Chapter 339

C339. This wasn’t in my plans (2)

Two weeks had passed since Alon Palatio headed toward the Marquis’s House.

If counting the time since leaving Ashtalon, it had been a month in total.

Originally, he should have arrived at the Marquis’s House by now.

However, at least this time, Alon was heading toward Divine Land before the Marquis’s House.

It was a bit faster to go to Divine Land than to go down from Ashtalon to the residence.

Anyway, Divine Land was on the way to the Marquis’s House, so he thought he would stop by there first to check the situation.

Upon arriving at a village a day away from Divine Land, Alon encountered something strange.

“What is that?”

“Beh?”

“I don’t know either, sir.”

It was a statue of him installed in the middle of the village.

No, it was a statue of Kalanon.

And seeing that there were even villagers kneeling before the statue, bowing their heads with fervor, Alon turned his gaze toward Evan.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“…Do you really know nothing?”

“My lord… do you think I am pretending not to know?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“…. Sure… although hearing you say it so firmly makes me feel a bit lonely…”

Alon knew what Evan’s position was.

Though it was somewhat peculiar.

In reality, Evan was the one managing Divine Land following Alon’s directions.

That was why he had been so happy when Divine Land and the knight order were founded.

But he had also heard that lately, many things were being done without informing him, executing first and reporting later.

Alon nodded without resistance, and Evan sighed.

“Silly or Deus do good things recklessly. Sometimes it’s exhausting.”

“Have you ever had to fix their messes?”

“Hmmm… not exactly.”

……Then what is tiring you? Alon thought for an instant.

“Wow, it’s a statue of the master! It’s well made!”

[Kyuu~]

Seolrang—who had gotten out of the carriage after getting caught trying to sneak away while Blackie was sleeping—jumped excitedly to look at the statue.

And within a few minutes, Alon understood the situation.

“It seems they come from Divine Land to do volunteer work.”

“…Volunteer work?”

“Yes, they give food, preach, that kind of thing.”

“Did I give any order like that?”

“No, never, right?”

“I see…”

Evan returned after asking the villagers.

While he responded without emotion, Alon thought: “How far is this going…?”, and remembered Yuman.

“Thinking about it… the Saint must have heard that I founded Divine Land, but he hasn’t said absolutely anything.”

If anyone should have reacted strongly, it was Yuman. But everything had flowed too smoothly, which made it strange.

[Kyuuuu~!]

Alon saw Seolrang in the distance lifting Blackie like an airplane and running back and forth.

Get me out of here! Blackie seemed to scream.

His eyes were full of pleading.

…But more unsettling than that were the villagers.

Despite Seolrang’s antics nearby, they continued prostrating before the statue, praying fervently.

Not one or two: many people.

Too many people praying to the statue.

“Milord.”

“Who did you say had come here?”

“From what I heard, Silly.”

“…Silly, of course.”

For that very reason—

“…Does she have some hypnotic technique?”

“Eh?”

“No, nothing.”

Alon murmured unintentionally.

---

The next morning.

Alon, who woke up a bit earlier than usual and headed toward Divine Land, arrived around noon at the cliff from where Divine Land could be seen.

And then—

“Yes.”

“……It looks bigger than last time.”

“It’s not ‘bigger’, milord.”

“Wow, this is Divine Land!”

What Alon saw was a completely different Divine Land.

It hadn’t just grown…

“……This is a huge settlement, isn’t it?”

It was practically a large encampment.

“……I think it would be better to build a complete city already.”

Evan commented, watching the endless row of tents, and Alon thought:

‘I had felt that the divine power had grown a lot… but I didn’t think this much.’

He pursed his lips and began walking toward Divine Land.

As soon as he got close, like the previous time, knights began running toward them from afar.

“We have come to escort you!”

The vanguard knight bowed with impeccable posture.

“Good.”

Nodding, Alon entered the now gigantic Divine Land.

And a short while later, he saw knights and soldiers waiting systematically.

It wasn’t surprising.

He was already used to it.

Knights and soldiers had been there since the previous time.

But what really left Alon astonished was—

‘Even so… isn’t this too much?’

If someone saw this scene, they would think:

“This guy really plans to wage a war!”

“…My lord.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t know, but… are you perhaps preparing a war without me knowing?”

Of course not.

He wanted to answer immediately, but held back in front of the knights and soldiers.

He decided to move to another place.

And then—

He saw a very familiar face.

No.

“…Ryanga? And—”

Ryanga, wearing armor that didn’t fit her.

“Historia?”

Historia, with her typical expressionless look, was there.

“Ahaha… hello, Boss.”

“Hello, God.”

Ryanga turned her eyes to the side with embarrassment. Historia simply stood there with her empty expression.

What the hell is going on?

Ryanga had originally left the Rornovelli forest to take Cheonggwi back.

