C466. Fragment (5)
Indoctrination process.
At the Burning Tree's response, the Arm Spitter looked behind him with an expression full of confusion.
The Divine Bloods were gathered there.
Yes, they were there, but…
[ … Is that what they call the indoctrination process? ]
[ That’s right. ]
The problem was that the composition was quite strange.
Two Divine Bloods surrounded by a multitude of other Divine Bloods.
A violent scene just by looking at it, and the Arm Spitter remained silent for an instant.
His face was dyed with deep discomfort.
He averted his gaze toward the Burning Tree.
There were many things he really wanted to ask him given this situation.
However, since he also knew well that “there are times when it is better not to know,” when he was debating, the Burning Tree sighed.
[ Haah… it’s not easy. ]
[ ………… What isn’t? ]
[ Lately, quite a few guys… no, quite a few subjects who need constant indoctrination have appeared inside as well. ]
The Burning Tree shook his head, saying it was a headache.
Before the Arm Spitter could answer him, a scream resonated from behind.
[…]
At a glance, it was clearly visible how the Star Group had gathered the Divine Bloods.
The Arm Spitter stared at the Burning Tree.
He wondered for a moment: “Does this guy really not understand what the problem is?”
[ Hm-hmm— ]
The other cleared his throat.
Actually, since he had met the Burning Tree, his doubts were already resolved, but leaving just like that also felt strange.
Well… it’s not that it was a problem to leave, but…
[…]
He felt that he should not do it.
The only thing he could do was continue the conversation.
[ Now that I think about it, do you know anything about Astarote? ]
[ … Astarote? Ah, those crazy fanatics? Yes, I am more or less aware because of the new ones that have been entering lately. ]
[ New ones that are entering… huh? ]
[ Why do you say that? ]
[ No, nothing. ]
The Arm Spitter cleared his throat over nothing.
Then the Burning Tree continued.
[ Now that you mention it, I’ve heard that lately there is a stir because of Astarote. Is it because of the “Fragment”? ]
[ Yes. I don’t know for what reason a high Divine Blood ended up doing something like that, but anyway… the situation is serious. ]
[ And why? ]
[ I see you don't know the details. ]
The Arm Spitter explained the situation in summary.
[ I see, so that’s how everything turned out. ]
[ But they still haven’t asked for help from this side, right? I heard that other Divine Bloods had started moving to unite the groups. ]
But the Burning Tree shook his head.
[ Even if they ask for help, I doubt we will move. ]
[ Oh, really? ]
[ In the first place, if That Person doesn’t move, we cannot get ahead of ourselves. ]
Hearing that, the Arm Spitter felt confusion, but soon understood that the Tree was referring to the Star Eater.
And at the same time, he remembered a rumor he had heard before.
[ But I heard that the Star Eater is going to move. ]
[ … What? ]
[ They already decided to participate in the subjugation force. ]
The Burning Tree’s eyes opened wide.
[ …Is that true? ]
[ At least that is what I heard. ]
[ …. Then, will the Star Eater participate in the subjugation force as a Divine Blood? ]
At the Burning Tree's question, the Arm Spitter dragged out his words a little.
He didn’t know much: he had only heard that the Star Eater would join that force.
But listening to the Burning Tree, it also seemed plausible.
[ I don’t know the details… but I suppose so. ]
The Arm Spitter nodded slightly.
Then the Burning Tree’s eyes began to shine with life.
[ I see… so at last. ]
With a smile full of meaning, as if he had waited for this day forever, he stood up.
[ The time has come… to serve him properly. ]
His firm voice resonated in the air.
The next day, after arriving at Colony, Alon's group departed immediately toward the Empire.
They needed rest, yes, but time was pressing.
Seven days had already passed since they crossed the desert.
“Phew—”
In the deep night, when everyone was sleeping.
The desert, so cold in contrast to the day, saw Alon stop the practice he was performing until a moment ago.
“Hmm… it went up quite a bit already. It has a high level of completeness.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
At Penia's evaluation, Alon sighed.
She hesitated for an instant and then spoke cautiously.
“But, Alon-nim… why are you practicing that spell all of a sudden?”
“This spell?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s not a spell you need to train right now. Besides… it’s a bit dangerous.”
Alon thought for a moment before answering.
“Just in case.”
“…Just in case?”
“Yes, just in case.”
Worry and curiosity mixed on Penia's face.
Her large eyes looked at him, but soon she closed her mouth.
She understood it by instinct.
Alon would not answer beyond that.
So she changed the subject.
“Now that I think about it… what will you do about that?”
“With what?”
“The Sins. You said you would also teach it to Seolrang.”
Alon nodded slowly.
