Chapter 621 Preparation (1)

Alon went down to the lower floor together with Heinkel.

And soon, there.

“Oh!”

“Benefactor!”

“Welcome!”

“Have you come, Godfather?”

“Brother.”

As soon as he opened the door, Heinkel looked anew at those who greeted him as if they had been waiting.

Of course, she already knew they followed Alon well, but even so, when she saw them sending him gazes full of trust like this, it felt very different.

Because a person’s trust was not something that could be obtained so easily.

In addition to that.

‘......Things like that too.’

For an instant, Heinkel quickly shifted her gaze and faced those who were looking at Alon.

More precisely, those who were greeting Alon while also looking at her beside him.

Every one of them had eyes that seemed to be probing Heinkel.

Their mouths were smiling and their voices were lively, but only their eyes were not like that at all, so Heinkel pointlessly turned her gaze to one side.

......It was a look she had already experienced several times before, but even so, receiving gazes like that was not something she could get used to.

‘No, I am nothing at all—’

Heinkel felt slightly wronged, but soon, as she looked at those gathered here, she understood their gazes in her own way.

......Because when she thought about it, she suddenly remembered that there had not been this many before.

Around the time Heinkel thought that, Alon looked around once and opened his mouth.

“......Yutia does not seem to have come, but since it looks like everyone else has gathered, let us begin. Rine?”

“Yes, Godfather.”

“If it is all right—”

“I understand.”

Before Alon could say everything, Rine nodded as if she had understood his intent and flicked her finger.

Wooooong—!

The golden crown that immediately began bursting out behind her started covering the room in an instant.

“Ooh—”

“How interesting—”

Arculainysis and Ryang-a, who seemed to be seeing this scene for the first time, each let out sounds of admiration, and the room was completely covered by the golden crown.

And when the light illuminating this space soon turned on, Alon cleared his throat.

“I asked Rine because it seemed best to make sure nothing leaks outside as much as possible.”

“That’s right. What we are going to discuss today cannot leak out.”

“I agree. We do not know in what way the other side obtains information.”

At the words of Rine and Nangwon, who had already heard from Deus why they had gathered, Alon nodded.

“As you know, the reason I called you here today is because of the Karma Seats.”

““.......””

“How much have you all heard?”

“From what I heard from Deus, I heard up to the part that they are forming an alliance to kill you, Brother.”

“For such an arrogant name, they are acting rather petty.”

Magrina spoke with a faint trace of contempt after Radan’s words.

At that, Alon nodded and continued speaking.

“That is right. If things go as expected, the Karma Seats will probably form an alliance to kill me. Before I die, they probably will not fight among themselves.”

“Mm— then do we just have to stop all of the Karma Seats?”

At Seollang’s words, Alon was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“In the end, that is what it will come down to.”

“In the end......?”

“Yes. But before that, there is a strategy worth trying.”

“What kind?”

Historia tilted her head.

At her question, Alon was silent for a while as if organizing his thoughts. Then he slowly let out a sigh.

“I will explain the strategy from now on.”

Soon, he began explaining calmly.

“.......”

The group began focusing on Alon’s words.

And after some time had passed.

“......That is how it is. What do you think?”

Alon finished the whole explanation and looked at the group.

“Godfather. I think it would be better not to do it if possible.”

“Mm— I agree. That is too dangerous for you, Benefactor.”

“I think so too, Brother. It seems far too dangerous.”

“Agreed.”

“Me too.”

The kids stopped Alon as if they had been waiting.

But Alon spoke as if he had expected their reaction.

“Do not worry. I have something I can use to prepare sufficiently regarding this part as well.”

“......Even so, is it not still dangerous?”

“But the advantage if it succeeds is great.”

Although he was not saying it honestly, Alon thought the current situation was effectively close to the worst.

It was only natural.

Even when Alon caught one Karma Seat, he had struggled tremendously.

And recently, to catch a Karma Seat, he had sacrificed Penia.

In other words, with his current forces, stopping the Karma Seats who would descend was practically close to impossible.

No, even if it was possible, the probability of casualties was far too high.

......And when such a situation was plainly visible, he did not want to do nothing.

“In addition to that, there is one more thing I need to talk about.”

Because of that, Alon cut off the kids, who were opening their mouths as if they had been waiting to argue back against those words, and deliberately continued speaking.

Seeing the kids fall silent, separate from the slightly dissatisfied and worried expressions they showed toward him, Alon—

“It is about my law.”

—brought up one of the most important topics he had intended to discuss today.

####

Even as Alon steadily continued magic research, he also continued researching his law.

And at a certain point.

Around the time he became able to determine whether this “law” naturally became an equivalent exchange even while he was not using the law, Alon and Heinkel were able to find one proposition.

Namely, that when it came to “power,” Alon’s law moved almost exactly like equivalent exchange.

Of course, other than that, there were still many questionable points about Alon’s law.

