Chapter 63

Chapter 63
The Fifth Layer of the Labyrinth City.

A region of verdant fields and time-worn structures.

Yet, the scars from the conflict that occurred six months prior were still visible.

And then, it manifested.

Its dark cloak flowing, with sinister black adornments dangling from its waist and hands, the hooded form started to move across the fifth layer.

It trod upon the ground where mercenaries had clashed with an Outer God half a year before.

It passed the location where Alon had once been.

Finally, arriving at the place where Alon had delivered the final blow to the Outer God, it tilted its head from one side to the other, as if it had encountered something deeply intriguing, or maybe something it just couldn’t comprehend.

How long did it remain like that?

It had been frozen in place, gazing at the floor without a single twitch.

Then,

“Ha…”

A smile stretched across its features, and it spoke, as if something was genuinely entertaining.

“I never thought it would progress to this point.”

A quiet utterance.
In a voice so indistinct it was unclear if it was male or female, it muttered to itself while scanning the area.

Then, it gave a casual flick of its right hand.

Vuum

The black ornament produced a deep, vibrating sound, and once the figure verified this, it turned around.

“Fascinating. I wonder how much more this will develop. This is becoming enjoyable.”

It laughed with a pure delight, like a child discovering a new, captivating plaything.

“Should you live through the coming encounter, then matters will become truly compelling.”

It started to walk in a specific direction across the fifth layer.

And as it moved toward the area with no apparent path out, it disappeared without a trace.

***

While it might sound like a given, Radan’s allegiance was entirely dedicated to the Great Moon.

Without it, he would never have obtained the immense power he now possessed, nor would he have achieved vengeance for his family.

In essence, Radan’s loyalty was unequivocally and steadfastly aimed at the Great Moon.

Nevertheless, the reason his devotion appeared somewhat lackluster was because…

[Kill every single one of them. Immediately.]

[I like that idea.]

[I concur.]

[Same.]

The loyalty exhibited by the other members of the Blue Moon was far more intense when compared to Radan’s.

[So, where are these Agents we keep hearing about?]

[From the reports, they appear to be dispersed throughout the United Kingdoms. There are roughly fifteen. I’ve eliminated three, leaving twelve.]

[You didn’t kill them without knowing where they all are, correct?]

[Obviously not. I haven’t located every one, but I’ve verified the whereabouts of the leader and several others.]

[Good.]

[Tell me quickly. I will execute them immediately.]

[Agreed.]

Seolrang’s malevolent, golden eyes shone as he spoke, and Rine, who had been wearing a smirk moments before, reverted to her icy, impassive expression, whispering in a chilling tone.

[Once this meeting concludes, I intend to eliminate one. It appears there is an Agent located near Caliban.]

Even Deus, whose eyes flickered with a dangerous light, looked prepared to draw his sword and charge out the moment the meeting ended, making Radan acutely aware of the frenzy in the air.

‘…This is madness. We really need to formulate a strategy first.’

Radan silently evaluated the circumstances.

Even now, the discussions around him continued nonchalantly, speaking of ripping apart and killing the Agents without a moment’s hesitation, a kind of talk he still hadn’t gotten used to.

Among the founding members, only Yutia had been like this, while the majority of the others had behaved much more logically.

‘The contrast is enormous. And… to be honest, I never anticipated Rine would end up this way.’

Observing the profoundly altered members, including Rine, Radan finally voiced his thoughts.

[I believe we should calmly exchange our intelligence and devise a plan first.]

A prudent and utterly sensible proposal.

Yet…

[Are you being serious right now?]

[Radan, what if, while we are dawdling with plans, those individuals succeed in injuring the Great Moon?]

[Precisely!]

[I agree.]

Despite it being the most logical comment, Radan took a steadying breath as Yutia, Seolrang, and Rine, all following Deus’s cue, voiced their opposition.

[…Everyone, please settle down. You are all too worked up. Shouldn’t we begin by sharing the information we’ve gathered about the Agents? We must determine the extent of their capabilities.]

Another reasonable point.

However…

[Radan.]

[Yes?]

[Radan, are you betraying us?]

[?]

At Seolrang’s absurd accusation, her golden eyes glinting, Radan felt a wave of dizziness.

[Wait, just a moment… How did we jump to me being a traitor?]

[But Radan, you’ve been arguing against killing the Agents from the start, haven’t you?]

[It’s not an argument, I’m only suggesting we evaluate the situation before—]

Radan ceased talking as he met the dissatisfied looks directed his way.

Understanding intuitively that anything he said now would be pointless, he surrendered.

[I will make the preparations immediately.]

The four members nodded, pleased, and returned to their conversation.

