Chapter 85 - Investiture Ceremony (1)

Alon’s bewilderment at hearing he had buried no fewer than eight nobles—something he himself knew absolutely nothing about—lasted only a moment. After considering how to clear up the misunderstanding, he finally decided not to respond to that remark.

In ordinary relationships, a misunderstanding about who had bumped off whom ought to be cleared up promptly. But the person he was speaking to was one of Asteria’s masterminds.

“... So was that the only reason you contacted me?”

When Alon moved the conversation along without either confirming or denying it, Duchess Altia nodded.

[“Yes. I’ve finished giving you my report as well.”]

As she said, he had already received her report on the Sword Faction before this topic came up, so Alon nodded.

[“Then I’ll see you at the coronation.”]

After watching Duchess Altia bow in farewell, he let out a small sigh and thought,

‘Come to think of it, there was a coronation coming up.’

Reminded of that, Alon sifted through the pile of letters on one side of his office desk. Before long, he found a letter bearing the royal crest and a sheet of paper beneath it.

The accompanying sheet was a note left by a royal secretary. Though padded with various pleasantries, its gist was that Count Pallatio had been away for an extended period, so the secretary was leaving only the letter.

“The coronation is...four months from now.”

Four months. As Alon considered a span that could seem either long or short, something else occurred to him.

‘Once those four months have passed, there’ll be just under a year left until the original story begins.’

The approach of a period he had experienced countless times in the game stirred all sorts of feelings, but only briefly.

‘... There’ll still be a truckload of bastards to deal with by then.’

He recalled the enemies who would emerge around the start of the original story.

‘The Proxies have been dealt with, but I haven’t taken care of Ghostwail.’

Recalling what he had checked before going to Coloni, Alon sighed softly and leaned back in his chair. There was more to do than he had expected.

‘I have to deal with the bastards running wild right now, and the Outer God in hiding, too.’

In truth, dealing with those currently running wild would not be particularly difficult. In Psychedelia, apart from the Outer Gods and the Five Great Sins, the beings who would plunge the entire allied kingdoms into war and chaos only became active once the original story began.

Of course, Alon’s goal was to be living out a leisurely life by the time those beings appeared. That was why he had supported Elivan, the original protagonist.

‘I should give him some more support when the original story begins.’

After thinking of Elivan, who would be responsible for his peaceful future, Alon turned his thoughts back to the Outer God and let out a sigh. Unlike those future threats, the Outer God was something he had to deal with himself.

‘The problem is that I don’t know where it is...though even finding it right now would be a problem.’

The only reason Alon had been able to anticipate victory over the Outer Gods so far was that they had yet to manifest fully. That was not all. His victories also owed to his knowledge of their various characteristics—in other words, their weaknesses.

Facing the Outer God in hiding, then, would very likely be an entirely different sort of battle.

‘... Well, once I find it and work out which Outer God it is, I can prepare accordingly, so that isn’t the issue. Full manifestation is the real problem, I suppose.’

If an Outer God was hiding on the continent, there was a strong chance it had already manifested fully. A few months after descending to earth, an Outer God would fully enter this world as an incarnate god. In that state, it would certainly be incomparably stronger than any Outer God he had faced so far.

In short, even if he found it, there was a high probability that he could not win in his present condition.

... No, not merely high. It was one hundred percent.

Alon’s magic was powerful enough to affect an Outer God, but even so, it had too many shortcomings to contend with one that had manifested fully. There was a definite limit to how many times he could cast, and bringing his magic into being took far too long. Its only advantage was that, once brought into being, it worked on the enemy.

‘I’ll have to prepare. And start looking for information on the Outer God in hiding.’

Deciding that he needed to prepare for that battle, he looked at the letter from the royal family.

... Four months was beginning to feel surprisingly short.

####

While Alon was quietly sighing over the royal letter as he sorted out what he needed to do next, Penia Kraisinne and Pelin Kraisinne were still traveling with Radan, more than three weeks after Count Pallatio’s departure.

Naturally, Penia was staying with Radan purely for the convenience. Most of her investigations in Laxas concerned materials and finished products being illegally leaked from the magic tower. And since Alon had asked him to look after them before leaving, Radan was treating Penia and Pelin quite well.

Thanks to the pirates’ help, Penia had been able to get her work done a little ahead of schedule. Today, she was at the royal castle in Laxas—with Radan, no less.

Though they were both there, their purposes differed, and they had entered at different times. Even Penia, who cared little for what others thought, had no intention of advertising that she was traveling with the Pirate King.

Thus, Radan had entered as an envoy to negotiate future relations with Laxas in his capacity as the Pirate King who had united the Seven Fleet Isles. Penia had come to demand answers about certain illegally distributed magical supplies that were being secretly leaked by the kingdom.

Having finished all her business, she was now...

“It’s been ages. How long has it been, Penia?”

“We saw each other when I last came as an envoy, so...about four years?”

