Chapter 427. The Path Seeker (6)
With a small click from Penia’s brooch, accompanied by a faint sound.
The camp, which until a moment ago had been full of movement, fell into silence.
‘……What is this?’
Alon watched Yutia with a dazed expression.
The gentle smile at the corners of her lips was the same as always.
The only thing that had changed was her hairstyle.
But just with that—or rather, precisely because of that—Alon received a considerable shock.
He would have never imagined that that Yutia would wear twintails.
‘Why all of a sudd…?’
The question rose in his mind.
Actually, he had already feared it; he had noticed that lately she was trying to change her hairstyle. But he never thought it would be something so bold.
Of course, it wasn't a bad thing. It wasn't wrong, but—
While Alon’s mind worked restlessly.
Yuman, the Saint of the Rosary, lost his habitual smile for an instant and looked at reality somewhat bewildered.
“......Archbishop, you changed your hairstyle.”
“Yes.”
“…Why… so suddenly…?”
Yuman asked cautiously. Yutia did not lose her gentle smile.
“I just wanted to change a little to refresh my mood.”
“I… see.”
Yuman was visibly bewildered. Something he couldn't hide.
But no one could blame him for it.
The other paladins, Penia and Evan, and everyone present were the same.
In the midst of all that, Yutia’s serenity did not break.
On the contrary. With an elegance imbued with a soft confidence, she approached Alon and—
“Master, have you been well all this time?”
She asked him with a voice that, for some reason, sounded prouder than usual.
“Ah well, have you been well?”
“Yes, of course.”
Without understanding anything, Alon could only nod. Then she ran a hand through her hair and asked:
“More importantly, Master… what do you think?”
“......About what?”
“This new style. I was curious to know what you would think.”
At that question, accompanied by a smile but with a nuance of tension, Alon fell into doubt.
To be honest… his opinion of Yutia’s twintail style was…
…to be cold, it wasn't positive.
In his mind, that hairstyle was for a young girl.
Sure, Yutia’s appearance was quite youthful, and it was true that Alon’s thinking was somewhat old-fashioned…
But even so, he couldn't help but think it.
However, aside from that, was it right to tell the truth? He also hesitated because of that.
And it was natural: seeing the gentle smile and the confident energy she emanated…
She seemed to be very satisfied with herself.
So, after a moment of reflection, Alon said:
“Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Yes.”
He made his decision internally and replied:
“…I think the previous style suited you better than this one.”
“Ah.”
Yutia’s eyes widened abruptly.
She looked truly shocked.
When Alon noticed the mixture of strangeness and surprise in her expression—
“I… I see.”
Yutia replied. Her voice now had a slightly forced tone.
She walked toward the carriage with a clumsy step, as if she were in a trance.
“Did I perhaps say something wrong?”
“Well…. it is something that could be said, but………”
Penia answered him when Alon, confused, asked her.
In the distance.
In the forest.
A man and a woman, Hidan and Yuna, were observing the scene with vision reinforced by mana. And when they confirmed that Yutia was returning to the carriage stumbling—
“My grave… please make it next to the orphanage.”
“……Alright……. if there is anything left to bury, I will do it.”
Accepting Yuna’s prophecy, Hidan closed his eyes and humbly accepted his death.
Another week passed after reuniting with Yutia and continuing the journey.
As Alon headed toward the Central Tower, he met an acquaintance again.
“Brother!”
“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty. Have you been well?”
“......Prince?”
It was Karsem, who had ascended as king of the desert city of Colony.
“Call me with confidence, please. More importantly, excuse me. I wanted to attend your coronation, but I couldn't appear—”
“Don't worry. Are you on your way to the Central Tower?”
Karsem nodded at Alon’s question.
“That is correct. Are you too, perhaps?”
“Correct.”
“Then, could I accompany you? The destination is the same.”
Alon looked at Yutia and Yuman. Both nodded slightly.
“Let’s do that then.”
Karsem’s joining was decided.
“I will be in your care during the journey.”
Karsem bowed his head.
Alon responded in kind and soon they began to converse.
One of the main topics was the letter sent to the kings of the Allied United Kingdoms, including Alon.
“Do you know anything else about the letter?”
Karsem denied.
“No,…. I don't know much about the Pact of the Way either. But although Colony is in a lamentable state… I thought it was worth heading to the Central Tower.”
“Do you think it has value?”
“Yes. After receiving the letter, I checked Colony's old archive, just in case there was any information left.”