Watching them, Radan, who had been reflecting on how comparatively sane the organization had been two years ago, aside from Yutia, thought of the Great Moon and reached a decision:

‘…There absolutely has to be some kind of mind-control artifact in use.’

Approximately 30 minutes later…

[Ah, speaking of this, I suddenly remember the vision the Great Moon shared with us—]

Deus’s sudden burst of reverence cut through the discussion about the Agents.

[Everyone, move out now. We will hold a thorough meeting once this matter is resolved.]

At Yutia’s command, the Blue Moon sprang into action.

***

The following day.

After relaxing at the mansion belonging to Duke Altia, Alon departed for the royal palace in the evening, as the banquet was scheduled to begin in full swing.

Upon reaching the palace, Alon stated, “I will return shortly,” taking his leave from Evan as he proceeded ahead.

And,

“I will await your return.”

Evan, offering a slight bow, straightened up and observed.

As his master entered the royal banquet hall, a sizable crowd of nobles trailed in his wake.

Witnessing the scene of all these aristocrats, who effectively governed Asteria, following behind Alon, Evan once more sensed the gravity of Alon’s standing.

‘Well… the Count’s renown is already vast… And he is the head of Kalpha.’

Although Alon himself appeared unconcerned with his own fame, the disparity was glaring for Evan, who was seeing his master’s escalating authority firsthand.

Unlike in earlier times, when Alon was avoided or regarded with fear at social gatherings, he now commanded the allegiance of the majority of nobles.

And that was not everything.

Considering the reputation he had established, it was evident that the Queen would openly challenge him. Yet, so many nobles still aligned themselves with him.

In other words, the nobles following Alon were convinced that he could potentially triumph, even against the reigning Queen of Asteria.

‘…Well, given the circulating rumors, it’s no surprise they believe that.’

As Evan assessed the circumstances, Alon, who was leading the nobles, became aware of something peculiar.

‘Huh, wait… this feels wrong.’

He sensed that events were unfolding slightly differently from what he had anticipated.

‘This looks like I’m marching directly into a confrontation, doesn’t it?’

He cast a subtle glance behind him.

A large assembly of nobles, all his adherents, were following him.

‘No, this isn’t the picture I had in mind…?’

His initial scheme had been to receive a moderate reprimand during his audience with the Queen before the banquet and to present a believable justification for sustaining Kalpha.

But now, with this many people making an entrance, it seemed unlikely to conclude with just a scolding.

However, there was nothing to be done at this point, so he continued forward and stepped into the banquet hall.

‘Oh.’

The moment he entered, he couldn’t suppress his admiration.

The banquet hall, true to its fame, was more spacious and more exquisite than any hall Alon had ever visited.

Standing there, momentarily captivated by the ceiling, Alon soon became conscious of the stares from the nobles within the hall.

“…… “

From Alon’s perspective, the nobles’ looks could be divided into two types.

One was admiration and esteem.

The other was overt mockery.

And, predictably, the latter group was significantly larger than the former.

He could easily guess why the nobles in the hall wore such expressions.

‘They likely think I’ve been ambitiously building my influence, only to be crushed by the Queen.’

Realizing that the nobles sneering at him were predominantly from either the aristocratic faction or the royalist faction, Alon released a soft sigh before continuing on his path to meet the Queen.

At the opposite end of the magnificent ballroom, he could see her.

Cretinia Siyan, the 8th sovereign of Asteria.

As he approached from a distance, Alon observed how extraordinarily beautiful Queen Cretinia Siyan was.

Her golden eyes, a hallmark of the Asterian royal lineage, glittered dazzlingly as they caught the light from the terrace, despite her face remaining devoid of emotion.

Her beauty was so arresting that it might tempt any noble to risk a fleeting, disrespectful glance.

However, Alon’s attention was fixed on the hope that the impending events would unfold to his advantage, so her appearance was not his main concern.

And then.

“Loyal servant of Asteria, I stand before Your Majesty,” Alon said, performing a deep, formal bow as he reached Cretinia Siyan.

The queen, who had been silent until now, spoke.

“Raise your head.”

Her face was still without expression.

At her command, Alon naturally lifted his head.

“Are you the Count of Palatio?”

“Yes.”

At the sound of the queen’s voice, the nobles who had been smirking at Alon all began to smile.

This moment was a critical scene for the nobles of both the royalist and aristocratic factions, who had been eagerly awaiting the collapse of Kalpha, a persistent nuisance to them.

Consequently, they all wore spiteful smiles as they watched the Count of Palatio. But…

Their self-satisfied expressions vanished in an instant, replaced by blank, stunned faces.

The reason?

“Very well, Count of Palatio, I shall bestow upon you the title of Marquis.”

When Queen Cretinia Siyan uttered these words, Alon could not help but respond in a state of confusion.

“…What?”

He unintentionally let out a disoriented sound.