Chapter 312: What Is This…? (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 312: What Is This…? (3)
Even Penia’s jaw dropped at the sight unfolding before her eyes. "Wow, this is..."
The group shared a collective gasp of disbelief, but the moment was brief. Alon and his party headed toward the main gate of Divine Land—a structure that looked like it had been hastily erected—but they couldn't move forward.
"Wait... is this a line?"
"It certainly looks like one."
Unfortunately, they couldn't just pass through the gate. A line of people, so long its end was nowhere in sight, blocked their path.
"Don't tell me this entire line is—"
"It seems the rumors really did bring everyone here..." Evan added, trailing off.
Alon’s usual stoic expression crumbled, replaced by a look of utter bewilderment. "No, even so... this many people?"
"I know, right?" Evan shook his head in amazement beside him.
However, Penia tilted her head as she looked at the two men. "Really? I don't find it that hard to understand."
"Why not?"
"Isn't it obvious? As you know, the United Kingdoms are in a state of total chaos because of the bandits."
"Well... that’s true."
"No, I mean it’s really serious. These days, it’s common for a village you visited last week to be completely gone by the time you pass through again," she explained. "So, it’s only natural for people to seek out Kalanon’s power as a way to survive."
"...So they need strength."
"That’s part of it, but the most important thing is... how should I put it? It feels legitimate."
"Legitimate?"
"I mean—"
Alon wondered if there was even such a thing as 'legitimate' power in this world, but he listened intently to Penia’s explanation.
"Think about it. Abyss Bodies are used by those in the underworld, right? Plus, once you absorb that power, black mana starts leaking out of you like those creeps from the Black Magic Tower."
"True."
"So, no matter how easily it enhances your strength, anyone who cares about their reputation can't use it. Even Rosario punishes the use of Abyss Bodies severely. You saw that Artificial Outer God the other day."
Alon nodded, and Penia continued.
"Because of that, mercenaries and knights who rely on their 'name' or 'reputation' have had to just watch from the sidelines, unable to touch it no matter how much they wanted it. But then, out of nowhere, Kalanon’s power appears! A power you can use just by training!"
"...Though it's still just a rumor."
"Exactly. And the result is—"
Penia gestured toward the crowd. "This."
Alon found himself nodding involuntarily. Put that way, it did make sense.
However.
‘...Still, this is a bit much.’
Understanding the logic was one thing, but the situation he was currently facing felt strangely overwhelming. For some time now, the murmurs around him had been dying down, replaced by a heavy silence as all eyes turned toward them.
"...Look over there. It’s the carriage of Marquis Palatio."
"You're right."
"Is that the man from Kalanon—"
Because of the sudden quiet, the whispers reached Alon’s ears with startling clarity. Just as he was trying to ignore the weight of those gazes and process Penia’s explanation, a loud voice boomed from a distance.
"Everyone, halt!!!"
A group of knights began running toward them.
"You have arrived, My Lord!"
They assembled in front of the window where Alon was looking out and shouted in unison. Thanks to that, the attention that was already focused on them intensified instantly, pinning the Marquis Palatio carriage under a spotlight.
Alon felt the suffocating loyalty radiating from the knights and the gazes of the crowd that he could no longer ignore. He managed a stiff nod. "Right."
"We shall escort you inside immediately!"
The knight at the lead answered firmly and began to clear a path through the line. Of course, he didn't even need to try; the long line of people parted on its own like the Red Sea.
Alon’s carriage rolled into the interior of Divine Land through the opened path.
"We have arrived!"
Alon stepped out of the carriage, feeling the weight of the murmurs and stares.
"HAIL!!!"
Waiting for him was a perfectly aligned row of knights and soldiers.
"..."
There had been a sense of discipline when Divine Land was first established, but this was different. These knights and soldiers looked as though they would carry out any order without a moment's hesitation.
‘...Wait, they’re supposed to just be a guard unit.’
Alon then spotted Deus in the distance, looking at the gathered troops with a proud expression. It was then that Alon realized something else.
‘Wait, when did they get matching uniforms?’
When they were first recruited, the knights' attire hadn't been unified at all, except for their pauldrons. It was only natural, as there hadn't been time to manufacture armor—let alone decide on a design for the knight order.
But now, they were all clad in polished, magnificent-looking armor.
‘When did they... no, where did the money for this come from?’
As questions began to pile up in his mind, Alon scanned the faces of the knights standing before him. He stopped when he saw a familiar face.
"...?"
A man with blue skin.
He wondered if he was seeing things, but Alon quickly shook his head. It was impossible to mistake that blue skin. Besides, the man’s first impression had been so strong that the memory was vivid.
Alon spoke to the man standing at the very front of the line. "...What are you doing there?"
Blue Ghost, the man in question, subtly shifted his gaze toward the distant sky.
"...I wonder. Why am I doing this...?" he muttered in a voice that sounded strangely enlightened, as if he had transcended worldly concerns.
* * *
Blue Ghost thought back to a little over a month ago.
Ghost King Ryanga had been taking her "depressed" moods out on her subordinates under the guise of training every single day. To stop her tyranny, Blue Ghost had headed to the Marquis's estate to bring Alon to her.
Up to that point, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Upon arriving at the estate, he was told that Alon wasn't there but was at Divine Land, about a day's journey away.
So, Blue Ghost went to Divine Land.
