Prev | TOC I Next

The cold northern lands, a place where no living being should be able to survive, was gripped by an unrelenting, life-draining frost.

In this bleak, cursed land, painted eternally in shades of gray by the relentless blizzard, a man had fallen.

Where his right arm should have been, a crimson stain of blood marked the spot, and his left eye socket lay empty.

This man was none other than one of the eight barbarian chieftains, the great Khlkan, now awaiting death after his defeat at the hands of the cowardly knights of Caliban.

Yet even in his final moments, his eyes were filled with rage.

“Those dishonorable dogs…!” he cursed, but not because of his defeat.

To the barbarians, death in battle was a glorious end, a noble fate.

Khlkan’s fury stemmed from the dishonorable way he was struck down—caught in an ambush, tricked by the knight’s deceitful challenge to a duel.

“Cough!” Blood spilled from Khlkan’s mouth as his world grew dim.

The gray landscape blurred, and his ears gradually stopped hearing the bitter winds.

Despite his anger, his mind slowly began to sink into darkness.

Just as everything was about to fade into nothingness, Khlkan whispered the name of the great god, “Ulthultus…?”

At that very moment, time seemed to stop.

The dim, fading vision cleared; the harsh northern wind blew in his ears once again, and his mind, slipping into unconsciousness, began to rise.

[Child of blood,] a voice echoed.

[Call my name. Call upon the great name that you worshipped. Call upon my name, and I shall grant you what you desire.]

As if commanded by a divine force, Khlkan, entranced, murmured, “Ulthultus…”

And in that moment, the god smiled.

***

[Somehow, I Became the Hidden Mastermind of Asteria After Waking Up,] After hearing something that seemed to fit such a title, Alon closed his gaping mouth and mumbled to himself. However, the sweetness he had felt just moments before was completely gone.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

A flurry of question marks swirled in Alon’s mind as he tried to comprehend the rumors he had just heard.

It made no sense to him.

If he had been associating closely with Duke Altia or Count Zenonia, both of whom were currently forming new factions, he might have understood the basis for such rumors.

However, the issue was that Alon had never once met either of the two nobles.

He had only seen Duke Altia once when she was still a young lady at a ball, and as for Lady Zenonia, he had encountered her but had never met the Count himself.

In other words, the rumor lacked plausibility, to the point of being entirely baseless.

Alon, who had been slowly moving his lips while deep in thought, soon concluded that the notion of him exchanging secret talks with other nobles was nothing more than an absurd, groundless rumor.

After all, suspicions could only arise if there was a pre-existing relationship. But since Alon had no connection whatsoever with those individuals, he didn’t even feel the need to entertain any doubt.

So, just as Alon reached for a cookie next to the egg tart, a voice called out.

“Count Palatio.”

“…?”

Alon turned his head toward the voice and looked beside him.

There stood a man dressed in expensive clothing, his face full of mockery.

‘Who is this guy?’ 

Alon briefly scanned the man.

With his long, curly hair draped to one side, it was easy to tell that the man’s character was twisted in a way that was different from the Palatio family, but Alon couldn’t gather any more information than that.

At the very least, Alon had no information on him in his mind.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Carmine, the third son of Duke Komalon of the Ashtalon Kingdom.”

As soon as he noticed Alon didn’t recognize him, Carmine’s expression briefly faltered before he introduced himself. Alon paused in confusion, then nodded in understanding.

After all, he had heard that foreign nobles occasionally visited the Grand Church where most of Asteria’s nobility gathered.

“Count Palatio,” Alon responded with a polite greeting.

“I’ve heard of you. You were fortunate enough to become a count, weren’t you?”

“…?”

Alon blinked in surprise at Carmine’s immediate mocking tone.

He had suspected from the start that this wasn’t a friendly encounter based on the man’s demeanor, but he hadn’t expected him to launch straight into open ridicule, as if he had no sense of tact or intelligence.

Just as Alon was processing this, another voice interrupted from a different direction.

“Excuse me, but what are you saying right now?”

