C467. Fragment (6)
The gauntlet that had been completely dyed black.
And from there, the black dragon that shot out.
While Alon Palatio, Penia, and even Evan, who was guiding the carriage, were stunned by the sudden appearance of the “Sin of Pride.”
“Done!”
Seolrang shouted cheerfully without even answering the sin.
Alon, still with a dazed expression, called her.
“……Seolrang?”
“Hmm? What is it, Master?”
“What… happened here?”
“Mmm…”
A baffling situation.
Everyone had a face that wanted an explanation.
Seolrang thought for a moment and said:
“If you ask what happened—”
And she soon began to explain.
While she spoke, Alon slowly looked ahead. Or, more accurately, at the black dragon flowing like a specter from the black gauntlet Seolrang was holding—
No, at the Sin of Pride.
For how long had he been looking at it like that?
“So…… I didn’t hear wrong, right? You’re telling me that the Sin of Pride was already attached from a long time ago…?”
“Yes. And?”
Penia asked surprised just like Alon, but Seolrang answered with an expression of “is there a problem?”.
The explanation was ridiculously incomplete, but Alon first looked at the sin.
“Do you intend to speak?”
It was a cautious question, but the black dragon stared at him without showing any strange sign.
[It doesn't matter.]
“…Surprisingly friendly.”
Penia murmured, and the Sin of Pride tilted its head.
[We have always been friendly with humans, you know?]
“……Are you serious?”
[It is better for humanity to keep living than for everything to be destroyed.]
The sin’s answer left Penia with an incredulous expression.
Alon waited a moment and got to the point.
“Explain to me.”
[There isn't much to explain. I moved to fulfill my goal, but you returned ahead of time and I failed. As a result, my divine form fell. And—]
The sin’s eyes, full of displeasure, turned to Seolrang.
[—Do you know how much strength I lent you until now? How can you treat me like this? Apologize!]
His voice was laden with indignation, as if he were truly hurt.
“Did you do something?”
Penia asked curiously, and Seolrang simply shrugged naturally.
“Mmm… before obtaining strength I couldn't separate it, so I left it. But after obtaining strength I could keep it apart, so I separated it.”
[You didn't just separate me. You locked me in a dark room!]
“Hmm… was that so?”
[GRAAAAAH—!]
The Sin of Pride screamed with a tone strangely similar to Basiliora’s.
It was strange seeing it like that, but—
“…Well, anyway, we already embedded the sin into the object, so I think we completed half.”
While Seolrang irritated it unintentionally with a “Shut up~”, Penia summarized the situation.
Alon also nodded.
“I see. Anyway, it seems the next part we must do later.”
“I think so too. From the beginning you said affinity was important.”
“That is correct.”
“……Well, somehow they seem to get along.”
“Really?”
“Yes, besides…”
Penia shifted her gaze toward Seolrang.
Alon also looked at her face.
Just like that.
Alon’s group arrived at “Shu”, a small village adjacent to the labyrinth city Lartania, beyond the destroyed Ashtalon.
“Are they having a festival?”
“That is correct.”
The village was in full festival mode.
Although it was small, there were many people and the scale was surprisingly large.
The group was surprised for a moment, but Evan, who had gone to observe, commented:
“Well— at this time of year they do usually hold festivals.”
“Did you know?”
“It’s just that this place is famous among mercenaries.”
“Among mercenaries?”
At Alon’s question, Evan nodded.
“…It doesn't look like anything special.”
Alon Palatio turned his head.
With the festival the place was full, but seeing just the village, it was small, so it seemed strange to him.
Then Evan added explaining with a shrug:
“From the outside it doesn't look like much, but first: this village is famous for its beer.”
He pointed with his thumb to the extensive agricultural fields beyond.
“Second, the King of Mercenaries was born here.”
“…The King of Mercenaries?”
“Yes. Well, he died more than 20 years ago, but when he was alive he always held a festival in the village. And it remained as a tradition.”
“So it’s not a village festival, but a mercenaries’ festival.”
“More or less. It’s like a holiday that all mercenaries celebrate.”
“Interesting.”
At Evan’s explanation, Alon and Penia nodded curiously.
“Shall we stay here for today?”
“It will get dark soon. It would be better.”
