Chapter 344

C344. ????Years Old (3)

It had already been two weeks since Alon returned to the Marquis Palatio’s Household.

During that time, Alon enjoyed a truly comfortable rest.

Of course, he wasn’t lazing around the whole time.

He dedicated most of his days to sparring with Kylus and magical research, but he didn’t consider it exhausting.

To Alon, studying magic had become a routine as natural as breathing.

Perhaps it was the result of that accumulated effort.

“You have improved quite a bit.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You are still lacking, that is true… but the fact that you can already face me on equal footing…”

Lately, even Kylus was beginning to acknowledge him a little.

“…I am glad I am improving.”

“Do not get soft over a compliment. You still have a long way to go. Especially regarding body mobility.”

Kylus added that he should keep practicing what he had taught him, and Alon took the opportunity to ask something that had intrigued him for a while.

“I was always curious… is body mobility that important for a Mage?”

At that, Kylus stared at him and then shook his head, as if it were pitiable.

“Do not ask the obvious. Until now, you have always had people around you covering for you, so you never suffered restrictions in using magic. But what if one day you fight an enemy alone?”

“That…”

When Alon hesitated for a moment, Kylus clicked his tongue.

“Remember this: whether wizard or True Mage, body mobility to dodge enemy attacks is essential. With your current style, simply blocking or deflecting attacks, you will not last long.”

He struck Alon with those words.

“…Ah.”

And Alon returned to reality.

Just as he was moving his feet away from his past, propping them up on the desk—

“My lord.”

“Evan…?”

Seeing Evan enter, Alon gave a small start.

His hair was completely disheveled.

As if he had rolled around on the ground somewhere.

“…Were you taking a walk?”

“A walk would not leave me like this, my lord.”

“Then… what happened?”

Evan sighed and pointed toward the window.

Alon shifted his gaze naturally.

“Let go of me!”

“You let go!”

“I said let go.”

“We both let go in three seconds.”

“3”

“2”

“1”

“Let go.”

“You didn’t let go.”

“If it weren’t for the boss, I would have already—”

There they were.

Seolrang and Ryanga grabbing each other by the hair.

With eyes ablaze.

“…What are they doing?”

“I do not know. I just tried to separate them and ended up… dragged into the middle.”

“Did you roll through the forest or something?”

“That is how it was. They bounced me around as if I were nothing.”

That is why I do not plan to intervene anymore.

Evan murmured that to himself and let out a deep sigh.

“Well, at least the others seem to get along quite well.”

“The others?”

“Yes. Deus and Nangwon get along very well for having met only a week ago.”

“That is indeed good news.”

Alon nodded with relief.

Although it hadn’t been a deliberate plan or a cause for deep concern…

Deep down, he was a little worried about whether everyone could coexist well.

Those Alon had saved were, for better or worse, quite peculiar.

“And I believe that thanks to that, my lord’s statue is going to evolve a bit more.”

“…What?”

“I heard that Deus and Nangwon are going to improve the statue a bit.”

Alon averted his gaze toward the enormous statue erected in the center of the territory.

A statue standing, with a pose that reminded one of a certain leader from the north.

“…Will that have an MK2 version…?”

As worry invaded him, he just watched the statue with an uneasy expression for a moment.

“And over there, they also seem to get along well… at least in the public eye.”

“Over there?”

Following Evan’s finger, Alon saw Yutia, Magrina, Rine, and Historia enjoying tea.

They were smiling, but their gazes were lowered and calm, discussing something… unsettling.

Historia was the only one who, with a blank expression, alternated between looking at the other three and drinking tea.

“…It looks like a scenario of intrigues between high politicians.”

“That is why I said that in appearance they seem to get along well.”

“No… they do not even seem to get along that well.”

Evan shrugged, but suddenly, as if realizing something, he stroked his chin.

“Now that I think about it… it is strange.”

“What is?”

“With six people, it would be normal that you couldn’t see all of them from a single window.”

“Hmm… that is true.”

That he could see all of them from his seat was curious.

As he nodded, Alon noticed that the movements outside seemed to stop for an instant… but perhaps it was his imagination, because they continued moving naturally.

Then Evan spoke.

“Anyway, that is not the point. My lord, I have two pieces of news to give you. Which do you want to hear first?”

Alon turned toward him, and once again looked outside, but everyone was moving normally.

He frowned and then dedicated all his attention to Evan.

“What is it?”

“It is news regarding Eliban and the Magic Tower.”

“Start with Eliban.”

“Eliban managed to close all the Wicked Gates of Ashtalon.”

“All… the Wicked Gates?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, his reputation is through the roof.”

Alon couldn’t help but be surprised.

Even in Psychedelia, players grew by closing Wicked Gates, and with that growth, they faced the Sins.

But never, not once, had anyone managed to close all the Wicked Gates of a region.

Not because they didn’t want to… but because it was impossible.

Even if a player dedicated themselves completely to closing them, they opened faster than they could be eliminated.

And yet he achieved it.

“Physically it was possible… I suppose.”

Alon nodded, with a sort of revelation.

“Yes, Eliban seems very famous.”

“It could not be otherwise. Besides closing so many Wicked Gates without asking for anything in return for years, he also eliminated Outer Gods.”