Turning toward the new voice, Alon found a familiar face, unlike with Carmine.

‘…Marquis Mardinyo?’

Alon recognized him not by his face but by the emblem emblazoned on his chest, and the fact that he had the distinct appearance of a middle-aged man.

“Are you insulting a noble of the Asteria Kingdom right now?”

“…?”

Alon’s face showed bewilderment at this sudden and unexpected defense.

***

Carmine, the third son of Duke Komalon of the Ashtalon Kingdom, was not in a particularly good mood that day.

There were many reasons for his foul mood, but the biggest one was that the marriage proposal with the fifth daughter of Duke Lotegre, which he had worked hard to arrange, wasn’t going well.

Of course, the reason the proposal fell apart was purely due to Carmine’s childish behavior and antics that made him appear immature.

He had made the foolish mistake of evaluating the appearance of other noblewomen in front of the fifth daughter herself.

As expected of a spoiled child raised without discipline, instead of acknowledging his mistake, Carmine became even more displeased when the lady suggested reconsidering the proposal.

If this had not been the Kingdom of Asteria, a close ally, or if it hadn’t been Duke Lotegre, with whom numerous secret dealings were being conducted, Carmine would have already flipped the situation upside down.

Of course, on the flip side, Carmine had no idea that the only reason Duke Lotegre was turning a blind eye to his behavior was because of the very secretive relationship he had with Duke Komalon.

In any case, with his mood soured, Carmine had come to the ball, hoping to lift his spirits, when he spotted Count Palatio and decided to pick a fight.

There was only one reason he started the altercation—to vent his already foul mood.

Of course, there were plenty of servants and knights around him who could have been ignored or ridiculed, but Carmine didn’t find any pleasure in toying with them.

It wasn’t that his character was admirable, but rather that playing with toys he could easily destroy at will didn’t offer him any amusement.

For nobles like him, those not of noble birth were treated as no more than that. In that sense, Count Palatio was a perfect stress reliever for Carmine.

From what Carmine had heard, Count Palatio was just a clueless boy who had luckily become a count, with no close allies among the nobility.

Though even a rascal like him understood that this was not his own territory, he had carefully(?) thought through who he could safely target without any consequences.

And so, as soon as he saw Palatio, he initiated the confrontation.

***

“Do you realize how disrespectful it is to insult a noble of the Kingdom of Asteria?”

“That’s not what I—”

“The Kingdom of Ashtalon has been our ally for a long time, but that was based on mutual respect. Have the people of Ashtalon forgotten what respect means?”

“No, that’s not—”

“So, are you saying that Duke Komalon of Ashtalon views Asteria in such a light?”

“Absolutely not…!”

“Then why are you addressing a noble so disrespectfully without having even properly succeeded to your own title?”

“That—”

Carmine’s face twisted in confusion.

Contrary to the rumors he had heard, the moment he picked a fight with Count Palatio, the other nobles started to rally around him, chastising Carmine.

As his face grew more bewildered, Carmine turned his gaze toward Alon, hoping for support, but even Alon was staring at the situation in a state of confusion, his typical expressionless face now mixed with perplexity and bewilderment.

‘…What is this situation?’

Carmine then looked at the three nobles defending Alon.

One was Marquis Mardinyo, another was Duke Lotegre, and the last was Count Palan.

Alon easily recognized them, not only because of their crests but also because they were highly influential figures within Asteria.

Marquis Mardinyo was a prominent figure among the royalist faction.

Duke Lotegre, on the other hand, was a major figure within the aristocratic faction.

As for Count Palan, he maintained political neutrality, but that very position had allowed him to accumulate considerable power.

Even if Alon had no interest in politics or noble affairs, it was impossible for any noble in Asteria not to know who they were.

“Is Duke Komalon truly looking down on us?”

“T-That’s not the case.”

“Then why did you speak so disrespectfully to Count Palatio?”

“I-I’ve been… disrespectful.”

