Chapter 359

C359. What Must Be Done (2)

At the same moment the noble’s neck twisted, absolute chaos erupted.

“Guard– guards! The hero has gone mad!”

“R-run!”

“Get out of here, fast!!”

“Move! I said move!”

The relaxed atmosphere shattered in an instant.

The nobles screamed almost like beasts as they struggled to escape from there.

Some protected themselves with the private guards they had brought.

Others, surprisingly…

As if they had even foreseen this situation to some extent, they pulled something from their chests to try to flee.

But—

CRAAACK—

Regrettably, the nobles could not escape.

Beyond the smiling Eliban, another noble fell dead with his neck twisted.

Then another.

And then another.

And then another—

Again and again.

They fell ceaselessly.

The luxurious ballroom…

Was covered in corpses and blood.

The golden chandelier was soaked in blood.

The carpet and the golden edges were soaked in a dark red that dulled their shine.

In the end, the only thing left…

“Ah————……”

In front of everyone.

Duke Pimalian, who was watching Eliban.

He hadn’t fled: he stood there, staring blankly at Eliban.

No, more accurately…

It wasn’t that he hadn’t fled: he couldn’t flee.

His legs shook too much from fear to run, his mouth trembled too much from terror to scream.

And even so…

Eliban was smiling radiantly.

The duke didn’t understand.

Honestly, he understood nothing of what was happening.

No, the logic behind Eliban‘s actions could be interpreted:

He was a hero.

And he had used his birthday party to gather nobles related to the criminal world.

And he had executed them all.

There was no doubt: they were criminals.

Yes, up to that point it wasn’t impossible to comprehend, even if it was too brutal for a hero.

But what tormented the duke was something else.

“Why…?”

The duke murmured without realizing it.

If the hero wanted to kill them, he didn’t need to do it here.

With that inconceivable power, he could have eliminated them in silence.

But Eliban didn’t do that.

He gathered them here on purpose.

He even attracted the attention of the Allied United Kingdom using the birthday party as a pretext.

And then he killed them.

As if he wanted to make the massacre public.

It was monumental stupidity.

No matter how criminal they were, no matter how associated with the underworld…

What he had done was insane enough to completely destroy the reputation of “Hero Eliban”.

So, why… why…?

“You seem curious.”

Plunged into terror, into anguish, Duke Pimalian looked up.

Eliban looked at him with the same expression as before.

That cheerful smile.

But the bloody scene that filled the duke’s view…

Forced him to acknowledge that that smile was no longer normal.

That is why he couldn’t answer.

“What makes you so curious? Why I gathered these nobles here to kill them? Or why I threw my own prestige to the ground?”

On the contrary…

Eliban asked the duke calmly.

And before the latter could answer, he replied as if he already knew what he was thinking.

“The answer is simple. I think you already deduce it. All the nobles gathered here were trash. In the future… they were going to take root in the underworld and corrupt the kingdom like plagues.”

“Plagues… you say?”

“Yes, plagues. There is no more precise word.”

The duke felt bewilderment.

It was true that everyone present was linked to the underworld.

But among them…

No one had enough power to corrupt the kingdom.

Besides, as far as he knew…

The true ringleaders of the underworld had not been invited to the birthday.

From there arose the doubt.

“…But there is no one here with such power…”

Even drowned in fear, the duke asked.

Barely moving his lips.

Eliban nodded.

“Yes, it is true. Those present here right now are all mediocre. For now.”

Including you —was what he seemed to want to say.

Eliban continued:

“And the reason why I gathered them here to kill them is simple.”

He replied:

“Inflated fame… when it falls, it falls much deeper.”

The smile remained on his lips.

The duke couldn’t understand why Eliban had done this.

But amidst all the chaos…

He understood just one thing.

That Eliban, the person in front of him, was much more dangerous than he ever imagined.

“P-please… forgive me. You are a hero, right?”

The duke begged.

He knew it was useless.

But he wanted to live.

His mind, dominated by the instinct for survival, clung to any possibility, however minimal.

Eliban looked at him.

“No. I am not a hero.”

He replied calmly.

“What…?”

The duke repeated, stunned.

Eliban smiled again.

“Just like that. I am not a hero. If I have to be exact… I am someone who ‘received help from a hero’.”

Both before and now.

Regrettably, the duke answered no more.

In the instant Eliban said that—

CRACK

The duke’s neck had already been twisted.

With a wet sound, blood dripped.

Eliban, watching that scene, looked away quietly.

