Prev | TOC I Next

The World Tree in the land of the elves, Greynifra.  

The enormous royal castle beneath it was currently filled with tension.  

The reason was simple.  

Even the elves who had lived for centuries had never once seen the face of the lizardmen’s god, Hazad, who had now arrived at the castle.  

Of course, it hadn’t been that way from the beginning.  

In reality, Hazad, known as the Sage God, had come to meet the queen without causing any trouble.  

Magrina, too, welcomed Hazad’s visit without any particular tension.  

Moreover.  

Although it seemed like their long-awaited reunion might be awkward, the two conversed in a surprisingly smooth atmosphere.  

Rather than exuding the authoritative presence expected of leaders of their respective nations, they spoke with a sense of familiarity.  

Of course, as high-ranking figures, they maintained a fundamental businesslike demeanor.  

Even so, as the relaxed conversation continued, the elves were bewildered yet relieved.  

Yes, that was certainly the case—until just a moment ago.  

“The elves guarding my dear friend should be dismissed by now. They’re too weak to protect him properly anyway. Wouldn’t it be better for us lizardmen to take over his guard?”  

That was until Hazad, whose face could hardly even be seen, uttered those words.  

“……Ha, what nonsense are you spewing?”  

In an instant.  

The air in the audience chamber began to chill.  

“Hmph, am I wrong? Lizardmen are much stronger than elves.”  

Even in the face of Magrina’s chilling gaze, Hazad’s voice remained unchanged.  

At his response, Magrina’s lips curled into a crooked smile.  

“Oh? Is that so? The same lowly race that would have been annihilated if the Primordial Elf hadn’t saved them?”  

“That applies to elves as well. And strictly speaking, I did offer my help, too.”  

“Help? More like you were the one receiving all the help.”  

The queen’s derisive laughter echoed through the chamber.  

For a brief moment, Hazad fell silent, scratching his head awkwardly.  

“Well, I won’t deny that I’ve received a lot from my dear friend.”  

“‘Dear friend’? You’ve done nothing but take.”  

“Hmph.”  

After groaning in response to her relentless attacks, Hazad insisted once more.  

“Anyway, from now on, we will be in charge of the protection.”  

“And what if I refuse?”  

“Then you must want to put my dear friend in danger.”  

“You’re awfully confident. Besides, your side can’t even guard as discreetly as we can, can you?”  

“Hmph—safety is more important than subtlety.”  

Hazad glared at Magrina.  

She glared back at him.  

Everyone held their breath at the unwavering standoff.  

After a long, frigid silence.  

“Then why don’t we ask him directly? Let’s see whose protection he prefers.”  

With a smile that suggested she had thought of a clever idea, Magrina made the proposal.  

“Fine.”  

As if he had been waiting for those words, Hazad nodded.  

Both wore victorious smiles.  

Watching them, the elves and lizardmen…  

……  

Silently averted their gazes, sensing the invisible sparks flying between the two.  

***

It had been about a week since Alon arrived in Caliban.  

During what could be considered either a long or short time, Alon focused entirely on fully recovering his body.  

In the meantime, he gained one realization and heard two rumors.  

The first rumor, relayed by Evan, was that Eliban was eliminating the strange creatures at an unexpectedly rapid pace.  

The second was about something that had worried Alon for some time—the fact that most of the organizations that usually went berserk once Psychedelia began had disappeared on their own.  

“Evan.”  

“Yes, sir?”  

“The organizations you mentioned yesterday, are they all really gone?”  

“Yes. Just to be sure, I even had the information guild cross-check it. Aside from a few, they’ve all disappeared.”  

“What caused their downfall?”  

“Hmm—if I recall from our conversation, most of them collapsed due to attacks from rival organizations or external assaults. Otherwise, they were wiped out overnight.”  

After pondering for a moment, Evan added as if something had come to mind.  

“Oh! Now that I think about it, it seems one group took down several of them. If I remember correctly, the Blood Sword, the Shadow Ghosts, and the Flute Clan… and, uh, what was the last one? The Dark Wood?”  

“……You mean the Dark Veil?”  

“Ah, yes, that’s the one. Apparently, a single person took care of them.”  

“Why?”  

“The method of execution was identical in all cases. Their necks were twisted twice around. Or so they said.”  

Alon stroked his chin with a peculiar expression.  

Indeed, the organizations Evan had mentioned shared a common trait.  

‘They all became notorious by assassinating prominent figures. Later, they infiltrated various kingdoms, acting like parasites that corroded them from within.’  

From a player’s perspective, no matter which kingdom one started in, these organizations offered quests that allowed them to get close to the king in some capacity.  

However, aside from that, there was no apparent connection between them, which left Alon deep in thought.  

‘Well, if they were wiped out due to a butterfly effect, that’s not a bad outcome. If they had survived, I would have had to deal with them myself anyway.’  

He decided to focus on the fact that the troublesome organizations had been cleared out.  

‘…… Of course, by mid-game, there would always be others who crawled out when the time was ripe.’  

Naturally, stronger foes, in line with Psychedelia’s balance, would emerge later.  

Still, for now, it wasn’t a bad thing that those nuisances were gone.  

As he exhaled and leaned comfortably against the chair’s backrest—  

[Meow?]  

The small black creature, which had been idly tapping a ball on the floor moments ago, now perched on Alon’s thigh, tilting its head curiously.  

As if to comfort him, the creature nuzzled against him affectionately.  

After stroking the affectionate little one, Alon closed his eyes.  

By now, he could observe the divine essences within him much more quickly.  

He gazed at the floating divinities before focusing on Kalannon’s essence.  

As soon as he touched it, it naturally expanded—like a distant planet suddenly being drawn close.  