“Disrespect isn’t the issue here. The point is, why did you make such condescending remarks to Count Palatio?”

Watching the nobles closing in on Carmine with their well-practiced political maneuvering, Alon, who had never been involved in politics, suddenly recognized the situation.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Does apologizing end your military service?’

“I’m sorry.”

‘I asked, does apologizing end your military service?’

Ah, this is it.

As this vivid memory from over ten years ago flashed through Alon’s mind, he unknowingly began to sweat.

“I-I… I’ve been disrespectful…!” 

Carmine, unable to endure the pressure from the nobles any longer, fled the ballroom as if in retreat. As soon as he left, the nobles quickly approached Alon and started speaking to him.

“Count Palatio, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but…”

Alon looked at the three nobles, wondering why they were being so kind to him.

However…

“Look at that. It seems they’ve already heard the rumors.”

“Seems like the rumors are true if even those big shots are getting involved.”

“If Duke Altia and Count Zenonia get involved in politics, they’ll be unstoppable. But look at the other nobles—they seem confused. It’s still a secret, so be careful what you say.”

“…Where on earth do you hear things like this?”

“There are ways.”

Thanks to his heightened hearing, Alon overheard the hushed conversation of the noble who had been secretly whispering earlier. It was only then that he began to piece together what was happening and realized how absurd the situation was.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t had the chance to talk with you, Count. I understand, though, as you’re probably very busy.”

Marquis Mardinyo, speaking as if he knew everything, chuckled and continued the conversation. Alon began seriously contemplating whether or not he should clarify that the rumors were baseless nonsense. 

After all, not doing so could lead to unnecessary complications later on.

But then again, speaking up now might make the situation even more awkward. As Alon mulled over what to do…

“By the way, I heard you’re studying magic, Count. Is that true?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then I thought I might give you a small gift. Among the artifacts I acquired after clearing out some orc hordes, there’s one that stores magical energy for later use. How does that sound?”

“Now that you mention it, I also prepared a little gift.”

Silence followed as Alon listened to the nobles.

That day, Alon ended up receiving two magical artifacts and five mana restoration potions from the three nobles.

Meanwhile, as these influential figures gathered around Alon, leaving the other nobles bewildered, Count Crylde and Count Edolon closed their eyes tightly in despair, thinking:

‘Did we mess with the wrong person…?’

‘This is really bad…!!’

***

Four days after the banquet began, as Alon’s collection of spoils steadily grew…

“…An outer god descended in the north?”

“Yes, that’s the information I received. Apparently, the purple crystal is also connected to the outer god, but… they say they don’t know for sure, as the information comes from ancient texts.”

“Regardless, it’s thrown Caliban into chaos.”

With only two days left in the banquet, Alon, having gathered this intel through the information guild, started contemplating something.

And then, without hesitation, he made a decision.

“Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Once the banquet is over, complete the tasks we need to finish, and then we’re heading straight to Caliban.”

He had made up his mind without any doubt.

Prev | TOC I Next

Prev | TOC I Next

The battle with the goblins ended in victory. Thanks to the knights and mercenaries responding calmly, the frontlines held strong, and Alon’s magic once again destroyed a detachment of enemies who were moving to attack the nobles from behind, quickly tilting the battle in their favor. Of course, with hundreds of mutated goblins, there were casualties, but the number was small given the scale of the battle. 

The final blow came when a knight pierced the head of the last goblin, ending the battle completely. As soon as the soldiers confirmed the battle was over, they sighed in deep relief and turned their gazes toward Alon, who was looking down at the goblin corpses. Despite having just fought a life-or-death struggle, he remained expressionless, as if the battle had left no impact on him, causing the mercenaries to look at him with awe. They couldn’t forget the sight of Alon turning dozens of goblins into mere chunks of meat without even changing his expression.

However, while the knights and mercenaries admired Alon, he was thinking, ‘I nearly died in a single strike…!’ Though his face showed no sign, inside he was working hard to calm his wildly racing heart. Despite bearing the Insignia of the Impure, which allowed him to cast three times more spells than usual, after using walls and shields twice each, he had been reduced to a mere mortal due to the limitations of his mana capacity.

