Chapter 416. The Second (5)
After finishing the audience with Siyan.
Since they had talked until very late into the night, Alon Palatio, who inevitably spent the night in Teria, was only able to leave the capital of Asteria the next day and head toward the Central Magic Tower.
“Hu—”
“Since yesterday, you seem to have a lot of worries.”
Evan, perhaps because he still wasn't used to not calling him “Marquis” as he had for years, spoke to him with some awkwardness.
“Do I look like that?”
“Yes, you looked so serious that you didn't even open your mouth yesterday.”
Alon didn't answer and sank into his thoughts.
“Second round... huh.”
Second round.
The hypothesis Siyan gave him yesterday caused Alon surprise for many reasons, although there were still doubtful parts.
She had personally seen the Longinus Spear and heard from Siyan about the “memories” inherited with succession.
Even so, simply accepting that this was his second life wasn't simple.
Even with that knowledge.
But leaving that aside...
The new puzzle piece Siyan had thrown fit too well into the empty spaces Alon had never managed to solve.
Alon remembered the moment the Divine Blood fell from the sky.
That instant when they descended muttering strange things.
At that moment, Alon couldn't understand it.
Why did the Divine Blood already possess some kind of emotion toward him?
That they knew him, well, that could be possible.
After all, they were in the heavens and could have observed as much as they wanted.
But having emotions was something completely different.
Whether it was a visceral hatred charged with fury...
Or on the contrary, a brazenly evident devotion toward him.
That's why Alon had always harbored that doubt.
But if this world really is the second round as Siyan said... and even if the low-ranking ones don't remember, the high-ranking Divine Bloods did—
Then there would be a logical explanation for those reactions.
And not only that.
“Evan.”
“Yes?”
“Eliban... how is he?”
“As far as I know, Eliban still hasn't woken up from his unconscious state.”
“...I see.”
Alon remembered Eliban.
The one who seemed to act as if he knew everything beforehand.
...Similar to the protagonist he knew.
And at the same time different.
Until now, Alon couldn't deduce why Eliban acted that way.
But, if Eliban remembers the first round just like Siyan...
Although his intentions weren't clear, at least the pattern of his actions was beginning to fit.
And when that puzzle was completed...
A person naturally surfaced in Alon's mind.
“Master, do you remember that?”
“...That?”
“Yes. When the Seraphim of Jealousy appeared.”
At that moment he didn't give it importance, but that person took for granted the name of a sin he never explained.
“Yes, everything will return to normal soon.”
When there was no connection with Sironia, and all the citizens of Rosario were plunged into anxiety, she assured that everything would return to its place soon, as if she knew.
...Maybe.
Yutia Bloodia.
Remembering her face, Alon wiped his hand over his face.
An avalanche of thoughts crossed him in an instant.
But...
I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself.
Alon put those ideas aside.
He felt he was going too far with his assumptions.
So he diverted the topic.
He still had much to think about.
But leaving aside the pieces that did fit...
Thanks to the conversation with Siyan, Alon had obtained new doubts.
The most representative one was about his own emotions.
Of course, Alon felt emotions; it's just that they didn't manifest on his face.
...Or at least, that's what he believed.
“The version of the first round and that of this second round are different.”
According to Siyan, his current self and his remembered self were the same on the outside, but their principles of action were similar.
But in the end, the point was that there is a difference.
Then, where does that difference come from?
—“No matter how much I look at you, you are completely devoid of emotions now. As if someone had repressed or stolen them from you.”
["You aren't even aware of the restriction imposed by that 'Eye'."]
Two memories emerged.
One: Siyan's words from yesterday.
Another: the words of the distorted blue-eyed being he met in the east.
At that moment he didn't understand anything. But remembering what Siyan said, both comments seemed mysteriously connected.
It was then when—
“What exactly did you talk about?”
Evan's voice broke his concentration.
“What we will talk about now will be a process to verify my hypotheses.”
“Verify...?”
“Yes. What I told you is based solely on available information and the most logical conclusion, not on a confirmed truth. But if what I mentioned happens...”
“...The hypotheses become certainties?”
“Correct.”
“I will listen to you.”
“The first thing is that the ‘Contract of the Vast Path’ will soon take place.”
“The Contract of the Vast Path?”
The Alon of the memory repeated in bewilderment, and Siyan nodded.
“It's natural that it sounds unfamiliar to you. Even I had to check old manuscripts to understand it. Simplifying: it is a contract signed hundreds of years ago by a mediator called the ‘Path Seeker’ between the Allied United Kingdoms, the Empire, and us.”
