In the Asteria Kingdom, there are three great Mastermind families.
One is the Altia Ducal House of the North.
Another is the Zenonia Countal House of the West.
And finally, the Palatio Countal House of the East.
Normally, these three families would be the massive masterminds that divided the kingdom's underworld into three equal parts. By the time the original story begins, they are families that have grown powerful enough to pull the kingdom's strings from the shadows.
In the case of the Palatio family, however, the organization disintegrated the moment Leo was assassinated, so they had stepped down from their position as masterminds long ago.
Thus, the only masterminds currently existing in the Asteria Kingdom are the Altia Ducal House and the Zenonia Countal House.
...Actually, looking at it that way, an alliance between the two didn't seem like such a big deal.
"Is that really true?"
"When have you ever seen me lie, Count?"
"...That's true."
"Of course, since it's an agreement made in the underworld, there might not be much visible contact on the surface, but it seems certain that they've formed an alliance."
"..."
The reason Alon was making such a fuss was that he had a rough idea of the state of the masterminds at the start of the original story.
When the protagonist arrived in the Asteria Kingdom, the reason the three mastermind families couldn't properly wield their immense power despite possessing it was purely due to the checks and balances from the other families.
But in a situation where the Palatio family had dropped out of the mastermind race...
If the Zenonia family and the Altia family were to unite, there would be virtually no one in the Asteria Kingdom capable of stopping them.
In other words, as time passed, the two masterminds would be able to mold the kingdom like dough in their hands.
Hmm.
Thinking that far, Alon wondered how things had reached this point, and suddenly remembered what he had said to the Zenonia Young Lady a few months ago.
No way...
Alon wondered if the words he spoke back then had caused the "Mastermind Alliance"—a flower that should never have bloomed in the Asteria Kingdom—to sprout, but he soon shook his head.
Even if he didn't fully understand the personality of Loria—the Duke of Altia—he knew the personality of Calia, the Young Lady of the Zenonia family, all too well.
She was someone who could not stand being on the same level as others, let alone below them, no matter what.
She was the textbook definition of a villainess who wouldn't hesitate to commit any cruelty to climb higher.
"Hmm..."
Thinking that far, Alon felt his mind ease.
Realizing Calia Zenonia's personality, he knew that the alliance was bound to be temporary.
"Evan."
"Yes."
"Bring me some stationery in a bit."
"Stationery?"
"Yeah."
Knowing that there was no such thing as a 100% certainty in life, he decided to make at least the minimum preparations. Just then—
"Speaking of which, Count. You asked me before if there were any rumors about Seolrang, so I looked into it. It seems some rumors have been spreading recently."
"Really?"
At Evan's words, Alon turned his head.
"What kind of rumors?"
"I heard she's been incredibly active in the Colony lately. She's already earned the moniker 'Golden Flash.'"
"Golden Flash, huh..."
With the brief thought that it was a name he'd heard somewhere before, Alon let out a sigh of relief.
Of course, he believed that Seolrang would never die a dog's death, but he had been worried deep down. He had even included a question about her in the letter he was sending to Yutia.
"I'm glad she's doing well."
"Indeed. That's a place where, if your reputation as a fighter rises, you can be treated better than a noble."
"It's a place where you can stand on equal footing with a king as long as you're strong."
Leaving that brief comment, Alon spoke as he received the stationery Evan handed him.
"Oh, and I'm planning to visit the Magic Tower in about a week."
"The Magic Tower?"
"Yeah. It'll probably take a while."
"Won't it be two weeks at most?"
At Evan's tilted head and questioning look, Alon shook his head.
"Probably about a month."
"A whole month? As far as I know, the Green Magic Tower only takes about a week from the Count's estate, doesn't it?"
"The place I'm going isn't the Green Magic Tower, but the Blue Magic Tower."
"...If it's that place, I suppose it would take some time. But is there a reason you have to go to the Blue Magic Tower? Isn't the Blue Magic Tower located between Calliban and the Labyrinth City?"
