C383. Magic (3)
“—I also… should play a little, right?”
As soon as Rine’s words fell, a cold silence flooded the room.
Just for an instant.
The surprised Yutia slowly began to compose her expression.
Yutia’s face regained its calm with surprising speed.
As if what happened a moment ago was a lie, she regained a soft smile and opened her—
“W-what is that?”
—mouth… but she couldn't finish.
Even Hidan, who was right next to them, clearly heard how her voice trembled.
That tremor revealed Yutia's agitation.
As if she had foreseen it, Rine smiled.
“Yutia must know it too, but I do everything possible to protect the Godfather.”
Simple words.
But that alone was enough for Yutia to understand without difficulty how that magic orb had been created.
Forcing a smile, she advanced toward Rine.
“S-sure.”
“Yes. Don't you have anything to say about it, Yutia?”
“Me?”
“Yes. I seem to recall you told me recently that it wasn't good to watch me or anything like that.”
Yutia froze at Rine's response. Even so, she kept her smile as she naturally moved her hand toward the orb Rine was holding, but—
“Of course not. I know very well how much Rine thinks of the Master—”
Swish!
—Unfortunately, Yutia's hand only cut through the air.
The two looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
“Hic—”
Hidan, hidden in the shadows, let out an involuntary hiccup. And in that same instant, Yutia's hand headed toward Rine again.
Swish!
But her hand caught only emptiness again.
Yutia, without giving up, moved her hand once more.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
…But in no attempt did she manage to touch the magic orb, whose durability probably didn't have much left.
“Your little joke is… a bit heavy, isn't it, Rine?”
“Oh, really, Yutia? But I'm not moving that fast. If you wanted, you could catch it easily.”
Rine winked provocatively.
Yutia could snatch it away if she wished.
But she didn't do it for a clear reason: Rine had damaged the orb.
She hadn't destroyed it completely. The orb was still functioning at that very moment.
But if Yutia exerted a little force while snatching it...
It would definitely break irreversibly.
“Do you want to… test me, perhaps?”
Yutia looked at Rine with narrowed eyes, almost without realizing it.
“Eh? Of course not. If you understood my joke like that, I'm sorry, I should stop now.”
“Wait!”
Seeing Rine prepare her hand as if she were ready to squeeze it without any remorse, Yutia shouted hurriedly.
“What's wrong? You said to stop the joke, so that's what I'm doing.”
Rine's serene expression made Yutia respond with a smile that anyone would notice was suppressing her anger.
“What… is it that you want?”
“What I want?”
“Yes, it seems like… you want something, right?”
“Suddenly you want to fulfill a wish of mine?”
“Let's just say maybe I went a little too far with my own jokes.”
Seeing Yutia speak as if saying “why don't we resolve this peacefully?”, Rine smiled mysteriously.
“Thirty days.”
“…Thirty days?”
“Let me be alone with the Master for thirty days.”
“That is not something I can decide.”
“You can't decide it, but you can make it possible. Ah, and I'm not saying to push everyone away. I'm not demanding we be completely alone.”
As if seeing through her, Rine expressed her request.
Yutia, after a moment of silence, said:
“Ten days.”
It was a negotiation.
“Twenty-five.”
Rine responded immediately.
“Twelve.”
“Twenty-three.”
“Fifteen.”
“Twenty.”
“Sixteen.”
“Nineteen.”
No longer wearing masks, no fake smiles. They looked at each other coldly, dropping numbers as if they were weapons.
“Sixteen.”
“Nineteen.”
“Sixteen.”
“Nineteen.”
Until the situation stalled.
‘What… what the hell am I watching…?’
Hidan watched, unable to follow that absurd negotiation.
“Seventeen. I can't concede any more.”
Upon hearing Yutia's acceptance, the orb Rine was holding fell to the ground.
Thunk!
Yutia caught it immediately, as if she had been waiting for it, and stored it in her chest like an invaluable treasure.
“It was a good deal, Yutia.”
“…Yes, sure.”
Yutia smiled at her with effort while Rine crossed her arms, victorious.
With the clash between the two having ended…
“…I don't understand anything anymore…”
Hidan let out a sigh of relief.
The night Alon discovered a possibility thanks to Yutia's help, he suddenly opened his eyes and understood his state.
‘I have recovered my memories.’
Memories fell like an avalanche in his mind.
While he distractedly viewed the landscape in front of him, he noticed that it wasn't real.
‘A dream?’
Yes.
That was the perfect term.
It was like watching dozens of monochromatic crayons painting something and then being erased over and over again.
Everything else was painted in black and white.
[Hello.]
“…Ancestor— no, you are… the Blue Eyes?”
He found himself facing the Blue Eyes in the form of the Ancestor.
