Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 163

Chapter 163
The desert city of Colony had been uncommonly bustling of late.

This was due entirely to the project to rebuild the capital.

The capital had sustained considerable destruction from the assaults of the Scorpion and Snow Horn.

While the entire capital had not been leveled, a portion of the outer wall had been completely torn down, the royal palace was in ruins, and the northern and eastern quarters of the city were heavily damaged.

Given these circumstances, Carmaxes III reached a daring conclusion: to utilize the kingdom’s treasury to repair the capital.

Naturally, it was clear this would have adverse effects on the nation’s administration later on, but because of this choice, the capital’s restoration was progressing with remarkable speed.

Yet, another serious worry occupied Carmaxes III’s thoughts.

“…You are reporting that the destruction caused by the Shimoon—or more precisely, the anomalous gates—is growing?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Haah, a true case of disaster following upon disaster.”

He released a heavy breath and, after a moment of consideration, inquired, “And what of the damage reports from within Colony itself?”

“There are few at present, but it appears almost certain that accounts of destruction will soon arrive from multiple regions.”

“And the Baba Yagas?”

“…With the exception of the Golden Flash, they are currently complying with our orders, but if this continues, they may soon approach the end of their tolerance.”

Hearing his secretary’s account, the king sank into profound thought once more.

As the secretary had said, for the time being, the Baba Yagas were managing the anomalous gates in accordance with the kingdom’s wishes, but this state of affairs was temporary.

Although the five Baba Yagas could be considered Colony’s most potent asset, they were not formal members of the state.

They were merely gladiators of the Colosseum, at liberty to depart whenever they chose, with no formal ties binding them to Colony.

He let out another sigh—he had lost count of how many he had uttered—and rubbed his head in vexation.

‘Matters were manageable until now.’

Proposals to formally integrate the Baba Yagas into the state had been suggested for a long time.

But Carmaxes III—no, since the reign of the very first king—there had been a specific reason why the five Baba Yagas were lavishly supported without being incorporated into the national structure.

The reason was practicality.

The primary reason Colony, located in a desert, had been able to flourish to this degree was the Colosseum.

However, the first king, who originally conceived of the Colosseum and the Baba Yagas, had an objective that leaned more toward securing military might than mere economic prosperity.

Colony possessed numerous unexploited gold mines, a resource other nations lacked.

Consequently, before Colony unified into a kingdom, it suffered from resource scarcity and the persistent danger of invasion by foreign powers.

To solve this, the first king developed a strategy.

He founded the Colosseum and began attracting powerful warriors from all over the lands who were not aligned with any particular nation.

Among them, those who placed within the top five were given privileges superior to those of nobles, even without being officially part of Colony.

The title of “Baba Yaga” was invented specifically to fuel the aspirations of strong fighters.

The first king’s design proved successful.

At that time, independent warriors from everywhere swarmed to Colony, enticed by wealth, renown, and position.

Colony, which had been inferior to other nations in military strength, reinforced its power with the gladiators from the Colosseum.

Strictly speaking, this was more for display, but it was sufficient.

The system was not created for waging offensive wars but for protecting the nation from external dangers.

The gladiators and Baba Yagas lived up to their reputations, validating the system.

Furthermore, for the king and for Colony, this arrangement offered many advantages.

Since they were not official members of the kingdom, absolute control was impossible, but as long as they benefited from the kingdom’s resources, a certain level of influence could be exerted.

And should they ever create difficulties, the kingdom would not be held responsible for their conduct.

In essence, the system enabled the kingdom to harness the power of these formidable individuals without involving them in politics or diminishing the royal authority.

However, that was all in previous times.

With the appearance of the anomalous gates, the circumstances had shifted.

‘I must gain direct control over the Baba Yagas.’

Of course, the situation was not so critical as to demand immediate measures.

The current gates were problematic but were not yet inflicting catastrophic damage.

Nonetheless, other monarchs were surely also considering how to handle the anomalous gates they might confront in the future.

‘The anomalous gates are changing.’

Hadn’t they already deteriorated into something resembling the calamitous gates?

What if these gates transform into an even more developed state?

Or, what if they do not evolve, but begin to cause far greater devastation than they do currently?

‘If we delay our response until that point, it will be too late.’

For Colony, more than for any other country, this was true.

To Carmaxes III, formally integrating the Baba Yagas into the kingdom was an essential long-term goal.

Among them, the one who held his focus the most was…

‘…The Golden Flash. I must discover a method to secure her allegiance.’

The Golden Flash had already become an entity fundamentally different from the other Baba Yagas.

Thus, she was someone they absolutely had to obtain, no matter the cost.

However, it was far from a simple endeavor.

From the beginning, she was not motivated by wealth or fame.

The only individual who could sway Seolrang was…

‘Marquis Palatio, and him alone.’

In other words, unless they could first secure the cooperation of Marquis Palatio, drawing Seolrang to their side was an impossibility.

Carmaxes III, wrestling with the issue, finally murmured to himself: “Is that the sole path?”

As if his resolve had solidified, he spoke with determination.

“…How much time remains until the ball in Lartania?”

“Two months,” the secretary answered.

Upon hearing this, Carmaxes III thought, ‘I will resolve it there.’

His eyes shone with resolve.

***

At that very moment, Seolrang’s secretary, Lime, was standing on the roof of one of the newly rebuilt structures that had been partially restored in under two months.

“Hm~ That should be enough,” Seolrang said.

