Chapter 227 – Alteration (1)

Alon, who was silent at Kailus’s words, slowly opened his mouth.

“……To say that he spread the first sorcery.”

“Exactly as you predict, it means he was the first to handle and create sorcery.”

“……The formula used by such a person is Reverse Heaven?”

As Kailus nodded without a word, Alon asked subsequently.

“I know this question is meaningless since you already told me, but has no one else ever used the formula of Reverse Heaven besides the first mage?”

When he checked once more just in case, Kailus nodded firmly.

“In the first place, the formula called Reverse Heaven itself is just a story passed down even among mages. The first mage was an existence of a far distant past even when I was human.”

“It means it has just been passed down only as a story.”

“Yes. Ah, one more thing. The first mage was a bit special, unlike ordinary mages.”

“In what part?”

At Alon’s question, Kailus answered.

“After the first mage spread sorcery, most mages left successors. In the first place, it was a structure where they had no choice but to leave successors.”

Knowledge to use sorcery was important, but ultimately what was most important to mages was the mental image.

Kailus continued the story.

“However, the first mage did not create a successor. No, beyond not creating one, he disappeared after spreading sorcery to other mages.”

“……Disappeared?”

“As if spreading sorcery itself was the purpose, he disappeared after spreading sorcery to three disciples.”

“So that is why you said his track record is special.”

Kailus nodded.

“Because of that, you can consider that there is virtually nothing known about the formula of Reverse Heaven. In the first place, the three disciples who would have seen the Reverse Heaven formula are gone now, and they did not leave any separate words about the first mage.”

“If there was at least one piece of information remaining-” Kailus murmured and then looked at Alon.

“It was about that one could get a hint if a person who possesses the formula of Reverse Heaven reached that Horizon.”

“That is-”

“It seems you can really learn the formula of Reverse Heaven. Although you have not inherited anything, not even a mental image.”

Alon was silent at Kailus’s conclusion.

Because he still did not have a sense of how he should learn the formula at all.

‘Use everything you have learned so far, was it.’

Subsequently, while having such a thought, he threw one more question just in case.

“Is there no longer any place to obtain information about that first mage?”

“If I think about it coldly, it would be right to see it that way, but if I think about it a bit positively, the gods might know about it.”

“……The gods?”

“Yes, of course, I do not know how many among the gods who saw the first mage at that time would still be alive.”

The gods, huh.

Alon was lost in thought.

“Now, then, since the conversation seems to have ended, let’s start again from now.”

However, Alon, who came to his senses at the words that followed soon, formed a hand seal with a slightly tense expression.

Exactly 5 seconds later.

“……Ah.”

Alon could not help but open his eyes with a hollow expression in Fenia’s office where she was giggling.

####

During the time of about two weeks from then, what Alon did was two things.

One was researching magic with Fenia.

The other was entering the Step that Runs Through the Past once a day by borrowing Fenia’s mana to fight a battle with Kailus.

“Ah, you woke up?”

“How many seconds was it?”

“Um, this time it was 19 seconds.”

At Fenia’s report, Alon let out a deep sigh and stood up from the chair.

“……It has increased a lot.”

“It has. Because you could not last 4 seconds at first.”

Alon, who was looking at the Step that Runs Through the Past which had turned black as the mana was exhausted, scratched his head.

‘It is not easy.’

From two weeks ago until now.

He had been challenging with various strategies once a day, but the gap in the battle with Kailus was not easily narrowed.

No matter how much Alon wracked his brains to bring a strategy.

Kailus ultimately drove Alon to death with a new form of attack as if it were useless.

‘Thanks to that, I certainly found out a lot about how I should use Kkamangi, and I obtained something useful for the research related to synchronization this time, but……’

Because ultimately he had not yet approached even a little to winning the battle.

“……I will come again tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

He visited Fenia’s office every single day.

Fenia, who had been researching the artifact he handed over while being delighted for over two weeks already.

Alon, who briefly looked at her whose face was lively, headed to his office.

[Now, then, try following me. I am a servant of Lord Basiliora.]

[I, am-? A servant, I am.]

The sight seen as soon as he opened the door and entered.

Basiliora and the Sea God, who was moving her body here and there in front of him.

[Once more.]

[A servant, I am?]

The Sea God, who followed the words while tilting her head at Basiliora’s command.

Alon asked Basiliora while recalling the Sea God who had been swimming in the pond in front of the mansion until just a moment ago.

“……What are you doing?”

[It is hierarchy education.]

“Is it necessary……?”

[Hierarchy education is naturally a necessity.]

Basiliora looked at the Sea God with a quite satisfied expression.

At that moment.

“Marquis, I was looking for you anyway…… what are you doing?”

Evan, who entered the office just like Alon, discovered Basiliora and the Sea God immediately and asked.

[Hehehe.]

Basiliora, who let out a very self-confident laugh.

[Now, Sea God. Go and scold that guy!]

[Scold, go-?]

[Yes! Since you are my servant, you must listen to my words! Expand your body just a bit and attack that guy!!]

As if he had been waiting for only this moment, he commanded the Sea God while stretching his body out long.

Then she tilted her head a few times and soon nodded as if she understood.

Ssss.

Before long, she increased her body to about the size of a giant python.

At that.

“……I was wondering what you were doing so hard in the garden pond for these past few days.”

[It is too late to regret! From now on, I will make you feel how scary I am to the bone!!]

Evan looked down at Basiliora as if it were pathetic.

But Basiliora became even more high-spirited, going “Khahahat.”

Before long, Evan let out a small chuckle.

“Now, then, King Snake, come here.”

He took out jerky from his chest and called the Sea God while waving it in the air.

The Sea God, who was slowly heading toward Evan.

[……!]

She instantly approached right in front of Evan’s nose and looked up at him with eyes shining brightly.

