Chapter 210 – North… (1)

The World Tree in Greynif, the land of the elves.

The huge royal castle located beneath it was currently filled with tension.

There was only one reason.

Hazard, the god of the lizardmen, whom even the elves who had lived for hundreds of years had never seen, had visited the royal castle.

Of course, it hadn’t been like that from the beginning.

In fact, Hazard, who was called a Sage God, had come to meet the Queen without causing any particular trouble.

Magrina had also accepted Hazard’s visit without tension.

In addition to that.

The two, who seemed like they would be awkward because it had been a long time since they had met, talked in a softer atmosphere than expected.

Rather than showing the leader-like aspect they should have as the heads of each country, they were friendly.

Of course, since both had status, a business-like attitude was also basically present.

Nevertheless, as the conversation continued in a comfortable atmosphere, the elves were puzzled yet relieved.

Yes, certainly until a moment ago.

“It is fine to withdraw the elves who were escorting my friend now. They are weak and cannot even escort him properly anyway, right? In that case, it would be better for our lizardmen to do the escorting.”

Until Hazard, whose face could not even be properly seen, said such a thing.

“……Ha? What kind of nonsense are you talking about right now?”

In an instant.

The air in the audience chamber began to cool.

“Hmm… isn’t that true? Lizardmen are much stronger than elves.”

Hazard’s voice didn’t even change despite Magrina’s eerie gaze.

At his answer, the corners of Magrina’s mouth went up crookedly.

“Heh… is that so? The inferior race that would have been destroyed if the Primordial Elf hadn’t saved them back then?”

“That’s the same for the elves. And strictly speaking, I gave some help too.”

“Help? Rather, you received a lot.”

“…….”

The Queen’s ridicule echoed in the space.

Hazard stopped talking for a moment and scratched his head as if he were embarrassed.

“Well, I won’t deny that I’ve received a lot from my friend.”

“What friend… you’ve basically only received things.”

“Hmm hmm.”

After making a groaning sound at her repeated attacks, Hazard claimed once again.

“Anyway, from now on, we will take over the escort.”

“What if I say no?”

“You must want to put my friend in danger.”

“You’re very confident. And in the first place, you guys can’t even escort him quietly like we do, can you?”

“Hmph… safety is more important than quiet escorting.”

Hazard glared at Magrina.

She also glared at Hazard.

Everyone held their breath at the confrontation that didn’t back down even an inch.

After a sufficient amount of chilly silence had passed.

“Then let’s go visit him and ask. Who he wants to be escorted by.”

Magrina suggested with a smile as if she had thought of a clever plan.

“Good.”

Hazard also nodded as if it were the words he had been waiting for.

Each of them had a smile on their face as if they had won.

The elves and lizardmen who were looking at them…

“…….”

They slowly lowered their eyes at the silent sparks flying between the two.

####

It had been about a week since Alon arrived in Caliburn.

During the time that could be considered long or short, Alon focused on the complete recovery of his body.

In the meantime, he gained one realization and heard two rumors.

The first of the rumors Evan told him was that Elivan was getting rid of the aberrant gates faster than expected.

The second was the news that most of the organizations that would run wild once Psychedelia began had disappeared on their own, which Alon had been somewhat worried about for a while.

“……Evan.”

“What is it?”

“The organizations you told me about yesterday, is it true that they’ve all disappeared?”

“Yes. Just in case, I asked the information guild for cross-verification, and they said all but a few organizations have disappeared right now.”

“……Why did they disappear?”

“Hmm… if I recall what was mentioned during the conversation, it seems they all collapsed due to external attacks such as raids from rival organizations? Or they died overnight.”

After thinking for a moment, Evan added as if something had occurred to him.

“Ah! Come to think of it, I think it was said that one place wiped out several organizations. Let’s see, Blood Sword, Dark Ear, and Piriman… and what was the other one? Amjungmok?”

“……Do you mean Ammok?”

“Ah, yes, yes, that place. It seems one person handled that place.”

“Why?”

“I heard the murder method was the same. Did they say the neck was turned twice? I think it was something like that?”

Alon stroked his chin with a strange expression.

