Northern Ashtalon Kingdom.

“......It’s horrific.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What the hell even happened here?”

A site of slaughter so brutal it could no longer be called an ordinary forest, smeared all over with torn blood and flesh.

And there stood three men.

Dragon-Strike Spear Pamaon.

Barbarian Tribe Thousand-Year Ice.

Cliff Sword Hidden person.

Each one was a fearsome force in their own right—people called the Seven Great Powerhouses of the Allied Kingdoms.

They looked over the chunks of flesh scattered everywhere and shook their heads.

“Shhk— I’m starting to wonder if we didn’t take this job for nothing. This could get annoying.”

Pamaon spoke while gripping a long spear that looked twice as tall as he was.

“I think so too.”

The Hidden person, dressed in Eastern robes, nodded as if in agreement.

“But didn’t you two come because there was something to gain anyway?”

At Thousand-Year Ice’s pointed remark, Pamaon and the Hidden person went, “Ahem,” cleared their throats, and answered.

“That’s true.”

“......If only it weren’t for the strange-text stone.”

Strange-text stone.

Even the Information Guild still couldn’t properly grasp what it was. Information about it was shared only among powerhouses, and only under strict secrecy—and it was an item similar to an Abyssal Core.

But it was only similar in terms of how it was used. In essence, the strange-text stone was fundamentally different from an Abyssal Core.

First of all, the strange-text stone didn’t contaminate mana, and depending on which strange text it came from, there were cases where it granted additional abilities.

In other words, unlike an Abyssal Core, it was a tool that increased power without any risk at all.

And unlike an Abyssal Core, which would only soil mana if the user was already a powerhouse past a certain level, without granting any further power—

It was confirmed that a strange-text stone could grant additional power no matter who the target was.

By the very first powerhouse who spoke about the strange-text stone.

These three people had gathered here because they’d accepted King Stalian V’s request: if they handled the job, he would hand over a “strange-text stone.”

“I didn’t expect Ashtalon to be secretly collecting strange-text stones. Did they already know a certain amount?”

Pamaon voiced that doubt—only briefly.

“Well, as long as we get what we’re owed, there’s no point sitting around. Let’s deal with it quickly and leave.”

“Sure. We can’t just squat here forever.”

“They said it was definitely up ahead, right?”

“That’s right.”

At the Hidden person’s words, Thousand-Year Ice and Pamaon nodded and moved deeper inside.

The deeper they went, the thicker the stench of blood became, and the more obvious the traces of slaughter were everywhere.

At first their faces hadn’t shown any particular expression, but now a small tension began to linger.

And it wasn’t only because the scene itself was so terrible.

These three weren’t the type to change their expressions over nothing more than an atmosphere like this—they’d all had plenty of experiences like this, in one way or another.

So why were all of them hardening their faces?

Because they could feel that the mana in front of them was no ordinary thing.

“......Feels like we took on a request that a single strange-text stone won’t even come close to paying for.”

“When we get back, we need to talk properly.”

“Absolutely.......”

Three powerhouses moved while exchanging those words.

And when they finally reached the source of the mana, what ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) they were able to confirm was—

“─────?”

There was nothing.

No—there was nothing they could confirm.

The instant they reached the source—

they all shut their eyes at once.

It wasn’t by their own will.

“What—”

Puuuk—

In the next moment, what they felt was—

the sensation of a sword piercing straight through their hearts.

“Ghk—!”

“Uhk—!”

They couldn’t open their mouths.

They couldn’t open their eyes.

They couldn’t move their bodies.

They couldn’t even draw their weapons.

......They couldn’t do anything at all.

Pamaon and the Hidden person’s bodies fell away, empty, without even the slightest resistance.

The deaths of two of the Seven Great Powerhouses—absurdly, emptily futile.

And the last one.

With a sword lodged in his heart, unable to do anything, right before Thousand-Year Ice’s mind fell into the abyss, the last thing he heard was—

“Sorry—”

A voice.