‘It’s a good thing the knights won,’ he thought. Though the odds of the knights and mercenaries losing were slim, even against mutated goblins, when he had lost all means of self-defense, he had felt a desperate fear. 

‘Perhaps I should have just dropped out earlier… No, it was a good thing I stayed close… but more importantly…’ Alon praised his past self for acting rationally and, having calmed his heart, turned his gaze to the goblin before him, his expression growing serious. He knew all too well the significance of the purple amethyst emerging from the goblin’s body.

“Why… a divine descent?” 

This was a strange phenomenon that occurred among the monsters of the continent when an Outer God tried to descend upon the world. The monsters affected by divine descent became more ferocious and physically stronger. While the current group of soldiers could handle the monsters they would encounter on their journey to the Duke’s territory, Alon was concerned about the fact that the divine descent had occurred at all. 

The phenomenon meant that an Outer God would soon descend upon the land. Typically, such gods could not descend unless one of the Five Great Sins manifested, but now, even these borderland gods were about to arrive.

‘This… can’t be good…’

The descent of Outer Gods was a grave matter for Alon. While not as catastrophic as the Great Sins, if these gods started rampaging, entire kingdoms could vanish easily. There were only six kingdoms on the continent excluding the Empire, meaning a one-third chance that his future plans would be destroyed. In fact, if he were lucky enough to even be able to think about his future at that point, he would consider it fortunate. Alon’s expression grew serious as he stared at the goblin. 

However, there were others who looked even more serious than Alon—so serious, in fact, that their expressions seemed to suggest they had lost everything. 

Those individuals were Count Crylde and Count Edolon.

***

A few days after the appearance of the mutated goblin, with only one day left until their arrival at the Duke’s estate, Alon experienced two changes in that short time. One was that the nobles, who once looked at him with blatant contempt and ridicule, especially when Counts Crylde and Edolon made their snide comments, no longer displayed such expressions. The second change was:

“Count Palatio, this is some meat I brought from my estate. Would you like to try it?”

“Count, if it pleases you, I could offer some support to your domain. What do you think?”

Count Crylde and Count Edolon, who had spent the past few days mocking Alon, were now fawning over him, trying to curry favor. The two counts, who now seemed ready to give Alon anything he wanted, clung to his side, flattering him with servile smiles, while Alon remained indifferent. But the counts were desperate—truly desperate.

The display of power Alon had shown just days ago was too strong to dismiss as mere “luck” in claiming the title of Count Palatio. Moreover, they still remembered what the 3rd-tier mage, whom Baron Amon had brought to flaunt his wealth, said that night: that Alon’s magic was undoubtedly beyond a 2nd-tier level.

Upon hearing that, both counts began to reconsider the rumors circulating in society, wondering if they were wrong about Alon. While there were still some unresolved doubts, that no longer mattered. What was important was that the two counts had realized Alon was hiding a power strong enough to not need protection.

This meant the power that had supposedly wiped out Avalon in a single day, the power held by Count Palatio, could be real. With this realization, their only option was to quickly win Alon’s favor. While some might argue that it would be better to investigate the situation thoroughly before making any moves, this didn’t apply to those who knew the Palatio family well.

The two counts, having witnessed firsthand the brutality of the Palatio family’s notorious behavior, knew how cruel they could be. Although Alon, the third son, had never shown such behavior himself, the counts were convinced that Alon shared the family’s cruel and ruthless nature. After all, the Palatio family had been full of miscreants since his grandfather’s time.

Thanks to this, Alon had enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in recent days. Instead of sweet potatoes and corn, he ate meat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the wine they occasionally brought along was also excellent. However, despite receiving these gifts for several consecutive days, Alon’s expression did not soften, still preoccupied with thoughts of the goblin from a few days ago.

‘Who could it be…?’

