Chapter 60: It Was There, But Now It’s Gone (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: It Was There, But Now It’s Gone (1)
Despite Yutia’s repeated remarks, Line had long recognized that the Great Moon was an existence fundamentally different from them.
He was a close friend of the great Palaon, who existed in the forgotten Age of Gods.
He freely used the Phrases and Sentences of that forgotten era, which could only be wielded through true understanding.
And upon realizing she possessed the 'Library,' he had gifted her the 'Stalker’s Eye.'
But more than anything, what made Line feel the Great Moon’s distinctness was the eye behind his back.
That entity, which was not even recorded in her Library and distorted one's very cognition just by looking at it, made Line realize more clearly than anything else that the Great Moon was a being apart from them.
Thus, Line held a sense of faith toward the Great Moon, and she did not find it strange.
She believed it was only natural to offer devotion to someone so fundamentally different from themselves.
Because of that belief, Line never doubted for a moment that the Great Moon would emerge victorious in this battle as well.
In her heart, he was already a being merely wearing a human mask—the only one who could fulfill her lifelong desire.
“…….”
Line continued her thoughts as she gazed at the Lord’s castle of the Labyrinth City visible beyond her office.
‘……Family, huh.’
In truth, she had sensed her own death the moment the Outer God unleashed its magic upon her.
At that moment, the Outer God’s magic had been unavoidable.
Of course, she had survived thanks to the Great Moon, who saved her even at the cost of creating a possibility where he could have lost to the Outer God.
However, she couldn't truly understand the Great Moon’s actions.
She didn't think the value of her life was high enough to warrant risking a potential defeat.
At least, her perception of herself was nothing more than a useful tool the Great Moon had raised to deal with the black things.
That was why she didn't understand.
Even if she still had utility because she hadn't finished the Stalker’s Eye, the Great Moon’s actions seemed infinitely irrational to her.
So, after agonizing over it alone for a long time, Line finally asked him, and that was when he said it.
The word 'family.'
“Family…….”
Line muttered bluntly.
To her, the word family didn't hold much meaning.
Having been born into this world with the Library from the start, the concept of family had never existed for her.
“Family…… indeed.”
But even so, things were different now—at least for this moment.
It wasn't that she suddenly placed great importance on the concept of 'family' itself.
She still felt nothing ideologically or psychologically from that simple word.
Nevertheless, the reason the definition of 'family' had changed for Line was because the one who spoke it was the Great Moon.
To her, who revered him so much that she had worshipped him from a distance, the word 'family' coming from his lips sounded incredibly sweet.
Was it because the Great Moon called her family?
No.
Was it because she was now tied to the revered Great Moon by the title of family?
That wasn't it either.
The reason Line found the word family so sweet was—
‘I can get a little closer to him.’
—Because he himself had acknowledged a rational path for her to draw even closer to the Great Moon.
‘A little closer, no…… if possible, closer than anyone else, and then—’
And so.
‘If the Great Moon—no, if my Godfather needs me more than anyone else…… even more than the Red Moon—’
By the time she reminded herself of this new purpose, her gaze shifted from the Labyrinth City territory to a specific spot.
There stood a full-length mirror, reflecting Line’s image.
“…….”
The girl in the mirror was smiling.
It wasn't a faint smile.
She stood there with a bright grin, showing her fangs—a look she had never seen on herself before—with a slight flush on her cheeks.
It was a smile she had never shown even to the members of the Blue Moon.
A smile foreign even to Line herself.
Staring blankly at it, Line…
Grin!
…smiled even more radiantly and whispered.
“……Godfather.”
At first, it was just a word she had improvised to address the Great Moon with more respect.
However, that improvised word had now become the most precious thing to Line.
That word had already become the very symbol of her relationship with the Great Moon.
After murmuring the word several times, she spoke.
“I like it.”
With that mutter, she closed and opened her eyes.
When Line’s eyes opened again, they were filled with fanaticism.
A fanatical faith so vivid and clear that anyone could see it.
* * *
On a forest path that one must pass through to get from the Asteria Kingdom to the desert city Colony, a man stood.
With giant kamas strapped to both sides of his back, the man looked down at a corpse.
It was a gruesome sight—a man’s body with his neck twisted twice around, clutching a quill pen in his right hand, having died without even realizing what had killed him.
Despite a month having passed since the deed, the corpse showed no signs of decay, as if a spell had been cast upon it.
“Hah.”
The man looking at the scene—
‘He hadn't been in touch for a while, so I came to check, but I never imagined he’d actually be dead.’
—No, the Agent, who was of the same kind as the corpse, let out a dry laugh and knelt down to touch the body.
Ssssss!
Immediately, the lingering scent of mana dispersed.
The Agent realized from that alone that a preservation spell had been placed on the corpse, and he unconsciously licked his lips.
There was really only one reason to cast a preservation spell on a dead, rotting corpse like this.
‘A threat.’
It was a warning: Don't come looking for me if you don't want to end up like this.
‘Did this happen while he was trying to deal with Count Palatio?’
The man began to contemplate for a while, recalling the request the dead man had received about two months ago.
