Chapter 216 – Darkness of the North (3)

“Welcome, Marquis!”

“Have you arrived, Marquis……”

Silley greeted Alon very energetically as soon as he entered the office, whereas Deus barely bowed his head as if his soul had somewhat escaped.

Alon asked about the two’s well-being.

“Yes, have you both been well?”

“Yes! Thanks to the grace the Marquis bestowed, I’m spending my time very joyfully!”

“I’m the same……”

The answers were also contrastive.

Silley babbled while leaning her face forward, whereas the look of fatigue on Deus’s face was evident.

Alon, who was watching the two with a strange expression, spoke to Silley.

“By any chance, I heard the stories.”

“Ah, what stories……?”

For a moment, the word ‘multi-level’ habitually tried to come out of his mouth.

Alon barely swallowed it and pondered how to express this.

Since he had thought of it as a multi-level scheme so much in his head, a replacement term didn’t easily come to mind.

Alon, after contemplating for a moment, cleared his throat.

Fortunately, although with difficulty, a word did come to mind.

“I mean, that you are conducting relief activities in the name of Callanon’s power.”

“Yes, I’m grateful for the power the Marquis gave me and I’m working hard so as not to be ashamed as a recipient.”

“……I see.”

“Yes!”

Silley exclaimed with a bright smile.

Well, her smiling face was good to see……

Stopping any further thought, he patted Silley’s shoulder.

“I’m saying this just in case, but don’t overdo it.”

Of course, from Alon’s perspective, the more actively Silley worked to gather faith, the better.

However, he said so because he didn’t want to place a heavy burden on her, Deus’s younger sister.

“Ah, cou, could it be that I’ve done something that causes trouble?”

As soon as she heard those words, Silley’s eyes welled up as if the world were collapsing.

Alon was flustered inside at the unexpected reaction.

“I’m saying this so you don’t misunderstand, but that’s not it. Naturally, the actions you’ve taken are sufficiently helpful.”

“If so,”

“It’s out of pure concern. Relief work is not as easy as it sounds.”

Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up quickly.

Silley’s face blossomed into a wide smile again as if she had never been upset.

“Don’t worry about that! I’m not overdoing it at all!”

“……Is that so?”

“Yes! And I think it’s okay to push myself a little. Since I am the Saintess serving the Marquis, this is my mission!”

Silley exclaimed with a face full of responsibility, as if she held a tremendously great mission.

Deus, who was beside her, smacked his lips in envy.

But Alon, who had actually instilled such great responsibility in Silley.

“I see.”

Was instead feeling a bit bewildered behind his expressionless face.

[Did I ever say such a thing……?]

Well, he had been thinking about it ever since he heard the news that Silley was being called a Saintess by the public.

Alon had never specifically mentioned any mission while handing over the power to Silley.

Was that all?

He hadn’t instilled any responsibility, nor had he said anything at all about appointing Silley as a Saintess.

However.

“I will work hard in the future as well!”

To the girl whose eyes were shining as if it were an honor to take on the most noble mission in the world.

[You’re not really a Saintess, though…]

Since he couldn’t say that.

“……I’m counting on you.”

“Yes!”

Alon simply shrugged his shoulders.

[Well, it doesn’t matter.]

Since he had focused only on the fact that he had Gyeok and hadn’t once thought about properly establishing a cult or anything.

Alon thought it wouldn’t be too bad to just leave it as it was.

As long as he had no intention of professionally creating a cult anyway.

Because it didn’t really matter who was the Saintess or who was the knight.

Therefore.

“If there’s anything needed for relief activities, let me know. You can also freely do what you want.”

He said so to relieve her of her burden even a little.

“……!! I’ll work even harder!”

Silley’s eyes widened once again, and she nodded her head vigorously.

[Certainly, a lot of money must have gone into the relief activities.]

A slight sense of pride seemed to seep into his chest for no reason.

Alon, who was stepping out of the room with the siblings after finishing the conversation.

Only then remembered Utia beside him and felt a sudden realization.

“……Utia, was it perhaps uncomfortable?”

“Hmm, in what way would you think so?”

“Because you believe in Goddess Sironia.”

Alon felt a bit embarrassed even while saying so.

[I didn’t care enough about Utia.]

Basically, believers who serve Goddess Sironia do not exclude other gods to that extent.

But he knew for a fact that while they don’t exclude them, they certainly feel uncomfortable about other gods.

Alon explained with a slightly apologetic expression.

No matter how close they were and how well Utia followed him.

She was strictly a believer in Goddess Sironia and a Cardinal of Rosario.

At Alon’s apology, Utia looked at him for a moment and then had a small smile on her lips.

“Hmm, that’s right. As you think, it’s just that we don’t exclude them, but we do find them a bit uncomfortable.”

“Is that so, as expected?”

“Well, that’s the basic atmosphere. But it’s okay.”

“……?”

“Because this time, it was you, teacher. So it’s okay.”

“Is that…… so?”

“If I have to stay away from you or think of you as uncomfortable because I must believe in Goddess Sironia,”

Contrary to the gentle smile on her lips.

Utia’s eyes narrowed sharply like a cat’s.

“Then I don’t think I’d particularly need such a god.”

She added.

……Isn’t this dangerous if someone else hears it?