No matter how much Alon pondered, no clear answer emerged. The divine descent was merely a sign that an Outer God was about to descend, and there was no way to know exactly which god or when and where it would occur. 

Although it was meaningless to dwell on it, Alon couldn’t help but worry, knowing that his future plans could be completely ruined in an instant. He could go from being a noble to a commoner in the blink of an eye, which was why he couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

“I’ll have to gather as much information as I can once I reach the estate.”

As he thought this, he glanced at the nobles beside him, who were eagerly trying to make up for their previous behavior, even at the expense of their pride. He was once again reminded of the Palatio family’s infamous reputation.

‘…I didn’t think they would react this way over just a slight doubt about a rumor.’

As Alon watched the counts’ desperate display, he realized how deeply the rumors about his family had affected them. However, despite understanding their fear, he had no intention of easing their anxieties. Alon considered himself cool-headed, but he also had a petty side.

The counts’ performance finally came to an end when Alon arrived at the Duke Rotegre’s estate.

***

As soon as Alon arrived at the Duke Rotegre’s estate, what greeted him was an absurdly large mansion—no, multiple mansions. 

‘How many mansions are there inside this estate? Of course, the rich would have this many,’ he thought, as he noticed the variety of mansions, almost as if someone with diverse tastes in interior design had collected them. Alon soon realized that all these mansions belonged to the Duke’s concubines, causing him to shake his head in disbelief. 

‘How does his body even survive?’ he wondered briefly, but upon arriving at the ballroom in the middle of a grand party, he was once again shocked.

Everything he saw screamed wealth. Even the wine glasses, which one wouldn’t normally pay much attention to, were rimmed with gold. The chandeliers, made entirely of gold, made Alon feel the urge to steal one and sell it as he wandered around the ballroom.

Naturally, the ballroom was filled with many nobles. As expected, the Duke of Rotegre, who appeared incredibly thin, was there chatting with numerous nobles. Alon didn’t bother trying to join their conversations. It wasn’t hard to guess that there would be no benefit in doing so—especially in this ballroom, which felt even worse than the previous one he had attended.

Instead of mingling, Alon decided to stand nearby, snacking on food and eavesdropping on the nobles’ conversations. After all, his servant, Evan, had already gone off to contact the information guild as soon as they arrived at the estate. 

As Alon savored a dessert that resembled an egg tart alongside some wine, he overheard an interesting piece of news from the nobles’ conversation. 

“Baron Daldoran, have you heard the news?”

“What news do you mean?”

“You know, the rumor that Duke Altia and Count Zenonia not only formed an alliance but are also trying to establish a faction?”

“Ah, that rumor? Yes, I’ve heard about it.”

The two nobles, acting as though they were discussing some great secret, moved to a corner and began whispering. However, with his enhanced hearing, Alon could easily pick up their conversation.

“But is that true? I couldn’t believe they had allied in the first place. If they really form a faction, they could overpower all the current factions combined.”

“Exactly. It might be something unprecedented.”

Alon was a little surprised upon hearing this, but his expression didn’t change much. Even if such rumors were true, he didn’t think those two would be able to maintain their alliance for long. 

As he pondered this, Alon couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise at the delicious taste of the egg tart in his mouth, nodding in approval. “This is good.” Without hesitation, he grabbed another and popped it into his mouth.

However, just then, the conversation he was listening to took an even more interesting turn.

“But that’s not the real issue.”

“What do you mean? Is there an even bigger rumor?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have started if there wasn’t.”

“Mmm… what is it, then?”

“This is something I heard very discreetly, so don’t go spreading it around. I’ve heard that neither Duke Altia nor Count Zenonia is the leader of this faction.”

“…What? Then who is?”

“Mmm… Count Palatio.”

“…Count Palatio?”

“Yes, the leader of the faction… is said to be Count Palatio.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course. Do you think I would lie about something like this?”

“Mmm…? What?”

Hearing this, Alon instinctively turned to look at the nobles discussing the secret and found himself gaping in shock at what they had just revealed.

