed by monsters rather than humans, Alon’s group ran toward the palace.
And in the center of the palace, they witnessed it.
“…Hm?”
The horribly murdered corpses and the monsters feasting on them.
And the countless soldiers filling the vast palace square—
“Ah, uninvited guests, I see.”
There was Virang, the 1st Prince of the Eastern Country, dressed in flamboyant attire, who had glared at Alon yesterday.
And before him.
“Urgh—”
There was U-Rang, forced to his knees in a wretched state, his face contorted.
“I didn't anticipate this situation.”
As Alon’s group stood there in shock, a nonchalant voice drifted over.
Virang held a blood-stained sword with a delinquent air.
“Hey, are you guys stupid by any chance?”
He let out a smirk and tilted his chin up.
“What?”
“I asked if you’re stupid. Normally, wouldn't you have easily predicted this situation even before arriving at the capital? I just can't understand with my brain why you bothered coming here.”
Virang tapped his head with his index finger, letting out a mocking laugh.
“…How dare you plot a rebellion with Cheonga—!”
The suppressed U-Rang shouted in a ferocious voice, but—
“My, you’re going to make my ears bleed, Father.”
Virang clicked his tongue as if U-Rang’s words were no threat at all.
“See, if you had just handed the throne over to me, this wouldn't have happened, would it? You’re the one who made things complicated, so I don't know why you’re getting angry at me.”
He blamed U-Rang instead, smiling again.
“Ah, and just in case, don't bother hoping for help from that great old man. He’s probably dead by now, having fallen into a trap.”
He dropped a bombshell of a statement.
“Th-That person is dead? That can't be—”
“If he weren't dead, he would have been here by now. He fell into the trap yesterday, after all.”
U-Rang was stunned, his soul seemingly leaving his body.
Virang didn't even look at his father as he turned his gaze.
“Well then— goodbye to you all as well.”
He gave a mocking flick of his sword.
Clack!
At that signal.
The soldiers on standby simultaneously aimed their weapons at Alon.
That wasn't all.
■■■■■■■—!
The monsters that had been greedily devouring corpses until a moment ago also looked at Alon’s group as if they had made a pact.
“Hieeeek—”
The fox beastkin shrieked, her body shaking violently.
Amidst it all, Alon calmly assessed the current situation.
‘There are many enemies. There are more soldiers than monsters, and most of them aren't regular soldiers but soldiers using Abyss Bodies. The same goes for the monsters… and they look quite strong.’
He understood why Virang was so confident.
He could see that the soldiers imbued with Abyss Bodies had significantly stronger mana and physical abilities.
However, naturally.
It wasn't enough to be a clear threat to Alon.
But there were several complications in dealing with them.
Namely, the surviving citizens mixed in among the soldiers, and U-Rang.
If everyone here were an enemy, he could have dealt with them easily.
But a situation where allies and enemies were mixed was a bit troublesome. Just as he was contemplating while watching the soldiers charge all at once—
Zip—!
The soldiers rushing toward Alon stopped their movements simultaneously.
It wasn't just the soldiers.
The monsters that had been shrieking and acting frenzied also stopped as if time had frozen.
And in the next moment.
Crack—
The bodies of the soldiers were split in half.
Splurt—!
It was an utterly surreal sight.
However, the metallic scent of blood stinging their noses reminded everyone that this situation was undoubtedly real.
“…Wh-What—”
Virang’s lips quivered, unable to comprehend the situation that had occurred so instantaneously.
And what entered Alon’s vision.
Was a girl.
“…What is going on here?”
The first thing he saw was silver hair dyed by the sunset.
Next were the five severed heads held in her hands.
And finally, what he could see from her as she landed amidst the piles of corpses that had been split into upper and lower halves, staining the ground with blood flowers—
“I’ll ask one more time.”
Was a pair of chillingly indifferent,
“What exactly—”
White,
“Is going on?”
Eyes.