Chapter 585: The Thing Called the Karma Seat (6)

Alon quietly looked at Yan.

With slightly anxious eyes.

Yet at the same time, carrying a faint trace of gratitude.

And still, mixed within that gaze was slight hostility, as though she remained wary of him.

However, only for a moment.

“I apologize, but you will need to step aside.”

At Yuman’s firm words, Yan hesitated briefly.

“......Please. Don’t harm Elivan.”

In the end, she quietly murmured those words and stepped aside from the door.

“Let us go.”

Seeing Yan like that, Alon looked at her with a somewhat pitiful expression before nodding and following Yuman toward the door.

Kugugugugug—!

The moment Yuman approached, the stone gate began opening as though it had been waiting for him, revealing the passage beyond.

Without bothering to question him, Alon stepped through the stone doorway.

And after some more time passed, once Alon finally reached the deepest prison within Rosario—

“......That is Elivan?”

“Yes.”

He saw Elivan.

No—

“......”

He saw the Sin of Wrath.

“......What happened?”

Alon asked.

At the question, Yuman looked at Elivan—who had taken on the same form as the Sin they had seen before—and slowly spoke.

“I do not know the exact circumstances myself. The only thing I can say is that at some point, he suddenly became like that.”

“......When he was receiving treatment, he still looked like Elivan originally?”

“That is correct. He continued receiving treatment, and then at some point......”

Yuman trailed off.

However, that alone was enough.

It was not difficult to understand the situation from that much alone.

Thus, instead of questioning Yuman further, Alon silently stared at the Sin.

Bound within the massive underground prison.

......The Sin of Wrath, restrained by chains overflowing with holy power.

“......Was there any battle after he transformed into that state?”

“No. There was nothing of the sort.”

“You mean he accepted being restrained without resistance?”

“Strictly speaking, it is closer to the fact that we bound him like this before he awakened after transforming into a Sin.”

“Any other reactions......?”

“Yes. He does appear conscious, however...... no words reached him whatsoever.”

As Yuman spoke, Alon silently continued staring at the Sin of Wrath.

“This matter has not yet been announced publicly. Aside from Cardinal Sergius, Cardinal Yutia, and myself, only three people know of it.”

Yuman continued.

“Thank you.”

Alon slightly bowed his head toward Yuman, because he understood clearly that this was for his sake—the one who had proposed sparing Elivan’s life.

“It is fine, Brother. I trust you.”

Yuman smiled while looking at Alon.

Feeling a small sense of gratitude toward that trust, Alon once more looked toward the Sin.

“......”

What he felt from it was unmistakably intelligence.

Yet for some reason, it said nothing.

The only thing it did was—

“......”

Stare directly at Alon.

After some time passed like that—

“......?”

Something suddenly came to Alon’s mind.

“Saint.”

“Please speak, Brother.”

“If possible, I would like to speak with him alone. Would that be acceptable?”

Alon spoke while looking toward Yuman.

And at that request, Yuman nodded.

“If that is your wish, Brother, then I shall step out.”

“Thank you.”

“However, please be careful. If he truly is a Sin, then he could be fatal to you.”

That was true.

No matter how heavily restrained by holy power he was, and regardless of how much stronger Alon had become compared to before—

If this “Sin” suddenly attempted an instant ambush while targeting the present moment, there was no way Alon could stop it.

No matter what, he was still ultimately a mage weak in close combat.

“I understand. I will be careful.”

However, despite Yuman’s worried warning, Alon calmly nodded.

“......Then I shall take my leave.”

Yuman soon turned around and left.

And Alon remained standing silently until the nearby footsteps gradually faded farther away before disappearing completely.

Then—

“......Elivan.”

He quietly spoke.

[.......]

However, the Sin of Wrath still remained silent.

It merely stared at Alon without reacting in any other way.

“......”

‘Was I mistaken?’

Alon made an awkward expression at the thought.

“Elivan.”

“......”

“Elivan?”

Alon called his name several more times.

However, after repeated calls still produced no answer, Alon was beginning to become convinced that he had simply imagined it—

Tak— tadak—

A small stone rolled past Alon’s side.

“?”

Although he had not sensed any movement at all, a stone had suddenly rolled across the floor.

Alon was briefly startled.

“......?”

And just as he tried looking toward the Sin once more, another stone brushed past him before rolling away.

Following where it had gone, Alon soon noticed something drawn along one side of the prison wall.

A chaotic mess of tangled scribbles.

So tangled that it was impossible to tell what had even been written—

“......Hm?”

—scribbles......?

......

No.

That was not graffiti.

It was—

‘......A formula?’

......A formula.

An ordinary mage would never have noticed it, but Alon instantly recognized that the scribbles formed a kind of formula.

More precisely, a formula that only True Mages could understand.

Why would a formula understandable only by True Mages be drawn deep underground like this?

Alon wondered that briefly, but his mind instinctively began deciphering the formula.

For anyone else, perhaps it would have been impossible, but for Alon, deciphering a True Mage formula hidden among scribbles was not especially difficult.

Thus, while interpreting the formula, Alon continued staring at the Sin of Wrath, who still said absolutely nothing while remaining bound.

And before long, even if not completely, he managed to decipher part of the formula.

And then—

“......Huu.”

Alon let out a sigh before looking at Elivan.

“I’ll come again later.”

With that quiet murmur, Alon glanced once more at “Elivan” before turning around without hesitation.

With a somewhat hardened expression.