Prev | TOC I Next

Prev | TOC I Next

Alon already had some understanding of why the nobles blatantly ignored him.

“Because all the rumors have finally died down.”

Until now, the nobles had feared Alon because they believed he was the mastermind behind taking down Avalon, which had controlled the vast underworld of the East alongside Leo. 

However, the nobles no longer considered Alon to be the mastermind. After he became a count, he had done nothing significant for several years.

The Palatio Count family, from the time of Alon’s grandfather, had always been known as a notorious household that never failed to wield influence in the underworld. The Palatio family had consistently dominated the Eastern underworld, though the degree of their control varied over time.

But ever since Alon became the count, the Palatio family no longer exerted influence in the underworld. As a result, the current Eastern underworld was now divided and devoured by packs of wolves that used to scavenge for the leftover crumbs outside the domain governed by the Palatio Count.

Furthermore, the power of the Palatio Count family had also weakened, which was natural. The power they wielded up until now had mostly been fueled by the wealth generated from the underworld. However, since Alon became count, he no longer used money to maintain power. His desired life was not one of grand success in the underworld, but rather, a comfortable and prosperous life that any noble could enjoy.

In other words, he had already achieved what he wanted. 

However, by completely withdrawing from the underworld, rumors began to spread among the nobles. 

Some speculated that perhaps the current Count Palatio wasn’t a mastermind at all, but merely someone who became count by chance.

As time passed and Alon continued to do nothing, the rumor gradually became accepted as truth. 

Eventually, Alon’s reputation had devolved into that of a “lucky fool who happened to become count in the place of the real mastermind.”

Of course, there were still a few nobles who remained suspicious of Alon, but even they had begun to agree with the spreading rumors. 

After all, it didn’t make sense that Alon, if he truly had the power to destroy Avalon in a single day, would not have used that power until now.

In any case, Alon had somewhat expected this kind of treatment, but he hadn’t anticipated that people would go out of their way to mock him like this.

Alon looked up at the two nobles, whose faces radiated slyness. He didn’t recognize either of them.

However, based on the crest engraved on their carriage, it was easy to tell that one was from the Crylde Count family, and the other from the Edolon Count family.

‘They both look old enough, but isn’t this too childish?’

Alon laughed to himself as he noted how aged their faces were.

He quickly understood why the two nobles had come all this way just to mock him.

‘…Ah, I see. This is a gathering of the victims.’

The Palatio family, notorious as they were, had also been a powerful family in the underworld. As a result, they naturally provided benefits to the surrounding families but also exploited them beyond necessity. 

The families that were frequently treated like tools were none other than the Crylde Count family and the Edolon Count family.

To summarize the current situation, these families, who had suffered under the Palatio family, were now venting their grievances on Alon. 

Of course, it wasn’t Alon but Leo, the first son of the count family, who had exploited them. 

In short, Alon had no real reason to be the target of such mockery. 

But to the two nobles who were eagerly mocking him, what mattered wasn’t that he was Alon but that he was the Count of Palatio.

“All those underworld forces you had, did they vanish because you couldn’t manage them properly?”

“Looks like you haven’t been taking care of your carriage properly either. Would you like to borrow some money?” 

The two counts, like anonymous trolls commonly found on online communities, made every effort to scratch at Alon.

“Hmm.”

Alon briefly thought, ‘This is kind of annoying’, but he chose to follow his reason rather than his instincts. 

If he were to fight now, he could easily crush the two nobles before him—maybe not slaughter them, but leave them beaten to a pulp. However, doing so would only complicate things. The moment he fought with them, Alon would have to leave the gathering and move separately. And that might lead to unnecessary trouble, like running into bandits.

Clearly, responding to their provocations was exactly what they wanted. 

‘There’s no need to entertain these fools,’ Alon decided to ignore them.

He wasn’t stupid enough to fall into such an obvious trap.

That day, Alon ate two ears of corn, using the jeers from the two counts as background music.

‘Delicious.’

The roasted corn tasted even better in the slightly chilly weather.

