Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Life in Rodmill afforded Alon a profound sense of contentment.

It had only been roughly three days, yet Rodmill provided him with every element he associated with an ideal noble existence.

He was free to rise at his leisure.

To retire whenever he wished.

To dine at any hour.

Rodmill was a location where Alon could seamlessly live out his personal philosophy of the three greatest joys in life: the freedom to sleep, eat, and wake without constraint.

Sigh

As the funeral for Leo Palatio, the Palatio family’s firstborn, proceeded, Alon released a quiet sigh while gazing forward.

Leo rested there, ashen and motionless, a state shared by Tonio and the late Count Palatio before him.

Alon could not prevent a look of pure bewilderment from crossing his face.

‘This situation is a complete mystery to me; I don’t even know where to begin.’

The source of Alon’s confusion was the discrepancy between Leo’s actual death and the one he had foreseen. Everything appeared distorted.

‘Leo was not supposed to die for another six years.’

He moved his eyes over Leo’s form, examining it carefully.

The ceremonial attire concealed the injuries, but…

A ‘Moonflower.’

In accordance with the kingdom’s customs, severe scars or fatal wounds were signified by a blue blossom called a Moonflower, indigenous to the realm.

One such Moonflower was positioned directly over Leo’s heart.

‘…Cause of death: a blade through the heart.’

While pondering Leo’s demise, Alon found himself questioning the identity of the perpetrator.

‘When I consider it, the list of potential suspects is long.’

He was aware that Leo had been stirring up trouble in the underworld, engaging in all manner of reckless deeds. An incident like this was almost an expected outcome.

The number of people Leo had killed, either directly or through his commands, likely exceeded a thousand.

Nevertheless, Alon continued to question the circumstances because he was privy to Leo’s destined future.

‘Who could have done it…? Who ended Leo’s life?’

Holding these thoughts, Alon scanned his surroundings.

A considerable number of people had assembled for Leo’s funeral.

Servants, retainers, and knights of the Palatio household were all in attendance.

He had been informed that some nobles had come to offer condolences, but they had already departed by the time Alon returned.

This meant the only mourners present were those employed by the Palatio family.

And…

Every one of them was making a concerted effort to avoid meeting Alon’s eyes.

A servant who once casually jested that Alon would have perished in the gutters if born a commoner was now perspiring heavily and keeping his head bowed.

A knight who previously sought out conflict with Alon every time he exited the manor now deliberately looked away to avoid his gaze.

‘I suppose it’s natural for them to be concerned about their positions, now that the third son they ridiculed has unexpectedly become the family heir…’

Even so, Alon detected a more nuanced element in their behavior that held his attention.

Whenever Alon’s eyes settled on a servant, they would shiver slightly, their hands trembling.

Earlier, when Alon’s gaze met a knight’s and he gave a minor, habitual shrug, the knight fumbled and dropped his ceremonial sword, creating a clumsy disturbance during the funeral.

Such actions clearly revealed the servants’ current perception of Alon.

‘They aren’t merely suspicious… They are practically convinced it was me.’

Two hours later,
“Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“The situation is worse than I anticipated.”
“…How severe is it?”
“Rumors now suggest you are the hidden authority behind the Palatio family, an individual with the power to eradicate Avalon within a single day.”
Alon understood that he had, without his knowledge, been cast as the rumored mastermind wielding tremendous influence inside the Palatio family.
“All I did… was make a piece of toast…”
Alon’s soft lament as he remembered his time in Rodmill, where he had been preparing a simple slice of toast while such rumors circulated through the Palatio household.
“In the duration it took you to prepare that toast, you have been transformed into the hidden power commanding sword masters.”
“This is no time for humor.”
“I am not joking, Young Master. That is the actual rumor spreading.”
“…How did a rumor like that even begin?”
Alon frowned, completely perplexed by the situation. In reply, Evan started to relay the intelligence he had collected from the guild.

A short time later,
“To summarize, a day after Leo’s death, Avalon, the organization he controlled, vanished from the underworld completely?”
“Yes.”
“And… the belief is that I am the one accountable.”
“Correct.”
“…What is the reasoning?”
“Because you are the sole person who stands to gain from these events, Young Master.”
“When you phrase it like that… it does seem logical…”
Indeed, it was a scenario where Alon could not escape suspicion.
Leo had been killed shortly after Alon departed for Rodmill, and Avalon, the organization Leo managed, was annihilated soon after.
In such a sequence, it was evident that Alon benefited the most.
He possessed a solid alibi, having been away in Rodmill, while simultaneously securing his role as the Palatio family heir.
Furthermore, with Avalon’s destruction, the underworld connections that had plagued the Palatio family like persistent tar were entirely severed.
In other words, any potential annoyance from the underworld was now completely removed.
“But… Are you certain you weren’t involved, Young Master?”
“…You were standing beside me, spreading butter on the toast.”
“That is true, but everything aligned so perfectly that I felt compelled to ask.”
“Do you actually suspect me…?”
Alon fell silent at Evan’s statement. It was accurate.
Instead of answering, Alon began to think.
‘Are there any factions in the eastern region capable of dismantling a major underworld entity like Avalon? The Hundred Ghost Night Parade? No, they are not due to appear for another six years… Then the ‘Root’ organization? No, their base is in the east, making it unlikely they would travel all the way here…’
Alon shook his head.
No matter how deeply he pondered, he could not identify any group with the capability to obliterate Avalon so swiftly.
Just as he was about to dismiss his thoughts, a memory surfaced.
“…Ah.”
“Ah.”
Recalling something Evan had mentioned earlier, he asked,
“Evan.”
“Yes?”
“Did you not previously mention a group that hunts other organizations?”
“Oh, you are referring to the Blue Moon?”
“Yes, them. Could they be responsible?”
Evan shook his head in response to Alon’s question.
“No. The information guild has also excluded the Blue Moon.”
“How can they be certain?”
“The Blue Moon always leaves a specific mark after their work is done. Also, where the Blue Moon operates, you may find body fragments, but never intact corpses.”
“And that was not the case here?”
“They described the scene as a hellscape… the majority of the organization was cut down by blades.”
“So that is why they believe I command a sword master…”
“Precisely.”
Alon nodded at Evan’s explanation.
‘It is true that an organization destined to fall in six years would lack the strength to eliminate Leo and Avalon… But then, who possesses that capability?’
…It was a night of relentless contemplation.

