“If you mean Rikrakamur, are you talking about the monstrosity in the northern part of the border area?”

“Yes.”

Alon answered Yuman and thought,

‘I have to deal with that creature.’

The forest monster Rikrakamur is also a monstrosity that players go to fight in Psychedelia.

In the north of the border area, there’s a monster taller than a typical building, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be dealt with unless the Five Great Sins intervene.

Since it’s outside the border, it doesn’t cause any particular harm.

However, there was only one reason Psychedelia’s protagonist and Alon wanted to deal with Rikrakamur.

Because of the relic it possessed.

The Relic of the Five Great Sins.

Like an exclusive item that will descend in the future to the Five Great Sins, if they acquire this relic, their power would double.

Thus, knowing that the Five Great Sins would come, Alon had to deal with Rikrakamur no matter what.

Additionally, there was something else he could gain.

“So, was it Rikrakamur’s power that destroyed the wall yesterday?”

While thinking of the crumbs that would fall his way, Alon nodded at Kiriana’s question.

“Yes.”

“I thought there was no clue, but how did you...”

“There was black slime vaporizing on the broken wall.”

“Slime?”

“Yes. This black slime distorts any magic array it touches. Probably, the reason the wall fell is because Rikrakamur’s slime invalidated the structure of the magic circle on the wall.”

“Indeed.”

Kiriana nodded.

But then confusion crossed her face.

“But as you say, Lord, can we assume that Rikrakamur intentionally smeared this slime on the monster to attack us?”

“I can’t be sure, but it’s not impossible. Rikrakamur, as a monstrosity, has the authority to command monsters.”

“So the monster waves that have been attacking us—it wasn’t because of a fault in the gate that repels monsters, but because of Rikrakamur...?”

Kiriana speculated.

And Yuman, who had been quietly listening, joined in.

“I meant to tell you, but we spent about a day checking the five installed gates and found no damage.”

“So?”

“Then there’s probably a high chance that what the Lord said is correct. But why Rikrakamur, specifically?”

Murmurs of increasing puzzlement.

“Honestly, I don’t know why it attacked the wall.”

Alon was also puzzled.

In the game, Rikrakamur had never attacked the wall like this.

‘At some point, it didn’t even seem to move.’

After a moment of thought, Alon brushed it off.

After all, what he needed to focus on right now wasn’t why the enemy attacked the wall, but how to deal with the enemy itself, Rikrakamur.

“That’s why I might need some help with this.”

He promptly moved to act.

“Rather, I would like to ask you for help. If it keeps causing monster waves, especially ones that can invalidate the walls, it must be killed.”

Kiriana’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

Alon smiled inwardly.

Dealing with Rikrakamur would definitely require her help—more precisely, the help of the allied forces.

“Then, let’s set off immediately.”

There was no need to delay.

*****

The expedition was organized.

It wasn’t possible to mobilize all the allied forces.

More than half of the troops had to be kept at the wall.

If they pulled all the allied forces out for the punitive expedition and the monsters from the wasteland started rampaging inside the walls, the situation would become quite serious.

Kiriana divided the allied forces into seventy percent for wall defense and thirty percent for the expedition.

Although Alon was a bit disappointed, it was enough, so he accepted it.

Saint Yuman also decided to stay at the border.

Someone needed to lead the allied forces in Kiriana’s absence.

Although Yuman was a cleric, the power of his title as a saint was great.

It was a position respected enough to command the allied forces.

“It’s a pity.”

Yuman showed a slightly displeased expression.

His gaze turned to Yutia, who was smiling broadly.

“Saint, you just need to encourage the allied forces well.”

“What about the Cardinal?”

“How can a saint and a cardinal be compared? The people who remain will definitely want the saint to stay. I really regret it too.”

Despite claiming to be regretful, Yutia’s smile was about a centimeter wider than usual.

The saint furrowed his brow slightly, but eventually,

“It can’t be helped.”

He sighed deeply and moved closer to whisper to Alon,

“Lord, never trust her. As I’ve told you several times, she is not a trustworthy person.”

“Really.”

Alon felt odd.

It wasn’t because of what he said; that didn’t surprise him, since he’d heard it before.

It was his attitude.

‘If so, why whisper?’

His voice was loud enough for others to hear; it was blatantly unnatural behavior.

Alon looked at Yutia.

Fortunately, her expression was the same as before; no harm done.

Her subtly gleaming red eyes were fixed on the saint, like the gaze of a victor looking down on a loser.

‘Why are they on such bad terms?’

Well, there was no need to know right now.

Alon turned to Evan and ordered,

“Evan, you stay too.”

“Yes!”

Evan responded energetically, as if he’d been waiting for those words.

“Aren’t you going to ask why you’re not coming?”

“What is there to ask? I just follow what the Lord says.”

