Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Malon, a guard stationed in Caliban’s capital city of Kirdam, has a fondness for gossip. His reasoning is straightforward: standing watch on the city walls all day is tedious, and hearing the latest news helps the time pass more pleasantly.

This was why Malon had been looking forward to this particular day—or more accurately, to the arrival of Count Palatio. A piece of secret information had reached him that the local troublemaker, who operated under his master’s protection, had requested to be notified the moment the Count appeared.

Malon didn’t understand why this troublemaker wanted to meet a foreign Count, but he could guess the outcome. After all, that individual only ever sought someone out for one reason. Because of this, Malon was anticipating a very entertaining scene once Count Palatio arrived.

What actually unfolded, however, was nothing like his expectations. The one being struck was not Count Palatio, but Vilan, and the one delivering the blow was Deus himself.

Deus, a Master Knight of Caliban, had climbed to the pinnacle of the knightly order in under a year due to his prodigious skill, earning the epithet “Muken,” the Swordless. It was this same Deus who had hit Vilan.

That alone was shocking enough to set the entire capital abuzz with talk within a day. But Malon was even more stunned by what occurred next.

‘The Swordless… is bowing his head…?’

Malon stared, his jaw slack, as Deus lowered his head while speaking.

“Did… Sir Swordless just bow?”
“The Swordless… did that?”

The other guards nearby were equally astonished. Their disbelief was simple to explain: until this moment, Deus had never shown such deference to anyone in Caliban, save for the king himself.

There was even a famous incident where he had slapped the second prince three times for bothering his only sister, a story still told throughout the capital. Deus’s reputation had only grown after that. Even though the second prince was considered a nuisance abandoned by the royal family, the fact that Deus faced no punishment for striking royalty cemented his standing.

It effectively meant the Kingdom of Caliban viewed Deus Macallian as a figure more significant than its own second prince, and his fame had only increased since.

Yet here he was, bowing to a mere Count from another nation.

“Please, enter.”

Witnessing Deus bow to Count Palatio was enough to shock anyone who knew the rumors.

Soon, every eye was fixed on the Count, who walked forward without any change in expression, escorted by the Master Knight as if the situation were perfectly normal.

And then—

‘Just who is this Count Palatio, that the Swordless would bow to him?’

The same question formed in the minds of Malon and every other onlooker who saw the Count’s face, their mouths hanging open in sheer amazement.

‘This is a strange situation, but why is everyone staring at me like that?’

Alon, the target of these stunned looks, was perplexed by the attention.

“Please, get in.”

He turned at Deus’s words and noticed the carriage waiting for him.

‘It’s very conspicuous…’

It was painted a uniform, stark black, unlike any other carriage, making it impossible to overlook. And—

Thud!

—it was encircled by knights standing guard as if it were a fortress, which helped Alon understand the stares.

Even he felt the display was excessive.

“Understood.”

Refusing to ride at this stage, however, would be absurd, so Alon stepped inside without further comment.

“I will see to the carriage,” said Evan, concluding the discussion as Alon, now inside the vehicle with Deus, was taken toward the mansion under the protection of the black-clad knights.

***

A short time later…

‘Is this… a residence?’

Alon could not hide his surprise upon seeing Deus’s home for the first time. He had known that Caliban’s capital was large compared to other kingdoms, but he had never encountered a private dwelling of such immense scale.

‘Is this the reward for great achievement…?’

Alon briefly reflected on this as he followed Deus from the carriage through the vast halls of the mansion toward the office.

Once they were inside the office…

“Please, take this seat.”
“Hmm?”

Alon looked slightly confused as Deus unhesitatingly offered him the seat reserved for the most honored guest.

Even with his limited knowledge of formal customs, Alon knew the basics.

‘Shouldn’t the host sit in the main seat?’

Naturally, if Alon held a higher rank, it would be different, but he was only a Count—and not even a noble of Caliban, but from the Kingdom of Asteria.

In short, there was no reason for Deus to extend such extreme courtesy.

From Alon’s perspective, the treatment made him feel like a proud father watching his son achieve great things. It was pleasing, but also a little worrying.

He had several favors to ask of Deus.

“Ahem.”

Clearing his throat, Alon sat in the offered seat, and Deus naturally took the one beside him.

…

A weighty silence filled the room.

‘What should I say first?’

There were, of course, many things Alon needed to request, but he knew that communication required a better opening.

He needed to start with some casual conversation.

But having never spoken to Deus in person, nor even exchanged letters, Alon felt awkward. Just as he was wrestling with the quiet…

Creak—

“My apologies for the delay.”

Evan, ushered in by the knights, entered the room cautiously, and Alon noticed that Evan was carrying a present.

“Evan, the gift.”
“Yes, my lord.”

At Alon’s command, Evan placed the gift on Deus’s desk.

“This is…?”
“A token of appreciation.”

At Deus’s query, Alon breathed a small sigh of relief. He had been searching for a way to begin the conversation, and the gift provided the perfect opportunity.

“You have my thanks.”

Deus gave a slight bow of his head to Alon.

And then… silence returned.

‘Alright, now the conversation should start naturally, shouldn’t it?’

The thought crossed Alon’s mind, and he finally broke the silence.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”
“It would be discourteous to open it now; I will do so later.”

Alon understood that it was generally considered impolite to open a gift with too much eagerness in front of a person of high status.

But Alon was not a high-ranking noble here.

