Chapter 426 : The Seeker (5)

As Caland, the deputy tower master of the Purple Mage Tower, forgot even the message he was originally supposed to deliver to Alon and ran back in a hurry,

“Chief, are you really not going with us?”

“God, will you really be alright?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Alon nodded at the worries of Ryanga and Historia.

Truthfully, since there was no telling what might happen at the Central Tower, it would have been best to take as much fighting strength along as possible.

However, the problem was that if he took these two with him, it would be no different from leaving the Divine Land practically defenseless.

“Please take care of the Divine Land while I’m gone.”

“Got it, Chief!”

“Mm.”

After entrusting them with that, he turned his gaze to Sili this time.

“Have a safe trip! While you’re away, I’ll definitely make some progress!”

She declared confidently.

Likewise, Simus behind her nodded at Alon with an oddly moved expression, and Alon nodded back in return.

“Then let’s depart.”

The carriage set off.

Just as Penia had told him before, Alon tore the letter.

Riiip— went the sound as the letter was torn.

The paper, torn apart so easily, soon began to emit violet mana.

Before long, it started to glow faintly and floated gently ahead of the carriage.

Like a firefly circling in front as if to say, use this as your sign and follow, a something that felt like mana hovered before them.

“That feels different from mana and divine power.”

Evan and Penia each expressed their admiration for different reasons.

After a moment, Penia let out a long sigh, and Alon asked.

“Are you tired?”

“Mm— a little, yes.”

“Because of the magic?”

“Yes.”

Penia made a strained sound as she pressed her eyes firmly.

“I didn’t realize because you use it so lightly, Sir Alon, but this is harder to use than I thought.”

“……Is it?”

“Of course. You have to handle imagery and calculations at the same time in your head. To put it simply, with normal magic implementation, you just need to get the calculations right, but with this, it feels like you have to imagine it too.”

“So it’s difficult.”

“That’s right. Lower-ranked mages can’t use it at all.”

Muttering that you’d need to be at least around the 4th or 5th rank to manage it, Penia roughly gauged the level.

Alon stared quietly, then asked.

“So it’s that high?”

“Yes, quite high. But if you keep practicing and get a bit used to it, I think it can be used well.”

After pondering briefly, Alon added,

“Then if I bestow my power on mages, they could become part of our fighting strength as well.”

“Mm— probably, yes?”

“Perhaps a mage stronger than me might even appear.”

It was not an impossible notion.

“Ah, no, that won’t happen.”

But Penia denied it immediately.

“It won’t?”

“Yes.”

“Why not?”

Penia chose her words, then answered.

“If you pass your power on, most mages will definitely grow stronger. True Mage magic is difficult to learn, but its upper limit is high.”

On top of that, they could even realize magic that had been impossible to implement until now.

Penia continued her explanation.

“But even so, there won’t be a mage who can defeat you, Sir Alon. We can’t use ‘inscriptions.’”

“Ah.”

Alon let out a natural exclamation.

She was certainly right.

Up until now, the reason he had been able to use such high-output magic was precisely because he could use magic without inscriptions.

He realized it anew.

“That’s true.”

“But even just being able to use incantations would be a huge help.”

It was a moment where Alon once again faced his own abilities.

While Alon’s group followed the fantastical violet light toward the tower, Norton, the Purple Mage Tower Master, stared at a man—no, the deputy tower master she had given work to, Caland—with a dumbfounded expression.

Silence flowed between the two.

How much time passed?

“Haa—”

Norton finally let out a sigh.

A headache came on, and she pressed her head firmly.

“So, you met him, but because something urgent came up, you turned back halfway?”

“That’s correct.”

“And this urgent thought was so important that even after spotting him over there, you didn’t deliver the message at all?”

Caland flinched slightly, then nodded with a resolute expression.

“You’re not seriously expecting me to believe that, are you?”

“But it’s the truth.”

At Caland’s firm demeanor, Norton made a peculiar expression.

She naturally knew what kind of person Caland was.

Basically, unless he was in front of her, he behaved arrogantly, with a strong sense of pride in himself.

In short, he had very poor manners.

However, even if his overall character was trash, he wasn’t the type to lie.

“Fine, let’s hear it. What is it?”

She decided to hear what he had to say.

Caland opened his mouth.

“……You know Penia Crysinne, right?”

“Among mages, it’d be rare not to know that eccentric one. She’s his right hand, after all. So, why her?”

“……She”

Caland swallowed once.

“She used the King Palatio’s magic.”

“What……?”

Norton asked back without realizing it.

