Chapter 343

C343. ???? Years (2)

Alexion’s opinion of Marquis Palatio had changed significantly over time, and to be honest, his first impression hadn’t been good.

It was normal.

Alexion hadn’t met him naturally; he had been forced to.

He was even kidnapped for it.

And even after that, he never really thought very highly of the Marquis.

In the first place, the fact that Radan forcibly took him from Laksas to the House of Palatio, if analyzed closely, was also the Marquis’s fault.

Likewise, even if Radan put him to work without any dirty tricks, essentially, if he traced the origin of it all… it also ended up being the Marquis’s fault.

If he analyzed it calmly, there really wasn’t any reason for him to like the Marquis.

Even so, Alexion didn’t hate him.

For starters, the Marquis was much more normal than Radan, who had dragged him here.

No, even in a certain sense…

Alon was someone rather close to being a good man, with traits uncharacteristic of an aristocrat.

Even with Alexion—someone whom technically he could treat however he wished—he had always been polite.

And the first proposal he handed him regarding the auction house had been a contract so good that no one would say it came from a noble.

Even when Alexion, pressured by Radan’s threats, had accepted unfavorable conditions… the Marquis acknowledged his effort and modified those conditions to improve them.

And was that all?

When additional work arose, the Marquis paid him not just according to the labor, but perhaps too well, leaving Alexion satisfied.

In short, Alexion had no reason to hate Alon.

Furthermore, in a way, he even worried about him.

After all, he couldn’t understand how someone so close to a saint had a lunatic like Radan by his side.

But, at this precise moment…

Alexion thought that perhaps he had been deceived.

Because…

“I am Deus Macalian.”

If Marquis Palatio were truly a normal person… he wouldn’t have people like this around him.

“Does the interview start now?”

Deus Macalian asked with total confidence, his arms crossed.

Seeing him, Alexion barely managed to straighten up, feeling his legs give way.

…When Rine had come a moment ago, he had already felt dizzy, but now it was worse.

“L–Lord Deus Macalian…”

“What is it?”

“…The position being selected this time is to accompany the Marquis to the banquet as his partner…”

“I know.”

?

He knew?

And yet he didn’t understand what the problem was?

That absurd doubt crossed Alexion’s mind fleetingly, but…

Of course, no one would be so foolish as to say something like that in front of the First Sword of Caliburn.

“Lord Deus, the person selected this time will not be a man, but a young lady.”

He simply informed him politely.

“A young lady?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

Deus frowned, as if something had gone awry.

Alexion’s headache worsened.

Still, he kept talking.

“Therefore, I fear that Lord Deus does not quite fit the purpose…”

“A pity. I abandoned work to come here.”

He wanted to reply: but I never sent you a letter, but he held back.

“And is there any position as a guard?”

At the question, Alexion replied with a soulless expression:

“…I will verify it.”

“Good.”

Deus nodded naturally and left.

The door closed with a creak, and his figure disappeared.

Only then did Alexion sigh and shake his head.

Hardly started and the interviews were already exhausting.

But that didn’t last long, as there were still many candidates left.

He took a deep breath to calm himself.

Yes… what are the odds of another person like that showing up?

With an artificial smile that didn’t match his mood, he nodded to encourage himself.

It didn’t matter that there were so many weird, dangerous, and abnormal individuals around the Marquis…

A man who had stolen the invitation letter to come to a partner selection… there couldn’t be another one.

“I am Nangwon.”

There was another one.

An extremely dangerous man was watching him with those threatening inverted eyes.

Of course, Alexion had never sent a letter to this man.

Even so…

“The letter, perhaps…?”

“Here it is.”

Nangwon presented the letter with total assurance.

Alexion stared at him, and asked with minimal hope:

“Excuse me… are you by chance a woman?”

“At what point do I look like a woman to you?”

Immediate answer.

Alexion closed his eyes.

…And he felt that the day would be hard.

Fortunately, after Nangwon left, no other men entered.

But as he had sensed, the interview did not become easy.

“I am Seolrang!”

“Ah, yes… The letter…”

“Here it is!”

Seolrang handed over a half-crushed letter.

Alexion took it in silence.

The letter wasn’t even open.

How curious.

How had she decided to come to be the Marquis’s partner without even opening the letter?

…Although he already knew he wouldn’t get an answer, so he simply continued with the interview.

Luckily for him, there were no major issues.

Thank goodness.

When they were about to finish…

“Ah, I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

Seolrang put on an incredibly solemn expression, as if she were about to confess something dangerous.

