Chapter 192 – Gyeok (3)

To be honest.

Alon did not know exactly either.

He only guessed how the situation was turning out with a rough estimate.

He did not truly know.

For example.

He did not know where each of the five godheads he saw when he entered the state of contemplation was gathered from.

He only guessed that the blue sphere, which gave off a strangely crackling feeling, might be the godhead of Kalanon the Lightning Receiver.

He did not know the origin of the rest.

Similarly, Alon choosing the green godhead was also just that.

Because it pulsed as if asking him to choose it, unlike the other spheres, he just brought his hand to it.

At the time, he could not know exactly where this godhead was gathered from.

In the sight of sprouts growing as soon as his hand, wrapped in the green godhead, touched the place where the letters were.

He vaguely realized that this godhead was related to Greynif, but that was eventually just a guess.

Yes, it clearly was nothing more than a guess.

Until he saw the reaction of the elves.

“……”

The group of elves who were leading the way while escorting Alon up to the top of the roots.

Alon looked at their faces with a strange expression.

The faces that were clearly full of tension and irritation until they came down to the deep place.

However, those signs disappeared like a mirage.

In that place, all of them were filled with pride.

The pride that clearly came from serving a great being, the First Elf.

“……”

Alon felt very burdened.

Naturally, because he was not the First Elf.

No, in addition to that.

What kind of being the First Elf was, what the name was.

He did not know even a single thing about the First Elf.

He thought he knew the reason why they were mistaken, though.

‘It was probably because of the power I used.’

The green godhead.

The power that covered the space with blue life quickening in an instant.

Now it was clear.

It must be the godhead of the First Elf.

It was extremely rational for the elves to mistake him for the First Elf.

Moreover.

Alon looked around.

Starting from under the roots.

The sprouts that were slowly giving vitality even to the shriveled roots.

If one witnessed this miracle directly.

‘Even I would act like these elves.’

The elves who were exuding pride with their whole bodies as if escorting a noble person.

Their faces were shining with a mixture of overwhelming emotion, joy, and will.

But Alon was uncomfortable because of that.

Although the series of situations was continuing naturally like flowing water.

In the end, all of this.

Because it originated from a ‘misunderstanding’.

‘What on earth…’

He did not know why, but a rumor that Alon was the First Elf had spread among the high elves.

Due to that misunderstanding, faith gathered, and a green godhead was able to be created.

And today, Alon used that godhead.

He achieved a miracle.

And now, numerous elves came to believe him to be the First Elf.

In other words, by using the godhead gathered due to a misunderstanding, he was even more mistaken for a real god.

In that bizarre situation.

Even Alon’s face, which usually did not waver, flinched minutely.

“First Elf, no, Marquis. Is there anything uncomfortable?”

Lim, who caught that appearance and immediately asked.

“……”

Alon was actually the most uncomfortable with her.

Until they entered the roots, Lim had a cold expression all along.

Lim, who answered bluntly even to the light questions Alon threw.

Since it was taking on a troublesome job, Alon also fully understood.

The prickliness was not that unpleasant.

But.

“……No, I am okay.”

“If there is anything uncomfortable, please tell me immediately! First Elf, no, Marquis. Thanks to you, we are now able to use mana even inside the roots…!”

Calling him by the strange title of First Elf, no, Marquis.

At her sudden change, laughing brightly with a face full of a sense of duty and pride.

“……”

At the end of the silence, Alon.

“I, see.”

He had no choice but to nod his head, a bit awkwardly.

####

“Marquis.”

“Speak.”

“What if you come back after becoming a real god?”

“……It is not that I became one because I wanted to.”

“Do you also become a god even if you do not want to?”

That.

“So it seems.”

It happened.

“So you become a god even if you do not want to…”

“……But why are you suddenly talking about that?”

Two hours had already passed since they returned from the roots.

While he was resting after being informed that the Queen had gone into a meeting.

Evan, who had been playing all day because he did not follow to the roots, brought news from outside.

“Outside is a complete mess right now.”

“?”

“With the story that the Marquis was truly the First Elf.”

“……Was not that a rumor that existed from the beginning?”

“No, I mean, before it was just a rumor, but now everyone is buzzing, you know? That it is true.”

“Do not elves believe rumors too easily?”

“From what I heard, was it the Dark Leaf? Someone was going around talking about it diligently, I heard?”

“Ah…”

When Alon let out a groan, Evan looked at him quietly and opened his mouth.

“Marquis.”

“Why?”

“I am asking just in case, but are you really the First Elf or something, do you have that kind of feeling?”

“What is that kind of feeling?”

“No, for example, whether you did reincarnation or possession or something like that.”

Alon pondered for a moment at Evan’s question.

In fact, he could just say he was not.

But because he was a bit reluctant to tell a lie, he hesitated and answered.

“At least it seems I have never been the First Elf.”

“Well, I guess so.”

