Chapter 349

C349. Voting (4)

An awkward silence.

In the midst of it, Alon, who had been pondering, cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Anyway, thank you so much for coming all the way here.”

The princes and princesses remained silent.

“……All of you?”

When Alon looked at those present again:

“Ah, yes.”

“Ha, ha, ha….”

“I-It is fine.”

“Hmm-hmm, understood.”

Only then did the princes and princesses respond awkwardly.

He didn’t know exactly what they had “understood,” but at least Alon breathed a sigh of relief internally.

“Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you. While you are here, we will serve you as best as we can.”

“We will keep that in mind.”

Perhaps because he marked the phrase firmly, the people’s faces softened a little.

‘But I can’t let my guard down with just this.’

It was obvious, but Alon knew well that those who had gathered here wouldn’t feel comfortable so easily.

For that, Divine Land had already become too large.

How could he get those present to completely trust Divine Land?

While meditating on it, something occurred to Alon, and he opened his lips.

“Is anyone outside?”

“Yes.”

A knight entered the tent instantly as soon as Alon called him.

‘It’s Seamus.’

Confirming his identity, Alon gave instructions with satisfaction.

“Guide these people on a tour of Divine Land.”

“Understood.”

“And also share with them your opinion on the current shortcomings of Divine Land.”

“I will obey that as well. Follow me.”

Seamus bowed his head deeply at Alon’s order.

Then he led the guests outside.

Just as they left, Evan returned from outside the tent and asked:

“Did the conversation end well?”

“Well… more or less.”

“And those people, where are they going?”

“To tour Divine Land.”

“……To take a tour?”

“That’s right.”

“Because they wanted to?”

“No, I told them to.”

“…Isn’t that excessive?”

Alon nodded without hesitating for a moment.

It is true that he didn’t hear their opinions, so there could be displeasure.

But he had no alternative.

Now that they had arrived at Divine Land, he wanted to completely get rid of the invisible suspicions falling upon him.

“Even if it causes them a little trouble, there is no other way. We are the ones who must demonstrate.”

“That is true, but…”

“Since I told them to also show them the shortcomings of Divine Land, by the time they finish the tour, maybe not entirely, but their doubts should dissipate to some extent, right?”

“Shortcomings?”

“Of course. If I were really planning to start a war, I would try to hide the shortcomings.”

“…In other words, showing what is lacking without filters will reassure them. Is that the plan?”

“Exactly.”

Evan finally nodded.

Looking at it that way, it was a reasonable choice.

‘But~…’

Evan remembered the faces of the guests when they left the tent.

They all had much less tense expressions.

At a glance, Alon’s intention seemed to be working.

Of course… only at a glance.

‘….But there was no real change in their expressions.’

In that fleeting instant, Evan caught that there had been no authentic change in the guests’ faces.

In other words, their expressions…

Were masks.

That is why…

‘Will it work…?’

He looked at Alon, who was nodding with satisfaction, and thought in silence.

---

The figure dressed in a black holy robe was in the forest.

Right at the spot where, not long ago, the Sin of Sloth had been born.

“Hmm—”

Every time he turned his head, the chains at his waist clinked softly.

Sensing a presence behind him, he turned.

And smiled to say hello.

His boyish smile deepened even more.

“It has been a while. How have you been?”

In the direction the wearer of the black robe was looking stood a man with blue eyes. No—

It was Eliban.

With his characteristic calm smile.

“Yes.”

A brief answer.

But that was enough for the figure to smile with satisfaction and turn around completely.

Then Eliban took something out of his chest and threw it to him.

Zing—

That person caught what flew towards him with total naturalness.

It was a Portal Stone fragment.

It emitted a multi-colored light, almost as if it wanted to seduce humans.

The figure observed Eliban and spoke with joy.

“This is… a fragment.”

“That is correct. They call it a Portal Stone.”

“Hmm~ Portal Stone, you say… It is not a very witty name. Something that would suit it better would be…”

He let out a small mocking snort while looking at the sky.

“…’Star Fragment’. That would suit it better, don’t you think?”

At that question, Eliban maintained the same smile and turned around.

As if he had nothing more to say.

The figure in the black robe stared at him as he walked away.

“How long is left, Eliban?”

Waving his hand, he asked.

Eliban answered without stopping.

“A month and a half.”

A simple answer.

And then he disappeared as if he had never been there.

The man in the black robe observed the place where Eliban had disappeared for a while with narrowed eyes.

Then he lowered his gaze and rolled the Portal Stone between his fingers.

