Chapter 610: Hol (5)

The next day.

In other words, on the second day after reaching the Empire’s territory, Alon was able to use the estate’s help to communicate with the Allied Kingdoms through a crystal orb.

Because Penia, who had been carrying the crystal orb, had disappeared, contact had only just become possible.

[......Elivan.]

Soon, as if he had been waiting, Alon was able to see Elivan’s face beyond the communication orb.

[Hello!]

At the sight of Elivan giving him a bright smile, just like when they had met before he became the Sin of Wrath, Alon closed his mouth slightly.

Of course, he had known Elivan would wake up again.

After all, it was through the formula Elivan had left behind that he had realized the Wanderer had betrayed them, and that coming beyond the Empire was meant to lure him into a trap.

But even so, he had not expected Elivan to appear so cleanly in his old form again.

That slight bewilderment only lasted for a moment.

[......How is the situation on your end?]

Alon decided to ask what he needed to ask first, rather than what he was curious about.

[We dealt with the Wanderer as planned. And the Divine blood she left behind as well—]

Soon, Elivan began calmly telling Alon about what had happened in the Allied Kingdoms over the past month or two in response to his question.

A short while later.

“......So, the Wanderer has definitely been dealt with. And most of the Divine blood that fell afterward has also been dealt with. Is that what you mean?”

[That’s right! Of course, there do still seem to be a few Divine blood hiding somewhere, but you don’t need to worry too much. The Divine blood in Ashtalon are working hard on that.]

At Elivan’s words, Alon let out a relieved sigh.

Because at least things over there seemed to have passed without any major damage, just as Alon had expected.

......Of course, that was not the case on this side.

“That is a relief.”

Alon answered, hiding a faint bitterness, and Elivan smiled softly.

[I think so too.]

“Do you?”

[Yes. Ah—and there is one more matter I need to tell you.]

“......Is it good news?”

[Hm—yes. At least at this point, it is. The time when the Karma seats will descend has been pushed back a little.]

“The time when the Karma seats will descend......? How?”

At Alon’s question, Elivan paused with an umm before continuing.

[Hm—if I explain in detail, it will take a long time. I’ll tell you once you return. For now, simply put, the Wanderer twisted the hole at the final moment.]

“......Was she trying to bring forward the time when the Karma seats would descend to the surface?”

[That’s right. She failed, though.]

“Did the recoil create a distortion in space or something like that, delaying the time when the Karma seats will descend even further?”

Alon’s guess.

At that, Elivan nodded with an expression that seemed to say, Wow.

[That’s right. They could descend if they abandoned their power, but the Karma seats probably won’t do something like that.]

The current case is an unusual one, Elivan said, then lifted his gaze upward for a moment as if looking at the sky.

[Anyway—because that’s the situation, I think we have about four months from now. And if we take into account the process of the Karma seats fighting each other and the Empire being broken through, the period may be even longer than that—but—]

I’ll tell you once you come back, Lord Alon! Elivan said cheerfully.

[Ah, and I’ll tell you everything else too.]

Then, with an incomprehensible smile, he spoke to Alon.

“......Will you?”

[You’ll be curious.]

At Elivan’s following words, Alon nodded as if he understood, and one by one, he put away the many questions currently rising in his mind.

“Very well. Then I’ll hear the rest when we meet.”

At Alon’s words that followed.

[Yes. Then I’ll be waiting, Father.]

With Elivan’s answer, the communication ended.

Alon let out a small sigh.

A moment later.

[By the way.]

Basiliora, which had only been listening to Alon’s conversation until a moment ago, suddenly opened its mouth.

“What is it?”

[No, did you have a child?]

“......All of a sudden?”

[That fellow called you Father. And usually, there is only one reason someone calls another person Father, is there not?]

At Basiliora’s words, Alon shook his head.

“Even if he says that, he is not my child. To begin with, there is hardly any age difference between us, is there?”

At that, Basiliora made a hmm expression.

[Now that I think about it, looking at that fellow’s face...... it does seem unlikely that you are his father.]

“.......”

......That somehow pisses me off, Alon thought briefly, then let out a small sigh.

“......Four months. That is fortunate.”

The Wanderer had done something that could have destroyed the world immediately, but in the end, it had undoubtedly become good news for Alon.

Because right now, he needed time.

[Is four months enough?]

“Honestly, it isn’t enough. Still, I’ll have to try. And besides—”

At Basiliora’s question, having noticed his intent, Alon answered that way.

Four months was by no means a long time.

On top of that, Alon still had not figured out how to erase the aptitude Penia had gained after becoming a cultivator.

But the one fortunate thing was—

“Blackie helped.”

[Kkyuu—!]

—that Blackie knew Penia’s coordinates.

As Alon stroked Blackie, which had popped out at some point, he recalled what had happened the previous night.

Yesterday.

