Chapter 323

323. 323. Ryanga (5)

Immediately after confirming the theory that while Ryanga’s body is fine (?), her head is resting.

Alon Palatio decided to leave the hideout of the King of the Hundred Ghosts.

“It has been hundreds of years since our reunion, and yet you are leaving in just a single day… a bit sad…”

“…If you want, I can stay a little longer.”

Ryanga, with the expression of a puppy about to cry, listened to Alon Palatio’s question.

But she shook her head.

“No, if I want to see you again, I will go find you myself.”

She said it smiling.

“Then, see you next time, boss.”

“Yes, we will meet.”

“See you, Ryanga!”

Just when they were about to finish the farewells—

“Ah, Boss, can I ask something?”

As if she just remembered, Ryanga stopped him right before he left.

“What is it?”

“Didn’t Cheonggwi go to find you? I didn’t send him, but he suddenly disappeared.”

Alon let out a sigh without realizing it.

He had let it slide naturally, so busy with other things that he didn’t even remember to mention it: he hadn’t spoken AT ALL about Cheonggwi.

So he was about to tell it, but—

‘…Should I say it?’

Alon hesitated.

That Cheonggwi looked for him: it was obvious he should mention it.

But saying what Cheonggwi was doing now was the hard part.

Should he tell the truth?

That Cheonggwi liked Divine Land and was staying there by his own free will.

‘…That would be social suicide.’

It seemed like the perfect recipe to destroy the hearts of everyone involved.

After a brief reflection, Alon Palatio replied:

“Yes, he came to find me.”

“Oh yeah? Then where is he?”

“Right now he is helping me in Divine Land for a while.”

“Divine Land?”

“Yes.”

When Alon Palatio briefly explained what that place was—

“Oooh…”

Ryanga let out a sigh of amazement, as if she had heard something new and fascinating.

“Anyway, he is helping with some matters and that’s why he couldn’t come. When he returns, I will mention it to him.”

“Mmm~ nah, it doesn’t matter, you can leave it like that.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, when I go there myself next time, I will talk to him.”

She said it as if it wasn’t a serious matter.

“If that is so—”

They left the conversation behind and exited the forest.

And so, after Alon Palatio and his group abandoned the hideout—

“Boss.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Honggwi, red skin, rank 3 among the King of the Hundred Ghosts after Cheonggwi, spoke while observing Ryanga, whose radiant face had transformed into pure laziness.

“You must feel disappointed, right, boss?”

“Hmm? Why?”

“You waited for him for so long and could only see him for one day before he left.”

Ryanga let out a chuckle.

“It’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Sure. Having seen him and confirmed that he was okay is already enough. Besides—”

The boss must be busy with his own affairs.

Pressuring him just because she hadn’t seen him in a long time would be bothering him more than anything else.

Honggwi was impressed by the clarity with which Ryanga expressed it.

‘She is a bit childish normally… but mentally she really is mature.’

His evaluation of her changed slightly:

from “a strong and good girl” to “a person more mature than she looks”.

Then he remembered something else.

“Is it okay to leave Cheonggwi like that? He was the one who managed the guys best.”

“Mmm~”

Ryanga put a hand to her chin.

It was true: the one who controlled the rest of the subordinates was Cheonggwi.

“That is true.”

“Then, shouldn’t we bring him back right now?”

“Don’t worry so much. I plan to bring him back anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…Then it’s just a matter of asking for him to be sent back.”

“There is no need to bother the boss with such trivial tasks. It’s better if I go myself.”

Honggwi felt a what are you complicating things for?, but he let it slide.

“By the way, Honggwi, when the boss arrives at his territory, will it be in about a month or so?”

“…I suppose so.”

“Then, I will bring him back by that date.”

“Isn’t it faster to go now?”

“He is helping the boss. Pulling him out suddenly would be a bit rude, right?”

Honggwi, knowing that Ryanga normally did whatever she wanted even when it was impossible, couldn’t help but suspect.

“It’s okay, alright? In a month I will go to bring him.”

“Eh… yes.”

“And while I’m at it, I’ll go say hello to the boss again.”

With that, her true intentions became evident.

‘A while ago she was acting as if she were very mature—’

But she was actually just planning to see him soon…

Honggwi noticed the smile on Ryanga’s lips.