The archive was deep underground, outside the city, so it suffered no damage.
After organizing his thoughts, Karsem continued:
“I found references to the Pact of the Way.”
“What did they say?”
“Not much. It only said that, when the time came, the pact had to be faithfully fulfilled. If we did, we would receive the power that was entrusted to us.”
“The entrusted power…”
“Yes. Although I don't know exactly what power it is……”
Karsem’s expression became more serious.
“At this point… anything will be better than nothing for the country I must rebuild.”
“……I see.”
“I worry about having left behind a country still in ruins… but well, Seolrang is there.”
At those words, Alon fell silent.
Since the last time he saw her, he had wanted to ask about Seolrang.
“Now that you mention it, how is Seolrang?”
The topic flowed naturally.
Karsem sighed remembering her.
“Hmm— her injuries have already healed completely.”
“……Are there… no problems?”
“Problems……. at least as far as I know, she doesn't have any in particular.”
“I see.”
“Yes. I wondered if there would be any notable change, but that doesn't seem to be the case.”
Alon murmured I see, and nodded gently.
The conversation continued a little longer.
Finally, Alon got into the carriage, and Evan spoke to him from the side.
“Sir Alon.”
“Hm?”
“Just out of curiosity… why do you worry so much about Seolrang lately?”
“Ah, it’s not that it’s bad to worry, but… it seems you ask about her frequently.”
It was understandable that he noticed.
Alon remained silent for a moment and then said:
“There is a reason.”
He looked out the carriage window.
The sky outside was blue.
“…There is a reason.”
His murmur faded softly.
Sunset fell and soon night arrived.
“Phew—”
In a huge training field of Divine Land, Seamus exhaled deeply with sword in hand.
Sweat ran down his body like rain.
But he hadn't done any particularly intense exercise.
The only thing he did that day was stand from morning until evening, holding his sword.
Even so, Seamus was satisfied. After weeks of effort, he felt it instinctively.
He had reached something.
‘I am not telling you to seek a derivation.’
‘Nor to use mana.’
‘Just desire it. That is how you will obtain your power.’
Seamus remembered the moment weeks ago.
When he received, with honor, His power.
And the words he heard then.
Seamus didn't know why he had been chosen.
There were many greater ones in Divine Land.
But what was undeniable—
Was that that Being trusted him and gave him his power.
And that he had to respond to that trust.
That is why, since then, Seamus did not rest.
He repeated the Being’s words, meditated, followed his will, and—
That day.
He understood it.
Only one step was missing.
“!”
Not only that.
Instinctively he also knew what he needed to take that step.
The power I desire.
The Being had told him:
Just think about what you desire.
And Seamus desired—
‘…A power capable of defeating a Divine Blood.’
Exactly that.
In front of the gigantic Divine Blood, humans were small and weak.
And that is why he desired a power capable of facing them.
An overwhelming power to combat the great Divine Bloods. And then—
Uuuuuuuung—!
In that instant, Seamus felt it.
Something inside him exploded.
And then—
The Darkness-Eating Sword.
One of the most powerful among the current Divine Bloods, who had crossed to the Allied United Kingdoms to kill the Star Eater, but ended up being forcibly recruited(?) by Star Roots.
He was, honestly, full of discontent toward Star Roots.
It was natural.
He did not join of his own free will.
And his discontent increased because, according to him, they spoke nonsense.
That the Star Eater could share divine power. A ridiculous notion.
Even when some, like Burning Tree, had witnessed that the Star Eater granted powers of the Divine Blood, he could not easily believe it.
No, he considered it practically impossible. After all, the power of the Divine Blood was the essence itself.
And could that Being absorb that essence at will and then transmit it to others?
That would only be possible if he were an Omnipotent God. Therefore, the Darkness-Eating Sword wanted to see it with his own eyes. To see if the Star Eater really had such an ability.
Luckily for him, he did not receive great restrictions.
Partly because he moved behind Burning Tree’s back, but also because some Divine Bloods shared his doubts.
Although some claimed to have seen that…
For the Divine Bloods recruited after Burning Tree’s words, it remained something unattainable.
Therefore, the Darkness-Eating Sword and four more Divine Bloods used the ability of one of them to create physical duplicates and headed to the Divine Land where the Star Eater was.
[So this is the Divine Land governed by the Star Ea—??]
And it didn't take long for them to arrive.
Upon doing so, they saw.
Suspended over the Divine Land…
A colossal sword.
