C450. Return (6)
"I think I saw it."
At Penia's words, Alon asked again.
"…Are you saying they know you used Phrases?"
"Yes."
When she confirmed it, Alon hesitated for an instant and verified again.
"Well—you were practicing yesterday too, so if it is just that, they might know… but you are saying they already knew for a long time, right?"
"Exactly."
Penia nodded again.
"Today, when I spoke with them, I realized it."
"Did you meet with the two Tower Masters?"
"Exactly with the Purple Tower Master, Lady Norton. I found her by chance."
"Hm… if we consider that, it makes sense why the two Tower Masters are acting like this."
Actually, until this very day, their actions had no explanation.
Of course, from an outside perspective, there were several advantages to getting along with Alon, but even taking that into account, their kindness was exaggerated.
But if they had seen Penia using Phrases…
Then it made sense.
According to what she had told him before, the use of Phrases was something tremendously big for magicians.
"Just in case I ask… how much did they know?"
"I didn't ask directly because they were probing me, but… I think they know up to the point that I can only use your magic after receiving a blessing."
Penia added that the Tower Masters had probed her just up to that point.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Well… let’s see."
Alon stroked his chin.
‘I had already thought about this more or less…’
The reason Alon had conducted Phrases experiments with Penia was to strengthen humanity's military power.
If magicians could use Phrases, perhaps they could stop the divine experiments, or at least the strange monsters created by the divine models.
Of course, he also feared that if he distributed Phrases randomly, someone might use them incorrectly…
But he decided not to worry too much.
The Phrases depended on Alon granting his blessing.
In short: if he decided not to give the blessing, or if he withdrew it, everything would be ineffective.
"Well, anyway, I intended to share Phrases with the magicians who were going to use them, so I will probably distribute them."
"I knew you would say that."
"Did you expect it?"
"How long have we been together now? It was obvious."
Penia smiled with a hm-hm, and added:
"Even so, doesn't it seem a bit of a waste?"
"What does?"
"The truth is, if magicians can use Phrases, they would pay even pure gold… so giving them without receiving anything in return seems like a waste."
"It's not that it's a bad idea, but…"
Alon, unfortunately, hadn't thought of that.
Well, he thought about it for a second, and then discarded it.
What was important now was not material reward, but turning the magicians into a minimal force against the divine models.
Penia, as if expecting it, sighed.
"Alon-nim, then… could you let me handle it?"
"…Handle what?"
"Transmitting the blessing to the magicians. Even if we don't ask for compensation, shouldn't faith be secured at least?"
It was a reasonable opinion, so Alon nodded.
"You're right, I thought faith would come on its own if I spread the blessing."
"Of course it would come, but if we can gather more and faster, it's better, right?"
But since Penia was smiling suspiciously, as if she were planning something…
"…If you have a plan, try it."
"Yes, I will prepare everything and set it in motion."
Alon decided, for now, to entrust the task to her.
A few days later, Alon headed to Divine Land without Penia or Lainicius.
He wanted to rest a little more, but he couldn't stay indefinitely without doing anything.
‘Although judging by the state of the divine power, it seems to be working well…’
Alon observed his interior.
Then he saw a gigantic divine energy, like a planet, and beside it a small star shining brightly.
It was small compared to the “planet,” but it shone more clearly than before. It was proof that his predictions —his and Kalanon’s— were working.
While he examined the small star—
‘…My, now that I look, my divine power also grew a little.’
Upon noticing that, he came out of his state of contemplation.
"Alon-nim?"
Evan's voice called him immediately.
He sounded confused.
"What is it?"
"I was calling you several times and you didn't answer."
"Ah, really?"
"Yes. Well, I have something to report to you."
Evan went straight to the point.
"We investigated what Alon-nim asked to find out."
"…What I asked to be investigated."
"You know. Star Roots, also known as Star Group, the movements of the Empire… and Divine Land."
"I asked you that before arriving at the territory, didn't I?"
"Yes, but as I said before, the information networks that should exist no longer existed."
"True."
"Anyway, only yesterday did we manage to receive decent information. Regarding Divine Land, it isn't urgent, you will see it soon, so I move to the important part."
