Chapter 15

Chapter 15
Within the Kingdom of Asteria, three great families operate in secret.

To the north lies the Ducal House of Altia.

In the west is the Count’s House of Zenonia.

And in the east, the Count’s House of Palatio.

These three families historically split the kingdom’s underworld into three territories, creating a vast, shadowy network. By the start of the original narrative, their influence had expanded to the point where they could subtly steer the kingdom’s fate from behind the scenes.

The House of Palatio, however, had already collapsed following Leo’s assassination, which caused their entire operation to crumble. This left only the Ducal House of Altia and the Count’s House of Zenonia as the remaining powers in the shadows.

…Superficially, a partnership between the two might not appear to be a significant problem.

“Can this be believed?”

“Have you known me to be dishonest, Count?”

“…A fair point.”

“Naturally, as the pact was forged in the underworld, there may be no visible evidence on the surface, but all indications suggest the alliance is real.”

The source of Alon’s deep concern was his general understanding of the shadow powers at the story’s outset.

When the main character enters the Kingdom of Asteria, the three families wield tremendous influence but are locked in a stalemate, constantly countering one another. But with the House of Palatio eliminated, a union between the House of Zenonia and the House of Altia would leave no force within the kingdom powerful enough to oppose them.

In short, should the present circumstances hold, these two shadow factions could transform the kingdom into their personal domain.

‘Interesting.’

While Alon contemplated how matters had developed to this stage, a memory surfaced of a conversation with Lady Zenonia several months ago.

‘Is it possible…?’

He considered whether this alliance, which should have been impossible within the Kingdom of Asteria, had somehow been triggered by his own words. He quickly dismissed the idea, shaking his head.

Even without a perfect understanding of Roria—the Duke of Altia—he was intimately familiar with Lady Kalia of the House of Zenonia. She was the archetypal villainess, a person who could not tolerate equality or subordination. She was willing to commit the most heinous acts to elevate her position.

“Hmm…”

Reflecting on this, Alon felt somewhat reassured. Knowing Kalia’s nature, any alliance would inevitably be short-lived.

“Evan.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Fetch me some writing materials later.”

“Writing materials?”

“Indeed.”

Still, aware that nothing in life is absolutely certain, Alon resolved to take some preventative steps.

“On another matter, Count, I inquired into the rumors about Seolrang you mentioned. It seems they have started circulating more recently.”

“Is that so?”

At Evan’s words, Alon turned to look at him.

“What is the nature of these rumors?”

“I’ve heard he has been remarkably active lately in the Colony. He has even acquired the moniker ‘Golden Flash.’”

“The Golden Flash…”

Feeling a flicker of recognition at the name, Alon breathed a sigh of relief. While he had always been confident that Seolrang would not live and die in anonymity, he had still worried, which prompted him to add a query about Seolrang in his last letter to Yutia.

“It is a comfort to know he is thriving.”

“Without a doubt. In that region, a fighter who gains sufficient renown can receive treatment superior to that of a noble.”

“If one is powerful enough, they can meet a king as an equal.”

After this brief exchange, Alon took the stationery Evan offered him and spoke again.

“Also, I intend to visit the tower in approximately a week.”

“The tower?”

“Yes, it may require a significant amount of time.”

“Surely it will only be for two weeks?”

At Evan’s confused question, Alon shook his head.

“The journey will likely take a month.”

“A month? To my knowledge, the Green Tower is only a week’s travel from the Count’s estate.”

“I am not bound for the Green Tower; my destination is the Blue Tower.”

“…The Blue Tower will indeed take considerable time to reach. But is there a specific reason to go there? The Blue Tower is situated between Caliburn and the Labyrinth City, is it not?”

As Evan noted, the Blue Tower was significantly more distant, requiring over three weeks of travel.

“I have matters to attend to at the Blue Tower.”

Alon offered a brief reply and resumed writing his letter, indicating the discussion was over. Understanding the cue, Evan sighed in resignation.

“Then I shall begin the preparations ahead of time.”

“Please do.”

With a slight bow, Evan exited the room.

For a time, Alon wrote his letter to Lady Zenonia in quiet concentration. Once he finished and sealed the letter, he let out a soft sigh.

‘Enduring three weeks of carriage travel just to reach the Blue Tower will be arduous.’

Although Alon complained internally about the exhausting journey, his determination to reach the Blue Tower was firm, as it held an item he necessary to acquire.

‘I have no alternative; this is essential for the progression of my magic.’

At the Blue Tower was an artifact that could compensate for his flawed talent, which limited his serious magical study to just once per day.

As Alon considered this, his thoughts drifted to the Labyrinth City adjacent to the Blue Tower.

‘Labyrinth City…’

Labyrinth City Lartania. True to its name, at the city’s heart lies a boundless labyrinth stretching deep underground. It was one of the few locations in Psychedelia where players could farm for experience and items without advancing the main storyline.

As the name implies, descending deeper into the labyrinth yielded greater experience and richer treasures. However, no player in Psychedelia ever reached the labyrinth’s end. Although it permitted leveling up without story progression, the game mechanics forced players to return to the surface every five floors, which consumed one in-game day.

Even though the plot did not advance, time continued to pass. If a player focused exclusively on exploring the labyrinth and ignored the story, they might eventually emerge to find the world in disarray.

To prevent this outcome, players had to balance story progression with labyrinth exploration. Naturally, as players managed both, they typically reached around the 70th floor of the labyrinth before the game concluded. Therefore, no one ever saw the labyrinth’s end in Psychedelia.

…There was an unverified claim that a player using cheats reached the 150th floor, but the labyrinth extended even deeper than that…

As Alon recalled a hazy memory from a forum whose name he could scarcely remember, he shifted his thoughts to Rine.

‘I hope she is faring well.’

