Chapter 319

C319. Ryanga (1)

North of the Ashtalon Kingdom.

“……What a mess.”

“Seriously.”

“What on earth happened here?”

A scene so saturated with blood and torn flesh that it could no longer be called a normal forest; it was an abominable massacre.

There stood three men.

Lance Impact Pamaon.

Barbarian Millennial Ice.

Cliff Sword Hermit.

Each of them possessed devastating power, and they were known in the United Kingdom as three of the Seven Great Powers.

As they looked at the human remains scattered everywhere, they shook their heads.

“Mmm… I don’t know if we should have accepted this job. It might end up being a mess.”

Said Pamaon, holding a spear that seemed to be twice his height.

“I think the same.”

Agreed the Hermit, dressed in oriental robes.

“Didn’t you both come because there was something to gain?”

But at Millennial Ice’s observation, Pamaon and the Hermit coughed to clear their throats before answering.

“Well, yes.”

“…If it weren’t for the Weird Stone.”

Weird Stone.

It was an item whose true origin not even the Information Guild had managed to identify yet, and whose existence circulated only among the strong under absolute secrecy. It was an item similar to the Abyssal Cores.

Only, although the utility was similar, the Weird Stone was essentially different from the Abyssal Cores.

For starters, it didn’t contaminate mana, and depending on which Weird Gate it had come from, it could even grant additional abilities.

In other words, unlike the Abyssal Cores, it was a tool that increased strength without any risk.

Moreover, while Abyssal Cores granted no power other than tainting the mana of those who had already surpassed a certain level, with Weird Stones it was confirmed that any user, no matter who they were, could obtain an additional increase in power.

This was initially revealed by a single powerful individual.

These three had also come after receiving the request from King Stallian V: if they solved the problem, he would give them a Weird Stone.

“I would never have imagined that Ashtalon was gathering Weird Stones in secret. Did they already have advanced information regarding this?”

Just a moment after Pamaon expressed his doubt—

“Well, we just have to receive what we were promised, so we’d better finish quickly and leave.”

“Exactly, we can’t stay in this place forever.”

“They said it was right around here, didn’t they?”

“Correct.”

At the Hermit’s words, Millennial Ice and Pamaon nodded and advanced toward the interior.

The deeper they went, the stronger the smell of blood became and the more evident the signs of slaughter were.

Even they, who at first hadn’t shown any expression, were starting to tense up slightly.

But it wasn’t just because of the atrocity of the scene.

The three of them had already lived through many things like this. A horrible scene wasn’t going to change their expressions.

The true reason why they all tensed their faces…

Was that they felt the magic in front of them was abnormal.

“…It seems that accepting a single Weird Stone was ridiculously little for this job.”

“We’ll have to speak seriously when we get back.”

“Without a doubt.…”

As they conversed, they continued advancing.

And when they finally reached the source of the energy…

There was nothing.

No, they couldn’t confirm it.

Because the instant they reached the source, they all closed their eyes at the same time.

Not because they wanted to.

“Wha—”

Puc—

The next thing they felt was—

The sensation of a sword piercing their hearts.

“G—!”

“Ugh—!”

They couldn’t speak.

They couldn’t open their eyes.

They couldn’t move their bodies.

They couldn’t draw their weapons.

…They couldn’t do absolutely anything.

The bodies of Pamaon and the Hermit collapsed without putting up even the slightest resistance.

Two of the Seven Great Powers died in an absurdly empty way.

And the last one.

Just before the mind of Millennial Ice, with a sword stuck in his heart, fell into the abyss, he managed to hear—

“Sorry.”

A voice.

“I’m sorry—”

A voice.

“I don’t want to do it either.”

Very small.

“But it is for you all.”

A voice.

“So die, please.”

That was the last sound of the world that Millennial Ice heard.

---

Alon looked at a divine power so enormous that it seemed like a planet, and his expression was one of absolute incomprehension.

His divinity had increased?

It should be a good thing.

The divinity of Divine Land had been accumulating relentlessly, just as Rine had told him, so he didn’t know exactly what properties it had…

But “divinity” meant an upgrade in power, a rise in spiritual level.

However, Alon was bewildered…

Because the divinity had grown to a level that surpassed his imagination.

“Equal to a Primordial Elf… no, perhaps even more…?”

It wasn’t that his divinity had never grown before, but even taking that into account, this divinity of Divine Land was already slightly larger than that of a Primordial Elf.

Normally he would have shrugged his shoulders at the appearance of an unknown divinity…

But this time it was different.

“…What on earth is happening in Divine Land…?”

The only thing he had done was create some small things because they seemed necessary…

Although from the moment distorted rumors had spread and knights and mercenaries started arriving…

And now that he had already recruited many soldiers and knights, that small dream of his was already twisted without remedy.

Even so, Alon kept thinking the same thing.

While he remained worried, Evan spoke.

“Why have you been like this for a while?”

“It’s just that I feel the divinity grew too much.”

“It grew?”

“Isn’t it strange?”

“……Even so, isn’t it good?”

“Yes?”

“Of course, it’s a good thing. It’s like… getting stronger without doing anything, right?”