For example, there were still many unclear points regarding the price of the restriction that the law itself applied.

The only thing they had obtained, at least, was that it was based on “what each individual considered precious,” and even then, they had not been able to properly determine what form was used as the standard for deciding what was precious.

Because the definition of “something precious” changed depending on how it was interpreted.

However, even amid those many questions, they had learned that, at least with “power,” one could obtain something in a form almost like equivalent exchange, or perhaps even stronger than that.

“—That is all.”

Alon explained that to the kids.

“Mm— so you are saying you can give up power and demand a new power in return, Boss?”

“That is right.”

“Then the power you originally used disappears?”

“Yes.”

At Alon’s words, Ryang-a’s expression turned puzzled.

It was an expression that seemed to say, What is that supposed to mean?

Likewise, Arculainysis beside her also tilted her head with a huh? sort of expression.

“If this body gave up all magic power and converted all power into physical force, what would happen?”

“Then—”

Just as Alon was about to answer, Seollang, who had been listening to that story until a moment ago, tapped Ar.

“?”

“Watch closely.”

As soon as Ar turned to look, Seollang said that, then subtly gestured to Rine.

At that, when Rine dismantled the golden crown at the place where the window was, Seollang immediately opened the window, lightly pulled her fist back as it was, and.

Whoosh—!

Swung it.

─────────────Kwaaaaaa—!

Along with a chilling sound, the clouds split apart.

“This is what happens.”

Seollang grinned.

At that, exclamation marks appeared above the heads of the kids who had been wearing confused expressions until just a moment ago.

“I see—”

“So that is why you suddenly became that strong.”

“You used to be about the same as us—”

The kids unknowingly let out sounds of admiration as they looked at the sky split in half.

And.

Wh-What is that!!

Something, something happened!?

W-where did what happen!?

As Alon listened to the commotion of the mages coming from below.

“Mm— this could certainly be helpful.”

He could see Magrina nodding as if she had already finished thinking.

In addition to that, seeing the kids each thinking in their own way as if they were considering something, Alon opened his mouth to continue—

“Then everyone, think—!”

—but could not.

“......!”

Alon’s gaze turned to one side.

And it was not only him.

Seollang, who had been smiling until just a moment ago, too.

Rine, who had likewise been thinking.

Even Radan, who was sitting leisurely in a chair, and Deus, who was standing by the door, looked to one side just like Alon.

The reason was—

“What......!”

—the eerie presence they could feel.

A presence that made one’s hair stand on end and sent cold sweat down the back.

“......A Karma Seat......!”

It was the presence of a Karma Seat.

At Alon’s murmur, Heinkel, who was beside him, looked at him with a questioning expression.

“!”

But soon, as that thing drew closer, Heinkel also seemed to feel something and began turning serious.

Then, at the moment everyone’s expressions changed from calm to grave, Alon immediately tried to jump through the window—

──────!

—but could not.

Because before Alon could jump out the window.

BANG—!!!

Something fell through the window with an enormous explosive sound.

And as the dust that burst out like that instantly rode the wind and scattered away.

“!”

Alon saw it.

A woman standing there, having completely smashed one side of the Mage Tower.

The first thing visible was violet hair.

Then eyes the same color as her hair.

And finally, a casual dress appropriately mixed with white and purple.

An appearance that made her look like a noble young lady.

However, the moment Alon confirmed her, he used Reverse Heavens without hesitation.

Because he knew.

He knew that the woman before his eyes was a Karma Seat.

And as if that had been the signal flare, Seollang shot out.

At the same time, the golden crown surged.

White hands began appearing from the floor.

“—”

From Ar’s mouth flowed dragon speech, which only dragons could use.

That was not all.

Magic power flowed from Magrina’s eyes, which had turned red.

And the next moment.

Tick—

Everything stopped.

Seollang’s attack as it shot forward.

The golden crown that likewise shot forward.

Ar’s voice as she murmured dragon speech.

The cursed hands.

The red haze.

They stopped.

“—!”

Even Alon.

And in the world where everyone had stopped like that—

[Ah— dear, dust splashed on me.]

—as if nothing was wrong, as if the attacks around her were nothing at all, she brushed the dust off her dress and wore a dissatisfied expression.

No, the Karma Seat soon looked around, then fixed her gaze on Alon.

[Ah, I made a mistake. I used it reflexively, so that was rude of me.]

Soon, she flicked her fingertip.

“!”

Along with that, Alon’s movement was released.

Only for a moment did he wonder why. Alon immediately thought.

‘At least the kids......!’

The moment he looked at the Karma Seat and tried to recite an incantation phrase to save the kids around him first—

[It has been a while.]

Alon—

[Father.]

“......Pardon?”

—unconsciously stopped the incantation phrase he had been about to recite......

And looking at the Karma Seat, who elegantly lifted her dress slightly and gave a formal greeting, he had no choice but to react that way.