And within the enlarged divine essence…  

Just as Alon had seen last time, there were shining stars and faint blue dots gently radiating outward.  

This was the new realization Alon had gained over the past week while investigating divine essences.  

By expanding a divine essence, he had discovered a way to see the believers who followed that essence.  

First, the white starlight represented those to whom Alon had shared his power.  

The dark-colored to slightly more vivid blue dots surrounding the divine essence—so faint that they were hard to notice without close observation—served as indicators of how many people believed in the essence and to what extent.  

‘Rather than figuring it out on my own, it was thanks to Kalannon briefly appearing and telling me.’  

Recalling Kalannon, who had suddenly appeared a few days ago for a brief conversation before vanishing, Alon shifted his gaze to examine the other divine essences one by one.  

The Primordial Elf’s divine essence contained a large number of vibrant green dots, though not in overwhelming numbers.  

Kalannon’s divine essence also had many blue dots, though not an excessive amount.  

The red divine essence had two distinctly glowing red dots.  

Unexpectedly, the white divine essence had an overwhelmingly large number of white dots compared to the others.  

However, the white divine essence had a peculiarity that set it apart from the others.  

When expanded, its originally white glow appeared as a faded, grayish hue.  

And lastly, the black divine essence, resembling a black hole—  

“……Ah.”  

The moment he attempted to expand the black divine essence, Alon felt his contemplation shatter and opened his eyes.  

No matter the other divine essences, every time he tried to observe the black one, his vision was disrupted in this manner.  

A repeated phenomenon with no clear explanation.  

As he made a puzzled expression—  

[Meow?]  

The small black creature, sensing that Alon had stopped petting it, tilted its head in protest.  

Smiling slightly, Alon resumed stroking the creature and then spoke.  

“Evan.”  

“Yes?”  

“It’s time to depart for the North.”  

And so, preparations for their northern journey began.  

***

The following day, Alon received unexpected news from Deus.  

“……The ‘Great Collapse’ has occurred?”  

“Yes. We received a report from the outpost yesterday.”  

Alon fell silent.  

The Great Collapse.  

It was a phenomenon where the accumulated snow on the glacial mountains crashed down to cover the paths below, making the terrain highly dangerous.  

The immediate problem was, of course, that the fallen snow made forward movement difficult.  

But the real danger was something else.  

The fallen snow concealed the crevasses that one must avoid in the glacial mountains.  

Because of this, when the Great Collapse occurred, unless the snow was cleared by the ‘Tremors’ unique to the glacial mountains, the region would remain treacherous for months.  

From what Alon knew, this setting had been designed in the game’s early-to-mid stages to prevent players from heading straight to Caliban and then to the glacial mountains too soon.  

But there was one thing he didn’t understand.  

……Why did the Great Collapse happen at this point in time?  

‘In Psychedelia, it was supposed to occur much later than this.’  

The unexpected timing of the Great Collapse raised questions.  

But only briefly.  

“The expedition won’t proceed either, then.”  

“With the Great Collapse happening, I doubt it. The barbarians also won’t be appearing during this period.”  

Alon decided to delay his northern journey.  

‘This might not be a bad thing after all.’  

He had wanted to take more time to study the divine essences he had obtained, including Kalannon’s, alongside his magic.  

With that in mind, Alon decisively abandoned the plan to go north.  

“Oh! Then are we heading home?”  

“You sound delighted.”  

“Well, isn’t it a good idea to rest a little? Especially after everything that happened in the jungle.”  

“You’re not wrong.”  

With Evan now visibly more energetic, their destination was swiftly changed to the Marquis’ estate.  

“Well then, until next time.”  

“Understood, my lord. I will visit you in four months.”  

“There’s no need to go out of your way.”  

“No, I insist.”  

“Well, if you say so.”  

***

After a brief farewell, Alon boarded a carriage bound for Palatio Marquis’ estate, while Deus began disbanding the expedition team.  

Some time later—  

“It seems everything is settled.”  

“Hmm~”  

After hearing his lieutenant’s report, Deus returned to the mansion.  

On the way to his office, a small smile unknowingly crept onto his face.  

Going to the office usually meant work.  

But for Deus, this particular visit carried a different meaning—it was a source of enjoyment, akin to a relaxing pastime.  

‘Just a little more, and the blueprint will be complete.’  

He was finalizing the blueprint for a statue commission.  

Before departing on this recent expedition, he had been rushing to make arrangements for the project.  

With that thought, his steps became lighter.  

And the moment he opened the door to his office—  

“……?”  

“Sili?”  

“Hello, brother.”  

His younger sister, Sili, was there.  

Not just there—she was completely engrossed in examining the blueprint he had been diligently drafting.  

The sight made Deus instinctively flinch.  

Because he was reminded of Sili’s scolding from last time.  

She had criticized him for spending too much money on a mere statue.  

Of course, the cost was covered by the money Deus had earned—and the money he would earn, technically drawn in advance—so it was all within a manageable budget.  

Yet, as someone who loved his younger sister dearly, he couldn’t help but care about her every word.  

So, once again, he found himself cautiously observing her reaction.  

And recalling how, the last time he had attempted to create additional statue blueprints and had been caught, she had given him an even sharper look.  

Now, cold sweat began to form on Deus’s forehead.  

“…This blueprint is good.”  

“…?”  

At those unexpected words, Deus’s face filled with confusion.  

Sili’s response was entirely different from what he had anticipated.  

But only for a moment.  

“Ah.”  

Deus came to a realization.  

Sili was no longer the same as before.  

She had been saved by Him.  

Just like he had.  

Remembering this, a slow smile spread across Deus’s lips.  

In other words, his beloved younger sister now shared the same thoughts as he did.  

“Is that so? It’s not fully complete yet, though.”  

“Even so, I think it’s been designed very well.”  

