Chapter 260 – Encounter (1)

“The One with Closed Eyes, you say?”

[Yes. Why on earth are you…?]

At Sparrow, who asked back as if he couldn’t understand at all.

Alon searched through the information in his head and tried to recall the words ‘The One with Closed Eyes’—

But he soon shook his head.

Because no matter how much he looked, he had never obtained information about him.

“Can you give me an explanation?”

Alon requested an elaboration from Sparrow.

[…I don’t even have a sense of where to start explaining.]

“Unfortunately, I’ve heard the name ‘The One with Closed Eyes’ for the first time from you just now.”

Sparrow pondered for a moment and added.

[Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can explain either. Because all I know are the achievements of the One with Closed Eyes.]

“…Achievements?”

[The one who birthed the black things, the one who devoured the lifespans of the elves, the father of sins. Despite clearly being a mage, he was a World Evil who stood on the side of the black things and tried to destroy the world.]

“…”

[Those were the things people who lived in that era said when talking about the One with Closed Eyes.]

At Alon’s nod, Sparrow asked.

[Did you say the name of your formula was definitely Reverse Heaven?]

“That’s right.”

[…You said you created the formula yourself, didn’t you?]

“Yes.”

Silence found them once again.

As if putting something together in his head, he continued to keep silent and only after a quite long time passed did he let out a sigh.

[To be honest, I’m not sure.]

“About what?”

[The fact itself that you have the name of the formula Reverse Heaven and the law of the One with Closed Eyes simultaneously.]

“…Is that so strange?”

[It is strange. No, it’s not just to a strange degree.]

“Then?”

[In terms of language, it’s like a sophistry. In terms of laws, it’s also something that cannot happen.]

“In what sense is it so?”

Sparrow caught his breath and then explained.

[Basically, the name of a law that has already been carved cannot be changed or pushed out. If the name of your formula is Reverse Heaven, the law you use is clearly the same as what the First Mage used.]

“Clearly, I created the law.”

[If so, you have created exactly the same law as the First Mage. If you hadn’t carved the same law, you would have had to put in another law.]

“…Is that so?”

[In the first place, that major premise can never collapse. It is a fact proven through numerous experiments.]

Alon could guess what Sparrow was trying to say without much difficulty.

“…In other words, if it’s as you said, as long as I use Reverse Heaven, that formula must unconditionally be the First Mage’s law, but the content of that law belongs to the ‘One with Closed Eyes,’ so that’s a problem?”

[It’s not that it’s a problem, it’s that I’m shocked. If what you say is true, that means—]

“That the First Mage and the One with Closed Eyes, who tried to destroy the world, are the same person?”

[Yes.]

The same person.

At the derived inference, Alon pondered for a moment and spat out.

“What is the probability that it’s a similar formula?”

[At least as far as I know, it cannot be. The only possibility that exists is that the First Mage and the One with Closed Eyes are in a master-disciple relationship. If so, it would be established.]

Sparrow let out a deep sigh.

[Of course, there might be something I don’t know. Because I didn’t reach the end as a mage. This is something that you might be able to get help with if you ask another person. Because a method I don’t know might exist.]

Alon naturally thought of Kailus.

[Anyway, regardless of that, there is something slightly amazing personally.]

“What is it?”

[The fact that you obtained the Ancient Law.]

“…Ancient Law?”

[You should already know how a mage carves a law. Right?]

“Yes.”

[Have you ever thought about why so many mages become someone’s disciple instead of creating laws themselves?]

Alon thought for a moment and answered.

“Isn’t it because it’s hard to create a law?”

[That is also true, but the more essential reason is that the faith needed to create the desired law is required in an exponentially large amount.]

“Does that mean the degree to which faith is needed differs depending on which law you carve?”

[Yes, that was also the reason why the number of mages did not increase. And in order to carve that law you have—it is impossible unless it is the greatest god of Calgunias, ‘The One Who Looks Down.’ No, I’m not sure if even that is possible.]

“…To that extent?”

[That’s why I said it’s amazing.]

Alon recalled the time he first created the law.

He had certainly obtained faith from numerous heterogeneous races, but it hadn’t been to that extent.

[Anyway, that’s all the story I can give you.]

Alon organized the information Sparrow had given him in his head again.

####

The wasteland between the United Kingdom and the Empire.

There.

There were those who normally shouldn’t be there.

The elves and,

“Save me—ugh!”

The lizardmen.

“…”

“…”

A cliff in the wasteland where there was nothing.

The last executive of the Black Hand who was desperately begging for his life.

The elf Rim and the lizardman Kabu, who cooperatively drove an axe and a sword into his heart.

“Fi, finally—”

“Killed them all…!”

They reflexively hugged each other and cheered.