Blackie had slipped out of Alon’s body so lightly that he could almost imagine hearing the sound effect hop.

Then, as if it had been waiting for Alon to collect himself, it cried kkyuuuu and rubbed its body against his hand.

Alon stroked Blackie’s head, as if he was used to that behavior.

And soon, as if he had been waiting, through the circuit he had connected to Blackie for calculation, he was able to find the location of another alter—

No, Penia’s location.

Of course, it was an extremely small clue.

Even if he knew the location, that did not mean he could specify the coordinates yet.

But even that alone was an immense help to Alon.

“......Let’s go at once, without delay.”

Alon no longer hesitated and decided to leave the Empire.

####

None of his companions objected when Alon said they should leave the Empire.

“I am relieved, Lord Alon.”

“......Hm?”

“Because of what happened...... I was worried.”

In front of the mansion.

At Deus, who spoke as if he had been waiting, Alon fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

“It isn’t as though I can just collapse where I stand.”

Just like yesterday, it was not that he had no despair in him.

His emotions were twisted, but Alon’s memories alone continued to remind him of that moment without end.

As if the memory had been branded into him.

His emotions were diluted, but the memory kept rising again and again.

It was true that the memory was eating away at Alon.

Even so, he could not collapse.

“I have to move forward.”

Alon’s words.

At that, Deus fell silent just as Alon had, then soon smiled faintly.

“I believe you are right.”

Alon likewise nodded.

A moment later.

“......?”

Alon soon made a puzzled expression.

Because—

“Deus, did something happen?”

“Why do you suddenly ask?”

“No, it’s just...... how should I put it.”

Alon tilted his expressionless face slightly.

“......Your smile has become more natural?”

Deus had clearly not changed.

But Alon undeniably felt as if his atmosphere had changed.

However, Deus only continued smiling as he was.

“I realized something.”

That was all he answered.

“Have more of your emotions returned?”

“That is part of it.”

“......?”

At his following words, Alon felt a slight question, but it did not seem as though anything was particularly wrong with Deus.

“Then let’s go.”

And so, they began moving.

####

Deus Makalian, sitting on Basiliora’s back and blankly looking at the blue sky, looked at Alon again.

At Alon’s back, which was always standing ahead.

And what came to his mind together with that was last night.

Last night, when everyone must have been asleep.

[Hello.]

Deus Makalian had been able to hear the voice of the Sin of Sloth.

[Well—you don’t need to answer.]

[You and I still can’t talk to each other anyway—]

[Of course, that isn’t my fault. It is entirely because you still haven’t gotten used to it.]

[Still, one-sided communication will be possible, so I’ll tell you what I need to pass on.]

[Well—rather than that, just like with the emotions—]

Far too abruptly.

Yet far too suddenly, the Sin of Sloth poured words into him.

[It would be a little more accurate to say I’m simply returning it to you.]

Then, without warning, it began showing Deus something strange.

And before long, he realized that what he was seeing was not a simple scene, but a memory.

And not someone else’s memory.

It was Deus Makalian’s memory.

The moment he saw it, Deus fell into confusion.

What had surfaced in his head was definitely Deus Makalian’s memory.

But strangely, what entered his mind was not his own memory.

At least, he had never experienced anything like this.

But at some point, Deus Makalian realized.

‘Could it be—’

That this memory was his.

More precisely, that it was a memory passed to him by his “previous” self.

“.......”

Much of the memory was damaged.

Most of what the Sin handed over was not proper memory.

Most of them were scenes, and even then, many of the memories were still too vague for him to grasp the circumstances before and after.

Even so, Deus realized.

That this had been the difference between himself and his companions.

What he did not have, and what his companions did have.

That was this.

These memories.

‘You’re Deus Makalian, right? Let’s get along from now on.’

‘Deus? Could you please not do that?’

‘Haa—Deus, I told you that you shouldn’t try to hurt other people just because you don’t like them, didn’t I?’

And at the same time, Deus had no choice but to realize.

Why his companions followed the Great Moon, Alon, so much more earnestly than before.

Why they believed in the Great Moon.

‘Deus, don’t worry. This much won’t kill me.’

‘Why would my arm flying off be your fault? It was my fault. So don’t worry too much, Deus. For something like this, I can just attach a prosthetic arm and it’ll be the same. You may not know this, but I’ve actually had a slight admiration for prosthetic arms.’

‘This is nice. I can become about halfway similar to a character I like.’

‘So—’

He had no choice but to know.

‘—it isn’t your fault, Deus.’

Because it was a memory that could only make him feel that way.

Because it was a memory that had to.

“......? Deus?”

“What is it, Lord Alon?”

“Are you not getting motion sick?”

“I suppose I’ve gotten used to it after riding for a while.”

“......That is fortunate.”

Listening to Alon’s words, which sounded indifferent.

And yet let his concern be seen.

Deus smiled.