“I see.”  

Seeing that Sili now shared the same hobby (?) as him, Deus felt deeply satisfied.  

Their conversation flowed naturally.  

For a brief moment, he was even moved, thinking—’so this is what true sibling bonds feel like.’  

But that sentiment didn’t last long.  

“Hmm, but this part needs more detail. For example, like this—yes, yes, the coat should be longer.”  

“Oh~ I see.”  

“And the eyes need some adjustments too. It shouldn’t be like a diamond shape—you need to express it more delicately, brother. Since the Marquis has blue eyes, rather than just crafting it like this, the gemstones should be more finely cut—”  

“…Sili?”  

Deus sensed something.  

“Why? What’s wrong?”  

“…I know that part too, but realistically—”  

“Are you saying you’re going to cut corners on the statue because of realistic concerns?”  

“Uh, well—”  

“This part here should be higher. The horns should curve upwards more. It would be best in gold.”  

“…Gold? Hmm—I mean, that would be nice, but considering the budget, maybe something else—”  

“Gold.”  

“Huh?”  

“It has to be gold.”  

“No, but the budget—”  

“Gold.”  

“…Budget.”  

“Gold.”  

This was the same sister who had once criticized him for spending too much on a single statue.  

Yet now, with a stern and utterly serious expression, she was firmly repeating gold over and over.  

“…Fine. Gold it is.”  

“Yes.”  

At that moment, Deus realized something.  

Sili had changed.  

Prev | TOC I Next

Prev | TOC I Next

‘Sharing miracles.’  

There were two main reasons why Alon chose Sili as the recipient.  

First.  

The first reason was that she was the younger sister dearly loved by Deus.  

Now that the Apostle of Sloth had been dealt with, the immediate threat was gone.  

However, if another such danger arose, she would need the strength to resist on her own.  

If Sili were to die, Deus would undoubtedly succumb to corruption and fall into sin.  

Because he cherished her immensely.  

The second reason was quite simple.  

Sili seemed unexpectedly capable of handling Alon’s power well.  

With this recent incident, Sili’s gaze toward Alon had completely changed.  

From seeing him as the one responsible for her brother Deus’s unusual transformation, she now regarded him with reverence and devotion.  

Even without trying to sense it, that emotion was blatantly clear.  

‘Besides, since she’s already highly talented in magic, she might be able to use faith-based magic later on.’  

Regardless.  

Faith was only a secondary factor.  

Ultimately, the most important reason was to ease Deus’s concerns.  

‘It’s not like there’s anyone else to share my power with right now.’  

Had he still been in Luxibl, he would have granted power to Syrkal and Jenira.  

However, since returning was no longer an option, and since he would inevitably gather enough faith to grant miracles to one or two more people by the time he returned from the north,  

Alon had no trouble making the offer to Sili.  

Soon enough.  

“T-Then, does this mean I’ll become your Apostle, my Lord…!?”  

Sili’s eyes sparkled.  

Her voice trembled with excitement as if she couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality.  

Alon, secretly flustered by her intense reaction, nodded.  

“Well, strictly speaking, yes.”  

“Can someone like me even do this?”  

She lowered herself even further,  

Her hands beginning to tremble.  

Yet, despite her self-deprecating words, her eyes shone even brighter.  

Alon cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed.  

‘No need to take it so seriously…’  

For Alon, this was simply about giving Deus’s greatest weakness the power to protect herself.  

“……There’s no need to belittle yourself like that.”  

“B-But how can I possibly be an Apostle of my Lord—”  

“If you don’t want to, you can say so—”  

“Absolutely not!!!”  

A sudden, forceful outburst.  

“Is that so?”  

Alon unconsciously stammered.  

Sili clenched both fists tightly, as if she had made an enormous decision.  

“I’ll do my very, very best!”  

She shouted so loudly that her body shook.  

Though her intensity caught him off guard,  

Alon simply thought, ‘Well, if she’s happy about it, then it’s fine.’  

Closing his eyes, he quickly connected to the divine forces he had become familiar with.  

This time, unlike before, he selected the significantly diminished divine power of Kalannon.  

In that instant.  

Crackle—!  

A surge of light flared, and tiny sparks of electricity crackled around Alon.  

Unlike the overwhelming spectacle from last time, this time, the electricity moved in much finer, subtler currents.  

Yet, even those faint sparks made the knights gasp in awe.  

Shaa—  

Feeling somewhat embarrassed for no reason, Alon quickly reached out and transferred the divine power to Sili.  

Soon, the blue-tinged energy flowed into her body and vanished.  

‘Did it work?’  

Closing his eyes again, Alon observed the faint remnants of Kalannon’s divine power.  

It was now even smaller than before, with a tiny star and a thin blue line etched onto it.  

At that moment, Alon instinctively understood.  

That tiny star represented the person who had received the power.  

“D-Does this mean I can use my Lord’s power now?”  

“Yes.”  

As he opened his eyes, he heard Sili’s voice.  

When Alon nodded, she gasped in awe before her gaze firmed with newfound determination.  

“As your Apostle, I will do my utmost to spread your greatness, my Lord…!”  

“……I’ll leave it to you.”  

Truthfully, he hadn’t intended for her to go that far.  

But there was no reason to discourage someone who had made up her mind.  

Looking at Sili, who was clenching her fists tightly, Alon nodded once more.  

***

A while later.  

As Alon entered Deus’s mansion, sighing lightly, Evan approached him.  

“My Lord.”  

“What is it, Evan?”  

“I feel a bit left out.”  

Evan suddenly expressed his discontent.  

Alon looked at him questioningly.  

“Out of nowhere…?”  

“What do you mean, ‘out of nowhere’? You shared your power with Sili, didn’t you?”  

“……Ah, you mean that?”  