‘…What does he think I am?’

Alon’s confusion was evident, but his bewilderment was short-lived.

Because—

Creak—!

“B-Brother…?”

Before he could organize his thoughts, a young girl entered Deus’s office. She shared the same striking purple eyes as Deus. She scanned the room before her eyes landed on Evan.

“Oh! Brother Evan!”

Recognizing him, she greeted him with a warm, familiar smile.

“Hello, Silly!”

Evan also smiled warmly as he stood, and Alon quickly deduced this girl was Deus’s younger sister, the one Evan had been sent to save.

‘They do resemble each other.’

In the game <Psychedelia>, only her tragic demise was described, so Alon had never seen her appearance. Seeing her now, he had to acknowledge the strong family resemblance. When he glanced at Deus, however, Alon was taken aback.

Deus wore a distinctly unhappy expression. As Silly took Evan’s hand, his gaze grew even sharper.

“Silly, Evan is not your brother. He is an older man,” Deus stated.

Watching this, Alon quickly grasped how overprotective Deus was of his sister. In essence, he was what one might call a *siscon*.

While Alon understood this attachment, knowing from the game that Deus had suffered from a deep sense of loss and a lack of family, it was still somewhat amusing.

As Alon was thinking this, Silly, who had been chatting with Evan, suddenly approached Alon and spoke cheerfully.

“You are Count Palatio, correct?”
“I am.”
“Evan told me. You gave the order to rescue me.”

Hearing this, Alon glanced briefly at Deus, then gave a quiet nod.

“I only did what was right.”

‘If you had died, your brother might have become a continent-spanning weapon of destruction.’

“Thank you so very much,” Silly said, offering a deep, sincere bow.

Seeing her genuine appreciation warmed Alon’s heart. Even if his actions had been driven by other motives, receiving heartfelt thanks for a good deed felt rewarding.

A slight smile touched Alon’s lips.

***

After Silly departed, the mood in the office softened slightly. Alon cleared his throat and looked at Deus, who still wore a subtle air of hostility toward Evan after his sister’s exit.

“Deus, the purpose of my visit is to ask you for assistance.”
“Assistance…?” Deus replied, appearing slightly confused.
“Yes. Is that strange in some way?”

Alon mirrored his confusion.

“No, not at all. Please, continue.”

Though Deus’s response seemed a little odd, Alon paused for a moment. Now that the time had come to make his requests, he found it difficult to speak. He needed two things from Deus, and both were likely to be challenging.

After a moment’s hesitation, Alon finally voiced his first request.

“I must travel to the North. Will you accompany me?”
“Of course.”

Alon blinked, surprised by the immediate agreement.

“Is it really that simple?”
“Yes. I was already planning an expedition to the north.”

Hearing this, Alon felt a wave of relief. The first request, at least, had been surprisingly easy.

Taking a steadying breath, Alon moved on to his second appeal.

“May I borrow the ‘Ring of the Arrogant One’ from the royal treasury of Caliban?”

As he made this request, Alon watched Deus closely. Asking to borrow a treasure from the royal vault was essentially asking Deus to incur a debt with the monarchy, a potentially difficult position for him.

No matter how influential Deus was, he was still subject to the political dynamics of the Caliban kingdom.

However, the ‘Ring of the Arrogant One’ was crucial for Alon’s plans, and he had to ask, even if it placed Deus in an awkward situation.

“Naturally, I don’t wish to cause you any difficulty—” Alon began, preparing to offer compensation or a gentler approach, but—

“Understood,” Deus interjected.
“…What?”
“I will retrieve the ‘Ring of the Arrogant One’ immediately.”

Deus gave a slight bow as he spoke, leaving Alon bewildered once more.

‘Wait, this is good… but… is this really acceptable?’

With a slightly stunned expression, Alon asked, “You know where it is, correct?”
“I have heard it resides in the royal treasury of Caliban.”
“And obtaining it isn’t somewhat challenging?”
“Through standard channels it typically requires a week, but if you desire it, I can acquire it at once.”
“…Is there a method for that?”

Intrigued by Deus’s confident claim, Alon pressed for details.

Deus was silent for a moment, as if contemplating, then answered.

“The king may prove slightly troublesome, but I can manage around fifty guards, so it should not be overly difficult.”
“…What?”

Evan, standing nearby, was visibly shocked. While Alon did not show it as openly, he was equally baffled by Deus’s resolute declaration.

‘Is this his way of demonstrating his commitment to me?’

Interpreting Deus’s words as a sign of fierce loyalty, Alon hesitated before saying, “No, there’s no need to go to such extremes.”
“Understood… I will procure the ring with all possible speed.”

Deus looked somewhat disappointed as he agreed. For a fleeting moment, Alon thought, ‘I only wanted you to borrow it…’, but he simply nodded in response.

‘He holds me in very high regard, but isn’t this a bit excessive…?’

With that thought, Alon spent the rest of the day at the mansion, waiting for the ring to be acquired.

“I have brought it.”
“…What?”

Alon stared at the ornate, jewel-inlaid box that contained the ‘Ring of the Arrogant One.’

And then—

“What?”
“My lord, did you hear? Yesterday, Deus apparently stormed the royal palace demanding the treasure. I also heard he slapped the second prince again.”
“…??”

At Evan’s report, Alon was rendered completely speechless.

‘What in the world is happening?!’

Alon was beginning to sense that something about Deus was very unusual.