Alon went down underground and met Karsemm again.

After hearing the rough outline of Karaan’s plan, Alon summed it up.

"If we cut it down to the conclusion, he plans to keep this war of attrition going, then take the place the moment all the combat forces are dead."

"That’s right."

"And if that plan gets out and people—including the Baba Yagas—try to run, he’ll have no choice but to release the anomalous entities early."

Alon watched Karsemm give a quiet nod and continued.

"You said the fights with the anomalous entities happen every three days?"

"That’s right."

"How strong are they?"

"Ah, I think I can give you a rough idea."

This time, Lime—who had been listening quietly at the side—answered.

"First, you can think of the anomalous entities as something the Baba Yagas can deal with without too much trouble."

"Even if multiple of them swarm one person?"

"......I think up to five would still be fine."

"And the fighters below them?"

"If it’s an A-rank, they can probably handle one entity. From B-rank down...... it takes two or three working together."

"How many anomalous entities showed up in the last fight?"

"I couldn’t count the exact number, but it was somewhere between a hundred and a hundred and fifty."

Alon paused, thinking about the numbers that didn’t quite add up, then came to the answer without much trouble.

"......Did Seollang handle the rest?"

"Yes."

With Lime’s reply, Alon sank into thought using everything he’d learned so far.

'What’s the best way to do this?'

Looking at what they’d done up to now, there weren’t many plans he could come up with at this point.

No, to begin with, there was too much to consider.

Right now, the Colony he had to fight in was packed with countless people.

Of course, if he didn’t care what happened to them, making a plan would be easy.

But Alon had no desire to do that.

And that wasn’t all he had to consider.

If anomalous entities appeared, how many would come?

What form would Divine blood take when it appeared?

And the most important thing of all—

'......Even though I’m here and moving, Karaan hasn’t reacted at all.'

Alon wasn’t the type to be keenly aware of his own standing.

But he’d heard it constantly from Penia and Evan, so this level of wrongness was easy enough to catch.

'It’s not like he wouldn’t know I entered the kingdom.'

Was it confidence?

Or was some additional scheme hidden underneath?

After only a brief moment of thinking, Alon threw a question at Karsemm, just in case.

"Just to be sure—Karaan has noticed I came into Colony, hasn’t he?"

"Probably."

"And do you think there’s a reason he still isn’t moving?"

"......That much, I can’t say."

At Karsemm’s answer—unable to state it with any certainty—Alon thought, as expected, but shoved the thought aside for now.

Karaan’s intentions were clearly important, but he didn’t have the time to pour into figuring them out.

He only had about two days.

'......Protect the people spread throughout this city, and deal with Divine blood......'

Alon returned to the main issue and kept thinking.

How much time passed like that?

Alon, who’d been tapping a finger lightly the whole time, finally said,

"Let’s try it like this."

and began laying out the plan he’d formed in his head.

####

After Alon finished explaining—

"......Understood. Then we’ll do it that way."

"I’ll start moving with Seollang late tonight as well."

"Do it."

Karsemm and Lime moved immediately.

Alon headed back up to the surface, too.

"Seollang?"

The moment he came up, he spotted Seollang—who hadn’t attended this meeting.

'Back already?'

He recalled Lime saying Seollang had stepped out for a bit.

Seollang, wearing the same bright smile as always, shouted,

"Teacher!"

"Where were you?"

"Ah! I just had something to do outside for a bit!"

Then Seollang ran up to Alon in quick little steps—

"Ah!"

—and stopped short, like something had just occurred.

"Teacher! Sorry! I’ve got something I still need to do, so I’m going out for a bit!"

"More to do?"

"Yeah! I should’ve ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) finished this too and come back, but I still haven’t!"

Alon stared at Seollang’s smiling face for a moment.

"Alright."

He nodded.

Seollang called back, "See you in a bit, Teacher!" and ran off into the distance.

"Seriously. Always bright, no matter when you look."

"Seollang?"

"Yeah. Usually, if things are this bad, you’d expect someone to get a little depressed."

"Hm— maybe it’s because over there, it’s like, as long as the Marquis is around, everything’s good."

"That’s definitely part of it."

Evan and Penia chatted while watching Seollang.

But Alon didn’t join in.

He just looked toward where Seollang had gone, replaying Seollang’s face from a moment ago.

"......"

Seollang had been smiling.

A bright smile, just like always—anyone would say so.

And yet, strangely, a different impression rose in Alon’s chest.

'......Did something happen?'

It might have just been his imagination.

Still, in Seollang’s smile, Alon felt something other than the usual cheerfulness.

A strange anxiety.

An awkward unease, like trying to hide something.

"......"

For a while, he silently stared at the place Seollang had left.

