Chapter 412: The Second (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 412: The Second (1)
[Do you honestly think that makes any sense?]
After a brief silence, the Risen One chuckled at the Arm Spitter’s remark.
[You find it hard to believe?]
[Isn't it obvious? The abilities used by the Divine Blood are practically synonymous with their identity. And you’re saying he can just absorb them at will and use them again? Do you really think that’s possible?]
[But didn't you hear about the Star Eater from the Great One as well? About why he descended to this earth?]
[I did, but... wasn't that just about absorbing power?]
The Risen One nodded several times as if he understood the Arm Spitter’s skepticism.
[I certainly don't blame your reaction. To be honest, even for the Divine Blood, the ability to absorb the power of one's own kind is an extraordinary feat.]
[...If you know that, how can you be so certain?]
[Because—]
The Risen One answered without a moment's hesitation.
[—I saw it.]
[...You saw it?]
[Yes. It was a bit rude of me, but I asked him to show me his divine power when he visited last time.]
[Don't tell me, then—]
[He possessed two separate divinities. The divinities of 'The Devourer' and the 'Poison Eater,' held perfectly within him.]
[...That’s insane—]
The Arm Spitter was momentarily speechless. His black tentacles quivered with a chilling intensity. Finally, he spoke again.
[B-but even if he can absorb power, we don't know if he can actually pass it on to someone else...!]
[True, that might be the case.]
The Risen One nodded. The Star Eater’s ability was a clear anomaly even among the Divine Blood. Although he had seen the two divinities, the Star Eater hadn't revealed whether he could actually transfer them.
However, the reason the Risen One could speak with such certainty was simple.
[But, I heard it.]
[Heard it...?]
[Yes. From the Great One who gave us our orders.]
Because he had heard it directly.
The Arm Spitter’s single eye widened until it looked ready to tear.
[The Great One... He said that?]
The Risen One recalled that moment—the words spoken to him, the one destined to descend the fastest among the Divine Blood.
'Look after the Star Eater well. If you do, a great blessing will surely come to you.'
'A great blessing?'
'He is a being who can make you as strong as you wish. Besides, he’s quite the creature of whim.'
It was a short conversation, only a few sentences. But those few words—
[S-so, it’s really true?]
[Yes.]
—were more than enough to convince the Arm Spitter.
[T-think about it. The Great One discarded his own self and donned the shell of an inferior human for the sake of his achievements. To such a being, a power that amounts to nothing more than our level of strength is—]
[Merely a stepping stone to reach the other side?]
At the Arm Spitter’s response, the Risen One’s lips curled into a smirk.
[Exactly. For someone heading toward the same destination as the Great One we serve, everything gained along the way is likely just unnecessary baggage. And that unnecessary baggage—]
The Risen One stopped speaking and stared into the white eyes watching him from the abyss. The Arm Spitter muttered as if possessed.
[—He bestows upon those beneath him?]
[Yes. And if that happens—]
As the Risen One nodded, the Arm Spitter’s tentacles began to twist in a strange fashion. They writhed as if shivering with a sense of thrill.
And then.
[Even if we don't break our backs gathering faith, it wouldn't be strange for us to reach the Heavenly Law.]
With those words of conviction, a strange gear began to turn among the Divine Blood—a gear where truth and lies were subtly intertwined.
* * *
The second day of the banquet was, naturally, held in a more subdued atmosphere than the first. Or at least, it was supposed to be.
'Wait, isn't it a bit too empty?'
Alon was bewildered. Unlike yesterday, when the venue felt like it was physically heating up because it was so packed, the number of attendees today had noticeably dwindled.
"I expected fewer people, but... the difference is stark, isn't it?"
Alon agreed with Penia’s observation.
"It certainly is."
"Hmm—well, it’s normal for the crowd to thin out, but it’s decreased more than I thought."
Penia tilted her head, looking thoughtful for a moment.
"Actually, it is a bit strange."
"What is?"
"Usually, for it to be this empty, a lot of people should have left midway through yesterday. But hardly anyone left early yesterday."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
'Then what happened...?' Alon wondered for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. Regardless of the reason, he preferred a smaller crowd anyway; it was much more comfortable.
"Godfather."
While Alon was lost in thought, a voice called out from beside him. He turned to see Line standing there. However...
"Line?"
"Yes."
"...You changed your hair."
"Yes. I realized I haven't paid much attention to my hair lately."
She had indeed changed her hairstyle. Her hair was now parted to the right and adorned with dainty pins. Alon let out a low hum of approval and nodded.