Evan drawled his words.

Alon let out a sigh quietly and thought.

In fact, besides the rumors, there were many things to pay attention to now.

‘The being in the mirror, the fruit received from the old tree, the Mother of Greed.’

He learned how to use the godhead, but three new questions were given.

‘Will the Queen know something to some extent if I ask her?’

Just as Alon was agonizing for a moment.

Knock, knock!

“First Elf, no, Marquis. The Queen has requested an audience.”

At the strange title heard again.

“……I am coming out now.”

Alon stood up from his seat, still unable to shake off the awkwardness.

####

“Your Queen, do you think this makes sense!? No matter how much, you should know how dangerous it is to send a person who has not been properly verified yet to the roots like this!”

“Lord Palloel, this story should have already ended a long time ago.”

“Now I am talking about what comes after this! No matter how much Lady Filde has officially recognized him, is not that ultimately just a guess!”

The voice heard as soon as he approached the audience room.

‘It’s my story.’

Even if anyone heard it, it was an old man’s passionate voice.

Before Alon could feel embarrassed.

“Your Queen, Marquis Palladio has arrived.”

As if not caring at all, she stepped in front of the door without hesitation and announced the arrival.

“Come in.”

After a moment of silence.

The door opened and an old elf walked out.

With long white hair reaching his waist, he was expressing his anger with his whole body.

He looked at the expressionless Lim once and then turned his gaze towards Alon.

“……”

“……”

A brief exchange of gazes.

A gaze that felt blatant hostility poured out for a moment.

“……Tsk.”

The elf clicked his tongue, soon turned his head, and passed by Alon.

“I am sorry. The meeting was delayed quite a bit. One person would not let me go even after the meeting was over.”

The Queen’s words that were heard soon.

Alon shook his head.

“No. I did not wait long.”

“So, how was it inside? I have not heard the details yet because the meeting just ended. If you do not mind, could you tell me in detail what happened at the roots?”

At Magrina’s request, Alon was silent for a moment and then nodded.

Because there was also a story he wanted to ask anyway.

####

Chairman of the Council of Elders, Palloel.

Currently belonging to the Council of Elders, which possessed power second only to the Queen and was composed of ten people, he did not like this situation.

Right because of the rumor that Marquis Palladio was the First Elf.

‘A mere human…’

Palloel frowned.

A mere human dare to be the First Elf.

Even if it was words from the Queen and that outstanding mage Filde, it was not pleasant.

No, actually.

‘Damn it!’

It was annoying that the First Elf appeared.

That meant.

It meant that the power structure within the elves could change like the lizardman group.

Soon, it meant it could also affect his power.

Therefore, Palloel, who returned to the Council of Elders’ office in the royal palace.

“Lord Palloel! For a moment,”

“Stop! I have a place to move to immediately, so let us talk later.”

“That, regarding the rumors that came out of this root visit,”

“I will hear it later.”

After lightly dismissing the elf who approached to report urgently, he immediately headed somewhere.

The place he headed was right to the Pagade’s office where Lim would be.

Because Palloel knew.

The fact that Lim, she was not liking the current situation very much.

Of course, her dissatisfaction was not due to the fear of losing power like him, but was close to a truly pure dissatisfaction.

But that did not matter much.

As long as the desired thing was the same.

Pushing out the suddenly appeared First Elf, whom even whether he was real or fake could not be known.

Besides, did not Lim also go down to the roots together this time?

She might have even caught an excuse to push him out there.

With such expectations, he entered the office.

“……Lord Palloel?”

“Lim.”

He faced Lim.

Along with a question.

Her, with an expression somewhat filled with hostility.

‘……Hostility?’

Palloel was puzzled.

Of course, they were not close enough to share conversations often.

But it was not a relationship to show hostility either.

Even just a few days ago, had not the two of them shared and empathized with their negative views on the First Elf together?

Swallowing his doubt, Palloel first asked for her well-being.

“Did you go to the roots well?”

“Yes.”

“I see. The reason I came here is not for anything else, but because I have one thing to ask.”

When Lim did not particularly respond, Palloel started talking as if he had been waiting.

“You probably guessed, but what I want to ask is about that guy whose truth or falsehood cannot even be known, who dares to call himself the First Elf despite being a mere human.”

Of course, Palloel knew.

The fact that the guy had never called himself the First Elf.

In addition, that the source of the rumor and the person who spread it was Filde.

But the important thing now was.

Right, getting Lim’s empathy.

“So what I mean is,”

Therefore, he opened with a more radical expression, but.

At that moment.

“Stop.”

“……What?”

“I told you to stop.”

Suddenly, informal language dropped.

Soon.

“How dare you now,”

Her expressionless face, twisting like a demon.

“Are you insulting the First Elf in front of me now?”

Killing intent spreading as if exploding dominated the space.

“……”

Palloel stopped his breath.