Chapter 251

Chapter 251

The very first sight that greeted Alon upon his arrival at the settlement was—

Smash!

“Masssster~!”

“……Seolrang?”

It was Seolrang who flung herself into his embrace without any warning.

Since his body was not fully recovered, they decided to postpone any deep discussion and simply get some rest for the time being.

In fact, the moment occurred before they even reached the settlement.

Seolrang violently collided with the carriage and clung to Alon.

How long did he spend comforting the suddenly weeping Seolrang?

“……Are you feeling a little better?”

“…”

Seeing Seolrang nod with a puffy, tearful smile, Alon felt a surge of tenderness mixed with a faint burden in his chest.

This was because he worried he might have caused her too much anxiety.

Therefore, just as he always did when they reunited, he gently stroked her two ears.

Seolrang nestled deeper into Alon’s hand, clearly enjoying the gesture.

Alon then naturally let his gaze drift out of the carriage.

Thanks to Seolrang’s overly intense welcome (?), the ceiling had been ripped away, revealing the bright sky.

As he felt the cooling breeze enter—

“Master.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you injured?”

Seolrang, who had been chuckling moments ago, abruptly asked after noticing the bandages wrapped around Alon’s form.

“……Many things transpired.”

He was compelled to speak vaguely.

The majority of his injuries did not stem from an external assault, but from his use of Reverse Heaven.

The Reverse Heaven technique, by its design, reverses the laws of mana burn to endlessly produce magical power.

However, Alon had failed to account for the velocity at which that power was generated.

The rate at which Reverse Heaven expelled mana was overwhelmingly quicker than Alon could manage on his own.

During the conflict at Baarma, the sole reason Alon could maintain the mana for several minutes was because he pushed his physical limits by utilizing the Primordial Elf’s divinity, which he had successfully reproduced.

In essence, had Alon not possessed that divinity, his body likely would have detonated the instant he activated Reverse Heaven.

‘…Even with the divinity, just maintaining the constant flow of mana was incredibly difficult.’

That explained why most of the wounds remaining on his body were caused by mana that couldn’t be expelled quickly enough.

Of course, they were significantly less severe now than when they first appeared.

Regardless, if Alon intended to properly wield Reverse Heaven, he still required extensive research.

Even the divine regeneration provided by the Elf’s divinity was not fully resolved.

Alon recalled the fight against Baarma.

Initially, his body regenerated effectively.

But as time went on, the rate of regeneration from the divinity began to decline.

Even though the divine power being consumed seemed consistent…

He had put off thinking about this due to his busy schedule.

But now, those thoughts flooded his mind all at once, momentarily distracting him.

“Who did this to you?”

A voice pulled him out of his introspection.

When Alon looked down, he saw Seolrang gazing up at him, her face now devoid of emotion, a stark change from before.

“Who was it, Master?”

Her voice remained the same.

As did the slight twitching of her ears.

But her eyes were different.

Her golden irises, which always shone brightly even when swollen with tears, were now dull and empty.

“Tell me. Who was responsible.”

She repeated the question.

“……”

Alon felt an odd pressure.

‘…Has Seolrang always been this way?’

He didn’t believe he had ever sensed this level of danger from her previously.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Alon swiftly reached out to pat her on the head.

“Don’t worry. Truly, no one attacked me.”

“……Is that really true?”

“Yes, it just happened while I was on my way back. So please don’t worry too much.”

“That’s a relief.”

Seeing her golden eyes return to their usual sparkle, Alon let out a quiet breath.

Seolrang stared intently at him, then spoke—

“Still, Master.”

“What is it?”

“If anyone ever lays a hand on you, promise me you’ll let me know?”

She said this while grasping the edge of his clothing tightly.

Noticing the deep concern in her golden gaze—

“Understood.”

Alon nodded without hesitation.

---

Exactly six hours later, in the late evening, Alon’s party finally arrived at the settlement.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Brother. You have obviously endured a lot, so please get some good rest tonight. I will take care of any pressing matters beforehand.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

“Not at all, Brother.”

Yuman departed after offering his farewell first.

“Marquis!”

“Penia.”

“I’ll only be gone for a day! Something came up that I absolutely must attend to!”

“Something to attend to?”

“Yes! I need to speak with the Tower Master about a few matters.”

Penia reported with visible excitement and anticipation.

She was clearly intending to discuss the past with Celaime.

Alon nodded immediately.

“Very well.”

“Yes! Then I’ll see you tomorrow!”

As soon as he granted permission, Penia vanished in an instant.

‘But… was it truly necessary to ask for my consent?’

Though slightly bewildered, Alon made his way to Seolrang’s guild house, where they planned to spend the night.

The moment he stepped inside the guild house—

“Welcome, sir!”

“Greetings, Marquis!”

He was greeted by the Golden Mane Tribe’s enthusiastic hospitality.

“Welcome back!”

“Indeed! We are so pleased you are here!”

“Truly! So very, very, very, very! Glad you’re here!”

…?

An excessively enthusiastic reception.

And on top of that—

“Marquis!”

“…Lime, is that right?”

“Yes, yes! That’s me! I’m Lime! I’m so happy you’re here! Are you injured anywhere?”

“Nothing serious, no.”

“That is an immense relief!”

It was as if Alon’s mere presence was a blessing—Lime’s eyes watered as she looked profoundly moved, leaving Alon thoroughly confused.

