Chapter 166 – Ball (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Two weeks after Alon set out for Theria to attend the ball.

“We are finally there.”

“Looks like it.”

The scenery of the capital began to appear in the distance.

Beside him, Evan let out a hot breath as if he were feeling the heat.

“After the ball, are we going to Lartania again and then straight on to Colony this time too?”

“That will probably be the case.”

“I see.”

“…You look a little regretful about something.”

When Alon asked in puzzlement after looking at Evan’s face, Basiliora cut in.

[Hmph. Judging from the way he looks like a mutt holding in piss, it must be a woman problem.]

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

[It is true. I saw you take a letter out of your clothes a few days ago and make a suspicious face while reading it.]

“Ugh. When did you see that?”

[Ah, the night when I long for Lord Evan’s eyes…]

“Waaaaah.”

As Basiliora raised its voice and began reciting the contents of the letter, Evan immediately screamed.

Seeing his face turn bright red, Alon looked at him oddly.

Evan took a breath, looking embarrassed, then quickly forced out an awkward smile.

“Haha. Well, when we went to House Zenonia before, I met a female knight there, and we happened to get along rather well.”

“So you have been exchanging letters.”

“Yes, that is how it is.”

Watching the embarrassed Evan, Alon asked quietly,

“…You seem more embarrassed than I expected. Have you not dated once or twice before already?”

“I have, but….”

Had this not been Evan, the same man who had followed behind Alon all this time while smiling and chatting with all kinds of women?

But there was a wronged tone in Evan’s voice.

“That and this feel a little different.”

“In what way?”

“That was just small talk. This is more like… I do not know. Something a little more developed than simple flirting?”

[Hmph. How disgusting.]

“Do not interrupt, you snake-head bastard. You flirt with the maids in our mansion too.”

[What? Flirt? When did I ever do that? They simply worshiped me diligently, so I spoke with them a few times.]

“As if. The moment a maid brought you a snack or two, you showed off every cute trick you had.”

[Kraaah.]

At the sudden exposure of its dark history, Basiliora began twisting its whole body while Evan, having found an opening, attacked mercilessly.

[Kkyu…]

At the noisy scene, even Kkamangi poked his head out from Alon’s chest and watched the two chattering and fighting.

How long had that gone on?

Before long, the group reached the capital.

Theria really has not changed.

Their carriage crossed the well-maintained, prosperous streets of Theria and entered the inner city.

When Alon stepped down in front of the ballroom.

“Marquis Palladio. Before you attend the ball, His Majesty requests to see you first.”

“…? Very well. Let us go.”

A guard approached as if he had been waiting and delivered the message.

Alon tilted his head slightly, then followed behind him.

####

Having accepted the king’s invitation and entered her private office for the first time in a while, Alon saw.

“It has been a while, Marquis Palladio.”

“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”

Siyan, still welcoming him with the same smile that was difficult to read.

“Sit first.”

The queen pointed at the chair right in front of her.

When Alon sat down, she once again took out a sweet potato and set it before him.

“You may eat it.”

“Ah… yes. And Your Majesty…?”

“I will simply watch.”

“…Understood.”

And so the sweet-potato eating began.

By now he ought to have been used to it, but he simply could not be.

For a while, the only sound echoing through the office was the sound of chewing.

“You still eat well.”

“You are too kind.”

At Siyan’s words, which sounded like praise and yet not exactly like praise, Alon carefully bowed his head.

Then.

“…Hm?”

His movement stopped when something at the edge of his vision caught his eye.

A statue standing in one corner of the office.

He was certain he had never seen it before, and yet it felt strangely familiar.

“Ah, this?”

Noticing his gaze, Siyan picked up the statue.

“It is a statue brought from Luxible.”

“…Luxible?”

“Yes. I heard they worship the person in this statue as a god. That is…”

She paused briefly, then spoke the name.

“Kalanon the Lightning Receiver, was it?”

“…I have heard that news as well.”

“Then have you seen this statue before?”

“No. This is my first time seeing it.”

At Alon’s reply, Siyan looked at the statue in her hand with an amused expression.

“This is my first time seeing it too. It was brought as a gift from the Luxible side.”

“I see.”

“So, what do you think?”

“…What exactly do you mean?”

“This statue. To me, this god called Kalanon seems to resemble you, Marquis. What do you think?”

That was what she asked.

####

Sergius stared blankly ahead.

There, he saw Elivan’s party facing Cardinal Yutia.

The party that had dealt with the many gates outside the papal grounds.

“You did very well again this time.”

“All of it is because of the power that person granted me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Naturally, if it were not for that person’s power, I would not have been able to do this much.”

Among the many priests, only Cardinal Yutia and Elivan stood out as they exchanged words of praise.

After some time passed.

“Then I will see you again, Cardinal Yutia.”