When, how, and in what way he would take his revenge.
Agents didn't have a particularly strong sense of camaraderie.
The only reason he thought of revenge was for the reputation of the Agents.
Their 100% mission success rate, which was practically their identity, had to be maintained at all costs.
“…….”
Unfortunately, however, the Agent didn't plan on going after Count Palatio immediately.
‘……He must be strong.’
He recalled the rumors about Count Palatio.
For the past few years, Count Palatio had been traveling outside the Asteria Kingdom, building a reputation that sounded a bit far-fetched to anyone who heard it.
First, there were rumors that he had made a massive contribution to dealing with an Outer God in the North.
Then, rumors that he had helped deal with two Babayagas in the Colony.
And finally, the rumor that he had dealt with an Outer God that appeared in the Labyrinth City.
‘……So they weren't just empty rumors.’
To be honest, the Agent had thought the fame Count Palatio built was mostly exaggerated.
He knew that nobles often played ridiculous tricks to bolster their own reputations.
But seeing as one of the Agents had died without even being able to lift a finger, it seemed his strength wasn't just a product of rumors.
‘……Someone who can easily kill a Master Knight-level opponent and has the skill to deal with an Outer God only mentioned in literature…….’
‘Then I’ll need at least five people……. But the force I can gather right now is only three. Besides, I don't even know the Count’s exact stats…….’
After repeatedly weighing Count Palatio’s strength and considering his options, he finally made a decision.
‘Since I can't gather the maximum force right now anyway, I’ll just go find someone who must know the Count’s strength in detail and ask him.’
The Agent gave a thick smile and looked toward Calliban.
Toward Deus Macallian, one of the Master Knights who maintained a relationship of mutual debt with Count Palatio.
‘And while I’m at it, I’ll let Count Palatio know exactly who he messed with.’
In truth, if someone could peek into his thoughts, they might think he was purely insane.
But he wore a confident smile.
And for good reason—every Agent was as strong as a Master Knight.
‘A single Master Knight won't be a problem at all.’
With that, the man vanished from the spot.
* * *
After a journey of a little over a week, Alon returned leisurely to the Count’s estate and took a deep rest there for about three months.
In truth, he had wanted to move immediately after dealing with the Outer God, but unfortunately, his body, suffering from mana poisoning, did not recover easily.
Of course, he recovered quickly enough to use some magic, but it took three months before he could use his mana fully again.
It was only when the sweltering summer had passed and the cold winter winds began to blow that he could finally say his body had recovered.
And during those three months, which felt both long and short, Alon did three things.
One was handling the deferred internal affairs of the territory.
Another was exchanging the backlog of letters sent by Yutia.
And the last was exploring magic.
Since he couldn't use magic properly for about three months, he had been approaching it academically, but for him, exploring magic was more of a hobby than a study.
In particular, the 'Self-Embodiment' he had briefly reached while fighting the Outer God had piqued his interest even further.
‘……Now that I’ve recovered, I should head back to the Colony soon……. But maybe it’s better to activate the ring Heinkel gave me first……. Or should I rest more?’
Actually, Alon’s body hadn't fully recovered.
The symptoms of mana poisoning had been treated significantly, but he wasn't completely cured yet.
Because of that.
‘……I need to find a way to increase my mana somehow.’
Just as Alon was thinking that.
“My Lord.”
“What is it?”
“A letter has arrived. It’s from Duke Altia.”
“Ah.”
Alon received a letter from Evan, whose head was covered in snow.
“……Now that I think about it, right.”
He hadn't been thinking about it because he wasn't feeling well, but only after receiving her letter did Alon remember that he was the leader of Kalpa, the faction created by the masterminds.
When he opened the letter.
“……Hm?”
There was a small crystal ball inside.
The moment he picked it up.
Wuuuung!
The mana vibrated slightly.
Thanks to that, he realized it was a communication crystal ball.
Before long, Duke Altia’s face appeared on the other side of the crystal.
[It has been a while, Count.]
Alon hesitated for a moment on how to respond to Duke Altia, who bowed very politely despite her high rank.
“It has been a while.”
He replied with a small nod.
[I am contacting you because it is about time for a report.]
“A report?”
[Yes.]
Before Alon could even ask what it was about, Duke Altia began to give a literal 'report' right in front of him.
[Ah, I heard the news. The news that you made a huge contribution to dealing with the Outer God in the Labyrinth City, Lartania.]
……Before the report even started, she spent about 20 minutes praising Alon, saying she had heard about what happened in Lartania.
[Ah.]
Then, as if realizing her mistake, she cleared her throat and got to the point.
The status of Kalpa that he heard from Duke Altia didn't have any major issues.
……Except for the final report.
[Oh, and I’ve finished everything just as you said.]
“……Finished everything?”
[Yes. As of yesterday, the underworld of Asteria has come under the umbrella of our Kalpa.]
“?”
[Now, there is no one in the Asteria underworld who can stop us. Congratulations, Count.]
“…….???”
At Loria’s words, Alon wore a dazed expression for a moment.
……Alon had just been minding his own business, yet he had become the king of the underworld.