Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 135

Chapter 135

Alon possessed no knowledge of the Golden Dragon, Lainisius. It would have been remarkable if he had. Dragons were a race lost in the forgotten age of the gods, existing now only as myths within Psychedelia.

Because of this, he could only stare in bewilderment at the colossal being for a long moment before releasing a quiet, measured breath.

“…I was directed here on the authority of Duke Komalon.”

[Duke Komalon?]

The great reptilian eye showed a flicker of puzzlement before a deep, rumbling hum echoed.

[Ah—yes, I understand. That half-trained mage from an earlier time? I recall him now.]

Giving a slow, ponderous nod, Lainisius continued.

[Is he faring well?]

…

Alon paused, uncertain how to respond, but the dragon appeared to have already drawn his own inference.

[Hmm—it seems his ambitions came to nothing and he met his end, considering he did not come in person.]

“You were aware of his intentions?”

[I was involved in the scheme, so yes. It was a misguided notion, though if the sole objective was to stop those entities from awakening, it was a rather effective and ingenious plan.]

“…You were involved?”

At Alon’s query, Lainisius slowly lowered his massive head to the ground with a resonant thud.

[Correct. His strategy was to preserve a tiny remnant of humanity and employ my dragon heart to erect a barrier, allowing that small number of survivors to flourish once more.]

To use a dragon heart…

Alon was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

“…That implies Duke Komalon intended to end your life, correct?”

[You could interpret it that way.]

“And you were agreeable to this?”

How could he discuss his own death with such detachment?

[Why would I not be?] Lainisius answered in an unhurried manner, as if it were a trivial matter.

[From the instant I was imprisoned here, my life was effectively over. In a sense, I am only still breathing because of my dragon heart.]

“Is it because of those lances?”

Alon indicated the gigantic spears impaled in the dragon’s body—weapons so immense they seemed forged for legendary giants.

Lainisius nodded.

[They are the Spears of Annihilation, thrust into me by my dearest companion in order to preserve my life.]

“…So you were betrayed?”

[No, absolutely not. It may seem paradoxical to you, but it was precisely an act of salvation. These spears were meant to conceal and protect me.]

“…A tale from the forgotten age of the gods, then?”

[Yes.]

“Could you tell it to me?”

[I shall.]

Lainisius grew quiet for a time, as if gathering his memories, before his voice began to recount the past.

[It is not an especially lengthy story. We joined with the sorcerers to go and destroy them—and we were defeated.]

[Nearly all the dragons fell there. The sorcerers suffered a similar fate. While they managed to drive those things back beneath the roots, they could not eradicate them. The majority of the sorcerers were wiped out in the process.]

A partial victory, purchased with innumerable lives.

[I, too, should have died there. I would have, had my friend not impaled me with a spear and sealed me away.]

[The spear he used twisted the laws of the abyss, where teleportation is impossible, and brought me to this lightless place. In other words, he elected to seal me as a means of keeping me alive.]

Because the sorcerer’s art could warp reality, even within the abyss.

Lainisius, with a look of faint remembrance, glanced down at the spear lodged in his chest. Then, with an air of acceptance, he murmured,

[Well, because of that, I live, but I have lost all that I was. These Spears of Annihilation seal every ability of the one they pierce.]

“…Which means.”

[Yes, it means my eyes, which once perceived the truth of the world, and my voice, which could warp laws with words—all of it is sealed away for good. Even drawing you here was only achievable by using an artifact I crafted before my imprisonment.]

Lainisius murmured that nothing remained for him but his enormous, inert form.

Finally, Alon understood.

That serene composure.

The absence of fury regarding his own demise.

The apathy toward all things.

…Had he simply surrendered?

Initially, Alon believed Lainisius was merely placid by nature, but he had been mistaken.

Alon observed his form.

Though his golden eyes were still present, their vibrant hue had faded.

Similarly, the golden scales that should have shimmered brilliantly in the darkness were now dull, as if submerged in shadow.

Even the magical energy that should have been palpable felt thin and depleted.

“…Is there no method to shatter the seal?”