“You responded so hastily because you didn’t want to go?”

“Hey, what do you think I am?”

Evan laughed.

“Then let’s go together.”

“Lord, thinking about it, I felt like I had both heatstroke and a cold yesterday from waiting for you so long.”

Evan, who said he would follow without question, quickly changed his tune. Alon chuckled inwardly.

A few hours later,

“Let’s set off.”

The expedition departed.

*****

It would take about three days to reach Rikrakamur.

Remembering this, Alon thought of the relic the monstrosity possessed.

‘If I remember correctly, it was the Relic of Wrath.’

He glanced at Yutia walking beside him.

Originally, this relic was something Yutia was supposed to obtain in the future.

However, in the original story, even after she awakened as the Sin of Wrath, she didn’t acquire this relic.

The protagonist Eliban obtained the relic before her and destroyed it.

Eliban’s ability to conquer the Sin of Wrath was greatly due to this fact.

Of course, Yutia was constrained, and the mages of the Tower unleashed a barrage of magic, while Caliban’s swordmasters also joined the punitive force,

and even the strong hidden across the continent came out to help.

‘The more I think about it, the less sense it makes how strong it was.’

Yutia suddenly felt like a stranger.

A Sin that could only be killed after a total war effort by the entire world.

Then—

“Lord.”

“Yes?”

As they walked, Kiriana looked at Alon hesitantly.

“Could I... perhaps touch that cat?”

“Cat? Oh, are you talking about Blackie?”

Blackie peeked out from Alon’s chest pocket, looking around.

As Alon pointed to the little one,

“Is his name Blackie?”

“Yes.”

“What a cute name.”

Kiriana fiddled with her fingers, her expression slightly fluttery.

Alon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) because he had named Blackie himself. Feeling quite pleased, he took Blackie out.

“Would you like to pet him?”

“Oh? Really, may I?”

“It’s fine.”

“But what if he doesn’t like other people touching him? Like yesterday, it might... change a bit...”

Alon paused, puzzled, then sighed. He too had experienced a bit of culture shock yesterday when he saw red eyes emerge all over Blackie’s body.

But aside from when using magic, Blackie maintained the form of a cat.

“It should be fine.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll try.”

Without any suspicion, Alon handed Blackie to Kiriana. As soon as the cat was in her hands, she smiled without realizing it, but then—

Puff!

“Ah.”

When red eyes angrily opened all over the cat’s body, she froze. With a growl, Blackie forced her to hurriedly hand him back to Alon. Once back in Alon’s arms, Blackie vigorously rubbed against him and acted affectionate.

Kiriana wore a bittersweet expression.

“It seems he only shows this side to you, Lord.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he would do that.”

Alon looked at Blackie with mixed feelings.

‘I didn’t know he would be so hostile to others. Is it just toward Kiriana?’

Curious, Alon tried handing Blackie to other soldiers and knights, but—

“Eeek!”

“Lord, could you take him back, please!?”

Each time, the cat glared fiercely with red eyes and growled, and Alon realized Blackie didn’t like being handled by others.

After the commotion, Yutia called Alon.

“My Lord.”

“What is it?”

“Could I hold Blackie for a moment?”

“Blackie?”

“Yes. He looks cute.”

“But it seems he doesn’t take well to other people’s hands.”

Hadn’t he just wreaked havoc around here?

However, Yutia nodded as if it would be fine. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

“But he’s so cute. Can I try?”

As she asked again, Alon handed Blackie over to Yutia, a slightly worried look hidden behind his calm face. As expected, as soon as Blackie was in Yutia’s hands, he started growling and red eyes opened all over his body.

But Yutia kept smiling gently as she looked down at Blackie.

“That won’t do, will it?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she murmured softly. Then—

Suddenly!

The previously ferocious Blackie froze as if time had stopped.

“?!”

Both Alon and Kiriana paused in confusion. Blackie, who had been the embodiment of ferocity just moments before, now looked up at Yutia with wide, fearful eyes.

Shivering, Blackie began to tremble in Yutia’s arms, and she slowly stroked his back.

“A master’s words should be well heeded, right?”

Nodding frantically, Blackie agreed.

Alon and Kiriana could only stare blankly at the bizarre scene.

And then,

Yutia naturally lifted the trembling Blackie to her face.

“If you don’t want to be crushed, okay?”

She whispered in a voice only Blackie could hear, and his head shook even more vigorously.

A moment later,

“Wow... he’s really become tame, hasn’t he?”

Kiriana observed the now calm Blackie in her hands with wonder.

Alon noticed Blackie’s eyes were fixed somewhere. Following his gaze—

“My, what’s the matter, my Lord?”

Yutia was smiling.

“Never mind.”

Alon thought to say something, but chose to remain silent instead.

It was a fairly warm afternoon in the spring.