Chapter 472: Astaroth (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 472: Astaroth (2)
The strange look Evan gave him lasted only a moment.
Alon soon stepped out of the carriage and looked at the Divine Bloods standing there as if they had been waiting for him.
At a glance, there were dozens of them.
The mere sight of so many Divine Bloods gathered in one place was a spectacle in itself.
After staring blankly ahead for a moment, Alon silently shifted his gaze. He was searching the crowd to see if any of the Divine Bloods he had encountered before were among them.
Once, Alon scanned the crowd.
Then a second time.
Then a third.
...Just in case, he checked a fourth time.
Unfortunately, he couldn't find a single familiar face.
“….”
Alon closed his eyes and organized his thoughts.
Before him stood 'Star Root,' a group of Divine Bloods who claimed to serve the Star Eater.
Yet, he—the Star Eater himself—had never seen them before.
How on earth did things end up like this?
Naturally, Alon had no way of knowing. He could say with absolute certainty that he had never had anything to do with Star Root.
He wanted to ask. He wanted to demand an explanation for what was happening.
But Alon didn't dare let such a question cross his lips.
Was it because the loyal gaze of the Divine Bloods felt too burdensome?
No. While that was true, he was more than capable of ignoring it.
The real reason he couldn't bring himself to ask was that he clearly realized a reckless question could significantly worsen the situation.
For instance, what if these Divine Bloods hadn't been recruited by Alon in some sleepwalking fit, but had instead organized themselves based on a complete 'delusion'?
...To be honest, he had no idea what kind of misunderstanding could have escalated things to this point.
‘…I see why the Sculptor was so flustered.’
Alon suddenly recalled the Sculptor he had met previously.
He quickly refocused his attention on the Divine Bloods.
Regardless, if this group had indeed been formed based on an absurd misunderstanding, he didn't know how they would react the moment that delusion shattered. As Alon agonized over this, he looked at the two Divine Bloods still standing firmly before him.
On one side was a Divine Blood whose entire body was ablaze.
On the other was a Divine Blood draped in chilling skulls, looking down at Alon.
After glancing at each of them, Alon suppressed his uncertainty and issued a command.
“…First, everyone disperse—we shall gather again tomorrow.”
For a split second, he wondered if he was doing this right, causing his words to stumble slightly.
However, as if such a minor slip-up meant nothing, the two leaders shouted in unison.
[Understood—!]
The crowd began to scatter instantly.
...Even that was a sight to behold.
With a sigh, Alon returned to the carriage.
“…Lord Alon, what in the world is going on?”
He was immediately met with the intense stares of everyone inside, including Evan and Basiliora.
The time for explanations had arrived.
*
After some time had passed.
“Uh—so, to summarize, you’ve never met or even seen those Divine Bloods before, but they follow you anyway? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes.”
Evan looked back and forth between Alon and the Divine Bloods dispersing in the distance.
“Hmm—I see.”
“…! Did you figure something out?”
“No?”
“?”
“?”
“…You nodded just now as if you’d realized something.”
“No, I just meant I understood what you said.”
“…You understood?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly?”
“That the Divine Bloods follow you, Lord Alon.”
“How can you just understand that…?”
“Ah—”
Realizing that their points of view were misaligned, Evan let out a low exclamation at Alon’s questioning tone.
“I mean I’ve simply accepted it.”
“…Accepted it…?”
“Aren’t there many things in this world that can’t be understood through the eyes of an ordinary human? In those cases, you just accept it. Don’t try to understand. It’s easier if you just accept it.”
“Ah, I think I know what you mean.”
“Right?”
“Right….”
Penia, who had suddenly joined the conversation, nodded as she and Evan looked at each other in shared sympathy.
“…I feel somewhat strange about this.”
“We’ve always felt that way whenever something happens around you, Lord Alon.”
“…Has it happened that often?”
“Think about it carefully.”
“…Hmm.”
Alon fell silent for a moment before changing the subject.
“Anyway, this is the situation. What do you think we should do?”
“Hmm—honestly, since I don’t know the exact circumstances, I don’t have a clear idea of what to do…. For now, shouldn’t we just maintain the status quo?”
“We can’t keep this up forever.”
This time, Penia offered her opinion.
“…I think assessing the situation should come first.”
“Assessing the situation?”
“Yes. We need to know how they perceive you, Lord Alon, so we can act accordingly.”
It was a rational suggestion.
As Alon nodded, Evan, who had been deep in thought, glanced at the Divine Bloods in the distance and spoke.
“Then let’s do some scouting.”
“…Scouting?”
“Yes. There are still quite a few Divine Bloods hanging around nearby.”
