Chapter 33: The Boss…? Me…? (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: The Boss…? Me…? (1)
In the early hours of the day Alon received the letter informing him that Yutia had become a Cardinal.
The regular meeting of the Blue Moon began.
Meetings of the Blue Moon were fundamentally held once every six months. Since the members were too far apart to meet in person, they communicated primarily through crystal balls.
...However, even though they met only twice a year, the meetings were never particularly long.
Most of the meetings held via the crystal balls Line had crafted rarely exceeded ten minutes. Even then, Yutia, who presided over the meetings, or Seolrang, who would toss out innocent remarks, took up almost all the time.
In other words, the other members—excluding those two—hardly spoke at all, except to offer a simple "yes," "no," or a brief opinion.
Of course, Ladan or Line would occasionally exchange trivial bits of daily life, claiming a share of the conversation, but Deus was almost always silent throughout the entire meeting.
Part of it was because he truly had nothing to say, but it was also due to his naturally taciturn personality.
Because of that, no one expected it.
Not from a single innocent question Seolrang blurted out: "Oh, I heard a rumor that the Great Moon was there? What was he like in person?"
No one expected that a meeting which usually averaged less than ten minutes would be extended by over half an hour.
...Actually, up to that point, the Five Great Sins participating in the meeting still looked quite intrigued.
It wasn't just because Deus was heaping praise upon the Great Moon; it was more the shock of realizing, Wait, Deus can actually talk this much?
But then.
[The Great Moon stood before that Outer God—Uultultus. While everyone else was plunged into despair and terror, and even the Vice Tower Master of the Blue Magic Tower was blinded by fear, he stepped forward as if it were nothing and challenged the Outer God to a duel. Thinking back, it seems the Great Moon had been preparing his magic since that very moment. But the important part isn't actually there. When the Outer God—]
As Deus’s speech passed the thirty-minute mark and approached an hour, a sense of bewilderment began to take root in their hearts.
...They never imagined the story would go on for a full hour.
[Come to think of it, when the Great Moon was leaving—]
[Wait, you're getting a bit side—]
Line tried to cut Deus off, but.
[Just listen to this part. We are talking about the Great Moon, aren't we? Now, where was I? Right, with Uultultus—]
Already intoxicated by his own tale of the Great Moon, Deus continued his story, even looping back to earlier points in time to add more detail.
Someone stop him... Line and Seolrang looked toward Yutia through the mana-projected images, their eyes pleading for help.
They looked to her because she was the only one who could properly interrupt Deus, but.
[As expected, the Great Moon is truly on another level.]
Yutia herself seemed to be enjoying Deus’s story immensely. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she nodded along with a delighted smile.
[[.......]]
The others realized then that this story was not going to end anytime soon.
And, just as they predicted.
[Ahem... I suppose I’ve rambled on too long.]
It was another hour and thirty minutes later when Deus finally finished his story.
[[.......]]
The meeting ended that day with one fact firmly engraved into the minds of Line, Ladan, and Seolrang: Never ask Deus about the Great Moon.
...It was very late into the night.
* * *
The next day.
"Count, it seems Yutia really did become a Cardinal."
"...Really?"
"Yes. Even the information guild says they've confirmed that Yutia has become one of the eight Cardinals of the Holy Kingdom Rosario."
Listening to Evan’s voice, Alon muttered to himself, a flurry of question marks popping up in his head.
"Evan."
"Yes, Count."
"...Isn't a Cardinal a very high-ranking position in the Holy Kingdom?"
"It is, isn't it? Like I said before, I believe a Cardinal is the highest rank after the Pope. Plus, they're of a status that can declare an 'Out Call.'"
"An Out Call...?"
"To put it simply, she’s become one of the people who can legally declare a Holy War. Well, it requires various constraints and procedures, of course."
At Evan’s words, Alon let out a small "Ah" of realization. He fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"Evan."
"Yes."
"It’s not exactly easy to become a Cardinal, is it?"