The sun was already setting.
They decided to stay one night.
“Great, that way we can also enjoy the festival.”
“Mmm— it’s also the first time I see a mercenary festival. I’m curious.”
The group decided to spend the night in Shu and enjoy the festival.
“Good, let’s book a room and go out.”
Evan moved the carriage immediately.
He seemed excited, he even whistled a little.
And, contrary to their fears of not finding a room due to the festival, Evan skillfully secured one.
“Well, I’m going to have fun!”
Without looking back, Evan ran outside.
Blackie and Basiliora, who had never been able to escape because of Seolrang, peeked furtively from his pocket.
Penia saw them out of the corner of her eye, rolled her eyes slightly and—
“Alon, I’ll go for a while too.”
She followed Evan.
And then—
“Master! Let’s go visit together!”
As the others left, Alon looked at Seolrang.
She was smiling as always.
“Let’s do that.”
They went out together to enjoy the festival.
“Wow!”
As soon as they stepped out, Seolrang let out exclamations.
Everything seemed fascinating to her; she looked from side to side shaking her head energetically in the crowd.
Alon walked beside her, watching over her.
“Beer! A beer over here!”
“Cheaper here!”
“Skewers, skewers!”
Just as Evan had said, most people in the streets were mercenaries. Everyone seemed to be enjoying a momentary peace, with relaxed smiles.
Alon Palatio observed them and then looked at Seolrang.
She was smiling. Her eyes looked anxiously at everything. Her tail wagged cheerfully without stopping.
……Just like always.
“Ah, Master! Shall we eat that?”
“Alright.”
Alon Palatio looked at the stall she was pointing to: they were selling skewers.
“……Let’s do that.”
“Yes!”
Seolrang ran excitedly and Alon Palatio followed her.
Like that, they went around enjoying the festival.
“Master! Look at that!”
They watched a play by a traveling mage.
“Mmm— This tastes good, Master!”
“Yes.”
They ate delicious food.
“Fireworks!”
“Small ones, but yes.”
In the square, although they were smaller than the ones he knew, they watched fireworks.
And when night fell completely and the blue moon rose—
“It was fun!”
They returned to the inn. Outside it was boisterous, but the room was quiet.
“Master, did you have fun too?”
Amidst the silence, Seolrang’s voice rang out. She was smiling.
As always, the same gesture.
The same gaze.
And wagging her tail as always, asking about his feelings.
Alon Palatio observed her.
“Seolrang.”
He opened his mouth slowly.
“Yes, Master?”
She tilted her head.
Looking at her, Alon continued.
“……Can you tell me what happened?”
Seolrang’s face filled with doubt.
Alon’s words were too out of place to be asking about something that happened today.
“Eh? What are you talking about, Master? What happened? Did something happen to us?”
She murmured “did something happen?” while tilting her head, with her typical behavior.
The eyes shifting to the side.
The lips pursed to the center.
The body exaggeratedly tilted.
Everything was so characteristic of her.
So typical.
So exactly her.
Almost to the point of making Alon think that perhaps he had misunderstood something.
…But even so, his gaze did not waver.
If it had been at the beginning, maybe he would have doubted.
Maybe he would have thought he saw wrong or interpreted wrong.
And in fact, that was how it was.
But he had already reached a conclusion.
At first it was just suspicion.
But now, he had enough certainty.
That is why—
“……Then, why—”
Alon Palatio calmly stated the truth.
“Why are you acting?”
Perhaps an uncomfortable truth.
Seolrang looked at him with the same expression of doubt.
…Alon also looked at her in silence.
The silence that other times was peaceful now felt suffocating.
But Alon did not look away nor did he speak again.
They simply looked at each other without saying anything.
Still.
The fleeting emotion that crossed Seolrang’s eyes, Alon failed to read it. It was so brief and diffuse that he couldn't decipher it.
After that stifling silence—
Seolrang’s atmosphere began to change.
The eyes that a moment ago were full of joy and confusion became expressionless.
The mouth, which showed fangs with a curved smile, closed calmly.
The tail, which hadn't stopped moving since she met Alon Palatio, fell gently.
And then—
“…How did you know?”
For the first time, a calm voice from Seolrang—one he had never heard—rang in Alon’s ears.