And his evaluation changed again.

Now it was simply:

a person who acts strong, but wants to see him again soon.

A day away from the hideout—

Alon deliberately avoided the areas where mutants appeared, taking a route through the ruins so as not to bother Ryanga anymore.

In that extra day of travel—

“We did it…!”

“Yeees!”

Alon and Penia celebrated.

They had completed the lightening phase: the first step to extract information from circle spells.

“Now we just need to combine the information and that’s it. Although… actually, the hard part starts now.”

“I didn’t think we would advance so fast.”

It was true.

When he tried to extract information from the Magic Bolt for the first time, he didn’t even know where to start.

That’s why the joy lasted only a moment—

“But… is this okay? Is it really manifested as it should be?”

Penia said it while they observed the result.

In front of them was the Magic Bolt they had created after weeks of research.

“The arrangement is the same as that of a Magic Bolt, so it should count as such… right?”

“But the shape is different.”

Penia was right.

The 1st-level Magic Bolt that magicians knew had a circular shape, due to the compression of mana.

But the Magic Bolt they had created was—

“A line.”

It was a line, straight, thin, like a luminous rectangular arrow.

Alon Palatio said:

“Heinkel said that depending on what is removed, the shape could change. This is still within reason.”

“I suppose so…”

“For now, let’s continue with this. I think we are doing well.”

Alon Palatio remembered Heinkel’s words:

‘If you don’t extract ALL the information, the spell won’t activate. Circular spells tolerate alterations, but they do not tolerate having information “removed” from them, because their design avoids any loss in transmission.’

“So we must extract it all for it to work.”

Penia nodded.

While both watched as the arrow-shaped spell slowly faded away—

“My Lord Marquis, we have arrived.”

The carriage reached the camp.

And there, Alon Palatio heard a disturbing rumor.

“Is that true? Three great ones died?”

Three great experts sent to fix the problem of the Kingdom of Ashtalon… had died.

In the Kingdom of Caliban, Palmairian IV had a growing headache.

The causes were many:

The barbarians of the north, who were active again.

The knights who had abandoned Caliban in large numbers.

His three sons, who were already preparing for the fight for the throne.

Everything added up was chaos, but what caused him the most stress… were his sons.

That was the case—

Until a few months ago.

“Marquis Palatio has created Divine Land!”

When he heard that news for the first time, Palmairian IV didn’t give it importance.

Even when they reported that Marquis Palatio had hired many soldiers and knights, he didn’t see it as a threat either.

The reason he listened to these news was that the First Sword of Caliban was personally training those soldiers, according to rumors.

Up to there, everything was fine.

► Three months ago.

“I report: knights and mercenaries are flocking in droves to Divine Land.”

“…Knights and soldiers?”

“Yes, and the magnitude is enormous.”

“How much is it…?”

“If they continue like this… they will have sufficient numbers for a war.”

That day, Palmairian IV felt a pang of doubt towards Marquis Palatio’s movements.

But even so, he discarded the suspicion.

However strong he might be, he didn’t believe the marquis had the power to face the Allied United Kingdom.

War is won by quantity, not individual strength.

So he abandoned the idea:

‘Bah, just a group of private soldiers. That is not enough.’

Besides, halfway through the process, many knights and mercenaries left Caliban, which reduced the worry.

► Two months ago.

“…The Saintess of Kalanon led believers and knights towards Divine Land.”

“What?”

“And the soldiers and mercenaries are no longer abandoning Divine Land.”

At that moment, Palmairian IV felt that something didn’t fit.

Why abandon her own temple near Caliban to go to Divine Land…?

There was no logical reason.

Even so, he continued to doubt that Marquis Palatio was planning a war.

“Him? A war? Impossible.”

But then—

“…So, according to the report, all those rumors… are being controlled by Marquis Palatio?”

“Yes, according to the report from the Ducal Squad.”

“…He is manipulating public opinion? A matter that doesn’t even concern him?”

“Yes. And there is another report.”

“What now…?”

The reports continued.

And finally—

“One of the Seven Great Ones, the Sword God, has entered Divine Land.”

When he heard that—

Palmairian IV’s pupils trembled like never before.