[There is not. Unless my departed friend were to return, destroying this spear is an impossibility.]

Lainisius stated this with finality.

For a short while, silence lingered between them.

[You have a compassionate heart.]

“…Pardon?”

[Are you not feeling sorrow on my behalf? Yet it is unnecessary. I have come to terms with my circumstances. Now, let us address your purpose. Tell me why you have sought me out.]

Lainisius’s gaze locked directly with Alon’s.

The quiet was brief.

Alon swiftly posed the first question he had in readiness.

“Duke Komalon claimed it would not be long before ‘it’ awakens once more. Is this accurate?”

[It is true. As I stated earlier, it was merely sealed away.]

Alon released a heavy sigh.

He had harbored suspicions since his conflict with Duke Komalon, but having it confirmed was suffocating.

Still, he had another point to clarify, so he pressed on without delay.

“…From my understanding, for them to manifest in this world, they require a vessel to inhabit.”

[That is also accurate.]

“Is the vessel chosen by destiny? Is it preordained?”

Lainisius answered with certainty.

[Not in the slightest. The vessels they possess are fashioned by the apostles.]

“…Apostles?”

[Yes. They frequently target individuals of great potential, breaking their spirits to make them perfect hosts for their descent.]

Alon fell silent, a frown forming on his face.

The idea of apostles had never been part of the game.

‘…Was it ever referenced?’

As he strained to search his hazy memories, Alon let out another soft sigh.

While it was true, as Lainisius said, that the five Great Sins would descend, at the very least the children he had raised would not become them. This single fact gave Alon a measure of comfort.

A decade ago, Alon had only meant to offer mild direction, but without his noticing, his connection to them had deepened far more than he had anticipated.

‘…Regardless, if the five Great Sins are truly going to rise, the path I must take is now obvious.’

As Alon contemplated the artifact situated north of the border, a sudden query surfaced in his mind. He turned back to Lainisius, seeking confirmation on something he believed he already understood.

“Before encountering you, I met a dragonkin within the ruins.”

[Dragonkin?]

“Well, he had the appearance of one. I cannot be certain he was truly dragonkin, but he seemed to have no knowledge of when those entities would awaken.”

Remembering the dragonkin from the colony ruins, Alon waited while Lainisius considered for a moment before replying.

[I do not know who you met, but it is plausible they were ignorant.]

“Why would that be?”

[In the last great conflict between the sorcerers and the dragons, most gods were either destroyed or sealed, their powers and names taken from them.]

“…So, if they were eliminated or confined early on, they would lack that knowledge?”

[Precisely. No one would be aware. The sorcerers and dragons who knew the truth all perished, giving their lives to seal them away. The only ones who remain with certain knowledge are myself and Duke Komalon.]

“I understand.”

Alon nodded, arranging his thoughts.

“Duke Komalon suggested you might be able to aid me with magic.”

[Aid you? Hmm… In the time before my sealing, perhaps. But now, the most I can provide is counsel.]

“Then, are you familiar with ‘Unity with Shadows’?”

[What?]

The moment Alon spoke the term, Lainisius’s entire demeanor shifted.

Alon was momentarily startled by the intensity of the reaction.

[How do you know of that?]

“…What are you referring to?”

[I am speaking of Unity with Shadows.]

“Is it significant?”

[Without a doubt. It is the signature ability of my most cherished friend, Kailas.]

“…What?”

A deeply familiar name emerged from the dragon’s mouth, leaving Alon utterly stunned.

At that instant—

[Meow?]

From Alon’s coat pocket, where it had been resting quietly, the small creature Blackie let out a peculiar noise and leaped out.

[A young dragon? No… A Shadow Dragon!?]

Lainisius cried out in shock.

Soon after, once Lainisius had heard the full account of Alon’s capacity to wield various incantations and the story of how he acquired the dragon egg, he finally spoke after deep contemplation.

[…So, your ultimate wish is to learn the method for employing Unity with Shadows?]

“Yes.”

[Then I will instruct you.]

“Truly?”

[However, there is one condition.]

“…A condition?”