Alon had sent Rine to Lartania not to become a labyrinth explorer, but to train as a magic appraiser. In Lartania, where countless relics and artifacts were unearthed from the labyrinth daily, appraisers were in constant demand.

Magic appraisers, capable of identifying even the most minute properties of an item, were highly esteemed professionals. Furthermore, obtaining a magic appraiser certification in Lartania guaranteed a prosperous life, free from financial concerns. That was Alon’s purpose in sending her there.

Like the other members of the Five Deadly Sins, Rine possessed a unique gift—the “Library of Eternity”—which was perfectly suited for this role.

‘Well, with the present I gave her, the work of appraising should be somewhat easier for her…’

Alon mused with a slightly uncomfortable look.

‘Now that I think on it, the gift I gave Rine seems rather modest compared to what I bestowed upon the others.’

Unlike the presents given to the rest of the Five Deadly Sins, Alon had only provided Rine with an item specialized for appraising equipment, which now caused him a twinge of embarrassment.

‘If it proves inadequate, I will have to supply additional support later.’

Accepting that the past was beyond change, Alon shrugged. It was a leisurely day.

***

Labyrinth City Lartania. In the southern district of this independent city, which hosted a disproportionately large population of explorers and mercenaries compared to other nations, stood an appraisal shop named “Merde.”

The shop was operated by a magic appraiser who kept their identity hidden, and it was not located in the most favorable part of the city. Even in a labyrinth city where appraisers were highly valued, the prime central area near the labyrinth entrance was crowded with appraisal establishments.

In other words, there was little reason for clients to seek out Merde in the southern district. Yet, despite this, a consistent flow of customers visited the shop each day.

Moreover, the clientele was unusual. The majority were A-rank explorers who delved into the labyrinth’s depths, and among Merde’s patrons were nobles from foreign lands and even the ruler of Lartania itself.

“The appraisal is finished, my lord.”
“Oh, what of this relic?”
“It is a device that produces a continuous flame when magic is channeled into it.”

The lord of Lartania grinned widely as he accepted the relic from the masked woman. His gaze fell upon the black eye symbol etched onto the relic’s base.

“Oh? Does this mean the relic can receive an engraving?”
“Yes.”
“How does the engraving influence its power?”
“The efficiency has been vastly improved. Now, only a minimal amount of magic is required for the flames to burn for an hour.”
“That is truly remarkable. I am perpetually in your debt.”
“You are too kind.”

With that, the masked woman gave a light acknowledgment to the masked man’s words. The lord, his face beaming with satisfaction, disappeared from view as he departed.

Once the lord had gone and the office was silent again, the woman—who was Rine—removed her mask, adorned with a crescent moon, and let out a sigh. She looked out the window in the direction the lord had taken, towards the engraving he now possessed.

That very engraving was the reason why Merde, despite its inferior location, was generating more income than any other appraisal shop.

Rine could not only appraise relics brought by high-ranking individuals; she could also perform engravings on specific relics to amplify their capabilities.

However, this was not an innate ability of Rine’s. Her talent was using the “Library” to precisely discern the properties of relics and to identify which particular relics were suitable for engraving.

The capacity to perform the engraving itself was a result of the gift from the Great Moon.

As Rine glanced to the side and opened the door to the adjoining office, she entered a small room where a golden eye, encircled by a blue halo, was active.

[248/500]

Observing the display hovering above the halo, Rine remembered the first time she had uncovered this gift from the Great Moon.

Initially, Rine, like the others, did not comprehend why the Great Moon had sent her to the Labyrinth City to become an appraiser. While she suspected it was connected to confronting the “Black Ones,” given her knowledge of their forgotten existence, the precise link eluded her.

At the very least, her “Library” informed her of the formidable power the “Black Ones” wielded, but she could not see how becoming an appraiser related to battling them.

But after discovering the gift from the Great Moon, she was compelled to reconsider.

The gift was the “Eye of the Wanderer,” an artifact able to appraise relics containing a specific threshold of magic. Yet Rine, with her “Library,” immediately perceived that this Eye was anything but ordinary.

Although it first appeared as a simple sphere, Rine broke through the layers of seals upon it—seals her “Library” did not even recognize—and it revealed its true form, unlocking one particular function.

That function was “Engraving.”

Engraving allowed her to inscribe certain relics from the upper echelons, thereby boosting their power.

But, ironically, the first thing the Eye of the Wanderer unlocked was not strictly an “ability.”

It was less of an ability and more of… a method for offering sacrifices.

With each engraving, the relic’s power increased, but Rine understood that the golden eye absorbed something inexplicable in return for the engraving, something even she could not fathom.

She could perceive that the Eye was undergoing a fundamental transformation with each occurrence.

‘My purpose is to awaken this Eye.’

When Rine realized this, she drew two conclusions.

First, only she could awaken this Eye. The Eye only reacted to relics from the upper echelons that bore specific patterns, and if she presented it with a relic that failed these criteria, the accumulated power would decrease.

Second, the Eye would eventually bestow upon her sufficient strength to confront the “Black Ones.”

Thus, Rine followed the will of the Great Moon, observing as the Eye gradually awakened with each relic it consumed.

‘All of this is to kill the “Black Wolf.”’

Whispering this to herself, Rine gently stroked the golden eye hovering in the air.

‘And, to carry out His will.’

A faint, inscrutable fanaticism glittered in Rine’s eyes.

***

Approximately three weeks later, just as Alon had informed Evan, he arrived at the Blue Tower by carriage. His original plan was to meet with the tower master as scheduled, but the tower master was unfortunately away, forcing him to meet the vice master instead.

But then…

“Well? State your business quickly. I have other matters to attend to.”

Confronted with this brusque and dismissive manner, Alon’s face showed his complete bewilderment.