“The contract has nothing special. It only prohibits unjustified wars between the alliance and the Empire, and establishes that, if the continent is in danger of destruction, everyone has the obligation to cooperate to protect it.”
Siyan briefly explained what she knew.
“In other words—”
“If the contract actually activates, we will know that my hypothesis was correct.”
“I see.”
“Ah, I also have something else to say.”
“About the hypotheses?”
“No, this would be more of a warning or preparation.”
She smiled serenely.
“Create apostles.”
“...Apostles?”
“Yes. Not just people who can use your borrowed divine power, but apostles and faithful who completely evolve by feeding on your power.”
“Why... suddenly?”
Even with Alon's question, Siyan maintained her smile.
“In the inherited memories, you yourself complained about this. You said something like: ‘If I had done it sooner, I would have been able to stop more Divine Bloods.’”
Although she added that it could be a memory coming from the future to the past, so it wasn't totally reliable.
Alon murmured remembering.
“Create apostles... huh.”
“Hm? Is that what she told you?”
“Yes.”
In fact, Rine had also told him something similar.
She also insisted he evolve the Divine Land. But Alon hadn't done anything regarding the Divine Land due to his problem with divine power.
Since the Divine Bloods fell, his power had changed strangely.
“Ah, and if you are worried about your divine power, visit the Divine Land. You will find the answer there.”
Siyan seemed to know that problem even before him.
“Hm~ I knew that person had an interest in you, but it seems it is more than I thought.”
“...Yes?”
“Yes, ah—”
Evan, while speaking, suddenly smiled in a suspicious way.
“Could it be that... she is in love with you or something like that?”
Evan's playful tone contrasted with Penia's immediate intervention.
“Hm~ I don't think it's that.”
“No? Doesn't that seem like a lot of interest to you?”
“If she really had feelings for Alon-nim for a long time, wouldn't she have had many opportunities to show it before?”
“Well, that is also true—”
While they argued, Alon remembered the last part of his conversation with Siyan.
“Thank you for sharing such valuable information.”
“It is nothing. With the relationship you and I have, this is not difficult.”
“...The relationship we have?”
“Yes. Although it is only a hypothesis, if what I believe turns out to be true, you and I were quite close.”
Close... how close?
Alon asked, and Siyan nodded with a smile.
“Very close.”
“What kind of relationship are we talking about...?”
Siyan thought briefly and remembered something.
“Do you remember that?”
“That?”
“I spoke to you about Cardinal Yutia.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And do you remember what she said?”
‘...He is mine, don't touch him’
She smiled.
“Exactly. That is the answer to what relationship we had.”
Immediately after, she rested a finger on his cheek, lifting the corner of his lips to force a smile on him.
“If you analyze why she said that, you will understand it easily.”
“Our relationship.”
And Siyan smiled like someone who no longer had doubts but certainties.
Two weeks after Alon arrived at the Central Magic Tower—
In Palantia, Alexion observed the blueprint in front of him with astonishment.
“This... really is incredible.”
“Right?”
The Brown Tower Master nodded proudly.
“When they said they would build a castle for free, I had my doubts...”
But those worries had been unfounded.
The two Tower Masters really planned to build a worthy castle.
Alexion continued to be surprised as he analyzed.
Although he didn't know much about architecture, he could easily intuit that what was in front of him was extraordinary.
“...Just the magic circles inscribed here must be hundreds.”
It was a blueprint of such magnitude that it could be called a fortress instead of a palace.
While Alexion remained stunned, the Brown Tower Master asked:
“By the way, why do you keep looking only at the first page?”
“Hmm? First page? Isn't this everything?”
“Ah, right, I didn't release the magic.”
The Master waved his hand realizing the mistake.
“...!”
The paper in Alexion's hands began to thicken rapidly.
So much so that he had to stretch out his hands to hold it.
Alexion was completely bewildered.
“I... Is this all the blueprint?”
“Yes. Each part corresponds to a different section.”
“...A different section?”
“Exactly.”
According to the scale of the first blueprint, that castle was already the size of the inner citadel.
That's why Alexion froze.
“Then... are you telling me that all of these are different blueprints?”
He asked, stuttering.
“Isn't it obvious? There is no reason to repeat the same drawing.”
“...If we built the castle exactly according to these blueprints...”
“Well— it would be just a little smaller than this entire territory.”
As if it were the most natural thing.
“Are they... crazy, these guys?”
Alexion was left open-mouthed, horrified.