"...Are you asking that seriously?"
Alon spoke to Evan, who was looking at him with an expression that clearly said, What kind of ridiculous question is that?
"I'm just making sure."
"...Of course it’s not easy. Excluding the Saints who are chosen directly by God, there are only eight of them in that vast Holy Kingdom. How could it possibly be easy?"
Alon nodded, but tilted his head as a question occurred to him.
How on earth did she do it...?
Of course, Alon was the one who had sent Yutia to the Holy Kingdom, knowing she had the talent of a Devout Believer.
However, he never imagined she would become a Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom in less than two years.
He knew very well that the position of Cardinal wasn't something one could reach through devout faith alone.
Alon, who had been questioning Yutia’s current situation, soon brushed the thought aside.
Thinking about it coldly, Yutia’s success in the Holy Kingdom was in no way a disadvantage for him.
In fact, it was a very good thing.
Do I finally have some proper backing...?
Rumors were already starting to spread within Calliban that the Count of Palatio was the benefactor of Deus, one of Calliban’s Master Knights, but this was different.
With Deus, they couldn't even exchange letters properly, and when they did meet, saying one sentence to each other a day was considered a lot of communication.
Yutia, on the other hand, was someone he exchanged letters with regularly every month, and someone he could naturally ask for a favor if the need arose. There was a massive difference.
Thus, while Alon’s face remained expressionless, he felt quite satisfied internally and nodded several times.
Maybe a few crumbs of benefit will fall my way?
He held a small expectation.
* * *
About a week had passed since then.
As he had originally planned, Alon was enjoying a peaceful daily life upon his return to the county.
Waking up late in the morning to eat toast and having steak for dinner provided him with the most precious happiness: the leisure of life.
However, that didn't mean he had spent the entire week just playing around without a single thought.
...In truth, Alon wanted to stop thinking altogether, but knowing that an Outer God had already descended once, he couldn't just sit back and eat and play.
First of all, if one Outer God had descended, it meant others could as well.
In other words, by stopping the Five Great Sins, he had created a situation where Outer Gods might appear instead. Alon accepted this situation with humility.
He had gone through hell, but in a way, he thought it wasn't so bad.
If this was the butterfly effect caused by Alon saving the Five Great Sins, it was dozens of times better than doing nothing and letting the Five Great Sins descend to turn the kingdoms into a wasteland.
At least Outer Gods gave a warning before coming down. The moment the Five Great Sins descended, you might as well assume a nuclear bomb had dropped and start praying to the heavens.
...Anyway.
Fully aware that another Outer God could appear at any time, Alon had spent the past week juggling information gathering and magical research.
"Phew—"
Alon let out a long sigh and looked down at the ground.
Unlike the other solid parts of the training ground, he saw that muddy slush was dirtying his shoes.
I finally succeeded.
Just as he realized that the magic he had been steadily researching since his return from Calliban was a success.
"Count... Hmm? It feels strangely chilly in here."
At the sound of Evan’s voice entering the training ground with a puzzled expression, Alon naturally turned his gaze and spoke.
"You're back?"
"Yes."
"The information? Did you manage to dig anything up?"
Alon asked with a hint of expectation.
Since he had asked about everything from Uultultus’s true name to the "Black Thing" and the "Blue Thing," he figured he’d get at least one or two answers.
"Nothing at all?"
"No. They said they have absolutely no knowledge of the Brute God, or the Black and Blue things."
At Evan’s subsequent answer, Alon smacked his lips and thought.
As expected, do I have to go to the Colony to get any information?
Alon thought back to what had been written on the accessory.
Normally, it suited Alon’s temperament better to go and investigate himself since he had a clue, rather than asking the information guild.
However, the reason he couldn't move yet was that the location of Kahara, the City of the Old God, had not yet been discovered at this point in time.
In the game, you could always enter if you went to the Colony, so I didn't think about it.
He smacked his lips in disappointment but soon shrugged his shoulders.