Evan said it with an almost excited tone, as if the divinity were copying itself.

It wasn’t the time to discuss it further, so Alon stood up.

“Anyway, it seems something is happening in Divine Land, so let’s investigate.”

“Understood. I’ll find out as soon as we reach the next town.”

Alon continued advancing toward the Ronovelly Jungle.

A week later, before reaching the jungle—

They arrived at the territory of the Duchy Luxibl: the city of Castlett, through which they had to pass mandatorily.

Now that he thought about it—

‘I should also go see Sircal at some point.’

He had said he would stop by to visit him, but he still hadn’t gone.

Still, he had to meet Ryanga first, so Alon moved immediately.

Just as he got off the carriage and walked inside Castlett, he felt something strange.

‘……Why does it feel like everyone is looking at me?’

The inhabitants of the territory couldn’t take their eyes off him.

When Alon turned around, they pretended to look away, but started whispering among themselves.

It wasn’t just a feeling. They were really looking at him.

Just then—

“Oh— Greetings, Marquis Palatio—!”

A merchant selling fruits in the plaza approached as if he knew Alon.

Evan tried to block him immediately, but—

With a slight hand gesture from Alon, he made way.

And the merchant, upon arriving in front of him, bowed deeply.

“Thank you very much~!”

Alon was bewildered by the sudden gratitude.

But before he could ask him—

“Thank you very much, Marquis!”

“Thanks to you, our lives have improved a lot.”

“Thank you, Marquis!”

The inhabitants started speaking one after another, as if they had waited for this moment.

Alon could only wonder again what was happening.

People gathered and began to applaud.

“Marquis.”

“What?”

“Did you perhaps do something else…?”

“What thing?”

“Well… whenever I disappear for a while you end up doing something big.”

“…I’ve been with you these months.”

“Then… what is this?”

Evan pointed to the street turned almost into a parade.

And Alon…

Could only respond:

---

Ever since the weak knight who received help from Silly Makalian obtained the power of Kalanon, the atmosphere in Divine Land began to change.

And Roman, that weak knight who had received the power, was the one who had felt it the most.

He still didn’t master the power of Kalanon.

Even when he used it, he was clumsy, and the lightning was ridiculously weak.

But even so, he was satisfied.

Because the power of Kalanon had returned something he had lost long ago: growth.

Since forever, Roman had had no talent for the sword.

He was an illegitimate son of a family of knights, who trained day and night without rest, until falling asleep from exhaustion.

But his talent only allowed him to be a completely average knight.

Straight up—

He was weak, he was stagnant, and he was fragile.

That miserable talent had stolen the joy of growth from him.

Until he served Kalanon.

From the moment he started serving him, Roman felt again what it was to grow.

As if mocking the limits imposed by his talent, Kalanon gave him exactly as much strength as the effort he deposited.

It was a weak power, yes, but sufficient. The feeling that his effort and his faith did not betray him—

That was already an exquisite fruit.

Furthermore—

Zap—!!

“Wow.”

“When will I be able to…?”

Roman was admired by others who, like him, wished to obtain the power of Kalanon by reading the Scriptures.

“Please, tell us, Sir Knight. How should we believe?”

“Does one have to believe with desperation?”

“Teach us even a little…!”

Roman looked at the people approaching him. There were poor wandering knights, mercenaries…

In their eyes, there was respect and a hint of envy. Feelings he would have never received when he was a fragile knight.

That is why Roman thanked Kalanon—no, Marquis Palatio.

Thanks to Marquis Palatio, he had regained the hope of growing.

Thanks to him, he had received power.

Without him, Roman would have never experienced something like this.

That is why—

“Everyone, believe. If you do, Lord Kalanon will respond to your faith.”

“…Is t-that so?”

“Read the Scriptures. Chapter 1, verse 15: ‘To those who believe, strength shall be given according to their faith; to the unbelievers, nothing shall be given—’”

Roman now trusted in Kalanon more than anyone.

And at that moment—

“…Good, perfect.”

“Perfect?”

Silly observed the scene with satisfaction.

“Yes. Look at that.”

Deus followed the direction of her finger and observed them.

Since Roman started using the power of Kalanon, Divine Land had changed completely.

Knights and mercenaries in need of power memorized the Scriptures and prayed, and thanks to Silly’s help, some could already weakly use the power of Kalanon.

Thanks to that, people clung even more to the Scriptures.

They even started fighting over them.

“Everyone wants to read the Marquis’s Scriptures.”

“So, is this the ‘moment’ you wanted?”

“Exactly. From now on we will release fragments of the Scriptures little by little. Enough to make everyone desperate to read them.”

“I see. Is there anything else to do?”

At Deus’s question—

“Of course. Now that we have believers… we must create another statue, don’t you think?”

“Makes sense.”

“And we must also make an announcement.”

“……An announcement?”

“Yes.”

Silly smiled.

“Because it is absurd for a god to be below humans.”

She shook her head slightly.

“I see—”

Deus nodded, understanding her intention.

Meanwhile—

‘…What on earth are they saying?’

Kalanon, in cat form, could only look bewildered at the siblings who smiled with a sinister expression, after hearing this “reality” of Divine Land narrated by Alon.