Chapter 360
C360. What Must Be Done (3)
Leo, a knight of Caliban and also a member of one of the orders of the Master Knights, stood looking ahead, recalling what had happened until now.
Until yesterday morning, nothing special had happened.
As always, he began his daily routine training at the order.
The problem arose in the afternoon.
An unsettling message arrived informing that a noble of Caliban had been murdered during the birthday party of the “Chosen One,” the one called a hero. So he was dispatched immediately.
In reality, it wasn’t a matter he had to get personally involved in. From the start, he was a knight belonging to the Master Knights.
However, he still moved for a single reason.
Because the noble murdered at the Chosen One’s party… was the father of the Master Knights.
That is why he left without hearing the details, in a hurry, and arrived at Tern.
And there he saw it.
Just that.
That, and nothing else.
That, should be all.
Without a doubt.
“…Ah.”
A stunned sound escaped Leo’s mouth. In his vision appeared a knight.
A knight whose mere presence made one’s skin crawl.
A knight holding a weapon without expression, covered by armor that looked like living veins.
But unlike his chilling appearance, Leo felt nothing from him.
Yes. He felt absolutely nothing.
Neither the pressure one feels before an overwhelmingly strong opponent.
Nor the insignificance perceived before a weak one.
Not even the emotions that arise before a rival of a similar level.
He felt nothing.
Leo looked at the sword the man was holding. It was a sword worn down to the extreme, which didn’t seem to cut but to tear. It conveyed no intimidation whatsoever.
Not even a sense of danger.
Then, why…?
The Master Knights and the knights who had rushed in before him…
…why were they made into corpses?
In the direction Leo was observing, the bodies were scattered forming a circle.
There were no screams.
There were no traces of desperate resistance.
Like ripe fruits falling from the tree, life there had been extinguished too simply.
Too simple.
And too cruel.
Not only that.
Many soldiers and knights, besides them, had become a mountain of corpses.
Leo reflected for a moment.
He didn’t see the knight in front of him brandish the sword.
The only thing he saw were knights and Master Knights running…
and then, shattered bodies.
It was a situation that should instill fear.
It was natural to fear what was before his eyes.
A Master Knight stronger than him had died.
His comrades had died.
Behind his back was a mountain of corpses.
Being afraid was normal.
……And yet.
Strangely, Leo still felt nothing towards that knight.
As if the emotion called fear had been excised from him.
It was strange.
Really strange.
Even so, Leo unsheathed his sword.
Feeling a strange contradiction in his emotions, he ran towards the knight—no, towards a cold and serene annihilation.
Thus,
the moth jumped into the fire.
Until the end, calmly.
The day after receiving several reports from Evan…
Alon left from the Marquis’ house without resting and headed directly to Divine Land.
He originally planned to take a short break, but he had something to ask, and without a communication orb, he had no choice but to go in person.
“I should have prepared it in advance.”
“Are you talking about the magic communication orb?”
“Yes.”
“True, it’s been quite a while. It’s rare that we haven’t gotten another one yet. I’ll take care of that this time.”
While chatting with Evan, Alon looked ahead.
Ryanga and Historia were sleeping leaning against each other.
And beneath them…
[Kraaaak- No way! This is cheating!]
[Kkyu–!]
Basiliora and Blackie were playing a board game they had recently learned.
Basiliora was shouting nonsense as if it were impossible.
Blackie watched him shaking his head, as if saying “how pathetic.”
Observing the two enjoying their freedom, Alon remembered Seolrang.
‘…She said she had a matter to attend to, right?’
Just yesterday.
Just after her strange duel with Ryanga, Seolrang told Alon she had something to do and would return later. And she disappeared.
Thanks to that, finally Basiliora and Blackie, who had been hiding for a long time, could show themselves.
[Wait! Let me withdraw this round! I misinterpreted the rule from the start!]
[Kkyuu–kkyu]
While Basiliora and Blackie‘s voices rang in the background, Evan asked:
“Are you thinking about Seolrang?”
“…How did you know?”
Evan shrugged.
“By your expression.”
“My expression?”
“Yes. Maybe others don’t notice, but when you think about the children, your face changes a little.”
“…Mine?”
“Yes. Very slightly, but it changes… Anyway, I noticed a subtle gesture and thought you were remembering Seolrang, who disappeared yesterday.”
“Well… I suppose that’s true.”
While Alon touched his face, Evan tilted his head.
“But, Sir Marquis…”
“Hmm?”
“Come to think of it… Shouldn’t Seolrang return to Colony? Not come back here again.”
Evan was right.
