Chapter 158 - Why So Strong? (2)

A temple stood on ground of unknown origin. Amid that utterly alien landscape were three figures in dark robes that obscured their faces.

"Wow, Pride really died?"

"Tsk. What an idiot. There's a proper time for everything."

"..."

One spoke in surprise, another in disdain, while the third remained silent. They were apostles of the Five Great Sins, just like the apostle of Pride.

"It is a little strange. To receive power from Him and still get killed by outsiders? That's beyond a joke."

The apostle of Greed propped up their chin, contempt in their eyes.

"Tsk, tsk."

The apostle of Sloth clicked their tongue in incomprehension and picked up the conversation.

"He was full of himself. It had barely been over ten years since he received his power, and he couldn't even use it properly, yet his confidence knew no bounds."

"Heh heh. That's true. Arrogant beyond belief. Oh, was that because he was His apostle? But even accounting for that, it's surprising. He may have been the weakest of us, but I didn't expect anyone out there to be capable of killing him."

The conversation naturally shifted to one particular person: the one who had killed Pride.

Sloth nodded.

"That surprised me as well. Well, whoever it is would still be no match for me."

"True enough."

Readily conceding the point, Greed turned to glance at Wrath.

"So, Wrath, what are you going to do now?"

"About what?"

The voice revealed nothing about its owner. When Wrath, entirely concealed beneath a dark robe, asked that question, Pride elaborated.

"It's exactly what it sounds like. The barrier's gone, and we can go outside now. I'm asking what you intend to do."

"I'm considering it."

"Are you now?"

"Yes."

A guarded response.

Greed thought for a moment, then tossed out a remark.

"What's there to consider? All you have to do is go collect it."

"..."

Wrath did not bother to answer.

"Guess you don't want to answer."

Greed shrugged as if nothing could be done about it.

"Well, everyone seems to be doing as they please, so I should get moving too."

"Are you going out?"

"With the barrier gone, there's no reason to stay here. Shouldn't I go check on the seed and tend to it? Besides, I'm getting too worked up to stand it anymore."

Greed rose with a broad grin.

"Well, I don't know when the rest of you will come out, but I'll see you out there."

With that, Greed left.

"Hmm."

Sloth, who had been watching, also rose.

"I'll be off, too."

"Are you going outside as well?"

"Like you, I'm considering it. More precisely, I intend to watch Greed and then decide. Greed will wipe out anyone who might get in our way."

"Dealing with them myself would be a bother, so I'll wait until then," Sloth concluded, before disappearing as well.

Seated in the now-silent temple, Wrath gazed for a long time at the places where Sloth and Greed had vanished.

####

In the office of House Pallatio.

"Hello, Count—no, Marquis!"

"Hello."

Looking at the cheerful young man, who had grown almost beyond recognition since their first meeting, Alon thought,

'... He certainly has the air of the original protagonist now.'

When Alon first met Elivan, he had looked so young that calling him a boy rather than a young man would have been more appropriate. Now, anyone could see that he looked exactly like Elivan from the game.

'Yes, he's handsome. There was a reason the game kept describing him as a beautiful boy.'

Alon found himself making that assessment.

The reason his thoughts had abruptly turned to Elivan's appearance was the companions behind him. Alon looked at the two women and one man.

'In order, they're Yan, Vina, and Ralph, if I remember correctly.'

Looking at the mage, thief, and warrior, respectively, he recalled how Elivan had recruited them.

First was Yan, a mage from the Blue Magic Tower whom Elivan encountered after first leaving his village. She met him while traveling with a merchant caravan and joined him.

For the record, her reason for becoming his companion was that he had helped her gather some magic ingredients during the journey.

The second to join was Vina, a thief he became involved with through a classic pickpocketing incident two villages later. Amusing as it sounded, her character background described her as a rather promising thief(?).

She joined Elivan for the trivial reason that he had simply let her go after catching her picking pockets.

In other words, for Psychedelia's otherwise fairly solid story, the early companions' reasons for joining the protagonist's party were surprisingly flimsy, except for Ralph, the only other man.

As a result, theories that Elivan was an absurdly irresistible alpha male occasionally circulated in the community.

Alon shifted his gaze past Elivan to examine their faces.

'To think those theories were true.'

Yan and Vina were looking at Elivan with unmistakable, visibly obvious affection.

For a moment, Alon couldn't help feeling how unfair the world was. Then he cleared his throat and collected his thoughts.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I came because I need your help, Marquis. Would you be willing to help us?"

"... My help?"

"Yes. I remembered you telling me to ask if I ever needed help... Would it be an imposition?"

Alon immediately shook his head. He had indeed said that, and he had intended to help Elivan even if Elivan hadn't wanted him to. Elivan needed to grow quickly; there were many things he had to do.

"What do you need help with?"

"A Monster Gate."

"A Monster Gate?"

"Yes. There's one we need to deal with, but I think it'll be a little difficult on our own. Could you help us?"

Watching Elivan laugh good-naturedly, Alon was puzzled.

'... The Monster Gate he's supposed to visit at this point should be the one I was planning to go to... But Elivan's party should have no trouble with that one.'

Alon pondered for a moment, but soon understood why.

'Come to think of it, in the story, they originally tried to get support from Asteria because it was extremely dangerous. Then some unexpected situation prevented them from getting it, didn't it?'

Belatedly recalling that detail from the game, Alon nodded.

