Raising Villains the Right Way Novel - Chapter 154

Chapter 154
The morning following Seolgak’s assault, the colony was in complete turmoil, presenting a scene of devastation akin to a site struck by an explosive.

While Seolrang had slain Seolgak and Rine had subdued the Scorpion, the harm inflicted was substantial.

To begin, the defensive walls had been obliterated.

Structures lying in the Scorpion’s wake were reduced to rubble, and the vicinity of Seolrang’s guild lay in ruins thanks to Seolgak.

Adding to this, more than half of the royal palace inside the colony’s inner city had been destroyed during the Scorpion’s frenzy, casting a somber mood over the palace grounds.

Amidst this destruction—

“…First, please accept my thanks, Marquis Palatio. We are in your debt once more.”
“Think nothing of it. The praise belongs to Seolrang, not me.”
Alon was speaking with Carmaxes III.
“I must also thank you, Rine Groff. Sincerely, thank you.”
“Oh, it was nothing. I only acted because Godfather made it possible.”
“…? Godfather? You mean Marquis Palatio?”
“Yes.”
Carmaxes turned his attention back to Alon.
“…I thought the Marquis was with Seolrang?”
“Well, once that creature began its destruction, I assumed the Marquis would prefer not to be bothered.”
“….”
Rine smiled, and Carmaxes released a heavy breath, his face taking on a look of weary recognition, as if to say, ‘Ah, she’s another one of those.’
It marked the fourth sigh he had let out since Alon’s arrival.
After composing himself, he spoke again.
“My apologies. As you can see, circumstances have created quite a predicament.”
“…I understand.”
Alon felt for Carmaxes III.
From the perspective of the colony’s king, this event was a pure catastrophe.
A veritable act of nature, with no one truly at fault.
Consequently, the financial toll on the royal treasury, just for rebuilding, would be immense.
Naturally, there were alternatives to spending solely on the palace, but none were particularly appealing.
In essence, the king’s thoughts were undoubtedly swamped with anxiety.
He would need to overhaul the kingdom’s annual agenda and desperately rearrange the fiscal plan for the coming months.
Alon quietly offered the king a moment of internal sympathy.
Shortly after, he departed the makeshift throne room and headed toward the heart of the ruined palace.
“Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“Are we truly permitted to gather the remains like this?”
Evan, walking a step behind, posed the question.
Despite having been near the battlefield where Seolrang and Seolgak clashed, Evan was completely unharmed.
Alon studied him closely, causing Evan to look back in puzzlement.
“…? Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Ah, I’m still astonished you emerged without a single injury.”
“Did you think I would be hurt…?”
“Well, not exactly.”
Of course, Alon understood the reason for Evan’s pristine condition.
‘He claimed he jumped through a window and fled the instant he heard the disturbance outside.’
Alon found himself admiring Evan’s swift reflexes once more, then finally responded to the question.
“In most other kingdoms, I would be uncertain. But here in the colony, a custom grants all rights to the slayer of a monster. So, yes, it is permitted.”
“Is that true?”
“Most likely.”
To be perfectly honest, he wasn’t an expert on the tradition, but it had been referenced several times in the game, so he felt confident.
In any case, thanks to Rine, Alon had secured claim over the Scorpion’s carcass.
Soon, they reached the location where the massive body lay.
“…Incredible. I saw it earlier, but its size is still unbelievable.”
“Indeed.”
They stood before the gigantic corpse of the Scorpion, which occupied most of the courtyard.
Its head was partially crushed, utterly lifeless.
“…Rine.”
“Yes, godfather?”
“You mentioned you defeated it with a single strike?”
“Hmm—not precisely one strike, godfather. Its armor was tougher than I anticipated.”
She clarified that it had taken approximately three blows.
Alon looked back at the Scorpion.
‘Should I be impressed it lasted that long, or that Rine managed to kill it?’
In fact, Alon had been genuinely shocked when he first learned Rine had defeated the Scorpion.
Overcoming such a beast was a formidable task.
While not as enormous as Rikrakamur, the Scorpion’s claws produced a potent acid capable of dissolving nearly any material.
Furthermore, the multitude of poisonous stingers launched from its tail were fatal if even one found its mark.
The sheer number of projectiles made it deadly, and surviving the barrage still left one vulnerable to severe poisoning.
In some respects, the Scorpion was a more challenging opponent than Rikrakamur.
The reason Alon considered the Scorpion’s endurance impressive stemmed from the previous night’s events.
When Alon, amazed, had asked how she defeated the Scorpion, Rine nonchalantly summoned Pluto.
‘…If this thing endured three strikes from Pluto, then perhaps the monster was truly remarkable.’
Just picturing Pluto’s colossal fists hammering the earth was enough.
“Astounding. This is not a creature easily bested.”
Alon praised Rine again.
“Oh, it was nothing. It’s due to the power you granted me, godfather. Honestly, I’m still learning its use. I can only summon it around three times before I reach my limit.”
“…And that’s you not fully understanding it?”
“Yes. Currently, I only know the activation command and some fundamental controls.”
“…So, if you eventually learn to use it ‘completely,’ could you summon the weapon itself?”
“Perhaps?”
Hearing this, Alon felt a strange flicker of envy.
‘…That does sound rather impressive.’
Clearing his throat to refocus, Alon asked,
“…Are you absolutely certain you’re fine with me taking the corpse?”
“Do as you wish, godfather. It holds no value for me.”
Thankful for her casual consent, Alon approached the enormous remains.
[Meow?]
As he drew near enough to touch the body, Blackie slipped out from Seolrang’s hold.
Unlike its playful demeanor with Seolrang, Blackie’s eyes shone with eager anticipation as it gazed at the corpse.
It looked at Alon, tilting its head as if seeking approval.
This was different from the last time, when it had absorbed a monster without asking.
Witnessing this, Alon wondered, ‘…Is Blackie becoming more intelligent?’
‘…If Blackie consumes the corpse, will it also assimilate the Sin Artifact?’
Truthfully, Sin Artifacts weren’t items Alon needed to possess personally, provided they didn’t end up with the Five Great Sins.
After a brief consideration, Alon gave Blackie a slight nod.
Sssssss!
Blackie instantly shot toward the corpse and began absorbing it.
The immense body dissolved into dust in moments.
“Huh?”
Evan, seeing this for the first time, was astounded, while Rine observed with keen interest.
In no time, Blackie had consumed the entire corpse, even more swiftly than it had with Rikrakamur.
Emitting a contented series of meows, it climbed back onto Alon’s shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately.
‘The artifact was not absorbed.’
Where the Scorpion’s body had rested, a piece of gray exoskeleton armor remained.
Alon had successfully obtained the Artifact of Pride.

