Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 122

Chapter 122
In the end, the creature was vanquished through the combined efforts of Seolrang and Alon.

Naturally, Seolrang’s overwhelming power was so great that she could play with the monster effortlessly.

Yet, the monster’s unnaturally swift healing ability allowed it to hold onto life with tenacity.

As the fight continued, it was Alon, utilizing the Necklace of the Snow Eater to identify its weak point, who discovered the human-like vulnerability concealed below the monster’s jaw, striking the killing blow and ending its life for good.

As the deep night faded into the soft glow of morning…

“Really, thank you so much.”

From the partially destroyed lord’s castle, Alon faced a man who bowed so deeply he nearly dropped to his knees.

The oldest son of Count Lumière—or more accurately, the acting Count now, since the former Count Lumière had died at the Duke of Komalon’s ball—lowered his head in profound thanks.

Alon’s eyes moved past the castle wreckage, taking in the sight of displaced villagers and wounded soldiers groaning in pain.

What stretched out before him was the ruined condition of the territory.

Though a few sections remained standing, they were rare—most of the land teetered on the edge of collapse.

Releasing a soft sigh, Alon listened as the new Count detailed the situation within the Ashtalon Kingdom.

“…Duke Komalon is employing the Outer gods?”

“Yes.”

“And the Outer god that appeared here—was it one of those the Duke released?”

“…That’s right.”

“Where is he going next?”

“I cannot be sure, but based on the path he took, I suspect he is moving toward the territory of Duke Merkilane.”

The Count’s face was shadowed with grief.

Alon gave a nod.

“Thank you for the information.”

“I vow I will repay this debt…!”

As Count Lumière repeated his pledge several times, Alon turned and walked away.

“Ah! Master!”

Soon, he found Seolrang, who was encircled by knights looking at her with reverence.

But something was out of the ordinary.

“Release me! Carrying me like this is unbefitting of a royal!”

In one hand, she held a man dangling limply.

The man, his face smudged with soot and clearly humiliated at being gripped by the neck, wriggled fiercely to break free.

Alon watched the scene and inquired,

“…Who is this?”

“Oh, him?”

“Do not refer to me as ‘him’! I am royalty! I am Karsem, a prince of Colony!”

Colony’s royalty.

Alon let out a soft murmur and searched his thoughts for details.

The troublemaker Karsem, wasn’t that right?

Karsem, the second prince of Colony.

In Psychedelia, he was portrayed as a minor character without much importance.

True to his “troublemaker” label, he was known for causing endless issues that the main characters often had to resolve.

After a moment’s reflection, Alon studied Karsem.

For a prince, his conduct was lacking.

He was covered from head to toe in grime.

Just as Alon was observing him,

“Hey! You! Show some proper respect!”

Perhaps seeking an outlet for the shame he endured from Seolrang, Karsem pointed a finger at Alon and shouted disrespectfully.

Alon gave him a curious look.

It was true that he ought to show due respect to a prince, but Karsem’s reputation in the game as an arrogant and ill-behaved nuisance appeared to be well-founded.

Still, Alon could sympathize to a degree.

Karsem was young, just barely twenty.

Moreover, unlike other royal lines, the first prince of Colony had been raised as the successor from childhood, leaving the second prince largely ignored.

Even so, it was appropriate to show him respect.

Alon started to offer a slight bow—

“Master! Wait!”

“Aieeee!”

Seolrang suddenly seized Karsem by the collar and pulled him behind the wreckage of a house.

“?”

Alon raised a confused brow but soon saw the two walking back together, side by side, on good terms.

And then—

“Ah, greetings, Marquis Palatio. I apologize for my earlier behavior… H-Haha.”

“…??”

Karsem’s unexpectedly docile attitude piqued Alon’s curiosity for a moment.

Then he detected something subtle—the faint gleam of terror in Karsem’s eyes.

“…”

Alon turned toward Seolrang.

She looked back at him with a bright, cheerful smile so dazzling it was almost unsettling, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

Swish, swish—

Her tail swayed happily, but Alon couldn’t dismiss a peculiar feeling of discomfort.

***

“…So, did you come to Ashtalon to rescue Karsem?”

“Hmm, more or less?”

A short while later, Seolrang explained her reason for coming.

“I had other matters to attend to here anyway, and when the king requested it, I decided to assist. By the way, Master, why are you looking at me that way?”

Tilting her head with a questioning look, Seolrang waited.

Alon replied, “Oh, it’s just surprising how willingly you follow the king’s orders.”

Of course, obeying the king is expected in this world. Still, after what he had witnessed the previous night, Alon felt compelled to remark. His mind drifted back to Seolrang’s astonishing show of strength the night before.

…With power like that, it seems she wouldn’t have to obey anyone, not even the king.

Thinking this, Alon regarded Seolrang with renewed appreciation. He already knew she was exceptionally powerful. On top of that, the recent appearances of the Five Great Sins had highlighted how extraordinary their abilities were.

And yet, what Seolrang demonstrated last night exceeded even the legendary might of Baba Yaga that he knew.

