Several days had passed since we arrived at the Alliance.

Even in that span, nothing especially major had happened. It simply was not the sort of period when much was supposed to happen in the first place.

During that time, I’d been training under the Sword Emperor, and as usual, I’d also been trying to teach Ten Thousand Flowers Rain to that Tang Family brat.

Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle—!!!

“Oh.”

The hidden weapons spread outward in a brilliant spray. Watching them pour out like that, I let out a quiet note of admiration.

“Looks like you finally got somewhere.”

That kind of growth was unprecedented. The thing that absolutely refused to work had finally worked.

Not perfectly, of course.

But he’d gotten the feel for it.

“...Huff... Haa...”

Poison Dragon dragged in a ragged breath, clearly exhausted. He’d done nothing but throw hidden weapons for nearly an hour, so it was only natural.

“Last time you couldn’t even find the rhythm. Now you’ve finally got it.”

The Ten Thousand Flowers Rain he’d barely managed to manifest when he fought that Peng Family bastard—he’d lost hold of that feeling almost immediately, and only now, months later, had he managed to catch it again.

So this is why they say you shouldn’t interfere when someone’s in the middle of enlightenment.

The moment that feeling slipped away, this was what happened. Thinking about it that way, I understood a little better why people warned against meddling.

“You can’t keep going, can you?”

“...Huff... Yes... I... don’t think... so...”

Poison Dragon wiped the sweat dripping from the tip of his chin as he answered. Yeah, even to me it was obvious he was at his limit.

“Then that’s enough for today.”

“...Thank you...”

Poison Dragon collapsed on the spot. The sight of him slumping there, soaked in sweat and limp as a rag, was a little funny.

Still, maybe I should cut him some slack. He had worked hard.

I let out a small snort and walked over.

It wasn’t mockery. When I trained under the Sword Emperor, I looked exactly the same.

I’m not exactly in any position to laugh at anyone.

With that thought, I moved.

“Go wash up. I’m heading out first.”

“Yes...”

Poison Dragon barely managed the answer before sprawling flat across the training ground floor, and only after seeing that did I turn away.

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye had called for me, so I couldn’t afford to linger.

*****

I arrived at Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s office. I gave a light sign of my presence before stepping in, and just as expected, the first thing I saw was the stack of documents piled all the way to the ceiling.

“I heard you called for me.”

At my words, the gaunt old man behind the mountain of papers revealed a sliver of his sharp eyes.

“You’re late.”

“...I came as fast as I could?”

Late, my ass. I’d gotten here much earlier than the appointed time. I said so, baffled, and Thousand-Mile Divine Eye answered me.

“I know. I simply felt like picking a fight.”

“...”

He was so shameless I had nothing to say. Why was this old man only like this with me? He didn’t seem to act this way with anyone else, but with me he kept needling me.

“Sit.”

“Where?”

There was still nowhere to sit. I was just wondering whether he expected me to plop myself down on the floor when—

“It’s right there in front of you.”

“...You mean this?”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye pointed. In the gap between the documents covering the floor, I could see a low table and a teacup.

Unbelievable.

“Can’t you clean this up a little? You can barely even see anything in here.”

His whole appearance screamed tidy and orderly, so it was honestly baffling that his room was such a disaster. As I muttered that, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye replied:

“I simply have no time to clean.”

“...Then couldn’t you at least have someone else do it?”

At that, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye gave a short laugh.

“And what do you think those visible documents are? You expect me to hand those to just anyone?”

“...Hmm.”

Fair point.

Still—

“Then is it really fine to leave important documents thrown all over the floor like this?”

I said it with perfect logic, but Thousand-Mile Divine Eye only stared at me.

“Sit.”

“...Ah. Right.”

The tone made it clear he had no intention of entertaining any more argument. Not that I had anything especially sharp left to say anyway.

I shut my mouth and squeezed myself into a spot between the documents.

Then I glanced at the tea in front of me and said to Thousand-Mile Divine Eye:

“You must really like this tea.”

I was referring to the same tea he’d been drinking every time I came here. As he walked over, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye answered:

“I don’t.”

“...Then why do you keep—”

“The reason I called you today is simple.”

“...” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Right. I should stop talking. He cut me off every time I opened my mouth. So I looked at the old man with obvious boredom.

“You know today is the day the Demonic Cult arrives.”

“...I know.”

That got my attention.

I scratched my cheek and straightened my posture.

Five days.

Exactly five days had passed since we came to the Alliance. And according to Divine Spear, the Demonic Cult delegation would reach Henan five days later.

Which meant today.

“We’ve confirmed that a delegation is coming, but we still don’t know exactly how many will arrive.”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s face was sharp as he spoke.

Sharper than usual.

His discomfort was written all over his expression.

“We’ve assigned people and made preparations to receive them, but this is hardly something we can afford to take lightly.”

“That makes sense.”

“We have no idea how they intend to play this. To begin with, I dislike the very fact that such dangerous elements are being allowed into Henan, but when this is the Alliance Leader’s will, there is only so much that can be done.”

He spoke at length, but in the end it all came down to one thing: if it were up to him, he would never have allowed it, and he didn’t like Divine Spear forcing the issue.

“We’ve already assembled the personnel.”

“...”

At his words, I clicked my tongue inwardly. There was a reason he’d specifically called me here to tell me that.

“Do I have to go?”

“...”

This time Thousand-Mile Divine Eye fell silent.

Yeah. That reaction was enough.

“So I do.”

“That’s right.”

I had to go receive the Demonic Cult envoys. Meaning I was included among the people he’d put together.

“As this carries symbolic significance, you understand that someone with weight has to step forward on our side.”