Alexion leaned his body forward a little to listen.

“Everyone except me is over 600 years old.”

“Excuse me…?”

“And Yutia is several times that.”

“The only one with an age similar to the Master is me.”

The “secret” revealed, Seolrang smiled victoriously.

“It’s my victory, right?”

And she left.

Alexion was left alone, surrounded by an incomprehensible situation.

But he was a professional. Even though his head wasn’t in the right state, he called the next candidate.

“Historia.”

“Ah, yes.”

The next candidate was a woman with silver ears and tail, with an indefinable expression. She seemed calm.

“The letter…”

“Here it is.”

And she left more than five letters on the table.

“E–Excuse me but…”

“Yes?”

“None of these letters… did I send.”

The letter he had written himself was not there.

“…It’s not there?”

“No… These are… other letters.”

“Ah.”

A soft sigh.

“Does there have to be a letter?”

“I–It’s just that we prioritize those who received one…”

“And if not?”

“Well, the interview…”

Alexion hesitated.

Historia remained silent for a few seconds.

“…I understand.”

And she simply got up and left.

“I stole the wrong ones…”

She murmured with her ears and tail drooping. She didn’t even try to hide that she had stolen them…

Alexion composed himself and called the next candidate: an elf.

“Eh…?”

“Hello, I am Magrina.”

“The letter…”

“Here it is.”

Magrina smiled while handing over the letter.

Alexion took it resignedly.

…She even opened it correctly.

Even if it was stolen, at least she had worried about the details.

He thought about giving her a good score, then he felt miserable.

What importance did the “quality of the theft” have in an interview to be the Marquis’s partner?

“I will begin the interview.”

“Go ahead.”

The interview was surprisingly fluid.

It was just as Alexion wished.

Until…

“Hmm…?”

Reviewing the information at the end, he saw something strange.

“Twenty-two…”

He remembered what Seolrang had said:

‘Everyone except me is over 600 years old.’

So he asked:

“Excuse me, one last thing. You put that you are twenty-two… is that true?”

Magrina nodded as if it were obvious.

“Yes, in human age.”

“Human age…?”

“Of course. As you know, elves live a very long time, right?”

“A–Ah… yes, I heard that.”

“So, I am twenty-two.”

…What logic was that?

Alexion went blank. He regained his composure and opened his mouth again, but…

“That is to say, in real age it would be more than 600—”

“Twenty-two.”

“I am twenty-two.”

As if she didn’t want to keep talking.

No.

Magrina started accumulating extremely dangerous magic in her hand.

Alexion ended up nodding to close the interview.

Finally, the last candidate.

“I am Ryanga.”

“Yes.”

A young woman with white hair and dark purple eyes.

With a slightly dangerous aura.

“Will you hand me your letter?”

“Here.”

Despite her intimidating appearance, she handed the letter timidly and behaved surprisingly docilely.

Just as they finished:

“U–Um…”

“Yes.”

“I… want to be the Boss’s partner…”

“P–Please…”

With cheeks slightly red, she ran out.

Alexion felt his heart soften.

Despite her dangerous appearance, she was incredibly simple and sincere.

After so many intimidating or problematic people…

With a satisfied expression, Alexion confirmed that his long day had finally ended and sighed deeply.

Although the end had been more bearable, the accumulated fatigue was impossible to ignore.

He looked at the sheets with the scores.

All extremely high.

…Except for one, none really reflected his intention.

Many times his life had been at stake.

There were even sheets with false information, especially the age.

“Hmm…”

Alexion hesitated.

Age mattered a lot for choosing a partner.

He tapped the sheet gently with his fingers. He decided to correct only the age part.

While readjusting the scores, he reached Yutia’s sheet.

He remembered what Seolrang had said.

That Yutia was over 600 years old.

…Hard to believe.

But he couldn’t ignore it either.

“???? years.”

He corrected the age like that and left the office.

The next day…

“¿…?”

He felt something strange.

The sheets he had corrected yesterday…

…Had returned to their original state.

No, worse.

The scores hadn’t just returned…

They were even higher than he remembered.

Stunned, he heard an explosion outside.

KWAANG!

He looked out the window. He saw Seolrang embedded in the ground, trembling.

And in front of her, Yutia.

Smiling.

Staring at him.

Then she grabbed Seolrang by the nape of her neck and dragged her into an alley.

“…Eek.”

Alexion, trembling, took his pen.

That day he wrote:

Name: Yutia Bloodia

Age: ???? years 18

And thus…

Yutia Bloodia came to be 18 years old.