“Wow, has it been that long already?”

“Well, yes?”

...meeting with Serena Laxasia, Laxas’s first princess.

Serena Laxasia, who was smiling at Penia, shared quite a close bond with her. It was all thanks to Selaim, the current master of the Blue Magic Tower.

Back when Penia was learning magic as his pupil, Serena had also come to the Blue Magic Tower because of her magical talent, and the two had studied under him together. Serena had eventually reached the limits of her talent and abandoned her studies to return to Laxas, but the affection they had developed as children had already made them very close.

“So, how’s your magic coming along these days?”

“Hmm... I think I’ll break through soon.”

“Wow, really? That’s incredible.”

“Isn’t it?”

Serena set aside her status as a princess, and Penia her status as deputy tower master...though Penia generally lived that way anyway.

In any case, they had been chatting freely like friends for a while when...

“Oh, that reminds me. I heard something rather interesting.”

“Something interesting?”

“Yes. I hear a man has you under his thumb?”

“... Huh? Me?”

Serena nodded at Penia’s incredulous expression.

“Yes. Who was it again? Hmm... Oh, Count Pallatio? Some noble like that, I think. Is it true?”

“Huh? Under his thumb? It’s absolutely nothing like that!”

“Oh, come on. Everyone’s heard! You can never hide your temper, but you’re so demure around Count Pallatio?”

“...”

Penia frowned slightly at Serena’s words and started to say something, only to fall silent. On reflection, that statement itself was not wrong. Still, she did not want to let it stand.

“No, I’m telling you, it’s not like that. Really.”

At Penia’s feeble denial, Serena spoke with the look of someone who had found something enormously entertaining.

“... You really do like him, don’t you?”

“What? Like whom?”

“Count Pallatio.”

Penia looked incredulous at Serena’s knowing manner.

“I do not!”

“Really?”

“Yes, absolutely—even if the sky fell, I wouldn’t!”

As Penia frowned, recalling Pelin’s nonsense the other day, Serena gave her an odd look.

“Really?”

“Yes! I don’t understand why everyone keeps getting that idea! I really don’t like him!”

“Hmm.”

“I mean it! Who on earth would like someone as wooden as him anyway?! All he knows how to do is scowl and shake people—”

“?”

“Shake—”

“Shake?”

Serena echoed the word, but Penia could not continue. The reason was simple.

‘W-why is he here—!’

Radan, who should have been deep in conversation with the king, was standing at the window she faced, staring at her without expression.

‘Wh-what is this...!’

Penia’s shoulders gave a sudden shudder. In truth, she was not particularly afraid of Radan. She had witnessed his strength firsthand, but she did not believe she would lose to him in a fight on land.

Despite that, she was trembling because she knew there was a very strong chance he would report this straight to Count Pallatio. Her eyes quivering, she desperately pretended not to see him.

“—shake...people down. He doesn’t.”

“... Huh?”

“Count Pallatio is a very wonderful person. A very wonderful person, and...a-and he’s very wonderful.”

“...? I think you’ve said ‘wonderful’ three times already.”

Penia desperately kept the conversation going.

“Um, you know? When you see his magic, it’s like you get drawn in. That’s how it feels. Count Pallatio’s magic is very unusual.”

“... Then doesn’t that mean you like him?”

“That’s—absolutely—”

“Absolutely?”

“—possibly true.”

GRRRK

As Penia bowed her head deeply and spoke through gritted teeth, Serena looked delighted, as though her suspicions had been confirmed.

“I see! So you do like him.”

“Y-yes... That’s right.”

Keeping her head lowered, Penia stole a glance in a certain direction. Radan stood at the end of her gaze. With a satisfied expression, he nodded once and disappeared from beyond the window.

“Whew...”

Penia breathed a sigh of relief. Serena, however, took the sight of her quite differently.

‘With her personality, I suppose she can’t bring herself to make a move.’

After a moment’s thought, she decided,

‘Hmm. My friend worked so hard to admit her true feelings. Perhaps I should help her out?’

... She resolved to show her dearest friend a little kindness. Kindness Penia had never imagined.

“Hehe.”

Having made her decision, Serena chuckled softly. It was a sly, crafty smile, utterly unaware that she had the wrong idea.

####

Four months later.

After a busy schedule of gathering information to identify the Outer God, training to expand his mana reservoir, and researching magic, Alon was finally riding a carriage to the capital, Teria, in time for the coronation.

“My lord.”

“What is it?”

“Have you heard?”

“... What is it this time?”

“There’s a rumor going around about you lately.”

“... About me?”

“Yes.”

From Evan, he heard a rather peculiar rumor.

“From what I’ve heard, word seems to be spreading that Penia Kraisinne is in love with Count Pallatio.”

“... What?”

“Penia Kraisinne. The deputy master of the Blue Magic Tower.”

“...”

An absurd, bizarre rumor.