As she said, he planned to speak to Seolrang about the Sins.
More precisely, about how to handle the Sins correctly.
“True.”
“Will you tell her tomorrow?”
“Yes. I also must give her the artifact.”
“Then, should I prepare something?”
But Alon refused.
“No, we will leave that for later.”
“Hmm… understood.”
“…”
“What is it?”
“… Why don’t you ask why we will leave the preparation for later?”
“Ah, that.”
Penia smiled awkwardly.
“If you said so, you must have a reason, don’t you think?”
“…Yes?”
“And besides, you have been worrying a lot about Seolrang lately.”
Then she added:
“… To be honest, I don’t know exactly what it is that worries you about Seolrang. Although she became very strong, she doesn’t really seem different from before. But if you are still worried… there must be a reason.”
I believe in you, and Evan does too, she added with a shy smile.
Alon looked at her without knowing what to say, and ran his hand over his face.
He was not used to receiving such a pure act of trust.
So after composing himself, he said:
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Penia smiled.
The next morning.
When the desert was no longer visible in the distance and meadows and scattered forests appeared—
“Seolrang.”
“Hmm? What is it, Master?”
“Here.”
Alon handed her the artifact.
“This is…?”
“The artifact of Sin.”
“… The artifact of Sin?”
“Yes.”
Nodding, Alon briefly explained what he had heard from Rine.
“Ah, so… if the Sins are used well, will I be able to become even stronger, Master?”
“Exactly. Of course, when handling the Sin…”
Alon stopped.
He remembered that the Sin of Pride had never been destroyed.
‘… What do I do in this case?’
While he was thinking—
“Hmm… then the important thing is to make the Sin lodge in this artifact, right?”
“Yes, but…”
Seolrang asked.
Alon snapped out of his absorption and nodded.
Then she seemed to think of something and—
“I will try!”
“…?”
Alon blinked. He knew how to help someone summon a destroyed Sin, as Rine taught him. But to put an undestroyed Sin into the artifact, first one had to look for where it was, so he was going to tell her when—
“……Huh?”
“Hmm?”
—he was left speechless.
For the whitish artifact, without any color until an instant ago, began to slowly become dyed.
And then—
When the color was completed—
[ Until when did you plan to keep me locked up!? ]
Alon saw it.
A black dragon burst out from the blackened gauntlet.
“?”
“?”
Both Alon and Penia were left with question marks over their heads.
While Alon looked bewildered at the Sin of Pride that had appeared out of nowhere—
A strange rumor began to circulate in the Central Magic Tower.
About Heinkel.
Obviously, it was normal for there to be many rumors about her.
She was an Idol for all mages. And her words upon introducing herself again in human form had also been very impactful.
She had defined what a miracle was, something that mages, incredulous of such things, would never forget.
A dead person, moreover an icon of the mages, had returned to life.
It was natural for them to talk about it.
But the recent rumor was peculiar.
It was about her body.
The mages no longer doubted that Alon was a god.
What he had shown was something impossible to achieve with magic.
Even so, they were interested in Heinkel's body for a single reason:
That body looked too much like someone.
… Specifically, the sub-master of the Blue Tower, Penia Crycine.
And perhaps because of that, a rumor recently began to run in the Magic Tower:
That Penia and Alon not only had a special relationship, but that they even had a promised future.
It was a misunderstanding.
An obvious misunderstanding.
For Heinkel had had her body sealed in the library for a long time for her own ends, and on this occasion, she had simply utilized it.
The reasons why this absurd misunderstanding grew were two.
The first: Heinkel's meticulous historical distortion.
She, despite her actual age, had an extremely young body and had always detested it.
To hide her complex, she had described herself as an adult woman in stories and information where she appeared.
Even when she was a spirit, she maintained the “excuse” that she looked young because she was a spirit.
The second: her statements.
She stated that the Magic King had given her life.
That implied that Alon had given her a new body.
And if that body looked so much like the Penia of her childhood—
“…looking at it that way, it’s real, isn’t it?”
“Look, even the hair and eyes are blue.”
“……No, according to legends, Heinkel had that color…”
“But because of her image as a young girl… it was never like that, right?”
“That is true.”
“It seems the rumor was true.”
The rumor spread without Heinkel, concentrated on recovering her mana, even finding out.
And then—
“… Haah… really… I wish it weren’t true…”
Hidan, disguised as a mage from the Brown Tower to find out the truth, with the faint hope that it was all a misunderstanding, ended up muttering:
…The sub-master of the Blue Tower will change soon.
Remembering the regular meeting of the Blue Night that would be held in a few months, he made an expression similar to that of a sad frog.
… It was a cold autumn.
