Chapter 242 – Technique (5)

Dowon, the blue-eyed goddess.

She looked at Alon silently.

There was no major change in Alon’s expression, but he clearly showed a flustered air.

[Hmm…]

Dowon pondered for a while with a very subtle face.

[Even when I first sensed your existence, I felt mystery, but seeing you now, you are even more wondrous.]

She observed Alon minutely as if he were wondrous.

“…May I ask which part makes you say that?”

When Alon, who had been receiving that gaze silently for a while, finally asked.

She answered without reservation.

[Every part of you is wondrous.]

“…Every part, you say?”

[Yes. It is wondrous that a ‘magus,’ who clearly shouldn’t be able to exist now, is in front of my eyes, and I am also curious how a ‘god’ I have never seen before is forming a ‘covenant’ with our Kalgunias. And also why that person is attached to you.]

Alon felt even more doubt after hearing the goddess’s words.

For now, the only thing he could understand was the covenant of the ring.

Other than that, from Alon’s perspective, it was not intuitively understood.

“Why do you say that a magus cannot exist?”

When he first asked the part that raised curiosity, Dowon gave a smile.

[Isn’t that obvious? Because the laws engraved by the black ones are like that.]

“…Laws, you say?”

[…]

At Alon’s question, the goddess stared at him intently.

An expression as if searching for something.

At the moment Alon thought, ‘Did I ask the wrong question?’.

[Indeed…]

As if she realized something, the goddess let out a light exclamation.

Once again, she harbored a soft smile on her mouth.

[So that’s how it happened.]

“…?”

As she nodded her head several times as if she had gained enlightenment, Alon expressed his doubt for a moment.

[You wear an expression as if you have many things you’re curious about. No…you can’t help but have many. Isn’t that right?]

At Dowon’s following words, Alon nodded.

“…To be honest, that is the case.”

[I thought so. For you, it must be full of doubts. But unfortunately, it is impossible for you to know the truth here.]

“Is that so?”

[Conveying something in words is not that difficult. In fact, I could talk about it right now.]

“…Then why?”

[Because I received a request.]

“A request, you say?”

[Yes, a request. And a request that I could absolutely not refuse at that.]

Alon felt confusion for a moment.

Because it was as if someone had pre-assumed that he would come here.

“…Then the reason you wanted to see me…”

[That was also because I received a request.]

At the following words, Alon instinctively frowned slightly.

He had never once met the god in front of his eyes.

Was that all?

He didn’t even know that a god named Dowon existed.

And above all, this was the past.

A past where the Kingdom of Asteria did not exist.

Where House Palladio did not exist.

Where Alon Palladio did not exist.

Therefore.

“Are you saying that you knew I would come?”

Alon managed to open his mouth and ask.

Dowon answered lightly.

[I was expecting it.]

“How?”

[I say it once more, I cannot tell you that. Because I received a request.]

As the conversation continued, Alon’s head became even more dizzy.

Because he could not well understand the situation that was currently happening.

Alon calmly caught his breath and organized his thoughts.

“Am I unable to receive an answer no matter what question I ask?”

[There is a high probability that will be the case for most of the things you are curious about. Unless it is content that is already known to the world.]

After hearing Dowon’s words, Alon reached a conclusion.

Alon did not know what the goddess in front of him was hiding.

However…

‘I won’t be able to know anything just by asking questions.’

Questions would be meaningless.

“I understand.”

[Do not be too disappointed. While there are words I cannot say, there are also words I must say.]

“…Is that also part of the request?”

[Yes.]

As the ambiguous conversation continued, Alon’s fundamental curiosity grew even larger.

The one who made the request to the god in front of him, Dowon.

Just what kind of existence were they?

Alon waited for Dowon’s words.

After a moment of silence.

[Giving a hint about your technique, that is what I was requested to do.]

“A hint…?”

[Yes, so listen carefully.]

Dowon began to pour out sentences.

[First, do not dwell on the technique called Reverse Heaven, but contemplate what you truly need.]

[Second, do not try to find the law.]

[Third, engrave it when it is born.]

[Fourth, the green godhead is regeneration.]

[That is all.]

The voices were stuck in Alon’s ears calmly.

However, the content was somewhat difficult to digest.

“…By any chance, asking for a detailed explanation of what you said earlier…”

As Alon was about to ask for an additional explanation, Kailas’s words suddenly came to mind.

“No, never mind.”

He corrected his words.

Dowon nodded as if satisfied.

[So you know well.]

“I ask just in case, but the person who made that request…”

[It is difficult to talk about that person.]

“…I apologize for asking an uncomfortable question.”

Seeing Alon immediately comply, Dowon gave a somewhat incomprehensible smile.