Certainly, the organizations Evan mentioned had something in common.

‘They probably all started killing famous people to gain fame. Later, they even played a role like parasites that sneaked into each kingdom and ate away the inside.’

From the player’s perspective, no matter which kingdom they started with, they had in common that they could be given a quest to get reasonably close to the king through those organizations.

However, since there was nothing else in common, Alon, who was pondering.

‘Well, if the organizations disappeared due to the butterfly effect, that’s not bad either. In the first place, if they hadn’t disappeared, I would have had to move.’

He decided to focus on the fact that all the organizations he was concerned about had been cleaned up this time.

‘……Even so, around the middle, many guys will crawl out when the time is right.’

Of course, there were enemies who would appear later.

Strong enemies that matched the balance of Psychedelia.

Anyway, it wasn’t bad that the annoying organizations were removed for now.

As he leaned back comfortably against the backrest and let out a sigh,

[Kkyu?]

Kkamang, who had been tapping the ball on the floor until a moment ago, quickly climbed onto Alon’s thigh and tilted its head.

After stroking Kkamang, who was acting cute as if to comfort him, Alon closed his eyes.

He could now contemplate the Gyeok inside quite quickly.

He looked at the Gyeok floating in the air and soon enlarged Kalanon’s Gyeok.

As soon as he touched it, Kalanon’s Gyeok naturally grew larger, as if a distant planet was being pulled in at once.

In the Gyeok enlarged like that.

Just like Alon had seen last time, there were shining stars and blue dots very weakly spread around.

This was a new fact that Alon had realized while investigating Gyeok during this week.

It was a method to see the followers who believe in this Gyeok when it is enlarged.

First, the white starlight means the people Alon has shared his power with.

The blue dots spread around the Gyeok, ranging from dark colors that are hard to notice if not looked at closely to somewhat vivid ones.

They played a role like indicators telling how many people believe in this Gyeok and how much they believe.

‘It wasn’t that I realized it myself, but thanks to Kalanon suddenly appearing and telling me.’

Alon looked at the other Gyeok one by one, recalling Kalanon, who had suddenly appeared a few days ago and talked for a few minutes.

The Primordial Elf’s Gyeok had many vivid green dots, but the number was not that large.

Kalanon’s Gyeok also had many blue dots, but the number was not that large either.

The red Gyeok had two vividly shining red dots.

Surprisingly, the white Gyeok had an overwhelmingly larger number of white dots compared to the other Gyeok.

However, unlike the other Gyeok, there was something a bit unique about the white Gyeok.

When the Gyeok was enlarged, the Gyeok that was white looked like a faded grey light.

And finally, the black Gyeok, which was like a black hole…

“……Ah.”

The moment he tried to enlarge the black Gyeok.

Alon felt the contemplation break and opened his eyes.

Even if he could see the other Gyeok, whenever he tried to see the black Gyeok, the contemplation broke in this way.

A repetition of an unknown situation.

Alon, who was making a strange expression,

[Kkyu?]

Stroked Kkamang again, who was expressing dissatisfaction by tilting its head when he stopped stroking.

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s start heading to the north soon.”

He began preparing to depart for the north.

####

The following day.

Alon could hear an unexpected story from Deus.

“……A ‘Great Collapse’ has occurred?”

“Yes. A report came from the outpost yesterday.”

Alon closed his mouth.

The Great Collapse.

It was a phenomenon where the snow piled up on the snowy mountain poured down to the ground and covered the path of the mountain, and that alone made the mountain very dangerous.

The immediate problem was that it was hard to move forward because of the poured-out snow.

But what was more dangerous was…

The fact that the poured-out snow covered all the crevasses that should be avoided on the mountain.

Because of that, once a Great Collapse occurred.

Unless the poured-out snow disappeared due to the ‘ground tremors’ that only occurred on the mountain after that, the mountain would turn into a very dangerous terrain for several months.

As far as Alon knew, this setting was…

Created to prevent players from going straight to Caliburn and then to the snowy mountain in the early to mid-game.

However, if there was one thing he didn’t understand.

‘……Why did the Great Collapse occur at this point? In Psychedelia, it certainly happened later than now.’