…Then again, Deus also defied expectations when he subdued Basiliora.

Just as Alon remembered Deus’s overwhelming presence during that event, Seolrang pulled him from his thoughts.

“I received a good reward!”

“What…?”

“Yes! Since I had business here anyway, I thought I might as well help. Isn’t that generous of me?”

With a grin that seemed to ask for approval, Seolrang’s face shone with pride. Alon couldn’t help but smile and patted her head.

“Woof~!”

Seolrang’s tail wagged wildly as she hummed with contentment.

From the corner of his eye, Alon noticed a strange sound. Turning toward its source, he found Karsem—who had been frowning earlier—now gaping at him in sheer disbelief. His expression was as if he had seen something completely unimaginable.

Alon briefly pondered Karsem’s reaction before returning his attention to Seolrang.

“Is your business here complete?”

“Hmm… I believe so. Oh, that’s right! Master, why are you here?”

Seolrang asked, her tail still wagging happily.

“I’m here to stop Duke Komalon.”

“Duke Komalon?”

“Yes. Regrettably, we’ll have to separate here—”

“Oh, then I’ll join you!”

Before Alon could finish, Seolrang answered brightly.

“…Join me?”

“Yes!”

“I hate to say it, but it will be perilous.”

“I know! That’s why I’m coming.”

“…Why?”

“To protect you, of course!”

Seolrang balled her fists and puffed out her cheeks, her resolute eyes fixed on his.

Confronted with such sincere, steadfast determination, Alon felt a surge of emotion rise within him.

‘…So this is why everyone says daughters are the best.’

He suddenly remembered his friend’s fervent argument about why having a daughter was better, complete with an eighteen-point list of benefits, delivered back when that friend had married at 20 after a surprise pregnancy.

…Of course, Alon’s friend’s daughter was still just a small child who hadn’t even begun elementary school. But in this moment, Alon felt he finally grasped what his friend meant.

Just hearing Seolrang’s words filled Alon with an indescribable warmth. Without thinking, he started stroking her head with both hands.

“Woof!”

Though Seolrang didn’t appear to understand the reason, she loved it even more, nuzzling her head affectionately into his hands.

…It was a touching scene.

“…”

Of course, while Alon felt his heart grow warmer, Karsem’s expression only grew more bitter.

But that didn’t last long.

“By the way, is this really alright?”

“Hmm? What do you mean, Master?”

“…Shouldn’t we prioritize your original task?”

Alon gestured toward Karsem with his chin, and the previously quiet prince quickly spoke up.

“Y-Yes, I agree! Shouldn’t returning me to Colony be the top priority?”

Though he slipped back into informal speech, Karsem’s once-bold manner had completely disappeared, leaving him hesitant and timid.

Alon couldn’t help but question what exactly Seolrang had done to him.

“We can just drop by on the way, can’t we?” Seolrang proposed casually.

“…That’s too risky,” Karsem objected.

“You won’t die, will you?”

“…Well, no, but still—”

Karsem’s unease was clear, but when Seolrang turned her back to Alon and fixed Karsem with an intense stare—

“…Alright, fine! We’ll do it your way!”

Karsem quickly changed his mind.

“See, Master? It’s all settled!”

…Once again, Seolrang had achieved the impossible.

Approximately an hour later, Alon and Seolrang set out for the Marquisate of Merkilane, where Duke Komalon was said to be headed.

At the same time—

“Marquis,” Evan called.

“Yes? What is it?”

“Earlier, you mentioned wondering what Seolrang did while her back was turned to you, correct?”

“That’s true, but why do you ask?”

“I saw it.”

“…When?”

“While you were moving over to that location, I caught a glimpse by chance.”

“So, what did you see?”

“Well… She didn’t make any particularly threatening faces, but she did whisper something.”

“What did she say?”

“Well, honestly, I couldn’t hear it clearly from that far off, but I think it was something like…”

After a brief pause, Evan finally answered,

“…‘Has this guy forgotten who I am?’”

“…Seolrang said that?”

“Yes—though, since I only saw it from a distance, I might have misheard, but it seemed like something along those lines.”

Hearing this, Alon froze for a moment, his face going blank.

As hard as it was to believe, Karsem’s reaction made the claim plausible. Alon wore a strange expression for some time afterward.

***

Filian Merkilane was unquestionably a genius.

In Ashtalon, he was the youngest swordmaster in history and, despite his youth, one of the kingdom’s three most powerful fighters.

Of course, he had recently encountered Deus Maccalian, a being on an entirely different level, but even then, Filian had not been crushed.

Instead, the crushing defeat from that encounter became a catalyst, driving Filian to advance even more rapidly over the past few months. His innate talent made such growth achievable.

Still, despite his resolve to persevere, even after facing such immense power, Filian was now learning—for the first time—the meaning of futility and despair.

“…Hah.”

He stood with his back to his domain, gazing upon a horrifying scene.

What lay before him was slaughter.

Corpses were strewn across the ground.

A body missing its upper half.

Another, sliced cleanly in two.

Yet another, covered in deep gashes from head to toe.