Her tone remained the same, but her widened eyes trembled slightly, showing just how shocked she was.

After silence fell—

“She used Palatio’s magic?”

Norton asked again.

“Yes, I saw it clearly.”

“You didn’t see it wrong?”

“At first, I thought that too. The magic he uses is something even those who study primal magic can’t replicate, and neither can we. But—”

After a brief pause, Caland stated firmly.

“What she used was undeniably Palatio’s magic. The magic she showed then went beyond ordinary principles.”

Norton was left speechless.

At the very least, there was no lie in Caland’s eyes.

Could he have seen it wrong?

She questioned herself once more, but Norton could only shake her head.

Caland. He was inferior to her, but still the deputy tower master of the Purple Mage Tower.

For him to misidentify magic?

That was practically impossible.

Especially if he was reporting it this firmly to the tower master herself.

“Indeed… that’s worth running back in a panic over.”

Thus, Norton ultimately acknowledged Caland’s fuss.

For someone other than Palatio to use magic that only Palatio could wield—meant that there existed a method for others to use that magic.

‘Palatio’s magic…………’

Norton reflexively swallowed.

Palatio’s magic.

It was so alluring that no mage could possibly resist coveting it.

Perhaps.

If one could learn that magic—they could protect the towers independently from those called divine-blood.

Thus, as she stood there lost in thought—

“There’s one more thing I haven’t told you yet.”

“……? What is it?”

“Actually, I also heard the method by which one can use Marquis Palatio’s magic.”

“What!?”

She sprang to her feet in shock.

“Is that… is that really true!?”

“Yes.”

“Then what on earth is that method!?”

Norton rushed toward Caland as if she might grab him by the collar at any moment.

In response, with utmost seriousness, Caland relayed exactly what he had heard when he visited Alon days ago.

After listening silently to everything—

“If you receive his blessing, you can use magic?”

“Yes. He said it clearly. That Penia Crysinne herself received his blessing and became able to use magic.”

“Just by receiving a blessing………… you can use that magic……?”

She muttered Caland’s words over and over, blankly.

“Caland.”

“Yes.”

“It seems we need to build a deeper relationship with him from now on.”

“I agree.”

“First, make sure that what we’re preparing on our end surpasses everything the Brown Mage Tower Master is preparing. All top-grade. Without them knowing.”

“Yes.”

“And personally, I’ll need to prepare myself as well.”

She burned with resolve, as if given the greatest mission on earth.

At that moment—

“Receive a blessing, and you can use it?”

Manram, the Brown Mage Tower Master, who had come to speak with the Purple Mage Tower Master, stood at the doorway, muttering the same words over and over in shock.

A week later.

Still on the way to the Central Tower, Alon encountered an unexpected person.

“Yuman?”

“Greetings, brother—no, should I now call you Your Majesty?”

It was Saint Yuman.

He greeted Alon warmly.

“There’s no need for that.”

“As expected.”

Yuman smiled and nodded, then Alon asked.

“By the way, what brings you here?”

“I’m heading for the same purpose as you, brother.”

“Then—”

“Yes.”

Yuman’s gaze shifted to one side, and Alon followed it.

There, something violet glowed a little brighter than before.

“We also received a letter and are on the move.”

“I see.”

“Since that’s the case, would you like to travel together?”

At Yuman’s suggestion, Alon nodded.

“Very well.”

“Then please wait a moment. We’ll be ready shortly.”

Behind Yuman, holy knights could be seen just finishing packing up their camp.

“By the way, did Yutia not come with you?”

“No, Cardinal Yutia is with us as well, but…………… hm? She was here just a moment ago…Where could she be…………?”

Yuman muttered as he looked around.

But Yutia was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm, she was definitely here a moment ago. It seems she stepped away briefly.”

“Where to……?”

“She does disappear from time to time.”

As Alon tilted his head—

“I’m here.”

Yutia’s voice came from behind the carriage.

Alon naturally turned his gaze that way to greet her.

“I’m sorry, something came up that I had to take care of, so I’m a bit late, my Lord.”

Yutia walked over with her usual gentle smile.

However, Alon found it difficult to open his mouth.

Because—

“……? My Lord?”

Yutia’s hairstyle had changed.

And not to something ordinary, but to twin tails—a style that didn’t quite suit her age.

And then.

“Gasp.”

As Penia stepped down from the carriage and saw her, she sucked in a breath.

In an instant, everyone’s gaze converged on Yutia.

And soon—silence descended all around.

For some reason, an extremely heavy silence.