And after a little more time passed—

“......How did the meeting go?”

Right after Alon exited the prison, Yuman’s voice greeted him.

Alon calmly answered.

“......Unfortunately, we were unable to have any conversation at all.”

“I thought that might be the case.”

Yuman murmured bitterly at Alon’s words.

“For the time being, we will continue keeping him sealed here.”

“......Will that truly be alright?”

“It would become troublesome if the current situation were revealed, but for now it should be manageable. Above all, he remains sealed. And we have already prepared measures in case the seal is broken as well— so it should be fine.”

At Yuman’s words, Alon nodded as though he understood before glancing around.

“By the way, where is she?”

“......By she, are you referring to Yan?”

“Yes. There are several things I wish to ask her as well.”

At Alon’s words, Yuman nodded in understanding.

“She is currently upstairs above the underground prison. In fact, it seems she collapsed shortly after you entered.”

“......Collapsed?”

“Yes. Apparently she had gone far too long without properly eating......”

“Ah, I see...... Then I will speak with her another time when the opportunity arises.”

“......Another time?”

“Yes, Saint. It is not urgent enough to warrant forcing the matter.”

Alon answered that while briefly glancing behind him.

Toward the tightly sealed gate where Elivan remained imprisoned.

####

Right after leaving the underground prison—

“Lord Alon!”

“Penia.”

After parting ways with Yuman, Alon met Penia.

“Did you wait well?”

“Well, I suppose so?”

A small question mark practically appeared over Penia’s head at Alon’s question, but she soon nodded.

“More importantly, did everything go well?”

“Yes. I spoke with the Wanderer, and I was also able to see Elivan.”

“......Hm? Wait, Elivan?”

“Yes.”

“......The one who destroyed Ashtalon?”

As Alon nodded, Penia looked bewildered.

“Why is he here......?”

“From what I heard, he never regained consciousness, so Yuman brought him here for proper treatment. He did regain consciousness eventually, but... we were unable to speak.”

“Why?”

Alon appeared to think briefly before spreading mana around them to confirm nobody else was nearby.

Then he quietly continued.

“......He had transformed into a Sin.”

“......A Sin?”

“Yes. Not Elivan himself, but the form of the Sin of Wrath.”

“That’s......”

Seeing Penia’s expression turn serious, Alon spoke.

“This information has not spread yet, so let us leave the discussion there.”

“Ah.”

“Besides that, something even more complicated happened as well.”

“By complicated, you mean—”

“......The time until the Karma Seats descend has shortened considerably.”

“......For only being apart for around three hours, it feels like far too many things happened.”

Penia spoke in disbelief.

At that, Alon likewise held his head and sighed.

“To be honest, even I am rather overwhelmed.”

“......Uh, then what are you planning to do first now?”

At Penia’s question, Alon thought briefly before answering.

“For now, I plan to leave Rosario.”

“......What? This quickly?”

Penia looked shocked.

However, Alon firmly nodded.

“Yes. The situation has changed too drastically.”

That was his answer.

“Then are you leaving without meeting Lady Yutia as well?”

At Penia’s follow-up question, Alon hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Yes. We will be returning to Rosario again before long anyway. Preparation comes first right now.”

And immediately after saying “Let’s go” to Penia, Alon turned around without hesitation.

Though Penia sensed a slight sense of incongruity from his behavior, she quickly followed behind him.

Not long afterward, before the sun had fully set, Alon’s group left Rosario earlier than expected.

And then—

[Shouldn’t we be able to fly already?]

[Kyuu-]

Basiliora spoke while looking toward the distant Rosario, while Blackie shook its head as though telling Basiliora to stay quiet.

And at that moment—

“Huu—”

Alon suddenly let out a sigh.

“Is something wrong?”

Penia asked with a puzzled expression.

Alon briefly shifted his gaze, looking not at Penia but once toward Rosario.

Then—

“No. It’s nothing.”

Without another word, he continued walking.

Penia looked puzzled by Alon’s behavior for a moment, but soon continued walking without complaint.

Instead, a small question lingered in her mind.

‘......Something feels strange.’

Of course, Alon’s actions themselves were not particularly strange.

Everything he had done so far aligned with the judgment he normally displayed.

Certainly, it was somewhat unusual that he was leaving Rosario without meeting Yutia when he always did whenever he visited, but given the urgency of the situation, even that was not truly strange.

And yet, despite that—

Penia, who had spent a long time beside Alon already, could sense that something about his behavior felt subtly awkward.

As though there was something he had not said.

......Even if it would appear perfectly normal to everyone else.

However, even though she sensed it, Penia did not ask.

The reason was simple.

Because Penia trusted Alon.

She needed no other reason.

Thus, she silently followed behind him.

And after flying once more atop Basiliora through the late night, eventually arriving at the office in Palantia after roughly five days—

Alon was greeted by a rather strange sight.

The first thing he saw was Deus, Radan, and Nangwon—who had apparently already been in Palantia—wearing expressions that somehow looked deeply pathetic while staring toward the women.

And beside them—

“AAAAAAAHH—!!!”

The depressed women.

And in the middle of them, Ryang-a sinking into despair.

“YEEESSSSSSS──────”

Meanwhile, in complete contrast, Seollang was cheering loudly.

Holding a single strand of fluttering black hair in her left hand while looking unbelievably excited—

“───Uh?”

The moment Seollang noticed Alon, she froze completely.

“......”

Faced with a scene he utterly failed to understand, Alon’s expression turned strange.