***

Several days after securing the artifacts.
Once Alon verified that Seolrang had sufficiently recuperated, he started preparations to depart the colony. His objectives here were complete, and since he intended to return in two months, there was no need to extend his stay.
“I should have feigned illness a little longer.”
As Alon and his group made ready to leave, Seolrang muttered, her tail drooping. Alon gently reassured her.
“I plan to visit again in two months.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
When Alon confirmed, Seolrang’s smile instantly returned, and she positioned herself directly in front of him.
“Master! Do that thing for me!”
Her eyes glittered with hope.
Looking down at her youthful face, Alon now instinctively cupped both her ears softly.
“—”
Seolrang hummed happily, clearly delighted.
Since the incident with Seolgak, Seolrang had ceased requesting head pats and now favored this gesture. Alon obliged without protest.
A conversation from a few days prior resurfaced in his memory.
‘Seolrang.’
‘Hmm? What is it, Master?’
‘…Why do you always want me to cover your ears?’
‘Hmm~ well, it just feels pleasant. It feels like I can sense your heart.’
‘…Heart?’
‘Like how I treasure you, Master, it feels like you treasure me too.’
‘Is that so?’
‘Yes.’
Treasure, indeed.
“?”
Musing over their exchange, Alon suddenly became aware of a pressure on his own ears.
Seolrang was stretching up, trying to cover both his ears with her small hands.
“What are you doing?”
“Mm— I wanted you to experience it too.”
“…To experience being treasured?”
“Yes. Do you feel it?”
Amused by her cheerful grin, Alon let out a soft laugh.
“…What are they doing?”
Evan arrived, regarding them with incredulity, while Rine stood to the side, clearly irritated.
And then—
“Master! See you in two months!”
“Yes.”
With Seolrang’s bright farewell, Alon departed the colony.

***

The second office of the Marquis Palatio—effectively serving as Penia’s laboratory—was typically a hub of deafening noise.
Each day, without exception, it resounded with assorted horrifying shrieks. The enraged cries of a woman blended with the grievous howls—or more accurately, weeping—of a man.
This had earned the office the bleak moniker “The Room of Despair” among the servants, though nobody considered it humorous.
But today, it was uncharacteristically silent.
Not even the typical sounds of clattering equipment or the noise of something being fastened could be heard.
The quiet was so profound it would have stunned anyone acquainted with the room.
Of course, Penia did have company.
But even so—could ‘that’ Penia Crysinne possibly be this quiet?
She was known for maintaining the same demeanor no matter who visited.
The staff of the Marquis household peered from a distance at the infamous “Room of Despair” with curiosity.
Inside were two women—not the usual Crysinne siblings.
One was Penia.
Normally, if matters displeased her, she would vent her frustrations on Felin and unleash a torrent of curses, often omitting any respectful titles.
But now—
“……”
She was silently shifting her gaze, consciously avoiding direct eye contact.
Before her stood—
“Hello, Penia Crysinne.”
The Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom,
“…I sent a letter, but received no reply.”
A person now spoken of as one of the three most influential figures in the Holy Kingdom.
“Thus, I chose to visit myself.”
Yutia Bludia fixed her gaze on Penia Crysinne, her crimson eyes emitting a faint glow.