Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 143

Chapter 143
The environment was otherworldly.

The heavens were a gloomy, oppressive black, even though it should have been the middle of the day.

The land underfoot was not normal soil.

It possessed the solidity of ground, but was made of a tough, fractured crust that refused to break apart.

Upon this strange landscape stood a shrine.

Not a common one, but a towering structure of dark stone blocks that seemed one with the shadowed sky.

And within it.

Two forms were present.

Their features were impossible to make out.

Sitting opposite one another at a black circular table in the shrine’s heart, the two figures were shrouded in cloaks, as if to mask who they were.

The single distinction was that one of them was swathed in bandages beneath the robe,

While the other showed human-like lips below the hood’s shadow.

In this setting, the one who spoke first was,

“I’m uncertain how much longer we must continue this.”

The figure whose lips were visible.

His tone held a note of grievance, as if he were unhappy with the circumstances.

“Listen, ‘Wrath.’ Isn’t this inefficient? Let’s just end it now. Truthfully, we don’t require Them to arrive; we are capable of managing this on our own.”

His voice was casual but weary, and underneath rested a layer of frustration. To this, the other figure, who had been quiet, answered.

“What precisely do you believe we can accomplish, ‘Pride’?”

Wrath’s voice was unlike Pride’s.

Where Pride’s voice was clearly male, Wrath’s was not.

It was a warped sound, impossible to identify as man, woman, old, or young.

Still, Pride carried on the discussion as if it didn’t matter.

“What do you mean? Total destruction. Honestly, if all of us ‘Apostles’ moved, it would be finished quickly. The idiots out there believe they are powerful, but they are merely self-satisfied and feeble.”

Wrath, who had been quietly observing Pride’s vicious grin under his hood, finally responded.

“There exist some who may not be so feeble.”

“You aren’t implying that we, who were granted power by the Great Original Sins, could be defeated by them, are you?”

“…Pride, our role is only to perform our assigned tasks.”

“Hah, and what tasks are those? Remaining here indefinitely? How much longer must we continue like this? All we’ve done is plant the ‘Seeds,’ and because of that odd barrier that vanished not long ago, we’ve effectively been waiting for more than a decade.”

Releasing an irritated sigh, Pride stood up from his chair.

“Where are you going, Pride?”

“Where do you imagine? If the rest of you won’t move, I will.”

“…I do not remember authorizing you.”

Wrath’s sharp reply halted Pride.

The malevolent smile he had worn a moment ago faded.

In an instant, Pride was positioned directly in front of Wrath.

Simultaneously, a frigid bolt of black lightning crashed down from the heavens.

The dark energy split into dozens, even hundreds, of tendrils, freezing in the air just above Wrath’s head.

That wasn’t everything.

The previously whole black shrine was instantly reduced to wreckage, demolished by Pride’s Sin.

Abruptly, Pride was standing on the round table, his hand outstretched toward Wrath’s face, buzzing with electrical power.

“…I don’t recall you ever being my superior, ‘Wrath.’”

A frosty expression, a cold voice.

But Wrath gave no answer.

They simply gazed up at Pride.

“Tch.”

After maintaining the confrontation for a short time, Pride ultimately recalled his lightning and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?”

Wrath inquired, their tone even.

In reply, Pride reverted to his carefree manner as though nothing had occurred.

“Since the rest of you are inactive, I’ll take action. I don’t know what the other Apostles, you included, are planning, but I am keen to meet Him. So~”

He smirked.

“I’m going to collect the Seeds.”

Striding assuredly out of the shrine, Pride pushed back his hood.

The instant he did, his silver-gray hair and a pair of ears became visible.

“So~”

Moving toward the outside of the shrine, he gently rubbed his chin.

“Has it been ten years? No, twelve years.”

Talking to himself, he gave a soft laugh.

An odd glint shone in his eyes.

“Shall we see how much the Seeds—or more precisely, my sibling—has developed?”

As he murmured to himself, he disappeared.

Leaving only a single flash of black lightning behind.

***

Approximately three weeks had passed since forming the unusual contract with Penia Crysinne.

“Oh, based on how this mana array alters its form, it appears to curve in this direction.”

“Which suggests—”

“It’s amplification.”

“I understand.”

Alon was in high spirits.

The magical studies he was pursuing with Penia were progressing exceptionally smoothly.

In fact, they were advancing far beyond merely “smoothly.”

“Then this—”

“Oh, observing the array shifting into a breakdown pattern, it looks more like reduction than amplification.”

“Deliberately weakening its force?”

“Yes. However, the molecular arrangement of the mana is interlocked… More accurately, it seems to be a latch structure. In this situation, even spells that are usually incompatible might be partly usable.”

It was turning out to be significantly more fruitful than his independent magical investigations.

Because of this, Alon had dedicated almost five hours today to magical experiments and conversations.

