Chapter 459

Chapter 459. Why Are You…? (7)

After Myu conveyed the rumors in detail.

“I- I, just in case, will go out for a moment to confirm it more clearly-!”

As if she was afraid Magrina would ask more questions, she disappeared at the speed of light.

A silence fell.

Magrina‘s smiling expression also slowly began to harden.

At that moment.

“Don’t get so upset.”

“……Sister?”

Rine‘s sweet voice vibrated in the air.

Magrina blinked, surprised even as she regained her composure.

It was because Rine looked extremely calm.

Despite having heard the rumors about her brother together—

Magrina tilted her head slightly without realizing it.

At least, the Rine she knew would never react so calmly to something like that.

“…Are you okay?”

“With what?”

“The… rumor.”

At Magrina‘s cautious question, Rine put down her cup while wearing a relaxed smile.

“Magrina, you know, right? From the start, it’s impossible for the Godfather to have someone like that.”

“That… couldn’t it be possible?”

“No. It will never happen.”

“……Never?”

“Never.”

Rine asserted without hesitation.

“The Godfather isn’t someone who establishes a bond like that suddenly.”

Thinking for a moment, Rine added:

“The rumor probably got twisted and twisted until it was transmitted like this.”

“Do you really think that’s it?”

“Of course.”

The way Rine calmly drank her tea made Magrina nod unintentionally. It was true: according to what she herself knew, her older brother was not someone who, without any prior sign, would create a special bond out of nowhere.

“Ahem… I suppose I got a little worked up.”

Remembering Alon‘s face, Magrina regained her smile. Rine‘s confidence made more sense than her own doubts.

Magrina moved her hand gently.

Then, the broken cup was removed with magic and a new one appeared in front.

While Magrina poured tea again, Rine added with a calm smile:

“That’s right. Rumors tend to be distorted, so it’s better to think calmly.”

“Normally it would be like that, but when it comes to rumors about my older brother, I just can’t help it. As you say, it’s surely deformed, right?”

Rine nodded and brought the cup to her lips.

Just at that instant.

Knock, knock—

Another knock sounded on the door.

Magrina, just like before, opened the door with magic.

And then—

“Um.”

The one who entered again was Myu.

For some reason, she was even more shrunk than before, moving her eyes restlessly as she advanced.

As if she had dragged her feet there with difficulty, Myu arrived in front of Magrina and Rine.

“…This is what I just confirmed additionally.”

She spoke with a timid voice.

“Speak.”

Magrina‘s already calm tone still conveyed a slight nervousness, but Myu, after gathering courage, continued with her report.

“…The person who claimed to be in a special relationship with the Primordial Elf is the Sub-Master of the Blue Tower.”

As soon as that sentence fell.

“…The Sub-Master,”

“of the Blue Tower…?”

Magrina and Rine blinked in confusion.

The Sub-Master of the Blue Tower.

A somewhat strange title, but at the same time familiar to both.

“…Sister… Penia…?”

“…Penia…?”

As if they had rehearsed it, they pronounced the same name.

“Yes, that was the name.”

The moment Myu confirmed, she saw it.

The cups Magrina and Rine were holding began to crack at the same time.

And a terrifying killing intent… no, mana, began to float in the air.

Then.

Rine‘s low voice resonated in the room.

Exactly one day later.

Shudder

“……What? Why are you suddenly doing that?”

“I don’t know, I just got a chill.”

“Hmm, well…. it’s understandable.”

“Do you want me to gouge out your eyes?”

“No, thanks.”

When Penia, suddenly, hugged her own arms and trembled, Evan joked, and their usual comic exchange began.

Alon, observing that, heard Heinkel‘s voice.

“Alright, then let’s start!”

The little girl’s voice overflowed with confidence.

Unlike yesterday, when she couldn’t use mana due to the artifact’s residue, although she was still recovering, today she could use mana.

Alon handed her a Fragment of Faith.

“Done.”

“Really?”

After a not very long process, Heinkel immediately began channeling mana.

A moment passed.

“Mm—good.”

As if she had grasped something, Heinkel nodded.

“…Did you discover something?”

Alon asked immediately, and Heinkel nodded again.

“Yes. Right now my mana is very small, so it is difficult, but when it recovers, I will be able to use it soon.”

“Can you know that?”

“I feel the change.”

Heinkel shrugged.

Alon, behind her expressionless face, was surprised.