He had encountered the Golden Mane Tribe multiple times before.

But never had they displayed such a dramatic reaction.

If anything, they had always been formal and composed.

‘…Did I somehow cause a change in the past unintentionally?’

A fleeting suspicion crossed his mind.

But Alon quickly grasped the reason for their intense reaction.

“……Seolrang?”

“Yes. When the rumor circulated that the Marquis had perished, oh, it was truly unbearable. She was essentially radiating ill will in every direction.”

Even now, Evan crossed his arms and shuddered as if the memory still haunted him.

“Anyway, that is likely why everyone is celebrating your return.”

Only then did Alon gain a vague understanding of the situation.

He recalled the members of the Golden Mane Tribe from earlier.

All of them were exhaling deeply in relief, as if they could finally breathe freely.

‘…Was it really that severe?’

Alon wore a strange expression.

He had only ever witnessed Seolrang in her usual energetic state, so he couldn’t even imagine her consumed by malevolence.

But Evan had no motive to mislead him.

‘Yes, yes! That’s right! I’m Lime! I’m so glad you’re here! You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?’

Even the typically reserved Lime had been tearful, anxiously checking him all over.

Alon suddenly recalled Seolrang’s expression from earlier.

Her voice and face had remained consistent— but those dazzling golden eyes had instantly turned dark and murky.

“Marquis. I haven’t heard the full account yet, but what exactly took place?”

Evan’s voice interrupted Alon’s thoughts.

“You mean from the moment I disappeared with the Agu?”

“Yes. You were completely unreachable for three whole months.”

Thinking back, he hadn’t properly detailed everything to Evan since his return.

After a moment of consideration, Alon decided to relay the truth to Evan.

And— time passed.

“…Is all of that genuinely true?”

“I have no reason to fabricate any of it, do I?”

“I know there’s no need to lie, but… right, well… I will take your word for it.”

Even as he said this, Evan repeatedly knitted his brow, clearly finding it difficult to process.

Eventually, he nodded in acknowledgement.

“Then please get some rest for today.”

He left Alon’s room after a final farewell.

“…Ah.”

Alon suddenly realized he hadn’t asked Evan more about the current near-war state Evan had alluded to earlier.

But he simply dismissed it with a shrug.

He would learn all the details tomorrow anyway.

‘…For now, I just need to recuperate.’

Alon settled down onto the bed.

---

The next day.

Having instantly fallen into a deep sleep the moment he lay down due to accumulated exhaustion, Alon roused his heavy body and made his way toward the settlement’s royal palace.

“……Marquis! I am incredibly happy you are alive!”

“It has been a while.”

He exchanged brief pleasantries with Karsem, who greeted him with an extremely bright smile.

Then, Alon was granted an audience with King Carmaxes III.

And—

“You have arrived. Truly, I am so delighted to see you…!”

Carmaxes III offered him a warm and heartfelt welcome.

For a moment, the sense of déjà vu left Alon bewildered once more.

But that didn’t last long, as Alon attempted to receive a comprehensive update on the current situation from the king—

“Ahem, well, you see, the issue is~”

—But he failed to extract anything useful.

“……”

Alon shifted his gaze slightly.

There was Seolrang, feigning distraction and looking off to the side.

“Phew— Phew—”

She pursed her lips to whistle but only produced soft puffs of air.

“Seolrang.”

“Yes! What is it, Master?”

“I would like to speak privately with His Majesty for a moment. Is that acceptable?”

“With me!?”

“Eh—”

Her expression clearly protested.

But when Alon calmly fixed his gaze on her, Seolrang reluctantly conceded.

“…Fine…”

She trudged out of the audience chamber.

“Phew— Thank you. Now I can finally speak openly.”

“Not at all. So, can you elaborate on the situation?”

Carmaxes III sighed with relief the instant Seolrang stepped outside.

He hesitated for a moment at Alon’s request, then began to speak slowly.

“…Would you prefer a thorough explanation or just the main points?”

“Let’s hold off on the thorough explanation for now. I’d like to get a general overview of the situation.”

Carmaxes III nodded.

“Are you familiar with the first prince of the Ashtalon Kingdom?”

“I am aware of him.”

“He sent his condolences concerning your alleged demise.”

“I see.”

“This is what he stated: ‘The death of Marquis Palatio is indeed tragic, and I extend my deepest sympathies. Nevertheless, we cannot stand idle. The Kingdom of Asteria must press forward, overcoming its sorrow.’”

“…That is the substance of the message.”

As he carefully considered the words, Alon nodded.

There were a few unnecessary flourishes, but— overall, it sounded like a message of encouragement.

So he waited quietly for the subsequent information.

“…That is what initiated everything.”

“…Pardon me?”

“…That message is the reason we are now on the verge of war.”

“…???”

Alon’s mind was filled with confusion at what he had just been told.

“Did I hear that correctly?”

“…You did.”

“How could that possibly be the cause of a war?”

“…That is what I am trying to figure out…”

Carmaxes III let out a heavy sigh and turned to look toward a section of the room.

“I truly wish I knew… how this became the flashpoint for war.”

He muttered gloomily.

Following the king’s gaze, Alon turned toward the window—

“……”

There—

Twitch—

Two golden ears, poorly concealed, subtly twitched behind the edge.

‘…So, it was you.’