Such a dangerous remark.

But Utia casually spoke the next words.

“That’s right. Since I’d have nowhere else to go in that case, how about you accept me as your Saintess?”

“Ah, no!”

This time Silley interrupted.

Clenching both fists tightly.

“Ut, Utia, you are serving Goddess Sironia, aren’t you!? Such words could cause big trouble!”

“But I’m serious.”

“S, still, no!”

“Why not?”

“B, because I am the Saintess!”

“Hmm, do you know this, Silley? In the end, a Saintess is decided by the God. It can change at any time depending on how the God decides.”

“S, still, I am the Saintess!”

Silley looked at Alon while trembling her small body.

Her eyes were desperate, as if saying, ‘Right? Isn’t that so? No? It’s really not, right?’

Without losing to that.

Utia also looked at Alon with eyes containing subtle expectation.

But that was only for a moment.

“Of course, it’s a joke, though.”

Utia stepped back and.

“Silley, you shouldn’t make the Marquis troubled. Since you are the Saintess.”

She said so and smiled.

……A gentle and leisurely smile.

####

Toolman, the leader of the Black Hand organization, was having a happy dream.

No, he had no choice but to have a happy dream.

The request he received this time was.

Because maybe this one time alone had a larger reward than all the things he was currently doing combined.

Of course, the fact that the target of the request was Marquis Palatio felt like a considerable risk to Toolman.

Even so, he didn’t think Pulton would fail.

In the first place, the content of the request wasn’t an arduous task like kidnapping Marquis Palatio, but stealing one of his belongings.

Since he took pride in the fact that the Black Hand he was running had the best ability in the world when it came to stealing.

In addition to that, Toolman had already planned out how to handle the risk after stealing the item.

Of course, that plan was.

A trashy method where he would deal with the executives involved in the request after it ended, use the riff-raff to take the fall.

And then clear his hands and get out, but……

Whatever the case, it was the best method from his point of view.

Recently, Toolman was full of hope for the future.

……Until a moment ago.

“Ah.”

Toolman stared blankly at the personnel fallen before his eyes.

Each one was an individual who was treated as somewhat of an elite within the Black Hand.

Yet, all of them.

Had been miserably shattered.

And from among them.

Unbelievably, two races that even Toolman had never seen until now were walking forward.

“Our side handled more.”

Namely, the elves and.

“No, it’s our side.”

The lizardmen.

“Hmph, you’re late.”

“We are on our way back after destroying two more bases than you. We were much faster than you.”

Is this really reality……?

Toolman was dazed as the two races, which he had only seen in books throughout his life, walked toward each other while scowling.

It was staggering enough just to see them for the first time.

Because he had no clue at all why they had raided the Black Hand’s headquarters.

But his instinct warned him.

To run away quickly.

At this, Toolman tried to force his wounded body to turn around, but.

Thuck!

“Kugh!”

Regrettably, due to the sword pierced through his heart, flight was no longer possible.

“You long-eared bastards, while I was off-guard after you spoke!”

“Hmph, it’s just that you were indifferent.”

Toolman, who soon felt the strength slowly draining from his entire body.

“Why……?”

Muttered that to himself unconsciously.

Because he truly didn’t understand.

The elves and lizardmen who heard that voice.

They, who had been scowling and glaring at each other until just a moment ago.

Looking at the knife embedded in Toolman’s heart as if they had prearranged it.

“That’s because you targeted the Marquis.”

“If you mocked the friend of the Great One, it’s only right that you pay for that sin.”

Replied indifferently.

With those words as the last.

“Is it over with this?”

“As if it’s over with this, of course we have to find the requester and deal with them,”

Toolman’s consciousness was completely cut off.

####

“……The Black Hand has disappeared?”

“Yes, so I heard?”

“……Is it true?”

“Yes.”

Alon had been waiting in Caliban for about a week to leave with the expedition team before heading to the North.

He heard unexpected news from Evan at lunch on the day of departure for the North.

“……Who dealt with them?”

“Hmm, it seems even the Information Guild hasn’t properly found out that part yet. I’ve already left a word in advance since I thought you’d ask.”

Alon unconsciously stroked his chin and thought.

[……The Black Hand was dealt with? That Black Hand?]

Information that was not easily believable.

The Black Hand were fellows who periodically annoyed and bothered players until the mid-to-late game.

But they suddenly disappeared like this?

[Well, there’s nothing bad about those guys disappearing.]

Even so, Alon, who tilted his head several times wondering who had dealt with the Black Hand.

“It’s ready!”

Soon heard news that the expedition team had all been assembled.

Alon, who moved his steps, could see Reinhardt mixed among the members of the expedition team.

“Listen carefully, Lord Reinhardt, not bowing your head in front of the Great Callanon’s statue is a very unlawful act!”

“Bow your head, Reinhardt.”

“Uwaaaaaagh, shut up already!!”

“Lord Reinhardt, don’t think like that and try to contemplate. You saw it too, didn’t you? His power. If you offer your faith, you’ll be able to use that power too!”

Watching him scream while covering his ears as if in agony.

And beside him.

Was Silley, who was recommending faith logically without a single flinch.

“……”

Alon felt like he knew why.

Why faith had accumulated so quickly over the past few months.

The journey to the North began.