As Evan said, unlike the Green Magic Tower, the Blue Magic Tower required more than three weeks of travel to reach.
"I have business at the Blue Magic Tower."
Regardless, Alon ended the conversation with a simple answer and began writing his letter.
Seeing this, Evan realized Alon wouldn't give any more answers. He smacked his lips and said, "Then I'll get the preparations ready in advance."
"Please do."
Evan bowed slightly and left.
After writing the letter to the Zenonia Young Lady in silence for a while, Alon finished sealing it and let out a light sigh.
To get to the Blue Magic Tower, I'll have to live in a carriage for three weeks. I'm in for some suffering.
Alon grumbled inwardly about how blatantly tiring it would be, but the reason he was going to the Blue Magic Tower despite that was because there was something he needed to obtain there.
It can't be helped, for the sake of my mana.
There was an item there that could supplement his half-baked talent, which only allowed him to properly explore magic once a day.
Thinking that far, Alon suddenly thought of the Labyrinth City next to the Blue Magic Tower.
The Labyrinth City...
Labyrinth City Lartania.
In the middle of that aptly named city lay an endless labyrinth leading underground.
It was almost the only place in Psychedelia where one could grind for experience and items without progressing the story.
True to its name, the labyrinth was structured so that the more you leveled up and descended into its depths, the more experience and treasure you could obtain.
However, no one who played Psychedelia ever reached the end of the labyrinth.
While you could level up in the labyrinth without progressing the story, according to the game's mechanics, you had to come out every five layers, and doing so would pass a day.
Even if the story didn't progress, the dates did.
As a result, if a player ignored the story and focused solely on exploring the labyrinth, they would emerge one day to find the world had gone to ruin.
To avoid that, one had to explore the labyrinth while progressing the story.
Naturally, by the time one explored the labyrinth while following the plot, the game would usually end around the 70th layer.
Because of this, no one had ever reached the end of the labyrinth in Psychedelia.
...I think I remember someone on a forum saying they used cheats to break through to the 150th layer, and there were still more layers after that...
Recalling a post from a community whose name he could barely remember, Alon shifted his thoughts to Line.
I wonder if she's doing well?
The reason Alon sent Line to Lartania wasn't to make her a labyrinth explorer.
It was to raise her as a Magic Appraiser.
Because countless relics and artifacts were discovered in the labyrinth every day, the profession of an appraiser was highly sought after there.
It was a professional and certified job that allowed one to identify even the detailed abilities of appraised items.
Furthermore, if one obtained the title of Magic Appraiser—a profession that required a certificate from Lartania—they could live a wealthy life without worrying about money. That was why Alon had sent her there.
Like the other Sins, her talent, the 'Ancient Library,' was leaned toward that direction.
Well, she has the gift, so she should be able to appraise things more easily...
Alon continued his thoughts with a strange expression.
Come to think of it, did I give Line too small a gift?
Unlike what he had given the other Five Great Sins, what Alon gave Line was merely an item specialized for appraising equipment. He felt a bit sheepish about it now.
If it seems a bit lacking later, I'll have to give her some more support.
Thinking that what's done is done, Alon shrugged his shoulders.
It was a peaceful day.
####
Labyrinth City Lartania.
In the southern district of that city—which operated independently without being ruled by any nation and had an overwhelmingly large number of explorers and mercenaries compared to other countries—there was an appraisal shop called 'Merde.'
That shop, run by a Magic Appraiser who hid their identity, was not originally in a very good location.
No matter how much appraisers were in demand in the Labyrinth City, there were countless appraisal shops in the central area where the labyrinth was located.
In other words, there was no reason for people to go out of their way to visit Merde in the southern district.
And yet, countless customers flocked there day after day.
Even the types of customers were extraordinary.
Most were A-rank or higher explorers who delved into the deep layers of the labyrinth, and among Merde's clientele were even nobles from other countries and—
"The appraisal is complete, Lord."
"Oh, how is this relic?"
