Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Yutia had voiced this opinion many times before, and Rine had long understood that the Great Moon was fundamentally distinct from them. He was a companion of the Great Palaon from the lost era of the gods. He employed phrases and sentences from that forgotten age with an innate comprehension, a use that stemmed from true understanding. When he discovered she held a “library” within her, he gifted her the “Eye of the Tracker.”

Yet, more than any of this, what truly cemented the Great Moon’s otherness for Rine was the eye on his back. That eye, which warped perception through its mere presence, was an entity not even documented within her library. This was the fact that made it abundantly clear to Rine that the Great Moon was a being of an entirely different order.

It was for this reason that Rine placed her faith in him, and she saw nothing strange in doing so. To offer devotion to someone so fundamentally transcendent was, to her, a perfectly natural act.

Driven by that belief, Rine never entertained a single doubt that the Great Moon would be victorious in this conflict. In her heart, he was merely wearing a human form, a being who would grant her sole and deepest desire.

From her office, Rine looked out in the direction of the Labyrinth City’s lordly castle, her thoughts continuing to unfold.

“Family, is it?”

In truth, the moment the Outer God cast its spell upon her, she had felt her own death approaching. There had been no escape at that instant; the Outer God’s magic was inescapable. She had survived only because the Great Moon had saved her, engineering the conditions for the Outer God’s defeat even when confronted by his own mortality. Yet, she could not fully comprehend his actions.

She did not believe her life was valuable enough to justify risking a scenario where the Great Moon might lose. In her own estimation, she was neither more nor less than a useful instrument, raised by the Great Moon to contend with the black ones. Therefore, his intervention was inexplicable to her. Even considering she had not yet completed the Eye of the Tracker and retained some utility, the Great Moon’s actions seemed endlessly irrational.

After pondering the matter extensively on her own, Rine finally gathered the courage to pose the question to him. And it was then she heard the word “family.”

“Family…”

Rine repeated the word flatly. To her, the term “family” held little inherent meaning. From the very beginning, she had been born into this world possessing a library and had never known a family.

“Family… I see.”

But even so, at this moment, things were different. It wasn’t that she now ascribed profound philosophical or emotional weight to the concept itself; the mere word still evoked no deep feeling. However, the definition of “family” had shifted for Rine simply because it was the Great Moon who had spoken it.

To her, who admired and revered the Great Moon so deeply that she maintained a respectful distance, the word “family” from his lips sounded incredibly sweet.

Was it because the Great Moon had called her family? No. Was it because she was now connected to him by that title? That wasn’t it either.

The sweetness Rine felt originated from the fact that the Great Moon had acknowledged a rational path for her to draw nearer to him.

“A little closer, or rather… as close as possible, closer than anyone else,” she contemplated.

Therefore, if the Great Moon—no, her “godfather”—needed her more than anyone, even more than the Red Moon…

At some point, as she reflected on this new personal ambition, Rine shifted her gaze away from the Labyrinth City’s estate and looked elsewhere. There, a full-length mirror reflected Rine’s own image.

The reflection was smiling. It was not a superficial smile. She was smiling radiantly, her fangs clearly visible, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. It was a smile she had never displayed, not even in front of the members of the Blue Moon.

It was a smile that felt unfamiliar even to Rine herself.

Staring at it absently, Rine grinned even more broadly and whispered, “Godfather…”

Initially, it had been nothing more than a hastily invented term to address the Great Moon with the proper reverence. But now, that hastily crafted word had become the most precious word to Rine.

That word had already become the very symbol of her connection to the Great Moon.

And so, after murmuring the word several more times, she whispered, “I like it.” Then, she closed her eyes and opened them again. When Rine’s eyes reopened, they were filled with a fanatical faith. Anyone who saw her would recognize a distinct and overwhelming fanaticism.

***

On the forest path one must take when journeying from the Kingdom of Asteria to the desert city of Colony, there stood a man. A pair of large kama was strapped to his back, and he was looking down at the body of another man. The deceased held a quill in his right hand and had died without fully grasping what had killed him. His neck had been twisted twice, leaving behind a gruesome corpse.

Despite having been dead for a month, the body showed no signs of decay, likely due to a preservation spell.

“Heh,” the man observing the scene—no, the ‘Agent’ who was akin to the corpse itself—let out a dry laugh as he crouched down and touched the dead body.

The moment he made contact, he sensed the lingering traces of magic. The agent confirmed that the body had indeed been enchanted with preservation magic, and he unconsciously licked his lips.

There was only one genuine reason to cast a decay-prevention spell on a corpse that had been dead for so long: intimidation.

“A message,” he deduced. It was essentially a threat, stating, ‘Do not come looking for us, or this will be your fate.’

“Did he try to move against Count Palatio and end up like this?”

The man recalled the assignment the deceased had received roughly two months prior and began to consider when and how he would exact retribution. Agents did not share much camaraderie, but the man was driven to avenge this death for the sake of the ‘Agent’ name. Their identity, their 100% mission success rate, had to be preserved at all costs.