“Yes, that. Of course, it’s your decision who to choose, but still, I exist too. As your bodyguard… wait a minute.”  

“……”

“Am I really… a bodyguard?”  

Evan muttered as if questioning his own identity.  

[Hmph.]  

Just then, Basiliora, who had been quiet, butted in.  

[Even if I were in his place, I wouldn’t share my divine power with someone like you.]  

“You snakehead, you’re at it again? You’ve been picking fights a lot lately.”  

[Fights? Do you even know the meaning of the word anymore? These are rational statements, not picking fights.]  

Listening to Basiliora, Alon suddenly realized something.  

“……Now that I think about it, you are a god.”  

[Hah? Of course! I am the grand Basiliora!]  

“Yeah, right. More like a scaly little snake.”  

Taking the chance to retaliate, Evan smirked and mocked him.  

Basiliora let out an odd screech of frustration,  

But Evan ignored him and turned back to Alon.  

“Hmm… Now that I think about it, I guess it wouldn’t have been easy for me to receive your power anyway.”  

“It’s not that you’re weak.”  

“Then is there another reason?”  

The reason Evan couldn’t receive Alon’s power was simple.  

“The power I share is only effective for those who sincerely believe in me as a god. If there is no faith, it cannot be wielded.”  

“Ah.”  

“Can you worship me as a god?”  

Evan hesitated for a moment, scratching his head.  

“That would be a bit difficult.”  

“Right?”  

“Yes, I absolutely trust you, my Lord, but if you ask whether that trust is the same as ‘faith in a god,’ then that’s another matter. If I had to put it into words… it’s more like you’re a very close companion.”  

“That’s why I didn’t give you my power. You wouldn’t be able to use it anyway.”  

“I see.”  

“Did you think I didn’t consider you first?”  

Evan’s face suddenly showed deep emotion.  

“As expected, there is no one like you, my Lord.”  

“Of course.”  

A warm atmosphere filled the air.  

“Then, since we’re on the topic, could you perhaps raise my salary a little…?”  

“……Didn’t I already raise it last time?”  

“Ah—well, you see, these days, expenses have been a bit…”  

[Hmph, rather than ‘expenses,’ it’s more like you’ve been throwing all your money at women and now you’re broke.]  

Basiliora, as always, never missed an opportunity.  

“What nonsense! This is all part of my future planning!”  

[Future planning, my scales. That’s just called throwing money into the dirt! Kuhaha!]  

After another bout of bickering, Evan cleared his throat unnecessarily and asked,  

“So, my Lord, who do you plan to grant your power to in the future?”  

“Hmm?”  

“That is, your power. You’ll keep sharing it, won’t you?”  

Alon thought for a moment.  

“I intend to give it only to those who are truly faithful to me.”  

That was his answer.  

At that moment.  

Far away from Caliban, where he had been stationed to avoid being discovered by Deus, Draim, who had been keeping watch, stood in stunned silence.  

But he wasn’t the only one.  

All the members of the Shadow Leaves saw it clearly.  

The Primordial Elf, sharing the power of Kalannon, the lightning receiver, with a human.  

For the elves of Greynifra, there had been many recent surprises.  

Finding out that the one they called the Primordial Elf was also known elsewhere as Kalannon, the lightning receiver.  

Seeing that he possessed not only the power of elves but also took the form of other gods.  

All of these revelations had happened within the past month.  

Yet, none of the elves harbored any doubts or confusion.  

Because they had seen with their own eyes that Marquis Palatio was the Primordial Elf.  

Moreover, they already knew that the Primordial Elf was also called Taezon.  

So while they were surprised, they simply accepted it as yet another divine name.  

Instead, their reverence for him only deepened.  

But today, the elves discovered something even more astonishing than his many names.  

It was in the words spoken by Marquis Palatio—no, by the Primordial Elf himself.  

‘I grant my power to those who are truly faithful.’  

The elves present all remembered.  

The power of the great Marquis Palatio, the Primordial Elf, who had once revived the withered roots alone.  

And now, they could receive that power?  

As long as they sincerely believed in him?  

Draim subtly turned his gaze to the side.  

He met the eyes of his subordinates.  

Every single one of them was filled with a fierce sense of competition and ambition.  

Of course, the elves of the Shadow Leaves did not move for mere personal gain.  

Draim knew this well.  

The Shadow Leaves existed solely to carry out the Queen’s orders, as her sword.  

However, despite that,  

“……Captain, it’s my shift change now, so I’ll head in first.”  

“I’ll go in as well.”  

Among the elves, a silent rivalry had begun to spark.  

***

That night.  

Sili, who had received Kalannon’s power from Alon, blankly stared at her hand.  

Crackle—!  

A tiny spark of lightning flickered beneath her palm.  

If she clenched her fist now, it would disappear as if it had never existed.  

Yet, it was unmistakably lightning.  

In truth, Sili could already wield much stronger electrical magic.  

She wasn’t at the pinnacle as a mage yet, but even so, she could cast far more powerful spells than this.  

Which meant that this tiny lightning was not particularly extraordinary for her.  

However, despite that, she remained transfixed, staring at the faint spark just before it vanished.  

Because this was not her magic—  

It was divine power.  

Tzz—  

The lightning faded.  

Silence settled in Sili’s room.  

Only the blue moonlight shone down through the window.  

In the darkness, her eyes were the only things that gleamed.  

Yet, there was no disappointment in them.  

Instead, her gaze carried an overwhelming sense of joy.  

She clenched her hand tightly.  

During the day, when she had received this power, she had felt happy.  

But deep inside, she had also been worried.  

Could she truly wield such an immense power?  

Yet, she had done it.  

Even if it was just a tiny spark.  

Even if it was nothing compared to the overwhelming lightning he had shown her.  

