Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 158

Chapter 158
A temple was perched upon an unseen base.

In that strange, otherworldly setting, three individuals draped in dark cloaks were seated, their features hidden.

“So, Pride has truly fallen?”
“Tch. What a fool. Everything has its season.”
One voice held shock, the other pure scorn.
The third did not speak.
They were the Apostles of the Five Great Sins, equals to the deceased Apostle of Pride.

“It’s almost funny, really. He was even granted power from that being, and still he was slain by some worthless outsider. Absurd.”
The Apostle of Greed rested their chin on a hand, their eyes full of derision.
“XX XX.”
The Apostle of Sloth made a clicking sound with their tongue, as if it was beyond their understanding.
“He grew overconfident. It had only been a decade since he received his power, and he had barely mastered it—yet his arrogance knew no limits.”
“Hehehe, yes, that’s correct. Completely full of himself. Oh, but wasn’t that because he was the Apostle of Pride? Even so, it’s peculiar. He was undoubtedly the weakest among us, but the fact that someone out there possessed the strength to eliminate him is surprising.”
Their discussion naturally turned to a specific person.
The one who had defeated Pride.
Sloth gave a nod.
“I didn’t anticipate it either. Though, of course, it would have made no difference against me.”
“True.”
Greed accepted this without dispute, then turned their attention to Wrath.
“So, Wrath, what will you do now?”
“What are you asking?”
A voice, flat and without inflection, resonated from within the shadows of their hood.
Pride’s demise had shattered the seal confining their realm.
For the first time in hundreds of years, they could depart.

“He means exactly what he said. The barrier is gone; we can leave now. So, what are your intentions?”
“I am considering it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
A guarded reply.
Greed pondered for a moment before speaking casually—
“Is there even a need to think? We simply need to go and take it back.”
Wrath said nothing.
“You don’t wish to answer, do you?”
Greed shrugged, as if it was of no consequence.
“Well, since everyone will do as they please, I suppose it’s time for me to act.”
“You are leaving?”
“With the barrier dissolved, there is no reason to remain. I must tend to my seeds and ensure they are being properly cultivated.”
Greed smirked and stood up.
“Well then, I don’t know when the rest of you will emerge, but I will see you on the outside.”
With those words, they departed.
“Hmm—”
Watching Greed vanish, Sloth also rose to their feet.
“I will take my leave as well.”
“You too?”
“I am still deciding. Or more accurately, I will observe how Greed manages affairs. If there is anyone who can remove the obstacles in our way, it is him.”
Sloth, too, disappeared.
Wrath stayed seated in silence, gazing at the now vacant space where the other two had been.

***

Office of Marquis Palatio.

“Greetings, Count—ah, I mean, Marquis!”
“…Yes.”
Alon examined the young man before him—one who had matured significantly since their first encounter.
‘…He truly looks the part of the protagonist now.’
When Alon had initially met Eliban, the boy was still youthful.
Now, he was the spitting image of the Eliban from the game.
He is genuinely handsome. No wonder the game consistently portrayed him as having pretty-boy looks.
Alon found himself assessing Eliban’s appearance on pure reflex.
But the true reason he had even considered Eliban’s looks was—
The people standing behind him.
Two women. One man.
‘Yan, Bina, and Ralph, if my memory serves.’
A mage, a rogue, and a warrior.
Alon recollected how Eliban had recruited them according to the original story.
Yan was the first to join Eliban’s party, a mage from the Blue Tower he met while journeying with a merchant group.
Yan had agreed to join simply because Eliban helped her collect magical components.
Bina, the rogue, was the second.
Eliban had encountered her in the next town—working as a pickpocket.
And, as absurd as it seemed, the game had described her as a highly promising young thief.
Her reason for joining Eliban’s party?
He had caught her stealing—and then released her.
It was a laughably thin rationale for a serious RPG like Psychedelia, and the community often poked fun at it.
Most of the early party members, with the exception of Ralph, had incredibly weak motivations for following Eliban.
This led to frequent online debates about Eliban supposedly being an absurdly powerful “Alpha Male.”
Alon casually observed the two female party members behind Eliban.
And he saw it immediately.
‘…Good grief, the memes were accurate.’
The looks Yan and Bina were giving Eliban were filled with obvious adoration.
For a brief moment, Alon felt the profound unfairness of the world.
But he quickly composed himself and refocused.
“So, what is the reason for your visit?”
“Well, Marquis, I actually require your assistance. Would you be willing to help us?”
“…My help?”
“Yes. You once told me that if I needed aid, I should ask… But, um, would that be too much trouble?”
Alon immediately shook his head.
Not only had he indeed said that, but even if Eliban hadn’t asked, Alon had already intended to help him anyway.
Eliban was progressing quickly, and soon there would be many things for which he would require support.
“What do you need?”
“It concerns an Abyss Gate.”
“An Abyss Gate?”
“Yes. There is one we must confront soon, but it seems too challenging for our party alone. I was wondering if we could request your help.”
Eliban offered a friendly laugh, but Alon’s expression tightened slightly.
At this stage of the story, the next Abyss Gate Eliban was meant to tackle should have been within his party’s capabilities.
‘Wait… isn’t this the one I was planning to handle myself?’
Alon thought for a moment.
Then he remembered.
‘Ah… that’s right. In the original story, this gate was supposed to be exceptionally dangerous, so they originally planned to request reinforcements from Asteria. But circumstances went awry, and backup never arrived.’
Alon recalled the game’s events and nodded.
‘Normally, they would have asked for help from the nearest noble’s territory, but since Eliban actually knows me, he came directly to me this time.’
That worked out perfectly.
“I will accompany you.”
“What? The Marquis himself?”
“Yes.”
“Incredible! I was actually only hoping to borrow a few soldiers, but this is even better! Thank you!”
Eliban bowed deeply.
“It is nothing. I told you before that I would help you, did I not? Regarding our departure… Hmm, no point in delaying. Let us leave tomorrow.”
Without any hesitation, Alon set the date.
After showing Eliban’s group to their rooms for the night, Alon returned to his office—
Only for Evan to approach him with a look of disbelief.
“…Wait. That young man. He’s that boy from a few years back, right? The one you kept aiding—”
“Yes.”
“Wow—”
Evan’s mouth hung open.
And then, in a hushed tone—
“…The world is so profoundly unfair.”
Alon let out a sigh.
“To be honest? I concur.”
Eliban was far too ridiculously handsome.
“Right?”
[Hmph. Your disposition matches your face perfectly.]
“What in the world did you just say, you wretch?”
[Am I incorrect?]
As Basiliora laughed mockingly, Evan grimaced—then suddenly gasped as if realizing something.
“…Hold on. Marquis, that fellow—Eliban—now that I consider it, isn’t he a Chosen One?”
“A Chosen One? Ah, yes, he is.”
Alon had momentarily forgotten about that part of the setting.
‘I mostly ignored that aspect after the early story, but yes… that was a thing.’
The Chosen One—a title bestowed upon those who could seal the Abyss Gates afflicting this world.
In other words, a role similar to a Hero in other games.
Eliban had earned the title after closing a massive Abyss Gate in his hometown during the tutorial, aided by Sironis’s Blessing.
‘By now, even the Five Great Kingdoms should have formally recognized his status. Ah… was that the reason for Yutia’s visit a month ago?’
Alon recalled Yutia briefly stopping by his lands before leaving.
It occurred to him that she had likely gone to Teren to officially designate Eliban as a Chosen One.
Just as Alon was connecting the dots—
“Wait a moment. So… Marquis, did you already know that young man would become a Chosen One?”
Evan’s voice carried clear doubt.
Alon paused, uncertain how to answer.
But before he could form a response—
“No, forget it. You don’t need to answer.”
“…Why not?”
“Because this isn’t the first time you’ve known things you shouldn’t. I simply accept it now.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. No matter what strange things occur, it’s not as if you’re going to change. I’ve grown accustomed to it.”
Whether it was apathy or trust, Evan just shrugged and let the matter drop.
For some reason, Alon felt a strange sense of gratitude at how effortlessly Evan accepted him.
“…I’ll increase your pay.”
“Really?!”
And just like that, Evan was deeply touched as well.