“…That is true.”
Unlike Ryanga or Historia…
Seolrang, in terms of affiliation, belonged to Colony.
And not as a secondary member where it didn’t matter if she was there or not. She was extremely important. The longer she was away, the more unease Colony would feel. What Evan said was completely reasonable.
“Well, she said she was on vacation, so she will probably return when she must.”
“I suppose. Even though she has her childish side, Seolrang is not a child.”
While they chatted about trivialities, they continued the journey.
The next day, as always, Alon arrived at the cliff from where Divine Land could be seen.
But upon contemplating the scene before him, multiple imaginary question marks popped up over his head.
“…Evan.”
“…Yes.”
“Didn’t you say… that it was something on a small scale?”
“That… I thought so.”
“But no matter how much I look at it… it doesn’t look small.”
To the east of Divine Land, houses were being built densely, in heaps.
“Yes… looking at it like that, it definitely doesn’t look small.”
“…Is that your entire comment?”
“Wow, the boss was right. With that size, all my subordinates would fit.”
“Yes.”
While Alon and Evan watched in astonishment, Ryanga and Ria joined the conversation.
Alon raised his hand and tried to count the houses as if they were icons on a strategic map… but he gave up.
They were too many to count with fingers. And too large in number to estimate with the naked eye.
It wasn’t something possible with a normal donation.
He looked at the gigantic construction zone in astonishment.
Then he regained his composure and headed to Divine Land.
“Ah! Sir Marquis!”
There he found Silly smiling innocently.
Alon took her to the temporary office.
He thought about what to ask first, but started with the reason he had come so quickly.
“I heard you decided to build a residential zone.”
“Yes, although it is small.”
“…Small?”
“Yes, right?”
Silly tilted her head with an adorable expression, as if she didn’t understand what the problem was. Alon wanted to put a hand to his forehead.
“There were several dozen houses at a minimum…”
“Well— Divine Land has a large population.”
“By that do you mean it’s small compared to the population?”
“Exactly.”
That is not the proper criterion to measure scale, Alon wanted to object.
But he decided to let it slide for the moment and continue.
“Alright, leaving that aside… are you sure there is enough money?”
“Money?”
“Yes. For something of this magnitude, a lot is needed.”
When Alon mentioned it, Silly nodded as if she finally understood something.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Thanks to you, we have enough with the donations!”
“?”
She responded with total joy.
Alon was completely confused.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Yes?”
“…A moment ago you said it was thanks to me.”
“Of course! It’s the money that you ripped from those arrogant kingdoms after crushing them.”
“…”
“…”
Alon looked at Silly with bewilderment. Silly also blinked looking at him.
But only for a moment.
“Ah.”
Silly seemed to realize.
“Silly?”
“Yes, Sir Marquis?”
“Do you have a ledger of the donations?”
“Of course! I’ll bring it right now!”
Alon reviewed the book and felt horror behind his neutral expression.
Except Asteria, all the kingdoms had donated colossal amounts.
‘I am sure I told them that it wasn’t mandatory to donate. Did the United Allied Kingdom collectively go mad?’
While adding the numbers, he understood that that amount was not for a small residential zone.
With that money, they could practically build a small independent territory.
He added several times.
And once more.
The result was always the same.
His hand trembled upon confirming it.
Not even the House of Marquis Palatio, which had practically become a commercial territory, had handled a sum like that.
It was irrational, absurd.
Alon looked at Silly.
“…Silly.”
“Yes?”
“Is this written down correctly?”
“Eh… yes?”
Silly hesitated for an instant, then seemed to remember something and said:
“Ah!”
Alon took a deep breath, thinking that perhaps the figure was written wrong.
Then Silly pointed at the book and said with total naturalness:
“Then… do you want us to send them a notice asking for double the current donation?”
She said it as if it were nothing.
“What are you saying, Silly…?”
“Ah, then should we ask for triple?”
Silly increased the figure with an innocent smile.
Alon began to rethink if it had been a good idea to leave Divine Land in her hands. Or if he should teach her financial sense first.
At that moment—
“Sir Marquis.”
Deus entered the tent.
“Deus.”
Alon turned his head towards him, and stopped when he saw him. Deus‘s expression was stiffer than usual.
Because of that…
“…What’s wrong?”
Alon asked cautiously.
“…Eliban… has become a Sin.”
“…What?”
An unexpected piece of news was conveyed.
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Jace xie xin
Whatt???? This kind of a crazy news but I wonder what alon will do or will he save eliban or defent him because eliban is kind of strong now probably stronger after becoming a sin