She had undeniably conjured lightning through divine power.  

And that made her incredibly happy.  

The realization that she had received power from the very one who had saved her life.  

Unconsciously, Sili smiled.  

Then, she made a vow.  

‘I must never disappoint him.’  

Sili knew what she had to do.  

She was an Apostle, and an Apostle must serve the god’s will.  

And there was only one thing she needed to do for him.  

‘Spread his name across the world.’  

Under the moonlight, Sili smiled deeply.  

Inside her keen mind, a plan began to take shape.  

A plan to let the world know of the great one.  

Meanwhile, as Alon lay buried in his bed, still not fully recovered,  

“Ugh—”  

With no idea of what was happening, a peculiar plan was beginning to take root.  

***

At that moment.  

In the grand palace beneath the World Tree in the elven land of Greynifra.  

“The elves guarding my dear friend should be dismissed by now. They’re too weak to protect him properly anyway. Wouldn’t it be better for us lizardmen to take over his guard?”  

Hazard, the Sage God of the Lizardmen, had suddenly visited the Queen and provoked her.  

“……Ha, what nonsense are you spewing?”  

A chilling storm was brewing.  

Prev | TOC I Next

Prev | TOC I Next

Around three weeks after leaving the Duchy of Luxibl.  

At the moment when Caliban finally came into view.  

“It’s been a while.”  

Once again, Alon’s vision suddenly shifted.  

A world where the Milky Way was scattered across the sky—now a familiar sight.  

In the center of it stood Kalannon.  

“So, we can finally have a proper conversation now.”  

“That’s right. Though it doesn’t mean we can talk for long.”  

“Is this conversation being sustained by gathered divinity?”  

“Well, sort of? At first, I operated it purely with the remaining power I had, but now you and I are practically bound together through divinity. Of course, that doesn’t mean I can wield divinity on my own~” 

Kalannon sighed in a strangely regretful manner.  

“I actually had something I wanted to ask.”  

Alon was pleased to see Kalannon again.  

“What about?”  

“Do you know anything about the Hundred Ghosts?”  

“Hmm— I wouldn’t say I don’t know about them?”  

“So that means you aren’t actually acquainted with them?”  

“Of course not. Ever since that snake-head attached to you appeared, I’ve barely had enough strength to materialize.”  

“Ah.”  

Alon let out an unconscious exclamation.  

Now that he thought about it, that was certainly the case.  

‘Before I sealed Basiliora inside the Covenant Ring, that thing was continuously consuming faith.’  

Considering the nature of faith, it made sense that Kalannon couldn’t materialize while Basiliora was present.  

“I see.”  

“But why are you asking about that all of a sudden?”  

When Alon explained the reason, she shrugged.  

“That doesn’t seem to be something that concerns me.”  

“Is that so?”  

“Do you have anything else to ask?”  

Of course, he did.  

“Come to think of it, didn’t you tell me before? That while faith is necessary, I shouldn’t actively try to gather it.”  

“I did, didn’t I?”  

“Why was that? Don’t I need faith?”  

Kalannon, understanding the point of his question, gave a short nod.  

“This is, hmm~ a little hard to explain, but faith is an incredibly powerful force while also being extremely delicate.”  

“And?”  

“Faith fundamentally comes from belief in a god. But if you try to obtain it artificially, some kind of problem will inevitably arise.”  

“…A problem?”  

“It’ll look rather… unsophisticated.”  

“That’s vague.”  

Kalannon tapped her forehead with her small index finger, as if searching for an analogy.  

Then, as if struck by inspiration, she clapped her hands.  

“That’s it! You know that faith is based on genuine belief in a god, right?”  

“I do.”  

“But faith won’t accumulate unless people sincerely believe in it.”  

“…So you mean there can’t be even a sliver of doubt?”  

“No, doubts can exist, but the core of the belief itself has to be genuine. However, if someone is made to believe through some form of compensation or coercion—”  

“Then faith won’t accumulate easily.”  

“Exactly. In some cases, it might even create resistance, making faith-gathering even harder.”  

Artificiality breeds resistance, huh?  

“…Then what should I do?”  

“There’s only one way. Just let things happen naturally. As long as you keep acting and influencing the world, people who revere you will naturally appear.”  

“So that’s why you told me not to try anything forcefully.”  

“Yep.”  

“We don’t want it to look cheap.” Kalannon muttered, but then her eyes widened as if something had occurred to her.  

“That said, there is a way to gather faith quickly.”  

“What is it?”  

“Mass slaughter.”  

“…What?”  

Alon asked again, unsure if he had heard correctly.  

“If you massacre humans on a large scale and instill fear, faith will naturally form— and in substantial amounts, too.”  

Kalannon nodded without a hint of hesitation.  

“Of course, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you try to gain faith that way, the majority of people you’d gain it from would just end up dead. Not to mention, you wouldn’t be able to handle the aftermath.”  

“…Is there no other way?”  

Alon quickly moved the conversation forward.  

“The only other option is performing miracles.”  

“…Performing miracles?”  

It wasn’t an immediately intuitive concept.  

Kalannon pondered for a moment before asking Alon,  

“Is there any god currently being worshiped on this continent?”  

“Hmm— In the Allied Kingdoms, it’s probably Sironia. And in the East… Alter… Mia?”  

Alon mentioned the Eastern god he could barely remember, prompting Kalannon to let out a contemplative hum.  

“I don’t really know them, but anyway, do the followers of Sironia perform miracles?”  

“Yeah.”  

“That’s one of the fastest ways to gather faith.”  

Recalling the miracles performed by the followers of Sironia, Alon nodded.  

“I see. If people witness miracles being performed, faith will naturally grow.”  

