Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Alon, who was now being accused of having buried more than seven nobles—a charge he had never even been aware of—allowed a look of confusion to cross his face for just a second. He was uncertain how to correct this false impression, but in the end, he chose to offer no reply. While in normal interactions between people it was wise to quickly clear up any confusion about who was responsible for which deaths, he was currently speaking with a major figure involved in the shadowy plots of Asteria.

“Was that your only purpose in reaching out to me?”

Since Alon neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, the Duke of Altia gave a nod.

[Yes, I have given you my full report.]

Alon nodded in turn, having already received a report concerning Kalpha prior to this discussion.

[Then, I will meet you at the coronation ceremony soon.]

Watching the Duke of Altia offer a bow, Alon released a soft breath and reflected, “Now that I think of it, there is a coronation approaching.”

Remembering this, Alon started to sift through the stack of letters piled in one section of his office desk. It did not take long for him to locate one stamped with the royal seal and a document underneath it. The message was from the royal secretary, filled with various minor bureaucratic details, but the essential point was that Count Palatio had been away for a long time, so the letter had simply been left for him.

“The coronation… is in four months, correct?”

Four months.

Alon contemplated this span of time, which could be considered either lengthy or brief, and then another thought came to him.

“In roughly four months, it will be just under a year until the original narrative commences.”

The approaching timeline, which he had lived through innumerable times during the game, stirred a complex feeling in Alon, though it lasted only for a moment.

“…By that point, there will be an overwhelming number of foes to face.”

He recollected the adversaries that would appear once the original story started.

“While the Proxy has been taken care of, the Ghost Castle remains unresolved.”

Thinking back to the situation he had reviewed before his journey to the Colony, Alon released another quiet sigh and settled back into his chair. There was more to handle than he had first anticipated.

“I need to address the current agitators, in addition to the concealed Outer Gods.”

In truth, dealing with the present troublemakers was not especially challenging. Within Psychedelia, aside from the Outer Gods or the five great sins, the forces capable of throwing the entire United Kingdom into disorder and war only truly mobilized when the original story began.

Naturally, Alon’s aim was to be living a life of ease by the time such turmoil engulfed the United Kingdom. To achieve this, he had provided support to Eliban, the central hero of the original tale.

“When the original story starts, I will have to support him once more.”

After thinking of Eliban, who would guarantee his tranquil future, Alon returned his attention to the Outer Gods and sighed again. Unlike the future antagonists, the Outer Gods were a problem for Alon himself to solve.

“The issue is that I don’t know this one’s whereabouts… Simply locating it will be difficult.”

Alon’s previous successes against the Outer Gods were only achieved because they had not completely entered the world. It wasn’t only that—his triumphs were also due to his knowledge of specific traits, or more precisely, vulnerabilities, possessed by the Outer Gods.

If he were to encounter a hidden Outer God, the fight would probably be entirely different.

“Well, if I can just discover which Outer God it is, I can make the necessary preparations. But the true difficulty is its full materialization.”

If the Outer God was indeed concealed somewhere on the continent, it was highly probable that it was already fully manifested. After arriving on the earth, an Outer God becomes entirely established as a sage-like being within a matter of months.

A fully manifested Outer God would without question be far more powerful than any Alon had previously encountered. That is to say, even if Alon succeeded in finding an Outer God now, his likelihood of victory would be low.

No, not just low—nonexistent.

While Alon’s magical power was potent enough to impact an Outer God, it was still insufficient to confront one in its complete form. There were definite limits on how frequently he could employ his magic, and the casting time for his spells was also considerably lengthy. The sole benefit was that, once activated, his magic was highly effective against his opponents.

“I must prepare. I should begin collecting intelligence on the hidden Outer God.”

Acknowledging the need to get ready for a confrontation with the Outer God, Alon looked again at the royal letter.

Even with four months to prepare, the time felt unexpectedly brief.

As Alon organized his duties along with the royal letter, he let out a subdued sigh.

####

More than three weeks had passed since Count Palatio’s departure, yet Penia Crysinne and Felin Crysinne were still journeying with Radan.

Of course, Penia’s reason for continuing to travel with Radan was purely a matter of convenience.

A large part of her investigation in Raksas involved the unlawful trade of materials or completed items originating from the Magic Tower.

And because Alon had made a personal request before he left, Radan extended generous treatment to Penia and Felin.

As a result, Penia was able to complete her work more quickly than scheduled, aided by the pirates.

On this day, she found herself inside the royal castle of Raksas, in the company of Radan.

Their reasons for being at the castle, as well as their arrival times, were different, and Penia, who paid little mind to gossip, had no desire to publicize the fact that she was traveling with the Pirate King.

