Chapter 302

C302. Knighthood…? (2)

After sending Filian away for the second time, Alon let out a deep sigh without even realizing it.

It was natural: even if he wanted to get rid of the noble title, it wasn’t something that could be thrown away so easily.

‘I should have at least checked the documents.’

Alon, albeit late, realized how massive it had been to publish a knight recruitment announcement without thinking too much about it.

But now he couldn’t turn everyone back.

Pressing his throbbing temple, he called the next applicant.

“Nice to meet you!”

Fortunately, it was a completely unknown applicant, just an ordinary civilian.

Upon confirming the completely tense man, Alon let out a sigh of relief.

Thus, the interview continued.

“It’s shrinking faster than I thought.”

“True.”

As he sent an applicant away, Evan commented, and Alon nodded. Although it seemed endless at first, the interviews were progressing faster than expected.

To be exact…

It wasn’t that the interviews were moving quickly, but that every time Alon looked at the waiting room, the number of people had clearly decreased.

‘Did it only look like there were many because they were all scattered around?’

With that thought, he called the next participant.

“I am Deus.”

Seeing Deus enter as if it were the most normal thing in the world, Alon was lost for words again.

“…Deus?”

“Yes, my Lord Marquis.”

“W-why are you here?”

“I came to do the interview.”

Deus spoke with total naturalness, unlike Alon.

“…Deus, you are the First Sword of Caliban, remember?”

At the question, Deus responded with an expression full of confidence.

“It’s fine.”

“What is?”

“If that is what worries you, do not worry. I already took measures.”

“…What kind of measures?”

“…Deus?”

“I handled it well.”

“What?”

“It wouldn’t be… right?”

“What exactly are you referring to?”

Alon was invaded by a strange uneasiness, and Deus answered him as if he knew nothing.

“Did you perhaps leave your noble title to come here?”

“That is not the reason.”

“Then?”

“I left a letter saying that if anyone tried to interfere with my entry into the sacred order, something unpleasant might happen.”

That is a threat…

Alon thought, diverting his gaze toward Evan.

Evan had an equally incredulous expression.

An awkward silence filled the room.

“…Leave.”

Alon issued the order, and Deus nodded firmly before withdrawing.

Immediately after—

“Hello, Master!”

“…Seolrang?”

It was Seolrang.

As soon as she entered, with a giggle, she threw herself onto Alon and sat without hesitation on his lap.

Seeing Seolrang settle there so naturally, Alon abandoned all capacity to think.

“…Are you also coming to the knighthood interview?”

“Yes!”

“Didn’t you say you had work?”

“I came in the middle of it! My Master is recruiting knights, so I came!”

With ears attentive as if waiting for a “look at me, I did well” praise, Alon ended up patting her head unintentionally, and only then regained his senses to ask:

“…Aren’t you the Babayaga of Colony?”

He had already asked similar questions several times that day.

The troublemakers—sorry, the applicants—passed through Alon’s mind.

“Yes?”

“Then, I think you should stay at your post.”

Seolrang stared for a moment, thoughtful.

“…Hmm… if my Master says so, I will do it!”

She smiled radiantly and nodded.

“I’m sorry you came all the way here for nothing.”

“It’s okay, Master! It feels a bit like a mission!”

“Mission?”

“Yes! I also came as an escort!”

“…And who did you come with?”

“With Karsem!”

Hearing the name, Alon remembered the Prince of Colony: the one who was a pig and then became incredibly handsome.

“…Just to confirm… Karsem also—”

“He also came to join!”

The answer was so predictable that Alon couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.

“Please communicate to him to abstain from taking the exam.”

“Yes!”

Seolrang nodded vigorously, exchanged a few more words, and then:

“I’m leaving, Master.”

“Is it okay to leave like this?”

“Yes! I still have work left!”

And she left like a gust of wind.

Alon looked at her with bewilderment.

Evan spoke by his side.

“My Lord.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know why, but it seems to me that you have gotten closer to Seolrang.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know… like there is less distance.”

“Really?”

Alon muttered something like I don’t notice anything different, and resumed the interviews.

“…Let’s finish for today.”

“Understood. I will notify that we will continue tomorrow.”

The sun was already setting over the hills, so they decided to finish for the day.

