Chapter 388: Quickening (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 388: Quickening (3)
The day after Alon’s destination abruptly shifted to Colony—instead of the Magic Tower or Teria as originally planned after his talks in Rosario.
“From Rosario to Colony...”
“It will take at least a month.”
“A month, then...”
A month.
It was a period that could be considered long or short, depending on one's perspective.
Alon turned his gaze toward Evan.
“Evan.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
“Have you managed to gather any additional information regarding the situation since then?”
“I checked with the Information Guild in town just a moment ago. Generally speaking, the situation is not looking good.”
“Tell me.”
Evan began to report the information he had gathered from the guild, point by point.
Alon listened in silence.
“...This might sound a bit pessimistic, but is the United Kingdoms just going to fall apart at this rate?” Penia muttered, her expression clouded with worry.
“I agree. The situation seems quite dire,” Evan added.
Alon didn't offer a direct reply. Instead, he calmly synthesized and organized the information he had just received.
The intelligence Evan brought could be summarized into three main points.
First, as of yesterday, aberrant entities of the Divine Blood had begun attacking Colony.
Second, it wasn't just Colony; most of the United Kingdoms were now under assault.
And third...
The various kingdoms were being helplessly overwhelmed by these Divine Blood attacks, unable to mount any significant resistance.
“Sigh.”
Alon let out a long breath.
Simply piecing the information together painted a very grim picture. However, it wasn't entirely hopeless yet.
Based on Evan’s report, the Divine Blood themselves—the core bodies of the aberrant entities—had not yet made a move. Furthermore, not every nation in the United Kingdoms was under fire.
The island nations of Laxas and Asteria, as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxible, had not been attacked.
Of course, other kingdoms and small principalities were currently suffering irreversible damage, and even the safe nations had no way of knowing when they might be targeted.
And among them, the situation in Colony is the most critical... is it?
Having reached that conclusion, Alon looked at Evan.
“Evan.”
“Yes, Marquis.”
“Is the situation in Colony truly that severe?”
“Yes. According to the Information Guild, for a nation of its size, the state of affairs is exceptionally poor.”
“...Are the entities there particularly strong? Or is it an issue with the Babayagas?”
It was a reasonable question, given Colony’s peculiar culture.
Evan replied, “That may be part of it, but—I heard the situation in Colony is a bit strange.”
“Strange?”
“Yes. They say there have been many clumsy mistakes that should never occur during a war. Because of that, they reportedly suffered heavy losses during yesterday’s invasion.”
“...Clumsy mistakes?”
“Yes. I didn't ask for the specific details, but it is a fact that their situation is the most dire.”
Alon let out another sigh, having lost count of how many he’d exhaled during this report.
“...This won't be easy.”
Watching him, Penia called out to him tentatively.
“Um, Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“...I know this might sound a bit cold-hearted, but... perhaps you don't need to stress yourself quite this much?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because—you are already doing your absolute best, Marquis.”
Penia met Alon’s eyes as she continued.
“As you know, you’re only one person. There’s a limit to what one man can do. And you already gave everyone plenty of warning when the Milky Way fell, didn't you?”
“...”
She wasn't wrong.
After the Milky Way fell, Alon had emphasized to the gathered kings that such a situation would arise and that they needed to prepare.
“I think you did more than enough by telling them that much. You’ve fulfilled your duty.”
Alon looked at Penia and noticed the faint trace of worry melting into her eyes.
“...Thank you for saying that.”
Alon nodded in response.
Her words were logical. In reality, Alon couldn't save every kingdom. He was one man, and he couldn't split himself into many.
However, the reason Alon felt burdened by this situation wasn't simply out of a sense of guilt for not being able to save everyone. Despite what Penia or Evan might think, Alon didn't possess such agape-like love for humanity.
The reason he was stressed was because of the nature of the Divine Blood and what he had heard from Sironia’s original self.
‘The current Divine Blood have already realized that the lives offering them faith don’t necessarily have to be “sane.”’
Those were the words.
The principle by which the Divine Blood became gods in this world was fundamentally the same: they grew stronger by receiving faith from living beings.
And if the Divine Blood had a way to forcibly make humans “worship” them in any form...
In other words, the more damage the Divine Blood inflicted, the harder it would become for Alon to face them.
Therefore, Alon had to stop them as much as possible. If he couldn't stop them, he had to take measures to ensure that humans didn't fall into their hands.
After agonizing over it for a while, Alon spoke.
“...Penia.”
“Yes.”
“...I think I need to send word to Divine Land.”
“I understand.”
He decided to do what he could right now.
* * *
Three weeks and two days passed as they headed toward Colony, keeping their presence in towns to a minimum.