However, the agent had no intention of assaulting Count Palatio immediately.

“…So, he must be formidable.”

The agent recalled the rumors circulating about Count Palatio. Over the past few years, Palatio had been traveling outside the Kingdom of Asteria, building a reputation that, while seemingly exaggerated, was nonetheless remarkable.

First, there were whispers that he had contributed significantly to dealing with the northern Outer God. Then came stories that he had assisted in handling two Baba Yagas in Colony. Finally, rumors spread that he had dealt with an Outer God in the Labyrinth City.

“So, it wasn’t just empty talk after all.”

To be honest, the agent had believed Count Palatio’s fame was likely inflated. Nobles often bolstered their reputations with cheap tricks. But now, seeing that one of the agents had been killed without even putting up a fight, it appeared Palatio’s strength was not merely rumor.

“A man who can effortlessly kill a Master Knight and handle an Outer God from the ancient texts…”

The agent calculated what would be required to defeat him. “At least five people, I’d estimate… but I only have three available right now, and we don’t even know his exact capabilities.”

As he continued to deliberate over Count Palatio’s power, the agent reached a decision. “Since I cannot assemble my full strength at the moment, I will find someone who knows Palatio’s abilities in detail and extract the information from them.”

With a malevolent grin, the agent turned his gaze toward Caliban. His target was Deus Macallian, one of the Master Knights and an individual who maintained a connection with Count Palatio.

“Besides, it will be an opportunity to demonstrate to Palatio exactly who he has chosen to oppose.”

If someone could have read the agent’s mind, they might have questioned his sanity. But the agent smiled with utter confidence. After all, every agent possessed strength comparable to a Master Knight.

“Killing one Master Knight will not be difficult.”

With that, the man vanished from the scene.

***

Just over a week later, Alon returned to the count’s manor and proceeded to take an extended rest there for more than three months. In truth, he had wished to resume his activities immediately after dealing with the Outer God, but his body had not yet recovered from the magic poisoning.

Although he had improved to a point where he could use magic again, it still took three months for him to fully regain his proper command over it. By the time the oppressive heat of summer had passed and the crisp winds of winter arrived, he could finally say his body had somewhat recovered.

During those long yet fleeting three months, Alon concentrated on three primary activities. One was managing the estate’s internal affairs that had piled up. Another was exchanging letters with Yutia, who had sent a considerable backlog of correspondence. The last was his immersion into the study of magic.

For about three months, unable to practice magic properly, his approach had been largely theoretical. Yet, for him, exploring magic was less about study and more about pleasure. The brief moment of “self-manifestation” he had achieved while confronting the Outer God had particularly captured his interest.

“…Now that I’ve recovered, I should probably return to Colony soon… But perhaps I should activate the ring Heinkel gave me first… Or should I rest a little longer?”

The reality was that Alon’s body was not fully healed. While the magic poisoning had been largely treated, he was not yet completely whole.

This led him to think, “I must find a method to increase my magic power.”

Just as Alon was deep in this thought, someone addressed him.

“Count, sir.”

“What is it?”

“A letter has arrived—from Duke Altia.”

“Ah.”

Alon accepted the letter from Evan, who had a thick layer of snow piled on his head.

Now that he considered it, his poor health had caused him to overlook this, but upon receiving the letter, Alon remembered that he was the leader of the faction ‘Kalpha,’ created by those who operated in the shadows.

When he opened the letter, he discovered a small crystal orb inside.

The moment he picked it up, *buzz~!* a faint vibration of magic power resonated.

This immediately made him realize the crystal orb was a communication device.

Shortly after, the face of Duke Altia materialized within the crystal orb.

[It has been a while, Count.]

Despite his rank as a duke, Altia bowed his head with considerable politeness, leaving Alon briefly considering how to respond.

“It has been a while,” he said, offering a slight nod.

[I am contacting you because the time has come for a report.]

“A report?”

Before Alon could inquire further, Duke Altia began delivering an earnest and literal “report” directly to him.

[Ah, I have heard the news. Word is that you played a significant part in handling the Outer God in Labyrinth City Lartania.]

Before reaching the actual report, Duke Altia spent nearly twenty minutes extolling Alon’s achievements in Lartania.

[Ah.]

Realizing her digression, Altia cleared her throat and came to the main point. There were no major issues within Kalpha’s current situation—except for the final item.

[Ah, and as you requested, all matters have been concluded.]

“…Concluded?”

[Yes, the underworld of Asteria is now entirely under the control of our Kalpha as of yesterday.]

“?”

[No one in Asteria’s underworld can oppose us now. Congratulations, Count.]

“…???”

For a moment, Alon stared blankly, utterly bewildered by Altia’s words.

He had scarcely done anything, and yet he had become the undisputed ruler of the underworld.