Although he wanted to finish everything the same day, it was impossible.

‘…And why are mages coming if I am recruiting knights?’

Alon remembered Karsem, who had entered waving energetically, and Lian, the daughter of the Red Tower Master.

When he asked Aren’t you a prince?, Karsem replied: I am completely ready to be a knight.

And when he asked Lian Why are you coming, if you are a mage?, she replied: I can handle magic sword…

Alon sighed while walking toward the window.

He thought the crowd had diminished, but compared to the morning, it almost seemed to have increased.

‘…This will take at least a week.’

He tasted bitterness on his tongue.

#The next day.

Deus was observing the applicants gathered in front of the Palatio House with a strange expression.

He wasn’t surprised by the quantity.

In fact, he thought: Does Great Moon’s recruitment summon only these few?

Well, that was according to Deus’s scale.

What intrigued him was not the crowd, but Great Moon‘s conduct.

‘Why is he doing all that?’

Deus couldn’t understand it.

Great Moon was not someone so weak as to need the protection of mediocre people.

Furthermore: even among those Deus knew, there were people more than sufficient, and much more capable, to protect Great Moon.

‘And besides…’

Since he had arrived, he perceived the presence of elves and lizardmen.

Normally he would have expelled them, but he confirmed they were there to protect Great Moon, so he left them be.

‘The protection should be more than enough…’

Of course, Alon had no idea that both were following him.

Deus, ignorant of that, thought:

‘Even so, the Lord Marquis is interviewing one by one to form his own knighthood…’

He began to deduce his intentions.

“…!”

Suddenly he remembered something Evan had told him the day before:

The reason he is forming a knighthood? I don’t know well, but I heard it is to protect a new territory.

A trivial comment.

‘It can’t be…!’

From that, Deus formulated a theory.

‘Does he plan to become king?’

For others, it would be absurd.

But for Deus, everything clicked immediately.

That Alon selected soldiers one by one. That he didn’t choose Deus as a knight. That he sent five of them to different countries.

Everything made sense.

And upon reaching that conclusion, Deus felt a chill.

Although the reality was that Alon was only recruiting knights because Rine told him it would be useful…

‘So that was it…’

Believing he had discovered Great Moon‘s secret intention, Deus sought out Seolrang.

“Deus?”

“Seolrang.”

“What is it? I have to go.”

“It is important.”

Deus told her his “discovery.”

“…If that is true, we will have to prepare.”

“That is so.”

A gigantic misunderstanding began.

#A week passed since the start of the interviews.

Even so, Alon was still interviewing.

There were many applicants, but he didn’t imagine that even after a week it wouldn’t end.

However, today Alon was in a good mood.

Because finally, today would be the last day.

‘After today, it’s finally over.’

Outside there were barely a few dozen people.

With a satisfied expression, Alon received the next applicant.

“Greetings. My name is Seamus.”

It was a character he had seen long ago in Psychedelia.

The disastrous Seamus.

He was a recruit-able companion in the middle of the game.

He had high basic stats, and his growth per level was excellent, which was why he was very loved by players.

But he was also very hated, due to his personality.

Because of his good performance, he lived the easy life and spoke arrogantly, provoking the player throughout the game. Many players who didn’t need his performance simply didn’t recruit him.

‘Well… if you advance his story, he improves a bit at the end.’

But that thought was short-lived.

Alon frowned slightly.

The face was clearly Seamus’s.

The strength emanating from him confirmed it too.

But…

‘Why is he so… docile?’

More than docile, he seemed almost shrinking, speaking softly.

It wasn’t at all the Seamus he knew.

But obviously he couldn’t ask him something like: Weren’t you an unbearable bastard?

So he just finished a simple interview and let him go.

The doubt persisted strongly.

#Meanwhile.

Deep in the Ronovelli Jungle.

There were two women there.

One was Historia.

The other—

“…So, is our boss really the same boss we know?”

“Yes.”

“Did you already see him?”

“Yes.”

“…Then, does he remember me too?”

“Yes.”

It was Ryanga, the one who controlled the most dangerous zone of the jungle, known as the Queen of a Hundred Spirits.

“…And even having me in his memory, he doesn’t come to see me?”

Her cheeks were puffed out, clearly annoyed.