Alon’s blank expression didn’t last long.

He looked at Evan with a face that clearly said he didn’t understand.

“So... what was the question again?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Alon grabbed his head and asked, just in case—

maybe he’d heard wrong.

But.

“Were you actually a real god in your past life, or something?”

“......”

At that question that still left him speechless, Alon fell silent for a moment, then—

“...Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Do you honestly think I was a god in my past life?”

Alon shot back.

He was expressionless, so it didn’t show much, but anyone could tell he thought this was absurd.

Evan scratched his head.

“...Hmmm.”

He couldn’t answer easily.

And just as Alon was about to speak again—

“Marquis, are you feeling any better?”

Penia stepped through the door.

Yawning and stretching with a tired look on her face, she paused when she sensed the weird atmosphere and tilted her head.

“...What is this vibe? Did something happen?”

“No, not exactly.”

“We were just talking about the Marquis’s past life?”

“Past life?”

Penia echoed, confused, and Evan nodded.

“I was asking whether the Marquis might’ve been a god in his past life.”

“The Marquis was a god?”

“No, I didn’t say he was. I asked if he was.”

“...I genuinely don’t understand why you’d even ask a question that answers itself.”

Alon shook his head again like this was ridiculous.

But—

“...Hmm.”

“......”

Penia stared at Alon along with Evan.

Then—

“...Honestly, it’s not impossible.”

“I don’t want to agree with you, but... I think it could be.”

They traded affirmative opinions like that.

“...What about me makes you think that?”

Alon asked, completely baffled.

But Evan and Penia looked just as baffled by his bafflement.

“...Do we really need a specific ‘what’?”

“Then what is it?”

“Just listing what you’ve done so far is enough. By normal standards, you’re way past ‘not ordinary.’”

“Is it really that bad...?”

At Alon’s response, Evan rubbed his jaw.

“Marquis. It’s not exactly news, but I think you’ve got a few screws loose in this area.”

“...Me?”

“Yes. Most people, the second they accomplish even a little, they’re dying to brag about it. But you don’t even seem to properly realize what you’ve done. It’s not a disease, exactly, but....”

Something about it was just kind of weird...

At Evan’s muttered add-on, Alon cleared his throat without meaning to.

“...Anyway. The point is—Divine blood saved Caliban?”

“That’s right.”

“And the reason it saved Caliban was because of me?”

“Right?”

“Where is that Divine blood now?”

“I heard it settled in Caliban.”

Evan continued.

“And, actually, that’s not the only thing I needed to report.”

“...There’s more?”

“It’s not exactly the same, but something similar happened in Raksas.”

“Divine blood protected Raksas too?”

“Yes. Though in that case, it protected them and vanished without a word....... And in the north, they’re saying a gigantic tiger protected the barbarians from Divine blood as well.”

“...The barbarians too?”

“Yes. According to the information guild, in the case of that tiger in the north, it helped the barbarians while mentioning the Star Eater.”

“......”

Alon let out a sigh.

The situation was good.

Before coming to Colony, Alon had sent Historia of Divine Land and Ryang-a, the White Ghost Gang boss, to places that were being attacked by Divine blood.

But after properly facing Divine blood this time—

he’d realized it in his bones.

Divine blood weren’t something you could deal with easily.

So Divine blood that suddenly appeared and helped could only be reassuring.

And at the same time, it could only raise questions.

‘...There’s more and more to think about.’

Ever since he’d truly come face-to-face with Divine blood—maybe even before that—

Alon’s mind hadn’t stopped moving.

He had a lot to do.

He had to keep researching magic.

He had to evolve his divinity to the next stage.

And that wasn’t all.

‘I have to raise them.’

He’d heard it from the Wanderer, but this battle had driven it in even harder:

You could never stop Divine blood alone.

They were never an easy opponent.

To stop them, Alon needed allies too.

People strong enough to stand against Divine blood.

Alon kept following that train of thought for a ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) while, but then—

“Oh, right. Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“I totally forgot because I jumped in earlier, but I had something to tell you.”

“...Did Seollang wake up?”

“That’s right.”

The instant he saw Penia nod, Alon stood up immediately.

“Let’s go. Now.”

####

When they arrived at Seollang’s lodging, Lime greeted them.

“Oh—Marquis.”

“Lime.”

“Are you all right? You really shouldn’t be pushing yourself yet, should you?”

“I’m fine at this level. More importantly, Seollang...?”

At Alon’s question, Lime let out a relieved sigh.

“Thankfully, it’s nothing serious.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. I was worried too, just in case. But it was Seollang as usual.”

Lime pressed a hand to the chest like it was truly a relief.

Alon relaxed too.

“Go in.”

Lime naturally stepped aside.

The moment Alon stepped inside, Seollang came into view.

Seollang was lying on the bed, staring blankly out the window, then turned at the sound of the door.