***
“Any traces left behind?”
In the basement of the eastern orphanage, as soon as the regular four assembled, the question was posed, and each person answered in turn.
“I left no evidence.”
“I didn’t either!”
“Same. I followed your instructions precisely and left no traces.”
Rine, her green eyes shimmering faintly, continued to speak.
“It appears the information guild has not connected us to the events at Avalon.”
“And?”
“They have attributed the massacre to a sword master who created a hellscape.”
At Deus’s words, Yutia paused briefly, as if in deep thought, before speaking.
“Still, to be safe, continue monitoring the information guild’s movements. As I have told you all countless times, you understand, correct? This must never reach him. Never.”
Though Yutia’s red eyes burned fiercely, everyone nodded in immediate agreement.
“…But is it truly necessary to conceal it to this degree?”
Deus inquired, his typically relaxed smile replaced by a slightly troubled expression as he observed Yutia’s unusually tense demeanor.
After a short silence, Yutia answered with conviction.
“It is absolutely necessary to conceal it.”
“…Why?”
In response to Deus’s persistent questioning, Yutia’s red eyes flashed as she replied.
“I have told you before, haven’t I? We are his sword. We must not judge or think independently; we must simply be the weapon he wields.”
“But a sword that thinks for itself… that is incorrect, isn’t it?”
“But the Count’s eldest son targeted him first, so—”
“It is irrelevant. A wrong action remains wrong. There was no ‘order.’ Understand? We only move upon his command. If he did not speak, we do not act. Ever.”
Deus ran his dry tongue over the roof of his mouth as he looked into Yutia’s eyes.
For someone supposedly residing in an orphanage, she carried an air of dignity and integrity, yet there was also a crushing, undeniable force in her presence. But whenever she spoke of him, something within her shifted.
Her dignified stare transformed into one of unsettling devotion, and her noble aura morphed into something wild and monstrous.
Thus, Deus could not comprehend.
“So ensure every trace is erased. Do not disappoint him.”
How someone of her power, capable of overwhelming everyone present with her mere aura, could feel such anxiety and dread over something as minor as being ‘discovered.’
“I understand.”
Despite his remaining uncertainties, Deus had no intention of voicing them, so he simply nodded in acceptance. As the discussion concluded,
“They have arrived.”
A man entered as the basement door opened.
Even in the lightless, dark basement, his hair gleamed with a luminous silver hue, as if it had captured the very light of the moon.
“Just as the boss predicted.”
In the preordained future, he was destined to become one of the Five Great Sins—The Sin of Obsession.
“The remaining forces of Avalon, 286 men.”
Ladan, his sharp, moon-like eyes glinting, reported,
“I bisected them all and killed them.”
It had taken a mere five days for the formidable organization Avalon, which once dominated the eastern region of the Asteria Kingdom, to disappear, leaving behind nothing but a shattered signboard.
“However, I do not believe the task is fully complete.”
“What do you mean?”
“I discovered additional nobles linked to Avalon.”
As he spoke, Ladan retrieved a meticulously folded piece of paper from his chest and laid it on the table before him.
“The Duke of Altia’s family is involved. The entanglement seems deep, with ledgers recording their transactions. There are approximately four individuals, all appearing to be the duke’s children. Given their level of involvement, they may begin inquiring about this incident. What is your instruction?”
After a moment of silence, Yutia, who had been contemplating his words, spoke.
“You already know what I will say, do you not?”
Her red eyes gleamed dangerously as she murmured.
“I see. Then I will handle it as discreetly as possible.”
Ladan gave a quiet nod of assent.

***
Since Leo Palatio’s funeral, Alon had been constantly occupied.
Beyond investigating Leo’s death, which had deviated from the game’s storyline, other responsibilities demanded his attention, even if he had not sought them.
Consequently, his days were a blur of activity. Roughly a month after the funeral, he found himself in Estrovan, a territory in the southern part of the Asteria Kingdom, rather than at the Palatio estate.
The reason was his attendance at a biannual social ball.
Officially, Alon’s presence was meant to strengthen social bonds, but in truth, he had business to conduct in the territory.
He did, however, intend to partially fulfill the official purpose.
With his position as the future Count virtually confirmed for the coming year, establishing connections with other nobles was vital for both his social standing and his personal convenience.
…Or so he had believed.
Alon let his gaze wander across the ballroom.
A chandelier shaped like a crescent moon bathed the room in a beautiful light, while the sons and daughters of nobles, adorned in their finest clothing, displayed the unique elegance of high society.
The issue was…
Not a single one of those nobles could manage to hold Alon’s gaze.
Alon observed a young noblewoman instantly lower her head when their eyes accidentally met.
And he sighed, realizing that his objective of ‘strengthening social ties’ would be far more difficult to accomplish than he had initially anticipated.