Ch.17859. Another World Aileutan (4)

Alicia bowed politely toward me.

An off-shoulder noble lady’s dress that fully revealed her shoulders and cleavage.

Though her age would match that of a noblewoman, with her platinum blonde hair flowing down, she looked like a young lady in her early twenties. Even when wearing armor, her beauty couldn’t be hidden.

But in such feminine attire, her appearance shone even more.

‘Come to think of it, the lord of Risen mentioned it. The Imperial Knight Commander is not only the best swordsman in Trelia but also the most beautiful.’

My companions glared at Alicia for a moment.

The three of them moved closer to me at once, wary of her.

Especially Soso, a fellow swordswoman, glared particularly intensely at Alicia. Alicia’s figure was no less impressive than Soso’s.

‘No… especially her upper body…’

Perhaps feeling provoked by this sight, Soso continued to lock eyes with Alicia while boldly trying to link arms with me. I whispered to her:

“We’re here for an important conversation. Calm down.”

At those words, Soso’s expression turned sullen, but she had no choice but to back down.

I looked at Alicia again. Perhaps due to her attire, she clasped her hands tightly to her chest as she greeted me.

When I saw her in armor yesterday, she was full of dignity befitting a Knight Commander. But now, her attempt at formality seemed somewhat awkward.

No, there was nothing to criticize about her manners. She just seemed uncomfortable in her current dress attire.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Commander Alicia.”

When I greeted her, she raised her head. Her face suddenly flushed, and she avoided my gaze.

All the while, she kept adjusting her dress. She was clearly conscious of my presence.

“…What is that woman, no, that commander doing?”

Yuri spoke in a cold voice. Having been with her for so long, I could tell she was displeased watching Alicia.

‘Well, I’m also taken aback.’

I’ve never even had a proper conversation with Commander Alicia. We briefly talked yesterday about defending the capital.

There was no reason for her to be conscious of me as a man.

Acting as if she had fallen in love at first sight, this was a first for me. Alicia spoke:

“Ahem. We can’t keep the Apostles standing here. Would you please sit at the reception table over there?”

I nodded. My companions took their seats.

Then Alicia expressed her gratitude again for yesterday’s—no, the past three days’ events.

In particular, she was very impressed with my operation—how I directly guided the capital’s defense forces to counter the elite Cross Army.

“No field commander could have faced the enemy with such perfect tactics! Above all, for Apostle Lee Min-su, who isn’t even part of our Royal Knights or Defense Forces, to have devised such a meticulous plan and successfully defended the capital! It’s truly remarkable! If this strategy were recorded, it would surely become an excellent military text for future generations.”

She praised me rapidly without even pausing for breath.

The hostility from my companions softened a bit at her praise.

After praising me a while longer, Alicia belatedly expressed gratitude to my companions as well.

“O-Of course, I heard the other Apostles were also outstanding! Your performances were truly befitting of Apostles…”

But it was very brief compared to how she had praised me.

Anyway, it was the first time a woman I’d just met showed me such favor, so I couldn’t help but wonder why.

‘Perhaps my face is appealing in Aileutan?’

I found myself entertaining a thought I would never normally have.

‘I must be getting old.’

In truth, my companions, who have become close to me, always tell me I’m handsome. But objectively, I’ve never considered myself good-looking.

I was somewhat tall.

But surely, fitting for a minor character in this novel, I had a face that wouldn’t leave much of an impression.

‘Perhaps that’s why I’m the colorless key.’

As I was having these pointless thoughts, I suddenly realized I had been continuously looking at Alicia’s face.

“…Most of the western region of Aileutan is under attack from the Cross Army and monsters. Above all, the additional monsters being summoned through gates created by their priests…”

I belatedly focused on Alicia’s words.

‘So Aileutan also has gates…’

She continued:

“His Holiness the Pope has said that the cause of the increasing gates is the evil god who will soon descend… the red dragon Sethanas.”

Sethanas. The name of the evil god I already knew from Earth.

Originally, the red dragon was a being corrupted by the divine power bestowed by Arel. It wasn’t strange that this name would appear in Aileutan.

‘But the place where Sethanas is being summoned is Earth, not Aileutan.’

Since Arel, the god of this world, no longer exists in Aileutan.

Sethanas’s goal must be to steal the divinity of Ayel, Earth’s god, and ascend as a true god.

In fact, the monsters appearing on Earth were stronger than those in Aileutan. It made sense since Sethanas’s apostles were concentrating demonic power on Earth.

If he completely steals Ayel’s power as well, the possibility of preventing doom, whether on Earth or in Aileutan, would be completely eliminated.

‘And that must be Juan Soriano’s goal.’

I had no intention of allowing that to happen. For that, I absolutely needed to obtain the White Tiger’s power in Aileutan.

And at that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Could it be that Commander Alicia is reacting to me like this because…?’

Perhaps her family is a clan that has worshipped the White Tiger’s power. Just as Yoo Jahyun and Seo Hwa’s clan worshipped the Vermilion Bird, that tradition would have continued.