According to the faint in-game knowledge remaining from his time playing Psychedelia—excluding what he’d written in his notebook for fear of forgetting—the location of Kahara would likely be discovered before long.
The description said the city was discovered three years before the protagonist left the village, so according to the setting, it should be this year.
Recalling that this year was three years before the start of the original story, Alon concluded he had to wait until then and nodded.
"I see."
"I'll tell them to keep looking, just in case."
Evan watched Alon give a short nod, then let out an "Ah" as if he’d just remembered something.
"Oh, and Count. A gift arrived."
"...A gift?"
"Yes. I put it in your office, so you should go check it out."
* * *
Following Evan’s words, Alon returned to his office and found the gift waiting for him.
Upon checking the contents, Alon...
"...Oh."
He let out an involuntary exclamation.
It was only natural, as inside the gift box was a solid gold goblet encrusted with brilliant jewels.
"...If we sold this one thing, we could easily buy a mansion or two, couldn't we?"
Listening to Evan mutter with a shocked expression, Alon checked the sender written on the wrapping.
In the recipient's spot, the name "Baron Pirima" was written in large letters that anyone could recognize.
...But why send this to me?
Naturally, Alon didn't know who Baron Pirima was, so he tilted his head in confusion.
However.
"I suppose the rumors have finally finished spreading?"
"Rumors?"
"Yes. Rumors have been going around that the Count is the benefactor of Deus, one of Calliban’s Master Knights."
"...They’d give a gift this big just because of one connection?"
Alon asked back, bewildered.
But a moment later.
"...It’s true."
After checking the letter enclosed with the gift, Alon muttered those words in spite of himself.
The letter contained a brief self-introduction along with blatant flattery, praising Alon for being Deus’s benefactor.
...Master Knights are incredibly famous, but is it really to this extent...?
Alon wore a puzzled expression.
Of course, even in the game, Master Knights were applauded in any country the moment they appeared...
Alon thought back to the blatant scenes of glorification that occurred whenever he briefly traveled with Reinhardt, one of Calliban’s Master Knights, for a quest.
Well, I suppose it’s possible there are one or two people like that.
With that thought, he nodded with a quite satisfied feeling and took the golden goblet.
It wasn't that the county’s finances were lacking, but wealth was always better the more you had.
Alon had experienced many times in his past life how much one’s quality of life changed depending on how many gold coins were left.
I'll keep this as a slush fund.
Though his face was expressionless, Alon looked at the golden goblet with a satisfied smile hidden inside.
And the next day.
"Count."
"What is it?"
"Another gift has arrived. Two of them this time."
"...Two?"
Alon received more gifts from nobles he didn't know.
And they were two artifacts as precious as the golden goblet he’d received the day before.
"Wow, this is an artifact that comes from the deep layers of the Labyrinth. It must be incredibly expensive."
Evan marveled at the artifact in Alon’s hand.
And Alon, contrary to his outward expression, was once again beaming on the inside.
Is this... the power of connections?
He looked at the artifact with a grin, reading the words on the stationery that praised Deus and himself as Deus’s benefactor.
If he sold the gifts he’d received so far, an amount of money that could make an already affluent life even more luxurious had come in an instant.
The bitter past of Deus not contacting him was long forgotten in Alon’s mind.
Deus... you truly are a filial son.
Instead, Deus had become a filial son to him.
"Count, at this rate, we could even change the carriage to a magitech one. We have to ride one for the 'Grand Council' in a few months anyway, so why don't we change it?"
"...That might not be a bad idea."
Evan and Alon spoke while wearing satisfied smiles, Alon still holding the artifact.
But that was only the beginning.
The next day.
"Another gift, my Lord!"
"Oh."
The day after that.
"It's a gift!"
"Oh."
Three days later.
"Count, a gift."
"Mm."
Another week later.
"Count, another gift."
"...Hmm?"
...And, exactly one month after that.
"Count, another gift... has arrived??"
"...???"
Alon began to think that things were taking a very strange turn.