And that was where it all began.
‘Excuse me, I’m looking for Marquis Palatio—’
‘Oh, what’s this? A new recruit? What are you doing standing around! Stop wearing those rags and change into this!’
‘No, that’s not it—’
‘Zip it! No excuses! Hurry! You have to change before training starts! It’s tougher here than you think!’
‘Wait a second—I’m not a soldier here—’
‘Too much talk! Just put it on already!’
That was the very first thing that happened. The moment he entered Divine Land to ask a soldier about the Marquis, he was swept away.
Having changed into training clothes in a daze, the next person he met was—
‘...You are—’
‘Ah, good timing. I’ve seen you before, haven't I?’
‘You have.’
It was Deus. Blue Ghost tried to explain the situation immediately.
‘Did you enlist as a soldier?’
‘Of course not. I am here to see Marquis Palatio—’
‘I see.’
‘Yes, I’m not a soldier! So tell me where the Marquis is—’
‘It would be a waste for a talent like you to remain a mere soldier. I’ll promote you to a knight.’
‘...What? Wait! That’s not what I meant—’
‘You are now the leader of the 1st Squad.’
‘No, wait—!’
...And just like that, he had become a knight.
At that point, Blue Ghost was actually a bit offended. No one was listening to a word he said. For a moment, he considered flipping the whole place upside down.
Unfortunately, he couldn't. There were two reasons.
First, this was a place built by Marquis Palatio. To Blue Ghost, it didn't matter if the place was built by a Marquis or the King of a nation. However, his boss, Ryanga, cherished the Marquis dearly. Blue Ghost knew this all too well. If word got out that he had made a mess of the place, Ryanga would never let him hear the end of it—or worse.
The second reason was...
"A knight—that's amazing."
"You truly are strong."
"Wow... how do you even do that?"
It was because the knights and soldiers, without exception, acknowledged him.
It wasn't that Blue Ghost had never received attention or recognition before. Even if he was pushed around by Ryanga, he was still the second-in-command of the Hundred Ghosts organization, and his strength was naturally second only to hers. Recognition always followed him.
But this was different. Blue Ghost had never received this kind of pure admiration and acceptance, free of any discrimination. Because of his natural skin color, he had endured unimaginable contempt from humans. Even within the Hundred Ghosts group, there were those who acknowledged his martial prowess but dismissed it as nothing more than innate strength.
Of course, no one was foolish enough to say such things to his face. But he knew those rumors circulated within the group. This kind of attention was a refreshing change for him.
Furthermore, while the knight training was somewhat dull, it felt different from the raw, unrefined training of the Hundred Ghosts group.
...Actually, it was very different.
Unlike the Hundred Ghosts members who would slack off whenever he gave an order, the subordinates in the knight order worked hard even if he assigned them the most trivial task. And while many in the Hundred Ghosts group tried to act tough and challenge him despite being weaker, no one in the knight order did that.
In short, he didn't experience any of the headaches of being a superior that he felt within the Hundred Ghosts group.
Quite naturally, Blue Ghost had spent the past month becoming assimilated into the group without even realizing it.
Of course, explaining the whole story would make the atmosphere awkward, so he simply emphasized that he had ended up in this situation against his will.
"...Well, that’s how it happened," Blue Ghost finished his brief explanation.
Inside the temporary command tent of Marquis Palatio, Alon, who had been watching Blue Ghost speak while staring wistfully into the distance, reached a conclusion.
"So, in the end, you came here because of Ryanga."
"Correct. I came to fetch you."
As Blue Ghost nodded, Alon looked a bit sheepish.
‘I was planning on visiting her eventually.’
Somehow, he hadn't managed to find the time until now. Alon scratched his head.
"I have to head out soon anyway, so I'll stop by there shortly."
"Understood."
Alon then added, "Also, I'm sorry you got swept up in all this. You've worked hard. If you want to quit, you're free to do so."
According to Blue Ghost’s story, he had essentially suffered a series of unfortunate events while trying to find Alon. Alon spoke with a tone of consolation, but...
"No, well—it’s fine."
"?"
"I mean... I’ve already taken a position in the knight order. Wouldn't it be strange to just disappear so suddenly?"
Blue Ghost’s eyes began to wander aimlessly.
"...Well, that’s true. But shouldn't you return to Ryanga?"
"Ah, right..."
Blue Ghost let out a low sigh following Alon’s words.
‘What is wrong with him?’ Alon wondered.
"My Lord," Evan whispered quietly.
"Yes?"
"Anyone can see he’s having second thoughts, right?"
"...It seems so."
"Just what kind of place is this 'Hundred Ghosts' organization...?"
As Alon quietly agreed with Evan’s whisper, Penia clapped her hands.
"But My Lord! If it’s reached this level... hasn't your divine power increased tremendously as well?"
"Oh, that’s true," Evan agreed, nodding.
"Is that so?"
Alon closed his eyes to contemplate his inner self.
The moment he closed his eyes...
"...?"
Alon found himself in a very familiar space. A place filled with a blue galaxy.
"This is—"
Recognizing the space immediately, Alon turned his gaze. There, he saw—
"Welcome back."
"...Kalanon?"
After a long time, he was finally meeting Kalanon, the Lightning Receiver.
However.
"Yes, it's me."
It wasn't the young girl he remembered, but a mature woman.