Hidan never imagined things would turn out like this.

In the first place, the very first order Red Moon gave was basically just to tell Green Moon that Red Moon would come in person soon.

Honestly, Hidan didn’t even understand why Red Moon bothered to give that order.

Red Moon was already headed toward Green Moon anyway.

But you couldn’t talk back to an order.

That was why Hidan relayed the message to Green Moon faster than anyone, then tried to slip out of the room.

Hidan didn’t want to get involved in Red Moon and Green Moon’s meeting, even a little.

But, truly regrettably—

“.......”

“.......”

God abandoned Hidan.

“.......”

Hidan turned their gaze and looked at Red Moon and Green Moon.

After exchanging greetings, the two did nothing at all, just drinking black tea across from each other.

Their mouths were clearly smiling, and the atmosphere looked romantic.

But why was the air so cold...... Hidan thought, and—

“Hidan.”

“Yes.”

“Leave.”

At Red Moon’s curt dismissal—

‘Yes, I’ll be going.’

“Thank you.”

Hidan changed what they were thinking into what they said, but before they could even correct that, they hurriedly nodded ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) and rushed out of the room.

“.......”

“.......”

And so, in the space where only the two of them finally remained, the one who spoke first was—

“I’m glad you look healthy, Rine.”

“Thank you for thinking of me.”

It was Yutia.

Yutia and Rine exchanged pleasantries with smiles.

“I heard you have to stay in Fildagreen for a long time. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Yes, it definitely is. It’s even more of a shame because someone went and broke the badge that was given to Godfather as a gift.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

The two of them were still smiling.

“Rine.”

“Yes.”

“Peeking isn’t a good thing, you know?”

“Peeking? I’m only doing it to protect Godfather. Just like Yutia.”

“Don’t worry. I’m protecting teacher.”

“So you’re not peeking?”

Click—

The upper part of the handle of the teacup Yutia was holding fell off onto the table, which had had nothing on it.

“Rine, you’ve gotten pretty bold?”

There was a little force in it, but Yutia’s voice didn’t lose its composure.

“No way. I can’t be bold.”

“Why not?”

“In the first place, there are a lot of ways I’m lower than Yutia. For example, even when it comes to protecting Godfather.”

“......It’s strange for you to suddenly talk like that.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? And besides that, there are lots of things I’m ‘lower’ in. If we’re being cold about it, my strength is probably lower too, and when it comes to the secrets of this world—despite me having a library, doesn’t Yutia know a bit more than I do? And then also—”

Rine paused, lightly bringing an index finger up to their lips while looking at Yutia, then—

“—Age, for example?”

Rine winked.

Crunch—

The teacup Yutia was holding shattered completely.

“Oh, what a waste.”

Rine looked at the broken teacup pieces, genuinely regretful.

And then—

“Rine.”

“Yes, Yutia.”

“......You really don’t value your life, do you?”

“That’s—”

Before Rine could even finish muttering—

KWA-A-A-A-AANG—!!!!

A massive explosion of sound burst out.

Mana that made Hidan’s entire body tingle just from sensing it.

And, far in the distance, the last thing Hidan saw was something unknown tearing through the crack in the blue moon and forcing its way out—

“......Th-thank you. Thank......”

“......Ha, th-thank you.”

Hidan ran without looking back.

A few weeks passed after that.

“We’ve finally arrived.”

“Is that so.”

Arriving at the marquis’s estate, Alon nodded, but a faint question rose in his mind.

The situation in the territory before his eyes wasn’t very different from before.

The streets were lively thanks to merchants, knights could be seen beneath the statue Deus had gifted, and—

In the plaza, countless people bustled about, moving busily.

The same scenery as always.

“Nothing’s really changed.”

“......What would change?” Evan asked, sounding curious at Alon’s murmuring.

“No. I heard a rumor’s been spreading lately, so I thought maybe something could’ve changed.”

“Ah— well, that’s true.”

Over the weeks of returning to the marquis’s estate, Alon heard additional news from Evan.

Starting with how every last bandit had been wrecked by mercenaries or knights, so the bandit groups across the Allied Kingdoms had temporarily disappeared.

Stories that now, the bandits who had eaten Abyssal Cores were voluntarily going to Rosario to repent and receive punishment.

And he also heard that Sili—whom Alon had planned to meet near Caliban—had, before he knew it, gathered followers and moved to the Divine Land Alon had created.

......In other words, something that had definitely started very small—

That is, something Alon had meant to start small by selecting maybe ten knights—

Was swelling beyond what he could handle, and Alon was feeling a little scared.

But the territory was calmer than he expected.

“Feels like things are stabilizing.”

As if relieved, Alon let out a small sigh.

Evan, who had been staring at him, called out.

“Still, Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“Of course the territory doesn’t have anything going on, doesn’t it? The places where the mercenaries and knights rushed to would all be the Divine Land, anyway.”

“......That’s true.”

“Mm—” Alon let out a low sound.

But Evan’s expression was relaxed, if anything.

“Well, I don’t think you need to worry that much, Marquis.”

“......Hm.”

“Sure, the rumor spread in a weird way, but in the end it’s just a rumor, right? Once it’s confirmed it’s not true, it’ll naturally disperse.”