“And unfortunately for me, that means me.”

“...Heh.”

Maybe he found the word unfortunate funny. Thousand-Mile Divine Eye let out a dry laugh.

“Yes. At the moment, the greatest symbol we have is you.”

“...”

I didn’t deny it.

Because I knew it myself.

The Hero of Sichuan. The Savior of Henan.

Not only had I cut the Sword Demon in two, I had also blocked the Demonic Cult and saved Divine Spear.

At this point, people no longer even called me one of the younger generation.

Within the current orthodox faction, my position really was symbolic.

The symbol of the younger generation.

Much to my discomfort, that was what they were calling me.

So I didn’t deny it. I’d decided to accept it cleanly. Denying it wouldn’t change anything.

“We’ve received a letter.”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye handed me a document.

“In one hour. They say the Demonic Cult delegation will reach the gate then.”

“...One hour.”

There wasn’t much time left.

I raked a hand through the back of my hair.

“Is there anything in particular I need to prepare?”

“No.”

“Understood. Then I guess I just need to prepare myself mentally.”

“...”

At that, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye stared at me.

What was that look supposed to mean?

I met his gaze in puzzlement, and then—

“If you want, you don’t have to go.”

“...What?”

That was unexpected.

“I don’t have to go?”

“That’s right.”

“...Uh.”

For a very brief moment, my mind spun.

I had to understand what that meant and whether it was really an option.

And when the calculation finished—

“I don’t think not going is really an option.”

I landed on the conclusion that if I didn’t go, it would honestly cause problems.

“...Am I wrong?”

“It could be inconvenient. But not to the point where we couldn’t handle it. At present, the Alliance has people who can replace you.”

“Hmm.”

That wasn’t wrong. There were more than enough people here who could replace me.

...There are several beings beyond heaven here already.

Three of them, if you counted Divine Spear.

Of course, the Sword Emperor and Sword Queen weren’t in any condition to step forward. Even so, that didn’t mean there was no one.

And there’s also the Tyrant.

One of the Five Kings Under Heaven was here as well.

Even if I didn’t go, there were people whose prestige far surpassed mine.

“Still, I’ll go.”

I refused Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s offer.

“I think that’s the right call.”

Right now, I was the one who should go.

Dangerous and uncomfortable as it was, that was what the situation called for.

Anyway.

These were people I had to receive sooner or later.

And the same would be true again two days from now. If anything, that would matter even more.

The negotiations.

The negotiations between the orthodox faction and the Demonic Cult.

Even the name alone was shocking.

“...I should get going. I need to prepare.”

“Good.”

I rose to my feet.

I was just about to leave through the door when—

“Be careful.”

“...”

At Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s words, I turned my head slightly.

He had already picked up one of the documents on the floor, and he wasn’t even looking at me anymore.

For a second, I wondered if I’d misheard him, but then I looked at the paper in his hand and realized I hadn’t.

“Grandfather. You’re holding that report upside down.”

“...”

Without a word, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye flipped the document around.

Seeing that, I barely managed not to laugh.

“Thank you for the concern. I’ll be off.”

Creak. Thud.

I closed the door behind me and stepped out.

“Ah. The weather’s filthy nice.”

I looked up.

Not a single cloud in the sky.

Objectively, it was good weather.

But—

Something...

For some reason, it left me with a bad feeling.

An ominous one.

*****

By the time an hour had passed, just as Thousand-Mile Divine Eye had said, the time had come.

I changed clothes and straightened my appearance.

“...W-Wow...”

The attendant adjusting my clothes let out a sound of admiration.

“Y-You look incredible.”

“...Thank you.”

I smiled awkwardly.

Praise was nice, but it was hard to know how to respond.

Even I had to admit it looked good. That rebirth had done wonders for how clothes sat on me.

“...All right, then.”

I was dressed, so it was time to go.

With that thought, I stepped outside.

After walking a little through the interior grounds, I reached the destination.

The others were already waiting.

“Moon Hero.”

“Greetings.”

I could see several Alliance unit leaders. They were probably the people Thousand-Mile Divine Eye had assembled.

And along with them—

“You’re here, junior.”

“...”

Silver Moon Sword and the Lesser Moon Unit leader were there too. So they’d been included as well.

“Everyone ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) is assembled. You may depart.”

At the unit leader’s report, I started moving.

Because I was the one at the front.

Damn, this is a lot of pressure.

It couldn’t be helped, but all those eyes on me were a burden.

I led the group out. We had to head for the gate.

“...It’s the Alliance.”

“So the rumors were true...?”

“That’s the Moon Hero...?”

Every eye in Henan turned toward us.

One part wonder, nine parts anxiety.

That was the emotion spread all across their faces.

So they know.

They knew the Demonic Cult was arriving today.

That was why they looked so uneasy.

“Still, if the Moon Hero is there...”

“And the Lesser Moon Unit leader and the unit leaders too...”

“Then why would the Alliance Leader...”

This had to be the reason they’d pushed the symbolism and sent me out there in the first place.

Can someone like me really bear the weight of that?

What I felt from them was fear, and it sat on my shoulders like a stone.

Forcing myself to ignore both their emotions and their stares, I kept walking.

Then—

[Oh-ho. Well, look who this is?]

“...”

I stopped.

A shiver-inducing voice transmission froze my steps in place.

“Moon Hero?”

[You know, I thought maybe... but it really was you.]

Ah, damn it.

That unlucky voice.

The sound stabbed into my ears, saturated with spiritual energy thick enough to churn my insides.

Why the hell—

...Why is that ominous old bastard here?

Was the Death King in this place?

My brow locked up at once.