“Exactly. Divine power is essentially the power of miracles. If you demonstrate the ability to wield that power, belief will naturally follow. In fact, it’s even more effective than the god directly using power themselves.”  

“Hmm.”  

“Plus, once you gather enough believers, the process becomes self-sustaining.”  

“Self-sustaining?”  

“Yeah. Someone blessed with divine power demonstrates their abilities, attracting more believers. Then those believers are granted a bit of power themselves, allowing them to go to other places, perform miracles, and bring in even more followers. And so on.”  

“I see.”  

A cycle that perpetuates itself and steadily grows.  

It was quite a convincing method.  

Then, Alon suddenly made a strange expression.  

As he listened, he realized that it was oddly similar to something from his original world.  

‘…Wait, isn’t this just a pyramid scheme?’  

The thought crossed his mind briefly.  

“Anyway, that god Sironia is probably drawing in a massive amount of faith without even lifting a finger.”

As he listened to Kalannon’s explanation, Alon thought of Rosario and found himself lost in reflection.  

He had always known that Rosario was not a place that provided charity unconditionally.  

But hearing it laid out like this made it seem even more businesslike than he had expected.  

‘So that’s why Rosario was left to rot in the story…?’  

Alon followed up with another question.  

“Then should I also increase faith in the same way?”  

“Hmm, it would be nice if you could, but with the faith you currently have, it might be a bit difficult.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. Well, you might be able to manage two people at most. You only need to use your own power when granting it for the first time—after that, their faith will sustain it naturally.”  

“How do I grant power?”  

“It’s simple. Just extract a portion of your divinity and pass it on. As long as you leave a trace, that’s enough. After that, how they use the power is up to them.”  

A new plan began to take shape in Alon’s mind.  

***

As soon as he stepped out from his conversation with Kalannon.  

“Whew—”  

“Marquis, why the sudden sigh?”  

“It’s nothing.”  

When Evan asked, Alon lightly shook his head and calmly reviewed their discussion.  

‘There are three key takeaways.’  

First, Kalannon had no connection to the Hundred Ghosts.  

Second, faith could be gathered, and power could be shared with others.  

Lastly, how to wield divinity.  

“Hmm~”  

Alon recalled Kalannon’s words.  

‘As I mentioned before, the most important step in using divinity is identifying its inherent traits. For example, we can convert any magic we touch into lightning and summon lightning at will.’  

‘Once you understand those traits, using them is both difficult and easy. You need to envelop your body in divinity, and as I said, activate it using a trigger. Of course, once you become proficient, you won’t need the trigger anymore, but for now, you will.’  

‘Oh, and I know I made it sound easy, but enveloping yourself in divinity is incredibly difficult. You’ll need to practice. Last time, I helped you, and I’ll continue assisting when you use your power in the future, but you should also learn how to do it on your own.’  

‘I was going to explain more about how to wield power when fully manifested, but after seeing you last time, I figured it wasn’t really necessary.’  

After reviewing everything, Alon thought to himself.  

‘I’ve learned everything I needed to know.’  

And in addition, he had discovered one extra piece of information.  

The scale of the divinity he possessed.  

‘I don’t know what happened, but I’ve gathered an insane amount… Is this even possible?’  

Kalannon had let out a stunned chuckle, finding it beyond absurd.  

“Marquis, we’ve arrived.”  

“Is that so?”  

At that moment, the carriage reached Caliban.  

“Shall we head straight to the north?”  

Evan asked while subtly gauging his mood.  

After a brief moment of contemplation, Alon stood up.  

“We’ll rest for two days.”  

“Understood.”  

Evan, looking quite pleased, hopped off the carriage energetically.  

As Alon followed him, a thought lingered in his mind.  

‘Granting power to increase faith—who would be the best choice?’  

Kalannon’s power was undoubtedly valuable, even in Alon’s eyes.  

He carefully considered who would be worthy of receiving it.  

Just then.  

“Marquis! Are you feeling alright?”  

As soon as he stepped outside the carriage, Sili came running up eagerly to check on him.  

“…? Marquis?”  

Alon silently observed her for a moment.  

“Sili.”  

“Yes!”  

“You said you primarily studied lightning and ice magic, right?”  

“Ah, yes! That’s right!”  

“…Would you be interested in using divine power?”  

“Divine power?”  

As if he had come up with a rather interesting idea, a faint smirk curled at the edge of his lips.  

***

Atop a massive cliff, where a colossal statue had been carved.  

As dusk began to settle.  

“Boss.”  

“What?”  

“Can I ask you something?”  

“What is it?”  

A blue-skinned man, Blue Ghost, spoke to a black-haired girl.  

“Why exactly are you helping that so-called ‘Legitimacy’?”  

“That’s what you’re curious about?”  

Blue Ghost furrowed his brow slightly before nodding.  

“Yes, I suppose I am. It’s not just that you’ve been looking after him so much—he seems rather fascinating in many ways. I noticed an elf was following him, he wields divine power, and most of all, it’s like you’re a puppy that’s found its m—”  

BOOM!  

Before he could finish, he was sent flying as Hyakki’s fist slammed into him, carving a dent into the cliffside.  

However, a moment later—  

“Man, couldn’t you let me finish before hitting me?”  

Blue Ghost climbed back up, covered in dust, while she let out a huff.  

“If you don’t want to get hit, watch your mouth, you idiot.”  

“…Can I keep talking?”  

“Go ahead.”  

“Anyway, aside from how unusual he is, it seemed like he didn’t even recognize you.”  

Hyakki remained silent, but Blue Ghost continued to chatter.  

“That’s why I was curious. You seem to feel very familiar with him, but that ‘Legitimacy’ guy didn’t show any signs of recognition. That’s why I asked.”  

At some point, Hyakki’s cheeks puffed out slightly.  

