It had been a little over a week since Alon left the marquis’s estate and set off for the conference.

“Strange texts are increasing compared to before?”

“Yes. Because of that, they say there have been a lot of issues here and there lately.”

At Evan, who muttered, ‘Man— it felt like everything was already a total mess because of bandits too. Life isn’t easy,’ Alon asked,

“Didn’t they say the bandits were suppressed to the point they’d been wiped out?”

“Well, that’s true, but... those types always keep popping up. It’s not like that around Lartania, but... they say there are still a few here and there in other places. Still, in the end, the biggest trouble lately is the strange texts.”

At that, Alon thought.

‘Strange texts, huh. Yeah, it’s about time they started increasing.’

Alon, who was once again reminded that about two years had already passed since the point where the original story began, scratched his head.

‘Maybe right now it’s around the middle-to-late part of the original story?’

Now things had changed so much compared to the original that calling it the “original story” was honestly awkward, but.

Anyway, if you looked only at the passage of time and the events that should be happening, it was the middle-to-late part.

As he remembered it, once Psychedelia entered the middle-to-late part, there were tons of descriptions of the world gradually turning apocalyptic because of the Sins and the strange text phenomenon slowly increasing.

‘But compared to that, things are definitely peaceful right now.’

In the “original story,” no matter how hard Elivan worked to stop the Sins, the damage was enormous.

Which made sense, because an incredible number of powerhouses and soldiers were thrown in.

And on top of that, the outer gods also—

“......Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

When Alon let out a questioning hum without realizing it, Penia—who was playing with Blackie, who had come outside—asked.

Alon naturally shook his head, then quietly thought to himself.

‘...By now, the outer gods should be showing up too, though?’

Of course, even in the game, it wasn’t like the outer gods always appeared, but still, according to the setting he knew, around this point there should at least be some mention of the outer gods.

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“Has there been any news about the outer gods lately?”

“The outer gods? Hmm— at least for about a year, I don’t think there’s been anything.”

“Really...?”

“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

After brushing off Evan’s question, Alon tilted his head.

Things had changed so much from the original story that thinking about this might be a little ridiculous.

In the game, sometimes the appearance of the outer gods was described not as a situation the player faced directly, but only as something like, ‘Somewhere got smashed to pieces because the outer gods appeared—.’

So Alon had forgotten too.

Still, it bothered him.

‘The outer gods and the Sins should be connected, though? Well, it’s better if they don’t show up, so if there isn’t even a mention, it’s not like I need to worry about it. Hmm....’

His thoughts soon stretched to the strange texts that appeared even more often in the middle-to-late part.

No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say a curiosity he had been putting off poked its head out.

‘Come to think of it, strange texts are... what, exactly?’

Back when he played Psychedelia, he’d treated it as nothing more than a setting the developers forced in to add dungeons, but now he could see the weird parts.

‘Strange texts aren’t connected to the Sins or the outer gods.’

The Sins and the outer gods had a point of connection.

The outer gods were, to begin with, beings that had existed in the age of the forgotten god.

But strange texts had nothing at all to do with “Sin,” the theme that ran through Psychedelia.

If he had to find something, maybe it was that the appearance of strange texts was similar to the appearance of Sins.

‘And even here, it doesn’t even feel that similar.’

After sinking into thought for a moment, Alon soon shook it off.

Even in the game, after dealing with all the Sins, there was never any story about what happened to the strange texts.

And basically, for a dark fantasy, Psychedelia’s ending was a happy ending no matter the route.

“Marquis, we’ll be arriving soon.”

As always, at Evan’s voice cutting into his thoughts, Alon naturally shifted his gaze out of the carriage.

What immediately came into view was the enormous mage tower that made you sigh in admiration even just looking at it.

He took a moment to admire the mage tower, towering endlessly into the sky.

“Marquis, let’s go!”

The carriage soon came to a stop, and at Penia’s shout, Alon got down and headed for the library where Heinkel was.

Not long after that—

[It’s been a while.]

“......It has.”

Alon ran into Heinkel for the first time in a long while.

Right after they exchanged brief greetings.

“Um, Heinkel? Could I ask you something?”

[What is it?]

“Do you remember what you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» told us last time? The thing about magic formulas.”

[Hmm— yeah, I remember.]

“Actually, Marquis and I have been thinking about that part a little this time—”

Penia got right to the point and relayed to Heinkel the results of what they’d researched together with Alon for about a month.

Heinkel, who listened in silence, said:

[So, right after using a ritual, your calculation ability falls short. So you want to automate calculation like a switch. Like giving a command all at once to the mana orbs you’ve linked. But in the current situation, that’s impossible.]

“Mm, if it’s something very basic, it’s possible, but... if the calculation gets even a little complex, and in the case of the spells the Marquis uses, it’s impossible.”

[Hmm—]

Heinkel let out a few hums as if thinking, then said,

[I think I roughly get why it doesn’t work.]

“Do you?”

[How many days are you planning to stay?]

“Uh—”

Penia dragged out the word and looked at Alon.

“......About a week should be fine.”

When Alon answered under that gaze, Heinkel nodded.

[Then rest for a bit and wait. Something came to mind.]

“Thank you for helping us.”