Chapter 416. The Second (5)
After finishing the audience with Siyan.
Since they had talked until very late into the night, Alon Palatio, who inevitably spent the night in Teria, was only able to leave the capital of Asteria the next day and head toward the Central Magic Tower.
“Hu—”
“Since yesterday, you seem to have a lot of worries.”
Evan, perhaps because he still wasn't used to not calling him “Marquis” as he had for years, spoke to him with some awkwardness.
“Do I look like that?”
“Yes, you looked so serious that you didn't even open your mouth yesterday.”
Alon didn't answer and sank into his thoughts.
“Second round... huh.”
Second round.
The hypothesis Siyan gave him yesterday caused Alon surprise for many reasons, although there were still doubtful parts.
She had personally seen the Longinus Spear and heard from Siyan about the “memories” inherited with succession.
Even so, simply accepting that this was his second life wasn't simple.
Even with that knowledge.
But leaving that aside...
The new puzzle piece Siyan had thrown fit too well into the empty spaces Alon had never managed to solve.
Alon remembered the moment the Divine Blood fell from the sky.
That instant when they descended muttering strange things.
At that moment, Alon couldn't understand it.
Why did the Divine Blood already possess some kind of emotion toward him?
That they knew him, well, that could be possible.
After all, they were in the heavens and could have observed as much as they wanted.
But having emotions was something completely different.
Whether it was a visceral hatred charged with fury...
Or on the contrary, a brazenly evident devotion toward him.
That's why Alon had always harbored that doubt.
But if this world really is the second round as Siyan said... and even if the low-ranking ones don't remember, the high-ranking Divine Bloods did—
Then there would be a logical explanation for those reactions.
And not only that.
“Evan.”
“Yes?”
“Eliban... how is he?”
“As far as I know, Eliban still hasn't woken up from his unconscious state.”
“...I see.”
Alon remembered Eliban.
The one who seemed to act as if he knew everything beforehand.
...Similar to the protagonist he knew.
And at the same time different.
Until now, Alon couldn't deduce why Eliban acted that way.
But, if Eliban remembers the first round just like Siyan...
Although his intentions weren't clear, at least the pattern of his actions was beginning to fit.
And when that puzzle was completed...
A person naturally surfaced in Alon's mind.
“Master, do you remember that?”
“...That?”
“Yes. When the Seraphim of Jealousy appeared.”
At that moment he didn't give it importance, but that person took for granted the name of a sin he never explained.
“Yes, everything will return to normal soon.”
When there was no connection with Sironia, and all the citizens of Rosario were plunged into anxiety, she assured that everything would return to its place soon, as if she knew.
...Maybe.
Yutia Bloodia.
Remembering her face, Alon wiped his hand over his face.
An avalanche of thoughts crossed him in an instant.
But...
I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself.
Alon put those ideas aside.
He felt he was going too far with his assumptions.
So he diverted the topic.
He still had much to think about.
But leaving aside the pieces that did fit...
Thanks to the conversation with Siyan, Alon had obtained new doubts.
The most representative one was about his own emotions.
Of course, Alon felt emotions; it's just that they didn't manifest on his face.
...Or at least, that's what he believed.
“The version of the first round and that of this second round are different.”
According to Siyan, his current self and his remembered self were the same on the outside, but their principles of action were similar.
But in the end, the point was that there is a difference.
Then, where does that difference come from?
—“No matter how much I look at you, you are completely devoid of emotions now. As if someone had repressed or stolen them from you.”
["You aren't even aware of the restriction imposed by that 'Eye'."]
Two memories emerged.
One: Siyan's words from yesterday.
Another: the words of the distorted blue-eyed being he met in the east.
At that moment he didn't understand anything. But remembering what Siyan said, both comments seemed mysteriously connected.
It was then when—
“What exactly did you talk about?”
Evan's voice broke his concentration.
“What we will talk about now will be a process to verify my hypotheses.”
“Verify...?”
“Yes. What I told you is based solely on available information and the most logical conclusion, not on a confirmed truth. But if what I mentioned happens...”
“...The hypotheses become certainties?”
“Correct.”
“I will listen to you.”
“The first thing is that the ‘Contract of the Vast Path’ will soon take place.”
“The Contract of the Vast Path?”
The Alon of the memory repeated in bewilderment, and Siyan nodded.
“It's natural that it sounds unfamiliar to you. Even I had to check old manuscripts to understand it. Simplifying: it is a contract signed hundreds of years ago by a mediator called the ‘Path Seeker’ between the Allied United Kingdoms, the Empire, and us.”