In Aileutan’s distant past, the White Tiger clan migrated from the Eastern Continent to the Western Continent to escape the Red Dragon’s curse. Their descendants might have survived.

‘That bloodline must have continued in Alicia’s family.’

If so, there was a high possibility that the three divine beast powers I currently possessed were resonating with the White Tiger’s power, another divine beast.

That resonance might be causing Alicia to feel special emotions toward me.

‘But it’s still strange that she would show such an infatuated reaction.’

I finished organizing my thoughts. After hearing all about Aileutan’s situation from Alicia, I got to the main point.

“Then could you guide me to where the Royal Knights’ report mentioned?”

Alicia nodded at my request.

***

The two of us headed to the basement of the Royal Knights Headquarters.

Yuri, Soso, and Arini were determined to come with me, but Alicia shook her head.

– The power of Tigris, worshipped by my family and the Royal Knights, is very dangerous.

In the basement of this Knights Headquarters, there is a treasure vault not disclosed to outsiders. And there, the sacred artifact of the Schneider family, Alicia’s house, is kept.

That sacred artifact is a sword containing the power of Tigris.

Alicia said that those who are not permitted cannot even approach that place.

‘Is it the power of Tigris that has made Alicia so strong?’

Unlike other divine beasts, Tigris is very aggressive and tests those who use its power.

So Alicia, as both the Knight Commander and the head of the noble Schneider family, personally attended to that power and was frequently tested by it.

‘Though the form is a bit different, it’s similar to how Seo Hwa can use the Vermilion Bird’s power through divine possession.’

Undoubtedly, that sword must be an Ancient Gear like the Red Jade or Windcutter. And for me, it was the final puzzle piece.

The two of us walked down the basement stairs for quite some time.

“Ah! That place is dangerous!”

And it wasn’t an ordinary basement. It was filled with dangerous mechanisms similar to formation arrays.

If caught in these lethal traps, even an awakened person could be seriously injured.

“That place is dangerous even for swordsmen who can use aura…”

But I calmly told the worried Alicia:

“You don’t need to worry.”

With my heightened senses now, these mechanisms couldn’t stop me. I easily disabled them with a simple fireball, not even needing Blue Flame.

“H-How did you… those traps and mechanisms… even I, the Knight Commander, can barely locate them…”

“I happen to know a lot about these kinds of traps.”

Seeing my composure, Alicia seemed flustered. But then her cheeks reddened.

“Y-You really are amazing. You’re an Apostle, Min-su… I mean, Mr. Min-su…”

Though a bit embarrassed by her praise, I continued down the stairs without being conscious of Alicia.

After I easily dismantled the mechanisms, Alicia’s tension seemed to ease.

Having been focused entirely on those traps, Alicia now had the leisure to speak to me.

“By the way, Apostle… no, Mr. Lee Min-su. I’m not sure if I should ask this question…”

“Yes? What question? If it’s within my ability to answer…”

“Is, is it true? That… well…”

Suddenly her expression brightened. But after pondering for a while, she finally spoke again.

“Um… the other Apostles who came with you… may I ask about your relationship with them?”

I almost let out a laugh. Maintaining my composure, I answered:

“W-What do you mean by that…”

“The way the other Apostles look at you is not ordinary! It’s clearly… the gaze of women who are in love with you!”

I was at a loss for words. It was a question I hadn’t anticipated at all. But Alicia’s question seemed sincere.

“I-If it’s not too impertinent… could you answer?”

It seemed impossible to evade the question. And at her words, I seriously considered my relationship with the three women.

‘The three of them are…’

All precious to me. People I would love until the moment I died.

I had already formed a marital bond with Yuri. Soso and Arini, though not yet formally bound, were no different from lovers to me.

And at that moment, Red Jade—no, Seo Hwa—who had been expressing her will more frequently since entering Aileutan, conveyed her warmth.

With that warmth, I answered Alicia honestly.

“They are all my wives.”

Alicia froze on the spot at my answer.

“N-Not… lovers, but all three are your wives?”

I nodded. Strictly speaking, Seo Hwa would be included too, but Alicia seemed to have received a great shock from my answer.

“I-I see. Apostles come from another world… where polygamous marriage culture… No wonder the three of them looked at you differently… Sigh…”

Alicia sighed as if disappointed. But I had nothing else to say to her.

‘Alicia may have passed the marriageable age by Aileutan standards… but she’s still a beautiful high-ranking noblewoman, so if she wanted, any husband…’

But I was once again at a loss for words when I heard her exclamation:

“If that’s the case… one more wife wouldn’t matter! Here in Trelia, high-ranking nobles of duke status or higher can practice polygamy!”

Unless I was a fool, I couldn’t misunderstand what Alicia was saying.

It seemed Alicia had fallen for me more than I had thought.

‘This is really a first for me.’

But of course, I couldn’t accept her feelings. And Alicia, belatedly realizing she had been impertinent, spoke as if making an excuse:

“N-Now is not the time for such talk! But… surely…”

I decided to remain silent. And finally, the two of us reached the treasure vault of the Knights Headquarters.

And there, I obtained the power of the final divine beast.