####

The next day.

After confirming the morning sun was rising earlier than in other places, Alon asked Lime,

"Did the plan proceed as scheduled?"

"Yes. It was a little tight, but we were able to finish everything before dawn. And we got cooperation from the other Baba Yagas, too."

"Then all that’s left is what comes after."

"Yes."

Lime nodded firmly.

After a brief moment of thought, Alon stood up.

"Let’s go to the royal palace."

"Yes. Like you said, I sent word ahead of time."

"Just in case—did they allow my entry?"

"Yes. ......If anything, it was like they’d been waiting."

The two of them headed straight for the first floor, and met Penia and Evan, who had been waiting.

"Marquis, just in case, should I come too?"

"No. Just in case, you should stay here and be strength."

"......Alright. Still, just in case, don’t push yourself too hard."

"Got it."

Then Alon looked at Evan.

Evan grinned.

"Have a safe trip."

"You’re not saying you’re coming along."

"Come on—how am I supposed to follow you into a place like that? If I go, I might get cut in half and die before you can even save me."

"Hmm—"

For a moment, Evan was annoying enough that Alon considered dragging him along, but Alon shook his head.

"Anyway, have a safe trip, Marquis."

"Yeah."

"If you get hurt, someone might start bawling their eyes out, waah—!"

"Shut up already."

Penia pinched Evan hard in the side.

With Evan’s scream as the finale, Alon climbed into the carriage headed for the kingdom.

Not long after, the carriage arrived at the royal palace.

Alon entered the palace grounds without being stopped even once, and headed for the audience chamber where Karmakses III was.

"......"

Nothing had changed.

The expensive treasures hanging along the way, the unusual architectural style, even the peculiar marble—

none of it had changed.

"......You’ve come."

"It’s been a while."

Even Karmakses III, waiting to receive Alon the moment he arrived—

nothing had changed.

For an instant, Alon nearly wondered if Karsemm had been mistaken, or had fallen into paranoia.

But that thought shattered not long after.

"......Karaan."

"The honor’s mine, that you remember me."

Because there—

stuck to Karmakses III’s side like a secretary—

stood the First Prince, Karaan, and from Karaan flowed a strange power.

####

'No. That’s not it.'

Alon realized it.

What flowed from Karaan’s body wasn’t magic power.

"Just as I thought."

Maybe Karaan noticed the look in his eyes.

Karaan’s cold voice dropped like a blade.

At some point, a deep smile had settled on the First Prince’s face.

"So you came knowing everything. Just like I expected—looks like that rat bastard was hiding in those animal bastards’ hideout."

"......"

For a moment, Alon considered denying it, then nodded without resistance.

"Yeah."

"Tch. What a hassle."

Karaan clicked his tongue, like he’d expected it.

Without losing that easy composure, he kept going.

"So. What did you hear from that rat bastard?"

"Most of it."

"So you came to deal with me?"

Karaan sneered.

In that smile—so full of absolute confidence in this situation—Alon got the confirmation he wanted and answered.

"Before that, I want to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yeah. There are a few things I’m curious about. Will you humor me?"

Karaan looked at him like he didn’t understand, then—

"Sure. Fine."

He nodded, then flicked a finger against Karmakses III’s body on the throne.

And then—

Sssssss—!

Karmakses III’s body, which had been sitting solemnly on the throne just moments ago, began to melt with a horrifying sound.

The eyeballs dripped down like candle wax, the gums vanished, and the teeth fell away.

In the end, what remained on the throne was what looked like Karmakses III’s skin.

"Ugh—"

Karaan openly twisted his face in disgust, then slapped the skin down off the throne.

Thud— thud— thududud—

Karmakses III’s skin tumbled down the steps.

"......"

Alon watched in silence.

"Ahhh— I’d appreciate it if you didn’t look at it like that. That’s just skin, anyway."

Karaan said it like it was nothing, sat down with a relaxed expression, and—

"......What did you do with Karmakses III?"

"Just like you can see, the skin’s right there. The body was devoted to a great one."

He crossed his legs as if it were no big deal.

"......"

Alon lowered his gaze again, looking at Karmakses III’s skin rolling around on the stairs like it was trash.

Then, without warning, he found himself grateful for his own condition—

for a face that didn’t show anything on the outside, no matter what emotion rose up inside.

"Alright, then. Shall we start talking?"

Karaan’s slick voice reached him.

Alon raised his eyes.

"Ah, but before that, there’s something I want to ask, too."

And then—

"What the hell are you, anyway?"

"......What are you talking about?"

"I mean exactly what I said."

Karaan’s question dropped onto Alon without warning.

"I’m curious why you’re called the 'Star Eater' among those great ones."