[Uh? What is this-]

Basiliora was flustered at the unexpected situation.

However.

“Do you want to eat?”

Nod nod nod nod-!

“Then go and scold that guy a bit.”

Nod nod-!!

The Sea God instantly changed her target and headed toward Basiliora.

[!? W-what, wait a moment!! Sea God! You are my servant! But why are you attacking me- Kwaaaak! You brat, not me, but attack that dimwitted guy- Kwaaaaaaaak!!!]

Basiliora was conversely caught in his own trap and began to let out a bizarre scream, “Ugyagyagyagyagyag-!!!” as he was tightened by the Sea God.

Alon, who was silently watching that series of situations.

“What is King Snake?”

“The employees already named her King Snake while giving her food.”

“……King Snake?”

“Yes. She follows people well. She also likes being stroked, and since they said she likes jerky, I was carrying it around to give it to her sometime, but I did not know a situation to give it like this would arise.”

He came to know the full story of how the Sea God’s nickname was created.

[Kwaaaak!! Save me!!!! Save me-!!]

…With Basiliora’s scream as the background music.

Before long, Basiliora’s body drooped completely.

King Snake, who completed her mission, was eating the jerky deliciously in Evan’s arms before he knew it.

‘At that level, she is not a Sea God but just a puppy.’

Around the time Alon had such a thought, Evan, who was stroking King Snake’s head, spoke to him.

“Come to think of it, Marquis, you said you were going to the Colony last time, shouldn’t you be going soon?”

“I should.”

“Then shall we get ready soon?”

“……Well, let’s make it so that we depart about three days later.”

Alon answered so and recalled the jewel that was in his chest.

‘Thinking about it, the dragonkin also seemed to be quite old gods, should I ask them once?’

The information Kailus told him last time.

Alon, who was lost in thought for a moment while stroking his chin, decided to ask the dragonkin once.

.

The next day.

“Hello, Godfather.”

“……Lene?”

Lene visited the Palatio Marquis’s house.

“Yes, Godfather. It is not anything else, but I stopped by on my way to the Colony.”

She…

“Yes, but, where are you looking?”

“Ah, I just thought there seemed to be something I did not see last time.”

Strangely, she smiled quietly while looking at the red brooch gifted by Yutia, which was on his chest rather than Alon’s eyes.

####

The city-state Varnos, which had been maintaining the appearance of a decent country until only a few months ago.

However, its current appearance was nothing short of desolate.

The woodlands, which had clearly been full of green.

Had become a barren land where not even any living creature could properly survive.

What was visible inside the city, which had been lively with many people.

Was just the remains telling that people lived here.

In that way, over the parched land that was dried up and cracked.

Thud, thud.

A man was moving his steps.

A man wearing a black holy shroud and wearing black accessories that clattered on his waist and hands.

That existence was clearly walking alone on the land where not a single living creature existed.

Soon he passed through what had been the capital of Varnos and reached a ruin that was so broken that it could no longer be called a castle.

And.

“Just who is this?”

He was able to meet a new man.

One with dark gray eyes.

The man who had been occupying this place after unilaterally destroying the Duchy of Varnos a while ago.

The Agwi.

“It has been a long time.”

At the greeting of the man wearing the black holy shroud, the Agwi, one of the four major forces who was smiling widely enough to tear his mouth.

He answered while sitting on the stairs of the collapsed abandoned castle.

“Yes, it has been a long time.”

“Looking at the situation, it seems you have adapted for sure.”

At the words of the man in the black holy shroud, the Agwi let out a chuckle and then nodded.

“Yes, thanks to that. Although it was a bit difficult, of course.”

Before long, the Agwi created a black drop from his finger and dropped it to the ground.

At that, a black ripple spread out while swaying.

It instantly began to cover the desolate land with dark gray.

Along with that.

Unintelligible sound-!!!!

In the desolate capital where there had been nothing until just a moment ago, Agwis began to be visible.

Even at a glance, they did not look like normal appearances.

Agwis showing hideous appearances as each one could not have a constant form.

They were letting out bizarre screams while wandering here and there in the capital.

“Well, I am handling them very well right now.”

Before long.

Sss.

The inner world that closed again as the black ripples disappeared.

The man in the black holy shroud, who was watching this, spoke lowly.

“……It seems you have pushed characteristics into all of your subordinates as well.”

“Correct. Anyway, so-”

The Agwi smiled widely once more.

“-That you came all the way here means you have something to say, right?”

“You know well.”

“Since you gave me such strength, I will listen to almost anything. To be honest, I did not know I would be able to devour Greed either.”

‘Heh, I never imagined that Greed would be inside that corpse,’ the Agwi chuckled contentedly.

The man in the holy shroud, who looked at that appearance for a moment, continued speaking.

“This is a request, but it is also for you.”

“For me?”

“Even if you succeeded in digesting it, you will not be able to handle the strength properly yet. Is it not?”

“You know well.”

“So I will tell you the way to handle the strength well.”

At those words, the Agwi stared intently at the man with an expression of “Hm.”

“But you know.”

“What is it?”

“I have been curious from before, why are you helping me? Even though we are people who have never even met each other before.”

He had been puzzled from before.

Just why he was helping like this.

At the Agwi’s question, the man in the holy shroud was silent for a moment.

“Help, help, huh. Well, it could be thought of that way.”

He murmured quietly and then let out a chuckle.

“It is simple. Helping you is quite an important thing for me.”

Before long, the man in the holy shroud turned his body.

“An aberrant gate will open in the desert, so try going there.”

“……What is there?”

“Rather than saying what is there, he will come there-”

His murmur, ‘Greed’s body will’, did not reach the Agwi.

The man in the black holy shroud, who smiled quietly, moved away once again.