It was clear she was sulking.  

Something about the situation didn’t sit right with her.  

Seeing this,  

“Wow…”  

Blue Ghost blinked in amazement.  

In the centuries he had spent at Hyakki’s side, he had never once seen her make that expression.  

Like a petulant child, pouting over some minor grievance.  

And it didn’t stop there.  

“Next time.”  

“Next time?”  

“Next time… he’ll recognize me.”  

“?”  

Her voice carried a distinct hint of disappointment.  

As Blue Ghost’s eyes widened further,  

“Definitely.”  

Hyakki gazed at the blue moon rising in the night sky.  

“…He’ll recognize me for sure.”  

She murmured softly once more.

Prev | TOC I Next

Prev | TOC I Next

Alon felt dizzy from the completely reversed situation.  

As a noble from another country, he was seated on the throne, while King Pamilono, the rightful owner of the throne, was bowing deeply below.  

If someone were to ask, “Is this a normal situation?”, he could shake his head without hesitation.  

Of course, Alon had no desire to sit on the throne.  

There was nothing for him to gain, and he had something to request—so why would he dethrone the king?  

If anything, he wanted to stop this from happening as much as possible.  

And yet, the reason he was seated there was none other than the persistency of King Pamilono.  

“……I’m fine with it.”  

“I am fine as well. Please, I ask this of you.”  

“No, I mean, is there really a reason I must sit—”  

“There is. Marquis, you must sit.”  

To be precise, it was more due to Jenira and Syrkal, standing behind him, who seemed to be coercing him.  

“Hoo—”  

Alon looked down.  

Standing beside the king, as if he were already used to the absurdity, Evan let out a light chuckle.  

Ignoring his expression, Alon asked the king.  

“……I have a favor to ask first.”  

“Please, speak of anything.”  

The king bowed his head politely.  

Alon felt discomfort once again.  

A noble seated on the throne.  

A king bowing beneath him.  

No matter how one looked at it, this was utterly abnormal.  

But since he more or less grasped the situation, Alon decided to make his request as quickly as possible.  

“Ahem.”  

“Yes?”  

“That, about the statue…”  

“The statue? Are you referring to the one of Kalannon, the lightning receiver?”  

“Yes.”  

“Ah, yes. Is there a problem with Marquis’—no, with the lightning receiver Kalannon’s statue?”  

“No, there’s no problem. It’s just—”  

Alon abruptly shut his mouth mid-sentence.  

Of course, he knew.  

The moment he made a request, the king would comply.  

That meant at least he didn’t have to feel burdened about asking.  

And yet, the reason he hesitated was—  

‘It’s harder to say than I thought.’  

It was embarrassing.  

To specifically request horns to be attached to Kalannon’s statue…  

If the lightning receiver Kalannon had nothing to do with him, it wouldn’t have mattered, but—  

“Please, speak of anything.”  

He didn’t need to think too far.  

Just by looking at their eyes, he could tell.  

To them, Alon was Kalannon himself.  

Even if it wasn’t his intention, requesting horns to be added to the statue was practically akin to a child throwing a tantrum, demanding his own statue be made cooler.  

‘……This is embarrassing.’  

He couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.  

“If it’s about improperly representing Kalannon’s form, we shall rebuild it properly.”  

“……I would appreciate that. That—”  

“Yes, we shall reconstruct it and ensure even the majestic horns are properly implemented!”  

Thanks to Syrkal’s quick wit, the horn request was smoothly settled.  

Feeling secretly grateful to her, Alon nodded as nonchalantly as possible.  

At last, he was able to escape from the throne.  

***

Two days later—  

Alon headed to Caliban in preparation for his journey to the Snowy Mountains.  

Truthfully, he would have liked to rest for a few more days.  

But he had no choice but to leave Luxibl Duchy as soon as possible.  

Ever since he had defeated the Apostle of Sloth, everyone who saw him would immediately prostrate themselves…  

It was unbearably suffocating to remain there.  

Though he managed to flee from the duchy, unfortunately, he hadn’t completely escaped discomfort.  

The knights of Caliban were the reason.  

The moment he stepped out of the carriage, every single one of them bowed their heads deeply.  

A new wave of burden crept over him.  

No, he had merely stepped out to have dinner, yet the moment he appeared, everyone dining abruptly stood up, solemn expressions on their faces, and bowed.  

…It was far more uncomfortable than expected.  

But more than anything—  

“Marquis, would you like to try this?”  

“…….”  

“Thank you.”  

“Think nothing of it. If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”  

The final touch to his burden was the Macallian siblings, visiting his carriage every hour to check on him.  

Deus had always been like that, so Alon had grown somewhat accustomed to it.  

The real issue was his younger sister, Sili.  

Ever since he saved her, she hadn’t missed a single day checking on him, making sure he was comfortable and preparing his meals three times a day.  

As if they had planned it, they even came separately.  

So practically every 30 minutes, Alon received greetings from one of the Macallian siblings.  

“……Aren’t you overworking yourself?”  

“Overworking? Not at all. Thanks to you, Marquis, I’m even alive right now.”  

Sili smiled brightly.  

Looking at her, Alon spoke.  

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a lot of effort. If there’s anything you need, just ask me. If it’s within my power, I’ll help.”  

“Is that really okay?”  

Sili widened her eyes at the lighthearted suggestion Alon had made, concerned that she was overworking herself.  

“It is.”  

When he nodded, she glanced around nervously and began fidgeting.  

Alon was momentarily bewildered.  

What kind of request is she planning to make…?  

Contrary to his worries, Sili’s request was surprisingly simple.  

“Would it be possible to get… your autograph?”  

“……An autograph?”  

“Yes.”  

“……You mean a signature?”  

“Yes…!”  