“I guess......?”

“Even if the mercenaries and knights who got pulled in by the rumor realize the reality and leave—Sili’s coming, so the Divine Land will get a bit bigger than we thought. But anyway, Sili coming isn’t a bad thing, is it?”

“.......”

Evan was right.

Alon had something he wanted to ask when he met Sili this time, too.

“Anyway, the point is: you probably don’t need to worry in advance about things blowing up to some ridiculous scale—yeah, that’s basically what I’m saying.”

People who gather because of rumors tend to scatter once they get a taste of reality~ Evan added lightly, and Alon’s heart eased a bit as well.

Soon, with a more relaxed expression than before, Alon entered the castle within the territory, and—

“Ah— Marquis!”

“Penia, you’re back safely?”

As if waiting, Penia popped out to greet him.

“Yes, I’m back safely, right?”

“You look like you’re in a good mood.”

At that, Penia put both hands on their hips as if proud, made an ahem-ahem sound, and let out a laugh.

“Hehehe—”

“Did something good happen?”

“It did—! For me, it’s kind of only natural, but! I got three more of my conference papers recognized this time!”

Penia made a V-sign with an expression that screamed, I’m amazing!!!

“That’s impressive.”

“Ahem— well, this much is— only natural!”

As Penia shrugged, Evan, who had been quietly watching from the side, asked.

“But, like— what’s good about having conference papers recognized?”

“Huh?”

“No, I mean, I get that it’s like getting your research recognized, but I was wondering if there’s something beyond that.”

“Haa— this is why lower-class commoners who don’t even know magic—”

Taking the chance to look down on the weak at Evan for the first time in a while, Penia answered without hesitation.

“Of course it’s good.”

“In what way?”

“First, for each paper, the conference gives monthly research funding.”

“And?”

“They cover assistant costs.”

“......And?”

“They give money.”

“.......”

Do you get some ridiculous amount? Evan tilted his head.

“Of course, that’s not the end. For a mage, the number of papers recognized by the conference is basically the mage’s status.”

“......Isn’t a mage’s status shown by rank?”

“Of course there’s rank. But that’s only a personal aspect, and honor is different. They value the honor of those who contributed to the advancement of magic far more than the honor gained by personal rank. Which means, the number of papers is—”

“Like a hierarchy of honor, then?”

“Ex-act-ly.”

“So that’s why you were all sulky for a while and now you’re back to normal.”

Evan muttered quietly.

But Penia didn’t care at all and looked back at Alon.

“Ah, Marquis! I actually had something I wanted to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Heinkel said that if you have time, he wants to see you once.”

“He wants to see me......?”

“Yes, um— you said before you’d demonstrate magic for him...... and on top of that, he said there’s something he needs to tell you.”

As Penia drew the words out, Alon finally let out an, “Ah,” of realization.

When Penia asked him to teach them before—

Alon had promised, in return, to show magic to Heinkel, and only now did it come back to him.

Feeling a little awkward that it took him this long to remember, Alon answered.

“......Let’s go together next time. But separately from that, what is it he found out?”

“He said he’d tell you when you come.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, and about your magic too, Marquis—I thought of something that might be pretty good.”

“Something good?”

“Yes. This started from a question I had while talking with Heinkel this time, but...”

Alon listened to Penia’s story for a long time.

A few days after that.

After resting at the marquis’s estate and doing magical research with Penia, Alon headed to the Divine Land.

Deus was training the soldiers, so Alon figured it was only proper to at least show his face.

......Well, separately from that—

He also thought he might need to cut off the baseless rumor.

Anyway, aside from his main purpose, Alon was absorbed in what Penia had brought up.

“So what you’re saying is, to put it simply, without needing to do the computation, if you prepare it in advance—”

“Yes, that’s right. If you do it like this, then even when you use the formula, you should be able to use magic the way we originally intended.”

“If it really works out like that, it’d be good. Then we’d have to make an artifact—”

“I’ve already thought about that part, too.”

Penia began explaining the plan.

But only for a moment.

“Um, Marquis.”

“Have we arrived?”

“No, um— we haven’t arrived, but could you come out for a second?”

At Evan’s call from the driver’s seat, Alon went outside with a question in his mind, and naturally turned his head in the direction Evan was looking.

It wasn’t just because Evan was looking and so Alon looked too.

He couldn’t not look there.

Because there—

“......What is that?”

“Right......?”

There was a barracks, like it had been hidden.

......No, strictly speaking, it wasn’t a barracks.

That was the Divine Land Alon had made before leaving.

The one with fifty knights and six hundred soldiers.

Even if it seemed like a lot at first glance, when it was placed in that vast Divine Land, it only took up a small portion of one side.

But now—

“......Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say nothing would happen?”

Across the entire Divine Land, enormous barracks had been built.

......And it wasn’t just sitting there like ruins, either.

Barracks so huge that even Alon could hear the clamor.

If someone else saw it—

The numbers moving around were so enormous it would look like they were plotting rebellion, and Alon, seeing that many people swarming—

“Marquis.”

“What.”

“......Honestly, I’m kind of scared.”

Listening to Evan’s sincere impression—

“I am too.......”

Alon quietly agreed.