"It's a device that continuously generates flames by infusing it with mana."
—even the Lord of Lartania.
"I am always so glad to have your help."
The Lord, who received the relic from the masked woman, glanced down.
Seeing a black eye engraving on the bottom of the relic, he spoke with a wide grin.
"Oh, was this a relic that could take an engraving?"
"Yes."
"What is the engraving's ability?"
"Its efficiency has improved drastically. Even a handful of mana will likely keep the flames going for an hour."
"Truly remarkable. I am always in your debt."
"Think nothing of it."
After the masked woman gave a brief reply to the Lord, he disappeared from her sight with a jubilant expression.
Once the office became silent after the Lord's departure, she took off her crescent moon mask.
"Whew—"
Taking off her mask, she—Line—let out a light sigh and looked through the window at the engraving held in the Lord's hand.
That very engraving was the reason the shop Merde earned more money than any other appraiser, despite being in the southern district.
Line could go beyond just appraising relics from the high layers; she could place engravings on certain relics to further draw out their abilities.
However, this was not Line's own power.
Her ability was merely to use the 'Library' to more accurately identify the true nature of relics and appraise them for use, or to identify specific relics that could take an 'engraving.'
The ability to actually place the engraving itself was thanks to the gift from the Great Moon.
"..."
Line turned her gaze and opened the door next to her office. Inside that small room, a golden eyeball was operating, surrounded by a blue halo.
[248/500]
Looking at the window floating above the halo, Line recalled when she first discovered this as a gift from the Great Moon.
At first, like the other heroes, Line didn't understand why the Great Moon had sent her to the Labyrinth City to become an appraiser.
Knowing that his true identity was a figure from the forgotten Age of Outer Gods, she guessed it was to deal with the 'Black Things,' but she still didn't understand.
At the very least, possessing the 'Library,' she knew how powerful the 'Black Things' were, and she couldn't find any connection between killing them and becoming an appraiser.
But as soon as she discovered the gift the Great Moon had given her, she had no choice but to change her mind.
The gift the Great Moon gave her was the 'Stalker's Eye,' an item that could appraise relics containing mana below a certain level.
However, with her Library, she recognized it instantly.
That this Stalker's Eye was by no means ordinary.
She released the layers of seals on the item, which didn't even exist in her 'Library,' and only then did the Stalker's Eye, which had been a mere sphere, reveal its true form and unlock one ability.
That was 'Engraving.'
Engraving was the act of placing a mark on certain special relics from the high layers to increase their stats.
But funnily enough, the first engraving the Stalker's Eye unlocked was not an 'ability.'
Rather than an ability, it was...
...252 sacrifices remaining...
...closer to a means of offering 'sacrifices.'
Certainly, when an engraving was placed, the relic's stats would increase, but she knew. She knew that in exchange for placing an 'engraving' on a relic, this golden eye absorbed something that even she didn't recognize.
And every time it did, the 'Eye' was fundamentally changing.
Awakening this is my task.
When she first realized that, Line gained two insights.
One was that awakening this eye was something only she could do.
The eye reacted to relics with specific patterns among those from the high layers; if she brought a relic that wasn't one of those, the accumulated power would actually drain away.
And the other insight was that this eye would give her enough power to oppose the 'Black Things.'
Therefore, following the will of the Great Moon, Line watched the eye as it gradually awakened each time it absorbed a relic.
Everything is to kill the 'Black Wolf.'
With that murmur, Line tenderly toyed with the golden eye floating in the air.
And, according to his will.
A small, inexplicable fanaticism dwelled in Line's eyes.
####
About three weeks later.
As he had told Evan, Alon arrived at the Blue Magic Tower by carriage. He was originally scheduled to meet the Tower Master, but unfortunately, the Tower Master was away, so he met the Vice Tower Master instead.
...Yes, that was what happened, but.
"Now then, hurry up and state your business and get out. I'm busy."
"..."
Faced with such appalling treatment, Alon wore a dazed expression.
---
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