Chapter 286 : Treatment (5)
"Wow—"
Everyone in the group exclaimed in awe as they arrived at Sunju.
It was because the city looked so breathtakingly beautiful.
Even the outer fortress and the vividly colored buildings within it looked more like works of art than mere architecture.
Everyone had their mouths open, unable to hold back their astonishment.
Soon, Alon stood in front of the main gate leading into Sunju.
"We greet the great race!"
Once again, he could feel Historia's commanding presence firsthand.
Just moments ago, there were only two guards at the main gate, yet now dozens had rushed out and saluted in unison.
That wasn't all.
Even those waiting in the long line for inspection were casting admiring glances at Historia.
'She really is popular.'
Historia, however, simply nodded nonchalantly as if she was used to it.
Alon clicked his tongue inwardly, though only for a moment.
"But who are these people?"
The beastkin began to turn their attention toward Alon's group.
…More precisely, their gazes fixed on Alon.
The reason was obvious.
It was because of the tail that Historia had wrapped around Alon's waist.
Feeling oddly embarrassed, Alon tried to say something—
"We came to meet Urang."
"His Majesty… you say?"
"Yeah."
With just that single remark from Historia, the guards let Alon and his companions into the capital without any further inspection.
Alon once again felt a surge of curiosity.
It was already clear that her social standing here was impressive, based on what he had seen so far.
But to call a king by name without anyone objecting?
Now he was genuinely curious just how high her status actually was.
'I'm sure she said she just received "reasonable" treatment here last time…'
Thinking that, Alon looked at Historia.
"What?"
As if she sensed his gaze, she tilted her head with her usual vacant expression.
He still couldn't get used to the contrast.
Then—
"We greet the great race."
Hardly had they entered the capital when officials, who seemed to have been waiting, came out to receive Historia.
Just judging by their attire, it was clear they were high-ranking individuals.
Yet even in front of them, who all bowed respectfully,
"Let's go."
Historia gave only a light nod and proceeded forward without hesitation.
The group followed the officials deeper into the heart of the capital.
Eventually, a massive palace came into view in the distance.
A palace so overwhelmingly large that it made comparison with other buildings meaningless.
"He's in there."
Historia gave a brief explanation and led the group in that direction.
As soon as they entered the palace,
"I'll be gone for a bit."
"…You have somewhere to be?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
Without further explanation, she left.
Despite her vacant expression, she walked away decisively.
After she left, Alon followed the officials to a giant door.
When the door opened, a man seated at the far end of the room came into view.
A golden throne, placed at the highest point to signify royal authority—
Sitting upon it was a wolf beastkin whose entire being radiated majesty.
Recalling that many of the officials were also wolf beastkin, Alon thought, 'Was Seolrang also a wolf beastkin?' and bowed.
"Alon Palatio greets the ruler of a nation."
A concise greeting.
But even that seemed to convey something, as the king let out a soft "Oh" of recognition.
"So you are Marquis Palatio?"
"That's correct."
"Incredible. I didn't expect you to come at this time."
Urang, the King of the Eastern Nation.
Seeing his intrigued reaction, Alon was momentarily puzzled, but soon understood the reason behind it.
'It must be because of the sea creatures.'
More precisely, not just sea creatures—but the invasive deep-sea monsters.
Recalling Hazad's words, Alon remembered that trade routes had been severed because of them.
"Well, your timing doesn't really matter now."
"Thank you for your welcome."
"You deserve it. I've been waiting for you."
The king gave a brief smile and hummed in thought.
"Normally, it'd be proper to let you rest before discussing matters… but how about it? If you prefer, we could jump right into the conversation."
He offered to get straight to the point.
Alon nodded without hesitation.
"That sounds good to me."
"Glad to hear we're in agreement."
Satisfied with Alon's answer, the king nodded and said,
"Everyone else, leave us. Ah, and I'm sorry, but I'd like even your companions to step outside."
"This is a conversation that must be shared between just the two of us," he added as he issued the command to clear the room.
As Alon's group exchanged glances, the soldiers and officials withdrew from the audience chamber without a moment's hesitation, like the tide going out.
Seeing this, Alon gave a small nod to his companions, and Radan and Penia, along with the rest, followed suit and exited.
Now the space held only the two of them.
A brief silence passed.
"Now we can finally talk."
The king let out a light sigh and rose from his seat, walking toward Alon.
Step step—
Descending the stairs, Urang finally stood before Alon.
Even having come down the steps, he was still tall enough that Alon had to crane his neck to look up.
Even setting aside the instinctive pressure he gave off—
'What's going on?'
