Chapter 99 - The Mysterious Jungle of Ronovelli (1)

The allied kingdoms consisted of eight nations, three principalities, and four cities in total. Yet only five nations formed the alliance’s backbone and were eligible to attend this meeting.

The Kingdom of Asteria.

The Kingdom of Ashtalon.

The Kingdom of Callivan.

The Kingdom of Coloni.

The Kingdom of Laxas.

Of course, the Holy Kingdom of Rosario was also eligible, but it had long abstained from meetings like these. Even when it did attend, it was only when some matter required it, and it sent someone below the pope’s rank rather than the pope himself. In effect, these five nations could be considered the core of the allied kingdoms.

“Hmm. I do not believe that is a matter we can resolve for you.”

“Thirty percent of the monsters cross over from your border. And you intend to turn a blind eye?”

“Should we not seek mutual prosperity? Certain items among our trade goods—”

Indeed, once the monarchs had taken their seats and exchanged brief pleasantries, they discussed affairs of state in such minute detail that even Alon struggled to follow. About all he could grasp was that everyone was making a concerted effort to gain a political advantage at this meeting.

‘Allies and enemies keep switching every time the subject changes.’

Asteria and Callivan were allies on the first issue, then became enemies on the second as though their earlier alliance had never existed. Watching them become allies again on the third, he privately thought:

‘Seeing this, I wonder whether an incompetent king can even exist.’

He looked at Karmakses III, whom he had met before. There was no trace of the man who had laughed so jovially and seemed a little scatterbrained. Now he was trading political blows without wavering in the slightest.

‘... There may be emotional kings, but there are no stupid ones.’

For a while, Alon marveled as conclusions were reached and subjects changed too quickly for him to properly follow.

“Then let us stop here for today. We will be seeing one another for another three days or so, after all.”

The first day’s meeting came to an end.

####

Afterward.

“Thank you for your efforts.”

“Not at all.”

Alon shook his head at Siyan’s words. He really had not done anything difficult. All he had done as her aide was accompany her to the meeting and listen to the monarchs talk. He had not actually done anything in particular.

“What did you think?”

“Of what, Your Majesty?”

“The meeting.”

Alon hummed briefly, considering her question. Or, more precisely, pretending to consider it.

... In truth, he had not properly understood a single thing. It was not that he could not understand the words themselves; he could not decipher all the political intentions hidden within them.

In fact, rather than paying close attention to the political exchanges between the monarchs, he had been focused on Siyan. The way she handled affairs of state here differed from what he had seen in the game.

‘... In Psychedelia, she was definitely portrayed as finding governance too bothersome and leaving everything to the nobles... And that seemed to be how she actually behaved, too.’

Unlike the Siyan he remembered, she was clearly participating in the struggle for advantage, even if not to the same extent as the other monarchs.

“... My apologies, but someone of my standing could hardly presume to judge.”

Given all that, he had stopped listening closely at some point anyway, so he offered a vague answer. Siyan chuckled at his reply.

“You are being modest.”

She spoke as though she found it amusing that he insisted on being modest when he understood everything. Alon hid his awkwardness behind his expressionless face.

“Well, that is fine. I shall let it pass, since I have another favor to ask of you.”

“... A favor?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

In answer, she said,

“If you are willing, could you visit Ronovelli?”

“Ronovelli...?”

“Yes. Do you know it?”

“I do.”

Ronovelli.

Although he had never been there in this world, he knew the region well. It was one of the areas he had visited countless times while playing Psychedelia, and it was also where he had intended to go as soon as this meeting ended.

“There should be a place there called the Ruins of Malaka.”

“The Ruins of Malaka...?”

“Yes. You need only go there and return.”

Alon was silent for a moment before asking,

“... Um, is there a message I should deliver to someone there, or something I need to bring back?”

“No. Simply go there and return.”

“Just go there and return?”

“Yes.”

Alon was puzzled, unable to discern the monarch’s intentions.

“Well, once you get there, you will understand why I told you this. From the third day of the meeting onward, you need not return with me. Leave whenever you wish.”

“Now, get some rest,” Siyan added before returning to her room with her servants.

“...”

Alon remained standing there for a while with a rather strange expression.

####

After returning to his room, Alon gazed blankly out the window for a while, then suddenly recalled something the Observer had said.

[“... Does it look beautiful to you?”]

Without thinking, he looked up at the sky. Countless stars traced the Milky Way across the dark night sky. Some shone brightly beside the moon, while others gave off a small but unmistakable light.

‘Now that I think about it, I think there was something strangely bitter about that expression.’

As he absently wondered what could have made the Observer look that way, a familiar face suddenly popped up beyond the window.

“Mentor!”

Alon barely managed to calm his startled heart.

“Seollang.”

“Yep!”

“You startled me.”

“Aww, liar! Mentor, you weren’t startled at all!”

No, he really had been.

But rather than bother answering, Alon continued.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Huh? Nothing in particular. I just came.”

“Just came?”

“Yep. I wanted to see you.”

Smiling sweetly and swishing her tail, Seollang perched on the windowsill, looking like a dog greeting its owner.

“Is that not allowed?”

“It is not forbidden, but...”

Alon glanced aside, confirming that a blue crescent moon had risen among the stars. After a moment’s thought, he spoke.