Although in reality, it was just a pretext: her true intention was to go see Alon.

That’s why she headed to the Marquis Palatio House, and after some time, arrived at Divine Land.

But what she didn’t expect was—

That Alon hadn’t arrived yet.

And that Historia was already there.

Although that wasn’t a problem.

In fact, Ryanga and Historia got along quite well.

That’s why Ryanga thought about talking with her for a day and leaving.

Besides, she had already found Cheonggwi—although he didn’t want to return—so she had no reason to stay.

Therefore, when she was going to leave the next day…

Cheonggwi, suspiciously insistent, asked her to have a friendly duel with Historia before leaving.

And that was the beginning of the disaster.

After the duel, Deus offered Ryanga to join the knight order.

Ryanga wanted to refuse, but Cheonggwi whispered to her:

“How about you try it as an experience? It will be fun.”

It was nonsense, but it seemed a bit interesting to her.

Besides, that way she would have a more solid excuse to see Alon.

Thus, Ryanga, who only wanted to set foot in the order to have a pretext…

Ended up becoming one of the four guardian knights escorting Kalanon.

And that’s why she ended up as a knight captain in Divine Land.

Although, of course, she couldn’t tell that to Alon just like that.

“Well, simply… curiosity?”

In the secluded room where they spoke, Ryanga answered like that, smiling awkwardly.

“…You were interested in these things?”

“Hmm… yes, I suppose.”

“I see.”

“Aha.”

Alon tilted his head at that doubtful answer, but let it slide.

‘Well, Cheonggwi was also like that.’

He looked towards where Cheonggwi was striking a victory pose in the distance.

He then looked at Historia.

“And you, Ria?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“I only came to the place I was supposed to come to.”

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

Ria pricked up her ears, wagging her tail as if she had done something praiseworthy.

Alon nodded without issue.

And he remembered his previous doubt.

“By the way, what is that about the four knights?”

He knew there was a knight captain, but he had never heard about “the four knights”.

“They are knights who only protect the God.”

Historia replied with simplicity.

“…Protector Knights (Guardian Knights)… is that it?”

“Yes.”

“And who are the other two?”

“The other two positions are vacant.”

“Then why do they already call it ‘the four knights’…? No, who invented that title?”

“The Saintess.”

…What the hell is that Saintess doing?

While that thought crossed Alon’s mind—

“Milord! Welcome!”

“…Silly.”

The Saintess appeared with a radiant expression.

---

While Alon was in Divine Land—

“Lord Alexion…”

“What is it?”

“The thing is… a visitor has arrived.”

“A visitor? I thought there was nothing scheduled for today.”

At the Marquis Palatio House, Alexion received the notice from his secretary.

“Do you remember the matter of the Marquis’s partner?”

“…Someone arrived already?”

“Uh… yes.”

The secretary hesitated, but ended up nodding.

A huge question mark appeared in Alexion’s mind.

Although a few weeks had passed, he didn’t expect someone to arrive so quickly.

‘…Most shouldn’t have even received the invitation yet.’

After thinking about it for a moment—

“…Alright, bring her in.”

“Yes, sir.”

‘I can’t kick her out either.’

After giving the order, Alexion shrugged.

‘Who could it be? Countess Zenonia? Or Duchess Altia?’

He had sent invitations to more than ten young noblewomen, so he started listing possibilities.

But he stopped doing it.

Whoever it was, he had to be alert.

He had to coldly evaluate the ideal candidate for Marquis Palatio.

Even if she was a powerful noble.

He adjusted his breathing.

But his determination collapsed immediately.

Because the one who opened the door was—

“Hello.”

Cardinal Yutia Bloodia.

Alexion’s body petrified.

He had never sent a letter to Yutia.

“W-what brings you h-here?”

He asked awkwardly.

“I heard you were looking for a partner for the Lord Marquis, so I came for the interview.”

“How did…?”

Yutia spoke with a soft voice:

“Oh, right. Since I wasn’t sent the letter ‘by mistake’, if I hadn’t discovered it ‘by chance’… what a tragedy, I almost didn’t come! Strange, isn’t it?”

Her sentence was ridiculously suspicious.

He never sent her a letter.

Most candidates hadn’t received anything yet.

How could she find out so soon, and on top of that discover that “she wasn’t sent the letter by mistake”?

However—

Alexion had no choice.

“—Or… was it perhaps not a mistake?”

When Yutia, with her red eyes shining, moved her lips—

The title in his mind resonated:

*Yutia Bloodia.

The absolute ruler of Rosario.

The one who, if you contradict her, you disappear without a trace.

The “Pure Whiteness”.

So—

“Well—”

“Yes?”

“I think… that… it was indeed a mistake.”

“Really~?”

“Yes, yes… totally…”

Alexion chose to live.