Limbs severed, leaving only a torso.

It was an ocean of the dead.

Wherever he looked, all he saw were lifeless forms.

Knights, soldiers, mages—it made no difference. Every person in his view was merely a corpse.

And before those bodies stretched an inhuman nightmare.

A huge patchwork monster, its form stitched together from human skin and covered in faces, chewed on people with its grotesque teeth.

An insect with the shell of a giant beetle spread its massive wings and slaughtered soldiers in droves.

Elsewhere, a turtle-like creature, with a large plant growing on its back adorned with limbs as if they were floral arrangements, drank crimson blood through its jaws.

Beyond them, other incomprehensible and unidentified Outer gods, things he had never seen before, caused chaos.

They dealt out unfathomable death indiscriminately, taking the lives of everyone in sight.

In this ashen world, where ominous and sinister red magic permeated the air—

“…”

Filian lowered his eyes.

What he saw was his armor, destroyed beyond repair, his sword broken, and his right arm bent at an impossible angle.

Filian released a soft, bitter laugh before raising his head to look ahead.

“…This is just ridiculous…”

At the end of his gaze stood Duke Komalon.

The only figure among the Outer gods who still looked human, he observed the scene with a blank expression, as if untouched by any of it.

…The one who was probably the source of all this.

Boom! Boom!

A thunderous sound snapped Filian from his thoughts. Looking ahead, he saw the turtle-like creature with limb-like flowers approaching to take his life.

Slowly but surely, its heavy footsteps drew nearer.

Filian could only laugh bitterly.

And then—

“Brother! Run!”

At the sudden cry, Filian glanced up at the castle wall.

There stood soldiers, clinging desperately to their posts despite their fear. Among them was his younger brother, Gilan Merkilane, his eyes filled with despair.

And yet, even in his despair, Gilan shouted,

“Go! Escape! There’s still time! We’ll buy you whatever moments we can—just leave now and you can survive! Please, go!”

Filian stared blankly for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle.

Then, despite the agony, he pushed himself to his feet. His body wouldn’t move properly, but still, he stood. With his left hand, he gripped his shattered sword.

“Everyone, fall back! Drop your weapons and flee through the north gate!”

He shouted with all his strength.

“Brother!!!”

Gilan’s voice rang out again, but Filian didn’t answer. Instead, he charged forward. His clever younger brother would understand his intention better than anyone.

“Haah!”

Filian gathered the last of his mana, forcing out an aura. It was pitifully weak, barely enough to graze the skin of an Outer god.

But for now, it would have to do.

As he began to run forward, Filian’s lips twisted into a grim smile.

The chance of victory? Zero.

He knew that all too well.

But at this point, probabilities were irrelevant to him. His goal wasn’t to win.

It was to buy just a little more time.

Screeeech!

With flawless technique, Filian sliced through a volley of petal-like projectiles made of arms and legs.

Soon, he managed to cut through the Outer god’s leg, drawing a screech of pain.

Slash! Slash!

He dashed beneath the Outer god, inflicting wounds as he went.

But his limit arrived much sooner than he had hoped.

Filian looked down at his completely broken sword and his legs, which refused to obey. Then, he looked up.

His vision was filled with the sight of hundreds of limbs rushing toward him to claim his life.

It was an unmistakable, unavoidable death.

And yet, even in that moment, Filian didn’t stop smiling.

He showed no sign of despair.

He simply smiled.

He believed he had done the right thing.

He believed he had not surrendered.

And so, as he calmly prepared to accept death—

Crackle—!

—A burst of light appeared.

“?”

Before he knew it, Filian found himself back in front of the castle wall he had charged away from earlier.

At the same time, he saw it.

—!!!!

The massive Outer god that had been attacking him was now shrouded in a crimson mist of blood.

And then—

Crackle-crack!

“A—”

Before him stood a girl with golden hair flowing in the air.

As soon as Filian realized this, he murmured a name without thinking.

“Seolrang?”

His gaze shifted to the figure standing beside her.

There, next to the brilliant golden flash that was Seolrang, stood a man dressed in a gray coat. Black mana scattered around him like grains of sand dissolving into the atmosphere.

The man—Marquis Palatio—looked down at Filian with a serene, unreadable expression.

“Well done.”

Leaving behind those brief words, the Marquis began to walk forward.

—!!!

In response to his small steps, the scattered Outer gods lunged toward him.

Yet, the Marquis did not stop walking.

One step.

Then another.

His steps were deliberate and steady.

And then—

“By the contract of Kalguneas, I command you.”

Filian watched in awe as it unfolded before him.

“Comrade, manifest yourself.”

KRRRAAAAAAAAH!!!

With the Marquis’s incantation, an enormous serpent materialized, stirring up a storm of dust and a deafening roar.

—!!!!!

Unlike the artificial Outer gods created through profane means, this was something entirely different.

It was a genuine divine being, empowered by true faith and imbued with divinity.

Towering over all the synthetic Outer gods present, its presence was overwhelming.

And so, Filian witnessed the descent of Basiliora, the divine serpent, who stood as the true deity amidst the false creations.