Penia, after receiving Alon‘s power, took weeks before she could use Phrases.

But Heinkel had shortened that process in one go.

Hiding his surprise, Alon spoke.

“I remind you just in case, but Phrases can only be used with Faith.”

“Of course I know. Don’t worry about that.”

Heinkel tapped Alon‘s shoulder with her small hand, as if saying to leave the worry.

It generated doubts in Alon that someone like Heinkel could really use Phrases, given her very un-devout attitude.

“Do you plan to leave soon?”

At Heinkel‘s question, Alon cut his thoughts to answer.

“Not immediately, but upon delivering the blessings to the mages, I will move.”

“And the magic? There are two more decoded.”

Alon thought about it for a moment and said:

“……It would be better to postpone that.”

If he started studying them now, he would have to stay for weeks in the Tower.

Heinkel nodded as if she understood.

“If you are busy, there is no helping it. Magic is learned calmly. Then, only the blessing is missing?”

“That is correct.”

Only one task remained to be done.

“Have you decided who to give them to?”

“Not yet.”

“Mm—”

Heinkel thought for a moment and then said:

“The blessings don’t have to be given right now, right?”

“Correct.”

“Then, could you give me a little time?”

“…Time?”

“Yes. Since you gave me a blessing, I thought I’d help you a little too.”

An intriguing smile appeared on her face.

“What do you say?”

At the second offer—

“In that case—”

Alon accepted it, although with some doubt.

After spending one more day, Alon left the Central Tower and got into the carriage heading to Colony.

“Safe travels!”

“We will be waiting for you!”

“Take care!”

Thump— thump thump!

The mages crowded at the entrance to see him off with enthusiasm.

After escaping the tumult, Alon sighed.

“……It is exhausting to receive so much attention.”

“Mm— I think it’s understandable.”

During his stay, every time Alon went out, the mages approached loaded with gifts.

Remembering that, Alon closed his eyes while Penia nodded understandingly.

Evan didn’t miss the chance to butt in:

“You were happy every time you received attention, weren’t you? Every time they gave you something you were all smiles—”

“Shut up.”

Penia already responded easily to Evan‘s attacks.

[I thought I would die…]

Then, Basiliora came out of Alon‘s ring looking exhausted.

“What’s wrong?”

[Maybe you don’t know, but being inside that ring is more suffocating than you think!]

Alon asked, and Basiliora protested indignantly.

Penia stared at him and tilted her head.

“……Couldn’t you just come out? Anyway Heinkel couldn’t use mana as soon as she came out.”

[And what if she managed to use it? It would have been a disaster.]

As if reliving a trauma, Basiliora trembled and then stood still.

[No— or not? Maybe that was the only moment to get revenge? What if I had overcome the fear and come out??]

[Kyuu~!]

[Kyaaa—!]

Suddenly, Blackie came out of the pocket and hit him on the head, as if fed up with the noise.

Thanks to that, the carriage advanced in peace towards Colony.

Meanwhile, in the second office of Palantia.

The place that used to be Penia‘s laboratory was now Lainicius‘s office.

He was petrified with an expression of surprise.

It was because he had analyzed in detail the functioning of the artifact Footsteps Running Through the Past.

Normally, even if one could repair an artifact, discovering its operating principles was almost impossible. Repairing and understanding its operational structure were completely different dimensions.

But Lainicius‘s innate nature made it possible. After looking at the artifact for a long time, he thought:

“……A transmission device…?”

No, it was more complex than that, but that was the closest description.

More precisely, it was a “one-way” transmission device.

That is, its operation wasn’t as grand as it seemed.

However, what surprised Lainicius was a simple deduction derived from that very truth.

“A transmission artifact, even one-way, loses meaning if there isn’t someone receiving the signal.”

But as far as Lainicius knew, Alon had found Kylus several times using this artifact.

Kylus, who had become an Outer God to take revenge on the Five Sins.

That meant that the assumption Lainicius had made before Alon left was, at least in part, correct.

“……The Outer Gods were not destroyed, they only appear to be destroyed; in reality, they are trapped somewhere.”

The first theory he proposed about the Outer Gods—

And that theory led to another additional conclusion.

“And if it really is so—”

Lainicius looked at Footsteps Running Through the Past.

A one-way signal always leaves traces.

His innate nature allowed him to follow that trace, even if it took time.

In other words—

“The Outer Gods can be summoned… at will.”

Lainicius‘s low voice resonated in the room.