From the Sculptor, who had been forcibly summoned by having its head seized, Alon learned two things.

The first was what he had expected: that the Sculptor served the Wanderer in Rosario, and higher above that, the Blue-Eyed One.

The second—

“In other words, your goal—no, all of your goal—is something close to protecting this world.”

“For now, that’s true... I think?”

—was that, surprisingly, he had managed to glimpse at least a little of the Blue-Eyed One’s intent.

“Really?”

“Even if you ask me that...”

The Sculptor answered timidly, using polite speech as it said it had been acting with that purpose from the start.

The easygoing attitude it had maintained the entire time before getting grabbed by the head was nowhere to be found.

“Um, well, I really don’t know anything else, so I think you’ll have to learn the rest in Rosario...”

“I see.”

“Then, may I get out of the carriage now?”

Unlike earlier, when it had bolted out without asking, the Sculptor now requested it with extreme politeness.

At this unusual side of the Sculptor, a Divine blood, Alon nodded with mixed feelings.

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you!”

Like a student finally released after being shaken down for money by a thug, the Sculptor vanished into the ground in an instant, as if fleeing for its life.

It was hardly dignified, but it was understandable enough.

“It’s a miracle it didn’t lose all its hair.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

That was because a massive crater had formed at the spot where Seollang had grabbed it by the hair earlier.

'She definitely didn’t look like she used much force...'

As Alon thought that and looked at Seollang—

“I did well, right!?”

She shrugged with a confident grin.

Rub rub—

When he patted her head, Seollang clung to him, swaying her head from side to side in delight.

Then—

she wrapped an arm around Alon’s waist.

...From now on, Alon silently vowed to avoid saying anything too harsh to Seollang whenever possible.

“Let’s keep moving.”

The carriage set off for the Empire’s border again.

####

Two months passed after that.

“Safe travels!”

After crossing the border, Alon arrived at the wasteland dividing the Empire and the Allied Kingdoms.

“We got through pretty easily.”

“That we did.”

Evan was right.

Of course, the only time crossing a border had ever been troublesome was when they ran into Serdea.

But what made this time’s smooth passage unexpected was—

“...I thought the rumors had died down.”

—it happened after the rumors that Serdea and Alon were going to marry had been proven false.

There was no reason for the border guards to treat Alon’s group kindly.

So the fact that they still did was strange.

“Well, no need to complain when things go well, right?”

“That’s true enough.”

That was true too.

For the moment, Alon decided to let it pass.

“Still, we’re halfway there now, so if we travel another two or three months, we should arrive.”

“That’s right.”

“Back in the old days, even a month on the road was exhausting, but maybe I’m used to it now. I barely even think about it anymore.”

Evan drove the carriage as he shared that upbeat observation.

Alon, who had been looking at him, shifted his gaze.

The carriage running across the wasteland.

The companions seated inside it.

Penia had fallen asleep, probably because she had buried herself too deeply in her research the night before.

Seollang and Blackie were playing noisily.

Or rather, to be precise—

“Waaah—!”

[Kyuuu—!]

“So high—!”

[Kyuuuuuuu—!!]

—it was hard to tell whether they were playing or whether she was tormenting it.

Either way, at some point, Blackie had started cautiously coming out even when Seollang was around.

Thanks to that, Alon found himself seeing the two together often.

...Well, Basiliora was another story. It refused to come out of the ring even if it died, so there was no chance of seeing that.

“Hoo...”

Watching Seollang lean in and whisper something quietly to Blackie, Alon turned his eyes outside.

Over those two months, as he crossed the Empire, Alon heard one piece of news.

The imperial princesses and princes—people who rarely ever gathered together—were holding a meeting.

Because of that, Alon gave up on meeting Serdea this time and decided to send a letter instead.

'I would have preferred to speak in person if possible.'

What he wanted to discuss was the matter of Divine blood that he had heard from the Sculptor.

If Divine blood of the second stage or higher started falling right away, it was obvious the Empire would not last long at all.

Of course, even knowing in advance that Divine blood were going to descend would not make them easy to stop.

“Hoo...”

A sigh escaped Alon’s lips.

What the Sculptor had told him a few months ago surfaced in his mind again.

Alon, too, was not arrogant enough to think he could save everyone.

No matter how strong he was, saving everyone was impossible.

But still, it did not feel good.

Because the Sculptor’s words were, in effect, no different from a death sentence for this world.

'...Will the Empire be able to hold them back?'

That said, it was not as if there were truly no answer at all.

The imperial princes and princesses, and the kings of the Allied Kingdoms as well, had received power from the Seeker.

According to the Seeker, it was the power of Monster blood that could protect a nation.

If the Seeker’s words were true, then even in a world of Divine blood, they would still be able to protect their countries.

The only reason Alon was worried was that, from what he had seen, the power of that Monster blood did not look nearly as good as it sounded.

Alon did not let his thoughts go any further than that.

There was little point in continuing to worry, to begin with.

Instead—

'Starlight Root.'

Alon began thinking about how to use Starlight Root.

There were risks involved, and he still had no idea why it had been made in the first place.

But right now, it was the most useful card he had to play.

Of course, that required one assumption.

Just as the Divine blood affiliated with Starlight Root believed, Alon truly had to be able to grant them abilities.

'I do have a lot of abilities I could give.'

Alon looked inward.

He could see the countless abilities moving within him.

Before the battle with the Descended One, he had only had four.

Now, at some point, that number had grown dramatically.

If there was a problem, it was that even Alon himself did not understand why he had gained so many abilities.

'It probably increased through the fight with the Descended One.'

Unlike what he had assumed until now—that abilities only appeared when he personally dealt with things—this sudden explosive increase left him puzzled.

