NOVEL NEXT chapter 199
199. Sloth and Thunder (1)
Shtalian stared blankly at Duke Merkilian.
“The god of the other races…?”
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
Shtalian V asked, as if he couldn’t understand at all.
Duke Merkilian calmly recounted the events.
Starting with Kurak’s actions at the Marquis of Palatio’s house.
The elves that appeared while returning to Ashtalon with him.
And the conversation Kurak had with those elves.
“……”
Shtalian V was silent for a long time.
He finally spoke.
“So, Duke, are you saying that the Marquis of Palatio is indeed the god of the other races?”
“……Based on what we’ve seen so far, yes.”
“Kurak also knelt before him?”
“Yes.”
“……It’s hard to believe.”
When he was first brought in under a secret contract, there was an opportunity to confirm his power.
He possessed strength beyond common sense.
So much so that it was absurd to think he might be a god.
‘And such a person knelt?’
That means-
‘The Marquis of Palatio must be an even greater being, but why would such a person…’
Still, no answer could be found.
No matter how much he thought about it.
He couldn’t even guess why the Marquis of Palatio was hiding his identity while pretending to be a mere noble.
But only for a moment.
“Sigh.”
Stallion V decided to stop thinking.
Why he was hiding his identity.
Whether the one posing as Marquis Pallatio was really the Marquis Pallatio.
Instead.
“Duke Merkilian.”
“Yes.”
“I understand you have some acquaintance with the Marquis Pallatio.”
“Yes, I do.”
“……Can you find out what the Marquis Pallatio likes?”
“What he likes, you say?”
“Yes. Specifically, what he needs at this very moment.”
To bring him here, to the Kingdom of Ashtalon-
“Can you find that out?”
He decided to draw him in.
####
A week after the Marquis Pallatio left.
[……Well done.]
“You’re too kind!”
Even after the magic academy ended.
The training of Fenia and Heinkel, who remained in the magic tower, continued.
Despite being harshly driven all day long.
Instead of being tired, Fenia’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if saying ‘This is so much fun! Always thrilling!’
Even as Heinkel clicked his tongue.
[Good, now it’s the 72nd formation. Add more connections between the magic circles. The point is the straight line. The formation must be deployed so that there is a straight line penetrating the magic of the 72nd formation.]
“Yes, I’ll do it right away!”
Watching Fenia energetically respond and start practicing as soon as the next task was given.
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.
He hadn’t particularly felt it before.
But recently, Fenia Cryshine reminded him of his younger self.
No matter what magic he learned.
The old self who used to say “I’m curious!” rather than “It’s difficult.”
Naturally, his affection for Fenia increased significantly.
Well, except for the first lie.
Because she showed the ideal image of a wizard that Heinkel imagined.
Moreover, Fenia was a genius.
A genius to the extent that Heinkel unknowingly nodded in agreement.
Thus, teaching her became a bit more enjoyable.
When you teach her one thing, she understands ten.
When you teach her ten, she comprehends a hundred.
“Her personality is a bit eccentric, but well, a wizard should have at least one rough edge.”
Hmm, indeed.
– Heinkel, who was nodding his head.
Soon, he began to recall a few days ago while watching Fenia forming a magic circle.
More precisely.
The incident that occurred when he saw Alon’s chest brooch.
“…….”
Heinkel’s face hardened unconsciously.
Thump thump thump thump-
Even though he was in a spiritual state.
Just recalling that moment made his whole body feel cold.
His heart pounded violently.
A vivid sensation he hadn’t felt in so long.
No, a sensation he thought he could never feel again.
“That magic back then- no, that place-“
Heinkel went through the verification he had already done dozens of times once more.
In fact, he already knew.
The abyss, that is, the magic the girl had cast.
Even the girl was slightly impressed that Heinkel had figured it out.
But even so, now.
The reason Heinkel kept revisiting the situation from that time was.
Simply.
“I don’t understand.”
Because.
It was not something the girl could use now.
It was an ability that couldn’t be realized.
“Surely that was back then-“
No, to be precise.
Even if it could be realized again someday, at this very moment.
It was something that shouldn’t be realized.
Therefore, Heinkel.
“…What on earth is that doing? Why hasn’t she lost her power, and how can she exist? Why-“
He pondered for a while.
“Is that being following Marquis Palatio?”
In the midst of unresolved questions.
####
At that point.
Alon had already arrived at the Ronoveli Jungle.
“Marquis.”
“Speak.”
“It’s about Varnos, which you mentioned last time. Strangely, there’s no information.”
“No information?”
“Yes, the information guild says they don’t know anything about it. Apparently, the entire information network in that area has been cut off. But it seems certain that something has happened.”
“Is that so.”
“Shall we investigate further?”
“No, that’s enough.”
Even with the information Evan had gathered, Alon could realize.
That the incident in Varnos was related to the advancement of the four major forces he knew.
“It was like this when the Aguido first appeared in the game.”
The four major forces that appeared in the mid-game had already emerged.
Alon, who had clearly noticed this, soon fell into deep thought.
‘What happens in this case? Do the other four major forces also reveal themselves?’
As far as Alon knew, the emergence of the four major forces would plunge the United Kingdom into a period of great chaos.
Each of the four major forces was strong enough to easily surpass the current power of the United Kingdom.
If they started to rampage in earnest, the kingdom would collapse in an instant.
‘In the game, strong individuals join the United Kingdom around the mid-game, and unless the country is destroyed by sin, it somehow gets resolved.’
Unfortunately, this is still the early stage of Psychedelia.