‘It would’ve been nice to have some butter,’ Alon mused, staring absentmindedly at the moonlit sky.

***

For the next few days, the uncomfortable coexistence continued. 

Every evening, Count Crylde and Count Edolon would emerge to hurl their mocking remarks, and every time, Alon pretended not to care, brushing off their words as if they were nothing.

The one who ignores and the one who tries desperately not to be ignored. Naturally, the one who ignored always won. 

Alon had deeply internalized one of the life lessons he had learned from a certain online community: ‘Don’t feed the trolls.’

At least in this place, no one could beat him at that game.

Of course, after several days of this, other nobles began to mock Alon as well, whispering that he lacked dignity as a noble or scoffing at him for staying silent under the insults of Crylde and Edolon.

But despite this, Count Crylde and Count Edolon, who had been the ones persistently mocking him, were not feeling particularly satisfied.

“Damn it,” growled Count Crylde.

“This is absurd…”

Count Crylde frowned as he looked at Alon from a distance. Even though they had been mocking him, they were the ones being ignored, which was naturally infuriating.

But after a moment of their sour mood, they exchanged low whispers.

“Did you confirm?”

“Yes, and it seems like he has no additional guards.”

In truth, the reason the two counts had openly mocked Alon wasn’t just to vent their frustrations. It was also to assess his security.

“…Even with an artifact to secretly check, there was nothing. It’s just that foolish brat and that rogue knight sitting next to him.”

“So the rumors are true after all.”

“It seems certain. If he had any forces, he wouldn’t be moving around alone.”

“Then we can proceed with the plan.”

The reason the two counts had been investigating Alon was because they were planning to expand into the underworld.

They were well aware that Alon had no interest in the underworld, and that, as a result, it had become overrun by various packs of scavengers. While the rumors about Alon were already widely accepted, the two counts—having been tormented by the Palatio family for so long—wanted to confirm the truth for themselves. 

They needed to be sure that Alon truly had no power left.

After days of checking and confirming that Alon had no personal guards, a smile spread across their faces.

“The gods are smiling upon us.” 

“Indeed. Who would’ve thought we’d get a chance to step into the underworld?”

While most nobles hesitated to enter the underworld, these two were different. Having once acted as lackeys for the Palatio Count family, they knew full well just how astronomical the wealth circulating within the underworld was.

They were well aware of how sweet the taste of power from that realm could be.

Now that it seemed the Palatio family had truly become a hollow shell, the two spoke excitedly, as if they had already conquered the underworld.

In truth, it wasn’t impossible for them to seize control of the underworld if they joined forces. After all, the reason they hadn’t been able to do so before was not due to a lack of power, but because they had feared the Palatio Count family.

Thus, after their lengthy discussion, they turned their attention back to Alon.

“…If we take control of the ‘back,’ we should give that fool a gift, don’t you think?”

“That’s an excellent idea. There’s a limit to how much one can ignore others.”

“He’s probably acting this way because he doesn’t understand how dangerous the world can be. We’ll have to teach him.”

“Count Crylde has such a fine personality.” 

The two counts, wearing fishy grins that were far from noble, as if they had done nothing wrong, were confident that the moment they had been waiting for would come soon. 

Just as the two were about to rejoin the camp where the other nobles were gathered after finishing their private conversation, 

“Monsters!”

The event happened suddenly. Under the cover of darkness, monsters appeared. 

It was as if they had been lying in ambush, waiting silently, until a soldier spotted them by chance and shouted. 

At that moment, monstrous cries echoed from within the forest, as if on cue. 

Immediately, the mercenaries and knights, as if rehearsed, drew their weapons to protect the nobles.

And then—

“Wizard, give us light!”

A wizard, extravagantly brought along by a noble purely for boasting purposes at this Grand Church event, responded to the knight’s command and cast an orb of light into the sky.

In an instant—

The mercenaries and knights, who had been noisy just moments earlier, fell silent.

What they saw when the light from the wizard illuminated the dark forest were goblins.