The timing of the Great Collapse.

A question arose because it happened earlier than the information he knew.

But that was only for a moment.

“The expedition won’t be going out then.”

“Since the Great Collapse has occurred, that will likely be the case. The barbarians don’t come out during this period either.”

Alon decided to postpone going to the north.

‘Actually, it might not be bad.’

Anyway, he wanted to research the magic and the Gyeok he got this time, including Kalanon’s, more thoroughly.

Alon cleanly gave up on going to the north.

“Oh! Then are we going home?”

“Your face is brightening up.”

“Hmm hmm… well, wouldn’t it be good to rest for a bit? There was a big incident in the jungle, too.”

“I suppose so.”

He changed the destination to the Marquis’s house with Evan’s quick arrangement, who had started to become lively.

“Then, I’ll see you next time.”

“Understood, Marquis. I’ll come to see you first in four months.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, I will.”

“……Well, if you say so.”

After a short farewell.

Deus, who saw off Alon leaving for the Palatio Marquis’s house in a carriage, moved to disband the expedition.

After some time had passed.

“Everything seems to be finished.”

“Hmm.”

After receiving the adjutant’s report, he returned to the mansion.

On the way to the office.

Deus smiled without realizing it.

Basically, going to the office meant working.

However, the reason Deus was heading to the office now was, in a way, like a pleasant rest and play for him.

‘……Just a little more and the blueprint will be finished.’

It was to finish the blueprint for the statue production request.

He had been moving busily to make the request before leaving for this expedition.

His steps became even more lighthearted.

The moment he opened the office door and entered…

“……Silly?”

“Hello, brother.”

His younger sister, Silly, was seen.

Furthermore, she was his sister who was focusing and staring at the blueprint he was working on so hard.

At that sight, Deus flinched without realizing it.

Because Silly’s nagging from last time came to mind.

She had pointed out that he was spending too much money on a single statue.

Of course, the production cost was within the budget that Deus had earned and the money he would earn in the future (?) in advance.

It wasn’t something he should be nagged at by Silly.

However, as Deus loved his sister so much, he was concerned about every word Silly said.

This time, too, he glanced at her on his own.

Even when he couldn’t hold it in and tried to create an additional statue blueprint last time and was caught, he received an even worse look, so Deus was even breaking into a cold sweat.

“……This blueprint is good.”

“……?”

At the voice that followed, his face was filled with doubt.

Because words that were completely opposite to his expectations came out from Silly.

But that was only for a moment.

“Ah.”

Deus gained a realization.

Silly was no longer the Silly of the past.

Because she had been saved by him.

Just like himself.

Recalling that fact, a smile slowly formed on Deus’s lips.

That meant that his beloved sister now thought the same as he did.

“Is that so? It’s not finished yet, though.”

“Even taking that into account, I think you’ve planned it very well.”

“I see.”

Deus felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Silly sharing the same hobby (?).

A conversation that continued naturally as if it were flowing water.

While he was moved that this was true sibling love.

“Hmm, but I think this part needs more detail. For example, like this. Yes, yes, let’s make the coat a bit longer.”

“Oho… I see.”

“Ah, and the eyes need to be fixed a bit too. You have to express them delicately, not just with diamonds, brother. Since the Marquis has blue eyes, rather than implementing it like this, you should process the gems more…”

“……Silly?”

Deus sensed it.

“Why are you doing that?”

“……I know that part too, but the realistic part is a bit…”

“Are you going to make the statue ‘roughly’ because of that realistic part?”

“Uh, that…”

“This part here needs to go up more. The horns should point further upward. I think it would be good to use gold.”

“……Gold? Hmm… that would certainly be good, but there’s a budget problem, so I’ll have to use something else…”

“Gold.”

“……Huh?”

“It has to be gold.”

“No, that budget…”

“Gold.”

“……Budget.”

“Gold.”

Certainly, she was the sister who had pointed out if he was using that money on a single statue.

At the sight of her asserting “gold” several times with a very strict, solemn, and serious expression.

“……Gold, I understand.”

“Yes.”

Deus realized that Silly had become strange.