Alon already had a rough idea why the nobles were boldly ignoring him.
"Because the rumors have finally died down."
Until recently, the nobles feared Alon, believing he was the mastermind who took down Avalon—the massive underworld syndicate of the East, destroyed in a single day alongside Leo.But now? No one believed that anymore. Ever since becoming a count, Alon had done nothing spectacular for years.
The Palatio Count family had long been a notorious house. From his grandfather's time onward, they had always held a tight grip on the Eastern underworld, though their influence rose and fell.But ever since Alon's ascension, the Palatio family ceased all involvement. As a result, the once-controlled underworld had been carved to pieces, devoured by scavenger packs that used to survive off Palatio's scraps.
The family's political power had naturally weakened too. Their influence had always been fueled by underworld wealth. But Alon no longer spent that money to maintain dominance.He didn't care about ruling from the shadows. He simply wanted a peaceful, comfortable noble's life.
He had already achieved the life he wanted.
But by retreating so thoroughly, new rumors spread among the nobles.
Some whispered, "Maybe he wasn't the mastermind at all. Maybe he just got lucky and became count by accident."
And as time passed and Alon remained inactive, the rumor hardened into truth.
In the eyes of the nobles, Count Palatio had become nothing more than a "fortunate idiot who inherited the countship instead of the real mastermind."
Some nobles remained cautious, but even they were beginning to accept the mockery.
After all—If Alon truly had power strong enough to destroy Avalon overnight, why hadn't he used it even once since then?
A Gathering of the "Victims"
Alon anticipated being ignored, but he hadn't expected such blatant, childish mockery.
Two nobles—faces twisted with sly amusement—stood before him. One from the Crylde family, the other from Edolon, confirmed by their carriage crests.
They look old enough to know better. Isn't this childish?Alon quietly laughed at their age-creased faces.
Then he understood.
Ah. This is a gathering of the victims.
The Palatio family, notorious as they were, had also controlled and exploited nearby noble houses.And the ones most frequently used as disposable tools were the Crylde and Edolon families.
In truth, Alon had never harmed them.It was Leo, the former heir, who had done all that.
But to these two old nobles, Alon wasn't "Alon."He was "Count Palatio."
And they wanted revenge—however petty.
"All those underworld forces you had—did they vanish because you couldn't manage them?"
"Looks like your carriage hasn't been maintained either. Need to borrow money?"
Their words were like anonymous trolls online, doing anything to provoke him.
Annoying, Alon thought.But he chose reason over instinct.
With his strength, he could crush them easily—not kill, but definitely hospitalize.But doing so would separate him from the main procession and invite unnecessary trouble.
This was exactly what they wanted.
No need to acknowledge fools.
He ignored them.
And that evening, Alon peacefully ate two ears of roasted corn, the mockery serving as background noise.
Delicious.A bit of butter would've made it perfect.
Days of Mockery — and Silence
For several days, the uncomfortable coexistence continued.
Every night, Counts Crylde and Edolon appeared to hurl insults, and every time, Alon ignored them completely.
The one who ignores versus the one desperate for attention—The one who ignores always wins.
Alon had mastered an old truth from the online world:
"Don't feed the trolls."
Soon, other nobles began whispering that he was undignified, or pathetic for enduring the insults.
But oddly, the ones feeling most unsatisfied were Crylde and Edolon.
"Damn it," Count Crylde growled.
"This is absurd…"
Being ignored—they were the ones losing face.
But their frustration soon shifted back to their real purpose.
"Did you confirm?"
"Yes. He has no additional guards."
Using an artifact to secretly inspect Alon's surroundings, they found nothing.
Just Alon… and Evan, the so-called rogue knight.
"So the rumors were true."
"If he had any forces left, he wouldn't be traveling alone."
"Then it's time. We can proceed."
Their true aim was to seize control of the underworld.
Having once been under Palatio's rule, they knew exactly how much money flowed beneath the surface.If Alon truly had no power left, then the underworld was ripe for conquest.
They grinned as if victory was already theirs.
"…Once we take the back alley trade for ourselves, shouldn't we give that fool a little gift?"
"Of course. Someone needs to teach him how dangerous the world can be."
Their smiles were anything but noble.
But before they could return to camp—
"Monsters!"
A Forest of Crystals and Blood
Under the cover of night, monsters burst forth from the forest.
A soldier's shout tore through the camp, followed by monstrous cries.
Knights and mercenaries instantly formed protective lines around the nobles.
"Wizard! Light!"
A wizard sent an orb of light soaring into the sky.
What it revealed—
Goblins.
Normally, goblins weren't a threat to trained warriors.Even dozens wouldn't be considered dangerous.
But this time—
"…What is that…?"
Purple crystals protruded from the goblins' bodies like a plague.
And worse—
"Wait—isn't that Mark?"
A massive goblin held the half-eaten corpse of Mark, a veteran scout mercenary who could handle dozens of goblins alone.
Fear rippled through the mercenaries.
The knights, sensing mana, understood the truth:
These goblins were magically enhanced.
Even one magically reinforced monster was dangerous.But here stood hundreds—possibly thousands.
Despair began to spread.
And then—
Thud!
A stone wall erupted from the middle of the goblin horde.
A wizard recognized it immediately:
"A third-tier spell—Rock Wall!?"
A translucent shield formed behind the wall.
The goblins froze, their predatory gazes shifting toward the magic.
A calm voice followed—
"Enhance."
Then—
"Compress."
The shield shrank rapidly, crushing the stone wall inward.
Silence fell.
Footsteps followed, drawing every eye.
Alon walked forward, utterly unfazed, expression indifferent.
Another spell left his lips.
"Vacuum."
The shield transformed into a rough stone sphere.
And then—
Alon's bracelet emitted a gray light as he uttered:
"Return to origin."
BOOM—!!!
The compressed mass erupted like a shotgun blast, tearing through dozens of goblins in an instant.
Flesh and crystal scattered across the forest floor.
Everyone froze—mouths agape.
Count Crylde and Count Edolon looked as if their eyes would burst from their sockets.
Alon glanced back at the stunned warriors.
"Don't just stand there. Prepare for battle."
His voice was calm.
The fear that had devoured the hearts of knights and mercenaries vanished as if wiped away.
One by one, they lifted their swords.