Chapter 66 - Sign It for Me! (1)
8 min read ·
Three days had passed since Alon personally went to confirm that something had happened to Al-Kamae.
As before, he had begun traveling with merchants who regularly visited the desert city. He let out a heavy sigh in the sweltering heat.
“My lord, couldn't you use that just once?”
“If I use it wrong, you could freeze solid.”
“I think I'd be happier frozen solid than roasted alive...”
“The answer is still no.”
Listening to Evan complain about not wanting to be roasted alive, Alon looked up at the blazing sun and recalled what had happened a few days earlier.
'Why had Al-Kamae's place ended up like that?'
Of course, without seeing a body, he couldn't know exactly what had happened to Al-Kamae. The reason he nevertheless suspected something had befallen him was the artifact he had taken away.
“...”
He looked at the epaulet in his hand. Far from shining gold, it was a dull gray.
In Psychedelia, it was an artifact he could loot after defeating Al-Kamae midway through the game.
'The Symbol of the Innocent. I didn't know I'd be able to get this already.'
The epaulet depicted an index finger covering the very center of an eye. It had no function at present, but once appraised, it boasted quite impressive performance for an item obtainable midway through the game—much like the ring Heinkel had given him, which he still couldn't use.
'I should stop by the labyrinth city to have it appraised on my way to Laxas to unlock the ring.'
In any case, Al-Kamae treasured this Symbol of the Innocent and had placed a binding spell on it to prevent anyone from stealing it.
Simply put, no one else could take the epaulet unless Al-Kamae was dead. Yet it showed no magical reaction whatsoever in Alon's hand, convincing him that something had happened to its owner.
So that night, Alon had stripped Al-Kamae's mansion of everything he could take.
“...”
He glanced at the treasures piled behind him in the carriage, smiling broadly behind his impassive face.
And that wasn't all. His belt was once again stocked with top-grade mana potions, replacing all those he had used in his last battle with Kailas.
He had looted every one of them from Al-Kamae's mansion.
'There wasn't as much treasure as I expected—'
Still, money didn't grow on trees in this world. Even the amount piled in the carriage was enough to put a huge grin on Alon's face.
As far as he was concerned, money was always good.
How long had they been traveling like that?
“Everyone, halt!”
CLANG! CLANG!
At the shout from up ahead, the carriages crossing the desert all stopped, and a bell rang out.
It was the caravan's signal to make camp. Seeing that the sun was setting, Alon stepped out of the carriage.
Shortly after they began preparing camp...
“Ah, my lord! Has everything been comfortable for you today?”
Unlike the leader of the Goldenfoot caravan last time, this caravan's leader was fairly slim. He approached Alon and bowed.
“Thanks to you.”
“Oh, not at all!”
Though he hadn't done anything in particular, the caravan leader bowed repeatedly and handed Alon the things he had brought, wearing that unmistakable capitalist smile.
“... What is this?”
“Ah, these are goods our caravan carries. That is wine made in the Komur domain, and these are foods we source from the Kalmian domain and sell.”
“I see.”
“I brought them in the hope that you might give them a try.”
The man bowed so extravagantly that his face nearly touched the ground. Alon gave a small nod.
“I shall enjoy them.”
“Yes, my lord! Have a restful evening.”
Alon shrugged lightly as he watched the caravan leader retreat, bowing again and again.
Once, people hadn't even treated him properly as a noble. These days, he received lavish treatment wherever he went.
His own reputation was one reason, but word had also spread far and wide that he was the head of the Sword Faction, currently the most influential faction in the Kingdom of Asteria.
As a result, anyone with even a little knowledge of the kingdom's affairs became a fawning flatterer the moment they saw him, eager to get on his good side.
'Well, that's only people who operate around the Kingdom of Asteria.'
He was shrugging as he looked at the gifts the caravan leader had offered in the hope of securing a new business opportunity when he heard voices.
“Oh my, really?”
“Of course.”
Evan had finished setting up camp at some point and was now off to one side talking with a woman.
“Wow, you're really amazing.”
“Haha, well, something like that is hardly difficult.”
Watching the woman enthusiastically encourage Evan as he chatted away, clearly delighted about something, Alon soon realized who she was.
'The caravan leader's daughter?'
He wore an odd expression as he watched the affectionate pair.
'He's been attracting a lot of women lately.'
He had a fair idea why women had suddenly begun flocking around Evan.
It was because of his own fame. Upon hearing that Evan was the famous Count Pallatio's one and only knight, most women approached him with interest.
Alon had mixed feelings about the situation. Somehow, it felt like he was doing all the work while someone else reaped the rewards. But he soon shrugged.