“…Is it still not correct?” Lime asked, pulling her hands away from Seolrang’s ears.

“No.”

“But I believed I did it almost exactly like he does.”

“It isn’t the same as when Master does it.”

“Which part is dissimilar?”

“Hm~ When Master does it, it feels somewhat…”

Seolrang wrinkled her brow slightly, searching through her memories, and said, “…like there is a gentle ‘pressure’ to it.”

She lay down on the spot, holding her ears with her hands, and mumbled in a voice touched with sadness.

“I miss Master…”

Lime scratched her head as she lowered her awkwardly raised hands.

‘…She seems more affected than before. Or perhaps, considering everything, this is actually an improvement?’

Lime remembered Seolrang’s behavior prior to the incident.

In those days, unless something extraordinary occurred, she would spend her days reclining idly, appearing listless, except when she was exercising or doing handstands.

But now?

Ever since she had personally excavated and buried the graves for the guild members who were present during the incident, Seolrang’s daily pattern had returned to something akin to her former routine, aside from practicing a new skill she had gained.

However, two things had distinctly changed.

“I want to experience that ‘pressure’ again…”

She would frequently say things like that.

And unlike before, her previously bored face was now often marked by a subtle smile at the edges of her lips.

Lime crouched down to be level with Seolrang, who was lying on the ground covering her ears.

“Should I attempt it again?”

“Hm~ It’s still not the same…”

“How significant is the difference?”

“If what Master does is a 1, then Lime’s is approximately… a 0.3.”

“That’s… a considerable gap.”

Unintentionally, Lime found herself frowning slightly.

‘What exactly makes it so different?’ she pondered.

Meanwhile, Seolrang, unaware of Lime’s reaction, whispered quietly, “…Maybe I should slip away and pay a visit?”

***

The return trip to the Palatio Marquisate was without incident.

“Stables.”

[Check.]

“Assistant officer.”

[Confirmed.]

“You snake-headed bastard.”

[? What is your issue? You consented to it, so why start an argument now?]

“…No reason.”

From time to time, Evan and Basiliora squabbled, but other than that, they experienced periods of tranquility under the sunbeams piercing the forest canopy.

Because of this, Alon had the leisure to sort through his thoughts at a relaxed pace.

‘Now that I have acquired the <Footsteps of the Past>, I should travel to Lartania soon to make use of it.’

Remembering the requirements for using the artifact, he retrieved the Staff of the Sacred One from his possessions.

Despite its name, the Staff of the Sacred One took the shape of a glove.

It was an item he had sorely needed.

‘…If I recall correctly, its capabilities include stabilization of magical formations and amplification of mana?’

A straightforward ability, but its performance exceeded that of other staves precisely because of its simplicity.

‘I had wanted this item from the very beginning, but it required possessing “Lemiel’s Oath,” which was held by Perion. That is why it took so long to obtain it. I still do not comprehend how that became the crucial item, but…’

With a shrug, Alon decided it was probably connected to ancient elves.

Distractedly, he slid the glove onto his right hand.

Initially, the glove was too large, but after a short while, it naturally contracted to fit Alon’s hand perfectly.

“Hm~”

He smiled with contentment as he examined the glove, with its black foundation decorated with golden thread.

But then, a realization hit him.

‘…Wait, wasn’t this supposed to have a racial limitation?’

The reason he had stored the Staff of the Sacred One safely away instead of wearing it all this time was simple: it was restricted to elves only.

In the game, players who obtained the Staff of the Sacred One had to finish an additional quest in Lartania to lift its racial restriction before they could equip it.

That was why he had never tried to put it on before. Yet, without thinking, he had donned it, and it had remained on.

Puzzled, Alon opted to test his magic.

‘…It is genuine. The formation is steadier, and even with a smaller output of mana, the magic is distinctly more potent.’

The effects were unmistakable.

“??”

Though momentarily confused, Alon soon felt pleased.

‘…This is excellent.’

In the end, the result was what mattered. As unexpected as it was, being able to circumvent the racial restriction and utilize the item was not a negative development.

Just as a slight smile began to form on his lips, he thought, ‘Still, I should look into this, for safety’s sake.’

Having ordered his thoughts once more, Alon looked out the window at the forest.

It was a brilliant afternoon, with sunlight causing the leaves to glisten like precious stones.

Approximately one week later, Alon finally reached the Palatio Marquisate.

Before he could even settle in to rest, he received word of visitors.

Waiting before his office were a woman of breathtaking beauty and a man standing behind her.

The pair was so remarkable—the kind to leave anyone speechless—that Alon found himself gazing at them, stunned.

Then he remembered what a servant had told him earlier.

‘There is a representative from the Greenwood Trading Company who wishes to negotiate an exclusive distribution agreement for gold ornaments with the Marquis. How should we proceed?’

‘Gold ornaments, huh…’

Gold ornaments were immensely valuable in both his previous world and his current one.

Even though his territory now had a steady income stream, it was worthwhile to listen to the details of the offer.

But…

‘These two do not look like merchants.’

Their appearances were flawless, the sort universally acknowledged as stunning.

As Alon found himself inadvertently captivated by the woman’s gaze…

Drip—

“?”

He saw it.

A single tear fell from her eye and traced a path down her cheek.

Then…

“Sniff—”

“???”

The beautiful woman, who had been looking at him with a steady expression until that moment, suddenly began to weep with mournful sobs.