Chapter 498

Episode 498. Anomaly (6)

“Hum…”

Without realizing it, Alon Palatio let out a sound, broke his introspection, and opened his eyes.

“Fuu…”

He exhaled a long sigh. Then, he closed his eyes again and began to observe his interior once more. What he saw was still that giant eye from a moment ago. Or rather, should he say it was Alon in his state of Manifestation?

‘What on earth is this?’

Alon looked stunned at his manifested “self,” floating in the sky of a dark abyss. His divine body was much more gigantic than before. But it hadn’t just grown in size. As soon as he saw it, Alon noticed the change.

Where before there was only a giant eye and chains of characters that broke and regenerated, now there were tentacles. And they weren’t of a common shape; they seemed sculpted from the abyss itself—colossal tentacles that gave the impression that anything they brushed against would be instantly annihilated.

Well, in a sense, it could be seen positively. Having eyes and “legs” brought him a little closer to human form than having just an eye. … Of course, they were tentacles and not legs, but at least something resembling limbs (?) had sprouted.

‘But why, why the hell?’

After escaping reality for a moment, Alon regained his composure and began to analyze how this situation had come about. Certainly, he had delivered his statue to the Divine Blood. And, logically, the shape of the statue was that of a “human,” not an “eye with tentacles.”

So why had his Manifestation developed tentacles? Did the new forms see human legs as tentacles? Alon meditated on it seriously, but for now, he decided to leave his state of meditation.

“How did it go, Alon-nim?” Evan asked as soon as he opened his eyes, his face full of curiosity.

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“Do I happen to look like an octopus?”

“… Has your mental state suddenly worsened?”

At Alon‘s absurd question, an expression of pity crossed Evan‘s face. Alon sighed, pressed his tired eyelids, and explained what he had seen.

“So, instead of transforming into a human, things have simply been added to it?”

“Exactly.”

“Could it be that you should have spoken with them before leaving?”

“Maybe I should have…” Alon briefly lamented.

However, he soon remembered something while looking at the empty spot and asked:

“By the way, where did Penia go?”

“Ah, Penia? As soon as we entered, she said something incoherent about having things to do and disappeared.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Ah, by the way, Alexion told me that you can start using the main castle now.”

“Wasn’t it unfinished?”

“It seems it is at least habitable now.”

Alon wore a thoughtful expression.

“Well, if he says so, it’s time to move.”

“Mmm, next time I have free time, I’ll tell them to move the basic luggage. After all, aren’t you going to Rosario in a few days?”

Alon nodded.

“That’s right. And after that, I’ll go to the Empire with Rine.”

“Doesn’t sound bad. Ah, by the way, I’ve been told that Yutia Bloodia is in the inner castle.”

“… Eh? Yutia Bloodia?”

“Yes. And also Seolrang, Rine, and Magrina.”

“But… hadn’t they all left yesterday?”

“According to what I’ve been told, they came back because they had something to say.”

Alon found it strange but concluded:

“Well, Yutia Bloodia can come with us to Rosario, so it’s fine.”

“Mmm, I suppose so.”

He nodded, considering it wasn’t a bad plan.

At that moment, in the inner castle where the four were gathered:

“T-this… why am I here?”

An uneasy-looking Penia was surrounded by them.

The next day.

Alon decided to set off immediately for Rosario. Normally, after a trip, he should rest for a week, but since he traveled atop Basiliora and Blackie, the journeys had been shortened so much that he no longer felt the exhaustion of travel. Therefore, as soon as dawn broke, Alon finished his preparations.

“Have a good trip, Godfather.”

“Brother.”

“Come back soon, Master!”

Alon looked with a peculiar expression at Rine, Magrina, and Seolrang, who had come out to see him off. Although they said they had returned because they had something to tell him, the truth was they had only told him trivial things of no real importance. But since he himself had given them permission to stay in the inner castle, it felt strange to ask them why they weren’t leaving. Furthermore, in Rine‘s case, they were to go to the Empire together after returning from Rosario.

“Yes, I’ll be back.”

After accepting their farewells, Alon climbed onto Basiliora.

[Alright, let’s go!]

Basiliora shouted with enthusiasm, as if every flight were a new experience despite having done it for some time now. Alon glanced back once they began to soar through the sky.

“Yutia Bloodia, are you okay?”

Alon asked her just in case, thinking it would be her first time flying this way. She, looking at the sky with a somewhat distracted expression, replied belatedly:

“Yes, it brings back memories.”

“Memories? Have you flown like this before?”

An exclamation of surprise crossed Yutia Bloodia‘s face for an instant. It was a second in which Alon wondered if he had imagined it. But soon:

“Mmm, I once boarded an airship. One was built in Rosario some time ago.”