'Still, he's worked hard. This much is fine.'
Watching Evan laugh for no particular reason in his ridiculous, affected voice, Alon found himself wondering anew.
'Does Evan realize, I wonder? That the caravan leader's daughter is watching him like a hawk?'
There was no need to spoil his fun. With the sun now completely set and the weather growing chilly, Alon sat in front of the campfire to escape the cold.
“Delicious.”
The sweet potatoes Evan had prepared before leaving were perfectly cooked.
####
Early in the morning, a week and a day later, Alon saw Coloni again for the first time in almost a year.
'Hmm.'
Coloni hadn't changed much since his last visit, but its appearance was so distinctive to begin with that the sight still felt novel to him.
Soon, he exchanged brief farewells with the caravan leader. The instant he turned around—
“Mentor!”
Seollang rushed straight at him and wrapped him in a tight embrace.
“Hi!”
She greeted him brightly, clinging to him like glue.
“It's been a while.”
“It has!”
As Alon watched Seollang bounce excitedly, her tail swishing, he noticed the murmurs around them, so quiet they were almost inaudible.
“Look. Isn't that the Golden Flash?”
“It is.”
“Who's that man?”
“I think he's Count Pallatio.”
“Wow, no way. The Mad Dog really acts that affectionate?”
He spoke.
“Seollang.”
“Yes!”
“Let go of me first.”
“Okay!”
At his words, she immediately unwrapped her legs from his waist and set her feet on the ground.
“Did I do well?”
“You did.”
As he watched her tail swish, seemingly pleased by his praise, the surroundings fell silent.
Realizing this, Alon turned his gaze.
“...”
Everyone at Coloni's southern gate was staring at him in shock. Even the caravan leader he had just said goodbye to and the man's daughter stood with their mouths hanging open.
'... Is it really that surprising?'
Slightly flustered by the sudden silence, Alon looked around.
Every face suggested they had seen something they were never meant to see, as though they couldn't tell whether they were awake or dreaming.
Their reaction only bewildered him in turn.
Hadn't Seollang made just as much of a fuss over him a year ago?
Yet the looks he received now were so different from then. His bewilderment lasted only a moment.
“Ahem.”
Feeling awkward for no particular reason, Alon cleared his throat and spoke.
“Seollang, I'd like to go straight to the ruins. Would that be possible?”
“Of course!”
At her answer, Alon immediately climbed into the carriage.
Even as he boarded and set off for the ruins, the shock never left the onlookers' faces.
####
On the way to the forgotten ruins in the carriage Seollang had prepared, Alon noticed a subtle change as they traveled under the Golden Mane Tribe's protection, just as before.
'Something about the atmosphere is different.'
Alon looked at Seollang.
She was no different from a year ago. The only slight change was that her brilliant golden hair had grown longer, now reaching her tailbone. Otherwise, she was much the same.
Unlike Seollang, however, the Golden Mane tribespeople escorting the carriage had a distinctly different air about them than a year earlier.
'I thought they used to be a little friendlier...'
Of course, that friendliness had been directed at Seollang rather than Alon. Now, however, none of their former easygoing warmth was to be seen.
Watching them move with their surroundings under strict surveillance, without a word of idle chatter, he recalled what Seollang had suffered a year earlier and nodded.
'... Did that betrayal hit her hard after all?'
As he considered this and resolved to treat her a little better so she wouldn't go astray...
“Oh, Mentor!”
Seollang called to him as though something had suddenly occurred to her, and he answered.
“What is it?”
“Can I ask you a favor?!”
The sudden question left Alon a little puzzled, but he soon nodded.
“Anything, as long as it's something I can do.”
It was largely thanks to Seollang that he could travel to the ruins in comfort, and he had just been thinking that he ought to be kinder to her. When he nodded, she beamed, then pulled a sheet of paper from inside her clothes and handed it to him.
Then she said,
“Give it here.”
She extended a hand out of the carriage window, and an artifact pen was immediately placed in it, as though someone had been waiting.
Handing it straight to Alon, Seollang said,
“Here, sign this for me.”
“Sign...?”
“Yes!”
She nodded repeatedly, looking utterly eager. She nodded so vigorously that the hair reaching her tailbone swung through the air.
At that, Alon thought,
'Is she asking me... to act as a guarantor?'
Growing nervous despite himself, he looked down at the paper. Various sections of the complicated document appeared to have already been filled out.
“...?”
With a questioning expression, Alon looked at the top of the document.
“... A marriage registration form?”
“Sign it for me!”
“...”
He was left speechless.