Chapter 433: Strange (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 433: Strange (4)
The room was now stained crimson by the moonlight.
Silence settled over everything.
Yutia gazed at the Seeker without a word. Her red lips parted slightly.
"I came because I have something to discuss with you."
A natural smile soon graced her previously expressionless face.
Seeing this, the Seeker let out a soft sigh. At the very least, as far as he knew, that smile should never disappear from her face—especially if she was 'one who had crossed over.'
"Then I would appreciate it if you would release this."
"Oh my—my mistake."
Yutia acted coy, as if she had simply forgotten.
The Seeker’s body regained its freedom. Only then did he turn away from the window where he had been watching the red moon to face her. A young girl sat before him; she had taken a seat across from him before he even realized it.
Tick—
There was clearly no clock in the room. It was a sound that shouldn't be heard. Yet, the moment he perceived the clear ringing in his ears—
"Why did you do it?" Yutia’s question flew at him.
The smile remained on her lips, but her expression was infinitely cold.
"…Whatever do you mean?"
"I believe you know exactly what I am asking."
The Seeker remained silent for a moment under her interrogation before finally answering.
"…Regarding the Star Eater, I certainly had no ulterior motives. I simply told him what needed to be said at this point in time."
"…And what exactly is 'this point in time'?"
"I judged it to be necessary for him right now."
"Was it not merely your own dogmatic desire to prevent destruction the easy way?"
"I cannot say such a motive was entirely absent, but it is true that he needs it. You should know this as well, shouldn't you? Now that the Divine Bloods have descended, things will not return to the way they were."
"…."
"Even if there are none now, there will eventually be others like you. No, there is already one suspicious individual even within this Tower. And this task I have assigned—"
"Stop."
Yutia cut him off. The Seeker fell silent without resistance.
Yutia looked into his eyes as if she were observing something amusing, yet her gaze was laced with scrutiny. After a long silence—
"Hmm—"
Yutia tilted her head.
"I think I understand. You judged it so for both Him and for your own mission, is that it?"
"Yes. My goal has been the same from the beginning until now."
"To prevent the destruction of the continent?"
The Seeker did not answer her question. It wasn't a deliberate snub; it was simply that they both already knew what the answer would be.
"…Still, I think that is asking too much."
"It may be difficult. But won't you be following him?"
"Did you anticipate that far ahead?"
"I did. Of course, even if you go with him, in the end, this is a problem he must overcome himself."
Yutia nodded as if she had heard everything she needed to.
"Then, I shall take it as such."
the moment Yutia’s voice rang out again, the crimson world began to crumble. The blood-colored moon regained its original blue hue. When the world finally returned to normal, the Seeker murmured.
"…I'm glad we could reach an understanding."
"Is that so?"
"If we hadn't, I would have been forced to use strength."
Yutia stopped in her tracks.
"Oh? Did you believe you could escape even if you used strength?"
"…It would have been impossible against the 'you' from before you crossed over, but it should be possible now."
The Seeker spoke while looking at the girl's back.
"Because the current you is clearly weaker than before."
The girl, who had been heading for the door, turned only her head to look back at him. Beneath her smiling eyes, the grin on her lips glowed faintly.
"Do not worry too much."
"…."
"I plan to reclaim it soon, after all."
Yutia resumed her walk and silently grasped the doorknob. Just as the Seeker, lost in thought, suddenly looked surprised as if he had realized something—
"Ah, right."
Yutia’s hand, which was about to turn the knob, came to a halt.
"There was one more thing I meant to tell you, but I forgot."
"…What is it?"
Without looking back at the Seeker, Yutia opened the door and said, "If your goal is to prevent destruction, I think you need to pay a bit more attention."
"What…?"
"Even if you block all the Divine Bloods, if He is not there at the end—"
The world will perish anyway.
Leaving those low, final words behind, she vanished outside as if dissolving into the air.
The Seeker stared blankly at the spot where Yutia had exited.
"…."
Quietly, a single question arose in his mind. The expression Yutia had used.
'…Reclaim?'
The Seeker frowned. He knew she was someone who had crossed over. However, her power was not the kind that could be regained simply because she wished to. At least, not as far as the Seeker knew. In the first place, her power was—
"!"
The Seeker’s eyes widened as the thought struck him. A sudden possibility occurred to him.
'If that is actually possible—'
The Seeker let out an involuntary, hollow laugh.
"…It really might be possible."
Muttering to himself, the Seeker thought of the Western Temple located at the edge of the continent. A temple where there might be someone else to gain something from, besides the Star Eater.
And the next day.
"Then, let us depart."
"Yes."
"…Yes…."
"Understood."
Alon’s party set off for the west.
* * *
Although Yutia had been added to the group's journey, not much had changed. If there were any noticeable shifts—
"Ahem—Lord Alon, you see, this is—"
It was perhaps that Penia was acting strangely stiff, and Basiliora and Blackie, who used to roll around and fight at every opportunity, had stopped showing themselves entirely.