“Whether he will manage to arrive or not…”

And he advanced in the opposite direction to where Eliban had gone.

“…It will be interesting.”

He murmured.

When he disappeared into the forest, only three Portal Stone fragments remained on the ground, glowing softly.

As if they wanted to seduce anyone.

---

‘The problem is economic. Initially, it was going to start small, but due to certain unexpected circumstances, the people increased. It is a really complicated situation.’

‘I have been maintaining all this without receiving support.’

Hearing that, Tolenis immediately understood Marquis Palatio’s intention.

It wasn’t necessary to be a genius to catch it.

Marquis Palatio was issuing an extremely polite threat.

Although afterwards the conversation flowed normally, that was just superficial courtesy.

In reality, while the knight explained Divine Land to them…

Everyone present caught the marquis’s intention with total clarity.

…It couldn’t be any other way.

“Here is a military barracks, but in the future, when we improve the situation, we will build a castle. The estimated cost is high, but not so much that we cannot gather it…”

“This is also a barracks, but if we gather funds, it will be a community hall. We are having economic difficulties, but it is something manageable…”

“This is also a barracks, but if we pool the resources, we want to turn it into a large plaza. The estimated cost is…”

If the marquis’s words were not a threat…

There would be no way a knight would say things like that, so calmly, right in front of them.

Of course—

None of this was Alon’s intention.

He hadn’t given a single detailed instruction to Seamus.

In fact, after the interview, he had hardly spoken to him.

And yet Seamus interpreted Alon’s order like this.

But it wasn’t really his fault.

‘This must be a direct order from the King……’

The fault lay with Deus, who trained the knights.

He had instilled in all the knights that:

Alon Palatio would become the Great Heaven.

And that the knights gathered here would be his guardians.

Although Alon had never dreamed of such a thing, not even by accident.

The knights, indoctrinated by Deus, believed it without doubt.

That Alon was paving the way to become heaven.

Seamus was the same.

“What is happening?”

“……So in all of Divine Land there is nothing but barracks?”

“That is correct. There are only barracks.”

“Correct, only barracks.”

“There is nothing else to do, but there are only barracks.”

“Even if there is nothing to do.”

Seamus fervently obeyed the “order” he believed he received from Heaven.

Alon’s phrase: “Talk also about the shortcomings of Divine Land,” Seamus could only interpret in this way.

If Alon, who was now training hard in magic, heard this, he would be left open-mouthed saying: “What!? When did I say that!?”

But unfortunately, he knew nothing.

Either way, after the spectacular “promotional movie” (or disastrous one) of Divine Land made by Seamus…

“I hope the presentation was to your liking.”

Alon observed that the faces of those present were worse than before, and tilted his head.

He looked at Seamus with eyes full of doubt.

But Seamus—

Nodded vigorously!

With eyes full of faith, like someone who has fulfilled the mission of their life.

Alon was left even more confused.

And then—

“…We have seen Divine Land well.”

Tolenis, who had kept silent until now, spoke.

“I see. Although it lacks many things, what did you think?”

Alon asked naturally, smiling. Tolenis frowned slightly, as if something bothered him.

It was a minimal instant.

But Alon noticed it, and was surprised internally.

Then Tolenis spoke again.

“……I would like to offer support to Divine Land.”

“Support?”

“Yes, exactly…”

Tolenis mentioned a sum. Alon froze internally.

Not only was it unexpected; the amount was enormous from Alon’s perspective.

It was an impossible amount to offer so lightly under the word “support.”

That is why—

“I appreciate your intention, but it is fine like this.”

Alon rejected the offer.

He didn’t know with what intention Tolenis wanted to support, but the sum was too large and gave the feeling of a debt, something he didn’t want to accept.

But the instant Alon rejected the support…

The atmosphere in the room plummeted.

Everyone showed expressions of “we are in trouble.”

Alon was left bewildered.

“One point five… times.”

“Pardon?”

“I will offer 1.5 times more.”

Tolenis spoke with painful determination. As if he couldn’t go higher.

But Alon, without understanding anything, rejected again.

“No, really it is not needed. I told you it wasn’t necessary, and this actually makes me uncomfortable.”

“Kghh—”

“Why all of a sudden…?”

“Double! I will offer double.”

Tolenis hardened his expression even more, but increased the figure.

“Calm down, please listen to what I am saying—”

“Double and a half!”

“……??? No, we really do not need—”

“Three! Three times! I cannot offer more than this!”

…Thus began the struggle between the one who wanted to donate, and the one who wanted to prevent it.