“I’ll go too!”
Seolrang, who had been quiet until now, raised her hand high at Evan’s suggestion.
However, Evan shook his head.
“Penia and I will go. Seolrang, your presence is a bit too conspicuous in many ways.”
With that, he opened the carriage door.
“We’ll be back.”
Penia bowed to Alon and followed Evan out.
Alon wondered for a moment how they planned to get information, but his gaze soon shifted to Seolrang.
“Hmm? What is it, Master?”
Seolrang gave her usual, unchanging smile.
Alon spoke as if nothing were wrong.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Hee-hee—really?”
She tilted her head but soon shrugged and naturally moved to Alon’s side, humming a tune while wagging her tail.
Even after what had happened in Myu, she remained the same as ever.
For a moment, Alon wondered if the conversation he’d had with her that day had been a dream.
But Alon knew. He knew that conversation hadn't been a mere dream.
And Seolrang likely knew it clearly as well.
“….”
Even so, why did she refuse to stop 'acting,' even when they were alone?
“—♪”
Alon silently stroked Seolrang’s head.
She smiled as if she enjoyed it.
Her hair was soft.
…Just like before.
####
At that moment, Evan and Penia were walking toward the Divine Bloods outside the carriage, talking.
“By the way, do you actually know what you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said we’re going scouting. Don’t we need to know something first?”
Evan shrugged lightly.
“I don’t know much, but I know who we need to spy on.”
“Who?”
“Them.”
Evan gestured with his chin toward the burning Divine Blood and the one covered in skulls.
“Them?”
“Yeah. Those two were clearly acting like the leaders. Look. When Lord Alon went back inside earlier, those two split off to either side like wings.”
“…I see.”
Penia nodded as if she had just realized it.
“You’re more observant than I thought.”
“How do you usually see me…?”
Evan looked at Penia with an exasperated expression, surprised she was impressed by something so basic. He then spoke as they drew closer to the two Divine Bloods.
“Anyway—what do you think happened this time?”
At Penia’s question, Evan let out a low groan.
“Honestly, I don’t have a clue this time either.”
“Have you ever had a clue about the other things?”
“Well, no, but I usually had a feeling that 'maybe it could be like this.' But this situation is a bit different.”
“…That’s true.”
Penia couldn't help but agree.
While many incomprehensible things had happened so far, they had been able to brush them off. After all, the subject was Alon.
But for such a massive group to be formed without Alon even knowing—honestly, even for Alon, that didn't seem like something that could happen easily.
“I suspect some kind of misunderstanding or delusion has piled up.”
Evan muttered as they got close enough to overhear the two Divine Bloods' conversation.
Soon, they could hear them.
[It is a pity. I am the one who received the Star Eater’s grace first.]
[What are you talking about? Ah—you must not have seen properly because you lack eyes. The Star Eater looked at me first.]
[Nonsense. The moment the Star Eater turned his gaze, it was me he saw. Surely he personally witnessed me dealing with those maggots before.]
[Tsk—do you think the Star Eater would choose you just for killing one of those things? I am the one to whom he shall grant his grace first!]
[No, it is me—!]
[It’s me!]
It was a strange—no, a bizarre conversation.
Evan, who had been listening from a distance without even needing to sneak closer, spoke up.
“…I just had a thought.”
“Go on.”
“Maybe Lord Alon really is a sleepwalker?”
The words escaped his lips involuntarily.
“…Honestly, I was starting to wonder the same thing.”
Penia agreed blankly.
####
The next morning.
Evan and Penia, who had gone scouting the night before, returned with tired expressions, muttering, “He didn't wake up at all….”
Alon was puzzled for a moment, but he soon felt a wave of dizziness again as he saw the Divine Bloods gathered around the carriage as if they had been waiting.
In the end, he hadn't been able to figure out why the Divine Bloods followed him.
However, since he still couldn't bring himself to ask them for the truth.
“…Let’s move.”
He gave the command.
Immediately after.
[My side is fully assembled.]
[The same goes for mine.]
With that, the three factions gathered to subjugate Astaroth began to move in unison.
The official subjugation of Astaroth had begun.
And as dozens of Divine Bloods swarmed across the ruined land toward a single point.
“….”
A woman with a strange pentagram reflected in her eyes watched the Divine Bloods moving to strike down Astaroth.
No, to be precise, she wasn't looking at the Divine Bloods.
More accurately, she was looking at the carriage in their midst.
And even more specifically, she was silently watching a man inside that carriage.
A man sitting with an expressionless face.
“…What have you done…?”
Looking at him, she whispered softly.
“Yutia.”