Chapter 75 - The Pirate King of Laxas (2)

Tirian stared at Deus in disbelief. Anyone who smashed through the door to the detached palace’s office and strode inside without hesitation had to be out of his mind.

He was about to speak when—

"!"

He realized there was no point. The knights who were supposed to be standing by to protect him lay sprawled outside the shattered door.

Horrified, Tirian looked at Deus Makalian, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"What in the world do you think you’re doing?"

"I merely came to ask you a question."

"About what?"

"I heard you intend to slander Count Pallatio. Is that true?"

Deus’s eerie violet eyes flashed as he asked, and Tirian momentarily fell silent.

'What murderous intent...!'

Wastrel though he was, Tirian was still a knight. He realized that the murderous intent he sensed from Deus was not being deliberately unleashed, but was simply the presence he naturally exuded. Surprise crossed his face before he frowned.

"And if it is?"

"I would like you to reverse your decision."

Tirian stared into his eyes, then let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Ha. Why should I?"

"..."

Deus stared steadily at him. His murderous intent weighed subtly on Tirian, but once Tirian assessed the situation, his lips twisted into a smirk.

"More importantly, do you even realize what you’re doing right now?"

"I only came to ask whether it was true."

"Ha! You act like a traitor, then claim you only came to ask a question?"

Deus answered Tirian’s scowling accusation.

"Let me assure you in advance: that will never happen."

"... You’ve made this mess, and you say it will never happen?"

"Correct. Of course, this detached palace might suddenly collapse, and Your Highness might perish in an unfortunate accident."

"?"

"But I will never stage a rebellion."

Deus looked so utterly serious that Tirian could only wonder what the hell this bastard was talking about as he continued.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I mean exactly what I said. I have not the slightest intention of rebelling or threatening you. However—"

"However?"

"I merely mentioned that structural problems with this palace could result in Your Highness’s death."

"..."

That is a threat, you bastard! The words rose to Tirian’s throat, but he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. The eyes facing him clearly belonged to someone telling the truth.

'This bastard is serious...!'

As cold sweat trickled down Tirian’s skin, Deus spoke again.

"So, would you reconsider?"

"And if I won’t?"

Tirian spoke on the assumption that Deus surely would not do anything so absurd. But upon hearing his answer, Deus murmured as though something saddened him.

"I see."

Then he casually waved a hand.

CRACK!

"!?"

Solid violet lines began spreading throughout the detached palace.

Soon, the lines filled the palace, tangled together like a spiderweb.

CRRRACK!

Sounds that should never have come from the enormous building began to ring out.

"So the crack that has been in pillar number eight for eighteen years will suffer a sudden impact and bring it down—"

"!?"

The voice accompanying the sounds was as flat as someone reading from a language textbook.

Deus looked at Tirian with apparent deep regret, then began closing his hand into a fist without hesitation, as though negotiations were over.

"W-waiiit—!!!"

"What is it?"

"I’ll withdraw it! I’ll reverse my decision!"

At Tirian’s frantic shout, the royal palace, which had been shaking impossibly just a moment before, instantly fell still.

"... On closer inspection, there doesn’t seem to be much of a problem."

"..."

Tirian stared at him as though wondering how such a lunatic could exist, then heaved a deep sigh. Secretly, he was thinking:

'If I can just get through this, I’ll find some way...!'

But Deus had already returned to his usual impassive expression and spoke.

"Then we will need to get our stories straight."

"What?"

"Let us say I entered the detached palace so violently because Your Highness harassed my younger sister."

"..."

Tirian’s mouth fell open in disbelief, but he soon nodded quietly.

"Very well."

He had never intended to comply with Deus’s demands in the first place.

'Once I’m out of this situation, I’ll use what happened here to deal with this bastard somehow...!'

Instead, he secretly smiled a vicious smile, plotting to use this incident as a pretext to bring Deus down once he left.

"Oh, and just in case, I should mention that if you’re entertaining any other ideas, you would be wise to abandon them."

Unfortunately, Tirian’s spiteful plans were doomed by Deus’s next words.

"Unless you want word getting out that Your Highness is deeply involved with an underworld organization in another country."

"... How...!"

For Tirian, who still coveted the throne, that information must never reach the royal palace—much less the king’s ears.

And so, Deus left him with one final remark.

"I trust you will choose wisely."

Then he turned and left the detached palace, as though he had said everything he needed to say.

Left alone, Tirian stared blankly at the entrance.

"Aaaaaaagh!!!"

With a furious scream, he picked up the office chair he had been sitting in and hurled it away, smashing it to pieces.

About a day later...

Rumors spread through the royal palace that the wastrel second prince had harassed Deus Makalian’s younger sister.