“There is somewhere I need to go now. Would you like to come?”

“Yep!”

Without even asking where they were going, Seollang performed an elaborate flip straight from her seated position and landed on the floor. Watching her, Alon rose.

He had hesitated a little because their destination held an item obtainable only here in Tern.

‘Well, it should be fine. She’ll keep it secret if I ask her to.’

On reflection, taking Seollang along should not pose a problem.

“But where we are going must remain a secret.”

“A secret?”

“Yes.”

“Just between us two?”

“That is right.”

“Wow.”

“What is it?”

“I love that sooo much!”

Seollang repeated the word “two” over and over. Soon, a broad smile spread across her face, her tail spun vigorously like a windmill, and even her ears perked up.

Watching her, Alon smiled like a fond father on the inside, then set off.

####

Alon’s destination was Tern’s underground prison. Finding it pitch-black as an abyss, without even a magic lamp, he was about to cast a spell when Seollang spoke.

“Want me to light it up, Mentor?”

“... You can do that?”

“Easy!”

CRACKLE!

Seollang released lightning, and her surroundings lit up brightly.

“How’s that!”

“... You could do that, too?”

With Seollang nodding confidently beside him, he headed deeper into the prison. Before long, they reached its far end.

‘I think it was around here.’

He felt along the bricks until he found one that moved very loosely, then pressed that particular brick.

Then—

RRRRRUMBLE!

With the sound of a mechanism activating, the bricks in what had been a solid wall began moving aside one by one, opening a passage.

“Ooh...!”

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK!

Seollang marveled as the bricks moved into alignment like machinery, forming a doorway. Even Alon, who had seen this scene countless times in the game, felt his heart flutter. Witnessing it in person made him feel like an explorer.

THUD!

The doorway finished forming with a rather loud sound. Beyond it lay a cave whose entire interior shone brilliantly with beautiful green light.

“We need to go a little farther.”

“Okay.”

Alon and Seollang headed into the cave. How long had they walked? After what felt to Alon like roughly ten minutes, they reached a green-lit cavern at the cave’s end.

[“Huh? Humans?”]

“Ah.”

Inside the cavern, he found a fairy about the size of a small child, dressed in blue and looking at him with mild surprise. Alon let out a quiet exclamation.

‘... Tovet. No luck, then.’

The Hand of the Wanderer, a combinable artifact hidden beneath Tern’s underground prison, was guarded by five fairies who took turns every two days. To obtain it, a visitor had to pass the test of whichever fairy was on duty when they arrived.

And...

Alon sucked in a breath.

Tovet, the fairy before him, was famous for having an exceptionally difficult test.

No, strictly speaking, the test itself was not difficult. Tovet’s test was a game of tag.

The problem was that Tovet was fast enough to effortlessly outpace not only a Swordmaster, but even a mage casting Blink repeatedly.

... To put it in game terms, a player could move about eight spaces per turn unless they used a special skill. Tovet could move a staggering 106.

‘It might be different if all I had to do was catch him, but I also have to evade him for at least a minute. It’s practically impossible.’

Even in the game, Tovet’s test had been designed to be passed not head-on, but by using fairy honey from Ronovelli as bait.

‘... I wish Geppetto or Kemita had been here instead... No, anyone but Tovet would have been fine.’

Alon decided without hesitation to give up on obtaining the artifact today. There were still three days until the meeting ended, after all. If he came back tomorrow or the day after, a different fairy would be guarding it.

He turned to Seollang.

“Let us go.”

“Okay!”

She nodded without any questions.

[“Huh? Didn’t you come all this way to find the treasure? And now you’re just leaving? You really are a loser.”]

The fairy jeered, sounding a little taken aback as we turned around. Alon did not bother answering. He knew that taking the blue fairy’s bait and attempting the test would only provide entertainment.

[“Tsk, tsk. This is why humans are nothing but goblin-like bastards with no willpower, trying to gobble up whatever they want.”]

Tovet continued provoking them, apparently disappointed to see them leaving without hesitation when he had intended to toy with the humans in a game of tag.

Naturally, Alon did not react.

“Hey.”

[“Hm?”]

“What did you just say?”

Unfortunately, Seollang could not ignore Tovet’s words.

[“Why? Was I wrong?”]

“I asked what you said to Mentor.”

[“Mentor? Oh, that one running away because he’s scared of losing without even taking the test?”]

He snickered.

[“I called him a loser. What of it?”]

Tovet sneered all the more gleefully. Anyone could see from Seollang’s face that she had taken the bait and looked ready to play along with his little game.

[“Well, if you want to prove me wrong, you can face me in a game of tag—”]

Tovet vanished from where he stood in a deliberate display, as though demonstrating his overwhelming superiority.

[“Though I wonder if you can even touch the tip of my wing?”]

He laughed mockingly as he moved too quickly for the eye to follow.

Knowing that every further taunt would only worsen Seollang’s mood, Alon tried to stop her.

“Seollang, let us just—”

“... Huh?”

What he saw in that instant was a vivid flash of golden light.

CRACKLE!

“Gack—!?”

Tovet’s neck was clutched in Seollang’s hand.

Tovet saw the same thing.

“Say it.”

Golden eyes filled with nothing but murderous intent were right before his face.

“What did you say?”