“…Huh? Wait, he also eliminated Outer Gods?”

Evan nodded.

“Yes. Just before the recent incident, Eliban took care of several. He didn’t make much noise, but that makes four already.”

Or was it five? Evan added.

Then Alon understood everything.

“…So that is why no Outer Gods have appeared lately.”

He had thought about them a lot.

After the appearance of the Sins, it was normal for the Outer Gods to emerge.

But he hadn’t worried too much for two reasons:

1. 1. If they appeared, the information would arrive sooner or later.

1. 1. This world was already different from the Psychedelia he knew.

Even so, that doubt had bothered him on occasion.

Now it was finally resolved.

“Anyway, that is why Eliban’s fame possibly exceeds that of my lord. They are practically calling him Eliban the Savior.”

“I think I have been ignoring the rumors lately.”

“Well, my lord is only interested in the information he needs.”

Evan sighed and then added:

“Ah, and lately Eliban is saying something very strange.”

“What thing?”

“Apparently he goes around saying things like: ‘Only a true God can take my life.’ Without context, without order… no one knows what he means.”

Alon thought for a moment.

“…He is probably using a metaphor to express his strength. Something like ‘only a god could kill me’.”

“That is what the majority thinks, but since it was so sudden, it became a topic.”

While Alon meditated, Evan continued.

“And now the news about the Magic Tower.”

“Ah, right. What happened?”

“Something, yes.”

“Bad?”

“…Hmm, there is good news and other… ambiguous news.”

“The good one first.”

“They have managed to decipher one of the spells of the 2nd Circle.”

“That is indeed good. And the ambiguous one?”

“They say that you must go to the Magic Tower personally. They do not want to say the reason; they say you must see it for yourself.”

“See it for myself?”

“Yes. That is what Heinkel said.”

Alon nodded.

He had to go anyway if they had finished the analysis of the 2nd Circle.

“Is that all?”

“Yes… well, one more thing.”

Evan cleared his throat.

“What else?”

“In approximately a week, all the candidates for partner will be selected.”

“Yes? Faster than I thought.”

“Alexion said the ladies reacted faster than predicted.”

“Oh, really? I do not recall hearing that any had come…”

“Perhaps they came only for the interview and left immediately.”

“Could be.”

“Anyway, you will be able to decide when the moment comes.”

“I understand.”

---

Meanwhile, in another place…

Miren, daughter of Duke Padrima, watched the Marquis Palatio’s House from the distance while exhaling a faint sigh.

She had met many nobles, but she had never felt as nervous as now.

She was there to present her interview to become Marquis Palatio’s partner.

Someone might wonder why such a fuss to become the partner of a marquis, but that would be valid only if the marquis were a common one.

If the target was that Marquis Palatio… the story changed completely.

Leader of the greatest political power of Asteria, the Kalpa circle.

A man with countless titles and overwhelming influence.

That his marriage age was a bit late was irrelevant to Miren.

What she wanted was his power and his wealth.

“It was worth sending so many letters that he never answered.”

She smiled, congratulating herself for having sent so many letters without receiving a single reply.

Had she not insisted, this opportunity would never have arrived.

She took a deep breath, as if organizing her thoughts.

“Lady Miren, we have arrived.”

She put her smile back on and stepped down elegantly from the carriage, heading to the interview room.

“Welcome, Lady Padrima.”

“A pleasure, Alexion. Just as I said in my letters, I appreciate this opportunity very much.”

The interview began with a warm smile.

For about 30 minutes, the conversation was harmonious.

Due to her upbringing in the complex political world, pretending to be the ideal lady was easy for her.

“I think this will be sufficient.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. Thank you very much for applying. If you wish, you may stay a few days at the residence.”

“If you offer it to me… I will not refuse.”

She accepted to stay due to the fatigue of the trip.

She was guided to the huge villa annexed to the main house.

“If you need anything, just call.”

“Thank you.”

Once alone, Miren called her maid.

“And the servants?”

“They have already withdrew. And I activated a barrier magic artifact just in case. Nothing will be heard outside.”

“Well done.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Once the maid left, Miren waited for the sky to turn orange and then activated the communication crystal.

Duke Padrima’s face appeared.

[Miren.]

“Respectful bow— Good evening, Father.”

[How did it go today?]

“Everything went well.”

[I am glad.]

“I told you, there is nothing to worry about.”

The duke sighed and said:

[I am not worried about you… I am worried about the other candidates.]

“I know. You informed me. But there is no problem.”

She smiled.

“That the candidates are impressive does not matter. This is not a competition of power.”

“To Marquis Palatio, power will not be attractive. So the only thing left is…”

He smiled mockingly.

“To see who manages to wrap the man around her skirt better, isn’t that so?”

[Being you the one called the flower of Caliburn… I do not doubt you can do it.]

“Exactly.”

“Wrapping a late marquis in marriage is not difficult for me. Even if it takes time… as long as I enter his heart—”

Everything will be ours.

As she caressed that which had made her famous as the flower of Caliburn, her smile turned unsettling.

But there was something she did not know.

Her words, blocked by the barrier…

“How interesting.”

“…Yes.”

“My~ a pest has attached itself to my master.”

“Uh-huh.”

“How dare she commit blasphemy…!”

…were being heard by someone.