And—

“Oh! Teacher!”

The instant Seollang spotted Alon, Seollang broke into a huge smile and sprang up, charging over.

Seollang’s eyes were overflowing with delight.

A smile filled Seollang’s lips.

And that swaying tail was broadcasting pure excitement.

Without hesitation, Seollang threw arms around Alon.

Bung-bung—

The tail wagged even harder.

“Are you okay, Teacher?”

Clinging tight to Alon’s waist, Seollang asked naturally.

Like always, Alon patted Seollang’s head and answered.

“Yes, I’m fine. You—are you all right?”

“Yeah! I’m fine!”

Alon stared at Seollang, who looked proud as if showing off.

Seollang’s eyes were still unmistakably bright with joy.

Seollang’s lips were still curved into a grin.

Seollang’s tail was still wagging diligently.

There was nothing that looked different.

On the outside.

“Huh? Teacher?”

“...Sorry. I just had something on my mind.”

“It’s okay!”

Maybe Seollang found it strange that Alon was staring so hard—Seollang tilted head.

Alon carefully brought up the real issue.

“Can you tell me what happened to you? If anything did.”

“Okay!”

At Alon’s request, Seollang immediately started laying out everything that had happened yesterday.

And then—

Alon couldn’t help being shocked.

First, because the word “Monster blood” came out of Seollang’s mouth.

Second—

“...And that’s what happened!”

“.......”

“...Huh? Teacher?”

Alon stared at Seollang for a long moment, then shook his head.

“No. It’s certainly... surprising.”

“Yeah. I don’t really know about Monster blood, but—anyway, now I can handle every lightning!”

“Every lightning...”

“And that’s not all. I’ve got more skills too!”

“...Skills too?”

“Yeah! When I accepted essence, I got all the skills of the people who used essence too. Which means! I’m not lacking at all when it comes to protecting you, Teacher.”

Heh heh heh— the expression on Seollang’s face practically screamed, I’m a mega genius! as Seollang flashed a V sign.

At that sight, Alon smiled back without meaning to and patted Seollang again.

“—”

Seollang flinched slightly, then hummed as if the sensation of that hand felt good.

Watching Seollang quietly, Alon called out.

“Seollang.”

“Huh? Whaaat?”

“If anything happens—anything at all—tell me.”

At Alon’s words, Seollang looked up at him.

Alon held that gaze steadily.

Those calm, golden eyes.

“What are you talking about? I’m totally fine.”

But only for a moment—Seollang tilted head again, puzzled.

“...Is that so.”

“Yeah! My body feels kind of creaky, but this is fine! If I rest a bit, it’ll probably get better?”

“That’s a relief.”

“Um—though even after my body gets better, I think I’ll be like this for a while, struggling to handle that power—”

Letting out a groan as if thinking hard, Seollang—

“—but don’t worry too much! I’ll adapt fast and protect you, Teacher.”

Seollang brightened into an energetic smile and thumped chest twice.

And just as Alon started patting Seollang again with a hollow little laugh—

Bang—!

“Ma-Marquis! Something terrible happened! Th-the venom-swallowing one... it-it came back to life!!”

Evan burst the door open and shouted.

“Th-that—over there!”

He urgently pointed at the window.

Following that finger, Alon saw it.

Just like Evan said—

something that had been rolling around without a care in that red sea of blood until yesterday—

“...You’re saying... really?”

—the venom-swallowing one Seollang had definitely killed was alive again, maintaining its shape.

Pajik—!

Alon’s brow twisted.

Seollang’s condition wasn’t normal.

And for Alon too, fighting now and beating the venom-swallowing one was close to impossible.

But even so, Alon couldn’t just leave that thing alone.

Alon immediately burst through the window and used the Thunder God form, rushing to where the venom-swallowing one was.

And then Alon faced it.

Fighters and citizens who had been working on rebuilding the city just a moment ago were all staring at the venom-swallowing one in sheer terror.

“...Ts—”

And there it was, revived so perfectly it didn’t even have a scratch—

“...Huh?”

—the venom-swallowing one...?

“...?”

Alon’s serious expression loosened.

What was in front of Alon was definitely the venom-swallowing one.

Even the threads it was scattering—threads Alon couldn’t tell the purpose of—were the same ones Alon had seen before.

And yet Alon was drowned in confusion, because—

the venom-swallowing one’s appearance was far too dark.

Like a shadow had taken shape.

And the moment Alon realized that—

[Kyuu?]

“......?”

A voice.

From the venom-swallowing one.

A voice Alon knew far too well—familiar.

As Alon stood there, bewildered by the situation—

Alon witnessed it.

That head that had definitely been covered in dozens of eyeballs—

[Kyuuuu?]

...turn into Blackie’s gigantic head.

“????”

Even more question marks flooded over Alon’s head.