The thought of why on earth? crossed his mind only briefly.  

Alon received a piece of paper from Evan and signed it.  

“Will this do?”  

“………! Yes, yes! This is more than enough, Marquis!”  

“But… why did you ask for my autograph?”  

It was an obvious question.  

This world didn’t really have a culture of autographs.  

Even in the modern world, unless one was a celebrity, exchanging autographs wasn’t common.  

At Alon’s question, Sili beamed as she replied.  

“I’m going to keep it as a family heirloom!”  

“A… family heirloom?”  

“Yes! Thank you so much!”  

Bowing deeply in gratitude, she clutched the autograph to her chest like it was a priceless treasure and dashed out.  

Before long—  

“Brother! Look at this! It’s the Marquis’ autograph!”  

“Gasp.”  

Hearing the commotion outside the carriage, Alon felt yet another wave of embarrassment wash over him.  

“Marquis, you must be pleased. You even have fanatics now.”  

“…Not particularly.”  

“Is that so?”  

Evan asked slyly.  

“If anything, it’s embarrassing.”  

“Hmm—I think I’d love it~”  

[Hmph, only scoundrels like you, who twist their bodies to win over women, would enjoy something like this.]  

“……This little bastard, you stayed silent the entire time in the duchy, and now that we’ve left, you pop right out?”  

Basiliora, never one to miss an opportunity, had appeared.  

[Hmph—I simply had no interest in seeing those people’s faces.]  

“It wasn’t about that. You just didn’t want to get mocked for being so tiny, did you?”  

[Kuh—]  

Judging by his expression, Alon had hit the mark.  

[Meow-]  

Perhaps intrigued by Basiliora’s rare appearance, Blackie soon emerged from Alon’s chest as well.  

For a moment, Alon felt a quiet sense of satisfaction as he looked at them.  

“Hmmm~”  

His gaze shifted to the finely decorated horns displayed on one side of the carriage.  

The horns Kalannon had specifically requested to be attached.  

‘…I have so many things I want to ask. When will we be able to talk again?’  

There was much he wanted to know.  

He was curious if Kalannon and the Hundred Ghosts were related, and why she had told him he needed faith yet advised him not to recklessly gather it.  

Most importantly, he wanted to understand the detailed usage of divinity.  

‘…Will we be able to talk once her divinity has recovered enough?’  

By now, Alon was well-practiced in observing his inner self.  

He quietly watched the faintly regenerating traces of Kalannon’s divinity, thinking of her for a long while.  

***

A dark night.  

Under the silent night sky, where everyone was fast asleep—  

Inside the carriage, Deus gazed at his sleeping sister.  

Sili was clutching Alon’s autograph close to her chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world.  

Deus smiled at the sight before shifting his gaze toward another carriage.  

The one where Alon was resting.  

“……”  

Deus suddenly recalled the past few days.  

That moment when he could have lost everything.  

Yet, conversely, the moment when everything had been saved.  

‘…If Marquis hadn’t come then.’  

Deus would have lost his entire world.  

His knights.  

His sister.  

His honor.  

Everything.  

But that man—  

He had protected all that Deus had nearly lost because of that damned bastard.  

On top of that—  

He had even left that bastard for Deus to handle, giving him time and advice so that he could take revenge himself.  

And yet, in the end…  

Deus had failed to take revenge.  

Because he was still too weak.  

“Tch—!”  

Unconsciously, Deus clenched his fists.  

He had thought he had grown stronger.  

But even now, it wasn’t enough.  

He was still far too weak.  

He hadn’t been able to properly exact vengeance on the one he needed to, and once again, he had been protected by that man.  

‘I have to get stronger.’  

Deus gritted his teeth.  

He had to become stronger—so much stronger that he could serve as that man’s sword.  

No, beyond that—strong enough to protect him.  

To repay the one who had called him family.  

And to return the endless grace he had received from him.  

“……”

A dark night.

Under the silent night sky where everyone was fast asleep, Deus made a vow in silence.

The blue moon shone upon him.

***

A colossal altar, ancient as the pyramids themselves.

Deep inside this altar, guarded by the great Lizardman tribe, Karamble—

“I greet the great one.”

Zukurak bowed his head.

[Ah, it has been a while.]

Hazad received Zukurak’s respectful greeting with a leisurely demeanor.

Even for Zukurak, Hazad was an entity whose form and expression he could barely discern.

Without any unnecessary formalities, Hazad went straight to the point.

[So, did you find out?]

“Yes.”

[And?]

“As you predicted, it was indeed him.”

[Is that so?]

Hearing Zukurak’s confirmation, Hazad smiled, clearly pleased.

However—

“But there is an additional matter I must report.”

[What is it?]

Hazad’s expression shifted to one of curiosity.

Zukurak then relayed in detail what had transpired when he visited Marquis Palatio.

[So, the divine power was exactly as expected, but he himself denied it. Is that what you’re saying?]

“Yes.”

Hazad seemed to ponder something for a moment before—

[I see—]

He nodded in understanding.

[I don’t know why he’s denying it, but it doesn’t matter. After all, there are those who would recognize him regardless.]

“Are you referring to the elves?”

[Indeed.]

Elves.

Upon hearing Hazad’s response, Zukurak bowed his head once more and stepped forward.

“Then, shall I go and confirm it?”

[No need.]

“……Then?”

[I will go myself.]

“……You mean, personally?”

[Yes. It’s about time I heard directly what’s going on with my dear friend.]

As Hazad thought of the Elf Queen,

[Besides, if I’m going to assign my friend a guard, I need to negotiate with the elves in advance.]

He rose from his seat leisurely.

On his face—

[And I need to make sure that any useless elves unworthy of guarding my friend are removed.]

—was a deeply amused smile.

Prev | TOC I Next