'In the original story, he simply asked a nearby domain for help. This time, he came to me because we know each other.'

That worked out nicely, he thought, and answered,

"I'll go with you."

"Oh, you'll come in person, Marquis?"

"Yes."

"Wow! I was only going to ask if you could spare a few soldiers. Thank you!"

Elivan bowed deeply.

"Not at all. I told you I'd help last time, after all. As for our departure... Yes, there's no point dragging this out. Let's leave tomorrow."

Having made his decision at once, Alon told Elivan's party which rooms they could use for the day.

After they left...

"Marquis."

"What is it?"

Evan approached, looking incredulous.

"... That fellow—is he really the kid from a few years ago? The one you kept giving all sorts of things to—"

"Yes."

"Wow."

At Alon's answer, his jaw dropped.

"... The world's fucking unfair."

He muttered the complaint under his breath.

"Hmm. Honestly, I agree."

He really was ridiculously handsome.

"Right?"

["Hmph. Your face suits your personality perfectly."]

"What did you say, you bastard?"

["Am I wrong?"]

Evan scowled at Basiliora's open mockery, then exclaimed as something occurred to him.

"... Wait a moment, Marquis. Now that I think about it, that Elivan fellow—I didn't remember when you mentioned him earlier, but isn't he the Chosen One?"

"The Chosen One? Ah, yes, he is."

It was a detail Alon had briefly forgotten as well.

'... I stopped paying attention to it after the opening section, but that was part of the setting.'

The Chosen One.

It was the title given to someone who closed the Monster Gates that appeared in this world, a position similar to the hero in other games.

Elivan had received it after using Shironia's blessing to deal with the enormous Monster Gate that appeared in his village during the initial tutorial.

'By this point, he should have been recognized by the five great kingdoms as well... Oh, was that why Yutia visited?'

Alon recalled Yutia's brief visit to the domain a month earlier. Just as he realized she had probably stopped in Tern for the Chosen One's appointment...

"Wait. Then... did you know he would become the Chosen One, Marquis?"

At Evan's questioning tone, Alon hesitated, wondering how to explain.

"No, you don't have to answer."

"... Why not?"

"It's hardly the first time you've done something I don't understand. I just take it as it comes."

"... Do you?"

"Yes. Well, something a little suspicious happening doesn't suddenly make you a different person. I'm used to it now, too."

Whether Evan's shrug and casual acceptance came from indifference or trust, he accepted Alon as he was. Somehow, Alon found that strangely moving.

"... I'll raise your salary."

"Really?!"

And Evan was moved as well.

####

While Evan and Alon were moving each other to gratitude, Elivan's party, who had been provided lodging thanks to Alon, gleefully threw themselves onto the beds the moment they entered their room.

"Oh! This is so comfortable!"

"Ahh, how long has it been since we had beds?"

"Aaah..."

"So this is what noble life feels like..."

Vina and Ralph snuggled blissfully into the cozy bedding.

Unlike the two who were engrossed in the soft bedding, Yan addressed Elivan with a sulky expression.

"Elivan, did we really have to come here?"

"Hm?"

"To Marquis Pallatio."

"Well... because we need support?"

Elivan's answer was simple, but the crease between Yan's brows showed no sign of easing.

"But now we'll have to share the rewards from the Monster Gate with him."

The reason for Yan's dissatisfaction was the rewards. Elivan's party had already entered Monster Gates and returned with rewards on roughly three occasions, and they knew how valuable those rewards were.

In short, Yan didn't want to share them with Marquis Pallatio. To a mage like her, the rewards from Monster Gates were immensely enticing.

But Elivan gave his usual good-natured smile.

"Don't think of it that way, Yan. You never know what might happen. They actually said it would be extremely dangerous when they gave us this job."

"... I think we could manage on our own."

"It's better to be safe, isn't it?"

"Even so."

Yan still looked deeply dissatisfied. Elivan merely scratched his head awkwardly.

Knowing that he wasn't good at telling people off, Yan continued grumbling. Before long, she added,

"Honestly, I don't like Marquis Pallatio either. His face is so expressionless that I can't tell what he's thinking at all."

Having voiced her complaint as she always did, she looked at Elivan, expecting another awkward smile.

Then...

"...?"

Yan saw him smiling.

But the smile on his lips was different from any she had seen before.

His mouth was certainly smiling.

His eyes, however, were not.

A chill struck her. In an instant, it ran through her entire body.

"Yan."

Elivan's low voice fell over her.

"Y-yes?"

As Yan stammered as though hiccupping, Elivan stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Then he brought his radiant face right up to hers.

"I don't think it's very nice to talk about the marquis that way. What do you think?"

His shadowed blue eyes stared straight into hers.

He was unmistakably the Elivan she had always known. Yet the strange fear those blue eyes inspired made Yan swallow involuntarily.

"I-I'm sorry... Elivan. I think I was being too selfish."

Slowly, she offered an apology—no, an admission of fault.

Elivan tightened the hand on her shoulder, giving it one firm squeeze.

"It's all right, Yan. But let's be more careful next time, okay?"

He stepped back, his eyes smiling once more. It was a brilliant smile that made his breathtaking face all the more striking.

And yet...

"... Yes."

She felt a peculiar fear.

####

The following day...

"Let's set off."

"Yes, sir!"

Alon departed for the Monster Gate with Elivan's party.