“That will do for today.”

“Oh, alright…!”

Seeing Penia nod with eager energy, Alon found himself thinking.

‘Who would describe her as someone with a broken character?’

Just as he was reassessing her nature—

“Sister.”

“What is it?”

“Well, the magical supplies being delivered here were taken by thieves.”

“What? Those cursed bandits again~!!!!”

The moment her brother Felin shared the news, Penia released a shrill shriek, forcing Alon to promptly revise his opinion.

‘…That description seems correct, actually.’

“Um, Marquis?”

“Yes?”

“Forgive me, but could I be excused from the Marquis’ estate for about a day?”

Penia asked with anxiety, as if requesting an enormous privilege.

Alon gave a slight nod.

“…I have no objection.”

“Oh, truly…?! I just learned that bandits took the magical reagents coming here, so I intended to—”

Despite Alon’s offhand reply, she launched into a detailed justification.

Although he felt they had built some rapport through their shared research, she still found it difficult to make such straightforward requests.

Alon experienced a touch of discomfort.

“…Go ahead. And to be clear, you don’t require my approval to depart.”

“Oh, really…?! I was certain I needed to…”

“…”

Penia wavered, shifting uneasily as if confused.

Once again, Alon felt like a lawbreaker coercing labor in some far-off place.

“That is not so, so just go.”

“Oh, yes…!”

With that, Penia seized Felin by the collar and marched out.

“Why me…?”

Felin’s peculiarly mournful cry resonated, but he was powerless against Penia’s pull and soon vanished.

A short time later.

“Marquis.”

“Yes?”

“Well, it appears you concluded a little earlier today.”

“That’s because today was for finalizing things.”

After answering Evan, Alon glanced down at the documents before him.

The pile of papers was covered with many seals.

Among them were seals Alon already knew, ones uncovered during his work with Penia, and extra seals detailing their powers, arrays, and uses.

“Wow, you managed all this in only three weeks?”

“Yes.”

“That’s… a remarkable quantity.”

Evan’s mouth hung open.

Alon shrugged.

“It isn’t finished yet.”

“With all this, it still isn’t finished?”

“Yes.”

He looked back at the papers.

During the last three weeks, he had verified the mana channels and mana arrays linked to the seals.

But the more important discovery was something else altogether.

It was the structural alteration of mana molecules corresponding to the seals.

He had found the first real hint about multi-seals.

Up to now, if more than one seal was used on a single spell, it usually failed to form or caused the spell to collapse.

This remained true even when Alon started investigating seals seriously after Lainisius suggested that using multiple seals might be feasible.

However, lately, Alon had found a very slight but crucial clue: there were seals that naturally worked together because of how mana-binding structures changed with each seal.

These matching seals created an entirely new structure when joined.

“…There is still much left to do.”

Even though his voice sounded detached, his eyes, full of contentment, scanned his research notes.

He hadn’t comprehended it before.

Why mages in stories would willingly enter terrible circumstances just to acquire a single research journal.

Now, he thought he understood.

“Incidentally, Marquis, aren’t you departing soon?”

Evan’s voice broke into his reflections.

“Where to?”

“To Lartania. Didn’t you say you would go there? And you mentioned you would also visit Colony.”

“Ah, correct.”

“You even dispatched letters about it.”

“Ah.”

Alon nodded to himself, remembering.

Sure enough, when he first started his research with Penia, he had sent letters to Rine and Seolrang, saying he would visit shortly.

Realizing this now, he muttered.

“…They have likely arrived by now.”

“Then we should get ready to go.”

‘…I’ll complete this first and assign some work for Penia to manage.’

With a longing glance at the magic journal in his hand, he added.

“We depart in two days.”

“Understood.”

***

The desert city of Colony.

In contrast to the busy avenues, always alive with the thrill of the Colosseum, Seolrang’s office was serene.

When not instructing guild members, Seolrang usually passed her time sleeping, unless there was urgent business.

This routine had never changed before.

This is why Lime, the golden-maned assistant and secretary to Seolrang, found her current behavior out of the ordinary.

The typically lethargic guild leader was uncommonly lively after getting a particular letter.

“Guild Master?”

“Hmm?”

“You appear quite thrilled.”

“Naturally!”

“…Might I ask what has you so delighted?”

Lime was intrigued.

What sort of letter was she holding so tightly, her ears alert with anticipation?

At Lime’s question, Seolrang looked at the letter in her hand and then answered.

“It’s time to receive the reply!”

“A reply…?”

“Yes! My Master pledged to give an answer—two years ago!”

A brilliant smile illuminated her face.

Lime, now even more puzzled by the enigmatic response that provided no context, observed as Seolrang wagged her golden tail with fervor.

“I hope they get here soon~”

Seolrang giggled quietly, the anticipation evident in her tone.