'Well, in the end, it’s better that they increased like this.'

Finishing his self-examination, Alon opened the eyes he had closed.

'I need to meet Ar, too.'

Alon turned his gaze back toward the Empire’s border.

Come to think of it, he needed to seek Ar out as well.

'I needed to talk anyway, so maybe after I get back, I should take Rine with me and go see Ar.'

Having organized his thoughts, Alon finally leaned back against the seat at ease.

It was early spring.

And after another month passed, around the time the carriage crossed the border of the Allied Kingdoms—

“Master! I’m heading out!”

Seollang said her goodbye.

“You’re leaving right away?”

“Yeah! I’ve been away too long, after all! And something came up that I need to do.”

“Something you need to do?”

“Yeah! For you, Master!”

Alon looked at her in confusion, but Seollang kept nodding with the same lively face.

Seeing that, a faint smile rose on Alon’s lips without him realizing it.

“Thank you. Always.”

“It’s fine! You have to stay well too, okay?”

“All right.”

After hearing Alon’s answer, Seollang started to move away from the carriage, then—

“Ah.”

As if something had just come to mind, she walked back toward Alon.

And then—

Chomp.

“!”

In an instant, she leaned in close to his face and lightly bit his nose.

Just like she had once done when they talked together after she lost Thunderbolt.

And then—

“Master, if you ever need me, call me.”

Giving Alon a smile that felt reassuring rather than cute, Seollang left him with those words, and then—

“Then I’m off, Master!”

—in a single motion, she kicked off the ground and disappeared.

The area turned quiet in an instant.

As Alon silently rubbed his nose—

“...Huh?”

“What just...?”

bewildered voices came from behind him.

Penia and Evan were frozen with their mouths hanging open.

Penia in particular had her eyes stretched ridiculously wide, like she had just witnessed something impossible.

Alon was about to question the two reactions, then quickly realized it.

From behind, given the angle, there had been more than enough room for the scene between him and Seollang to be misunderstood.

And so Alon’s explanation time began.

####

Late at night.

There, where only the Blue Moon shone brightly now that the Milky Way had vanished—

[Everyone’s here.]

After a very long time, the Blue Moon’s regular meeting was held.

[Hm— it’s been a while.]

[It really has.]

[It has.]

At Radan’s remark, Seollang and Rine chimed in, and Deus expressed the same sentiment as well.

After a brief exchange of greetings asking after one another—

[So—since the meeting was called for the first time in a while, is something going on?]

When Radan brought up the main point, Yutia gave a short nod.

[Not exactly that. There’s just something we need to start preparing for soon. Better to know about it ahead of time.]

[Something we need to prepare for?]

[Yes.]

After Yutia began explaining in earnest and a long while passed—

[.......]

Yutia looked around at the Sins, all of whom had fallen silent in thought as if by prior agreement, then smiled.

[Of course, it’s not urgent, so prepare slowly.]

[Then is today’s meeting over?]

[Hm, that’s all I had to say. Though there is still something else I need a report on.]

At Deus’s question, Yutia signaled with her eyes.

At that, Hidan, who had been restlessly darting his eyes around until just then, clenched his fist tight.

[I-I do have something to report.]

Like someone who had given up and yet also made up his mind, he glanced around once, then cautiously opened his mouth.

[First—]

For someone wearing such a resolute expression, Hidan’s report proceeded remarkably uneventfully.

The contents were so ordinary that his tense ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ face almost made it stranger.

But then—

[And lastly—]

Hidan cast a sidelong glance.

[...it seems the vice tower master of the Blue Tower has been spreading somewhat irreverent rumors regarding the Great Moon.]

He introduced his final report.

[Irreverent rumors?]

[The vice tower master of the Blue Tower—you mean that one?]

[Penia?]

Radan, Deus, and Seollang all reacted at once.

And then—

[It seems she has been spreading rumors that she and the Great Moon share a special relationship. Even more irreverent rumors as well...]

At Hidan’s next words, the brows of everyone who had shown confusion moments ago twitched in unison.

[How arrogant.]

[Even if she has been helping the Great Moon, that crosses a line.]

[Huh. I didn’t know that.]

Radan and Deus openly let their displeasure show.

Seollang’s mouth curved in an amused grin as if she had just heard something interesting, but her eyes did not match it.

The reaction Hidan expected had appeared—yet instead of relief, he only grew more flustered.

Because the Red Moon and Green Moon, who should have been the ones convulsing—no, reacting most violently to this situation—were silent.

So, barely steadying his trembling nerves, Hidan quietly shifted his gaze.

[If it’s that, I already heard about it.]

[Me too.]

That only made him more bewildered.

Contrary to expectation, the two of them reacted far too lightly.

[Don’t worry too much. We’ve already taken measures for that.]

[My, what a coincidence, Yutia. So have I.]

[Have you now?]

[Yes. This one went too far, after all.]

[I think so too. We should correct it while we have the chance, right?]

[I agree.]

Watching the two of them smile and chat briskly, Deus and Radan had already forgotten their own displeasure and quietly averted their eyes.

Because they had noticed.

Those two were smiling—

but they were not smiling at all.

In their hearts, Deus and Radan offered a small prayer of condolence for the vice tower master of the Blue Tower.

Because they knew one more thing.

They knew exactly what happened when those two wore smiles like that.

And then—

[...Was it when they erased a kingdom?]

[Right. Back then, when someone insulted the Great Moon for no reason, a duchy got wiped out in just a few days...]

[.......]

Hearing the hushed whispering of the Silver Moon and Violet Moon, Hidan quietly closed his eyes.

...He wanted to go home.