Therefore, Radan was there in his capacity as an envoy, seeking to redefine the future relationship between Raksas and the Pirate King, who had united the Seven Archipelagos.

Penia, meanwhile, was there to challenge the kingdom regarding the covert leakage of certain illegally circulated magical artifacts.

Having finished her business, Penia was met by a familiar face.

“It has been a long time, Penia?”

“The last time was during the envoy’s visit… roughly four years ago, wasn’t it?”

“My, has it really been so long?”

“Yes, I suppose it has.”

Penia was meeting with Serena Raksasia, the princess of Raksas.

Serena’s connection to Penia was quite strong, primarily due to the present Blue Tower Master, Celaime.

As a former student of Celaime, Penia had studied magic alongside Serena, who had also come to the Blue Tower because of her magical aptitude.

Although Serena eventually went back to Raksas after recognizing her own limits, the two had formed a deep friendship in their youth.

“So, how are your magical studies progressing these days?”

“Hmm… I believe I am nearing a breakthrough.”

“Is that so? How impressive.”

“Isn’t it?”

Despite one being a princess and the other a vice-master of the tower, Serena and Penia conversed in a casual, friendly manner, like longtime companions.

After talking for a while, Serena suddenly recalled a peculiar piece of information.

“Ah, that reminds me, I heard some odd news.”

“Odd news?”

“Yes, I heard that you are being kept by a man.”

“…What? Me?”

Serena nodded at Penia’s stunned reaction.

“Yes, who was it again? Hmm… Ah, Count Palatio? I believe it was a noble of that sort. Is it true?”

“What? Kept by someone? Certainly not!”

Serena teased Penia, a mischievous grin appearing on her face.

“Oh, but the rumor is all over! They say that you, who is always so spirited, suddenly becomes meek in Count Palatio’s presence.”

Penia scowled, attempting to form a denial but remaining silent.

As she considered it, she realized Serena’s claim wasn’t completely without basis.

Even so, she had no intention of admitting it.

“No, truly, it isn’t like that.”

Seeing Penia’s feeble denial, Serena’s eyes sparkled as if she had discovered something entertaining.

“…You do have feelings for him, don’t you?”

“What? For whom?”

“Count Palatio, of course.”

Penia shot Serena an irritated look as her friend maintained her playful tone.

“No, I do not!”

“Is that so?”

Penia, fighting to keep her expression neutral, found it difficult to answer definitively.

“Absolutely not, even if the world turns upside down, that could never happen!”

As Penia remembered Felin’s earlier foolish remarks, Serena observed her with a look of curiosity.

“Really?”

“Really! I cannot understand why people keep misreading this. I truly do not have feelings for him!”

“Hmm~.”

“It’s the truth! Who could possibly develop affection for such an unemotional person? All he does is maintain a serious expression and—”

“?”

“…What I mean is.”

“Palatio is… a rather remarkable individual. He is also very… remarkable… and, well, remarkable.”

“…Didn’t you just say that three times?”

Penia, striving to continue the conversation, stated,

“You see, when you witness his magic, there is something truly compelling about it. Count Palatio’s magic is quite distinctive.”

“…So you do like him, right?”

“That is absolutely—”

“Absolutely?”

“—a possibility, I suppose.”

Serena smiled widely as Penia lowered her head and spoke with a tone of surrender.

“So you admit you like him?”

“Yes… I suppose I do.”

With her head still bowed, Penia looked out of the corner of her eye and saw Radan.

Nodding with a contented expression, Radan moved out of sight beyond the window.

“Sigh.”

Penia let out a breath of relief, but Serena, watching her friend’s demeanor, thought to herself,

‘It seems her personality makes it difficult for her to take action.’

Feeling a surge of generosity toward her dear friend, Serena resolved to offer her assistance.

Penia was then faced with an unanticipated offer of help.

“Hehe~.”

Having settled on her course of action, Serena allowed a slight smile to appear—a sly smile, wholly unaware that she was operating under a mistaken assumption.

####

Four months later.

After a hectic period spent gathering intelligence to reveal the hidden Outer God’s identity, expanding his mana core capacity, and conducting magical research, Alon finally stepped into a carriage bound for the capital, Terea, just ahead of the coronation.

“Count.”

“What is it?”

“Have you heard about this?”

“…What is it now?”

“A rumor is circulating about you.”

“…A rumor about me?”

“Yes.”

From Evan, Alon learned of a rather bizarre piece of gossip.

“It appears a rumor is spreading that Penia Crysinne is in love with Count Palatio.”

“What?”

“Penia Crysinne. The Vice Master of the Blue Tower.”

“…What a nonsensical, absurd rumor.”