Alon couldn't help but tense up as the king had suddenly stepped down from the throne to approach him directly.
But that tension lasted only a moment.
Before he could process the situation—
Urang, King of the Eastern Nation, deeply bowed to him.
"…?"
Even Alon, who rarely showed much expression, couldn't fully hide his surprise.
"As the descendant of the great Eastern Nation, I pay respect to the savior of the past."
"…Ah."
Alon let out a quiet gasp at those unexpected words.
"Thank you for understanding the need to clear the room."
Only then did Alon realize why the king had ordered everyone out of the room.
"No, not at all. This is a very important matter, after all."
"Thank you. If things were calm internally, it might be a different story… but given the situation…"
At Urang's words, Alon recalled that a rebellion was currently taking place within the Eastern Nation.
'Even if I don't know the full details, in times like this, the king's authority becomes all the more crucial.'
Alon wasn't someone with a noble mindset.
But having lived as a noble, he also understood just how important authority was in times of national instability.
"By the way, did you hear about me from Historia?"
When Alon asked, Urang shook his head.
"No, I did not."
"Then…?"
"It is something passed down by the fifth ancestor of the Eastern Nation."
"The fifth ancestor?"
"He was known as King Sua, and his name was Rangban."
At the name that came out of Urang's mouth, Alon let out a quiet breath.
It was a beastkin he knew very well.
"Rangban…"
A strange stir rose in Alon's chest.
Despite being referred to as an 'ancestor,' Alon had vivid memories of him.
"Thanks to the story he passed down to his descendants, I was able to express my gratitude in person like this."
Nodding at the explanation, Alon asked, "So, is that the reason you wanted to meet me? To thank me?"
"Yes, that's correct. But that's not the only reason. The main reason I requested to see you is that I have something to pass on."
"Something to pass on… from Rangban?"
"Yes. Rangban emphasized it over and over. That this message must be delivered to you, and that it should never be forgotten as long as the Eastern Nation stands."
With that, Urang pulled something from within his robes and handed it to Alon.
As Alon took the white, Magatama (comma-shaped jewel), Urang conveyed Rangban's message.
"In the north of the Eastern Nation, where there are four pairs of sarasu trees, someone who can help you lies in slumber."
"That is—"
"Yes, that is the message left by the former king to you through his descendants."
"…What is in that place?"
"I know the location, and I can guide you there if you wish, but I don't know what lies within. We've simply preserved it."
"That too was Rangban's will?"
"Yes. No one except you, Alon, can enter that place. It has been guarded with that in mind."
Hearing Urang's explanation, Alon looked down at the comma-shaped jewel and asked, "When can we go there?"
"If you'd like, you could leave right now, but considering the distance, it might be best to depart tomorrow."
Alon lifted his head and glanced around.
Before he knew it, the palace walls were dyed in a deep crimson hue by the evening light.
It seemed wiser to leave after making preparations.
And so, the conversation came to a close with Alon accepting Urang's proposal.
"Then please get some good rest."
After exchanging farewells, Alon stepped outside.
Sensing a gaze from somewhere, Alon turned his head toward the suspected direction—
"?"
In the distance, his eyes met with those of a man who was glaring at him with open hostility.
He was visibly younger than the other beastkin and dressed so extravagantly that his presence stood out even from afar.
He was shooting such a cold look at Alon that it was obvious to anyone how much he loathed him.
Then, without a word, he scowled and turned away, disappearing from sight.
"…That brat's got no manners."
Penia, who had walked up beside him unnoticed, cursed under her breath, expressing her displeasure.
Evan, standing next to her, nodded in agreement.
"He looks about the same age as me. Probably a prince."
"How can you tell?"
"Think about it. Someone who can walk around here with that kind of attitude, clearly living an easy life, and young on top of that—pretty much narrows it down."
"…Ooh, that was sharp."
"Heh, I'm kinda smart, you know."
"No, not quite."
As their banter flowed naturally, Penia shut Evan down with one remark and then furrowed her brows, muttering as if something was bothering her.
"But… something feels off."
"Off?"
"Yeah, hmm~"
Penia stared at the spot where the prince had disappeared and fell deep into thought.
But before she could make sense of her suspicions—
"Brother."
"What is it?"
"Should I kill him?"
Radan, echoing the words of a certain someone else, casually proposed murdering the prince(?) from within the palace.
"Don't do that."
Alon quietly sighed and pressed down gently on Radan's shoulder.
And just like that, he ended up protecting(?) the life of the man presumed to be a prince.
Before long, the next morning arrived.
"Well then, I'll guide you from here."
Alon and his group set out toward the place where Rangban's secret was hidden.