Chapter 483: Harbinger of Upheaval (5)

Hidan—

no, not just him. Deus and Radan as well swallowed dryly.

How long had it been since their eyes lost any place to rest?

[That’s right. I think this is a good opportunity to let her understand just how vast the gap is between herself and the Great Moon.]

[Mhm—]

[...Um.]

Just as that harmonious back-and-forth—if it could be called that—was continuing endlessly,

a brave voice rang out.

Rine and Yutia turned toward the owner of that voice.

At the end of their gaze stood Radan, wearing an awkward expression.

[What is it?]

Yutia asked.

Radan scratched his cheek.

[Well— I agree that the vice tower master of the Blue Tower committed something irreverent, but...]

[But?]

[Honestly, I’m not sure it warrants going that far.]

He spoke his honest opinion.

Of course, Radan had no intention of protecting the vice tower master.

He wasn’t even close to her to begin with—he had only seen her a few times while following the Great Moon.

Even so, the reason he stepped into the conversation was simple.

Quite plainly, he felt that the exchange between Rine and Yutia had gone a bit too far.

[It’s true she committed irreverence, but this seems excessive. And isn’t she assisting the Great Moon as well?]

On top of that, the vice tower master was assisting the Great Moon.

In other words, even if she had done something wrong, what she had done right should be taken into account.

That was the intent behind Radan’s words.

But—

[Hah?]

[You’re not seriously saying that, are you?]

[...]

At Yutia and Rine’s responses, he shut his mouth.

Their expressions were far too vicious.

[No, I mean— I’m just saying we should weigh what she’s done well against what she’s done wrong—]

[But she committed irreverence.]

Rine cut him off immediately.

[Even so, the good and the bad should—]

[Irreverence.]

Radan tried to push through and persuade them—

[Still, for something like this—]

[Irreverence.]

—and then decided not to.

He realized it.

There was no way he could win against these two alone.

Radan quietly shifted his gaze.

He signaled to Deus, hoping for support as an ally in this situation.

But—

[Hm— if someone commits irreverence toward the Great Moon, then naturally, they must receive appropriate punishment.]

[...]

He had been betrayed.

Just moments ago, Deus had clearly worn the same this is a bit too much expression, yet now he had switched sides instantly and agreed with Rine and Yutia.

At Deus’s sudden reversal, Radan stared at him in disbelief before turning to Hidan.

[...]

[...]

Hidan avoided his gaze as if by instinct.

As if declaring I saw nothing. I am a doll, he simply stared blankly into empty space.

In the end, Radan fell back into silence with a dazed expression.

[...Well, fine. She did commit irreverence, but it does feel a little excessive.]

[Mhm— a little, perhaps.]

[Right. Just a tiny bit.]

After that, for over an hour, Radan endured concentrated fire from Yutia and Rine as they finished their “discussion.”

And with that, the Blue Moon’s official meeting came to an end.

[Then I’ll head out right away to take care of matters.]

[I’ll be leaving as well.]

Hidan and Deus fled immediately the moment the meeting ended, afraid of getting caught in the fallout.

[I should... take my leave too.]

[Me as well.]

After Radan and Rine, who had finally escaped the barrage, also left—

only Yutia and Seollang remained in the meeting room.

[Do you have something to say?]

Yutia asked, since Seollang—who would normally be the first to leave—had stayed behind until the end.

Seollang looked at Yutia silently before speaking.

[Yeah. I have something to ask.]

[What is it?]

Yutia asked with a smile.

But Seollang maintained a blank expression as she spoke.

[That—was it you, Yutia?]

She posed her question.

'That.'

A vague word that could mean far too many things.

Yet Yutia immediately understood what Seollang was asking.

Yutia knew what state Seollang was in.

And Seollang, in turn, had a rough grasp of Yutia’s state as well.

So within that shared understanding—

[Master... it was you, Yutia, right?]

Seollang asked again.

Yutia looked at her with a gentle smile and replied.

[Why do you think that?]

[Because you’re the only one who could do something like that.]

[Do you truly believe that?]

[Yeah.]

Seollang nodded firmly, as if there wasn’t the slightest room for doubt.

At that, Yutia spoke, sounding impressed.

[...It seems you’ve recovered quite a bit of your memory.]

[Not a lot. But enough.]

At that answer, Yutia smiled faintly, almost pleased.

[That’s admirable.]

[Answer me.]

Seollang asked again.

Unlike before, when she would show some degree of restraint when speaking to Yutia, now she calmly demanded the truth.

Yutia—

[Of course. It was for Master’s sake.]

[...Do you really think that makes sense?]

[I’m not lying. You know that too, don’t you? If you’ve inherited it.]

That was her answer.

Hearing that, Seollang looked at Yutia silently.

[...All right.]

She nodded—partly unconvinced,

yet partly convinced as well.

Yutia watched her as if she found her endearing, then added as Seollang moved to leave the room—

[Ah, Seollang.]