“… An airship?” Alon asked with curiosity.

“Yes. Though they aren’t used now due to budget issues.”

“Does it feel similar to going in an airship?”

“Mmm, this feels a bit more free, so personally, I like it more.”

Alon nodded at her words and then looked further back, toward Penia. Since yesterday, she had a subtly uncomfortable expression.

“Penia.”

“Yes?”

“Is something wrong?”

Alon tilted his head inquiringly, but Penia shook her head, forcing a smile.

“No! Not at all!”

…She said it with an extremely forced smile. Alon realized she was hiding something, but he didn’t insist. If she was trying so hard to hide it, she must have her reasons. Besides, he trusted that if it were something truly serious, she would tell him.

“If anything happens, tell me.”

With that, Alon ended the chat on Basiliora‘s back.

It took exactly six days to reach Rosario. They could have shortened the time if they had gone faster, but they didn’t. Additionally, to avoid causing a stir in Rosario, they landed far away and entered on foot, which added some time.

[…It was a good opportunity to engrave my grand image in their minds…]

Listening to the complaints of Basiliora, who had already grumbled more than eight times, Alon arrived at Rosario and soon met with Yuman.

“Brother, how have you been?”

“Saint.”

Yuman nodded firmly with his usual smile. After greeting him and noting that he looked the same as last time despite the time passed, Alon headed to the room where the statue of Sironia was—or rather, to meet with The Wanderer.

“Hurry,” said Evan.

“Yes.”

Leaving behind Evan, Penia, and a Yutia Bloodia who waved her hand slightly, Alon entered the room of the statue.

[It’s been a while.]

As soon as he entered, he heard the voice of The Wanderer, who seemed to be waiting for him.

“It’s been a while, but I see you haven’t changed.”

[Eh? What do you mean?]

“The last time we met, you said that over time you would become the Goddess Sironia again.”

[Ah…] —The Wanderer let out an exclamation—. [First, let me tell you that the Goddess Sironia is still here, you know?]

“… She is here?”

[Yes, I have only taken her place temporarily because you have come. Weren’t you coming to look for me?]

“Well, it’s true I was looking for you.”

[Then there’s no problem. There’s no reason to feel uncomfortable. By the way…] —The Wanderer fell silent for a moment before continuing—. [It is more than I expected.]

“What do you mean?”

[Honestly, I had my doubts, but I didn’t think you would become so strong in such a short time.]

Alon responded to her words of amazement:

“Oh, really?”

[Yes, to be honest… no, let’s leave that topic for now.]

The Wanderer was going to say something but fell silent. Alon was curious, but he didn’t ask. He knew that the Divine Blood he could converse with usually closed their mouths as soon as they reached a part they wanted to hide. Therefore, instead of insisting, he took out the object he brought to fulfill his original objective.

It was the jar. The black jar.

[Is that…?] —The Wanderer asked with doubt.

“Do you know anything about the power contained in this jar?”

The Wanderer observed the jar in silence.

[Eh…]

She elongated the word in a strange way. It didn’t seem like she was analyzing the power, but rather as if she didn’t understand why that was appearing in this situation. Just as Alon was about to speak again, she said:

[… I know it. In fact, it is a power I cannot help but know well.]

“… A power you know well?”

[Yes. Because that power is the power of a Supernatural Blood. More exactly…] —she declared—. [… I would say it is the power of the second of the Supernatural Blood.]

While Alon listened to her version of the truth, outside the room…

Penia was mired in agony while waiting for Alon. It wasn’t that she had done anything wrong, but her suffering was due to a “mission” imposed on her a few days ago, after returning from her encounter with the Divine Bloods, as a kind of punishment for her past “sins.”

In reality, it was nothing out of this world. It was simply about confirming one thing with Alon: “Really, even excepting Seolrang, is biting Alon‘s nose considered light physical contact?”.

Penia was aware that this bordered on the area of the irrational. Probably the others knew it too. … Did they know? Surely they did. And surely that was why they had tasked Penia with obtaining official confirmation.

Anyway, the question itself wasn’t the problem; it wasn’t that difficult. The problem was the secret proposals Penia had received afterward. As if they had reached an agreement, they all sought her out separately to ask her that, after confirming the mission, she tell a lie to the others and the truth only to themselves.

Even Seolrang gave her a condition: “Tell me that under no circumstances, and then I will give you very valuable information.” And the others did the same. The conditions weren’t the problem; the problem was that Penia didn’t know what the others would do to her if she accepted one’s deal.

“Ah…”

Penia remained trapped in a painful dilemma, unable to even formulate the question.