[Still, if I were to give just one hint…]

“Yes.”

She brought out a small piece.

[It was a person with very beautiful red eyes.]

“Red eyes, you say?”

[Yes, they were very beautiful red eyes.]

Alon was able to hear just a very little bit about the one who made the request.

####

“Is it over?”

“Yes.”

After the meeting with Dowon was over.

Alon, who came outside, got into the carriage following Ashir.

Looking out the window for a moment, Alon asked.

“May I ask one thing?”

“What is it?”

“The Dowon I met this time, is she not participating in this war?”

As soon as he heard the question, Ashir’s expression became a bit subtle.

“I heard you know nothing, but you really know nothing. Are you truly a god from the outskirts?”

“…A god from the outskirts?”

“Yes, after ‘Kalgunias,’ where the gods gathered, collapsed due to the black ones, gods with small godheads were born here and there, quite many of them. Like you.”

“…”

“Of course, looking at the Eastern prince’s story, you don’t seem to be a ragtag god…”

Alon said nothing at Ashir’s muttering, which worshiped the gods of Kalgunias, saying, ‘The great gods of Kalgunias and the gods of the outskirts are indeed different.’

Because there seemed to be no need to respond.

When an awkward silence flowed, Ashir said, “Ahem…” and continued his words.

“If you are also a god, you should be able to see Dowon’s state? To her, who consumed most of her power in the fight with the black ones, there is no more power left. She will probably ascend soon…”

Ashir’s voice was increasingly tinged with a troubled feeling.

Only then did Alon recall that the goddess had been flickering like a haze.

He let out a low exclamation and reviewed the words Dowon had said just before.

[First, do not dwell on the technique called Reverse Heaven, but contemplate what you truly need.]

[Second, do not try to find the law.]

[Third, engrave it when it is born.]

[Fourth, the green godhead is regeneration.]

Honestly, Alon had also thought from the moment he realized this place was the past that he might be able to obtain a hint about the technique in his own way.

No, beyond thinking like that.

He intended to look for a hint about the technique before returning if possible.

However, he never imagined he would obtain a hint in such a sudden way.

And at that, as if it were prepared by predicting that Alon would come to the past.

Therefore.

‘A person with beautiful red eyes.’

While blankly chewing on the information, Alon suddenly looked at the brooch on his chest.

“…?”

He fiddled with it with a strange face.

He hadn’t thought about it because he hadn’t cared until now.

Because he saw now that the red gem embedded in the middle of the brooch had lost its light.

‘…What is it?’

Alon examined the brooch again.

As if a light had been turned off, the brooch still only had a dim color.

At the moment he tilted his head at that.

A commotion was heard from outside.

Alon turned his gaze out the window.

The scenery outside the carriage, which he hadn’t cared about before, was certainly no different from yesterday.

Numerous houses and a large square.

And next to them, the appearance of the palace Alon was heading toward was visible.

…Yes, if he looked only up to this point.

This capital was not much different from the capitals of the territories he had seen before.

However, what was visible in Alon’s current view was a bit different.

“…”

The scenery visible beyond the carriage.

It was the sight of hungry children fighting to occupy a hard-looking piece of bread.

A child who was somehow pushing a piece of bread into their mouth with an emaciated hand and a child who was reaching out to take that bread.

Children picking up pieces of bread that fell in such a mess.

Besides that.

A homeless person sitting huddled by the roadside with an infinitely haggard appearance.

A beastman woman walking while scanning the surroundings with wary eyes.

Beasts looking at her with thick gazes could be seen.

The naked scenery of the alliance capital that was not revealed on the surface.

Around the time Alon, who took this into both eyes, could not manage his troubled heart behind his expressionless face.

“…?”

He witnessed a very strange sight.

At the end of a village alleyway.

A place that was just faintly caught in Alon’s view, two people were standing.

One was an elf girl.

The other was a human girl.

And Alon.

He knew the identity of the human girl visible in the distance.

‘…Magrina?’

The girl with unremarkable brown hair was precisely.

Magrina Fildegrin, who had revealed her identity to Alon yesterday.

While he was wondering why she, who should be in the royal palace, was here disguised as a human.

“!”

He could see.

Magrina, who had been talking with the elf girl until just now.

While wearing rags, she was caught by elves who suddenly appeared from the surroundings and was being dragged somewhere.

‘You are right. That is an unmistakable fact. But…unfortunately, the world does not always see only the truth.’

‘Correct. No matter how irrational it is and how they know it could not happen, they are looking for a scapegoat. Because they need a place to vent their anxiety and resentment.’

At the same time, Kalanda’s voice flashed through Alon’s head.

There was no time to think.

“…Wait, please stop the carriage.”

Alon stood up from his seat without hesitation.