[Yeah.]

[You shouldn’t bite the Great Moon’s nose so carelessly.]

Her tone was calm, but carried a strange pressure.

[...Why?]

[Because you’re not a child anymore, are you?]

At that, Seollang stared at Yutia.

Yutia stared back at her.

But only for a moment.

[I don’t think that’s right.]

[What do you mean it’s not right?]

[Because—you did it too, Yutia.]

At Seollang’s sudden remark, Yutia began to show a hint of confusion—

—and then she saw it.

Seollang’s expression, which had been serious until just now, began to change.

The corners of her eyes lifted slightly.

Her lips pressed together in a small, stubborn pout.

And just as Yutia was about to question that sudden shift, Seollang suddenly stretched both arms forward—

“Come here—!”

—and spoke aloud.

For a moment, Yutia froze, stunned.

“Hurry up and hug me! Now! Do you know how many days I’ve been waiting!?”

Even at Yutia’s reaction, Seollang didn’t stop.

Yutia, still staring blankly—

“Ah—!”

—suddenly widened her eyes as if realizing something too late.

“You have to hug me for at least three hours! If you don’t, I’m going to smash Ashtalon and everything else to pieces! So just behave and hug me!”

“W-wait—”

Seollang continued speaking as she wrapped her arms around empty air as if around someone’s neck, then leaned forward and pressed her lips against the air several times.

At that—

Yutia’s face flushed a deep red, as if it might burst.

“Y-you— Seollang—”

Her body trembling, Yutia spoke.

But Seollang only wore a faintly triumphant expression.

“I told you. I got the memories I needed.”

She said it plainly.

“...Do you want to die, Seollang?”

At Yutia’s quiet words,

Seollang simply smiled—

and left the meeting room without another word.

And a few days later—

“Lord Alon, I heard the eastern side of Sironia Cathedral has been completely destroyed.”

“...Was it attacked by Divine blood?”

“No, I don’t think so. They said it just... collapsed.”

“...Poor construction?”

“Well... they said the whole thing just got blown away entirely, so... maybe? Or maybe not...”

“That’s... a little unsettling.”

That was the news Alon heard from Evan.

####

A little more time passed after that.

“Wow— we’re finally here.”

“That we are.”

At Evan’s words, Alon nodded.

They couldn’t see the territory yet, but they were close enough that it would soon come into view.

“This trip was a long one too.”

At Evan’s remark, recalling the journey, Alon nodded—but at the same time, felt a slight sense of regret.

He hadn’t been able to meet Siyan.

'I was hoping I’d get the chance this time.'

In fact, Alon had stopped by Teria on the way.

Naturally, to meet Siyan.

But Siyan had gone out somewhere without leaving word of where, so Alon had no choice but to turn back without meeting her.

That regret lingered only briefly.

“Ah, Lord Alon.”

At Evan’s call, Alon cut off his thoughts and looked at him.

“What is it?”

“What do you think this time?”

“...This time?”

“Yes. The territory. Or more specifically—the castle.”

“...Ah. The castle.”

Alon understood why Evan was bringing this up.

Every time he went on a long journey and returned, the castle ended up changing in increasingly absurd ways.

“Hm.”

Alon recalled the previous castle.

It had already been so grand and extravagant that it was hard to tell whether it was a normal castle or the Demon King’s castle.

“Well, still... I don’t think there’ll be any major changes this time.”

He meant that sincerely.

Even the last version of the castle had already been absurd beyond his common sense.

So imagining something being added to that already absurd structure wasn’t easy.

“Hm, honestly, I think so too.”

Penia nodded in agreement.

And at their answers—

“Really? /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I feel like... there might still be something new.”

“...Anything in mind?”

“Mm, nothing specific comes to mind, but— if I had to say... maybe something like a dragon floating in the sky...?”

At Evan’s words, Penia let out a scoffing laugh.

“You’re not talking about a golden dragon flying around, are you?”

“No, not something like that— more like decoration? You know, like in those picture books about Demon King castles?”

At that, Penia shook her head in disbelief and began to speak—

“This isn’t some kind of fairy tale, you know? That kind of thing doesn’t exist in reality. And those kinds of lesser dragons have been extinct for ages now. Honestly, saying something so ridicul—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

“?”

Seeing Penia suddenly stop mid-sentence, staring in one direction, Evan and Alon tilted their heads in confusion—

and then followed her gaze.

And froze.

In the distance, the territory of Palantia had come into view.

The castle was far larger than before.

But that wasn’t what froze them.

It was—

“...What is that?”

A dragon—

no, a sea god—

was swimming through the sky.

Not a reduced size—

but in its full, original scale.

And as Penia stared at that sight—

“Lord Alon.”

“...Yes.”

“I... suddenly feel a little scared. What should I do...?”

she said quietly.

And Alon—

“...So do I.”

—nodded in agreement.