“Sorry—”

A voice.

“I don’t want to do this either.”

Very small.

“But it’s all for you.”

A voice.

“So, die for me.”

That was the last sound of the world Thousand-Year Ice heard.

Alon stared at the divinity that had, before he knew it, grown to be as enormous as his own body—like a planet—and made a face like he couldn’t understand it at all.

His divinity had increased?

That should have been a good thing.

As Rine had said, Divine Land divinity was something he’d only been collecting, so he still didn’t know exactly what qualities it possessed, but—

Just the fact that “divinity” rose was no different from a straight upgrade in power.

And yet, even so, Alon couldn’t help but be left dumbfounded—

because it had grown beyond what he could even imagine.

‘As much as the Primordial elf’s...... no, it feels like even more than that......?’

Of course, it wasn’t as if there had been no history of Alon collecting a lot of divinity, but even taking that into account, Divine Land divinity had already become subtly larger than even the Primordial elf’s divinity.

Up until now, even if some other unknown divinity appeared, he’d just accepted it, but this time it was different.

‘......What on earth is happening in Divine Land......?’

All I did was just... it felt like I was making little things here and there because they said it was necessary......

Of course, ever since warped rumors spread and knights and mercenaries started gathering.

And now that he’d already recruited a lot of soldiers and knights, it had already become a small dream that had gone off the rails.

But even so, Alon still thought that way.

“Hm.......”

As he kept mulling it over, Evan, who was beside him, spoke.

“What’s with you? You’ve been like that for a while now.”

“No— It just feels like there’s too much divinity.”

“It increased?”

“Isn’t it strange?”

“......Still, isn’t that fine?”

“Is it?”

“It’s actually a good thing. Doesn’t it feel like you’re getting stronger while doing nothing?”

Evan put on an “Ooh—” mood, like, it’s literally duplicating, isn’t it?

......It wasn’t wrong, so Alon sat down in his seat.

“Still, it seems like something really is happening in Divine Land, so we should investigate once.”

“Understood. As soon as we reach the next town, I’ll look into it right away.”

Alon started moving again toward the Ronobelli Jungle.

And about a week passed after that, before reaching the Ronobelli Jungle—

they arrived at Caslet, a territory of the Luxible Duchy that they had to stop by no matter what.

‘Come to think of it, I should go meet Sircal too.’

He’d said he would stop by last time, but he still hadn’t visited once since then.

But he thought meeting Ryang-a came first, so Alon moved right away, and—

after getting down from the carriage and passing through Caslet, he suddenly felt something strange.

‘......Why does it feel like everyone’s staring?’

It felt like the people of the territory couldn’t take their eyes off him.

When Alon shifted his gaze, the territory residents avoided his eyes while still starting to whisper among themselves.

“......?”

As Alon was wondering, realizing it wasn’t just a feeling and they really were staring—

“Oh— Hello there, Marquis Palatio—!”

All of a sudden, a merchant selling fruit in the plaza approached Alon, acting familiar.

Evan reflexively tried to block the merchant, but—

Alon lightly waved his hand, a path opened, and the merchant who came up in front of him—

“Thank you so much—!”

bowed their head deeply.

“......?”

Alon was left bewildered by the sudden thanks.

But before that confusion could even be resolved—

“Thank you so much, Marquis!”

“Thanks to you, Marquis, life’s gotten so much better.”

“Thank you, Marquis!”

As if they’d been waiting, the territory residents all started talking at once.

“???”

......Alon couldn’t help but recall the question marks he’d been floating lately one more time, and—

as the territory residents gathered and started clapping, no one left out—

“Marquis.”

“What.”

“Did you do something again......?”

“What do you mean, ‘something’?”

“No, well...... you always went and did this and that so fast whenever I wasn’t around, didn’t you?”

“......I was with you for months.”

“Then...... what is this?”