“Yes, Chosen One. I will come find you again next time.”

Yutia handed Elivan the reward for dealing with this gate.

“Everything for that person.”

“Yes. Everything for that person.”

After exchanging those words, the chosen one left the papal grounds with his party.

When all the ceremonies ended and Sergius confirmed that the priests were dispersing, he followed behind Cardinal Yutia, as he had long since become used to doing, and cautiously opened his mouth.

“…Excuse me.”

“Hm? What is it, Cardinal Sergius?”

As always, Yutia looked at him with a gentle smile.

Sergius remained silent for a moment under that calm gaze before speaking slowly.

“…Lady Yutia. May I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

Permission was granted.

But even so, Sergius hesitated.

He was not sure whether it was right to ask this.

He knew better than anyone, no, had experienced better than anyone, that doubting Cardinal Yutia was an exceptionally foolish thing to do.

And yet, despite that, Sergius could not suppress the curiosity and doubt that kept rising in his mind.

“…The chosen one.”

“Yes.”

“…Is he not someone who did not receive power from Lady Sironia?”

Sergius recalled the chosen one whom Cardinal Yutia had once acknowledged as someone selected by Lady Sironia.

Certainly, his power clearly resembled the divine power granted by Lady Sironia.

And the divine radiance he subtly emitted resembled the faint brilliance scattered by the saint.

In fact, even the priests who had been looking at Elivan just now seemed convinced that he had been chosen by Sironia when they saw that radiance spreading from him.

The same went for the other cardinals.

But Sergius alone.

It was different.

He had noticed that the divine power Elivan emitted was not Lady Sironia’s divine power.

He recalled it in detail.

A pale silver-white power, yet faintly holding a blue hue between its layers.

A power that only looked similar to Lady Sironia’s divine power.

In truth, it was entirely different.

At that.

“…Hmm.”

Yutia let out a low sound as if amused.

And Sergius became certain his suspicion had been correct.

“You noticed that well. I was a little worried because he is still immature, but aside from the saint, I thought everyone had been fooled.”

At Yutia’s calm admission, Sergius fell silent.

Ordinarily, Sergius too should have been unable to perceive the truth.

The divine power used by that chosen one was indeed almost identical to the divine power bestowed by Lady Sironia.

In fact, none of the other cardinals, apart from the saint who was currently out performing relief work, had sensed even the slightest oddness.

But there was only one reason Sergius had been able to notice the difference.

Yutia herself.

Because Sergius, who had long been used by Cardinal Yutia like a servant, knew that Yutia used not only Lady Sironia’s divine power, but another kind as well.

Of course, he had only seen Yutia use that other divine power a few times.

But for Sergius, who held the rank of cardinal, those few times had been enough to recognize that Elivan’s divine power resembled Yutia’s other one.

The chosen one was not a being chosen by the goddess Sironia.

That was the conclusion he had reached.

“How did you notice?”

At the chilly question, Sergius steadied his strangely pounding heart.

“…The divine power you show for just a brief moment from time to time was identical to his.”

“Hmm. I see. So that is how.”

Yutia nodded, seeming to understand the situation well enough.

Then her red eyes turned toward Sergius again.

“Still, it seems you have not figured out everything yet.”

“Yes…?”

“It is nothing. More importantly, you do not need to concern yourself too much with this matter.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Because soon enough.”

The corners of Yutia’s eyes curved lazily.

“It will all become the same. To the point that even you, Cardinal Sergius, will no longer be able to distinguish it.”

“…Become the same?”

“Yes. Everything will become the same. The divine power, this, that. They may look a little different now, but in the future, everything will be the same.”

“…”

Sergius could not understand a single word.

What exactly was going to become the same soon.

What she meant by this and that.

What would happen in the future, and how.

Above all.

What kind of thing Cardinal Yutia was trying to do.

The only thing he could infer from what he knew so far was one possibility.

…That perhaps Cardinal Yutia was involved in the recent phenomenon where Lady Sironia’s voice could no longer be heard.

She must be.

But even so, there was nothing he could do.

“…It may even become a little better. Rosaria as it exists now is corrupt. When that time comes, it will likely become better.”

No.

He could not do anything.

“Corruption and injustice will vanish. All the Holy Knights will move for that person, all the believers will offer worship to that person, and everyone will devote their faith to that person.”

He.

Sergius.

Was already overwhelmed by the suffocating fanaticism surging within Cardinal Yutia’s pupils.

“But before that happens… if word spreads, it could become somewhat troublesome, so… just a little…”

He had been overwhelmed again and again.

And in the end, he had submitted.

That was why.

“Please. Keep quiet, Cardinal Sergius.”

Inside the papal grounds, already darkening in the light of the setting sun, Yutia whispered with her index finger resting against her lips, red light flickering behind her.

“I under, stand.”

That was the only answer Sergius could give.