At some point, that thing, dressed in the sacred cloak, had appeared.

“Outside?”

At Eliban‘s question, that thing smiled and replied:

“Everyone is coming here. It seems everything went just as you wanted.”

“And, is it ready?”

“Yes.”

That thing threw something toward Eliban.

A red fragment.

It couldn’t even be called a gem: it was just a red piece.

And as soon as it touched Eliban‘s hand—

CRRRRRAAAACK—

Eliban‘s body began to be devoured by red veins emerging from the fragment.

Slowly… but quickly.

While Eliban was being absorbed without resistance by the red veins…

That thing asked:

“Aren’t you worried? If your prediction is wrong, you won’t be saving the world: you will destroy it. You will become the greatest sin.”

A cold question.

Eliban replied:

“No.”

A simple answer.

But even with that word…

That thing opened its eyes slightly surprised.

Because Eliban‘s face, despite being devoured, showed an unshakable faith and conviction.

As if he had seen the future directly with his own eyes.

That is why.

That thing only smiled before disappearing.

Eliban looked silently toward the sky.

The dark sunset shone with a sky covered in stars.

As if they were observing the earth from above.

But not even that altered Eliban‘s gaze.

Because he had found the only correct answer.

Eliban put confidence in that gaze.

Eliban put faith in his heart.

Therefore, he simply closed his eyes.

And then—

Wrath opened his eyes.

---

[I thought I was going to die—!]

[Kyuuuuu—]

Meanwhile.

Alon arrived at the marquis’s house a little faster than usual.

As soon as he entered the office, Basiliora and Blackie came out panting.

[Damn it! Why won’t that strange beastman let go of me?]

[Kyuu~! Kyukyukyuu~!!]

As soon as Seolrang disappeared to finish the pending match with Ryanga, Basiliora and Blackie shot out to vent.

Both looked at Alon at the same time.

[Alon! Get rid of those guys at once! We can barely hold on!]

[Kyuu!]

Their shouts full of determination. But Alon only showed an uncomfortable expression.

He could say something…

But telling Seolrang to “leave already” was a bit…

“……Well. I’ll ask them.”

He couldn’t ignore the pleading eyes of the two, so Alon nodded.

Just when he was calming the situation—

“Long time no see.”

With a screech, Evan entered the office.

[I almost had a heart attack, you piece of idiot!]

[Kyuu!]

Basiliora and Blackie tried to get into Alon‘s pocket and ring at the speed of light, but stopped to glare at Evan.

“Do you want me to call Seolrang?”

**[Kyuooo~!]

[Ugh— I admit it. Right now you are stronger than me.]**

Evan threatened them with a wry smile.

The two moaned as if they saw the greatest villain in the world and hid.

“Fufufu—”

Evan laughed triumphantly.

Alon looked at him.

“Does it amuse you?”

“Of course, Marquis. I don’t have many opportunities to dominate those two, you know?”

“One has to take advantage,” Evan added.

Alon asked:

“So, did you find Silly?”

“Ah, yes. I just came to tell you that Silly is already back in Divine Land.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose I’ll have to go again.”

He remembered what Sircal had said last time.

Then Alon asked:

“Now that I think about it, didn’t Silly say she had something to do in the territory?”

“Yes, she built a church.”

“…A church?”

“Yes. Right in front of the church Yutia founded.”

Alon remained silent.

He didn’t know if he should reproach first “How did she build something without permission?”…

Or “Why did she build a church right in front of Yutia‘s?”

He planned to ask her when he saw her.

Then Evan added another piece of news:

“Ah, and apparently they will build housing in Divine Land.”

“…Housing?”

“Yes. Since they have been living in barracks-style tents, they want to build something proper.”

Alon nodded.

It was true that there were already too many people, and they needed housing.

But the reason why Alon had postponed that idea was simple:

the cost.

The Palatio House was rich.

So rich that Alon could retire and live peacefully without ever worrying about money.

But building housing in Divine Land cost a fortune.

Even Alon could feel the blow.

Therefore—

“……How much will it cost?”

He asked with some tension.

Evan replied:

“Eh? There will be no costs.”

“……No?”

“No.”

“Then how will they build?”

“With donations.”

“Donations?”

“Yes.”

“Enough money was gathered to build housing?”

Alon, confused, asked.

Then Evan added:

“Ah, true. They are also reorganizing the roads.”

“……That too?”

“Yes, with donations.”

“And furthermore, they will build a small city hall.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes. With donations too.”

Confusion began to draw itself on Alon‘s face…