“The contract has nothing special. It only prohibits unjustified wars between the alliance and the Empire, and establishes that, if the continent is in danger of destruction, everyone has the obligation to cooperate to protect it.”
Siyan briefly explained what she knew.
“In other words—”
“If the contract actually activates, we will know that my hypothesis was correct.”
“I see.”
“Ah, I also have something else to say.”
“About the hypotheses?”
“No, this would be more of a warning or preparation.”
She smiled serenely.
“Create apostles.”
“...Apostles?”
“Yes. Not just people who can use your borrowed divine power, but apostles and faithful who completely evolve by feeding on your power.”
“Why... suddenly?”
Even with Alon's question, Siyan maintained her smile.
“In the inherited memories, you yourself complained about this. You said something like: ‘If I had done it sooner, I would have been able to stop more Divine Bloods.’”
Although she added that it could be a memory coming from the future to the past, so it wasn't totally reliable.
Alon murmured remembering.
“Create apostles... huh.”
“Hm? Is that what she told you?”
“Yes.”
In fact, Rine had also told him something similar.
She also insisted he evolve the Divine Land. But Alon hadn't done anything regarding the Divine Land due to his problem with divine power.
Since the Divine Bloods fell, his power had changed strangely.
“Ah, and if you are worried about your divine power, visit the Divine Land. You will find the answer there.”
Siyan seemed to know that problem even before him.
“Hm~ I knew that person had an interest in you, but it seems it is more than I thought.”
“...Yes?”
“Yes, ah—”
Evan, while speaking, suddenly smiled in a suspicious way.
“Could it be that... she is in love with you or something like that?”
Evan's playful tone contrasted with Penia's immediate intervention.
“Hm~ I don't think it's that.”
“No? Doesn't that seem like a lot of interest to you?”
“If she really had feelings for Alon-nim for a long time, wouldn't she have had many opportunities to show it before?”
“Well, that is also true—”
While they argued, Alon remembered the last part of his conversation with Siyan.
“Thank you for sharing such valuable information.”
“It is nothing. With the relationship you and I have, this is not difficult.”
“...The relationship we have?”
“Yes. Although it is only a hypothesis, if what I believe turns out to be true, you and I were quite close.”
Close... how close?
Alon asked, and Siyan nodded with a smile.
“Very close.”
“What kind of relationship are we talking about...?”
Siyan thought briefly and remembered something.
“Do you remember that?”
“That?”
“I spoke to you about Cardinal Yutia.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And do you remember what she said?”
‘...He is mine, don't touch him’
She smiled.
“Exactly. That is the answer to what relationship we had.”
Immediately after, she rested a finger on his cheek, lifting the corner of his lips to force a smile on him.
“If you analyze why she said that, you will understand it easily.”
“Our relationship.”
And Siyan smiled like someone who no longer had doubts but certainties.
Two weeks after Alon arrived at the Central Magic Tower—
In Palantia, Alexion observed the blueprint in front of him with astonishment.
“This... really is incredible.”
“Right?”
The Brown Tower Master nodded proudly.
“When they said they would build a castle for free, I had my doubts...”
But those worries had been unfounded.
The two Tower Masters really planned to build a worthy castle.
Alexion continued to be surprised as he analyzed.
Although he didn't know much about architecture, he could easily intuit that what was in front of him was extraordinary.
“...Just the magic circles inscribed here must be hundreds.”
It was a blueprint of such magnitude that it could be called a fortress instead of a palace.
While Alexion remained stunned, the Brown Tower Master asked:
“By the way, why do you keep looking only at the first page?”
“Hmm? First page? Isn't this everything?”
“Ah, right, I didn't release the magic.”
The Master waved his hand realizing the mistake.
“...!”
The paper in Alexion's hands began to thicken rapidly.
So much so that he had to stretch out his hands to hold it.
Alexion was completely bewildered.
“I... Is this all the blueprint?”
“Yes. Each part corresponds to a different section.”
“...A different section?”
“Exactly.”
According to the scale of the first blueprint, that castle was already the size of the inner citadel.
That's why Alexion froze.
“Then... are you telling me that all of these are different blueprints?”
He asked, stuttering.
“Isn't it obvious? There is no reason to repeat the same drawing.”
“...If we built the castle exactly according to these blueprints...”
“Well— it would be just a little smaller than this entire territory.”
As if it were the most natural thing.
“Are they... crazy, these guys?”
Alexion was left open-mouthed, horrified.