Evan asked while looking at the street that had turned into something like a procession.

And Alon—

“......I don’t know either.......”

could only answer like that.

Ever since a frail knight who, with Saintess Sili Makalian’s help, became able to use Kalannon’s power appeared—

recently, the atmosphere in Divine Land had been changing quite a bit.

And the person who received help from Saintess Sili Makalian, the frail knight Roman, felt that change was enormous.

He still couldn’t properly handle Kalannon’s power.

Even when he did use it, it was only for a fleeting moment, and the power of lightning was also absurdly weak.

But even that alone was enough for him to be satisfied.

Because Kalannon’s power had brought back the “growth” he’d forgotten for a very long time.

He’d never had talent with the sword.

As the illegitimate child of a knightly family, he’d worked so hard that he would swing his sword without resting even a single day, then collapse and fall asleep from exhaustion, but—

talent never allowed him anything beyond becoming an utterly ordinary knight.

To put it bluntly.

He was weak, stagnant, and frail.

That paltry talent stole the joy called growth from Rohan.

Until he came to serve Kalannon.

From the moment he began serving Kalannon, Rohan regained what growth was, once again.

As if mocking the talent that had placed limits on him, Kalannon granted him strength equal to the effort he put in.

Of course, that power was very feeble, but even that was fine.

The fact that his own effort—his own faith—had not betrayed him—

that alone was a fruit far too sweet.

And on top of that—

Pajijijik—!

“Wow—”

“When will it be my turn—”

Before he knew it, Rohan was receiving the envy of those who, like him, were reading scripture in order to gain Kalannon’s power.

“Please tell us, sir knight. How are we supposed to believe?”

“Do we have to believe with absolute desperation?”

“Please, tell us at least some method......!”

Rohan looked at the people who had flocked to him.

Among them were wandering knights with humble appearances, and there were mercenaries too.

In their eyes was an obvious awe anyone could see, and a faint jealousy.

Emotions he never could have received back when he had been a frail knight.

So Rohan was grateful to Kalannon—

no, to Marquis Palatio.

To Marquis Palatio, who had given him the hope called growth—

he was grateful to the one who bestowed power upon him.

If not for that person, he would never have been able to experience something like this for the rest of his life.

So.

“Believe, everyone. If you do, Kalannon will surely answer our faith.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Read the scripture. Chapter 1, verse 15—He grants to the one who believes, strength in proportion to belief, and the one who does not believe will take nothing at all—”

Rohan began to trust Kalannon more fiercely than anyone.

And at that point—

“......Mm, good.”

“Is it good?”

Sili nodded, looking satisfied as she watched that scene.

“Yes. Look at that.”

“.......”

Following Sili’s finger, Deus turned his gaze to look at them.

Ever since Rohan became able to use Kalannon’s power, the atmosphere in Divine Land had started changing in earnest.

Knights and mercenaries who needed power competed to memorize scripture and offer prayers, and—

thanks to Sili’s help, some were already able to use Kalannon’s power, even if only faintly.

Because of that, the number of people clinging to scripture grew even more.

To the point small fights even broke out over scripture.

“Everyone wants to read the marquis’s scripture, right?”

“Is this the ‘time’ you wanted?”

“That’s right. From now on, I’m going to start releasing the scripture little by little. So that everyone can get desperate to read the marquis’s scripture.”

“I see. Anything else that needs doing?”

Deus’s question.

And Sili—

“Of course. Now that we have believers too, shouldn’t we make statues again?”

“I see.”

“And— we have to make an announcement.”

“......An announcement?”

“Yes.”

Smiling—

“It makes no sense for a god to be beneath a mere human.”

She tilted her head to the side.

“Indeed—”

Deus nodded firmly, as if he understood what Sili meant.

And—

‘......What are those two even talking about?’

Kalannon, in cat form, after hearing this Divine Land reality from Alon, could only stare in a daze at the brother-and-sister duo who were smiling ominously.