[It’s nothing. More importantly— can you show me magic now?]

At Heinkel’s words, Alon nodded, recalling what Penia had said a month ago.

“That isn’t difficult, but what should I show you?”

[Hmm... if possible, something among the magic you use that’s connected to the past.]

“The past, you mean?”

[Yeah.]

After thinking for a moment, Alon immediately formed hand seals and started reciting a spell.

After a little time passed.

An Ice Crystal Flower Spear appeared and vanished in front of Alon.

Since it was only a demonstration, he’d made it very small, but the library froze over in an instant.

But rather than the frozen library, Heinkel stared fixedly at the Ice Crystal Flower Spear Alon had created, concentrating.

[If it’s okay, could you use it one more time?]

At the request, Alon used Ice Crystal Flower Spear again without delay.

Even though it was a very small area, mana drained away in heavy bursts.

Still, now it wasn’t to the point where just two uses would completely deplete his mana.

...If he used another spell, though, it would, no question.

Alon looked at Heinkel.

Heinkel, as if deep in thought, groaned, “Mm—.”

After a stretch of silence.

[......As I thought.]

Heinkel suddenly muttered.

[This might be a strange question, but how much do you know about the magic you use?]

Then Heinkel threw that question at Alon.

“The magic I use?”

[Yeah. I’m not asking about how to use it. Strictly speaking, it’s about history.]

At Heinkel’s question, Alon thought carefully.

In some ways he knew a lot about the magic he used as spells, and in some ways he didn’t.

‘If it’s what I know—’

That the hand seals and spells were created in the age of Babyloria.

Other than that, that modern magic had degraded the magic used as spells.

When Alon answered based on the information Yongrin had told him back when he first went to the Colony ruins, Heinkel listened calmly, then agreed.

[I see. So you knew that too.]

“Which part, exactly, are you referring to?”

[The degradation of magic. What you just showed me was probably Ice Spear, right?]

Alon was a little startled behind his blank expression.

Ice Crystal Flower Spear was definitely the original form of a spell called Ice Spear, but outwardly, the difference was enormous.

“......That’s right.”

Even Alon wouldn’t have known at all if Yongrin hadn’t told him.

So when he nodded honestly, Heinkel nodded back like that was what he expected.

[Then, did you know this too?]

“......This, meaning?”

[That information about the original version of the magic you just showed is secretly hidden inside the ‘degraded’ version we use.]

“......!”

Heinkel casually dropped a shocking statement.

The border between the Empire and the Allied Kingdoms—an empty wasteland.

Inside a hideout within a pupil that was set between them.

“We still haven’t found the ‘Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One.’”

“I see.”

Nangwon was receiving a report.

“I apologize.”

“......Are there difficulties in finding it?”

“It’s not that, but... the ‘Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One’ isn’t an item that exists at all among the information we’ve gathered so far. We’re investigating from scratch.”

“I understand. But find out as quickly as possible.”

“We’ll do our best. And there’s an additional report as well.”

“Speak.”

“Yes, it’s related to the Divine Land you mentioned before.”

The informant began calmly.

“As a result of investigating the Divine Land, it seems Marquis Palatio intends to newly stand in the sky.”

“......Newly stand in the sky?”

“Yes. Outside, it seems the rumor going around is just that he received additional territory, but that’s only what outsiders are saying. Among those chosen as the Marquis’s knights, the story is already spreading.”

“I see—”

As Nangwon murmured in agreement, Nangyeon—Nangwon’s older sister, who had been leaning back in a chair—straightened her posture.

“So what are you going to do?”

“If that is truly my elder brother’s will, then of course I should do everything I can to help.”

Answering without a shred of hesitation, Nangwon looked at the informant.

“Didn’t you say there were rumors spreading about the Divine Land?”

“Yes. A rumor has spread that just going to the Divine Land lets you use Kalannon’s power, but... right now it’s a little ambiguous.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“Recently, people who left the Divine Land have been going around saying it was groundless nonsense.”

“Spread the rumor in reverse.”

“Spread the rumor, you mean—”

“It means spread the rumor that it’s really true that you can use power if you go to the Divine Land.”

“Understood.”

“And. Spread rumors about my elder brother too.”

“......What kind of rumors?”

At the informant’s question, Nangwon tapped the arm of the chair for a moment.

“......They said people dealt with bandits to enter the Divine Land, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A rumor that my elder brother intended all of that from the start.”

“Understood.”

“And after that starts spreading—”

Nangwon gave the informant instructions, one by one, on what to do.

After the informant left.

“You’re working pretty hard?”

“Of course, Elder Sister. It’s my elder brother’s work—what is there I can’t do? And this is something we should’ve done a long time ago.”

“In what way?”

“The people here don’t know anything at all about my elder brother’s greatness.”

So—

“They all need to know. My elder brother’s greatness.”

Nangwon murmured in an endlessly serious voice.

At that moment.

“......Achoo.”

“Do you have a cold?”

Alon, who had left the library and was, as usual, eating roasted sweet potatoes after Heinkel abruptly said there was something to take care of and left with the unfinished conversation pushed to tomorrow—

“No, I don’t think it’s a cold... it’s just... some kind of weird chill....”

At the sudden cold sensation, he shivered without realizing it.