The strong individuals who could balance the power with the four major forces have not yet appeared.
In other words, if the four major forces start rampaging now,
except for Ashtalon, who is attached to Kurak, it is impossible to predict what will happen.
‘The only fortunate thing is that the other four major forces have not yet appeared.’
But the worry was short-lived.
“Marquis, there is something else I need to tell you.”
At Evan’s call, Alon turned his gaze.
“What else is there?”
“This is something I heard from the Barnos side. Do you remember the rumor that spread in Ronoveli last time?”
“Rumor…? Ah, the rumor that black magic is being scattered?”
“Yes, that rumor.”
“Is there any additional information?”
“There is, but it’s not good news.”
“What is it?”
After a brief pause, Evan continued with a slightly uneasy expression.
“A massacre has occurred.”
“…A massacre?”
“Yes. But the strange thing is, it wasn’t caused by a single entity.”
“What do you mean by that?”
In response to Alon’s question, Evan detailed the rumor.
“So, people killed each other?”
“Yes. I heard it was very bizarre. They were mentally sound, but they fought and killed each other with weapons. As a result, most of the mercenaries and explorers in the jungle died.”
Alon frowned inwardly.
While listening to the story, a thought suddenly came to mind.
“…So, you mean the mind was clear, but the body moved as if possessed?”
“Yes. According to the mercenary who barely survived, he said it felt like he had become a ‘puppet.'”
“A puppet?”
“Do you have any idea what it might be?”
Although he didn’t answer, Evan’s words did spark a suspicion.
No, it was inevitable.
The story Evan just told.
It was something he had heard countless times while playing Psychedelia as a game,
‘The Sin of Sloth.’
It was because this rumor spread whenever the Sin of Sloth manifested.
In other words.
From Alon’s perspective, it was ‘the worst rumor.’
Fortunately, Alon was maintaining a fair amount of composure.
‘…There’s no way the Sin has manifested right now. If it had, the world wouldn’t be this peaceful. It would be utter chaos.’
He knew well how quickly the world would descend into chaos if the Sin were to be born.
But what about now?
Although a terrible massacre had occurred,
There was no news of the Sin awakening yet.
Nor had such events spread to the surroundings.
What this meant was.
It wasn’t an incident caused by the Sin, which would go around massacring humanity once it awakened.
In that case, the possibility to consider here is—
‘Apostle…!’
It was the Apostle.
The Apostle of Sin.
Among them, it seemed the ‘Apostle of Sloth’ was in Ronovell.
“…Evan.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s head to the principality as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
There was no time to waste.
####
Exactly one day later.
Alon arrived in the capital of the Luxible Principality.
And the first thing he saw was.
“…It’s huge.”
“Yes.”
“It’s really huge.”
“I agree.”
“…Isn’t that practically a statue gifted by Deus?”
Right in the middle of the Luxible Principality stood a gigantic statue.
The Lightning Receiver, Kalanon.
…A statue that could practically be said to be Alon’s likeness.
Though not as grand as the one in the Marquis of Palatio.
It was still an enormous statue, enough to make one feel embarrassed.
As Alon looked at it.
He pretended not to care and walked towards the palace.
“We’ve been expecting you, Marquis.”
“Sircal.”
As soon as he entered the palace, Sircal greeted him.
She bowed her head politely.
“I’ll escort you.”
She then led Alon inside.
Soon.
“…Marquis.”
“What.”
“…I’m a bit scared.”
Evan gently grabbed Alon’s coat.
Alon couldn’t bring himself to brush off that hand.
He himself.
Couldn’t help but somewhat agree.
‘No, this is a bit-‘
Wherever Alon walked.
The Thunder Serpent tribe members working there began to lie flat on the ground.
So flat, it was almost burdensome.
Of course, living as a noble, he had never been treated poorly.
But such a grand reception was a first.
Momentarily flustered by the slightly overwhelming scene.
‘…No, didn’t we come out holding hands? Why does it seem like there are no soldiers from Luxible except for the tribesmen?’
A question arose in his mind.
But before he could properly think about it.
Alon saw another mysterious object.
“…What is this?”
“Ah, this is our tribe’s sacred stone tablet. We brought it here when we joined hands with Luxible.”
It looked a bit rough to be in the royal palace, but it exuded a peculiar mystique.
A giant stone tablet engraved with letters.
As Alon examined it, suddenly,
‘The day I was first born-?’
He read the letters.
And at that moment.
Whoosh-!
The space around him changed.
Before he knew it.
He was standing in a different space.
He didn’t even feel the sensation of entering it.
In the blink of an eye.
The surroundings changed all at once.
Clearly, the place where Alon had first been was the kingdom, but.
This place was a completely different space, not the kingdom.
To explain it in detail.
A space surrounded by a dreamy night sky embroidered with dark blue Milky Way.
And in the middle of it.
There was a girl with blue hair.
Staring at Alon with blue eyes that matched her hair color.
A girl who seemed to be full of complaints.
“……?”
Alon felt a sense of déjà vu for some reason.
Even though he had never seen the girl in front of him.
A feeling as if he had seen her once before.
As he tried to recall what this déjà vu was about-
‘Ah.’
He realized.
Where he had seen the girl.
That girl was.
‘The Thunder Snake NPC……?’
An NPC that appeared when the player was about to proceed with the Thunder Snake quest, which required dealing with Basiliora, and disappeared when the quest was over.
The moment he recognized that.
“Give it back.”
“……?”
“Give me back my divinity-!!”
The girl’s voice, full of resentment, echoed in Alon’s ears.