[Correct. I like that you are quick.]
The Blue Eyes responded with satisfaction.
In fact, Alon had only deduced it.
The figure was blurred, like smoke; almost unrecognizable.
He could only identify it because, even in that monochromatic world, the Blue Eyes shined… and his dark clothes.
But the Blue Eyes spoke calmly.
[How was it? Did you like the gift?]
“Gift?”
[I gave you time, didn't I? I extended it on purpose.]
“It was you?”
[I can give you that kind of help.]
“It would have been better if you had given me a clue too.”
The Blue Eyes laughed cheerfully.
[Sorry, that is not my role.]
“It is not your role?”
[Anyway: when you wake up, go see that girl.]
“That girl?”
[What was her name… Sironia? Yes, her.]
That gave him information.
“Hey, wait, what does that mean—?”
[Well, the chat ends here. We will see each other again.]
Refusing to answer further, the Blue Eyes turned around and waved.
!—!
Alon opened his eyes completely.
The already familiar view of the ceiling.
He blinked for a moment and sat up, running his hand over his face.
For an instant, he thought if it had just been a dream.
But he shook his head.
It was too vivid.
‘…I could swear he said it would be a long time before we saw each other again.’
That thing always did whatever it wanted.
Thinking that, Alon petted Blackie, asleep beside him.
[Kyu…?]
Blackie opened his eyes, looking at him.
[Kyu~!]
Perhaps he noticed that Alon had recovered his memories.
Unlike the period when he had lost them, he began to rub against him with enthusiasm.
Petting him, Alon got out of bed. It was time to take care of everything that had been left pending.
Although he had worked diligently even without memories…
There was a problem he couldn't solve.
The affairs of the Divine Land.
He could handle the simple things, but most problems there weren't light.
Although they weren't necessarily negative either.
“…So, what was it that I had to solve now?”
“If we list the main problems: overpopulation, housing, security, resources, conflicts… and there is also the proclamation of the kingdom.”
Penia explained, and Alon let out a groan.
“It is more work than I expected.”
“It’s just that practically everything has been abandoned for a month.”
“…Even if we had dealt with it a month earlier, it would have been the same.”
“That is also true.”
Penia nodded naturally.
“But I think it is time to decide the direction.”
“Direction?”
“Yes. Until now we left all control to Silly, but most of it was handled on the fly.”
“True.”
“It is already too big to go on like this. In fact… it is a miracle that we have functioned like this for so long.”
Alon nodded.
“Then the first thing would be—”
“Deciding if we will proclaim the kingdom. Afterward, we will organize the internal structure, and…”
Penia finished explaining that after that, the rest would follow.
Alon began to deliberate.
‘…Proclamation of the kingdom.’
He had no intention of being king. He was completely sure that he didn't have the qualities.
But the reason for his hesitation was the Divine Blood.
Future enemies couldn't be faced only with his magic.
He would need divine power.
And from that perspective, the Divine Land was essential for him.
Whether he liked it or not.
Therefore, after thinking about it for a long while…
“…We will proclaim the kingdom.”
He made his decision.
“Good. I didn't want to state my opinion before, but I think it is also the best option.”
Penia agreed.
“First we must set the date, then establish the structure, and then recruit personnel—”
“I get tired just hearing it.”
“Do not worry. Silly will handle it very well.”
“Silly, yes…”
Alon thought of Silly.
He first remembered her bright smile.
Then, her incredible work capacity.
“…Yes. If Silly does it, there won't be delays.”
“Rather, worry that she might be too efficient.”
“…You're right.”
After a moment of admiration for Silly, both began to act.
“I am going to inform her quickly about this.”
“Good. Ah, and prepare a gift too.”
“A gift?”
“We cannot proclaim a kingdom without considering the reaction of the surrounding countries.”
Alon knew that the Divine Land was absurdly powerful.
The Allied United Kingdom already suspected that proclamation thanks to Silly.
But announcing it officially was another story.
From the Allied United Kingdom's point of view, it wouldn't be good news.
That's why Alon considered it necessary to prepare.
“Understood.”
After discussing a little more, Penia left the room.
‘While we arrange everything and prepare the proclamation… I will have to move to Rosario.’
Alon made his plans.
That night.
[A gift?]
“Yes.”
[Sending a gift… hmm…]
After listening to Penia, Silly reflected for a moment.
[Good. I will prepare a “gift”. Do not worry.]
She nodded with determination.
But…
“…Just to make sure: you aren't thinking of something weird, are you?”
[Me? Not at all. I perfectly understand his intention this time! I will prepare a gift that we will send to the kingdom, don't worry!]
Silly responded with a radiant smile.
‘…I have a bad feeling about this.’
Penia felt an inexplicable unease.