Alon nodded, remembering it, and Evan continued:
"We have a lot of information about the Empire and about Star Roots, which we will now call Star Group."
"Good."
"Starting with the Empire. After we left, several Divine Blood factions emerged in the east."
"…In the east?"
"Yes. Before there were only four major factions, but now there are more. And the strongest seems to be ‘Astarote’."
Evan paused.
"And this is… peculiar."
"The Divine Bloods are always peculiar, aren't they?"
Alon recalled the strange forms of the various Divine Bloods, but Evan shook his head.
"No, this is weird in another way."
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone in that faction wears black armor."
"…Like an order of knights?"
"Yes. No one knows why."
Evan stared into the void, recapping.
"Aside from that, rumors are circulating that a ‘Devourer’ appeared, that fragments of power were scattered across the region, and that the Divine Bloods are no longer just in the east, but all over the continent… But those are secondary rumors."
Alon nodded, and Evan moved to the next topic.
"Now, about Star Group."
Star Group.
Also known as Constellations or Star Roots.
They are a collective of Divine Bloods that was suddenly growing within the Allied United Kingdoms.
Alon sighed.
Until now they hadn't done anything special.
But for such a group to emerge in the Allied Kingdom was not a good sign.
Unlike the Empire, which did manage to stop the attacks of the divine models, the Allied Kingdom was defenseless.
Although they had the power granted by the Seeker of the Path, it remained insufficient.
If they lowered their guard because the Star Group was quiet and they decided to attack…
The Allied Kingdom would fall easily.
"Did the Star Group grow?"
At Alon’s worried question, Evan nodded.
"Yes. Apparently, about ten more joined."
"…What a problem."
As Alon murmured that, Evan added scratching his head:
"But there is a strange rumor."
"What rumor?"
"It's not certain, it's just observation… but they say that Star Group protects humans."
"…Divine Bloods protecting humans?"
Alon couldn't help but frown.
While Alon doubted that absurd idea—
In Palantia, two Tower Masters and the golden dragon Lainicius were conversing animatedly.
"Ohh—how interesting. Did you do this too?"
"Yes. What do you think?"
"It is well done."
Of course, the Tower Masters did not know the golden dragon from before.
Before Alon rescued him, he had been trapped underground in a desert.
But they became close quickly.
The Tower Masters were fascinated by the magical race of dragons, and Lainicius was intrigued by the magic circles they built.
The dragon's gaze at the magical design shone brightly.
The Tower Masters were enchanted seeing how the dragon understood complex magic circles immediately.
But only for a moment.
"Is this part already done?"
"Yes."
"Then many things are missing from the circle. Is it incomplete?"
At his question, the Purple Tower Master Norton looked at the blueprints and sighed.
"No, it is complete."
"Then why is this missing?"
"Because of the cost, obviously."
"…Cost?"
Norton nodded.
"Yes. If we made it complete according to the design, we would need so many magic stones that it would be impossible to move even a fortress."
She sighed with regret.
"It is a pity. If cost were not a problem, we could make something much better."
The Brown Tower Master also agreed.
"Exactly. We could make floating islands several times larger… even entire spaces floating."
"And we could create massive golem systems for defense and infiltration."
"And having gates controlled by magic would be perfect~"
Lamenting while they looked at the incomplete blueprint—
Then Lainicius intervened.
"…With this, if I just recharge the magic once a month, I think the fortress could function for half a year."
He said it as if it were nothing.
"What…?"
"Really…?"
The two Tower Masters looked at him in surprise, but he nodded calmly.
"Yes. Since my existence is linked to him, I will be here. My magic is practically infinite."
As soon as he said: “My magic is infinite”, the two masters were left open-mouthed.
"Magic… infinite?"
"Can we… make what we always wanted to build?"
The eyes of both lit up with contained madness.
"Then… if we add this illusion module would it work?"
"No problem. Infinite magic."
"And this set of combined spells?"
"No problem."
With every affirmative answer—
The two Tower Masters began to shine with determination.
Something… was about to begin.