####

Meanwhile, as those events unfolded in Callivan, Alon met Rine at Merd without encountering the difficulties he had faced last time, and had the insignia appraised as he had originally intended.

"Here you are, Godfather."

"Thank you."

"I’m the one who should be thanking you, Godfather."

"It makes me happy to see you like it so much."

Taking the insignia from Rine, Alon nodded in satisfaction as he watched her toy with the fountain pen, a faint smile on her lips.

'If I’d known she would like it this much, I would have bought her one sooner.'

Seeing her smile, however slightly, brought the thought home to him.

'She seems a little more expressive than last time. Am I imagining it?'

He wasn’t sure whether it was because she was in such a good mood, but her emotions showed far more clearly than before. The thought lasted only a moment before he recalled what he had heard earlier. Then he shrugged.

'Rine would never do that.'

As far as he could judge, she did not seem likely to kill people without a second thought merely because they had insulted him.

'... She wouldn’t, right?'

Suddenly, Alon remembered the son of Lartania’s lord.

Some time passed.

"Well, I think I’ll leave a little early today."

"You’re leaving already, Godfather?"

"Yes. There’s something I need to get moving on a little sooner."

Noting that the sun was still high in the sky, Alon rose and decided to part with Rine a little early. With the insignia’s appraisal complete, there was no reason to remain in Lartania anyway.

As he prepared to leave, he let out a quiet exclamation, as though remembering something.

"Ah."

"What is it, Godfather?"

"Could you acquire an artifact like this?"

After he explained what he needed, Rine considered it briefly and nodded.

"Yes, I think I could give you an artifact like that right now... Would you like one?"

"Then I would appreciate it."

She moved at once and soon returned with a box containing the artifact he had described.

"Here you are, Godfather."

"Thank you. How much do I owe you?"

"You don’t need to pay. It isn’t particularly expensive to begin with. You can simply accept it as a gift."

Alon hesitated briefly at her words, then nodded in acceptance.

"Then I’ll gratefully accept."

"Of course, Godfather. If there is anything else you need from me, please tell me at any time."

"Thank you for looking out for me."

After saying goodbye to Rine, he concluded his short visit to Lartania and set out once more.

And as Rine quietly watched Alon’s carriage recede into the distance, she turned her gaze toward the lord’s castle beyond it and murmured softly.

"... Not much longer now."

####

On the fifth day after leaving Lartania, with roughly one more day’s travel to the port city of Laxas, the sea came into view outside the window.

"... The sea."

"It’s the sea..."

As they murmured absently at the seascape gradually emerging beyond the forest, a man stepped into the carriage’s path.

"Halt!"

Wearing the pointed hat that was practically a mage’s trademark, the blue-haired boy addressed Evan with a supremely self-important expression.

"You there. Bring me some food."

"?"

Evan looked bewildered at the boy who had suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest and addressed him so rudely.

Perhaps he disliked that expression, for the boy frowned as though Evan were the one in the wrong.

"Did you not hear me?"

Hearing the voice outside, Alon leaned his head out of the window and looked at the boy blocking the carriage.

"Oh, are you the master? How fortunate. I was having trouble getting through to your servant. Would you share some food with me?"

The boy brightened, demanding food as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

After a moment’s bewilderment, Alon asked,

"... Who are you?"

"Hmm!" The boy looked immensely pleased with himself, then introduced himself in a voice brimming with excitement.

"I am Pelin, a third-tier mage of the Blue Magic Tower."

Alon’s mouth fell open at this display of apparent self-infatuation, making Pelin grow even more self-assured.

"As you surely know, opportunities to earn a mage’s favor are rare. And now you find yourselves presented with that precious opportunity."

"... Do we?"

"Indeed! It is awkward to say so myself, but although I fall short of my elder sister, I am unquestionably a genius."

As Alon wondered what to do with this boy who so brazenly proclaimed that they should buy his favor with food, an extremely familiar voice came from the bushes beside them.

"Hey, Pelin! I told you not to run off on your own!!"

Though he had not heard that voice in quite some time, he recognized its owner at once. Alon turned toward the bushes, and Penia emerged.

"Are you seriously going to keep doing whatever you want? Do I have to beat the living shit out of you before you’ll learn!?"

Penia was venting all her irritation at Pelin when—

"... Huh?"

—she noticed Alon’s head sticking out of the carriage window and froze on the spot.

"Sister, we should be getting some food now, so don’t wor—"

Pelin began speaking, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.

CRACK!

"Gaaagh!?"

Penia’s eyes flew wide open, and she swung her staff at the speed of light, cracking Pelin over the head. He slammed straight into the ground.

Then—

"I-I’m so soooorry!!!"

Penia prostrated herself on the ground in a deep bow.

"..."

"...?"

Watching her, Alon and Evan could only stare blankly.