Aside from those minor(?) issues, nothing particularly special happened, so the journey of Alon’s party was peaceful.
However.
"…."
As the journey grew longer, Alon’s worries were gradually increasing. It was because of the matter regarding Rhythm.
'…Law. A law, huh.'
Lately, aside from simple magic research, Alon had been preoccupied with one thing: what kind of Law he would establish when he ascended to the 2nd Stage.
"…."
At this point, Alon had resolved a certain amount of risk through the Art of Defying Heaven. What he needed now was to go beyond risk mitigation and take another step forward.
However, no matter how much he pondered, no viable ideas came to mind. It wasn't because Alon’s magic was near completion; his magic still had many deficiencies.
But those were problems to be solved through magic itself; the Law was a different story entirely. Thus, Alon spent his time lost in thought.
And after more time had passed.
"Lord Alon."
"What is it?"
"We have reached the border."
"The border…? Didn't we pass it recently?"
Alon recalled his memory from a few days ago. Unlike the borders of the United Kingdoms, the Empire’s border had been empty, as if they didn't feel the need to guard such a thing.
"Ah, it seems the border of the Eastern Empire remains."
"…There’s another border?"
"Yes. Take a look."
Alon peeked out of the carriage. A massive castle wall stood ahead. It was a wall as vast as the one he had seen at the previous border.
"…They built another one."
"Yes, it seems it was constructed after the Empire split. Come to think of it, I believe I heard about this somewhere."
"…I didn't consider that."
Alon let out a small sigh. Of course, he had been slightly concerned before, but since the previous border was empty, they had crossed easily. He hadn't expected them to have built an entirely separate border like this.
"Hmm… what should we do about this…?"
"I know…. The Eastern Empire side will likely be a bit difficult."
"…Hmm…."
Evan, Penia, and Yutia each fell into thought. After a moment of deliberation, Alon made a decision.
"Let’s head there for now."
They couldn't exactly turn back after coming all this way. The party held a brief strategy meeting before reaching the border.
"Well, in times like this, there is one tried-and-true frontal breakthrough method."
"What is it?"
"This."
Evan made a circle with his fingers, signaling money.
"But if that fails, we won't just be barred from entry; we could be thrown in prison."
"Ahem—would it really go that far?"
"First of all, the fact that we aren't Imperial citizens will make it difficult…. How about this instead?"
"What?"
"We reveal our affiliations and say we've come to deliver a message to the Eastern Empire’s brat—I mean, the Imperial Princess—regarding the recent events."
"And after that?"
"Once we're inside, we just cut across the Eastern Empire and head for the Western Empire."
"…And how do you plan to handle the aftermath?"
"That’s…."
Penia cleared her throat and averted her gaze. While useless suggestions were being poured out, the carriage drew closer to the border’s castle gate. Anxiety clouded everyone's faces.
Then.
"Do not worry too much, Teacher."
"…Yutia?"
Yutia stepped forward.
"Do you have a way?"
"It isn't a guaranteed method, but I am under the guidance of the Goddess Sironia. And there are those who serve Goddess Sironia within the Empire as well."
"Oh."
Alon let out an involuntary exclamation. He judged that things might indeed become easier if what she said was true. After all, she was a Cardinal of Rosario.
'…Wait, didn't the Empire serve a different god?'
The doubt flickered through Alon’s mind for only a moment.
"Identify yourselves!"
As soon as they reached the gate, a soldier’s shout rained down from atop the wall as if he had been waiting.
"…Let’s get out for now."
"Yes."
Alon and Yutia stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the wall. There, at a height that made one's neck ache, stood a man who radiated an extraordinary aura.
'…Judging by his pressure, he’s at least a Master Knight, or perhaps higher.'
Alon gauged the man's skill based on the mana faintly flowing from his body.
"Greetings. I am Yutia Bloodia, a servant of the great Goddess Sironia."
In the meantime, Yutia stepped forward calmly. The man, who had been looking down as if he had no interest in her greeting—
"…?"
His expression turned strange for a moment—
"!"
Then, as if he had realized something, he vanished from the top of the wall like a ghost.
Rumble—!!!
At the same time, the gate began to open.
"…Wow, the Goddess Sironia really carries weight even in the Empire."
"I'll say."
While Evan and Penia exchanged words behind him—
"Greetings."
The man who had been atop the wall came running out in a hurry. And immediately—
"I failed to recognize you!"
""?""
He bowed deeply to Alon. The entire party was bewildered.
"…Excuse me?"
"Are you not King Palatio Alon of Palantia?" the man asked cautiously, lifting his gaze.
"I am, but…."
When Alon confirmed it, the man nodded vigorously.
"I have heard the news. You may pass."
He guided them in readily.
"…Why?"
As Alon tilted his head in confusion, the man wore a proud smile, as if praising his own excellent social awareness.
"Are you not the one who will soon become the Imperial Princess's husband?"
He said it plainly.
"…Huh?"
"…?"
The smile vanished from Yutia’s face.
And from the face of Penia, who stood beside Evan.