With this, they had dealt with all of the Black Hand.

Air heated with intense joy.

The two who pulled each other close—

“Ge, get off me, lizard!”

“Wha, what nonsense are you talking about? You hugged me!”

—Soon they were startled and immediately pulled away from each other.

At the moment their gazes met in the awkward air.

The two fell into a strange sense of reality check simultaneously.

Because what Rim and Kabu originally had to do was ‘protect Marquis Palatio.’

But why were these people—

No, strictly speaking, the elf’s protective force and the lizardman’s protective force here?

That was because of the organization called Black Hand that was insolently aiming for Alon when he stopped by Teria.

…In fact, whether it was the elves or the lizardmen.

There was no need to deal with the Black Hand to this extent.

Nevertheless, the power that made them move ahead of each other.

It was exactly competitive spirit.

A competitive spirit that wanted to objectively prove that their side was much more helpful than the other.

At first, the speed at which the elves and lizardmen worked together to deal with the Black Hand was steep.

Therefore, unfortunately.

In the process of dealing with the Black Hand, the lizardmen and elves measured each other’s merits similarly.

Since this meant they couldn’t distinguish their superiority.

They did not stop there and tried to settle the match by catching the remaining members of the Black Hand who had escaped.

With the single-minded thought that they must win this fight(?) by any means.

…And the result was exactly this.

“…”

“…”

The elf Rim and the lizardman Kabu stared at each other with eyes wide open.

A messy appearance that was nothing short of filthy.

It was evidence of their struggle to prove that they were more useful than each other.

It wasn’t just the two of them.

The protective forces glaring at each other were also the embodiment of a beggar’s appearance.

If the two camps had been confronting each other in this way in the middle of the capital.

To the point where any passing citizen would think, ‘Beggars are fighting over territory.’

But the problem was even more than that.

That even the last remnant was killed by Rim and Kabu simultaneously.

In other words, since it meant they eventually failed to distinguish their superiority.

The two were looking at each other with expressions that a reality check had come.

And after a while.

“…Let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

The elf and the lizardman began to move their steps without anyone taking the lead.

Feeling a strange sense of camaraderie, rather than competitive spirit or a desire to win.

A time of more than half a year.

When they returned across the border after chasing and perfectly dealing with the Black Hand.

They could receive a report.

“…The First Elf returned from the dead and was pushed to become the king of the elves?”

“Our friend returned from the dead and reached the same position as the Great One?”

A surreal report whose development they couldn’t quite follow.

“????”

“????”

A bizarre question filled the faces of the elves and lizardmen who had come out after being stuck at the border for nearly half a year.

####

A few weeks after that.

Alon arrived at the Marquisate after a very long time and.

“…?”

He reflexively paused.

Because while he was gone, the Marquis territory had developed beyond recognition.

‘…Isn’t it at the level of Teria?’

Alon had such a thought unconsciously while looking at the state of the territory.

Of course, it was still lacking compared to Teria, but it meant it was surprisingly amazing.

A satisfied smile faintly formed on Alon’s lips.

“Finally home—”

“It’s home.”

After arriving at the Marquis mansion.

Alon handled only very simple tasks and took a rest just like that.

An unbelievable amount of documents piled up in the office and Alexion, who seemed to have a lot to say, were waiting, but.

He decided to handle them the next day.

Alon, who took a good rest for a day after a long time, roughly grasped the situation of the mansion the next day.

First, Fenia, who went to the magic tower for business, had not returned yet.

Around the time Alon was thinking about whether to postpone document processing a bit until she came.

“…That, Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“A guest has come to see you.”

“A guest?”

“Yes.”

“They said they absolutely wanted to see the Marquis, what shall I do? From what I heard, they told me to convey that it was a relationship from the past.”

“A relationship from the past?”

“Yes.”

Evan announced the visitor.

Alon pondered for a moment and then nodded as if he understood.

Not long after that.

Two people entered the office.

A handsome man who seemed to have just turned 20 and possessed the appearance of both a boy and a young man.

And a woman who exuded a mature beauty.

At the moment Alon was bewildered by the visit of strangers.

Tears welled up in the man’s eyes, and he approached Alon just like that.

“Brother…! It’s really, been a long time since I’ve seen you…!!”

He immediately bowed his waist.

Alon, who was wearing a dazed expression for a moment at the sudden situation.

Soon, at that familiar voice—

“!”

Realizing the owner of that voice late,

“…Nang-won?”

He spat out a name.

“Yes, it’s me…!”

Then Nang-won smiled brightly as if he were truly happy.

Alon—

‘This…’

Unlike the appearance he saw in Psychodelia.

Looking at him, who had become a beautiful boy.

‘How did this happen????’

Recalled numerous question marks in his head.