Goblins are commonly found in forests. With the strength of a child, they are not dangerous monsters for anyone other than rookie mercenaries. 

Though the rusty swords and bows they wield can be dangerous, they pose little threat to seasoned mercenaries and knights. 

Goblins only become troublesome when their numbers swell, but even with dozens of them, they can still be easily driven off. 

However—

“…This is insane…”

If their numbers are enough to fill the forest before them, then they are undoubtedly a threat to the knights and mercenaries. 

Moreover, what heightened the tension for the knights was that the goblins before them were far from ordinary.

“…What on earth is that?” 

A knight’s voice, laced with both fear and confusion, was directed at the sight of the goblins. 

The problem wasn’t just that they were goblins—it was their grotesque appearance.

Purple crystals were growing all over their bodies, including their heads, as if they had been afflicted by some kind of plague.

To make matters worse—

“Wait, isn’t that Mark?”

Among the horde of goblins, the body of a seasoned mercenary who had been assigned to external surveillance for precautionary measures was being devoured savagely.

“Krrk—”

In the hands of a massive goblin was what remained of Mark’s body. 

The mercenaries who saw this sight—

“This… this can’t be happening…”

—felt a rising wave of fear within them.

Mark, the mutilated corpse in front of them, was a veteran mercenary who could easily handle dozens of goblins on his own. 

The fact that he had been killed without even being able to report the approach of this massive goblin horde suggested one thing to the mercenaries: 

The mutated goblins before them were anything but ordinary.

The knights, who were holding their weapons alongside the mercenaries, also recognized that this was a dire situation. 

Even if there were only hundreds of goblins, this fight would be incredibly unfavorable for the knights.

Individually, they might manage, but the knights had nobles to protect now. 

And goblins were cunning monsters, capable of easily exploiting that vulnerability.

While the mercenaries seemed to be paralyzed with fear at the sight of the goblins’ strange appearance and Mark’s death, the knights who could sense magic were aware of something more.

They realized that the goblins before them were imbued with magic power.

Even a small amount of magic within a monster significantly enhances its physical abilities, and the knights understood this well.

Just as the knights were grimacing at the goblins’ bizarre howls and their impending charge—

Thud!

A wall of stones and rubble suddenly rose from the midst of the goblin horde.

All eyes were instantly drawn to it.

The wizard, who had cast the light spell, recognized that the wall was a “Rock Wall,” a third-tier spell. 

As the translucent barrier of a second-tier shield formed beyond the wall, the knights’ expressions shifted from despair to confusion. 

The goblins’ malicious stares were now entirely focused on the wall. 

“Enhance!” 

A calm voice echoed through the air.

And then—

“Compress.”

With a loud cracking sound, the translucent sphere rapidly shrank, distorting the stone wall as it collapsed inward.

Thud, thud—

In the ensuing silence, the sound of footsteps drew the attention of the knights and mercenaries to one direction.

A man was approaching. Even in this life-threatening situation, he appeared completely unfazed, walking with an indifferent expression.

The nobles and knights quickly realized that the man was Count Palatio.

“Vacuum.”

As soon as his lips moved again, the round shield transformed into a rough, rock-like shape, about the size of a soccer ball you might find by the roadside.

And then—

“Return to origin.”

With Alon’s final words, the bracelet on his wrist began to emit a faint gray light.

Boom—!!!

The compressed stones exploded outward like a shotgun blast, tearing dozens of goblins to pieces.

It all happened in an instant.

The nobles, knights, and mercenaries stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape as they watched the magic-infused goblins get shredded into mere lumps of flesh.

Among them, Count Crylde and Count Edolon’s eyes widened as if they were about to tear apart.

With all eyes now on Alon, he simply said:

“Stop standing there in a daze and get ready.”

His voice was calm as he looked ahead.

…The knights and mercenaries, as if mesmerized, raised their swords.

The fear that had been spreading in their hearts had, as if by magic, vanished entirely.

Prev | TOC I Next