"It suits you."
"Does it?"
"Yes, it looks good."
Line let out a small sigh of relief at Alon’s compliment. But that moment was brief.
"Boss—!"
"Did you change your hair too?"
"Yeah, how is it?"
Ryanga approached, having also made a change to her appearance, much like Line. Alon tilted his head in confusion.
'Why is everyone suddenly changing their style?'
Penia, Line, and now Ryanga—all of them had done it today. Just as Alon was wondering if today was some special occasion...
Evan was moving to check on Silli’s movements under Alon’s orders. He eventually found her in the annex where Alon had waited before the procession began.
"..."
However, Evan couldn't bring himself to speak to her easily. The reason was—
'What is this?'
He was quite a distance away from Silli. Or more accurately, there were so many people standing between them, all staring at Silli on the stage.
The silence was so heavy it felt suffocating. Overwhelmed by the bizarre atmosphere, Evan remained silent and observed the situation.
At that moment.
"First of all, to everyone gathered here... thank you so much."
Silli’s voice, accompanied by a smile, rang out. The stage became so quiet that not even a whisper could be heard. In that peaceful silence, Silli continued.
"In my heart, I would love to greet each and every one of you personally. But unfortunately, since everyone here is a very busy person, I’ll get straight to the point."
She pulled a piece of paper from her robe. It was an unremarkable sheet, folded into quarters with the number '1' written in the center. However, as the crowd began to buzz at the sight of that paper, a question mark appeared over Evan’s head.
'What is that? Is it a paper infused with mana?'
Just in case, Evan channeled mana into his eyes. But he didn't see anything special. The thing Silli held was just a piece of paper, seemingly worthless.
As Evan stood there looking puzzled, Silli shouted.
"Now! We will begin accepting donations! And for our glorious first donor—"
She made a declaration that, from Evan’s perspective, made his brain momentarily stall.
"I, Silli Macallian, the Saintess who speaks for the Great One, guarantee you the right to be the 'first' to 'purchase' the statue of the King of Palantia and the Great Living God!"
And then.
"I-I will donate!"
"Move! It’s me! I’m the one!"
"A donation—! I’ll make a donation!"
"I’ve been waiting for this moment!"
"You fool! You have to call out an amount! 5,000! 5,000 gold coins!!"
There, in the annex, without any actual goods present—literally just for the 'order' in which they could receive a statue—Silli had instantly incited a massive uproar under the guise of 'donations.'
Watching her, Evan couldn't help but think of a certain phrase.
'Is this... the creative economy...?'
* * *
"Whew—"
Hidan let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. Thinking about it objectively, escorting the Great Moon wasn't particularly exhausting work. He considered serving the Blue Moon a natural duty, and besides, the Great Moon didn't really need Hidan’s protection. The people surrounding him were of such a caliber that they wouldn't allow a single scratch on him unless the Divine Blood themselves invaded.
Yet, Hidan was exhausted. It was purely due to the tension. Ever since the Great Moon had mentioned someone he was interested in yesterday, a strange tension had begun to circulate around him. Hidan, having witnessed the clash between the Red Moon and the Green Moon from afar, couldn't help but be on edge, making him more tired than usual.
'I trust they won't go that far since the Great Moon is nearby, but...'
Still, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He remained tense throughout his shift. He wanted to rest, but he headed toward the Red Moon’s room instead. He intended to give her a report he hadn't finished while the banquet was quiet.
'Is the Red Moon alright?'
As Hidan walked, a worry crossed his mind. It wasn't that she was ill. She was still acting perfectly as the Red Moon and as the Great Moon’s confidante. However, a subtle change had occurred in her recently.
It was a very minor change, but to Hidan, who frequently received orders from her, it was distinct.
'...Lately, she seems to be having trouble remembering things.'
The Red Moon’s memory was usually terrifyingly sharp. She was thorough in everything and never forgot an order she had given. But recently, there were more instances where she strangely couldn't recall things. Hidan found this odd.
In the meantime, he arrived at the door to the Red Moon’s room.
"..."
After a quick glance around, Hidan quietly entered the room to avoid being noticed. And then, he saw it.
The Great Red Moon was standing in front of a full-length mirror. She was holding her white hair in both hands, tying it into twin-tails, and tilting her head curiously.
And.
As he stood there with his mouth agape at the sight, the next thing he saw—
Was those crimson eyes reflecting his own image. Very clearly.
"...Ah."
Hidan felt his life flash before his eyes.