***

Meanwhile, in Eliban’s Guest Quarters.

Thanks to Alon, Eliban’s party was provided with comfortable lodgings for the night.
“Wooow! This is fantastic!”
“Aaah~ It’s been forever since I’ve slept in a proper bed.”
The moment they entered their room, Bina and Ralph immediately flung themselves onto the mattress, rolling around in sheer delight.
“Aaaah—”
“This is the taste of high society—”
They happily nuzzled their faces into the soft blankets.
Unlike them, however, Yan was scowling.
She turned to Eliban and spoke in a disgruntled tone.
“Eliban, was it truly necessary for us to come here?”
“Huh?”
“To Marquis Palatio.”
“Hmm… well, we needed support, didn’t we?”
Eliban’s response was straightforward and casual.
But Yan’s frown remained.
“But this means we’ll have to split the rewards from the Abyss Gate with the Marquis.”
That was Yan’s real issue.
It was all about the spoils.
Eliban’s party had already cleared three Abyss Gates, and they knew very well how valuable the rewards could be.
As a mage, the artifacts and materials obtained from those gates were particularly precious to Yan.
She did not want to share the profits.
However, Eliban simply smiled, his usual amiable grin.
“Don’t worry about it so much, Yan. You can never predict what might happen. When we received this request, they did say it was extremely dangerous.”
“…I still believe we could have handled it ourselves.”
“It’s better to be cautious, right?”
“But even so…”
Yan was still not persuaded.
Eliban, scratching his head awkwardly, sighed.
He knew Yan wasn’t skilled at expressing herself.
And so, she continued to complain—
“I just don’t care for the Marquis. He’s always so expressionless. I can never figure out what he’s thinking.”
As was her habit, she voiced her grievances before looking at Eliban.
And then—
“…?”
Yan went still.
Eliban was smiling.
But.
The smile on his lips was different from his usual ones.
His mouth was curved upward.
But his eyes were not.
Chill—!
A sudden shiver raced down Yan’s spine.
“Yan.”
Eliban’s voice dropped to a low, quiet pitch.
“Y-Yes?”
Yan stammered as Eliban stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Then, bringing his radiant face directly in front of hers—
“I don’t believe you should speak about the Marquis in that manner. Do you agree?”
His deep blue eyes locked onto hers.
It was unmistakably Eliban.
And yet, in that instant, Yan felt a eerie dread seeping into her.
She instinctively swallowed, her mouth dry.
“M-My apologies… Eliban. I think I was just being selfish.”
Slowly, almost mechanically, she apologized.
Eliban’s grip on her shoulder tightened for a brief moment before finally relaxing.
“It’s alright, Yan. Just be more mindful next time, okay?”
He smiled again—a brilliant, dazzling smile that only made his already stunning face more captivating.
However.
“…Yes.”
Yan sensed something frightening lurking beneath it.

The Next Day
“Let’s depart.”
“Yes, sir!”
With that, Alon and Eliban’s party set out for the Abyss Gate.