Alon focused on two things during the journey.
One was magic research. The other was gathering information.
Through the Information Guild, Alon had acquired a vast array of news. Most of it was unpleasant, consisting of reports on the destruction of towns and territories.
The only silver lining was that Laxas and Asteria remained untouched, and after the initial shock of the aberrant entities' attacks, most kingdoms were defending better than they had at the start.
Of course, rumors suggested even that defense was precarious. If the Divine Blood themselves began to move, the situation would spiral out of control. Regardless, the status quo was being maintained, however tenuously.
“...With this, the basic framework is complete, Marquis.”
“Indeed.”
Inside the carriage racing across the golden sands, Alon was talking with Penia.
“Hmm—it’s still difficult, though. Converting magic into a medium went well, but the control is still quite demanding.”
“It is more so than I expected.”
“Well, it’s all part of the process. I think it’s a good place to start. This stage is more like practice anyway.”
“True.”
As Alon nodded, Evan’s voice drifted in from outside.
“Marquis! I think Colony will be in sight once we go a bit further!”
“Understood.”
Alon turned his gaze toward the endless expanse of golden sand. He looked toward the front of the carriage and spotted the small silhouette of Colony entering his field of vision.
But that only lasted a moment.
“...”
“...”
“...”
As they drew closer to Colony, the faces of Alon, Penia, and Evan all hardened in unison.
The reason was simple.
“...This is Colony?”
Unlike how it appeared from afar, the Colony they saw up close was in a state far more severe than they had imagined.
“...”
Alon stared blankly up at the sky. The sun beat down intensely, as if to embrace everything. Yet, in stark contrast to that sun, the Colony beneath it laid bare its wretched state.
The sturdy walls that once surrounded the city were riddled with massive holes and crumbled sections, looking as if they had been gouged out by something sharp. The harsh desert wind whipped through the gaps, mercilessly scattering ash around the ramparts.
The once-magnificent domed roofs and spires had shattered and collapsed, their jagged fragments jutting out like broken teeth.
“...This is Colony?” Penia’s stunned voice scattered in the wind.
Alon felt the same. Colony was that desolate. No, it was in such a disastrous state that it could practically be considered destroyed.
While they were all lost in the sight of the ruins, a voice rang out.
“Who goes there?!”
Even though the city was in ruins, the South Gate remained firmly shut. As Alon’s group approached, they were met by a heavy guard.
“The—The Marquis of Palatio?!”
“Hey! Open the gate!!”
...Before he could even call for Seolrang, the guards recognized Alon and allowed them inside much faster than expected.
“...This is...”
“It looks like the perimeter was breached more than once or twice.”
“It seems so.”
The interior was a scene of carnage. Most of the area near the gate was pulverized, and several buildings had collapsed entirely, losing their original forms.
As Alon stood there in dismay, a familiar voice reached him.
“Mentor!”
Seolrang was running toward him from a distance.
“Wow! It’s Mentor!”
As soon as he turned around, Seolrang hugged him tightly as if she had been waiting for this moment. Alon naturally returned the embrace and offered a small smile.
“Have you been well?”
“Yup!” Seolrang replied with a bright grin.
But it was short-lived.
“...Oh?”
Alon noticed the bandages wrapped tightly around Seolrang’s body. Realizing where his gaze had landed, Seolrang stepped back and tried to explain.
“Ah, this? Well—I just let my guard down a bit. It’s not a big wound, so don’t worry.”
She awkwardly tried to hide the bandages with both hands. Just as Alon was about to say something...
“...Hello, Marquis.”
A weary greeting reached his ears. It was Lime, who had finally caught up to them.
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
“I know you’ve just arrived and things are hectic, but could you follow me immediately?” Lime whispered secretly to Alon.
Alon felt a surge of doubt, but seeing Seolrang’s expression suddenly stiffen as well, he nodded.
“...Lead the way.”
Without further questions, he followed Lime. They headed toward Seolrang’s guild building, but instead of going to her office, they began descending into the basement.
“...I didn't know a place like this existed.”
“No, it wasn't here originally. But because of the unforeseen circumstances—”
Lime answered Alon’s question. His curiosity only deepened.
“It’s here.”
Lime opened a door in the basement. Following her inside, Alon froze.
“Marquis.”
“...Karsem?”
There, he found Karsem. He was covered in a considerable number of wounds.
“...What happened?” Alon asked in shock.
But instead of a direct answer to his question...
Alon heard a devastating truth from Karsem.
“...The 1st Prince has murdered the King and sided with the Divine Blood.”
“...What?”
It was a revelation that shook him to his core.