[Yes, and it is not to your disadvantage. If you can become strong enough to truly accomplish it.]

Lainisius smiled a wide, broad smile and declared, [You will earn the right to be addressed as my master.]

He presented this to Alon.

[What is your decision, mage? Do you accept my proposal?]

A new, faint spark of hope now glimmered in his eyes, which had once been utterly devoid of life.

***

Kiriana, annoyed by the monster horde that had persisted for months, did not feel any particular sense of danger.

It was to be expected.

No matter how many monsters emerged, Kiriana was one of the Five Swords of Caliban.

That is to say, she was a Sword Master, and to a warrior of her caliber, monsters were merely an irritation regardless of their numbers—they presented no genuine threat.

At least, that had been true until a short time ago.

“You there! Secure that section, you fool!”

“The wall is giving way!”

“Send reinforcements! Reinforcements, by the abyss! Focus!”

Kiriana scowled as she looked toward the fortress walls at the border.

Despite being strengthened by countless enchantments to withstand any monster assault, the walls were now shattered ruins.

This indicated that something entirely unanticipated had taken place.

Swish—!

Every time Kiriana swung her sword, a multitude of monster heads flew through the air.

Yet, despite her actions, the swarm of monsters did not diminish.

In fact, as time went on, more seemed to be flooding in, as if they had been waiting for this opportunity.

‘Why did the walls fail so suddenly…?’

The situation defied her comprehension.

Those magically fortified walls should not have been breached so effortlessly.

But there was no time to ponder the mystery amidst the immediate bedlam.

“Aaaagh!”

Kiriana saved a soldier who had stumbled and was on the verge of having his throat ripped out by an orc. She glared at him and rebuked him sharply.

“Maintain your focus!”

“M-my apologies!”

The soldier hurriedly grabbed his weapon with shaking hands.

Kiriana sighed.

The monster army itself still did not represent a grave danger to her personally.

Given her skills, which were better suited to single combat than battling hordes, she could theoretically eliminate all the monsters here, though it would leave her incapacitated for days.

If needed, she could always opt to withdraw.

No monster could ever hope to match Kiriana’s speed if she chose to flee.

Yet, what weighed heavily on her expression was the suffering of the soldiers.

Even now, she was unable to stop soldiers from being dismembered by monsters right before her eyes.

This was the very reason she had come here, even after stepping down from the Five Blades.

She had once seen her own knightly order, which she had personally trained, ruthlessly butchered by the Outer God Ulthultus in the North.

She never wanted to endure a horror of that magnitude again.

“Ugh—”

A wave of nausea suddenly rose from her stomach, and Kiriana instinctively covered her mouth.

The memories from the North flooded back, causing her breath to catch.

Though she was fully capable of mastering the current situation, the trauma embedded deep in her psyche since the Northern campaign continued to torment her.

Just then, a figure came into her view.

‘Marquis Palatio…!’

The sight of him brought her an unexpected feeling of reassurance.

Though she had not witnessed any exceptional magical power from him personally, she had heard numerous rumors concerning the marquis.

And she knew that rumors did not spring from nothing.

‘If he can cut the monster numbers by even a third—or just a quarter—I can pull the soldiers back and handle the remainder myself.’

As she steadied her breathing and collected herself, the marquis raised one hand, forming a seal.

Then, lifting his left hand with only his index finger and thumb extended, he brought it level with his nose.

And what materialized next was—

‘…A cat?’

It was a cat.

A kitten with fur as dark as the marquis’s cloak suddenly appeared on his shoulder, tilting its head and watching the oncoming monsters with crimson eyes.

‘Danger—!’

Seeing the monsters rushing toward the marquis before any spell was cast, Kiriana instinctively tried to move, but—

Her body locked in place.

She gasped.

The moment the marquis uttered a single, quiet word—

“One.”

An icy tremor ran down her spine.

Innumerable crimson eyes opened all over the small cat’s body, sending a wave of dread through every onlooker.

Then, with those blood-red eyes covering its form, the cat drew back its lips into a terrifying, chilling smile.